2012 Tata Steel

GM Teimour Radjabov

Goddess, he's so damn cute!  Too bad his face is covered in smut.  Honestly, wouldn't you think that by now men would have come up with a better look than Miami Vice from 1986???  Although I do have to say that Don Johnson - what a smoking hot hunk he was back then, wooo woooo!  This photo, and all of the photos below, are from the official website and done by Fred Lucas. 

He finished in 4th place overall(although it's called joint 2nd place) in the A Group at the just-concluded 2012 version of the Tata Steel Chess Festival. 

Standings after round 13 A Group:

1.	Aronian, L.	9
2.	Carlsen, M. Caruana, F. Radjabov, T.	8
5.	Ivanchuk, V. Nakamura, H.	7½
7.	Kamsky, G.	7
8.	Karjakin, S.	6½
9.	Van Wely, L.	5½
10.	Gashimov, V. Gelfand, B. Topalov, V.	5
13.	Giri, A. Navara, D.	4½

The USA contingent of Nakamura (out of the Chess and Scholastic Center of St. Louis a/k/a St. Louis Chess Club) and Kamsky performed well, given the competition!  Kudos, dudes.

How'd the ladies finish?

GM Kateryna Lahno finished in 11th out of 14 in B Group
2012 Tata Steel.

GM Viktorija Cmilyte, 13 out of 14 in B Group.

B Group:

1.	Harikrishna, P.	9
2.	Bruzon, L. Motylev, A.	8½
4.	L'Ami, E. Tiviakov, S.	8
6.	Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D.	7½
8.	Potkin, V.	6½
9.	Timman, J.	6
10.	Ernst, S.	5
11.	Lahno, K.Vocaturo, D.	4½
13.	Cmilyte, V.	4
14.	Harika, D.	3½

The ladies bombed.  Damn! 

C Group:

1.	Turov, M.	10½
2.	Tikkanen, H.	10
3.	Adhiban, B. Brandenburg, D.	8½
5.	Grover, S. Paehtz, E. Sadler, M.	7
8.	Tania, S.	6
9.	Danielian, E.	5½
10.	Goudriaan, E.	5
11.	Ootes, L.	4½
12.	Hopman, P. Schut, L.	4
14.	Haast, A.	3½

A mixed bag for the ladies in the C Group. GM Elizabeth Paehtz finished above 50% and IM Tania Sachdev finished just below 50%.  I'm sure GM Elina Danielian is very disappointed with her overall performance.  She has proven to be a male GM-killer in the past, as has Paehtz, who earned her final GM norm competing against the big boys in an European Individual Chess Championship!  Not for the faint of heart.

IM Tania Sachdev.  Except I'm neither so young nor so beautiful,
this is pretty much what I look like at a tournament!

2012 Tata Steel

Ladies' standings afer R12:

Group B:

1.	Harikrishna, P.	8½
2.	L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.	8
4.	Bruzon, L.	7½
5.	Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S.	7
7.	Nyzhnik, I.	6½
8.	Potkin, V. Timman, J.	5½
10.	Ernst, S.	5
11.	Cmilyte, V. Lahno, K. Vocaturo, D.	4
14.	Harika, D.	3½

Group C:

1.	Tikkanen, H. Turov, M.	9½
3.	Adhiban, B. Brandenburg, D.	7½
5.	Grover, S. Sadler, M.	6½
7.	Paehtz, E.	6
8.	Tania, S.	5½
9.	Goudriaan, E.	5
10.	Danielian, E. Ootes, L.	4½
12.	Hopman, P. Schut, L.	4
14.	Haast, A.	3½

2012 Tata Steel

Where the ladies are after R11.  Group B ladies aren't doing very well, period.  Group C - two ladies (Elizabeth Paetz and Tania Sachdev) are at 50%.  The final round will be on Sunday, January 29th.

Group B

1.	Harikrishna, P.	8
2.	L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.	7½
4.	Bruzon, L.	6½
5.	Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S.	6
7.	Nyzhnik, I.	5½
8.	Ernst, S. Potkin, V. Timman, J.	5
11.	Lahno, K. Vocaturo, D.	4
13.	Cmilyte, V. Harika, D.	3½

Group C

1.	Tikkanen, H. Turov, M.	8½
3.	Adhiban, B.	7½
4.	Brandenburg, D. Sadler, M.	6½
6.	Grover, S.	6
7.	Paehtz, E. Tania, S.	5½
9.	Goudriaan, E.	5
10.	Schut, L.	4
11.	Danielian, E.Hopman, P. Ootes, L.	3½
14.	Haast, A.	3

2012 Tata Steel

I'm watching an excellent Nova special on PBS right now, "Masterpiece," about the painting that might be a previously unknown Leonardo DaVinci drawing!  Absolutely fascinating...  I'm learning a lot about the world of art experts and fraudulent works of art -- how people try to sniff out frauds and how the fraudsters try to fool the experts. 

Excited -- my purchases have started to arrive.  Tonight I opened the box from - get ready for it - LAMPLUST - and was just so struck by how beautiful those LED "burl wood" wall sconces are!  Can't wait to put them up this weekend, darlings! 

In a larger box is the stand-alone oiled-bronze finish towel holder, woooo wooooo!  I didn't open the box but tucked it out of the way until I can open it and assemble the towel holder this weekend.  Hopefully all the pieces will be there for both the wall sconces and the towel holder!  Soon, I hope my upstairs bath will look like a "masterpiece" itself :)

Ladies' standings:

Group B
Standings after round 10

1.	Harikrishna, P.	8
2.	L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.	7
4.	Bruzon, L.	6½
5.	Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S.	5
7.	Nyzhnik, I.	4½
8.	Ernst, S. Lahno, K. Potkin, V. Timman, J. Vocaturo, D.	4
13.	Cmilyte, V. Harika, D.	3½

Group C
Standings after round 10

1.	Turov, M.	8
2.	Tikkanen, H.	7½
3.	Adhiban, B.	7
4.	Brandenburg, D. Grover, S. Sadler, M.	6
7.	Goudriaan, E. Paehtz, E. Tania, S.	4½
10.	Schut, L.	4
11.	Danielian, E. Haast, A. Hopman, P. Ootes, L.

2012 Tata Steel

Chess femme standings in Groups B and C:

Standings after round 9 (Group B):

1.	Harikrishna, P.	7
2.	Bruzon, L. L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.	6
5.	Nyzhnik, I. Tiviakov, S.	4½
7.	Ernst, S. Reinderman, D. Vocaturo, D.	4
10.	Cmilyte, V. Lahno, K. Potkin, V. Timman, J.	3½
14.	Harika, D.	3

Standings after round 9 (Group C):

1.	Tikkanen, H. Turov, M.	7½
3.	Adhiban, B.	6½
4.	Brandenburg, D. Grover, S. Sadler, M.	5
7.	Goudriaan, E. Paehtz, E. Schut, L.	4
10.	Tania, S.	3½
11.	Danielian, E. Haast, A.Ootes, L.	3
14.	Hopman, P.	2

2012 Tata Steel

Must have been a rest day for the A and B Group today - and maybe for C Group too, only yesterday when I updated results C Group's weren't ready yet:

1.	Tikkanen, H. Turov, M.	6½
3.	Adhiban, B.	5½
4.	Grover, S.	5
5.	Brandenburg, D. Sadler, M.	4½
7.	Goudriaan, E. Paehtz, E. Schut, L. Tania, S.	3½
11.	Ootes, L.	3
12.	Danielian, E.	2½
13.	Haast, A.Hopman, P.	2

The action picks up again tomorrow and runs straight through Sunday, so there's a lot of chess left to be played. Stay tuned!

2012 Tata Steel

How are the ladies doing?

Group B - all of the ladies are near the bottom of the ranks with 3.0 (standings after R8):

1.	Harikrishna, P.	6
2.	Motylev, A.	5½
3.	Bruzon, L. L'Ami, E.	5
5.	Nyzhnik, I.	4½
6.	Ernst, S. Reinderman, D.	4
8.	Potkin, V. Tiviakov, S.	3½
10.	Cmilyte, V. Harika, D. Lahno, K.Timman, J. Vocaturo, D.	3

Group C - Lisa Schut is at 50%; the other ladies are in the lower ranks (standings after R7):

1.	Turov, M.	6
2.	Tikkanen, H.	5½
3.	Adhiban, B.	5
4.	Brandenburg, D. Grover, S. Sadler, M.	4
7.	Goudriaan, E. Schut, L.	3½
9.	Tania, S.	3
10.	Paehtz, E.	2½
11.	Danielian, E. Haast, A. Hopman, P. Ootes, L.	2

2012 Tata Steel

Chess femme standings after R5:

Group B:

1.	Harikrishna, P.	4
2.	Motylev, A.	3½
3.	L'Ami, E. Timman, J.	3
5.	Bruzon, L. Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Tiviakov, S. Vocaturo, D.	2½
10.	Cmilyte, V. Lahno, K. Potkin, V.	2
13.	Ernst, S. Harika, D.	1½

Group C:

1.	Turov, M.	5
2.	Tikkanen, H.	4
3.	Adhiban, B.	3½
4.	Grover, S. Sadler, M.	3
6.	Brandenburg, D. Goudriaan, E. Schut, L.	2½
9.	Ootes, L. Paehtz, E. Tania, S.	2
12.	Danielian, E. Haast, A. Hopman, P.

2012 Tata Steel

Standings after R4:

Chess femmes in Group B:

1.	Harikrishna, P.	3½
2.	L'Ami, E. Motylev, A.	2½
4.	Lahno, K.Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Timman, J. Tiviakov, S. Vocaturo, D.	2
10.	Bruzon, L. Cmilyte, V. Ernst, S. Harika, D. Potkin, V.	1½

Chess femmes in Group C:

1.	Turov, M.	4
2.	Adhiban, B. Tikkanen, H.	3
4.	Goudriaan, E. Sadler, M.	2½
6.	Brandenburg, D. Grover, S. Ootes, L.	2
9.	Paehtz, E. Schut, L. Tania, S.	1½
12.	Danielian, E. Haast, A.	1
14.	Hopman, P.	½

2012 Tata Steel Chess

Hola!  Nope, I haven't forgotten all about chess, just been distracted by other things :)  Here's the link to the official website.

Here are standings after R3 for the chess femmes!

The B Group is hosting three:

1.	Harikrishna, P.	3
2.	L'Ami, E.	2½
3.	Tiviakov, S.	2
4.	Lahno, K. Motylev, A. Nyzhnik, I. Reinderman, D. Timman, J. Vocaturo, D.	1½
10.	Bruzon, L. Cmilyte, V. Harika, D. Potkin, V.	1
14.	Ernst, S.	½

The C Group features five chess femmes:

1.	Turov, M.	3
2.	Goudriaan, E.	2½
3.	Adhiban, B. Grover, S. Sadler, M. Tikkanen, H.	2
7.	Brandenburg, D. Tania, S.	1½
9.	Danielian, E. Haast, A. Ootes, L.	1
12.	Hopman, P. Paehtz, E. Schut, L.

2012 Tata Steel Invitational Line-Ups Announced!

The line-up for the 2012 edition of the famous tournament at Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, has been announced!  It all begins in January:  14th Jan - Sun 29th Jan 2012.
A record-number of chess femmes (I'm soooo excited!):  None in the A Group (were Judit Polgar, Hou Yifan and Koneru Humpy busy? Were they asked?); in the B Group three of the top female players in the world: 

Ti	Name	FED	Rtg	DofB

GM	Lahno, Kateryna	UKR	2554	1983
GM	Cmilyte, Viktorija	LIT	2525	1983
GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2505	1991

In the C Group, five female players:

Ti	Name	FED	Rtg	DofB

GM

Danielian, Elina

ARM

2517

1978

WGM	Paehtz, Elisabeth	GER	2461	1985
WGM	Sachdev, Tania	IND	2419	1986

WIM	Schut, Lisa	NED	2290	1994
WIM	Haast, Anne	NED	2264	1993