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World Cup R2: no more upsets

27.11.2009 – None of the top players left in the tiebreak matches faltered: Peter Svidler disposed efficiently of upstart Tomi Nyback; Ponomariov ground down Akobian; Eljanov and Karjakin were successful; and Alexei Shirov won all three games. Maybe one small surprise: Fabiano Caruana eliminated Leinier Dominguez, the highest rated player to drop out today. Pictorial report. : ChessBase Magazine 133
Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess. It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead. The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot. More information...
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Advancing pawns in front of your own king…

27.11.2009 – ... is certainly no exception anymore in modern opening lines (here Ruy Lopez/Moller Variation 5...Lc5), yet it should always be treated with care. Here Black was facing the question whether he could expand even further with 18...g4, trying to win White's central pawn d4. What do you think?
A) Black gets the advantage, thanks to his strong Nf5 he keeps firm control; 
B) this backfires, the position is weakened too much; ; 
C) White can equalize with precise play.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.
: ChessBase Magazine 133
Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess. It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead. The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot. More information...
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Ivanchuk threatens to quit professional chess

26.11.2009 – He lost in round two of the World Cup against 16-year-old Wesley So of the Philippines. Vassily Ivanchuk, one of the all-time greats of chess has taken it to heart and announced that he no longer considers himself a professional player. "Chess will become hobby for me from now on – I will just be a chess fan," said the heart-broken Ivanchuk. FIDE interview. : ChessBase Magazine 133
Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess. It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead. The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot. More information...
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World Cup R2: three super-GMs knocked out

25.11.2009 – That would be fourth seed Alexander Morozevich, who lost 0-2 to Czech GM Viktor Laznicka; fifth seed Teimour Radjabov, who went down against Konstantin Sakaev, and Vassily Ivanchuk, who was eliminated by 16-year-old Wesley So. Top seed Boris Gelfand had a narrow scrape against Farrukh Amonatov, and Peter Svidler equalised against Tomi Nyback. Impressions by GM Peter Heine Nielsen. : ChessBase Magazine 133
Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess. It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead. The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot. More information...
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Selected attacking games

25.11.2009 – Games full of tactical ups and downs and mating motifs rightly charm every chess fan, and so it will come as no surprise that a successful attack on the king always represents a dainty morsel for all chess lovers. We have selected and annotated two attractive attacking games from the Russia Cup in Saint Petersburg. In the first of them (diagram) we see how Ian Nepomniachtchi sets about an uncastled Sicilian king. In the second game, a Ruy Lopez, Alexei Fedorov managed to reduce to rubble the castled position of the black monarch. IM Michael Kopylov for ChessBaseMagazine Online. : ChessBase Magazine 133
Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess. It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead. The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot. More information...
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