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| WORLD CHESS NEWS: | |
Young guns stampede -- 08-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
A deep exchange sacrifice secured the seventeen year old Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen a share of first prize at the first Fide Grand Prix chess tournament just concluded in Baku. Carlsen overcame Etienne Bacrot with skilful play to reach 8/13, level with two more improving chess players from the younger generation, Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan and Wang Yue of China. At world number five, Carlsen is already an established chess player but the leading trio finished ahead of seven of the world’s top twenty players. Carlsen vs. Bacrot; Position after 28.Bf2 28…Rxd3! 29.Qxd3 Nd5 30.Re1 Qa4 (The point, c4 falls and the bishop on a6 becomes very powerful. All the play is on the queenside where the knights dominate and White's rooks are not doing very much) ... |
An elegant finish -- 07-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Battle intensified in the penultimate round of the Fide Chess Grand Prix in Baku with five decisive game and two very hard fought draws. There was another defeat for Michael Adams at the hands of the 17 year old Magnus Carlsen ranked world number 5. It was a most impressive game by Carlsen who calmly gave up rook for bishop in a queenless middlegame, won back the chess material and then exploited the advantage of the bishop pair in the endgame. Going into the final round the relatively unknown Azerbaijani Vugar Gashimov shares the lead with Wang Yue of China. Gashimov defeated Alexander Grischuk, nicknamed ‘The Gambler’ for his prowess at Poker and his risky style of chess play. Choosing this dangerous line against the Ruy Lopez was one risk too many. V Gashimov – A Grischuk FIDE GP (12) Baku ... |
Blunders in Baku -- 06-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
There were two terrible blunders in the twelth round of the Fide Grand Prix in Baku as Etienne Bacrot hung his queen and Shakriyar Mamedyarov and Michael Adams had a moment of mutual chess blindness. Mamedyarov vs. Adams; Position after 34.Rh8; The game had been meandering to a draw even if it was Adams who had to be more accurate when Mamedyarov, in the position above blundered. 34…f4?? (34...h3 35.gxh3 gxh3 36.Rxh3 Ke4 37.Rh7 f4 and with his king supporting the passed pawn Black is fine) 35.Rh5+?? (I am sure readers must be wondering why not 34.Rxh4 and if 34…f3 36.gxf3 gxf3 37.Rh5+ Ke4 38.Rxd5 Kxd5 it seems both chess players overlooked Kd3 wins for White) 35...Ke4 (No everything is back on track) 36.Rxh4 Rg5 37.Kd2 g3 38.Ke2 ... |
Tiviakov reigns supreme -- 05-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Sergey Tiviakov emerged from the pack with a last round victory and took the title of European Individual Chess Champion at the expense of former chess champion Emil Sutovsky in Plovdiv Bulgaria. Sutovsky had played out five peaceful draws in succession but came up against an opponent who was in supreme form with the white pieces. Tiviakov employed his favourite 2.c3 against the Sicilian Defence, won a pawn and steadily converted his advantage to finish ahead of the field on 8.5/11. The winner scored 5.5/6 with white and took the 15,000 Euro (£12,000) first prize. The final day at Plovdiv sees speed chess tie breakers for the players on 7.5 to decide who gains entry to next year’s World Cup knockout. Peter Wells and Gawain Jones finished on 5.5 and 6 respectively. Here ... |
Telegraph chess: Wells digs deep -- 04-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
The lure of qualifying places in the lucrative 2009 World Cup only served to encourage the leaders to protect their scores at the European Individual Chess Championship taking place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Emil Sutovsky of Israel and Pavel Tregubov of Russia who are both former winners of the chess event drew with each other in round 8 and share the lead on 7/9 with five other chess players. Peter Wells and Gawain Jones both have 5/9 and excellent rating performances as they have faced strong opposition. Wells defeated GM Alexander Huzman of Israel in the game below but then spoilt a good position against Tomas Markowski of Poland in the ninth round and lost. A Huzman – P Wells; IX EICC (8) Plovdiv; Queen’s Gambit; 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 (The sharp Vienna Variation, a Wells speciality) ... |
Barden on chess -- 03-May-08, guardian.co.uk, online chess
Fide's Grand Prix circuit, six chess tournaments spread over 19 months, is a new project to encourage more host nations. Russia's Alex Grischuk led after nine rounds of the launch event at Baku, which is live on the internet today. Shak Mamedyarov is a top ten chess grandmaster and playing in his home city. The Azeri came up with a home-brewed plan (7 Re1! then 12 Nd3! with ideas of Nf4-h5 in some lines) so Black was always on the defensive. The pressure told with 28...Qb6? (Be7 is only slightly worse) and then Magnus Carlsen missed the tactic 31 Bxa5! At the end White wins nicely after Kh7 38 Qxa8 Rxa8 39 Rf7 Rd8 40 Rxd7 Rxd7 41 Nxf8+. S Mamedyarov v M Carlsen 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Bb7 ... |
Telegraph chess: Queen's Indian pickle -- 01-May-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Former chess champion Emil Sutovsky of Israel leads the European Individual Chess Championship on tie break after seven rounds. Sutovsky has 6/7 level with Pavel Tregubov of Russia and Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia the winner of the Wijk aan Zee B Group. Gawain Jones has 4/7 and five of his opponents have been rated around 2600. Peter Wells also has 4/7. The chess players have the same high rating but Black’s eccentric interpretation of the Queen’s Indian lands him trouble very quickly. 14…Bf8 was necessary. M Roiz (2659) – B Savchenko (2569); IX EICC (7) Plovdiv; Queen’s Indian ... |
Telegraph chess: Still in the balance -- 30-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
There was only one decisive game in the fifth round of the FIDE/Global Chess Grand Prix at Baku as Wang Yue outplayed the former chess prodigy Sergei Karjakin from a completely level endgame. I suspect the game would have ended much earlier in a draw were it not for the rule forbidding draw offers that is in force. Wang shares the lead with Alexander Grischuk who drew with Michael Adams. Adams held the draw with black quite comfortably and after many exchanges there was no play left and the chess players were allowed to conclude. In the Queen's Indian the battle often revolves around the e4 square. Black seeks to prevent White from advancing a third pawn in the centre before playing either c7-c5, d7-d5 or Nf6-e4 and f7-f5. Mamedyarov avoids the normal move ... |
Telegraph chess: Zero tolerance on greed -- 28-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Emil Sutovsky, a former winner of the chess event was one of only three chess players on maximum points after four rounds of the 2008 European Individual Chess Championship being contested at Plovdiv. Sutovsky won a fine game in round one which we saw on Friday where his opponent had the temerity to grab four pawns in the opening. Here is his round three effort where Black is similarly punished for his greed. E Sutovsky (2630) – I Miladinovic (2579); IX EICC Plovdiv (3); Caro Kann Advance. 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c4 (Black's first three moves get him no nearer to castling kingside so Sutovsky opens up the game) 5...Bg4 (If 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxe5 7.cxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qa5 9.Bf4 and with Ndb5 or Bb5+ and 0–0 to follow White has a dangerous lead in development) ... |
Telegraph chess: Adams looks ahead -- 26-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Michael Adams scored his second win at the Grand Prix chess tournament in Baku, defeating the Czech GM David Navara to reach 2.5/4. The opening went wrong for Adams but a far sighted pawn sacrifice enabled the England number one to create decisive threats with two rooks and a knight against two rooks and a bishop. M Adams – D Navara; FIDE GP Baku (4); French Tarrasch. [...] Peter Wells has drawn with three highly rated chess GMs rated around 2600 after winning his first round game the European Individual Chess Championship at Plovdiv in Bulgaria. Gawain Jones is on 50%. Francisco Vallejo scored a fine match victory over Alexey Shirov at Dos Hermanas, defeating him in two tactical battles. White’s strategy in this line of the Advance Caro Kann is a swift pawn advance on ... |
Telegraph chess: Bring on the pawns -- 25-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Long technical endgames were the order of the day in the third round of the Grand Prix chess tournament at Baku as three players successfully exploited the advantage of an extra pawn. When all the remaining pawns are on the same side of the board the game will often be drawn but it was not the case this time. Michael Adams lost a queen and pawn endgame against Sergey Karjakin. Alexander Grischuk took the lead, reaching 2.5/3 by overcoming David Navara with rook, knight and three pawns against rook, bishop and two pawns. English GMs Gawain Jones and Peter Wells both won their first round games and then drew with highly rated opponents in the second round of the European Individual Chess Championship underway at Plovdiv in Bulgaria. The 322 chess player field includes ... |
Telegraph chess: English master stroke -- 24-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
Michael Adams has made a great start to the Grand Prix chess tournament at Baku. In round one Adams drew solidly as Black against Teimour Radjabov whose Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation achieved no advantage. Adams even got the edge but had to accede to perpetual check in a queen and pawn endgame. In round two Adams defeated Ivan Cheparinov, the Grandmaster whose disgraceful behaviour led him to be defaulted in his game at Wijk aan Zee against Nigel Short when he refused to shake hands. The game was replayed and Short won, Adams made it an English double over the Bulgarian. Adams shares the lead with Gata Kamsky who finished this round one game nicely. Kamsky vs. Inarkiev. Position after 42...Kh6 43.Rb6? (A blunder, presumably White missed Black’s lovely ... |
Telegraph chess: Big guns out in Baku -- 23-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
The new FIDE/Global Chess Grad Prix is underway with England number one Michael Adams participating at the first event, a 14 player all play all in Baku. The Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen is the top seed. The full line up is 1. Magnus Carlsen, Norway, 2765; 2. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Azerbaijan, 2752; 3. Teimour Radjabov, Azerbaijan, 2751; 4. Peter Svidler, Russia, 2746; 5. Sergey Karjakin, Ukraine, 2732; 6. Michael Adams, England, 2729; 7. Gata Kamsky, USA, 2726; 8. Alexander Grischu, Russia, 2716; 9. Etienne Bacrot, France, 2705; 10. Ivan Cheparinov, Bulgaria, 2696; 11. Wang Yue, China, 2689; 12. Ernesto Inarkiev, Russia, 2684; 13. Vugar Gashimov, Azerbaijan, 2679; 14. David Navara, Czech Republic, 2672. Grand Prix chess tournaments run to the end of 2009 and ... |
Telegraph chess: Champions of child's play -- 22-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
More kids are coming. Last week there were three notable successes for young chess players around the world. In Dubai, 14-year-old Wesley So of the Philippines won a very strong Open chess tournament. So is one of the youngest chess players ever to be a GM and scored 7/9 to finish level with GMs Merab Gagunashvili of Georgia, Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran and Li Chao of China but the youngster had the superior tie break and was awarded the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. Salem Abdulrahman Saleh of the UAE, the Asian under-14 champion who has yet to qualify for the IM title looks like he may not need to as he secured his first GM norm with a round to spare. Twenty nine GMs and twenty one IMs competed. In Ukraine 11 year old Ilya Nyzhnyk, won ... |
Telegraph chess: When disaster strikes -- 21-Apr-08, telegraph.co.uk, online chess
The field for the 2008 Staunton Memorial has been announced and will be the strongest yet with eleven of the twelve chess players being holders of the Grandmaster title. The twelfth player, IM Bob Wade may well be setting a world record. At the age of 87 he is thought to be the oldest chess player ever to be pitted against an all Grandmaster field. Wade has recently competed with success in both senior and Open chess events. He was for many years a researcher for Bobby Fischer and assisted the American in his preparation for the ‘Match of the Century’ against Boris Spassky in 1972. Wade is hugely out-rated but will take heart from the performance of Glenn Flear at the GLC tournament in 1986 when as the lowest rated chess player in a world class field Flear pulled off ... |
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Black to move, mate in 4