Test Yourself! World Chess News CT-349(3690)

CT-349(3690) The First Daily Chess Newspaper on the Net Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Test Yourself! World Chess News

Delekta (2265) - Geller (2535) CappelleXIIIIIIIIY la Grande Open (1), 1992 8r+-+-+k+0{ 2nd London Chess Classic 7+p+-+p+p0 Round 7 results: 6-+pzpr+p+0 Anand – Kramnik ½-½ 5zp-vl-zp-wq-0 Nakamura – Adams ½-½ 4-+P+P+-+0 Howell – McShane ½-½ 3+-+Q+PsN-0 Carlsen – Short 1-0 2PzPP+-+PzP0 1+R+-+R+K0 Garry Kasparov was in London for this xabcdefghy round. Winning the decisive game of the round allowed his protégé to break away from his co-leaders – Visny Anand and Luke McShane. Carlsen received the first prize of Dobrovolsky (2380) – Antonsen 50,000 euro, while Anand and (2390),XIIIIIIIIY Tastrup-B (7), 1992 McShane got 20,000 each. 8-+-+-+k+0{ Final standings: 7+-+R+-zp-0 1. Carlsen (NOR, 2802) – 13, 6pzp-+-+-+0 2-3. Anand (IND, 2804) and McShane 5+-vl-wq-+p0 (ENG, 2645) – 11, 4-+P+p+-+0 4-5. Kramnik (RUS, 2791) and 3+-+-zp-+P0 Nakamura (USA, 2741) – 10, 2PzP-+R+P+0 6. Adams (ENG, 2723) – 8 1+-+-+NmK-0 7. Howell (ENG, 2611) – 4, xabcdefghy 8. Short (ENG, 2680) – 2. This victory will probably allow Carlsen to over-take Anand in the January 2011 FIDE rating list. The Antonsen (2390) – M.S. Hansen tournament was a great success for (2340) Tastrup-B (6), 1992 Luke McShane, who can now compete XIIIIIIIIY with Short and Adams for the top 8-+-+Qvl-+0{ position in England. 7+-+n+pmkp0 6-+-+-+-sN0 There were many side events in 5zp-+q+PzP-0 London. The main of them was a big 4Pzppzp-+-+0 open tournament with 182 players. 3+-+-+-vLK0 2-zP-+-+-zP0 Final standings: 1-2. GMs Jones (ENG 2575) and 1+-+-+-+-0 Williams (ENG, 2493) - 7½/9 xabcdefghy 3-7. GMs Avrukh (ISR, 2625), Gormally (ENG, 2470), McDonald Chose between 33...f6 and 33...c3 (ENG, 2449), Thorhallsson (ISL, 2367) and IM Hanley (ENG, 2428) – 7, etc.

This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor: GM Alex Baburin Subscription is 15 euro for 3 months. For further details please refer to http://www.chesstoday.net CT-349(3690) Page 1 of 5 It should be added that the online coverage of the tournament was great and John Saunders, the chief press officer, and people in charge of the o fficial website deserve a lot of credit for that.

Russian Super-Final

All games were drawn in round 5. (Viktor Korchnoi at a chess simul at the London Chess Classic) Standings after 5 rounds: 1-2. Karjakin (2760) and Svidler (2722) - 3½, 3-4. Grischuk (2771) and Nepomniachtchi (2720) - 3, etc

Official website

Women World Championship

Round 4 tie-break: Harika - Ruan Lufei ½-1½

Semi-finals: (Vishy Anand being presented with the British Chess Federation Book of Ruan Lufei (CHN 2480) vs. Zhao Xue the Year Award for 1998(!) by Ray (CHN 2474) Edwards (chairman of the awarding committee) for his book "Vishy Koneru (IND, 2600) vs. Hou Yifan Anand: My Best Games of Chess") (CHN 2591) Official website

Live Chess Rating

This is how the top-10 list looks like after the London Classic and the first 2 rounds of the Russian Championship:

1. Carlsen 2813,6 +11,6 17 2. Anand 2809,9 +5,9 17 3. Aronian 2805,1 +4,1 9 4. Kramnik 2784,1 -6,9 16 (Vishy Anand making the 5. Karjakin 2775,8 +15,8 14 presentation, on behalf of the English 6. Topalov 2774,8 -11,2 10 Chess Federation Book of the Year 7. Grischuk 2774,6 +3,6 14 Committee, of the 2010 ECF Book of 8. Mamedyarov 2772,2 +9,2 9 the Year award to GM Jacob Aagaard 9. Ivanchuk 2764 0 0 for his two-volume work "Attacking 10. Nakamura 2751,4 +10,4 16 Manual 1 & 2", published by Quality Chess) ¤ ¤¤¤ (Photos and information courtesy ¤¤¤¤¤ of John Saunders) This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor: GM Alex Baburin Subscription is 15 euro for 3 months. For further details please refer to http://www.chesstoday.net CT-349(3690) Page 2 of 5 usually tries to get rid of the d4-pawn Annotated Game by playing ...c5, but that gives White by GM Alex Baburin pawn majority on the queenside, which can be an asset. Carlsen (2802) - Short (2680) Here is an instructive example how London Chess Classic (7), 15.12.2010 White might handle such position: The French Defence; C10 9.£e2 b6 10.¥g5 ¥b7 11.¦ad1 ¤d5 12.¥c1 ¥d6 13.£e4 ¦b8 14.¥d3 ¤f6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.¤d2 dxe4 4.¤xe4 15.£e2 ¥e7 16.c4 £d6 17.¦fe1 ¦be8 (D) 18.¤e5 c5 19.dxc5 £xc5 20.a3 ¦d8 XIIIIIIIIY 21.b4 £c8 22.¥g5± a5 23.£e3 axb4 8rsnlwqkvlntr0{ 24.axb4 £c7 25.£h3! ¥e4? 26.¥xf6 7zppzp-+pzpp0 ¦xd3 27.¤xd3 1–0 D. Bronstein - 6-+-+p+-+0 Kalashian, Kirovakan 1978. 5+-+-+-+-0 9.¤e5 c5 10.dxc5 £xd1 11.¦xd1 4-+-zPN+-+0 ¥xc5XIIIIIIIIY (D) 3+-+-+-+-0 8r+l+-trk+0 2PzPP+-zPPzP0 7zpp+-+pzpp0 1tR-vLQmKLsNR0 6-+-+psn-+0 xabcdefghy 5+-vl-sN-+-0 4-+L+-+-+0 The Rubinstein Variation of the French 3+-+-+-+-0 Defence is a solid opening, but it 2PzPP+-zPPzP0 won't offer an easy life against the 1tR-vLR+-mK-0} world's No 2 player. But Nigel Short xabcdefghy probably decided that playing 1...e5, 1...c6 or 1...¤f6 against Carlsen won't be a walk in the park either. Fritz12 likes White's chances, giving 4...¤d7 5.¤f3 ¥e7 him a clear edge (about +0.80 pawn). The usual line is 5...¤gf6 6.¤xf6+ Fritz also likes Carlsen next move, ¤xf6. Maybe 5...¥e7 is designed to considering it the best, though nobody avoid certain lines, such as 5...¤gf6 played it before: 6.¤xf6+ ¤xf6 7.¥g5 or 7.¤e5. 12.¥e2! 6.¥c4 Carlsen chose a little-known On c4 this bishop was biting on line. He could transpose to the main granite (the e6-pawn), so Magnus lines after 6.¥d3 ¤gf6 7.¤xf6+ ¤xf6 relocates it. On f3 the bishop will put a 8.0–0 or 8.£e2. lot of pressure on the Black's 6...¤gf6 7.¤xf6+ queenside. 7.£e2 0–0 8.¤xf6+ ¥xf6 9.¥e3 c5 12...¤e4 13.¤d3 ¥e7 14.¥e3 h6 10.0–0–0 £a5 11.£d2 £xd2+ 12.¦xd2 15.a4!XIIIIIIIIY (D) ¤b6 13.¥e2 ½–½ Short-Spassky, 8r+l+-trk+0{ Solingen 1986. 7zpp+-vlpzp-0 7...¤xf6XIIIIIIIIY 8.0–0 0–0 (D) 6-+-+p+-zp0 8r+lwq-trk+0 5+-+-+-+-0 7zppzp-vlpzpp0 4P+-+n+-+0 6-+-+psn-+0 3+-+NvL-+-0 5+-+-+-+-0 2-zPP+LzPPzP0 4-+LzP-+-+0 1tR-+R+-mK-0 3+-+-+N+-0 xabcdefghy 2PzPP+-zPPzP0 1tR-vLQ+RmK-0} Another very interesting move. Black xabcdefghy would like to develop his light- squared bishop. For that he may need In this pawn structure White's main to play ...b6, but now 15...b6 will be plan is attack on the kingside. Black met with 16.a5!. If Black does nothing, This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor: GM Alex Baburin Subscription is 15 euro for 3 months. For further details please refer to http://www.chesstoday.net CT-349(3690) Page 3 of 5 White will probably play a4-a5. Short 26...¦d4 27.¦b5 g6 28.a5 ¢g7 decided to halt the advance of that 29.¢e2 ¥g4+ 30.¢f2 ¥e6 31.¢f3 pawn, but it created its own problems: h5 32.¤d5 ¥d8 33.b4 ¥c8 34.¢e2 15...a5?! (D) Now Black can't play ...b6 at all. XIIIIIIIIY 16.g3!? 8-+lvl-+-+0{ White prepares to play ¥f3 ¤g5, ¥g2. 7+p+-+pmk-0 16...¦d8 17.¤e5 ¤f6 18.¤c4 (D) 6-+-+-+p+0 XIIIIIIIIY 5zPR+Nzp-+p0 8r+ltr-+k+0{ 4-zP-trP+-+0 7+p+-vlpzp-0 3+-+L+-zP-0 6-+-+psn-zp0 2-+P+K+-zP0 5zp-+-+-+-0 1+-+-+-+-0 4P+N+-+-+0 xabcdefghy 3+-+-vL-zP-0 2-zPP+LzP-zP0 1tR-+R+-mK-0 Suddenly the black rook is in danger. xabcdefghy 34...¥g4+ 35.¢e1 f5 35...¥c8 36.a6 bxa6 37.¦b8+-. 36.¦xb7+ ¢h6 37.¤e3 ¥f3 38.a6 Now the drawbacks of playing 15...a5 fxe4 39.¥e2 ¥g5 40.a7 1–0 are very clear – the b6-square is weak. 18...¦xd1+ 19.¦xd1 ¤d5 20.¤b6 ¤xe3 Solutions to our Quiz: Black can't settle for 20...¤xb6 21.¥xb6 e5 22.¦d5 f6 23.¦xa5 ¦xa5 Delekta (2265) - Geller (2535) 24.¥xa5. Cappelle la Grande Open (1), 1992 21.fxe3 ¦b8 22.¢f2 XIIIIIIIIY White's plan is simple - ¥f3, c2-c3 8r+-+-+k+0{ and then ¤xc8 and ¥xb7. Black must 7+p+-+p+p0 develop the c8-bishop, but that means 6-+pzpr+p+0 weakening the d5-square: 5zp-vl-zp-wq-0 22...e5 4-+P+P+-+0 22...¢f8 23.c3 ¥f6 24.¥b5!±. 3+-+Q+PsN-0 23.¦d5 ¥e6 24.¦xa5 ¦d8 25.¥d3 2PzPP+-+PzP0 (D) XIIIIIIIIY 1+R+-+R+K0 8-+-tr-+k+0{ xabcdefghy 7+p+-vlpzp-0 6-sN-+l+-zp0 18...£xg3! 0–1 (19.hxg3 g5) 5tR-+-zp-+-0 4P+-+-+-+0 3+-+LzP-zP-0 Dobrovolsky (2380) – Antonsen 2-zPP+-mK-zP0 (2390), Tastrup-B (7), 1992 1+-+-+-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY xabcdefghy 8-+-+-+k+0{ 7+-+R+-zp-0 6pzp-+-+-+0 White should be able to convert his 5+-vl-wq-+p0 extra pawn comfortably as Black lacks 4-+P+p+-+0 counter-play. 3+-+-zp-+P0 25...¥f6 Fritz recommends 25...e4 2PzP-+R+P+0 26.¥xe4 ¦d2+ 27.¢f3 g5, but after 28.¥f5 ¥xf5 29.¦xf5 ¦xc2 30.¦b5 1+-+-+NmK-0 Black's counter-play fizzles out. xabcdefghy 26.e4 Very solidly played. Computer prefers 26.¥e4, but why allow the 34...£xb2! 35.¤g3 h4 36.¦d8+ enemy rook to d2? ¢h7 37.¢f1 £f6+ 0–1 This issue is prepared by GM Alex Baburin; technical editor: GM Alex Baburin Subscription is 15 euro for 3 months. For further details please refer to http://www.chesstoday.net CT-349(3690) Page 4 of 5 Antonsen (2390) – M.S. Hansen (2340)XIIIIIIIIY Tastrup-B (6), 1992 8-+-+Qvl-+0{ 7+-+n+pmkp0 6-+-+-+-sN0 5zp-+q+PzP-0 4Pzppzp-+-+0 3+-+-+-vLK0 2-zP-+-+-zP0 1+-+-+-+-0 xabcdefghy

Chose between 33...f6 and 33...c3

33...c3?? Black had to play 33...f6, with a draw after 34.¥d6 £f3+ 35.¥g3 fxg5 36.£xd7+ ¢xh6 37.£e6+ ¢g7 38.£d7+=. 34.£xd7! ¥d6 (34...£xd7 35.¥e5+ f6 36.¥xf6#) 35.£d8 f6 36.£xf6# 1–0

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