August 24, 2009 - 12:17 AMT
Levon Aronian is pre-term winner of FIDE Grand Prix series
Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian in the 5th stage of the Grand Prix Tournament in Jermuk, sharing the 2-3 places with Boris Gelfand went to 1st place in the Grand Prix Tournament overall series with 500 points and has become out of reach to other players, in particular, for the ex-leader, the Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimour Radjabov.

2-3 places are shared by Radjabov and the Russian Alexander Grischuk, scored 363.33 points each. But unlike Grischuk, who took part in all four mandatory stages, Radjabov took part in three.

Aronian also took part in three stages. In the previous two stages the Armenian grandmaster was the strongest, winning in the second stage in Sochi and in the 4th stage in Nalchik.

According to Grand Prix regulations every grandmaster should take part in four out of six tournaments, three best indicators are taken into account.

Aronian is the only participant, who won two victories in the series, and his successful performance in Jermuk closed the question about the winner of Grand Prix. Aronian remains out of reach, even if in the 6th stage will take the last place and Radjabov - the first one.

FIDE Grand Prix Tournaments are qualifying competitions in the struggle for world supremacy. Participants who took the first 2 places in the overall standings will be eligible to be contenders next year. The winner of the contenders tournament, in turn, will play a match for the chess crown in 2011 from the reigning world champion.

Overall setoff of the Grand Prix Tournament series:

    1. Levon Aronian (Armenia) - 500 points (3 stages)
    2. Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) - 363.33 (3)
    3. Alexander Grischuk (Russia) - 363.33 (4)
    4. Wang Yue (China) - 353.33 (3)
    5. Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan) - 328.33 (3)
    6. Peter Leko (Hungary) - 320 (3)
    7. Dmitry Yakovenko (Russia) - 278.33 (3)
    8. Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) - 265 (3)
    9. Boris Gelfand (Israel) - 255 (3)
   10. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) - 240 (3)
   11. Etienne Bacrot (France) - 240 (4)
   12. Gata Kamsky (USA) - 235 (4)
   13. Peter Svidler (Russia) - 230 (3)
   14. Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine) - 230 (4)
   15. Evgeny Alekseev (Russia) - 220 (3)
   16. Rustam Kaymjanov (Uzbekistan) - 200 (3)
   17. Vladimir Akopian (Armenia) - 190 (3).