2017 GRENKE Chess Classic in Karlsruhe

This was the last round of the 2017 GRENKE Chess Classic to be held in Karlsruhe, and it didn’t disappoint. “In such a position it’s about surviving one move at a time”, said World Champion Magnus Carlsen after staring defeat in the face against women’s no. 1 Hou Yifan. Once again that was the only draw, as Levon Aronian beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with astonishing ease, Fabiano Caruana crashed home in style against Georg Meier and Arkadij Naiditsch won his second game with Black to continue the baptism of fire for 19-year-old Matthias Bluebaum.
Enjoy live comment of the GRENKE Chess Classic 2017 on chess24. On the commentator board is GM Peter Leko, GM Jan Gustafson, IM Lawrence Trent and GM Klaus Bischoff.

The Easter holidays are a festive season for the German chess fans. From 15th to 22nd April the GRENKE Chess Classic 2017 will be held. This is a grandmaster tournament in a class of its own.. World Champion Magnus Carlsen will participate in the tournament. He won the last run of the GRENKE Chess Classic 2015 and wants to defend his title.

His strongest competitors are the top ten players Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Levon Aronian. Arkadij Naiditsch also wants to join in the race for the tournament victory again. The grandmaster competing for Azerbaijan stood up brilliantly to the World Champion two years ago. In a legendary final he fought against Carlsen in the tiebreak for the tournament victory, which the Norwegian only ensured in a final Armageddon match.
The organizers take great pleasure in announcing the participation of the strongest female chess player of the world, Hou Yifan. The team of eight players is complemented by the German national player Matthias Blübaum and Georg Meier. For the 19-year-old Blübaum it is the first participation in a grandmaster tournament of this category and a great test. He qualified through his victory at the GRENKE Chess Open 2016 over many strong grandmasters.
The following eight grandmasters are going to compete against each other in one round at the GRENKE Chess Classic 2017 (Elo-ratings according to the list of 1st March 2017)

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen comes to Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden to defend his title of the GRENKE Chess Classic 2017.
Top chess grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Levon Aronian, Arkadij Naiditsch, Hou Yifan, Matthias Blübaum and Georg Meier are participating in the German grand slam of chess.
GRENKE Chess Open: 13th – 17th of April: Karlsruhe Schwarzwaldhalle

GRENKE Chess Classic: 15th – 17th of April: Karlsruhe Schwarzwaldhalle 18th – 22th of April: Baden-Baden Event-Akademie.