Chess - The Scotsman 08/10/12

A famous instance was Nottingham 1936 where all the leaders made last-round blunders. Soviet Mikhail Botvinnik, the co-winner, escaped defeat against the tail-ender William Winter when the lifelong communist “mysteriously” agreed a draw in a won position.

There were no such repeat of last-round nerves from contenders Boris Gelfand and Veselin Topalov last week, as they turned in supremely confident wins to produce a three-way tie for first at the London Grand Prix. Gelfand and Topalov were joined on the podium by overnight leader Shakhriyar Mamedyarov on 7/11, as the latter drew easily with Peter Leko.

To the victors the spoils, with e22,500 (£18,000) each and an equal three-way share of the maximum Grand Prix points on offer, but with Topalov taking the bragging rights to the title on tie-break. The London Grand Prix was the first in the series of six events in the 2014 World Chess Championship cycle, with the remaining five to be held in Tashkent, Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin and Paris.

Final standings: 1-3. Topalov, Gelfand and Mamedyarov, 7/11; 4. Grischuk, 6.5; 5. Leko, 6; 6. Wang Hao, 5.5; 7-8. Adams and Ivanchuk, 5; 9-10. Kasimdzhanov and Dominguez, 4.5; 11-12. Giri and Nakamura, 4.

B Gelfand - R Kasimdzhanov

London Grand Prix, (11)

Semi-Slav, Anti-Meran

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 e6 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bxf6 Qxf6 7 e3 g6 8 Be2 Bg7 9 e4 dxe4 10 Nxe4 Qf4 11 Qc2 0–0 12 0–0 c5 13 dxc5 Bd7 14 b4 Bxa1 15 Rxa1 Bc6 16 Nd6 Nd7 17 Qc1 Qf6 18 Rb1 g5 19 Qe3 Rad8 20 Nd4 a6 21 Re1 Ne5 22 h3 Ba4 23 Qa3 Nc6 24 Nf3 Bc2 25 b5 axb5 26 cxb5 Ra8 27 Qc1 Nb4 28 Qd2 Qf4 29 Qxf4 gxf4 30 Nxb7 Rxa2 31 c6 Rfa8 32 Nd6 Bd3 33 Bxd3 Nxd3 34 Rf1 Rc2 35 Nd4 Rc5 36 b6 Nb4 37 c7 Rf8 38 Rb1! Na6 39 N4b5 Rc6 40 b7 Nxc7 41 Nxc7 Rxd6 42 b8Q Rxb8 43 Rxb8+ Kh7 44 Rb4 Rd1+ 45 Kh2 e5 46 Ne8 f5 47 Rb7+ Kg6 48 Rg7+ 1–0

John Henderson