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This years Dortmund is an 8 player round robin and runs from 14-22 July with 10-time winner Kramnik starting as the highest graded player.

Chess.com preview with Round 1 kicking off on Saturday at 4pm. Pairings:

1 GM Wojtaszek, R. (0) 2750 — GM Meier, Georg (0) 2634
2 GM Kramnik, V. (0) 2792 — GM Nisipeanu, L. (0) 2671
3 GM Duda, J. (0) 2724 — GM Kovalev, V. (0) 2650
4 GM Nepomniachtc. (0) 2751 — GM Giri, Anish (0) 2776

Group photo of the Dortmund participants. All the round 1 games were drawn.

Round 2 - (2.15pm)
1 GM Meier, Georg (½) 2628 — GM Giri, Anish (½) 2782
2 GM Kovalev, V. (½) 2655 — GM Nepomniachtc. (½) 2757
3 GM Nisipeanu, L. (½) 2672 — GM Duda, J. (½) 2737
4 GM Wojtaszek, R. (½) 2733 — GM Kramnik, V. (½) 2792

Peter Doggers Round 1 report. On his 28th birthday Ian Nepomniachtchi reached a winning position in a queen endgame vs Anish Giri but failed to convert. In Round 2 Duda beat Nisipeanu while the other three games were drawn.

Round 3 pairings on Tuesday at 2.15pm
1 GM Kramnik, V. (1) 2792 — GM Meier, Georg (1) 2628
2 GM Duda, J. (1½) 2737 — GM Wojtaszek, R. (1) 2733
3 GM Nepomniachtc. (1) 2757 — GM Nisipeanu, L. (½) 2672
4 GM Giri, Anish (1) 2782 — GM Kovalev, V. (1) 2655

Chess Mind round 1 report, although not from Dennis, but from John Cole

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 16, 2018 8:30 am

Chess Mind round 1 report, although not from Dennis, but from John Cole

He's new, nice report as well. ChessBase (Antonio Pereira) have a round 2 report with of course special emphasis on the game where the young Polish player Duda, at 2737, the highest rated junior in the world, takes the lead. Bit of a surprise that Nisipeanu resigned when he did, thought he would have carried on for a few more moves even though it is lost.

Pete Doggers round 2 report

EDIT Chess Mind

Excellent win for Kovalev (Black against Giri) today - Kramnik-Meier the only draw.

Chess Mind round 3 and round 4

Pete Doggers rounds 3 and 4

TWIC

Round 4 (July 18, 2018)
Kramnik, Vladimir - Duda, Jan-Krzysztof 1-0 37 A29 English Four Knights
Meier, Georg - Kovalev, Vladislav ½-½ 40 E06 Catalan
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw - Nepomniachtchi, Ian ½-½ 42 D02 Queen's Pawn Game
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter - Giri, Anish 0-1 56 B92 Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be2

Round 5 tomorrow

Duda - Meier
Nepomniachtchi - Kramnik
Giri - Nisipeanu
Kovalev - Wojtaszek

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:40 am

Round 5 tomorrow

Duda - Meier
Nepomniachtchi - Kramnik
Giri - Nisipeanu
Kovalev - Wojtaszek

Nepo beat Kramnik to go half clear (Duda drew with Meier). The other games look drawish albeit Kovalev has an extra pawn. Duda-Nepo tomorrow may go someway to deciding first place.

Kramnik implosion again is it......

EDIT: incredibly, he saved that position - pretty terrible endgame technique from Kovalev tbh.

Nepomniachtchi wins Dortmund with 5/7, a tremendous achievement but again all the interest was around Kramnik. Alex Colovic offers an interesting insight as to what might be going on.