Mainz Chess Classic 2006

Chess Classic with Anand, Radjabov, Svidler, Aronian and Vaile
14.08.2006 – Suffering withdrawal after Sofia and Dortmund? The next big event starts tomorrow, in Mainz, Germany. Anand plays an eight-game rapid chess match against Teimour Radjabov, Peter Svidler a Chess960 (Fischer Random) against Levon Aronian. There are Chess960 events for women, seniors, juniors and computers. We bring you a road map and all the essential links.

Chess Classic: Chess960 results, Anand and Aronian simuls
17.08.2006 – In the three Chess960 (Fischer Random) world championships India's Harikrishna won in the Juniors section, Alexandra Kosteniuk in the Women's and Vlastimil Hort in the Seniors. Anand gave a simultaneous exhibition and drew to a rock musician from Finnland. Aronian played a blindfold Chess960 game against soap star Vaile and won. Pictorial report.

Chess Classic: Anand and Svidler falter
18.08.2006 – Vishy Anand, the world's strongest rapid chess player, got off to a shaky start at the Chess Classic in Mainz, drawing one and losing the second game to challenger Teimour Radjabov. In Chess960 the reigning champion Peter Svidler lost both his games to Levon Aronian, albeit somewhat unluckily. Full report on day three of the Classic.

Chess Classic: Anand and Svidler bounce back
19.08.2006 – After losing on day one, both Vishy Anand and Peter Svidler came back strongly on day two, equalising the score with one and two wins over Radjabov and Aronian repectively. Etienne Bacrot won the FiNet Chess960 Open, undefated, and Shredder took the Chess960 world computer chess championship title. Big illustrated report.

Chess Classic: Neck-and-neck on day three
20.08.2006 – Vishy Anand lost his fifth round game, another Sveshnikov, against challenger Teimour Radjabov, he came back in force to equalise the score in round six. In the Chess960 contest Svidler and Aronian both won a game (there have been no draws so far) to stay equal, now at 3:3. The final day will decide. Giant illustrated report.

Chess Classic: Anand and Aronian win Mainz
21.08.2006 – Both Vishy Anand and Levon Aronian won both games on the last day of the Chess Classic. Anand took the rapid chess title for the ninth time, and the seventh time in a row. Aronian had won the Chess960 Open twice before and now defeated Peter Svidler in the title match. Rustam Kasimdzhanov won the Ordix Open. Illustrated report.

Chess Classic: Kasimdzhanov wins the Ordix Open
22.08.2006 – "I'm the man!" beamed Rustam Kasimdzhanov, quoting from the movie Kill Bill II. The Uzbek had just clinched victory in the Ordix Open. Second was Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, edged out on tiebreak points. But Mamedyarov won the combined title for Chess960 and Rapid chess. WGM Natalia Zhukova took the women's title. Illustrated report.