CHESS#1327

The title match started with a bang but subsequently quietened down. So far, it’s five straight draws. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen got a winning position in Game 1, playing a Sicilian Defence against challenger, Fabiano Caruana’s 1.e4. But Carlsen failed to convert, with Caruana fighting to draw an 115 move epic. 

Game 2 saw Caruana score a small psychological victory with a surprising idea in the Queens Gambit Declined. Game 3 saw Caruana get a small edge in another Sicilian, but Carlsen drew without much trouble. Game 4 was utterly boring. Carlsen tried an English Opening. Game 5 was sharper. Caruana sacrificed a pawn early, and Carlsen returned two pawns to get active play. Playing white, Caruana has deployed the Rossolimo thrice against Carlsen’s Sicilian. Carlsen has played the Queens Pawn and the English. Neither player has been able to make serious headway when playing white. 

Meanwhile in the Women’s World Championship semi-finals, it’s Alexandra Kosteniuk versus Ju Wenjun and Mariya Muzychuk Vs Kateryna Lagno. After game 1, Ju leads. Muzychuk-Lagno drew. And, in Shenzhen, Ding Liren finally lost, to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, breaking an amazing 100-game unbeaten streak. 

The Tata Steel Rapid in Kolkata saw a clinical victory from World #2 Hikaru Nakamura. (Carlsen is #1 at all three formats.) Naka scored 6 points from 9  games, with three wins, six draws. That outpaced Pentalya Harikrishna (5.5) and Levon Aronian (5.5). Harikrishna came second — he beat Aronian in their individual game. Viswanathan Anand (4) was in poor form, drawing eight and losing to his former second, Surya Sekhar Ganguly (2.5). Nihal Sarin (3.5) did well in his first super event.  

The Tata Blitz, which was a double-rounder, saw Nakamura (12.5/ 18) tying for first with Anand (12.5) who roared back into form. Levon Aronian came third. Anand and Nakamura played a tie-break match. Anand won 1.5- 0.5. Praggnanandhaa, who replaced Sarin in the blitz, scored 5.5. He beat Sergey Karjakin, and forced a draw by stalemate against Naka in the last round. 

The Diagram, BLACK TO MOVE (White: Caruana Vs Black: Carlsen, London World Chp, Game 1 , 2018) is won for black. White can do nothing, his king is vulnerable and h3,c2, a2, are weak. He also had less than a minute. Black can penetrate down h8-a1, say with Qb2/Qa1. He may get Rg3 or Rg1. He can open the queenside with b5-b4. 

Carlsen missed wins galore. He played 35.-- Qg1? [Qg7-b2 wins] 36.Nf1 h4? [Again 36...Qg7!] 37.Kd2 Kb7 38.c3 Be5? [ Now 38...Rg3! 39.Nxg3 hxg3 40.Rg2 Qa1 is killing] Play continued  39.Kc2 Qg7?! [Now 39...b5! -b4 open’s the white king position] 40.Nh2 Bxc3?? [Again, 40...Qg1! 41.Nf1 b5!works] 41.Qxf4 Bd4.  Finally white saved himself with 42.Qf7+ Ka6 43.Qxg7 Rxg7 44.Re2 Rg3 45.Ng4 Rxh3 46.e5 Rf3 47.e6 Rf8 48.e7 Re8 49.Nh6 h3 50.Nf5 Bf6. This was drawn (1/2-1/2, 115 moves)   

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player