The matches of the eight candidates will start in March next year, but according to the 19-year-old Norwegian superstar, the current cycle “does not represent a system sufficiently modern and fair to provide the motivation I need to go through a lengthy process of preparations and matches and to perform at my best.” He added, “Reigning champion privileges, the long (five-year) span of the cycle, changes made during the cycle resulting in a new format (candidates) that no world champion has had to go through since Kasparov, puzzling ranking criteria as well as the shallow ceaseless match-after-match concept are all less than satisfactory in my opinion.”
Carlsen wants all “privileges” abolished.The world championship, he says, “should be based on a fair fight between the best players in the world on equal terms.” This, he adds, “should apply also to the winner of the previous world championship, and especially so when there are several players at approximately the same level in the world elite. (Why should one player have one out of two tickets to the final to the detriment of all remaining players in the world? Imagine that the winner of the 2010 Football World Cup would be directly qualified to the 2014 World Cup final while all the rest of the teams would have to fight for the other spot.)” He proposes an 8-10 player world championship tournament similar to the 2005 and 2007 events.
Carlsen, however, says his proposal “is not in any way meant as criticism of, or an attack on, the reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is a worthy world champion, a role model chess colleague and a highly esteemed opponent.” Moreover, the kid says he will continue to play in top-level tournaments and will “try to maintain the no 1 spot on the rating list that I have successfully defended for most of 2010.”
In an interview, he says: “I hope that there will be changes in the future. It is clear that I will be back in [the world championship cycle] then. The decision now applies only to the current…cycle.”
So Magnus will not try to become the youngest world champion ever, beating the record of his former mentor, Kasparov who was crowned when he was 22. It also means that the forthcoming candidates cycle will not be that exciting.
The following was supposed to be the pairings in March: Topalov vs. Kamsky, Kramnik vs. Mamedyarov, Aronian vs. Gelfand, and Carlsen vs. Radjabov. FIDE has named current Russian champ Alexander Grischuk as Carlsen’s replacement. Without Magnus, however, I don’t think these matches will produce a challenger who can beat Vishy. It will be great to see bitter enemies Kramnik and Topalov play another match though.
Game of the week. Judit Polgar’sonly victory against Boris Gelfand in their World Cup tie-breaking mini-match last year in Khanty-Mansiysk was voted the best game of Chess Informant 107. Gelfand, who won the World Cup (which earned him a slot in the candidates matches), bested Polgar 3.5 to 1.5, but Judith createda masterpiece in their second game that was described by the Informant as “really something”: “Judit crowned her attack with the beautiful 27.Qf4!!, a move that will surely find its place in chess anthologies.”
White: J. Polgar (2680)
Black: B.Gelfand (2758)
Bishop’s Opening
Khanty-Mansiysk 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Qe2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Bb3 d6 [6…d5!?] 7.0–0 Nbd7 8.c3 a5!? [8…Nc5!?] 9.a4 b5 A novelty. [9…Nc5!? 10.Bc2 b6 11.Nbd2 Ba6; 9…Qc7] 10.Bc2 Ba6 [10…Nc5?! 11.ab5 cb5 12.d4] 11.ab5 [11.Nbd2 b4!?] cb5 [11…Bb5?! 12.c4 Ba6 13.Bd2!] 12.Nbd2 Qc7 [12…Qb6!?] 13.d4 a4?! [13…b4! 14.c4 Nb6! 15.Ra5 a) 15.de5 de5 16.Ra5 Nbd7 (16…Nc4 17.Ra6 Nd2 18.Ra8 Nf3 19.Qf3 Ra8 20.Bb3 Ra1) 17.Ra4 (17.Ra1? Bc4) Rfb8! (17…Nc5 18.Rb4 Qa5 19.Rb5 Bb5 20.cb5 with compensation.) 18.Qd1 Nc5 19.Ra1 b3 20.Bb1 Nfd7 Black is superior; b) 15.Bd3 a4!; c) 15.b3 a4; 15…Nc4 16.Ra6 Nd2 17.Ra8 Nf3 18.Qf3 Ra8 19.Bb3] 14.Bd3 Rfb8 15.Nh4 g6 16.f4 [16.Ndf3!?]ef4 [16…ed4!? 17.cd4 Qb6 unclear.] 17.Ndf3 [17.Qf3? b4; 17.Rf4 Nh5 18.Rg4 Ndf6; 17.Nb1 Nh5 18.Nf5 Bf8] Nh5 18.Bd2 [18.g4? fg3 19.Ng5 Ndf6] Nb6 [18…Qb6!? 19.g4 fg3 20.Ng5 b4 21.Nf5 (21.Rf7 Bd3 22.Qd3 Ne5 Black is winning; 21.Ba6 Qa6 22.Qf3 Qc4 23.Nf7 Bh4 24.Nh6 Kh8) Bg5 22.Bg5 gf5 23.Ba6 (23.Qh5 bc3 24.bc3 Bd3 25.Rf5 Ne5) Ra6 24.Qh5 bc3 25.bc3 Qb2!] 19.g4! fg3 20.Ng5 Nc4? [20…gh2 21.Qh2; 20…d5 21.e5 a) 21.Rf7? gh2; b) 21.Nf5 Bg5 22.Bg5 gh2 23.Kg2 f6 24.Nh6 Kg7 25.Bf6 Nf6 26.e5 (26.Rf6 Kf6 27.Rf1 Kg7 28.Rf7 Qf7 29.Nf7 Kf7); 21…Bg5 22.Bg5 Bc8! (22…gh2 23.Qh2) 23.Rf6 a) 23.Qf3 Be6 (23…Bh3 24.hg3 Bf1 25.Rf1 Ng7) 24.hg3 a3 25.g4 Ng7 26.Bh6 (26.Nf5 Bf5 27.gf5 ab2) Qe7; b) 23.Bb5 Nc4 24.Bc4 Qc4; c) 23.Nf5 Bf5 24.Rf5 a3; 23…Nf6 24.Bf6 Nd7 (24…a3 25.Qd2 White is winning.); 20…Bg5 21.Bg5 Bc8!? a) 21…Nc4 22.Nf5 see 20…Nc4; b) 21…f6 22.Bf6 Rf8 23.Bg5 (23.e5 Rae8 24.Bg6 hg6 25.Ng6 Nf6 26.Nf8 Qg7 Black is winning.) Nc4 24.Bh6 gh2 25.Qh2 unclear; c) 21…d5!?; 22.Nf5 Bf5 23.Rf5 a3 24.Rb5 ab2 25.Ra8 Ra8 26.Rb2 Ra3 Black is superior.] 21.Nf5 [21.Rf7! gh2 a) 21…Nd2 22.Nf5! White is winning; b) 21…Rf8 22.Rh7 Nd2 (22…Rf2 23.Ng6 Re2 24.Be2; 22…gh2 23.Kh2 Nd2 24.Rh5 gh5 25.Rg1) 23.Ng6 Bg5 (23…Nf3 24.Kh1) 24.Rc7 Rf2 25.Qh5 Nf3 26.Qf3 Rf3 27.Bb1!! White is winning; c) 21…Qd8 22.Rh7 Bg5 c1) 22…gh2 23.Kh2 Bg5 (23…Nf6 24.Bc4 bc4 25.Rh6 White is winning.) 24.Ng6 White is winning; c2) 22…Nd2 23.Ng6 Bg5 24.Rh8 Kg7 25.Rd8 Bd8 26.Qh5 White is winning; 23.Ng6 Qf6 (23…Kh7 24.Qh5 Kg7 25.Bg5) 24.Ne7! Kf8 (24…Kh7 25.e5) 25.Bg5 Qg5 26.Rf1 Ke8 27.Nd5 gh2 28.Kh2 Qg3 29.Kh1 Qh3 30.Kg1 White is winning; 22.Kh2] Bg5?! [21…Nd2! 22.Nh6 (22.Qd2 gf5; 22.Nf7 gh2 23.Qh2 Kf7) Kh8! (22…Kg7 23.Rf7 Kh6 24.h4 Nf3 25.Nf3) 23.Nhf7 (23.Rf7 Bg5 24.Rc7 Bh6 25.hg3 (25.Qg4 Bc8) Ng3 (25…Rf8 26.Kg2 Rf3 27.Qf3 Nf3 28.Kf3 Rb8! with idea 29.b3 Rf8 30.Kg2 Bc8 31.ba4 ba4 32.Ra4 Be3 33.Ra2 Bg4) 26.Qg4 Nh5 27.Qd7 Nf6 28.Qc6 unclear.) 23…Kg8 24.Qd2 Bg5 25.Qg5 (25.Ng5 Qd7 unclear.) gh2 26.Kh2 Rf8 27.Nh6 Kh8 (27…Kg7 28.Nf5 Kh8 29.Ne7 Nf4! 30.Rf4 Rf4 31.Ng6 hg6 32.Qf4 Kg7 33.Rf1 Qe7) 28.Be2 Qb7 29.Bh5 b4!! 30.Rf8 Rf8 31.Qe3 gh5 32.d5 Qg7 33.Ra4 Qe5 34.Kg1] 22.Bg5 f6 [22…gf5 23.Qh5 Nb2 24.Qh6 f6 25.Bf6 Bc8 26.Rf3 White is winning; 22…gh2 23.Kh2 (23.Qh2!?); 22…Kh8 23.Nh6 f6 24.Rf6] 23.Bh4 [23.Nh6 Kg7] gh2 [23…Rf8 24.hg3; 23…a3!?] 24.Qh2 Rf8 [24…gf5! 25.Rf5 (25.Kh1 fe4 26.Be2 Ng7) Ng7 (25…Qf7 26.Kh1) 26.Rf6 Rf8 27.Rh6 Qd7 28.Qg2 Ne3 29.e5! Ng2 30.Bh7 Kf7 31.Bg6 Ke6 32.Be4 Kf7 33.Bg6 equal.] 25.Be2 [25.Bc4 bc4 26.Qd6] gf5? [25…Nd2! 26.Bh5 Nf1 27.Qg2 (27.Rf1 b4! 28.Nh6 Kg7 29.Rf2 bc3 30.bc3 Qc3 unclear.) Kh8 28.Bg6 Ne3 29.Ne3 hg6 30.Qg6 Qg7 31.Qg7 Kg7 32.Nf5 Kh7 33.Nd6 with compensation.] 26.Bh5 fe4? [26…Qg7 27.Kh1 Bb7 28.d5 Qe7! 29.Rae1 fe4 30.Qg2 Kh8 31.Re4 Ne5 32.Ref4 with attack.] 27.Qf4!! [27.Bf6 Rf6 28.Rf6 Qg7 29.Qg2 Qg2 30.Kg2 Nb2] f5[27…Qg7 28.Kh2 Kh8 29.Rg1 Qe7 30.Raf1] 28.Kh1 Kh8 29.Rg1 Rf7 [29…Nb6 30.Qh6 Nd5 31.Rg2 f4 32.Rag1 Qd7 33.Bg4 Qg7 34.Qg7 Kg7 35.Be6 Kh8 36.Bd5] 30.Bf7 Qf7 31.Qh6 Rf8 32.Rg6 and 1-0.
Puzzler.
White: Qa8, Nd5, Bg5, Kh7
Black: Ke5
White to play and mate in three.
Send your answers to “64” c/o Marianas Variety, P.O. Box 500231, Saipan MP 96950. Our fax no. is 670-234-9271. You can also e-mail [email protected].
