Chess (#1042)

After expressing some unhappiness, Magnus Carlsen and the Norwegian Chess Federation have agreed to play the title match in Chennai this November. Apart from being reluctant to cede "home-advantage" for whatever that's worth, the Norwegian world no:1 could have been angling for a larger payoff. Paris, for example, was prepared to beat Chennai's offer.

The Norwegian Super tournament, which is in progress right now, featured a hard-fought draw between Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand in round two. Carlsen, holding white, had pressure throughout in a complex endgame arising from a Sicilian Defence. Anand neutralised through careful play.

After two rounds, Karjakin leads with a perfect score. Aronian is on 1.5. Carlsen, Anand, Veselin Topalov, Hikaru Nakamura, Wang Hao and Peter Svidler are all on 1 with Teimour Radjabov on 0.5 and Ludwig Hammer yet to score. Hammer, the Norwegian no:2, is the only potential weak link in the field.

The Norwegian chess festival also features an open. It started with a blitz involving these 10 players. Karjakin won the blitz with 6.5 from 9, while Carlsen, Anand, Nakamura shared second on 6 each. Svidler came fifth with 5.5. Apart from prize-money, the blitz decided pairings with the top five receiving an extra white in the normal round-robin.

Meanwhile, the women's Grand Prix in Geneva saw Anna Muzychuk and Kateryna Lagno leading with 3.5 each from 5 rounds. Top seed Hou Yifan is struggling with 2.5 after two losses, one to Muzychuk and the other to the lowest-rated player, WGM Tuvshintugs Batchimeg of Mongolia.

There is yet another major tournament in progress. The highly competitive European Individual championship is into round four in Legnica, Poland. Over 160 GMs are playing the 11 round Swiss, competing for the Euro 100,000-plus prize fund and spots in the next title cycle. Alexander Moiseenko leads with a perfect 4.

The diagram, WHITE TO PLAY (Nakamura Vs Wang Hao, Norway 2013) is an interesting moment. GM judgement over-rides engines. Black has offered a queen sacrifice 19.Re8+ Qxe8 20.Bxe8 Rxe8. Nakamura declined - he thought Black could build a fortress.

So 19.Qe2! Qc8. The insane 19. - Nh2 20. Bd3 g6 21. Bxh6 Bxh4 22. Bxg6! fxg6 23 Qe6+ Kh8 24. Qh3 is bad. 20.Bd3 Qe6 21.Qxe6 fxe6 22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Rxe6 Bxg2 24.Re7 Nd5. Now white finds 25.Bc4! Kf8 26.Bxd5 Kxe7 27.Bxg2 Rf8 28.f5. In practice, this wins.

Wang defended with 28.-- Kf6 29.Kd2 d5 30.Ke3 Ke5 31.Bh3 Rd8 32.Ne2 c5 33.Kf3 Rd7? Black must seek active play with 33.-- b5. Now white won with 34.Nf4 Kf6 35.h5 a6 36.b3 Rd8 37.Ne6 Rd7 38.Kf4 a5 39.Bf1 c4 40.a4 Rd6 41.Bg2 Rd7 42.Bf3 (1-0). It's zugwang. 42.-- Ke8 43. Nxg7 or 42.--Rd6 43. Nc7! D4?? 44. Ne8+ or 42.-- Ra7 43. Bxd5.

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player