sentences:  In 2000, he was first at Essen (ahead of Dreev and Klaus Bischoff) and triumphed there again in 2002 (this time ahead of Leko).At the Mainz Chess Classic in 2003, he finished joint second behind Levon Aronian, repeating his placing the following year.At the Russian Championships of 2005, he took 3rd place at the Kazan qualifier and finished joint 4th at the Superfinal.