Tashkent Grand Prix, Round 3
There were two winners today in the FIDE Grand Prix in Tashkent: Fabiano Caruana, who defeated Gata Kamsky in the battle of the Americans*; and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who won against Peter Svidler. Caruana won a long, tough game in a slow Chebanenko Slav (but I repeat myself), gradually building on the kingside and breaking through with a mating attack shortly after the time control. As for Mamedyarov - Svidler, Mamedyarov played the quiet 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 against Svidler's Gruenfeld. It's hard to believe that this approach can be the key to an advantage against the Gruenfeld, but it is becoming a bit more popular lately, so Gruenfelders beware! If even Svidler can have trouble with it, there's at least a drop of poison present in the system.
The other four games were drawn - two after long fights, two pretty quickly. Leading standings: Morozevich 2.5/3, Mamedyarov & Karjakin 2.
* Yes, I know Fabiano Caruana plays for Italy (he's welcome to return to the U.S. though!), but he was born here and still has American citizenship.