FIDE Candidates 2013

The most awaited event of the year has finally started! Round 1 was quite uneventful - with four draws - but Rounds 2 and 3 have provided the chess fans with entertainment and some good chess.

Round Reports

Magnus Carlsen drew his first two games (against Aronian and Kramnik) and moved on to win round 3 game against Boris Gelfand. +1 for the Norwegian genius; considering he's already played the most dangerous opponents  (in the first "robin" of the tournament), it should be considered as a very good start. Aronian drew with Carlsen and then won round 2 vs. Gelfand and round 3 vs. Ivanchuk. Kramnik started with three draws. Ivanchuk is not doing great, unfortunately. Every chess fan knows that "Chuky" is able to beat everybody when it's his day; but he's also able to throw away games. Here he managed to lose on time two games in a row. He's got the sympathy of the audience, but this is not benefitting his performance. There are 11 games to go, so Ivanchuk has got all the time to come back and show all his immense class. After three rounds Levon Aronian is in the sole lead, followed by Carlsen and Svidler half a point behind. Svidler beat Radjabov in Round 3, in a very interesting game, where the ICC Radio commentator found himself in a familiar position and succeeded in capitalizing his advantage. The tournament is still at the beginning though, and it will be compelling to follow the games, round after round.

In Round 4 Magnus Carlsen won his game against Alexander Grishuck, joining Aronian - who was held to a draw by an excellent Peter Svidler - at the top. Ivanchuk, in time trouble, managed to draw his game with Gelfand. Kramnik obtained his 4th draw in a row, playing Radjabov. Round 5 saw 4 draws, with the standing remining unchanghed. Round 6. Magnus wins again, and Aronian doesn't let go, winning his game vs. Radjabov.
Round 7 saw again 4 draws, but with some interesting fight over the board.
In Round 8 we had the so-called "Benjamin Bump", with 3 decisive games! Kramnik won against Svidler, with a very well played endgame; Ivanchuk lost on time again with Grischuk and Gelfand beat Radjabov. The clou-match Carlsen-Aronian was a pretty uneventful draw.
Round 9 was exciting: though Kramnik and Carlsen drew, Gelfand won his game vs. Aronian, and Ivanchuk finally did not have to fight with the clock and won a nice game with Radjabov.
Round 10 saw Kramnik win his game, Ivanchuk lose his 4th game on time, and Calrsen draw his.
Round 11 was a huge turnaround, with Carlsen drawing a good game vs. Grischuk, Kramnik won his and Aronian lost to an excellent Peter Svidler.
In Round12 there was the real drama. Aronian lost to Kramnik, and Magnus lost to Ivanchuk! Now the situatio, with only two rounds to go, sees Kramnikin the lead, followed by Magnus Carlsen half a point beind, and Levon Aronian, most likely out of the run for the first place, at 1.5 points.
Round 13 was another incredible tunraround. Carlsen, in a fantastic endgame, beats Radjabov, while Kramnik drew with Gelfand. The two leaders enter the final round with the same score!
Round 14 is all what you would never expect! Magnus loses his game with Svidler, and Kramnik loses with Ivanchuk! Ivanchuk has been, for the good and the bad, a true protagonist of this event. Carlsen wins on tiebreaks, and moves on to challenge World Champion Vishy Anand. Congratulations to the Norwegian Numero Uno!
 

ICC has covered the Candidates Tournament 2013 with LIVE Radio Broadcast and Game Of the Day videos, brought to you by the commentators' Dream Team.  We had the super-popular TRIVIA contests online and in GOTD, where members can win free time and each day a 1-year subscription to the best chess magazine out there: New in Chess! The ICC Dream Team of commentators has been on the air for every round. For our German members, for the first time ICC has a German GOTD too! 

Next relayed events in ICC:
FIDE GrandPrix in Zug, Switzerland
Alekhine Memorial in Paris, France and S. Petesburg, Russia 
1st Norwegian Chess Tournament
 

During ICC live radio broadcast (Round 1), FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov very kindly gave an interview to our GM Yasser Seirawan!
 

During ICC live radio broadcast (Round 10), Carlsen's second GM Peter Heine Nielsen kindly gave an interview to our host GM Daniel King!
 

Game Of the Day

Round	Date	Host	Play
1	Mar. 15	GM Larry Christiansen   LarryC
2	Mar. 16	GM Varuzhan Akobian   SCORPION83
3	Mar. 17	GM Jonathan Speelman   Speelman
4	Mar. 19	GM Miguel Illescas   Illescas
5	Mar. 20	GM Gawain Jones   VerdeNotte
6	Mar. 21	GM John Fedorowicz   bronxbattler
7	Mar. 23	GM Alex Yermolinsky   Sweere
8	Mar. 24	GM Joel Benjamin   MrHat
9	Mar. 25	GM David Smerdon   smurfo
10	Mar. 27	GM Alex Yermolinsky   Sweere
11	Mar. 28	GM Varuzhan Akobian   SCORPION83
12	Mar. 29	GM David Smerdon   smurfo
13	Mar. 31	GM Alex Yermolinsky   Sweere
14	Apr. 01	GM John Fedorowicz   bronxbattler

TRIVIA winners