The show has started!

The first round of the World Chess Championship in Mexico 2007 finished without any decisive results. Even though there were some slight advantages, no one took the risk to push for the win in the first round. And we cannot blame the players, it is a long competition, double round robin, with 8 of the best players in the world in it. It is not only a race, it is survival of the fittest and endurance is an important part of it.

Live games

Alexander Morozevich – Levon Aronian

As usual, both players entered in the game with very original play. White tried to open the h-file as soon as possible, but black replied with a strong novelty 11…e5. Thus, there were no structural problem for Aronian and he had a smooth opening. The Armenian soon pushed on the fairly exposed king of Morozevich. However, after some active defence, Morozevich was able to convert the game into a into drawish ending. A very interesting draw with many challenging plans in the middlegame.

Detailed comments by IM Miodrag Perunovic

Vishwanathan Anand – Boris Gelfand

The battle of the veterans started with Petroff defence, just as we predicted. However, the game saw some sparks, first initiated by Anand and accelerated h4. 12.Nh2 was an interesting choice by Anand, as it has been played only once (by Svidler) which did not bring the desired edge. Right on the contrary, Gelfand defended with cool head and even started to build some counterplay! Just as everyone expected 22…Rf4, Gelfand opted to exchange another pair of rooks and offer draw.

Full game commentary by IM Miodrag Perunovic

Vladimir Kramnik – Peter Svidler

Kramnik is in Mexico with great desire to win the World Chess Championship. The simplest prove of this is his second, Loek Van Wely, a generally aggressive chess player with great imagination. In the round 1 game Kramnik pushed from the begining and soon had space advantage. However, Svidler was well prepared in the Leningrad variation in which Predrag Nikolic and Vishy Anand had lot of success in the past. Not only solid play, we saw a brave sacrifice from Peter Svidler – 19… c5! and black took the center and the initiative. However, in a position where losts of play was left, both players shook hands and agreed on a draw

Detailed comments on Kramnik – Svidler

Alexander Grischuk – Peter Leko

Peter Leko is really enjoying in his Marschall Ruy Lopez as at the moment white obviously has no way to crack this defence. He easy held draw with black pieces against Alexander Grischuk. The dangerous queen+bishop battery on the long diagonal forced white to simplify and exchange pieces, thus annihilating any chance for win to either side.

Replay Grischuk-Leko

Chessdom coverage

Besides the great chess games, there are two more things that make the first day of WCC unforgettable – the fantastic debut of IM Miodrag Perunovic and the thousands of readers from basically every country in the world that actively participated in the event. A big thank you from the Chessdom team!

We promise not to disappoint you as tomorrow IM Perunovic returns for a second round of live games, and later on he will be joined by GM Dimitrov and IM Karakehayov. GM Dimitrov is on his way back from the 6th Istanbul chess festival and IM Karakehayov is leading with full 4.0/0 the Sunny beach open.

Do not forget to chek out the general World Chess Championship page where you will find all the pairings, interviews, live games, comments and much more!

Do not miss the FREE trial lesson

Chessdom has developed a very effective online training system that does not involve any chess servers and depends on nothing but your healthy Internet. The professional coaches – IM Martha Fierro, IM Miodrag Perunovic, and IM Kalin Karakehayov – are ready to improve your chess understanding no matter what your level is.
There is a free weekly lesson at the Chessdom Chess academy. Sign up for it!

World Chess Championship Mexico live

Round 1

Kramnik – Svidler Live!

Grishchuk – Leko Live!

Anand – Gelfand Live!

Morozevich – Aronian Live!

The World Chess Championship is starting Thursday at 14:00 local time. You can follow WCC round 1 live here, on Chessdom, with IM Miodrag Perunovic. He will be commenting in details the two most interesting games and will provide additional light notes on the other two. All the information about the WCC in Mexico can be found on the general WCC Mexico page

In the rest of the rounds we will also feature commentary by GM Vladimir Dimitrov, IM Kalin Karakehayov, and several other special guests.

Chessdom Chess academy

Try our weekly free trial lesson in the Chessdom Chess Academy. Group lesson with IM Miodrag Perunovic is taking place every Friday 14:00 EST (20:00 CET) at the Internet Chess Club (ICC). To sign up, message TheButcher-Mio or Lardizabal on ICC or drop us an email.

VSK Gorenje victorious, Beograd-Beopublikum faced strong resistance from BSK Gambit

Men’s League, Round 1 on 2007/08/21 at 15.00

Spartak – Bora Kostic 3-3

GM Nikola Sedlak (SRB 2590) – GM Andrei Maksimenko (UKR 2505) draw

GM Dusan Popovic (SRB 2551) – FM Boban Bogosavljevic (SRB 2491) draw

GM Zoran Jovanovic (CRO 2537) – GM Milan Drasko (MNE 2552) draw

GM Nikola Djukic (MNE 2531) – GM Bosko Abramovic (SRB 2516) draw

Dejan Leskur (SRB 2482) – IM Petar Benkovic (SRB 2465) 1-0

FM Sinisa S Popov (SRB 2481) – GM Sinisa Drazic (SRB 2480) 0-1

SK ZTP – Novosadski SK DDOR 3.5-2.5

GM Borki Predojevic (BIH 2628) – GM Robert Markus (SRB 2586) draw

GM Miroslav Markovic (SRB 2442) – GM Petar Popovic (SRB 2474) draw

IM Branko Tadic (SRB 2500) – GM Aleksandar Kovacevic (SRB 2566) draw

GM Goran M Todorovic (SRB 2471) – GM Dragan Solak (SRB 2566) draw

IM Milos M Pavlovic (SRB 2438) – GM Vladislav Nevednichy (ROM 2523) 1-0

Nikola Nestorovic (SRB 2424) – IM Zdenko Stupavski (SRB 2378) draw

Arkadij Naiditsch – Yuri Solodovnichenko

SK Beograd-Beopublikum – BSK Gambit 3-3

GM Arkadij Naiditsch (GER 2652) – GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (UKR 2582) 1-0

GM Igor Miladinovic (SRB 2605) – GM Milos Pavlovic (SRB 2541) draw

GM Milos Perunovic (SRB 2589) – IM Slavisa Brenjo (SRB 2485) draw

GM Aleksa Strikovic (SRB 2567) – GM Slobodan Martinovic (SRB 2447) 0-1

GM Veljko Jeremic (SRB 2523) – GM Vladimir G Kostic (SRB 2395) draw

GM Miodrag R Savic (SRB 2514) – IM Mihajlo Zlatic (SRB 2450) draw

Radnicki – Rad 4-2

GM Zahar Efimenko (UKR 2624) – GM Evgeny Postny (ISR 2598) draw

GM Dragisa Blagojevic (MNE 2502) – GM Dragan Paunovic (SRB 2531) draw

GM Dejan Antic (SRB 2468) – IM Zeljko Djukic (SRB 2402) 1-0

Goran Pavlovic (SRB 2372) – FM Sinisa Dujkovic (SRB 2407) draw

GM Dragan Barlov (SRB 2469) – IM Zdenko Krnic (SRB 2385) draw

FM Ivan Martic (SRB 2311) – Petar Krstic (SRB 2327) 1-0

Agronom – Partizan Partner Inzinjering 2-4

GM Dragan Kosic (MNE 2501) – GM Bozidar Ivanovic (MNE 2426) draw

IM Andjelko Dragojlovic (SRB 2432) – GM Milan Matulovic (SRB 2389) draw

Zoran Grujic (SRB 2362) – GM Stefan Djuric (SRB 2472) draw

IM Atanas Kizov (MKD 2396) – GM Miroslav Tosic (SRB 2437) draw

FM Miroslav M Mihalj (SRB 2323) – IM Goran Arsovic (SRB 2470) 0-1

Miloje Brajic (SRB 2232) – IM Anto Rmus (MNE 2376) 0-1

Branko Damljanovic – Konstantin Sakaev

Valjevski SK Gorenje – Sloga Amiga 4-2

GM Branko Damljanovic (SRB 2606) – GM Konstantin Sakaev (RUS 2634) draw

GM Ivan Ivanisevic (SRB 2595) – GM Bojan Vuckovic (SRB 2563) 1-0

GM Viorel Iordachescu (MDA 2584) – GM Dejan Pikula (SRB 2504) draw

GM Dragoljub Velimirovic (SRB 2442) – GM Dusan Rajkovic (SRB 2522) 1-0

GM Mihajlo Stojanovic (SRB 2601) – IM Zoran Arsovic (SRB 2451) draw

GM Borko Lajthajm (SRB 2511) – IM Slobo Vratonjic (SRB 2453) draw

Women’s League, Round 1 on 2007/08/21 at 15.00

SK ZTP – Jugovic 2.5-1.5

WGM Irina Sudakova (RUS 2358) – WIM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR 2330) 0-1

WIM Marijana Savic (SRB 2141) – WIM Marija Marcetic (SRB 2199) draw

Marija Rakic (SRB 2247) – Violeta Todorovic (SRB 2152) 1-0

WFM Marija R Stojanovic (SRB 2156) – WFM Jelena Mladenovic (SRB 2114) 1-0

Natasa Bojkovic – Marija Velcheva

SK BAS – Nis 4-0

WGM Natasa Bojkovic (SRB 2423) – WGM Maria Velcheva (BUL 2294) 1-0

IM Inna Gaponenko (UKR 2458) – WGM Suzana Maksimovic (SRB 2259) 1-0

WGM Svetlana Prudnikova (SRB 2355) – WFM Mila Nikolic (SRB 1987) 1-0

WFM Ljilja Drljevic (MNE 2257) – Marija Miletic (SRB 0) 1-0

MPS Progres – Spartak 0.5-3.5

IM Tatjana Vasilevich (UKR 2377) – WGM Anna Muzychuk (SLO 2456) 0-1

WIM Marija Petrovic (SRB 2197) – WGM Maria Manakova (SRB 2321) 0-1

WIM Antonina Dragasevic (SRB 2153) – WGM Mirjana Maric (SRB 2291) draw

WFM Galina Zelenaya-Azaric (SRB 2099) – WIM Andjelija Stojanovic (SRB 2235) 0-1

Tatjana Vasilevich – Anna Muzychuk

Rad – Srem Novi Drvni Kombinat 3-1

IM Anna Ushenina (UKR 2502) – WGM Margarita Voiska (BUL 2314) 1-0

Jovana Vojinovic (MNE 2217) – Milica Bjeloglav (SRB 2008) 0-1

Sandra Djukic (SRB 2153) – Ana Gebejes (SRB 2056) 1-0

Jovana Eric (SRB 2041) – Jovana Bojovic (SRB 1918) 1-0

Zlatar – Barajevo 2.5-1.5

IM Cristina Adela Foisor (ROM 2372) – Lena Miladinovic (SRB 1815) 1-0

WFM Marija Urosevic (SRB 2072 ) – Ivana Radunovic (SRB 0) 1-0

Radmila Kovacevic (SRB 2085) – WFM Mila Paramentic (SRB 1987) 0-1

Lidija Vuckovic (SRB 1746) – Marija Radosavljevic (SRB 0) draw

Radnicki Rudovci – bye

Report and photos by IA Branka Vujic-Katanic

Live game

Topalov Nisipeanu live commmentary

Videos

Nisipeanu vs. Topalov – Post Mortem Analysis

Sasikiran talking to Katrin Aladjova – Wills

Mamedyarov marching nervously

The Press Room (An insider view)

Photos

Photo Report – Round One (10.05.07)