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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
World Blitz Championship Tournament
Leinier Dominguez Perez11.5/15(+8 -0 =7)[games]
Vasyl Ivanchuk11/15(+9 -2 =4)[games]
Peter Svidler10/15(+7 -2 =6)[games]
Alexander Grischuk10/15(+8 -3 =4)[games]
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov9.5/15(+9 -5 =1)[games]
Teimour Radjabov9.5/15(+7 -3 =5)[games]
Murtas Kazhgaleyev8/15(+6 -5 =4)[games]
Alexander Morozevich7.5/15(+6 -6 =3)[games]
Gata Kamsky7/15(+5 -6 =4)[games]
Boris Gelfand7/15(+5 -6 =4)[games]
Vladislav Tkachiev6.5/15(+3 -5 =7)[games]
Sergei Rublevsky6.5/15(+3 -5 =7)[games]
Rafael Vaganian5.5/15(+4 -8 =3)[games]
Bassem Amin4.5/15(+4 -10 =1)[games]
Krishnan Sasikiran3.5/15(+2 -10 =3)[games]
Judit Polgar2.5/15(+1 -11 =3)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
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 2; games 1-25 of 40  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. J Polgar vs Kazhgaleyev 0-1812008World Blitz ChampionshipC41 Philidor Defense
2. B Amin vs Vaganian  0-1302008World Blitz ChampionshipC00 French Defense
3. J Polgar vs Grischuk 0-1292008World Blitz ChampionshipB14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack
4. Tkachiev vs Radjabov  0-1522008World Blitz ChampionshipB22 Sicilian, Alapin
5. Kamsky vs Rublevsky  0-1242008World Blitz ChampionshipB40 Sicilian
6. Gelfand vs L Dominguez Perez 0-1202008World Blitz ChampionshipB50 Sicilian
7. Grischuk vs Ivanchuk 0-1202008World Blitz ChampionshipD37 Queen's Gambit Declined
8. Vaganian vs J Polgar 0-1672008World Blitz ChampionshipE62 King's Indian, Fianchetto
9. Sasikiran vs Svidler 0-1162008World Blitz ChampionshipD80 Grunfeld
10. B Amin vs Sasikiran  0-1602008World Blitz ChampionshipB50 Sicilian
11. Mamedyarov vs Sasikiran 0-1352008World Blitz ChampionshipA56 Benoni Defense
12. Morozevich vs Tkachiev  0-1582008World Blitz ChampionshipC78 Ruy Lopez
13. Tkachiev vs Mamedyarov 0-1182008World Blitz ChampionshipB08 Pirc, Classical
14. Kazhgaleyev vs Ivanchuk 0-1232008World Blitz ChampionshipE21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights
15. Rublevsky vs Vaganian 0-1302008World Blitz ChampionshipC01 French, Exchange
16. Radjabov vs Grischuk 0-1382008World Blitz ChampionshipD10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
17. Sasikiran vs Radjabov 0-1532008World Blitz ChampionshipA90 Dutch
18. B Amin vs L Dominguez Perez 0-1362008World Blitz ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
19. J Polgar vs Ivanchuk 0-1182008World Blitz ChampionshipB93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
20. Gelfand vs Mamedyarov  0-1612008World Blitz ChampionshipA42 Modern Defense, Averbakh System
21. Gelfand vs Svidler  0-1522008World Blitz ChampionshipA29 English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto
22. Gelfand vs Grischuk  0-1602008World Blitz ChampionshipE97 King's Indian
23. Vaganian vs Gelfand 0-1232008World Blitz ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
24. Mamedyarov vs Grischuk 0-1492008World Blitz ChampionshipD80 Grunfeld
25. Sasikiran vs Tkachiev 0-1622008World Blitz ChampionshipD25 Queen's Gambit Accepted
 page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 40  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< 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
Premium Chessgames Member		  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
Premium Chessgames Member		  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.
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