Aeroflot 2005

The awesome spectacle that is the Aeroflot Open is halfway over. There has been some trouble with the gamescores here and there, but there has been a splendid amount of fighting chess. If you are into rooting for Daily Dirt posters, Emil Sutovsky just took a share of first place with 4.5/5. Alex Yermolinsky on an even score.

Ponomariov was a late entry but hasn't shown much. Karjakin and Radjabov both have 3/5. I'm also keeping an eye on my old friend from Argentina, Maxim Sorokin, who moved back to Russia a few years ago. We had a surprise reunion at the FIDE KO in Moscow in 2001. He was there as Volkov's second, I believe.

This mighty event could easily be turned into the first stage of a world championship cycle. Drop some more money into it, add a rest day, get that weird smell out of the rooms at the Rossia hotel and you're all set!