Tal Memorial

The Tal Memorial was an annual chess tournament played in Moscow from 2006 to 2018 with the exception of 2015, to honour the memory of the former World Champion Mikhail Tal (1936–1992).

Many of the world's strongest players compete. In 2014 it was held only as a blitz tournament and the classical event was replaced by the TASHIR Petrosian Memorial. It returned in October 2016.

Format The inaugural Tal Memorial was held as a ten-player single round robin event with a classical time control of two hours for the first 40 moves, one hour for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game and 30 seconds added per move from move 60. The time control changed for subsequent editions to 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes with 30 seconds added per move from move one. Draws could not be agreed before move 40.

For 2012 and 2013, a round-robin blitz tournament was held in order to decide the pairings for the main event with time control of 3 minutes plus two seconds per move. In 2014, the classical part did not take place and the Tal Memorial became solely a blitz tournament with the time control of 4 minutes plus 2 seconds per move in a double round robin of twelve players.

In case of a tie the placings were decided by: number of games played with Black, number of wins, direct encounter, Koja co-efficient and Sonneborn-Berger score. In 2010 Levon Aronian and Sergey Karjakin shared the title as their tiebreaks were all equal.

Tournament winners + Tal Memorial# Year Avg. Elo Winner RoundsScore1 2006 2727 95½2 2007 2741 96½3 2008 2738 964 2009 2761 965 2010 2757 95½6 2011 2776 95½7 2012 2777 95½8 2013 2777 969 2014 (blitz) 2777 221610 2016 2760 9 611 2018 (rapid)2018 (blitz) 2757.12781.5 913610

Results 2006 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ 1st Tal Memorial, 6–16 November 2006, Moscow, Russia, Category XX (2727) ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! Points !! SB !! TPR |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2741 || || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 ||5½ || 23.75 || 2806 |- | 2 || align=left| || 2703 || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 ||5½ || 23.50 || 2810 |- | 3 || align=left| || 2741 || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 ||5½ || 22.50 || 2806 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2733 || 0 || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ ||5 || || 2769 |- | 5 || align=left| || 2728 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ ||4½ || 20.25 || 2727 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2710 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 ||4½ || 20.00 || 2729 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2750 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || || ½ || ½ || 1 ||4½ || 19.75 || 2725 |- | 8 || align=left| || 2720 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || || ½ || ½ ||3½ || 15.75 || 2648 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2698 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || || ½ ||3½ || 15.50 || 2650 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2747 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ||3 || || 2600

Jobava, Karjakin (both — 12 points out of 18), Radjabov, Jakovenko, Bologan and Timofeev (all — 11½ out of 18) qualified as the winners of 40-players 9-round (two games per round) qualification tournament taken place 16–17 November 2006.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ 1st Tal Memorial Blitz Cup, 18–19 November 2006, Moscow, Russia ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! Points !! SB |- | 1 || align=left| || 2779 || || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 2 || 23 || |- | 2 || align=left| || 2741 || 1 || || 1½ || ½ || 2 || 1½ || 1 || 2 || 1½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 21 ||

| 3 || align=left| || 2729 || ½ || ½ || || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 2 || 1½ || 20½ || 324.75 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2750 || ½ || 1½ || 1 || || 0 || ½ || 0 || 2 || 1½ || 1½ || ½ || 2 || ½ || 1½ || 2 || 1½ || 2 || 2 || 20½ || 321.50

| 5 || align=left| || 2703 || ½ || 0 || 1½ || 2 || || 1 || ½ || 1 || 2 || ½ || 1½ || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 1 || 19½ || |- | 6 || align=left| || 2747 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1½ || 1 || || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || ½ || 1½ || 0 || 1½ || 1 || 18 || 305.25 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2710 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1½ || ½ || || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || ½ || 1½ || 1 || 2 || 2 || 18 || 289.75 |- | 8 || align=left| || 2733 || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 2 || 2 || 18 || 277.00 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2698 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 2 || 1 || || 1 || ½ || ½ || 2 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || ½ || 2 || 17½ || 283.25 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2668 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1½ || 0 || 2 || ½ || 1 || || ½ || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 1½ || 17½ || 278.00 |- | 11 || align=left| || 2672 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 1½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || || 0 || ½ || 2 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 17 || 290.75 |- | 12 || align=left| || 2728 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1½ || 0 || 2 || || 1 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1 || ½ || 17 || 282.75 |- | 13 || align=left| || 2710 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1½ || 1 || || 1 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 17 || 271.50 |- | 14 || align=left| || 2741 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1½ || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 16½ || |- | 15 || align=left| || 2671 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || || 2 || 1½ || 2 || 15½ || |- | 16 || align=left| || 2659 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 2 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || || ½ || 1 || 10½ || |- | 17 || align=left| || 2662 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1½ || || 1½ || 10 || |- | 18 || align=left| || 2650 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || || 9 ||

2007 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ 2nd Tal Memorial, 10–19 November 2007, Moscow, Russia, Category XX (2742) ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! Points !! TPR |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2785 || || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 ||6½ || 2902 |- | 2 || align=left| || 2739 || 0 || || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 ||5 || 2784 |- | 3-6 || align=left| || 2736 || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ ||4½ || 2741 |- | 3-6 || align=left| || 2714 || ½ || 0 || ½ || || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ ||4½ || 2744 |- | 3-6 || align=left| || 2710 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ ||4½ || 2744 |- | 3-6 || align=left| || 2755 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ ||4½ || 2739 |- | 7-9 || align=left| || 2787 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || || ½ || 0 || ½ ||4 || 2693 |- | 7-9 || align=left| || 2714 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || || 1 || ½ ||4 || 2701 |- | 7-9 || align=left| || 2752 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || || ½ ||4 || 2697 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2716 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ||3½ || 2664

2008 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ 3rd Tal Memorial, 19–28 August 2008, Moscow, Russia, Category XX (2745) ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! Points !! TPR |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2781 || || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ ||6 || 2866 |- | 2 || align=left| || 2788 || 0 || || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ ||5 || 2783 |- | 3 || align=left| || 2718 || ½ || 0 || || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 ||5 || 2791 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2788 || ½ || 0 || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 ||5 || 2783 |- | 5 || align=left| || 2720 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ ||5 || 2791 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2741 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 ||4½ || 2745 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2723 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || || ½ || 0 || 1 ||4 || 2704 |- | 8 || align=left| || 2708 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || || 1 || ½ ||4 || 2706 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2742 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || || 0 ||3½ || 2665 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2741 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ||3 || 2620

Grischuk, Movsesian (both — 12½ points out of 18), Grachev, Karjakin and Eljanov (all — 12 out of 18) qualified as the winners of 60-players qualification blitz tournament taken place 27–28 August 2008. Carlsen and Karpov were invited by the organizers.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ 3rd Tal Memorial Blitz, 29–30 August 2008, Moscow, Cat. XX (2726) ! !! Player !! Rating !! Points !! TPR |- | 1 || align=left| || 2781 || 23½ || 2863 |- | 2 || align=left| || 2788 || 22½ || 2839 |- | 3 || align=left| || 2775 || 21 || 2810 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2738 || 20 || 2790 |- | 5 || align=left| || 2742 || 20 || 2790 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2741 || 18 || 2746 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2728 || 18 || 2747 |- | 8 || align=left| || 2727 || 18 || 2747 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2723 || 17½ || 2733 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2720 || 17½ || 2733 |- | 11 || align=left| || 2718 || 17 || 2726 |- | 12 || align=left| || 2640 || 14½ || 2681 |- | 13 || align=left| || 2708 || 14 || 2662 |- | 14 || align=left| || 2651 || 14 || 2665 |- | 15 || align=left| || 2788 || 14 || 2657 |- | 16 || align=left| || 2723 || 12½ || 2631 |- | 17 || align=left| || 2716 || 12½ || 2631 |- | 18 || align=left| || 2664 || 11½ || 2612

2009 The 2009 competition was held from 5 to 14 November, with 10 of the 13 highest rated players participating: Viswanathan Anand, then the World Champion, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, former world champion, Magnus Carlsen, the world champion of 2013, Peter Leko, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Alexander Morozevich, Ruslan Ponomariov and Peter Svidler. The Elo average was 2761 (Category XXI), which was the highest ever reached by the tournament, trailing only the 2011, 2012, and 2013 tournaments. It was won solidly by Vladimir Kramnik with a +3 score, i.e. three wins and six draws. Ivanchuk and Carlsen shared second place with +2. + 4th Tal Memorial, 4–14 November 2009, Moscow, Russia, Category XXI (2764) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points TPR 1 2772 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 6 2888 2 2739 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5½ 2847 3 2801 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 5½ 2840 4 2786 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5 2804 5 2788 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 5 2804 6 2758 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4½ 2765 7 2739 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 4 2724 8 2754 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 3½ 2685 9 2752 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 3 2640 10 2750 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 3 2640

2010 The 2010 competition was held from 4 to 18 November, at the GUM Exhibition Hall in Red Square, Moscow. Many of the world's top players participated: in order of Elo rating, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Sergey Karjakin, Pavel Eljanov, Boris Gelfand, Hikaru Nakamura, Alexei Shirov, and Wang Hao. Aronian and Karjakin shared first place with 5½/9. Mamedyarov scored the same number of points, but due to his loss to Gelfand was awarded third place on tie-break. The average Elo was 2757 (Category XXI). + 5th Tal Memorial, 5–14 November 2010, Moscow, Russia, Category XXI (2757) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points TPR 1-2 2801 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 5½ 2832 1-2 2760 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 5½ 2837 3 2763 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 5½ 2837 4 2771 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5 2799 5 2741 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5 2802 6 2727 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 5 2804 7 2791 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 4½ 2753 8 2741 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 3½ 2679 9 2735 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 3 2635 10 2742 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 2½ 2593

2011