Chess #669

It’s a fallow period for top-level men’s chess and all eyes are on the last (sixth) stage of the Women’s Grand Prix in Doha. The overall GP winner will challenge Hou Yifan for the title. Koneru Humpy and Nana Dzagnidze both have a shot at this. The Georgian GM has an edge. She won their individual encounter at Doha. Humpy needs clear first and must also hope Dzagnidze doesn’t manage clear second.

All this may be moot. Elina Danielan started with a perfect 4/4 and leads with 6.5 / 8 despite a loss to Humpy. Humpy shares second on 5.5 with Marie Sebag. Dzagnidze is fourth with 5 points. Now, Humpy need a great finish in the last three rounds, while Dzagnidze needs to fall behind, and Danielan must slow down for the Indian GM to achieve her aim.

The new March ratings have Anand back at no:1 at a career high of 2817, inches ahead of Carlsen (2815) and Aronyan (2808). All three played London and Tata. Anand scored +2 unbeaten in London to tie conventionally for first with Carlsen and McShane. But at Bilbao scoring, Carlsen won. In Tata, Anand was clear second, again unbeaten, with +4 behind Nakamura, while Carlsen was third. Nakamura (2774) moves into the top 10 for the first time at no:8. Sasikiran (2682) and Harikrishna (2665) are the other two Indians in the top 100.

On the distaff side, Humpy (2607 stays no: 2 behind Judit Polgar (2686) and ahead of Yifan (2602). Harika (2524) has just achieved no:10 while Viji and Tania Sachdev are also in the top 100. Parimarjan Negi (2618) is back in the Junior Top 20 and Ganguly (2643), Chanda (2638) and Gopal (2604) are also in the big league with 2600+.

The diagram, WHITE TO PLAY, (Danielan Vs Chiburdonidze, Doha GP 2011) illustrates the Doha leader’s tactically alert style in an epic battle. White found 46.e4! dxe4 47.Rh7+! Ke8 exploiting the mating pattern of 47...Nxh7 48.Qg6+ Kf8 49.Bh6# to get two pieces into play.

After 48.Rg7 Qc6 49.d5! Qf6 Since 49...Qxd5 50.f6 hits Rc8, black must allow 50.d6! Be2! Black can't take 50...Bxd6 51.Qh5+ Kd8 52.Bg5. A forced line now ensued with 51.Qxe4 Qxg7 52.Qxe2 Rc2 53.dxe7 Qxe7 54.Qd3 Ra2 55.Qxa6 Rxd2 56.Nxd2 Qe3+ 57.Kh2? This is an error since 57.Kf1! Qxd2 58.Qe2+ Qxe2+ 59.Kxe2 is a clear win.

57...Qh6+ 58.Kg1 Qxd2 59.Qxb6 Qd1+ 60.Kf2 Qc2+ 61.Kg1 Qd1+ 62.Kf2 Qc2+ 63.Ke3 Qxf5?

Black might have a perpetual with 63...Qc1+ 64.Ke4 Qb1+ 65.Kf4 Qf1+ 66.Kg5 Qc1+ etc. since escapes like Kf6 or Ke5 are taboo due to the Nd7+ fork. Now, it’s a wrap after 64.Qc6+ Kf7 65.Qf3! Ke6 66.Qxf5+ Kxf5 67.Kd4 Ke6 68.a4 Kd6 69.g4 Ne6+ 70.Ke4 Nc7 71.g5 Na6 72.Kf5 Nxb4 73.Kf6 Nd5+ 74.Kf7 (1-0)

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