Carlsen wins London 2010

After the debate and consternation concerning the scoring system for London 2010 Carlsen did what was needed to win the tournament, by beating Short in the final round. With Anand and McShane only drawing, Carlsen finished a full 2 points in front, under the 3-1-0 scoring system used in the event. Of course under the classical system all three would have tied on 4.5/7, but under the 'most wins' tie-break systems (which is used in some round robins) Carlsen would have still been the winner (although the 3 players may have split the prize money evenly).

Apart from the debate over placings, there were a number of interesting things in this event. McShane was the 'hero' of the event, finishing undefeated, and beating Carlsen in the first round. Of course Anand did likewise, but more is often expected of him. However his win over Carlsen will keep the 'World Champion v World No 1" argument bubbling along. (Note: He was my tip to win the event, although I didn't put this tip up on this blog).

Kramnik and Nakamura tied for 4th although Nakamura gains a few rating points while Kramnik drops a few. Of course if Kramnik had iced Carlsen in round 6 then this whole post might have been different. Of the remaining three English players Adam's would be the happiest, at least scoring 50% while Howell and Short were a long way back.