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I don't know the precise numbers, Gary, but I seem to recall that Kasimdzhanov was the slight favourite with White and Jobava roughly 3 to 1. Anyone who had money on Jobava can not be happy - unless of course they bet the draw odds (which were just under or just over even money).
There were 7 draws again today so we now know the final standings. More importantly, we now know the Grand Prix composite standings. None of the 4 players - Mamedyarov, Radjabov, Andreikin, and Kasimdzhanov - who played their last Grand Prix game today have any chance whatsoever of finishing in the top 2 and securing one of the 2 Grand Prix Candidates spots. Mamedyarov is currently listed as 2nd but Caruana is guaranteed to surpass him since Caruana will tack on a minimum 10 more points (i.e. a last place finish) in Khanty-Mansiysk. You can find the full standings at this Wikipedia link:
The Tbilisi Grand Prix ended with six draws in the final round, just like yesterday. Evgeny Tomashevsky secured first place yesterday and today, Dmitry Jakovenko took second and Teimour Radjabov, third. Dmitry Andreikin, winner of the previous Grand Prix in Tashkent, finished in last place this time.
Tomashevsky played a KID again but really did not make too much of an impression against Radjabov.
Mamedyarov and Svidler were out of the money and had a 13-move draw.
Jakovenko-Kasimdzhanov was a draw, as was Grischuk-Vachier-Lagrave.
(ChessVibes) - Without a doubt the most interesting game of the round was GM Baadur Jobava vs Dmitry Andreikin. A Chebanenko Slav quickly left theory, and then Andreikin played a typical exchange sacrifice that is known from a topical line in the Queen's Gambit Accepted.
Jobava couldn't easily untangle on the kingside and had to give back the exchange and a pawn. After some tough defense he held the draw.
(ChessVibes) - The last game of the tournament to finish was GM Anish Giri vs Leinier Dominguez. Either player would have joined Radjabov in third place with a win, which would have meant a cheque of 12,000 Euro. However, the game was drawn, and both got 9,875 Euro for a shared fourth place.
The game was a Bogo-Indian, although it soon looked like a King's Indian or Breyer Ruy Lopez. White was slightly better, as Black's knight on g7 wasn't great (and his e7-bishop not much better than in a KID). However, without the rooks it was easier for Black to hold the draw.
Tomashevsky got 20,000 Euro for his first place and Jakovenko, 16,000 Euro. Tomashevsky won ahead of the favorites Giri and Grischuk and is a popular and battle-scarred veteran.
Baadur Jobava is a volatile, gifted player with a big conscience and it is impossible (for me) to predict his results for the next year.
Alexander Grischuk fell this time around but may redeem himself in Khanty-Mansiysk. I like what one commentator said about him, “GM Grischuk is a great chess player, but looking at his pictures there is this developing and irresistible urge to lend him a hairbrush every time.”
Anish Giri can only get better.
The fourth and final Grand Prix will be held May 13-27 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. After it finishes, the top two players in the overall standings will have qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
With Tbilisi over, here are the 'Chess By The Numbers' odds for finishing in the top 2 after Khanty-Mansiysk. Grischuk has dropped from 40% to 3%, Giri from 14% to 2%, and MVL from 15% to 1% ):
(Excerpts from a chess-news-ru interview conducted by E. Surov, after the final round [Feb. 27, 2015])
E.SUROV: We are now in Tbilisi, in a Georgian restaurant. Bon appetite! By the way, how do you like the food here in Tbilisi?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: Georgian cuisine is wonderful! The meat dishes, khachapuri, salads, beans - everything is great. Now, we are having mostly khinkali on the table, it's also great. [...]
E.SUROV: How do you like Tbilisi, in general?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: I have been feeling very comfortable here. As I've already mentioned during the press conference, Georgian culture is popular in our family. Moreover, it's also popular in my hometown of Saratov. That's why it's pleasure for me to play in Tbilisi. I've been feeling here like at home, which could probably be noticed.
E.SUROV: You are among the three favorites of the whole Grand Prix series. Will you try to instill something in your mind and play the Khanty-Mansiysk stage as if nothing has happened?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: I'm not going to instill anything in my mind, I will just keep playing as usual. If you aren't calm, it lessens your chances. What's the point of being worried? I think one of the factors that assured my good result in this stage was exactly my objective perception of the tournament situation during each part of it. What's the point of depriving myself of this advantage voluntarily? [...] One should just come, play and be calm. It's only in the course of a tournament that you could think about your chances and things like that.
E.SUROV: Anyway, what are the other factors beside calmness, that have assured your success?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: First of all, I came prepared really well. Not only I've been long working on chess in general - I was also preparing exactly for this tournament for 2 months. That's why I didn't play at all after the Qatar open. Apart from the openings, I've prepared physically and psychologically. Alexei Iljushin has also done a good job.
E.SUROV: Alexei Iljushin is your coach and second, isn't he?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: Yes, he is my coach, second, and friend. He is almost like brother for me. Besides, my family was also helping me during the preparation by creating the necessary atmosphere. So, the preparation had been really long and targeted, and it has worked. In addition, the tournament went successfully for me from the very beginning.
E.SUROV: Another question: 'How does your average day go in terms of training? How many hours per day do you study? How much of this time is allotted to solving tactical puzzles?'
E.TOMASHEVSKY: It's a good question. Even though I've been asked it repeatedly in my interviews, the answer would always be different, because, for example, the amount of work we've done as the preparation for the Grand Prix has been really large. When you are to prepare for a serious tournament, the preparation takes nearly all your time. It's hard to say exactly how much it takes per day on average. Sometimes it's up to 10 hours, while sometimes you feel you should take some break. But on average, you have to work every day intensely and a lot. As for solving tactics... 'For a chess player, solving tactics is the same as practicing scales for a piano player', as Yury Sergeevich Razuvaev (Tomashevsky's long-term coach in the past - CN) would say. In general, I can't say I need it badly, but anyway, it's better to 'practice scales' now and then, just to keep your mind agile, to keep up the rhythm. So, I think one should do tactical exercises from time to time anyway. I don't know exactly how much time I spend solving tactics, but it's a part of my preparation, of course.
E.SUROV: I can't help asking yet another typical question. Your marriage hasn't influenced your rating yet, has it?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: It has. Positively.
E.SUROV: Positively? How is this possible? Please tell me the secret.
E.TOMASHEVSKY: Why not? Maybe it had happened a couple of times that someone had lost his rating after the marriage, and then this 'rule' has been formulated. It seems to me it's about unconfirmed statistics again. Besides, it depends very much on your chosen one. Actually, I'd like to thank my wife a lot and dedicate this victory to her (although she isn't too fond of public panegyrics). I'm very lucky in this respect, and maybe my success in Tbilisi is the result of my marriage.
E.SUROV: After this, I even feel a bit reluctant to ask the next question that came from our Vkontakte group: 'What game from this Grand Prix stage is the most memorable for you'?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: [...] The most memorable game in a tournament is usually the decisive one, which has brought the victory. In Tbilisi, it was the game vs Andreikin, which was also the most difficult and crazy. On the other hand, I can't say that any other game from Tbilisi isn't dear to me. Let me single out the game vs Grischuk: it was the critical one both in psychological and sportive respect. After it, I realized I got the real chance for a high place, because Grischuk is probably the most uncomfortable opponent for me among the top players. I used to hardly draw him, let alone beating him.
E.SUROV: Vladimir Fomin: 'No one could suppose that you would have such a brilliant and smooth tournament.' By the way, Vladimir thought Andreikin was the favorite. 'I wonder if anything had happened in your life that contributed to this success? I understand that you had prepared well, but to win so convincingly, by such a wide margin - it requires some particular burst of energy. Where did it come from?'
E.TOMASHEVSKY: First of all, I think that some people could have supposed it - they are my parents. Sometimes it seems to me that my family believes in me much more than I believe in myself. Before each tournament, my dad tells me, calmly and routinely, that I will win, and describes how I will win. Usually I just smile, but sometimes I really win tournaments, which made me think - maybe he wasn't so wrong after all? My mom also supports me a lot. Now my wife is a big support as well.
E.SUROV: Do your parents watch your games live during the tournaments?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: One can hardly drag them away from the monitor!
E.SUROV: Are they also chess players?
E.TOMASHEVSKY: Rather, they are not. [...] They are just rooting for me, and it seems to help. Now, I've also got great mother-in-law and father-in-law, who are also my supporters. In fact, the whole Saratov roots for me - I have many friends there, and this gives me a huge impact. It's real pleasure to feel that you aren't playing on your own.
These are just bits from a much longer interview available, in English, at:
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