CHESS 615

The World Cup started close on the heels of the Tal Memorial. The 128-player tennis-style KO sees the prize money increase in every round and the winner gets a spot in the Candidates. It is a fair system but it is also a lottery since the mini-matches are short. Each match consists of two games at normal controls – that is, 90 mins for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes till finish and an increment of 30 secs/ move. Tiebreaks consist of paired active games and then, blitz if required. Only the final round features four normal games.

A rating differential of 100 points predicts a score of 55 per cent for the higher rated. Over just two games that levels out to a drawn match and hence, tiebreaks at short controls. Rating differentials in the WC are usually considerably less than 100 and the chance of upsets is very high. We've seen these often in the KO Fide World championships of the 1990s.

Anyhow, the WC is into Rd 2 and the casualties include Alexander Morozevich (who lost to the talented Czech GM Viktor Laznicka), Vassily Ivanchuk (downed by Filipino super-talent Wesley So) and Teimour Radjabov (who lost to experienced GM Konstantin Sakaev). Several other stars like Peter Svidler, Ruslan Ponoamriov and Judit Polgar are in tense tiebreaks.

All the Indians are out after Rd 2, which is a trifle disappointing but not surprising since they were all rated lower than their respective opponents. Sasikiran lost to Etienne Bacrot, Parimarjan Negi was knocked out by Vadim Milov, Surya Sekhar Ganguly lost to Wang Hao and Sandipan Chanda went down to Dmitry Jakovenko. Pity none of them managed an upset.

The DIAGRAM, WHITE TO PLAY (Gelfand Vs Amonatov, WC 2009 Rd 2) illustrates the chaos that often occurs when both flags are hanging. Top seed Boris Gelfand had established a clearly won position and now all he needs is something like 36. Kg3 to walk away from discovered check.

Both players were essentially playing on the increment of 30 seconds/ move. So the game went 36.Ra8? Bd8+ 37.Kg3? A draw by perpetual like 37.Ke3 Rg1 38.Qd7 Qf4+ is now the objectively best option since the continuation 37...Rf1! 38.Be3 Re1! 39.Qb3 Re2! 40.h3 leaves black on top.

It's move 40, (the last move of the time control) and black could finish with the ice-cold 40. --Kg7!! when there's no defence to the deadly Qf1. White can at best, sacrifice material with Rxd8 etc. but he's dead-lost. Finding a move like Kg7 is tough at any control and Amonatov jumped the gun with 40...Qf1? 41.Rxd8+Kg7 42.Qb7+ Kg6 43.Rg8+ Kh5 44.Rxg5+! (1-0). The final mate with 44.—hxg5 45. Qh7# is quite pretty but standard.