World Champion Magnus Carlsen emerged winner of the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 in combined standings after classical and rapid games.
The Zurich Chess Challenge 2014, the strongest tournament in history with average elo 2801, started with a blitz event on Wednesday 29th January at Hotel Savoy in Zurich, Switzerland.
Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian shared the first place with 3,0/5 points each in the event that determined the starting numbers in the main tournament.
The results in the classical games were counted as 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. The results in the rapid games were counted as 1 point for a win and half a point for a draw.
In the classical tournament Magnus Carlsen had the best score of 8 points (3 wins, 2 draws).
Magnus Carlsen receiving trophy from Oleg Skvortsov (photo courtesy of Anastasya Karlovich)
Classical Games – Standings:
1. Magnus Carlsen – 8
2. Levon Aronian – 6
3. Fabiano Caruana – 5
4-5. Hikaru Nakamura and Viswanathan Anand – 4
6. Boris Gelfand – 3
His overall victory seemed imminent, but a poor display in the rapid games on the last day of the Zurich Chess Challenge nearly ruined everything.
Fabiano Caruana’s inspired performance brought him 4,0/5 points for a total score of 9 points, but Carlsen still managed to make 2,0/5 and keep a full point distance ahead of the rest of the field.
Replay all games with analysis
Rapid Games – Standings:
1. Fabiano Caruana – 4
2. Hikaru Nakamura – 3½
3. Levon Aronian – 3
4. Magnus Carlsen – 2
5. Boris Gelfand – 1½
6. Viswanathan Anand – 1
Final Standings – Overall:
1. Magnus Carlsen – 10
2-3. Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian – 9
4. Hikaru Nakamura – 7½
5. Viswanathan Anand – 5
6. Boris Gelfand – 4½
Ended a volatile 4 weeks of chess on a high note with a win against Aronian and 4/5 in the rapid segment of the Zurich Chess Challenge.
— Fabiano Caruana (@FabianoCaruana) February 4, 2014
The difference between a great tournament and a bad tournament is such a fine line.
— Hikaru Nakamura (@GMHikaru) February 4, 2014
