CHESS #1382

There’s lots of title-related action coming up in the new year. The 2020 women’s title match starts in Shanghai on January 5 and then moves to Vladivostok. Can Ju Wenjun stave off the challenge from a rapidly improving Alexandra Goryachkina?
 
The Candidates starts in Yekaterinberg on March 15. The field is Kiril Alekseenko, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alexander Grischuk, Anish Giri, Teimour Radjabov, Ding Liren and Wang Hao, to join Fabiano Caruana. Alekseenko gets the wild card while Nepomniachtchi clinched qualification, beating Wei Yi to win the Jerusalem Grand Prix.
 
Before all that, the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championships kicks off in Moscow this weekend. Eight of the Top Ten, and another 150-odd active GMs, including the officially retired Vladimir Kramnik (Seeded no 16) will take a crack. In Elo terms, the Blitz no1 is Hikaru Nakamura and the Rapid no #1 is Maxime Vachier Lagrave. But Magnus Carlsen is no 2 in both formats (and reigning world blitz champion). He would be the favourite for a “triple crown” performance but anything can happen in short controls.

 
A large number of Indian GMs will play both events but Viswanathan Anand is missing out. One of the best performers in the 2018 Blitz in St Petersburg was Nihal Sarin, who came 11th as a 14-year-old. A year later, the 15-year-old is a much stronger player and it will be interesting to see if he can repeat or improve. He was among the best performers at the recently concluded Classical Sunway Stiges where he tied for 4th-12th with 7.5/10 behind Anton Korobov (8.5) Vasif Durarbayli and Rasmus Svane (both 8).
 
Incidentally the brilliant Alireza Firouza will play the King Salman events under the Fide flag rather than that of his native Iran. There is speculation he’s relocating to France. This would also free him from the obligation of giving a walkover, or receiving punishment from his federation, if he is paired to play an Israeli. There have been a few discussions about whether the Russians will also have to play under the Fide flag, given a blanket sanction on Russian participation in sporting events!
 
The Diagram, Black to Play (White : Wang Hao Vs Black: David Howell, Fide Swiss Isle of Man 2019) is a key moment in the last round game that ensured Wang Hao’s qualification. Black played 18—Bd5 ?! 19. Rd1 Bxb7 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. f4 Bxb2 22. Qa7
 
After an unnecessary sacrifice (or blunder), black can still draw with 22.—Re8 23. Qxb6 Bg7 with an unbreakable fortress. He played 22—Rd7? 23. Qxb6 Ba1 24. Qb5 Rd1+ 25. Kf2 Bh1 26. Qe8+ Kg7 27. Bc5! With a winning attack after 27.—h5 28. Bf8+ Kf6 29. Qe7+ Kf5 30. Qxf7+ (1-0, 37 moves).

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player