Chess (#686)

Magnus Carlsen finished with (+5,=4,-1,) and 19 points (soccer scoring) in Biel. His TPR was 2835. Morozevich (+4,=5,-1) scored 17 with a TPR of 2821 to confirm that he's recovered his health and form. Shirov and Vachier-Lagrave both scored 12 (both had +2,=6,-2) while Caruana and Pelletier trailed with 10 and 5 respectively.

Incidentally Rustam Kasimdzhanov has suggested a new “killer app” of tiebreaking via rapid games/ blitz to eliminate draws. This is radical but worth debating and indeed, is being hotly debated, on Chessbase among other forums.

Carlsen also won his second Chess Oscar in a row, edging out Anand in the 2010 polls. The Norwegian GM took four major tournaments in 2010 and held the no:1 rating consistently. This is only the second time that the winner of a world title match (Anand beat Topalov in 2010) has not taken the Oscar as well. From the polled population of 111 experts, Carlsen received 53 first-place votes, while Anand got 51 first-place votes. Aronyan trailed with 4 first places.

 

Kramnik (+5,=4,-1) won Dortmund with a 2870 TPR despite losing in the last round to Nakamura after a speculative sacrifice. This was Kramnik's tenth (!) Dortmund title. Le Quang Liem (+1,=9) was in second with a 2770 TPR. Ponomariov and Giri scored 50 per cent and Nakamura had a minus score despite last round heroics. Biel had a 50 per cent decision ratio, which is excellent given no Sofia Rules, no soccer scoring, and a tough field.

The 50th World Junior Championships has started in Chennai. It's a 13-round Swiss with Russian GM Maxim Matlakov (2632) top seeded in the Open, ahead of compatriot Sanan Sjugirov (2629) and Ivan Salgado Lopez (2626) of Spain. Lopez is the only one with a clean score after the first three rounds. India's best hopes rest on GMs Adhiban (2542) and Sethuraman (2529) and IM Sahaj Grover (2496). In the girls, Nazi Paikidze (2416) of Georgia is the top seed and she's started well with 3/3.

The diagram, (Shirov Vs Carlsen, Beil 2011) WHITE TO PLAY, is yet another example of how Carlsen induces amazing errors from very strong opposition. Shirov played the natural 46. e5? Qa2! This little tactical trick could be avoided with 46. Kf3!? Qa2 47. Bd3 or even 46. Bd1.

Now the forced continuation was 47. Qe4 Bxe5 48.h4 Re8 49.Kg2 h5 50.Kh3 c3 51.Rd5. The bailout by 51. Qd5 Qxd5 52. Rxd5 Bg7 53. Rd3 seems losing. Opposite-coloured bishops aren't enough to hold with rooks on board, and split pawns.

Carlsen wound up efficiently with 51.-- Qa6 52.Bd3 Qc8+ 53.Kg2 Bg7 54.Rc5 Qd7 55.Qc4 Rxe3 56.Rc7 Rxg3+ 57.Kxg3 Be5+ 58.Kf2 Qxc7 59.Qxc7 Bxc7 60.Kf3 and (0-1).

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Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player