Chess #1354

Ian Nepmoniachtchi won the first Grand Prix edging out Alexander Grischuk in rapid tiebreaks in the final. Magnus Carlsen struggled at the Lindores Abbey Rapids, before winning with 3.5 from 6 in the four-person double rounder. Carlsen won only once, against Viswanathan Anand. He was dead last in his last two games, versus Sergey Karjakin and Ding Liren. However, Carlsen managed to save both games in near-miraculous fashion. 
 

Nobody else had a plus score, and this continues Carlsen’s winning streak. 

Aravindh Chithambaram achieved the distinction of holding all senior national titles. Aravindh won the classical national championship in December. He took the rapid and blitz titles last week. The 19-year-old who has 2598 Elo in classical, is under-rated at Rapids (2478) and Blitz (2532). He scored 10.5 /11 in the Rapids for a 2710 performance and followed up with 10/11 in blitz for a performance rating of 2649.

Leela Chess zero (Lc0) won the TCEC superfinal with a final score of 53.5-46.5 (14 wins, 7 losses, 79 draws) versus Stockfish in a rematch of the 2018 Superfinal. The Lc0 engine is getting stronger as it plays out more games.  

The All India Chess Federation is now at the centre of a controversial case, which has implications for other sports. In 2010, the AICF asked Fide to expunge the ratings of many Indian players as punishment for participating in an unofficial tournament. 

It decreed that those players would only be allowed to compete again, if they formally apologised and agreed never to participate in an unofficial event again. In 2018, four players made a representation to the Competition Commission of India on the grounds that there were being prevented from pursuing their profession.

The CCI found in their favour, levying a fine of about Rs 6 lakh on AICF and asking for ratings to be reinstated. The Fide President has just issued a statement that the ratings of all those banned, will be reinstated although it will take a while to work through the list after the long gap.

At the diagram, White to play (White: Carlsen Vs Black: Karjakin, Lindores 2019), white could try 22. Rxc8 Bxc8 23. ba4 Nxa4 24. ed5 Nc3 25. b6 Na4 26. Nc4 Bxd4 27. Be3 Bxe3 28. fe3 Bd7 29. d6 Nc5 30. Na5 Na4! This is even and not too complex.

Carlsen played 22. exd5!? Rxc5 23. dxc5 a3! 24. dxe6 a2 25. Nd7+ Ke8 26. Nxb6 a1=Q+. Despite the material imbalance, white holds after 27. Kh2 Be5 28. Be3 fxe6 29. Bxb7 Bd4. Here Carlsen played  30. Nc4? and he should have lost after  30.— Bxe3 31. Nxe3 Qb2 32. Kg2 Qxb3 but he held the draw by a miracle. (½-½, 49 moves).

evangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player