Amber 2007

Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament
18.03.2007 – It carries a prize fund of US $288,000 and is staged in the posh Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel in Monaco. Twelve top GMs play two rounds per day, one blindfold and one rapid. The participants include Anand, Kramnik, Ivanchuk, Leko, Aronian, Morozevich and Svidler. The first round was played on Saturday. We bring you results and games.

Kramnik leads 16th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament
20.03.2007 – After three rounds Vladimir Kramnik has won all of his blindfold games, while scoring 2/3 in the rapid section. He now leads the field, half a point ahead of Levon Aronian, who has scored 3/3 in his rapid games. Last year's winners Anand and Morozevich are still feeling their way around. Report, games and results.

Kramnik, Aronian, Ivanchuk lead in Monaco
22.03.2007 – Tournament leader Vladimir Kramnik got an easy point in the blindfold game against Anand when the latter hung multiple pieces in round four. But after the rest and outing day Kramnik lost 1½:½ to Vasily Ivanchuk, allowing him and Levon Aronian to join him in the lead. Anand and Svidler are a point behind. Report.

Kramnik, Aronian, Ivanchuk still lead in Monaco
23.03.2007 – In Round 6 Vladimir Kramnik regained the overall lead, thanks to a 1½-½ win over one of the co-leaders, Levon Aronian. The other, Vasily Ivanchuk, was lucky to draw his mini-match against Peter Svidler and is now in second place, half a point behind Kramnik. Peter Leko and Teimour Radjabov both chalked up a win to improve their positions in the overall table. Round six report.

Amber: Kramnik leads, Anand in pursuit
26.03.2007 – Vladimir Kramnik is the blindfold king. The world champion has scored an incredible 7.5/8 (one draw in eight games), with a theoretical rating performance of over 3200. Anand scored a 2-0 victory over Paco Vallejo to narrow the gap in both sections to Kramnik to 1.5 points. Their overall performances are 2929 and 2833. Monday is a free day. Full illustrated report.

Amber: Kramnik leads by two points, set to win
29.03.2007 – With a round to go World Champion Vladimir Kramnik has clinched the blindfold section, while the world's top rated player Vishy Anand has already taken the rapid tournament. On the overall table Kramnik is two points ahead of the field, with Anand and Ivanchuk theoretically able to catch him in this Monte Carlo extravaganza. Round nine and ten reports.

Blindfold king Kramnik wins 16th Amber Tournament
30.03.2007 – World champion Vladimir Kramnik won the 16th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament, with a two-point lead over runner-up Vishy Anand. It was Kramnik's sixth victory in Monaco. The key for his success was a very powerful performance in the blindfold competition, where he scored 9 out of 11, which amounts to an almost 3000-level performance. Final report.