Chess (#1095)

The week saw worries surfacing about the title match between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand in the absence of bids. The (revised) bidding deadline was April 30 which passed without bids.

Some fans felt that a match between Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, or Levon Aronian might have been more interesting. A challenge by one of them would also have brought a new federation on board as a potential host. Caruana has a good record against Carlsen but he didn't qualify for the Candidates. Karjakin doesn't much of a record against Carlsen. Aronian has fragile nerves, he's cracked up in the last three candidates.

It is true that the rematch has drawn less enthusiasm from sponsors. Carlsen is not just the heavy favourite; his facile victory in Chennai has led to a widespread belief that the second match will be a walkover. Anand may have other ideas since he is likely to have learnt some useful things from the first match and he appears to be pulling out of a long slump in form.

The two potential host federations, Norway and India, have problems hosting a title match in 2014. India is ruled out for several reasons, including political uncertainty. It's inconceivable that this sort of money (Rs 20 crore or more, given organisational costs) can be committed without political backing and in that sense, it's bad timing with the general elections being a work in progress.

Norway would, under other circumstances, certainly be interested in hosting its favourite son and reigning world champion. But Norway is also already committed to hosting the Olympiad at Tromse and that would be a mammoth expense in itself. Norway is also committed to its annual super-tournament which features Carlsen, Aronian, Alexander Grischuk, Caruana, Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, Karjakin, Peter Svidelr, Anish Giri and qualifier Simen Agdestein. That's seven of the top 10 plus #13 and #17 in an event with a Euro 1 million budget. The Norwegian Chess Federation would find it difficult to raise funding for both Olympiad and a title match.

I guess it might come down to finding an obliging oligarch - but again, this is Fide election year and that means complications.

The diagram (Hikaru Nakamura Vs Carlsen, Gashimov Memorial 2014), BLACK TO PLAY is a good illustration of Carlsen's domination of Nakamura. White was a pawn ahead before black found counterplay.

Play continued 40.- Rc4 41.Nxb5 Rxc2 42.Nd4 Rd2?! Carlsen apparently saw 42- b3! 43.Nc6 Nf3+ 44.Kg3 Nd2 45. Rxb2 Rxb2 46. Nxb8 Ra2! 47. Rb2 b2. But he thought this was safer.

Play continued 43.Nc6 Re8 44.Ra4 Nd3 45.Nxb4 Nf2 46.Ra2 Nd1 47.Rxd1 Rxd1 48.Rxb2 Rxe4 49.Nc6 Kg7 50.f6+ Kxf6 51.Rf2+ Kg6 52.Nd8 Re8 (0-1). The Kt is trapped after 53. Nxf7 Rxd5.

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player