Round 1 of the 7th Grand Slam Masters Final sees World Chess Champion challenger GM Viswanathan Anand off to an early lead by earning 3 points when he defeated GM Ruslan Ponomariov. Meanwhile, after winning the Spanish Chess Championship, GM Francisco Vallejo Pons tied with GM Levon Aronian who recently competed in the 2nd Sinquefield Cup.
Held in Bilbao, Spain the event opened last Friday, September 12 and is scheduled to conclude on September 20, 2014. The four mentioned Grand Masters will be competing in a Double Round Robin System, with 3 points awarded for a win, and 1 point for a draw. A draw, however, cannot be made unless approved by the event’s arbiter.