World Rapid Chess Championship Day 1: Karjakin, Carlsen lead after five rounds

The world’s best players are in Astana for the first-ever World Rapid Chess Championship that began today in Kazakhstan. Five rounds were played on the first day of the tournament. Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen both notched up four wins and a draw each to lead the field with 4.5 points each.

Karjakin’s wins came against Gelfand, Tkachiev, Ismgambetov and Grischuk plus a draw against Topalov in round 5. Carlsen picked up wins against Kazhgaleyev, Morozevich, Bologan, Kurnosov and a draw against Svidler in the third round.

World Rapid Chess 2012

Day 1 Standings

1-2. Karjakin, Carlsen 4.53-5. Grischuk, Topalov, Radjabov 3.56. Dreev 37-10. Svidler, Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov 2.511-12. Tkachiev, Kurnosov 213. Kazhgaleyev 1.514-15. Bologan, Morozevich 116. Ismagambetov 0

Results Day 1

Round 1

Gelfand, Boris – Karjakin, Sergey 0-1Grischuk, Alexander – Bologan, Viktor 1-0Ismagambetov, Anuar – Dreev, Aleksey 0-1Kazhgaleyev, Murtas – Carlsen, Magnus 0-1Kurnosov, Igor – Ivanchuk, Vassily ½-½Svidler, Peter – Radjabov, Teimour ½-½Tkachiev, Vladislav – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½Topalov, Veselin – Morozevich, Alexander 1_0

Round 2

Bologan, Viktor – Topalov, Veselin ½-½Carlsen, Magnus – Morozevich, Alexander 1_0Dreev, Aleksey – Grischuk, Alexander 0-1Ivanchuk, Vassily – Gelfand, Boris 0-1Karjakin, Sergey – Tkachiev, Vladislav 1_0Kazhgaleyev, Murtas – Svidler, Peter ½-½Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar – Ismagambetov, Anuar 1_0Radjabov, Teimour – Kurnosov, Igor 1_0

Round 3

Gelfand, Boris – Radjabov, Teimour ½-½Grischuk, Alexander – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1_0Ismagambetov, Anuar – Karjakin, Sergey 0-1Kurnosov, Igor – Kazhgaleyev, Murtas 1_0Morozevich, Alexander – Bologan, Viktor 1_0Svidler, Peter – Carlsen, Magnus ½-½Tkachiev, Vladislav – Ivanchuk, Vassily ½-½Topalov, Veselin – Dreev, Aleksey ½-½

Round 4

Carlsen, Magnus – Bologan, Viktor 1_0Dreev, Aleksey – Morozevich, Alexander 1_0Ivanchuk, Vassily – Ismagambetov, Anuar 1_0Karjakin, Sergey – Grischuk, Alexander 1_0Kazhgaleyev, Murtas – Gelfand, Boris ½-½Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar – Topalov, Veselin 0-1Radjabov, Teimour – Tkachiev, Vladislav ½-½Svidler, Peter – Kurnosov, Igor ½-½

Round 5

Bologan, Viktor – Dreev, Aleksey ½-½Gelfand, Boris – Svidler, Peter ½-½Grischuk, Alexander – Ivanchuk, Vassily ½-½Ismagambetov, Anuar – Radjabov, Teimour 0-1Kurnosov, Igor – Carlsen, Magnus 0-1Morozevich, Alexander – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 0-1Tkachiev, Vladislav – Kazhgaleyev, Murtas ½-½Topalov, Veselin – Karjakin, Sergey ½-½

There is a live feed available on the official website of the World Rapid Chess Championship 2012.