European Individual Chess R8: Akopian, Matlakov, and Malakhov in joint lead

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The latest chess news from the European Individual Chess Championship (via www.chessdom.com) is that Round 7 leader Sergei Azarov lost his game to Vladimir Malakhov and now we have three players in joint lead. They are Grandmasters Malakhov Vladimir, Matlakov Maxim and Akopian Vladimir ARM with 6,5/8. Three more rounds are still to be played. The leaders are closely followed by a group of 17 players with 6,0/8, among them are GM Gawain Jones, GM Yuriy Kuzubov, GM Nikita Vitiugov, GM Etinne Bacrot, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Ernesto Inarkiev, GM Mikhail Kobalia, GM Francisco Vallejo, GM Dmitry Andreikin, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Baadur Jobava, GM Sergei Azarov, GM Anton Korobov, GM Andrei Volokitin, GM Igor Khankin, and GM Andrei Istratescu.

Within 1 point of the leaders are 31 players, among them the 2700 club members GM Caruana, GM Naiditsch, GM Jakovenko, GM Laznicka, FM Movsesian, etc.

European Individual Chess top standings after Round 8 

1 GM Malakhov Vladimir RUS 2705 6.5

2 GM Matlakov Maxim RUS 2632 6.5

3 GM Akopian Vladimir ARM 2684 6.5

4 GM Jones Gawain C B ENG 2635 6

5 GM Kuzubov Yuriy UKR 2615 6

6 GM Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2709 6

7 GM Bacrot Etienne FRA 2706 6

8 GM Fressinet Laurent FRA 2693 6

9 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2695 6

10 GM Andreikin Dmitry RUS 2689 6

11 GM Kobalia Mikhail RUS 2666 6

12 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2682 6

13 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2706 6

14 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2693 6

15 GM Azarov Sergei BLR 2667 6

16 GM Sokolov Ivan NED 2653 6

17 GM Korobov Anton UKR 2679 6

18 GM Volokitin Andrei UKR 2695 6

19 GM Khenkin Igor GER 2632 6

20 GM Istratescu Andrei FRA 2633 6

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com