Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing

World Blitz Championship (2008) The 2008 World Blitz Championship was a 16-player round robin held in the Alatau Sanatorium of Almaty (Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan, 8 November. Participants: the first five players in the standings of the 2006 and 2007 World Blitz Championships, the champion of the 2006 Asian Games (Kazhgaleyev), one nominee of the organizer (Vaganian), and four Continental 2008 blitz champions, or their replacements. Time control: 5 minutes, with no increment. Prize fund: about $297,000, with about $68,000 to the winner. Organizer: Kazakhstan Chess Federation, under the aegis of FIDE. Chief arbiter: Andrzej Filipowicz. Appeals committee: Bolat Karishaluly Asanov, Boris Spassky and Viktor Korchnoi. The format and the electronic boards produced many incomplete game scores. Leinier Dominguez Perez won with 11.5/15, ahead of Ivanchuk (2nd) and Svidler (3rd on tiebreak). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Dominguez * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 11½ 2 Ivanchuk ½ * ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 11 3 Svidler ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 ½ 10 4 Grischuk 0 0 ½ * 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 10 5 Mamedyarov 0 1 1 0 * ½ 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 9½ 6 Radjabov ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 0 1 1 1 9½ 7 Kazhgaleyev 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 8 8 Morozevich 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 * 0 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 7½ 9 Kamsky ½ 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 * ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 7 10 Gelfand 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 7 11 Tkachiev 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 6½ 12 Rublevsky ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 1 6½ 13 Vaganian ½ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 * 1 1 0 5½ 14 Amin 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 ½ 0 * 0 1 4½ 15 Sasikiran ½ 0 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 * ½ 3½ 16 Polgar 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ * 2½ Regulations: https://fide.com/images/stories/NEW... Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/news/view/dom... ChessBase 1: https://en.chessbase.com/post/domin... ChessBase 2: https://en.chessbase.com/post/world... Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2On... TWIC: https://theweekinchess.com/html/twi... Wikipedia article: World Blitz Chess Championship Previous: World Blitz Championship (2007). Next: World Blitz Championship (2009)  page 1 of 5; games 1-25 of 120  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Ivanchuk vs Mamedyarov   0-1 53 2008 World Blitz Championship C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed 2. Dominguez Perez vs Polgar 1-0 46 2008 World Blitz Championship B41 Sicilian, Kan 3. Rublevsky vs B Amin ½-½ 4 2008 World Blitz Championship C45 Scotch Game 4. Radjabov vs Svidler ½-½ 4 2008 World Blitz Championship D85 Grunfeld 5. Morozevich vs Sasikiran   1-0 14 2008 World Blitz Championship B23 Sicilian, Closed 6. Tkachiev vs Kazhgaleyev   ½-½ 18 2008 World Blitz Championship B07 Pirc 7. Kamsky vs Vaganian   ½-½ 11 2008 World Blitz Championship A46 Queen's Pawn Game 8. Gelfand vs Grischuk   0-1 60 2008 World Blitz Championship E97 King's Indian 9. Vaganian vs Gelfand 0-1 23 2008 World Blitz Championship A07 King's Indian Attack 10. Mamedyarov vs Grischuk 0-1 49 2008 World Blitz Championship D80 Grunfeld 11. Kazhgaleyev vs Kamsky 1-0 13 2008 World Blitz Championship D10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 12. Sasikiran vs Tkachiev 0-1 62 2008 World Blitz Championship D25 Queen's Gambit Accepted 13. Svidler vs Morozevich ½-½ 19 2008 World Blitz Championship C03 French, Tarrasch 14. B Amin vs Radjabov 0-1 33 2008 World Blitz Championship C86 Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack 15. Polgar vs Rublevsky 0-1 5 2008 World Blitz Championship B42 Sicilian, Kan 16. Ivanchuk vs Dominguez Perez   ½-½ 25 2008 World Blitz Championship D23 Queen's Gambit Accepted 17. Rublevsky vs Ivanchuk ½-½ 51 2008 World Blitz Championship B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack 18. Radjabov vs Polgar   1-0 53 2008 World Blitz Championship A48 King's Indian 19. Dominguez Perez vs Mamedyarov 1-0 37 2008 World Blitz Championship C53 Giuoco Piano 20. Morozevich vs B Amin 1-0 17 2008 World Blitz Championship A80 Dutch 21. Tkachiev vs Svidler 1-0 29 2008 World Blitz Championship B22 Sicilian, Alapin 22. Kamsky vs Sasikiran   1-0 8 2008 World Blitz Championship D02 Queen's Pawn Game 23. Grischuk vs Vaganian   1-0 57 2008 World Blitz Championship D58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst 24. Kazhgaleyev vs Grischuk   ½-½ 30 2008 World Blitz Championship E71 King's Indian, Makagonov System (5.h3) 25. Sasikiran vs Gelfand   0-1 35 2008 World Blitz Championship D45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav  page 1 of 5; games 1-25 of 120    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> Nov-08-08    VinnyRoo2002: <kingg> Do you have any idea how much those boards which automatically record the moves cost? They would extremely beneficial for a tournament like this. Nov-08-08    yoozum: <Ivanchuk's consistency in blitz is quite impressive, especially at his age.> Agreed, it seems like he's always very near the top. I was betting my chess bucks on Ivanchuk, and though I'm upset that he didn't finish first, no one could have expected this outcome with Dominguez winning. Nov-08-08    Billy Vaughan: <It's not as if Ivanchuk has been lazy either, he has already played more than 200 games this year, most of them with classical time controls.> What's fascinating is he isn't really far from having played and average of 1 game a day against top-flight competition. Which is just unreal. Nov-08-08    KingG: <alexmagnus> <How long will you consider 39 an old age???> I'm talking about blitz, not classical chess. I think it's generally accepted that the faster time controls tend to favour younger players. <VinnyRoo2002> I'm pretty sure they are using the boards you are talking about, but they don't seem to be doing a very good job recording the moves. Nov-08-08    alexmagnus: <Nov-23-07 KamikazeAttack: The sad thing is I have no doubt that many SGMs would be laffing in private when Chucky made number #2 on the ratings list? U think they really see him as second strongest? :)> Aha? <Jul-25-08: Whitehat1963: Nothing against him, but that Dominguez-Perez is rated above 2700 says a great deal about rating inflation since say 1965.> Now he justified his rating. As all players above 2700. What the great number of 2700+ says is - the competition is very close on top. Even some number 21 in the world can win a world championship, be it in blitz. ;) Nov-08-08    KingG: <Now he justified his rating.> How is a classical rating justified by a blitz tournament? Nov-09-08    Billy Vaughan: Well they're both chess. Nov-09-08    notyetagm: <percyblakeney: <Ivanchuk's consistency in blitz is quite impressive, especially at his age> Very, he finished +7 -0 =1 in his last eight and as in the Tal Memorial blitz he ended up with a performance well over 2850.> Wow, the Chuckster went 7.5/8(!) to finish the tournament, almost winning it. Nov-09-08    shintaro go: Ivanchuk is a chess machine. Never gets tired, never takes a break. The guy loves chess! Nov-09-08    notyetagm: <shintaro go: Ivanchuk is a chess machine. Never gets tired, never takes a break. The guy loves chess!> Yes, he could not comprehend Kasparov's retirement from chess in 2005. No more competitive chess? Huh? An inconceivable thought to Ivanchuk. Nov-09-08    alexmagnus: Let's see if Ivanchuk plays in the next 40 years like Korchnoi did it :). Who knows, maybe just as Korchnoi, he becomes a WC challenger at 50 ;) Nov-09-08    shintaro go: <alexmagnus>I wouldn't put it past Ivanchuk. At his current form, he still finishes consistently in the top of tournaments and he has shown over the year that he can hang with <and occasionally whip> Carlsen, so any future WC title shots wouldn't be improbable for Ivanchuk. Nov-10-08    ahmadov: Domingues did not lose one single game in such a difficult tournament! That is very impressive... Nov-10-08    dumbgai: Unfortunately, Ivanchuk has had a tendency to underperform when it mattered the most (i.e. world championship events). Nov-10-08    mikejaqua: Does anyone have any idea what went so horribly wrong for Judit? Looks like she had a Shirov-level meltdown. Nov-10-08    amadeus: If I am not mistaken, Judit has only two wins (classical chess) in 2008... As for Ivanchuk, well, he won last year. No trouble, there is always 2009. And I think the title is more important to Dominguez than it would be to him. Congrats, Leinier. Nov-10-08    notyetagm: <mikejaqua: Does anyone have any idea what went so horribly wrong for Judit? Looks like she had a Shirov-level meltdown.> Raising two kids probably takes precedence to chess now for Judit. And at this level, it shows. Nov-10-08    Heidi44: I like Poochie! Nov-10-08    Billy Vaughan: <Unfortunately, Ivanchuk has had a tendency to underperform when it mattered the most (i.e. world championship events).> Well, he was 0.5 away from winning this event. I wouldn't call that "underperforming" even for Kasparov. Nov-11-08    Eyal: <KingG: <VinnyRoo2002> I'm pretty sure they are using the boards you are talking about, but they don't seem to be doing a very good job recording the moves.> Indeed: <The players were playing too fast and not always placing the pieces accurately in the centre of a square. The technicians complained: why cant they move the pieces properly? How many times have we told them, but they won't listen...> (http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...) Nov-11-08    gazzawhite: <Eyal> Funny stuff. Alternately, could they have a video camera next to the board torecord the game visually? I guess a problem would be that they would have to have a decent quality (framemate, etc.) which would be expensive, especially if you had one per board. Also, it wouldn't be live, as it would take time to watch the video to check the game score. Nov-13-08    turbo231: does anyone know the time limits for this blitz? Nov-13-08    amadeus: 5 minutes without increments. Dec-23-08    positionalgenius: strong tounament but several major players wer missing. Tal blitz 2006 was the strongest ive seen. Dec-23-08    positionalgenius: kamsky and morozevich vastly underperformed. search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members. Nothing in violation of United States law. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members. No trolling. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers. Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times. See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator. NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific tournament only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café. Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors. All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration. Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes! Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC