Bilbao Final Chess Masters: Kramnik leads after 4 rounds

Chess news and chess trivia blog (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2010

Vladimir Kramnik: Bilbao Buzz

Hello Everyone,

The Bilbao Final Masters Chess Tournament has brought most of the world's top players together to battle it out at the board. Imagine, the 14th and 15th world champion already there (read Kramnik and Anand) and possible a future one (Carlsen) too! And, Shirov is in a class by himself too.

The 2010 Masters Final is taking place from October 9-15 in Bilbao, Spain. It is a six-round double round-robin event. The time control is 90 minutes/40 moves + 60 minutes + 10 seconds/move as of move 41.

The fourth round saw two draws. Maybe, Carlsen is trying to set some kind of a record for most longest games played ever. Here are the games. Enjoy. But Vladimir Kramnik continues to lead.

You can run the moves through our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.

Bilbao system scores

Standings after Round 4

Vladimir Kramnik 8

Viswanathan Anand 6

Alexei Shirov 3

Magnus Carlsen 2

PGN: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 g6 9. Bd3 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 c5 11. h4 Qa5 12. Nf3 Nc6 13. Qf4 cxd4 14. h5 g5 15. Qf6 Rf8 16. Qxh6 g4 17. Ng5 Nxe5 18. Nh7 Rh8 19. Ke2 Nxd3 20. cxd3 Bd7 21. Nf6+ Ke7 22. Qg5 dxc3 23. Ne4+ Ke8 24. Nf6+ Ke7 25. Nxg4+ Kd6 26. Ne5 f6 27. Qxf6 Raf8 28. Qg7 Qa4 29. Nf7+ Rxf7 30. Qxf7 Qc2+ 31. Kf1 Qxd3+ 32. Kg1 Qd2 33. Qg7 c2 34. Qxh8 c1=Q+ 35. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 36. Kh2 Qf4+ 37. Kg1 Qc1+ 38. Kh2 1/2-1/2

PGN: 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. Be3 Re8 10. Rc1 Bf8 11. Ne4 Nd4 12. Bg5 f6 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Bd2 Be6 15. b4 Bd5 16. a4 c6 17. a5 Nc8 18. Re1 a6 19. Nc5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Qd5+ 21. Kg1 Nd6 22. Qb3 Qxb3 23. Nxb3 Nb5 24. Kf1 Rad8 25. Rc4 Rd5 26. Bc1 Red8 27. Bb2 Kf7 28. Kg2 h5 29. h3 g5 30. g4 Kg6 31. Rf1 Be7 32. f4 hxg4 33. hxg4 gxf4 34. Rxf4 Bd6 35. Rf3 Rg5 36. Bxd4 Rxg4+ 37. Kf2 Nxd4 38. Nxd4 Rh8 39. e4 Rh2+ 40. Ke3 Rb2 41. Nc2 Rg5 42. d4 Rb5 43. Kd3 Bxb4 44. Rxb4 R5xb4 45. Nxb4 Rb3+ 46. Ke2 Rxb4 47. Rg3+ Kf7 48. Rd3 Ke6 49. Ke3 Rb5 50. Ra3 c5 51. dxc5 Rxc5 52. Kf4 Rh5 53. Rb3 Rb5 54. Ra3 Kd6 55. Ra1 Rc5 56. Rd1+ Kc7 57. Ra1 Kc6 58. Ke3 f5 59. exf5 Rxf5 60. Kd3 Rf3+ 61. Kc4 Rf4+ 62. Kc3 Kc5 63. Rh1 Rf3+ 64. Kc2 Rf5 65. Kc3 Rf3+ 66. Kc2 Ra3 67. Rh7 Kc6 68. Rh6+ Kc7 69. Rh7+ Kb8 70. Rh8+ Ka7 71. Rh5 Re3 72. Kb2 Kb8 73. Rc5 Re6 1/2-1/2

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com