CHESS #1384

The Women’s title match moved to Vladivostok for the second half. The score remains tied at one win each for world champion Ju Wenjun and challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina after seven games. There are five games left at classical time controls and no obvious favourite. It’s been a very hard fought match with very long games. Both sides have missed some chances and both decisions came in long, difficult endgames. Ju struck first by winning Game 4 and Goryachkina equalised in Game 5. If this match goes into tiebreaks, Ju would be favoured because she’s a very good rapid player. More experience could also translate into better nerves when the chips are down.

One unpleasant sidelight of the match has been the targeting of Iranian arbiter Shohreh Bayat by her own federation because she wasn’t wearing a hijab in Shanghai. Bayat, who is the chief arbiter, may be looking to seek asylum.

Another Iranian, the prodigious Alireza Firouzja, is the surprise performer at the Tata Steel Masters. The 16-year-old is playing under the Fide banner in Holland as well (after the World Rapid and Blitz where he also played under the Fide flag). This reinforces rumours that he’s looking to transfer allegiance to France. In his case, the problem arises with playing Israelis, rather than attire!

Firouzja lost in round four to Wesley So but wins against Anish Giri, Vlad Artemiev and Vlad Koala, give him 3.5 points rom five rounds. So also has 3.5. Jordan Van Forrest, Fabiano Caruana and Artemiev all have 3 points.

Magnus Carlsen went past Sergei Tiviakov’s record of 110 successive games without a loss, at classical controls. Carlsen’s feat is by far, more impressive, since he’s consistently played top opposition, including a title match in that streak. However, Carlsen has looked under par at this event, with five straight draws. He’s struggled to save inferior positions several times. Viswanathan Anand is also on 2.5, with one loss and one win. In the Challengers, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Pavel Eljanov and Erwin L’Ami share the lead (all 3.5). Nihal Sarin (2.5) is on 50 per cent.

In Delhi, local boy Abhijeet Gupta won the top category of the Open with 8.5 points from 10 games. Second place was shared by Alexsej Aleksandrov, Pavel Ponkratov, Levan Pantsulaia and M Pradesh (all 8 points). Pranesh scored a GM norm.

The Diagram, BLACK TO PLAY, (White: Dinara Saduakassova Vs Black: SS Ganguly, Tata Challengers, 2020) is highly complicated. Both Kings are exposed. Black has played daringly leaving his king in the centre and launching a pawn storm. 

Now he played the “obvious” 20. -- Rxh4! 21. gh4 Qxh4 22. Rh1 Nh2!! This is critical — anything else loses. If 23. Rxh2 Qg4+ wins. White tried 23. Be3 Qh3+ 24. Kg1 Bxc4 25. Rxh2 Qxe3+ 26. Kh1 Bd3 (0-1).

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player