Reply #11: Update (Tuesday): Elista Semi-Finals at half way point

[Jack Rabbit]

Russian grandmaster Sergei Rublevsky defeated Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine in a 92-move marathon a few minutes ago to take a 2 points to 1 lead in one of eight semi-final candidates' matches in Elista, Kalmykia (Russia).

Earlier in the day, 16-year-old Magnus Carlson of Norway defeated Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian to knot their match at a point and a half each. Aronian won the opening round Sunday.

Today's action concludes the first half of the semi-final matches. Tomorrow is a rest day. The matches resume Thursday.

The players are divided in four groups of two pairs. The winners of each semi-final match within each group will play a final match against each other. The winners of the final matches will play in the World Championship Tournament in Mexico City this Fall, joining world champion Vladimir Kramnik and three other seeded players, Vishy Anand of India and Russians Alexander Morozevich and Peter Svidler.

Candidates' Matches
Semi-Finals
Elista

Group A
Magnus Carlsen . . .0 ½ 1 * * * - 1½ . . . Peter Leko . . . . .½ 1 1 * * * - 2½
Levon Aronian. . . .1 ½ 0 * * * - 1½ . . . Mikhail Gurevich . .½ 0 0 * * * - .½

Group B
Mickey Adams . . . .½ ½ ½ * * * - 1½ . . . Judit Polgar . . . .½ 0 ½ * * * - 1.
Alexey Shirov. . . .½ ½ ½ * * * - 1½ . . . Evgeny Bareev. . . .½ 1 ½ * * * - 2.

Group C
Boris Gelfand. . . .½ ½ ½ * * * - 1½ . . . Ruslan Ponomariov. .½ ½ 0 * * * - 1.
Rustam Kasidzhanov .½ ½ ½ * * * - 1½ . . . Sergey Rublevsky . .½ ½ 1 * * * - 2.

Group D
Gata Kamsky. . . . .½ 1 1 * * * - 2½ . . . Alexander Grischuk .1 ½ ½ * * * - 2.
Etienne Bacrot . . .½ 0 0 * * * - .½ . . . Vladimir Malakhov. .0 ½ ½ * * * - 1.