And...they're off! The Candidates Tournament in London got underway earlier today, and all four games were drawn. The site had some technical difficulties, and for some reason they're using horrid computer demo boards with red pieces, but as the game's the thing let's turn to the actual play.
The marquee matchup between Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen turned out to be a bit of a dud. It's not that Aronian, who had the white pieces, lacked fighting spirit. Rather, Carlsen did a good job of surprising him in the opening with the Bogo-Indian. It seems that in the particular line Black chose, Aronian would have had to try 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 for any hopes of an edge. Instead, after 9.Qc2 a6 10.a3 Nbd7 11.Be2 dxc4 12.Bxc4 c5 13.Be2 b5 Carlsen not only didn't have any problems; he even had some hopes of getting an edge. Aronian's 17.a4 prudently started the process of liquidating the queenside pawns (and most of the pieces as well), and the game was quickly drawn.
Peter Svidler's game with Vladimir Kramnik was even shorter in terms of moves, but although it was Kramnik who created the first surprise by his choice of opening (the Semi-Tarrasch), it was clear that Kramnik wasn't perfectly prepared for the line Svidler chose against it. Kramnik was very nearly in trouble, but with accurate play just managed to keep out of serious trouble.
Like Carlsen, Teimour Radjabov also employed the Bogo-Indian, but Boris Gelfand's treatment was different from Aronian's. Gelfand enjoyed a space advantage, but before he could consolidate it and put it to work Radjabov came up with the plan of 15...c6 and 16...d5, and that just about equalized the chances. One last accurate idea was needed, and with 31...Qe8! and 33...Nd7! the draw was secured.
Finally, in the battle of the "chuks", Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexander Grischuk followed main line Open Catalan theory for 19 moves before Ivanchuk's 20.Bf1 set the game on a new course. For a few moves it looked like f4-f5 ideas might give White a pull, but after 28...Nb6 the burden of maintaining equality had shifted to Ivanchuk. He met the challenge, and after 44 moves the players split the point in a dead-drawn king and pawn ending.
You can replay the games here, with my comments. As for the pairings for round 2, tomorrow, they are as follows: