Chess (#986)

As the year closes, the pecking order at the top has undergone significant change. World no:1 Carlsen has opened up a big gap. At a provisional January rating of 2835, he's within touching distance of his sometime-mentor Garry Kasparov's all time high of 2851. The Norwegian GM is a likely shoo-in for the 2011 Chess Oscar.

Levon Aronyan suffered major disappointment at the Candidates. But he's had an excellent year otherwise, and ends at no:2 with 2809. Former champion Vladimir Kramnik found form after several average years to pull back to 2800. Meanwhile, reigning world champion, Viswanathan Anand slipped into fourth place, and below the 2800 mark at 2799.

Carlsen will play the next title cycle, Though he would be favourite, there's no guarantees that he would win. But the current rating list makes for a certain lack of credibility about the Anand — Gelfand title match in Moscow, next May.

It's not necessary that the world champion has to be consistently rated no. 1. But Karpov and Kasparov and before them, Fischer, made it seem like a tradition. There hasn't been a challenger rated as low as Gelfand (World no:16 @ 2739) since ratings became official in 1970.

Anand admitted that his play has been "disastrous" in his last three tournaments,where he has just maintained 50 percent, sliding from 2817 as a result. Part of the problem may be the logistics of becoming a new dad and the accompanying lack of sleep. Some of it may arise from a desire to avoid sharp lines ahead of a title match. There will be a couple of tournaments over the new year including Reggio Emilia where Nakamura, Grischuk Morozevich, Caruana and Giri are playing. The next major on the agenda is the Tata Steel at Wijk An Zee.

Meanwhile the Indian women's team is placed second in the World Teams championship (a 10-nation round-robin) in Mardin Turkey. The all-conquering Chinese have a perfect score with four match wins while India has three wins and a split with the Ukraine. The Olympiad champions, Russia is in third (+2,=2).

The Diagram, WHITE TO PLAY (Botvinnik Vs Portisch, Monaco 1968) was a fantastic effort from "Mr Soviet Chess" (1911-1995), whose centenary was celebrated this year. Botvinnik, who held the title from 1948 to 1963 with two brief gaps, always bem-oaned his lack of combinative vision!

18.Rxf7!! h6 Taking the rook with 18...Kxf7 19.Qc4+ Kg620.Qe4+ Kf7 21.Ng5+ Ke7 22.Qxe5+ Kd7 23.Bh3+ is worse. 19.Rb7 Qc8 20.Qc4+ Kh8 Exchanging with 20...Qe6? 21.Nxe5 Qxc4 22.Nxc4 is just a lost ending. 21.Nh4!! Qxb7 22.Ng6+ Kh7 23.Be4 Bd6 24.Nxe5+ g6 25.Bxg6+ Kg7 26.Bxh6+!! 1-0. The conclusion could be 26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qxb7.

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player