Chess (#683)

Magnus Carlsen and Sergei Karjakin tied for first in the Fifth Medias, scoring 6.5 points from 10 games. Carlsen had the better tiebreak and he gains enough rating to go to 2821. This will let him edge ahead of Anand (2817) in the next rating list. Karjakin also jumps to number 4 with 2788.

The co-winners went unbeaten in the six player double RR. Nobody else had a plus score. Radjabov and Nakamura scored 4.5 each. Ivanchuk and local boy Dieter Liviu Nisipeanu tied for fifth-sixth with 4 points. The lowest rated Nisipeanu (2659) gain rating points for his minus score!

The Airports Authority of India GM in Delhi has the same format — six player Double RR. It’s also pretty strong. The field is Hou Yifan (2612), Parimarjan Negi (2622), Wesley So (2667), Sasikiran (2676) Viktor Laznicka (2681) and Fabiano Caruana (2714).

That’s four teenaged prodigies, including a reigning world champion, and two strong veterans. The average age is 20 and the average rating, 2662. There’s been lots of excitement. Every game in the first two rounds was decisive. The live coverage at www. aaichess.com is well worth it.

Both Indian GMs started disastrously with opening losses. Negi missed a draw with Caruana. Negi was actually a little ahead with the exchange up. Caruana had compensation in the bishop pair and got on top during a time scramble. Sasi forfeited to So on time in a lost position. Laznicka beat Hou in a long endgame.

Negi bounced back with a win against Hou. But Sasikiran lost his second consecutive game, an obscure struggle to Caruana, who is now 2/2. Laznicka also logged a second win, against So, in a seesaw battle. Given the aggression displayed by everybody so far, there's bound to be more twists in the tale.

The diagram, White to Play (Carlsen Vs Ivanchuk, Midias 2011) showcases Carlsen’s USP - the ability to beat very strong players in simple endgames. White has been slightly better with this material balance for 15-odd moves. He has more weak pawns to target. Black’s last move 48-f5 probably stresses out his position beyond the limit. There's an amazing amount of tactical content under the surface in what follows.

Play continued 49.Rh4 Nc4 50.f4 Rg4 51.Rh3 This stops messy stuff with Nxe3 and Rxg3. After 51. --Nxa5 52. N3xf5 Nxf5 53. Nxf5 white gets the h6 pawn and wins the race to queen. Now after 51...Nd6 52.Rh1! Rg8 53.Rb1 Ra8 54.Kf3 Kc7 55.Ne6+ Kc8 56.Nc5 Rb8, black is dead.

Carlsen was flawless in the knight ending after 57.Rxb8+ Kxb8 58.Nxa6+ Kb7 59.Nb4 Nc4 60.a6+ Kb6 61.Ke2 Nd6 62.Kd3 Nb5 63.Ne2 Ka5 64.Nc3! Nc7 65. Nbxd5! Nexd5 66.Nxd5 Nxd5 67.a7 Nc7 68.Kd4 Kb6 69.Ke5 Kxa7 70.Kxf5 Nd5 71.Kg6 Nxe3 72 Kxh6 (1-0).

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player