CHESS #638

Ruslan Ponomariov scored big when he took Dortmund with a +4,-1,=5 performance that equated to 6.5 points. Le Quang Liem was second with 5.5 points. The Vietnamese debutant was the lowest-rated participant.

Nobody else managed a plus score. Kramnik and Mamedaryov hit 50 percent. Naiditsch and Leko were at -2 with 4 each. The win percentage was almost 50 per cent which is high for a strong double RR. Everybody played at least three decisive games.

Sadly, the Biel Young GMs fizzled out into a series of short draws. When 10 prodigies meet, you expect better than a 70 per cent draw ratio. A three way tie between Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana with each scoring 5.5 points from 9 games will be resolved by playoff. It was a horrible tournament for Negi who came last with 2.5 (four losses). The case for Sofia Rules (which were used in Dortmund) looks stronger given stats like this.

However, despite these two events, which showcased some of the best in the world, the focus stayed on off-board activities. Speculation continues as to the outcome of the Fide elections and whether they will occur at all, in the face of a Karpov-inspired lawsuit against the incumbent president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

Fide seems fated to remain immured in controversy. The publicity is always negative. That in turn, sets up a feedback loop, which makes it difficult to find sponsorship and lack of conventional sponsorship empowers anybody prepared to pump money.

In turn, that leads to apparently bizarre changes in schedules and cascading problems. For example, the Candidates matches of 2011 have been shifted from Baku to Kazan in Russia. Given the participation of the Armenian Levon Aronyan, Baku was problematic. Azerbaijan and Armenia are technically at war. Topalov is refusing to play in Russia. Finding a third venue in say, Western Europe or Asia, is tough since the host city would have to meet considerable expenses, quite apart from raising prize money of about Euro 420,000.

Carlsen, Kramnik, Aronian, Topalov, Radjabov, Kamsky, Gelfand and Mamedyarov are the current designated candidates. Mamedaryov was the host nation's wild-card. Russia would look to replace him or Topalov with Alex Grischuk.

Ponomariov is a technician but he has formidable tactical skills as well. In the DIAGRAM, WHITE TO PLAY, (Ponomariov Vs Naiditsch, Dortmund 2010) he continued 32.Nf6+ Kg7 33.Be5 Rxf6 34.Rfc1! Bd7 35.Rab1 Ra7 36.a4 Nd6 37.Bd4 Ra8. The defence 37...Rb7? is met by 38.Rxb7 Nxb7 39.Rc7. 38.Rd1 Ne4 39.Rb7 Rd8 40.Be5 Kg6 41.Rdxd7 Rxd7 42.Rxd7 Rc6 43.g4 Rc1+ 44.Kg2 Rc2+ 45.Kf1 Nd2+ 46.Ke1 (1-0). The threat of Rg7 mate forces 46.Ke1 Nf3+ 47.Kd1 Nxe5 48.Rd6+ Kf7 49.Kxc2+-

Devangshu Datta is an internationally-rated chess and correspondence chess player