Tal Memorial

The Tal Memorial is an annual chess tournament played in Moscow from 2006 to 2016 with the exception of 2015, to honour the memory of the former World Champion Mikhail Tal (1936–1992).

Many of the world's strongest players compete. In 2014 it was held as only as a blitz tournament and the classical event was replaced by the TASHIR Petrosian Memorial. It returned in October 2016.

Format

The inaugural Tal Memorial was held as a ten-player single round robin event with a classical time control of two hours for the first 40 moves, one hour for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game and 30 seconds added per move from move 60. The time control changed for subsequent editions to 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes with 30 seconds added per move from move one. Draws could not be agreed before move 40.

For 2012 and 2013, a round-robin blitz tournament was held in order to decide the pairings for the main event with time control of 3 minutes plus two seconds per move. In 2014, the classical part did not take place and the Tal Memorial became solely a blitz tournament with the time control of 4 minutes plus 2 seconds per move in a double round robin of twelve players.^[1]^[2]

In case of a tie the placings were decided by: number of games played with Black, number of wins, direct encounter, Koja co-efficient and Sonnenborn-Berger score. In 2010 Levon Aronian and Sergey Karjakin shared the title as their tiebreaks were all equal.

Tournament winners

Tal Memorial
#	Year	Avg. Elo	Winner	Rounds	Score
1	2006	2727	Levon Aronian (Armenia) Peter Leko (Hungary) Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine)	9	5½^[3]
2	2007	2741	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	9	6½^[4]
3	2008	2738	Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)	9	6^[5]
4	2009	2761	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	9	6
5	2010	2757	Levon Aronian (Armenia) Sergey Karjakin (Russia) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	9	5½
6	2011	2776	Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Levon Aronian (Armenia)	9	5½
7	2012	2777	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	9	5½
8	2013	2777	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	9	6
9	2014	2777	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	22	16
10	2016	2760	Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)	9	6

Results

2009

The 2009 competition was held from 5 to 14 November, with 10 of the 13 highest rated players participating: Viswanathan Anand, then the World Champion, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, former world champion, Magnus Carlsen, the world champion of 2013, Peter Leko, Vassily Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Alexander Morozevich, Ruslan Ponomariov and Peter Svidler. The Elo average was 2761 (Cat. XXI), which was the highest ever reached by the tournament, trailing only the 2011, 2012, and 2013 tournaments. It was won solidly by Vladimir Kramnik with a +3 score, i.e. three wins and six draws. Ivanchuk and Carlsen shared second place with +2.^[6]

Tal Memorial 2009, Moscow, Russia, 4-14 November 2009
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2772	X	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	6
2	Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)	2739	½	X	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	5½
3	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2801	½	½	X	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	5½
4	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2786	½	½	½	X	1	0	½	½	1	½	5
5	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2788	½	½	½	0	X	½	½	1	1	½	5
6	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	2758	½	0	½	1	½	X	½	½	½	½	4½
7	Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine)	2739	0	½	0	½	½	½	X	½	½	1	4
8	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2754	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	X	½	½	3½
9	Peter Leko (Hungary)	2752	½	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	X	½	3
10	Alexander Morozevich (Russia)	2742	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	X	3

2010

The 2010 competition was held from 4 to 18 November, at the GUM Exhibition Hall in Red Square, Moscow. Many of the world's top players participated: in order of Elo rating, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Sergey Karjakin, Pavel Eljanov, Boris Gelfand, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexei Shirov, and Wang Hao. Aronian and Karjakin shared first place with 5½/9. Mamedyarov scored the same number of points, but due to his loss to Gelfand was awarded third place on tie-break. The average Elo was 2757 (Cat. XXI).^[7]

Tal Memorial 2010, Moscow, Russia, 5-14 November 2010
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2801	X	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	5½
2	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2760	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	5½
3	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	2763	½	½	X	½	½	1	½	0	1	1	5½
4	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	2771	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	½	1	5
5	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2741	½	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	5
6	Wang Hao (China)	2727	½	½	0	½	½	X	½	1	1	½	5
7	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2791	0	0	½	½	½	½	X	½	1	1	4½
8	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	2741	0	0	1	½	½	0	½	X	1	0	3½
9	Alexei Shirov (Spain)	2735	½	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	X	1	3
10	Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine)	2742	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	1	0	X	2½

2011

The 2011 competition was held from 16 to 25 November. Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik; all four rated 2800+ at the time of the tournament participated. Seven out of the world's top ten players participated in the tournament, and its average Elo of 2776 (Cat. 22) was at the time the highest in history. Both Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian finished on 5½/9 (a +2 score, two wins and seven draws). Due to the tie-break rules of the tournament Magnus Carlsen was declared the winner because he played the black pieces five times, while Levon Aronian played the black pieces only four times.^[8]^[9]

Tal Memorial 2011, Moscow, Russia, 16-25 November 2011
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2826	X	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½
2	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2802	½	X	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	5½
3	Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)	2775	½	0	X	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	5
4	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2763	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	½	5
5	Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)	2730	½	½	½	½	X	½	½	1	½	½	5
6	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2755	½	0	0	½	½	X	½	1	½	1	4½
7	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2811	½	½	½	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	4½
8	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2800	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	X	½	½	3½
9	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	2744	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	X	½	3½
10	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2758	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	X	3

2012

The Tal Memorial 2012 took place from 7 to 18 June 2012, with participants Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, Teimour Radjabov, Alexander Grischuk, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Morozevich, Evgeny Tomashevsky and Luke McShane. This tournament was a Category 22 event (average Elo rating of 2776.4). A blitz chess tournament on June 7 preceded the main with a separate prize fund to determine the numbering of the players in the main tournament.^[10]

Tal Memorial 2012, Moscow, Russia, 7–19 June 2012
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2835	X	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	5½
2	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)	2770	½	X	½	1	0	0	½	1	½	1	5
3	Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan)	2784	0	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	5
4	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2801	½	0	½	X	½	½	1	0	½	1	4½
5	Alexander Morozevich (Russia)	2769	½	1	½	½	X	1	1	0	0	0	4½
6	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2825	½	1	½	½	0	X	½	0	1	½	4½
7	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	2761	½	½	½	0	0	½	X	1	1	½	4½
8	Luke McShane (England)	2706	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	X	½	½	4
9	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2775	½	½	½	½	1	0	0	½	X	½	4
10	Evgeny Tomashevsky (Russia)	2738	½	0	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	X	3½

2013

The Tal Memorial 2013 took place from 13 to 24 June 2013, with participants Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, Hikaru Nakamura, Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Morozevich, Boris Gelfand, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, and Dmitry Andreikin. As in 2011, seven of the world's top ten players are participating. The Elo average for the tournament is 2777, making it a Category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time. A blitz chess tournament on June 12 preceded the main event with a separate prize fund to determine the numbering of the players in the main tournament.

Tal Memorial 2013, Moscow, Russia, 12–23 June 2013
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	Black	Wins
1	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	2755	X	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	6	4	3
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2864	½	X	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	5½	4	3
3	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)	2774	0	1	X	½	½	0	½	1	1	½	5	5	3
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	2753	½	½	½	X	½	1	½	½	½	½	5	5	1
5	Dmitry Andreikin (Russia)	2713	½	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	5	4	1
6	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2784	0	0	1	0	½	X	1	0	1	1	4½	4	4
7	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2782	½	½	½	½	½	0	X	½	½	½	4	5	0
8	Alexander Morozevich (Russia)	2760	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	X	0	½	3½	5	1
9	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2786	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	1	X	½	3½	4	1
10	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2803	½	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	X	3	5	0

2014

In 2014 the classical event was replaced by the TASHIR Petrosian Memorial, sponsored by Tashir Group,^[11] which took place from 3 to 11 November. This tournament was a category 20 event (average Elo rating of 2748) and it was won by Alexander Grischuk.^[12]

On 13 and 14th November the Tal Memorial Blitz tournament took place in Sochi, during the World Chess Championship 2014. It was a 12-player double round-robin event and it was won by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.^[13]

Tal Memorial 2014, Sochi, Russia, 13-14 November 2014
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	TPR
1	Shakriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	2757	* *	1 0	½ 0	1 ½	1 1	½ 0	1 0	1 1	1 1	1 ½	1 1	1 1	16.0	2892
2	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	2795	0 1	* *	1 1	1 ½	1 1	1 ½	1 ½	0 1	½ 0	½ ½	1 ½	1 1	15.5	2869
3	Alexander Morozevich (Russia)	2724	½ 1	0 0	* *	1 0	0 ½	½ 1	1 ½	1 0	0 ½	1 ½	1 ½	1 1	12.5	2772
4	Boris Gelfand (Israel)	2759	0 ½	0 ½	0 1	* *	½ 1	0 0	½ ½	1 1	½ ½	1 1	1 0	1 1	12.5	2769
5	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2770	0 0	0 0	1 ½	½ 0	* *	½ 1	0 1	0 1	½ 1	1 1	½ 1	1 1	12.5	2769
6	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2743	½ 1	0 ½	½ 0	1 1	½ 0	* *	1 0	0 0	1 1	0 0	1 1	1 1	12.0	2754
7	Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)	2714	0 1	0 ½	0 ½	½ ½	1 0	0 1	* *	0 1	1 ½	0 1	0 ½	1 1	11.0	2725
8	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	2760	0 0	1 0	0 1	0 0	1 0	1 1	1 0	* *	½ ½	½ 1	0 1	0 1	10.5	2706
9	Peter Leko (Hungary)	2731	0 0	½ 1	1 ½	½ ½	½ 0	0 0	0 ½	½ ½	* *	½ ½	½ ½	1 1	10.0	2693
10	Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia)	2688	0 ½	½ ½	0 ½	0 0	0 0	1 1	1 0	½ 0	½ ½	* *	0 1	1 1	9.5	2681
11	Evgeny Tomashevsky (Russia)	2714	0 0	0 ½	0 ½	0 1	½ 0	0 0	1 ½	1 0	½ ½	1 0	* *	1 0	8.0	2629
12	Alexandra Kosteniuk (Russia)	2514	0 0	0 0	0 0	0 0	0 0	0 0	0 0	1 0	0 0	0 0	0 1	* *	2.0	2342

References

^ "Elite Round-Robin Petrosian Memorial to Take Place in Novotel Moscow City". Chess-News.ru. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
^ Silver, Albert (2014-11-19). "Tal Memorial blitz won by Mamedyarov". ChessBase. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
^ Crowther, Mark (20 November 2006). "The week in chess 628 - Mikhail Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ Crowther, Mark (19 November 2007). "The week in chess 680 - Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ Crowther, Mark (1 September 2008). "The week in chess 721 - Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ "Kramnik wins Tal Memorial 2009, Carlsen number one". chessbase.com. 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ "The Week In Chess - Tal Memorial 2010". Retrieved 2013-06-29.
^ "Magnus Carlsen Wins Mikhail Tal Memorial 2011". chessdom.com. 2011-11-26. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ "Tal Memorial R9 – Aronian, Carlsen tie for first; Carlsen wins on tiebreak". Chess News. 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
^ Дом Пашкова вновь примет участников Мемориала Таля. russiachess.org (in Russian). 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
^ ""Tashir" Tigran Petrosian Memorial". Chessdom. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
^ Crowther, Mark (2014-11-11). "Tigran Petrosian Memorial 2014". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
^ Crowther, Mark (2014-11-14). "Tal Memorial Blitz 2014". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

External links

Presentation of the 2009 competition by Chessdom
Final report of the 2010 competition by ChessBase
Official page of the 2011 Tal Memorial (in Russian)

[1] "Elite Round-Robin Petrosian Memorial to Take Place in Novotel Moscow City". Chess-News.ru. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 12 March 2016.

[2] Silver, Albert (2014-11-19). "Tal Memorial blitz won by Mamedyarov". ChessBase. Retrieved 12 March 2016.

[3] Crowther, Mark (20 November 2006). "The week in chess 628 - Mikhail Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[4] Crowther, Mark (19 November 2007). "The week in chess 680 - Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[5] Crowther, Mark (1 September 2008). "The week in chess 721 - Tal Memorial". chess.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[6] "Kramnik wins Tal Memorial 2009, Carlsen number one". chessbase.com. 2009-11-14. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[7] "The Week In Chess - Tal Memorial 2010". Retrieved 2013-06-29.

[8] "Magnus Carlsen Wins Mikhail Tal Memorial 2011". chessdom.com. 2011-11-26. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[9] "Tal Memorial R9 – Aronian, Carlsen tie for first; Carlsen wins on tiebreak". Chess News. 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2016-05-01.

[10] Дом Пашкова вновь примет участников Мемориала Таля. russiachess.org (in Russian). 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2013-06-03.

[11] ""Tashir" Tigran Petrosian Memorial". Chessdom. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

[12] Crowther, Mark (2014-11-11). "Tigran Petrosian Memorial 2014". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

[13] Crowther, Mark (2014-11-14). "Tal Memorial Blitz 2014". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

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