21.01.2010 – Can anything stop this man? A fifth consecutive win, with the black pieces against Loek van Wely, put Alexei Shirov a point and a half ahead of the field. Vladimir Kramnik scored his first victory in this tournament, while World Champion Vishy Anand is stuck at 50%. In Group B 15-year-old GM Anish Giri leads, as does 15-year-old GM Ray Robson in Group C.
Big report with pictures by Fred Lucas.
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Yasser Seirawan:
My best games Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
Wijk aan Zee 2010 – Round five report
Report by Steve Giddins / photos by Fred Lucas
As well as being a former world championship challenger, and one of the very
greatest players England has ever produced, Nigel Short has always been noted
for his entertaining and witty comments on his games. With just one point from
his first four games, Wijk aan Zee 2010 has not been his best start to a major
tournament. However, despite his troubles, the English GM continues to uphold
his reputation as just about the best provider of quotes to the assembled pack
of chess journalists. After scrambling a draw from a thoroughly dubious position
against Magnus Carlsen in round four, Nigel explained his choice of 1.e4 d5
2.exd5 Nf6 as Black: "The thing was, I suspected he would play the Scottish
against an Englishman, so I decided to play the Scandinavian against a Norwegian!
He also raised a further laugh with his response, when asked whether he was
satisfied with a draw against the world no. one: Satisfied? Why should I be
satisfied with a draw against a kid? Im a grandmaster with 25 years of experience!.
As another very quotable chess great, Savielly Tartakower, was wont to say,
"Bravo!"
Alexey Shirov continues to make the headlines over the board. Today he won
his fifth (!) straight game, the third with Black, after a fascinating battle
with van Wely.
Van Wely,L (2641) - Shirov,A (2723) [A29]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (5), 21.01.2010 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7
8.a3
7...g5!? This violent thrust has been played by Korchnoi in the analogous
position after 8.Rb1, and serves as evidence of the Latvian's intentions. 9.d3
g4 10.Nd2 h5 11.b4 h4 12.Nc4 hxg3 13.hxg3 Nxc4 14.dxc4 Nd4 15.Nb5 Ne6
16.Qc2?! A committal decision, presumably made with the ensuing exchange
sacrifice in mind. The simple 16.Qxd8+ looks enough for a solid and safe plus. 16...c6 17.Rd1 Bd7 18.Nd6+ Bxd6 19.Rxd6 Qe7 20.Qd3 Nd4 21.Rxd4 exd4 22.Qxd4
Rh5 23.Bf4 Qxe2 24.Rd1 Be6 25.b5 Kf8 26.Bf1 Qf3 27.Bg2 Qe2 28.Bf1 Qc2 29.bxc6
bxc6 30.Re1 Kg8 31.Bd3 Qb3 32.Bd2 c5 33.Qd6
33...Bxc4? Now starts a tale of two bishop moves. Fritz 12 prefers the
remarkable 33...Bd5!! 34.cxd5 Qxd3 with a big advantage.34.Be4? Not
surprisingly missing the equally remarkable zwischenzug 34.Bg6!! Rh3 and only
now 35.Be4 when Black no longer has the reply 35...Bd5. 34...Bd5 35.Qf4 Bxe4
36.Rxe4 Qd1+ 37.Be1 Qf3 38.Qxg4+ Qxg4 39.Rxg4+ Kf8 40.Bd2 Rc8. The smoke
of time-trouble has cleared and Black has a clear extra exchange.41.Rc4
Ke7 42.g4 Rd5 43.Be3 Kd6 44.Kf1 Rd1+ 45.Ke2 Ra1 46.Ra4 c4 47.Kd2 c3+ 48.Kc2
Ra2+ 49.Kd3 c2 50.Bc1 Ra1 51.Rd4+ Ke6 52.Re4+ Kf6 53.Re1 Rb1 54.Kd2 Rb7 55.Re3
Kg5
With White tied down on the other flank, the entry of the black king decides.56.f3
Kf4 57.Rd3 Kg3 58.Ke2 Re7+ 59.Kd2 Kf2 0-1.
Many-times Dutch champion Loek van Wely, 37, playing in Wijk for the 20th
time, lost to...
the remarkable Mr Shirov, who is now at 5.0/5 points with a 3474 performance
An editorial note with regard to Shirov's performance:
this was assigned by the table generator of the ChessBase database program.
Such performance calculations are not fully meaningful for players scoring 100%
(or 0%). Mathematically Shirov's performance is infinite – we could expect
a player rated 4000 or even 40,000 for that matter to achive no more than he
has done. To obtain a practical value the program assumes he has scored 99%
and adds up to 800 points to his nominal rating. If Shirov does not win a game
– yes, Virginia, such things can happen – then the performance will
be more realistic.
To the relief of most spectators, Vladimir Kramnik abandoned his customary
Petroff, in favour of the Pirc, in search of his first win of the event. The
surprise worked, and Jan Smeets, for whom time-trouble has been his besetting
sin this year, was soon a mile behind on the clock, as well as objectively worse
on the board.
By now Smeets was down to just three minutes, plus increments, to reach move
40.21.e6 c5 22.exf7 Nc6 23.Rbxb2 Rad8 24.Ke4 Kxf7 25.Rc3 Nd4 26.Ne5+
Ke8 27.Rb6 Nb5 28.Rc2 R5d6 29.Nc4 Rd3 30.Ne3 Ra3 31.Rb2 c4 32.Ke5 c3 33.Rc2
Rd2 34.Rc1 Rxf2 35.Nd5 c2 36.Nb4 Re3+ 37.Kd5 Rd2+ 38.Kc6 Rc3+ 39.Kb7 Nd6+ 40.Ka8
a5 0-1.
Of the five draws, the biggest battle of the day was between Nakamura and Carlsen.
The latter was under the cosh for much of the game, but eventually salvaged
a draw, in an an ending with three pawns for a piece.
Hikaru Nakamura in round five against his big rival...
...Magnus Carlsen, who was in serious trouble but defended to a draw
23...Nxd5. Initiating a sequence which sees Black net three pawns for
a piece. 24.Rab1 Qb4 25.Bc1 Qxa4 26.exd5 Qxh4 27.Nxh4 Bxd5 28.Ba3 Re3 29.Ra1
Rd3. Commentating live on Playchess, Grandmaster Danny King felt that White
should have reasonable winning chances, if he can coordinate his wayward and
unstable minor pieces. 30.Rfd1 a5 31.Nhf3 a4 32.Rdc1 Kg8 33.Kf2 c4 34.Bxf8
Kxf8 35.Nxc4 Rb3 36.Nfd2 Rb4 37.Ra3 Rc8 38.Rac3 Be6 39.Na3 Rd8 40.Nf3 Rb3 41.Rxb3
axb3 42.Rc6 Bd5 43.Rb6 Rc8 44.Nb5 Rc2+ 45.Kg3 h5 46.Nbd4 Ra2 47.Ne6+ Kf7 48.Nf4
Be4
49.Rb4?! Here, Fritz 12 still strongly prefers White after 49.h4. The
text seems finally to mislay any remaining winning chances. 49...h4+ 50.Kg4
b2 51.Nd2 Ba8 52.Nc4 g5 53.Rxb2 Rxb2 54.Nxb2 gxf4 55.Kxf4 Bxg2 56.Kg4 f5+ 57.Kxf5
Bxh3+ 58.Kg5 Be6 59.Kxh4 ½½.
In his blog on Arctic
Securities Magnus writes: "Today I played H. Nakamura, USA (2708).
He is rated as number eight in the tournament, but following his good result
in the recent World Championship for National teams in Turkey and his shared
second place here after four rounds, I did not expect an easy game. He avoided
mainline theory in the opening. I did not have any real problems, but got a
bit too optimistic early on and underestimated maybe his ensuing attacking chances.
At a critical junction I could have given an exchange for two pawns and an unclear
position, but chose instead to give a knight for three pawns. In a fairly equal
ending I offered a draw. He somewhat surprisingly declined, but after I had
made a few inaccurate moves, he was seriously playing for a win. In the end
I found a way to defend and after swapping most pieces and all pawns the game
was drawn after five and a half hours. A tough fight. I’ll have the black
pieces two rounds in row, facing reigning World Champion V.Anand Thursday."
Vassily Ivanchuk struggling against Nigel Short
Nigel Short had a frustrating day, having Ivanchuk firmly on the rack for almost
the entire afternoon, but being unable to extract the final surrender. Caruana
will be similarly disappointed, having failed to convert what should have been
a winning advantage against Dominguez.
Highest ranked player in the Americas: Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez
Leko-Anand was a fairly quiet draw, whilst Tiviakov-Kariakin saw Black unable
to make anything of his early structural superiority.
Peter Leko vs Vishy Anand in round five ended in a 28-move draw
World Champion Viswanathan Anand with five draws at 50%
In the B Group, Anish Giri claimed his third strong GM scalp of the event,
by beating Sutovsky in mature fashion, in the ending arising from the Karpov
Variation of the Grunfeld.
15-year-old Anish Giri, leading the B Group with 4.0/5 and a 2888 performance
21...Na5? A fatal decentralisation, from which Black's position
never fully recovers. 22.Rc7 R5d7 23.Rc5 Rd5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Rb6 Kf7
26.Bd2 Bf8? Recycling the knight by 27...Nc6 28.Bc3 Nd8 was a better
chance. 27.Bc3 e6
28.Ne1! Shockingly simple – there is no good defence
to Nc2-e3. 28...Be7 29.Nc2 Bd8 30.Bxa5 Rxa5 31.Rxb7+ Ke8 32.Rb4 Rd5
33.Rc4 Rd7 34.Rc6 Kf7 35.Rxa6 Rb7 36.a5 Rb2 37.Kd3 Ra2 38.Ra7+ 1-0.
Philippine GM Wesley So, 16, with five drawn games in eighth place
In the C Group, the equally precocious American talent, 15-year-old Ray Robson,
is also putting up a marvellous show, with today's win as Black against Peng
Zhaoqin taking his score onto a superb 4.5 / 5.
GM Ray Robson, 15, with 4.5/5 points and a 2783 performance
The trauma of being mated by IM Hans Bohm in a simultaneous exhibition
In his blog on
Magnus writes: "On the free day Wednesday I was invited to play a football
match against a Dutch team. Together with GM Kjetil Lie (who is a former 3rd
division goal-getter), we played against Van Wely and Smeets, whom I beat in
round two and three of the chess tournament. Dutch Television was present and
duly documented our short but intense match, ending in a Norwegian 5-1 victory."
Holland vs Norway, Jan Smeets vs Magnus Carlsen in the free day soccer match
"My relation with chess is simple," says Fred Lucas. "I'm a photographer who
is very fond of the game, loves the atmosphere at tournaments it's if you
can really feel all the ideas coming up on all those boards and I love to
make pictures, especially with available light. What I like most when photographing
chess players is to get their emotions that are otherwise hard to see, because
life immediately proceeds to the next moment. Before the start of a game most
players are busy with themselves, concentrating and some give you the impression
that they really don't want to pay attention to anything else than the game
to come."
Naturally the games of the Wijk aan Zee tournament are being broadcast live
on Playchess. Anyone who uses Fritz 12 to log into the server will appreciate
the new features, like the following:
In the broadcast room the different events are listed as separate tournaments.
Click one if the tournaments and the games that are being broadcast are displayed
below, so you can load any that is of interest.
If you double-click the tournament all the games – or at least the eight
most important – all the are loaded in one window. You can start an analysis
engine, which follows any board you click. Naturally all boards are kept up-to-date
as the moves come in.
Live audio commentary today was by GM Daniel King, who discussed the games
with the kibitzers
Playchess (and ChessBase Magazine) commentator GM Daniel King
During round five in Wijk at 6:00 p.m. there were 7500 members online on Playchess.com.
Each dot on the map represents a player and his or her place of residence –
the dots in the middle of the ocean are people who have not given their location
correctly, or have entered weird geo coordinates. We suspected that one of them
might be Katie
Spotz, but she is probably too busy rowing and tweeting. The bright bell-shaped
area shows where the sun is currently shining on the globe.
19.01.2010 – Edgar Colle (18971932) was a Belgian chess who scored excellent results
in world-class tournaments. He died tragically at the age of 34, and is mainly remembered
for the Colle Opening System 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3. This, as Dennis Monokroussos
relates in this week's ,
was not what he was able to play in a beautiful game against Ernst Grünfeld.
Be there at 9 p.m. EST.
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Yasser Seirawan:
My best games Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
Playchess training with FM Dennis Monokroussos
The Belgian master Edgar Colle is best known for the eponymous Colle System,
a placid-looking opening he turned into a dangerous attacking system. As is
often the case with the openings named for players, most of us probably know
a lot more about the opening than we do about the man who developed it into
something poisonous.
Edgar Colle (1897–1932) was a Belgian chess master who scored
excellent results in major international tournaments, including first
at Amsterdam 1926, ahead of Savielly Tartakower and future world champion
Max Euwe; first at Meran 1926, ahead of Esteban Canal; and first at Scarborough
1930, ahead of Maroczy and Rubinstein). His playing career was hampered
by ill health. He survived three difficult operations for a gastric ulcer
and died after a fourth at the age of 34. Colle is remembered today primarily
for his introduction of the chess opening now known as the Colle System:
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3. In the picture we see Edgar Colle (second
from right) standing next to Salo Landau during a game Rubinstein vs Tartakower.
So let's fix that. In our ChessBase show this week we'll have a few things
to say about the man and see him in action against an even more notable name,
Ernst Grünfeld. Colle tried to play the Colle, but Grünfeld avoided
the main line and went for a Queen's Indian setup. It didn't matter: Colle showed
that he was more than a one-trick pony, and gave us a game of value. First of
all, he demonstrates how White can build an attack against a Queen's Indian
approach; second, he shows us what to do once the pieces are in place! Colle
won in beautiful style – but you'll have to join me Wednesday night at
9 p.m. ET (3 a.m. Thursday morning, CET) for the details.
To watch, just log on to the Playchess server at the given time, go to the
Broadcast room, and then find and select Colle-Grünfeld under the Games
tab. Hope to see you there!
Dennis Monokroussos'
lectures begin on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST, which translates to 02:00h GMT,
03:00 Paris/Berlin, 13:00h Sydney (on Thursday). You can find the times for
different locations in the world at World
Time and Date, with exact times for most larger cities .
And you can watch older lectures by Dennis Monokroussos offline in
the Chess Media System room of Playchess:
Enter the above archive room and click on "Games" to see the lectures.
Monokroussos in Mexico: World Championship 2007
Dennis Monokroussos is 43, lives in South Bend, IN, where
he teaches chess and has worked as an adjunct professor of philosophy at the
University of Notre Dame and Indiana University-South Bend.
At one time he was one of the strongest juniors in the U.S. and has reached
a peak rating of 2434 USCF, but several long breaks from tournament play have
made him rusty. He is now resuming tournament chess in earnest, hoping to reach
new heights.
Dennis has been working as a chess teacher for ten years now, giving lessons
to adults and kids both in person and on the internet, worked for a number of
years for New York’s Chess In The Schools program, where he was one of
the coaches of the 1997-8 US K-8 championship team from the Bronx, and was very
active in working with many of CITS’s most talented juniors.
When Dennis Monokroussos presents a game, there are usually two main areas
of focus: the opening-to-middlegame transition and the key moments of the middlegame
(or endgame, when applicable). With respect to the latter, he attempts to present
some serious analysis culled from his best sources (both text and database),
which he has checked with his own efforts and then double-checked with his chess
software.
Playchess Training with IM Merijn van Delft
Everyone is invited to join this weekly training hour on Wednesday evening.
Together we will have a look at the most recent grandmaster games. Recurring
themes during our analyses and discussions are the latest opening developments
and how to work on your own chess.
A word about myself: I was born (March 13, 1979) and raised in Apeldoorn, The
Netherlands. In 1995 I won the Dutch U16 Championship and played the European
Championship in Poland and the World Championship in Brasil. In 1998 I moved
to Amsterdam to study psychology and had a great time there. In 2003 I met my
wife Evi Zickelbein and ever since we've been living together in Hamburg, Germany.
In 2004 I made both master titles: one at the university and one in chess. Since
2005 I've been working fulltime in the chess world: training, coaching, writing,
organizing and still actively playing myself. By now I have about fifteen years
of experience as a chess trainer. Together with my dad I wrote a book
about chess training (Schaaktalent Ontwikkelen), of which the Dutch
version is already available and the English
version will follow April 2010.
IM Merijn van Delft's lecture starts at 20:00h Central European Time (Berlin,
Paris, Rome), which translates to 19:00h London. You can find the times for
different locations in the world at World
Time and Date. Exact times for most larger cities are .
The lecture is in the "Broadcast" room of Playchess. It is free for
Premium Playchess members (50 Ducats for others).
Links
The lectures are broadcast live on the chess server .
If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase
Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program
to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!
19.01.2010 – Vassily Ivanchuk needed 26 moves to finish off Loek van Wely. Magnus Carlsen had Nigel Short on the ropes, but let the British GM escape with a draw. Kramnik was in trouble against Tiviakov but survived. Alexei Shirov scored his fourth win in succession, to lead with a 4.0/4 score and a 3483 performance. You'd think that was a record, but he will have to win the next five games to do that. Curious?
Advertisement
Yasser Seirawan:
My best games Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
Wijk aan Zee 2010 – Round four report
Report by Steve Giddins / photos by Fred Lucas
"Playing Waves" – a Sculpture Park Sea of Steel by artist
Jaak Soans Estland
Top seed Magnus Carlsen strides through the playing hall in round four
Shirov wins again! The Latvian superstar won his fourth straight game, but
in case you are wondering, it is not a record for the event – indeed,
Shirov is still only halfway towards the 8/8 start made by Victor Korchnoi in
1968! The manner of Shirov's win was rather reminiscent of another great, his
legendary countryman, Mikhail Tal. After labouring to prove anything substantial
against the Petroff, Shirov made an objectively rather dubious piece sacrifice.
However, it created enough practical problems to drive his opponent, Jan Smeets,
into extreme time-trouble, and, despite the 30-second increment, the Dutchman
blundered fatally in an unclear position.
Magnus Carlsen looked to be well on the way to his third successive win. However,
after establishing a large advantage against Short's offbeat opening choice,
he missed two potentially winning moves, to the anguish of his watching trainer.
Deep Thought – Magnus Carlsen in his round four game against Nigel
Short
23.Qd3? Fritz gives two lines as winning for White: 23.Bh5 Qh7 24.Rf2
e6 25.Bf3 Qg6 26.Kg1 gxf4 27.Qxf4 e5 28.dxe5 Ne6 29.Qxf5 Qxf5 30.Nxf5 Nxe5 31.Rxd8
Rxd8 32.Bh5 Ng7 33.g4 Ne6+–; and 23.Nh5 (Yasser Seirawan proposed this
during the game in his live commentary on Playchess) 23...g4 24.hxg4 fxg4 25.Nxf6
exf6 26.Be4 Qh5 27.d5 cxd5 28.cxd5 Rge8 29.d6 Ne6 30.Kg1 Nec5 31.Rd5 Qf7 32.R5d4
Nxe4+–.
23...gxf4 24.Nh5 Nc5 25.Qc2 Ne4 26.Re2?! [26.Bxe4 Qxh5 27.Bxf5 is still
better for White] 26...Ng3+ 27.Nxg3 fxg3 28.d5 cxd5 29.cxd5 Bxb2
30.Qxb2+? Here 30.Rxe7! preserves some advantage. 30...Qg7 31.Qc1
Rd7 32.Rde1 Rf8 33.Re5 Nb5 34.Qc5 Nd6 35.Qxa7 Ne4 36.Qd4 e6 37.Rd1 exd5 38.Rxd5
Rxd5 39.Qxg7+ Kxg7 40.Rxd5 Kf6 41.Bxe4 fxe4 42.Ke2 Ke6 43.Rd4 Rf2+ 44.Ke3 Rxg2
45.Rxe4+ Kd5 46.Rd4+ Ke5 47.Re4+ ½½. A great battle, and full credit to
Short, for a brave fighting display. [Click
to replay]
Got away with it – using some brave fighting defence: Nigel
Short
Viswanathan Anand scored his fourth consecutive draw, this time against...
US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, who played the Dutch Defence against the
World Champion
Afterwards the two analyse their game in the press center
Anand-Nakamura was a fairly quiet draw, despite starting 1.d4 f5. Dominguez-Leko
saw a fascinating tactical battle from a Marshall, but the engines were announcing
the draw from as early as move 24.
Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez Perez who, like Anand, has scored 50%
Karjakin-Caruana saw White achieve the typical structural advantage from an
Exchange Spanish, but Black held the draw without too much difficulty. Tiviakov
had Kramnik in serious trouble, but the win slipped away in time-trouble.
Alexei Shirov preparing for his fourth win in Wijk 2010
The leader by a full point: Alexei Shirov with 4.0/4 and a performance
so far of 3483
The winner of the Politicians competition, Johan van Hulst – did we mention,
he is 99 years old?
Standings
Group A
Group B
Group C
Video reports by Europe Echecs
video
report by GM Robert Fontaine
Schedule of commentators
16th Jan
FM Valeri Lilov
5:00 p.m.
17th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
5:00 p.m.
18th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
19th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
20th Jan
Free Day
21st Jan
GM Daniel King
6:00 p.m.
22nd Jan
GM Daniel King
6:00 p.m.
23rd Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
24th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
25th Jan
Free Day
26th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
27th Jan
GM Daniel King
6:00 p.m.
28th Jan
Free Day
29th Jan
GM Daniel King
6:00 p.m.
30th Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
2:15 p.m.
31st Jan
GM Yasser Seirawan
1:00 p.m.
Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group A
Group A: Round 1 - Sat. Jan. 16th
Sergey Karjakin - Vishy Anand
½-½
Leinier Dominguez - Vladimir Kramnik
½-½
Peter Leko - Alexei Shirov
0-1
Fabiano Caruana - Vassily Ivanchuk
½-½
Sergey Tiviakov - Magnus Carlsen
½-½
Jan Smeets - Hikaru Nakamura
½-½
Loek van Wely - Nigel Short
1-0
Group A: Round 2 - Sun. Jan. 17th
Vishy Anand - Nigel Short
½-½
Hikaru Nakamura - Loek van Wely
1-0
Magnus Carlsen - Jan Smeets
1-0
Vassily Ivanchuk - Sergey Tiviakov
½-½
Alexei Shirov - Fabiano Caruana
1-0
Vladimir Kramnik - Peter Leko
½-½
Sergey Karjakin - Leinier Dominguez
½-½
Group A: Round 3 - Mon. Jan. 18th
Leinier Dominguez - Vishy Anand
½-½
Peter Leko - Sergey Karjakin
½-½
Fabiano Caruana - Vladimir Kramnik
½-½
Sergey Tiviakov - Alexei Shirov
0-1
Jan Smeets - Vassily Ivanchuk
0-1
Loek van Wely - Magnus Carlsen
0-1
Nigel Short - Hikaru Nakamura
0-1
Group A: Round 4 - Tues. Jan. 19th
Vishy Anand - Hikaru Nakamura
½-½
Magnus Carlsen - Nigel Short
½-½
Vassily Ivanchuk - Loek van Wely
1-0
Alexei Shirov - Jan Smeets
1-0
Vladimir Kramnik - Sergey Tiviakov
½-½
Sergey Karjakin - Fabiano Caruana
½-½
Leinier Dominguez - Peter Leko
½-½
Wednesday, January 20th –
Free day
Group A: Round 5 - Thurs. Jan. 21st
Peter Leko - Vishy Anand
Fabiano Caruana - Leinier Dominguez
Sergey Tiviakov - Sergey Karjakin
Jan Smeets - Vladimir Kramnik
Loek van Wely - Alexei Shirov
Nigel Short - Vassily Ivanchuk
Hikaru Nakamura - Magnus Carlsen
Group A: Round 6 - Fri. Jan. 22nd
Vishy Anand - Magnus Carlsen
Vassily Ivanchuk - Hikaru Nakamura
Alexei Shirov - Nigel Short
Vladimir Kramnik - Loek van Wely
Sergey Karjakin - Jan Smeets
Leinier Dominguez - Sergey Tiviakov
Peter Leko - Fabiano Caruana
Group A: Round 7- Sat. Jan. 23rd
Fabiano Caruana - Vishy Anand
Sergey Tiviakov - Peter Leko
Jan Smeets - Leinier Dominguez
Loek van Wely - Sergey Karjakin
Nigel Short - Vladimir Kramnik
Hikaru Nakamura - Alexei Shirov
Magnus Carlsen - Vassily Ivanchuk
Group A: Round 8 - Sun. Jan. 24th
Vishy Anand - Vassily Ivanchuk
Alexei Shirov - Magnus Carlsen
Vladimir Kramnik - Hikaru Nakamura
Sergey Karjakin - Nigel Short
Leinier Dominguez - Loek van Wely
Peter Leko - Jan Smeets
Fabiano Caruana - Sergey Tiviakov
Monday, January 25th –
Free day
Group A: Round 9 - Tues. Jan. 26th
Sergey Tiviakov - Vishy Anand
Jan Smeets - Fabiano Caruana
Loek van Wely - Peter Leko
Nigel Short - Leinier Dominguez
Hikaru Nakamura - Sergey Karjakin
Magnus Carlsen - Vladimir Kramnik
Vassily Ivanchuk - Alexei Shirov
Group A: Round 10 - Wed. Jan. 27th
Vishy Anand - Alexei Shirov
Vladimir Kramnik - Vassily Ivanchuk
Sergey Karjakin - Magnus Carlsen
Leinier Dominguez - Hikaru Nakamura
Peter Leko - Nigel Short
Fabiano Caruana - Loek van Wely
Sergey Tiviakov - Jan Smeets
Thursday, January 28th –
Free day
Group A: Round 11 - Fri. Jan. 29th
Jan Smeets - Vishy Anand
Loek van Wely - Sergey Tiviakov
Nigel Short - Fabiano Caruana
Hikaru Nakamura - Peter Leko
Magnus Carlsen - Leinier Dominguez
Vassily Ivanchuk - Sergey Karjakin
Alexei Shirov - Vladimir Kramnik
Group A: Round 12 - Sat. Jan. 30th
Vishy Anand - Vladimir Kramnik
Sergey Karjakin - Alexei Shirov
Leinier Dominguez - Vassily Ivanchuk
Peter Leko - Magnus Carlsen
Fabiano Caruana - Hikaru Nakamura
Sergey Tiviakov - Nigel Short
Jan Smeets - Loek van Wely
Group A: Round 13 - Sun. Jan. 31st
Loek van Wely - Vishy Anand
Nigel Short - Jan Smeets
Hikaru Nakamura - Sergey Tiviakov
Magnus Carlsen - Fabiano Caruana
Vassily Ivanchuk - Peter Leko
Alexei Shirov - Leinier Dominguez
Vladimir Kramnik - Sergey Karjakin
Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group B
Group B: Round 1 - Sat. Jan. 16th
Ni Hua - Erwin l'Ami
½-½
Emil Sutovsky - Dimitri Reinderman
1-0
Tomi Nyback - Liviu Nisipeanu
0-1
Anish Giri - Pentala Harikrishna
1-0
David Howell - Parimarjan Negi
½-½
Anna Muzychuk - Varuzhan Akobian
½-½
Arkadij Naiditsch - Wesley So
½-½
Group B: Round 2 - Sun. Jan. 17th
Erwin l'Ami - Wesley So
½-½
Varuzhan Akobian - Arkadij Naiditsch
0-1
Parimarjan Negi - Anna Muzychuk
½-½
Pentala Harikrishna - David Howell
½-½
Liviu Nisipeanu - Anish Giri
0-1
Dimitri Reinderman - Tomi Nyback
0-1
Ni Hua - Emil Sutovsky
1-0
Group B: Round 3 - Mon. Jan. 18th
Emil Sutovsky - Erwin l'Ami
½-½
Tomi Nyback - Ni Hua
0-1
Anish Giri - Dimitri Reinderman
½-½
David Howell - Liviu Nisipeanu
½-½
Anna Muzychuk - Pentala Harikrishna
0-1
Arkadij Naiditsch - Parimarjan Negi
½-½
Wesley So - Varuzhan Akobian
½-½
Group B: Round 4 - Tues. Jan. 19th
Erwin l'Ami - Varuzhan Akobian
1-0
Parimarjan Negi - Wesley So
½-½
Pentala Harikrishna - Arkadij Naiditsch
1-0
Liviu Nisipeanu - Anna Muzychuk
½-½
Dimitri Reinderman - David Howell
0-1
Ni Hua - Anish Giri
½-½
Emil Sutovsky - Tomi Nyback
0-1
Wednesday, January 20th –
Free day
Group B: Round 5 - Thurs. Jan. 21st
Tomi Nyback - Erwin l'Ami
Anish Giri - Emil Sutovsky
David Howell - Ni Hua
Anna Muzychuk - Dimitri Reinderman
Arkadij Naiditsch - Liviu Nisipeanu
Wesley So - Pentala Harikrishna
Varuzhan Akobian - Parimarjan Negi
Group B: Round 6 - Fri. Jan. 22nd
Erwin l'Ami - Parimarjan Negi
Pentala Harikrishna - Varuzhan Akobian
Liviu Nisipeanu - Wesley So
Dimitri Reinderman - Arkadij Naiditsch
Ni Hua - Anna Muzychuk
Emil Sutovsky - David Howell
Tomi Nyback - Anish Giri
Group B: Round 7 - Sat. Jan. 23rd
Anish Giri - Erwin l'Ami
David Howell - Tomi Nyback
Anna Muzychuk - Emil Sutovsky
Arkadij Naiditsch - Ni Hua
Wesley So - Dimitri Reinderman
Varuzhan Akobian - Liviu Nisipeanu
Parimarjan Negi - Pentala Harikrishna
Group B: Round 8 - Sun. Jan. 24th
Erwin l'Ami - Pentala Harikrishna
Liviu Nisipeanu - Parimarjan Negi
Dimitri Reinderman - Varuzhan Akobian
Ni Hua - Wesley So
Emil Sutovsky - Arkadij Naiditsch
Tomi Nyback - Anna Muzychuk
Anish Giri - David Howell
Monday, January 25th –
Free day
Group B: Round 9 - Tues. Jan. 26th
David Howell - Erwin l'Ami
Anna Muzychuk - Anish Giri
Arkadij Naiditsch - Tomi Nyback
Wesley So - Emil Sutovsky
Varuzhan Akobian - Ni Hua
Parimarjan Negi - Dimitri Reinderman
Pentala Harikrishna - Liviu Nisipeanu
Group B: Round 10 - Wed. Jan. 27th
Erwin l'Ami - Liviu Nisipeanu
Dimitri Reinderman - Pentala Harikrishna
Ni Hua - Parimarjan Negi
Emil Sutovsky - Varuzhan Akobian
Tomi Nyback - Wesley So
Anish Giri - Arkadij Naiditsch
David Howell - Anna Muzychuk
Thursday, January 28th –
Free day
Group B: Round 11 - Fri. Jan. 29th
Anna Muzychuk - Erwin l'Ami
Arkadij Naiditsch - David Howell
Wesley So - Anish Giri
Varuzhan Akobian - Tomi Nyback
Parimarjan Negi - Emil Sutovsky
Pentala Harikrishna - Ni Hua
Liviu Nisipeanu - Dimitri Reinderman
Group B: Round 12 - Sat. Jan. 30th
Erwin l'Ami - Dimitri Reinderman
Ni Hua - Liviu Nisipeanu
Emil Sutovsky - Pentala Harikrishna
Tomi Nyback - Parimarjan Negi
Anish Giri - Varuzhan Akobian
David Howell - Wesley So
Anna Muzychuk - Arkadij Naiditsch
Group B: Round 13 - Sun. Jan. 31st
Arkadij Naiditsch - Erwin l'Ami
Wesley So - Anna Muzychuk
Varuzhan Akobian - David Howell
Parimarjan Negi - Anish Giri
Pentala Harikrishna - Tomi Nyback
Liviu Nisipeanu - Emil Sutovsky
Dimitri Reinderman - Ni Hua
Schedule and results of Grandmaster Group C
Group C: Round 1 - Sat. Jan. 16th
Ray Robson - Soumya Swaminathan
1-0
Robin Swinkels - Abhijeet Gupta
½-½
Mariya Muzychuk - Nils Grandelius
0-1
Stefan Kuipers - Kjetil Lie
½-½
Peng Zhaoqin - Robin van Kampen
½-½
Benjamin Bok - Li Chao
0-1
Daniele Vocaturo - Sjoerd Plukkel
1-0
Group C: Round 2 - Sun. Jan. 17th
Soumya Swaminathan - Sjoerd Plukkel
½-½
Li Chao - Daniele Vocaturo
½-½
Robin van Kampen - Benjamin Bok
½-½
Kjetil Lie - Peng Zhaoqin
0-1
Nils Grandelius - Stefan Kuipers
0-1
Abhijeet Gupta - Mariya Muzychuk
½-½
Ray Robson - Robin Swinkels
1-0
Group C: Round 3 - Mon. Jan. 18th
Robin Swinkels - Soumya Swaminathan
1-0
Mariya Muzychuk - Ray Robson
½-½
Stefan Kuipers - Abhijeet Gupta
0-1
Peng Zhaoqin - Nils Grandelius
½-½
Benjamin Bok - Kjetil Lie
0-1
Daniele Vocaturo - Robin van Kampen
1-0
Sjoerd Plukkel - Li Chao
0-1
Group C: Round 4 - Tues. Jan. 19th
Soumya Swaminathan - Li Chao
0-1
Robin van Kampen - Sjoerd Plukkel
1-0
Kjetil Lie - Daniele Vocaturo
1-0
Nils Grandelius - Benjamin Bok
0-1
Abhijeet Gupta - Peng Zhaoqin
½-½
Ray Robson - Stefan Kuipers
1-0
Robin Swinkels - Mariya Muzychuk
1-0
Wednesday, January 20th –
Free day
Group C: Round 5 - Thurs. Jan. 21st
Mariya Muzychuk - Soumya Swaminathan
Stefan Kuipers - Robin Swinkels
Peng Zhaoqin - Ray Robson
Benjamin Bok - Abhijeet Gupta
Daniele Vocaturo - Nils Grandelius
Sjoerd Plukkel - Kjetil Lie
Li Chao - Robin van Kampen
Group C: Round 6 - Fri. Jan. 22nd
Soumya Swaminathan - Robin v. Kampen
Kjetil Lie - Li Chao
Nils Grandelius - Sjoerd Plukkel
Abhijeet Gupta - Daniele Vocaturo
Ray Robson - Benjamin Bok
Robin Swinkels - Peng Zhaoqin
Mariya Muzychuk - Stefan Kuipers
Group C: Round 7 - Sat. Jan. 23rd
Stefan Kuipers - Soumya Swaminathan
Peng Zhaoqin - Mariya Muzychuk
Benjamin Bok - Robin Swinkels
Daniele Vocaturo - Ray Robson
Sjoerd Plukkel - Abhijeet Gupta
Li Chao - Nils Grandelius
Robin van Kampen - Kjetil Lie
Group C: Round 8 - Sun. Jan. 24th
Soumya Swaminathan - Kjetil Lie
Nils Grandelius - Robin van Kampen
Abhijeet Gupta - Li Chao
Ray Robson - Sjoerd Plukkel
Robin Swinkels - Daniele Vocaturo
Mariya Muzychuk - Benjamin Bok
Stefan Kuipers - Peng Zhaoqin
Monday, January 25th –
Free day
Group C: Round 9 - Tues. Jan. 26th
Peng Zhaoqin - Soumya Swaminathan
Benjamin Bok - Stefan Kuipers
Daniele Vocaturo - Mariya Muzychuk
Sjoerd Plukkel - Robin Swinkels
Li Chao - Ray Robson
Robin van Kampen - Abhijeet Gupta
Kjetil Lie - Nils Grandelius
Group C: Round 10 - Wed. Jan. 27th
Soumya Swaminathan - Nils Grandelius
Abhijeet Gupta - Kjetil Lie
Ray Robson - Robin van Kampen
Robin Swinkels - Li Chao
Mariya Muzychuk - Sjoerd Plukkel
Stefan Kuipers - Daniele Vocaturo
Peng Zhaoqin - Benjamin Bok
Thursday, January 28th –
Free day
Group C: Round 11 - Fri. Jan. 29th
Benjamin Bok - Soumya Swaminathan
Daniele Vocaturo - Peng Zhaoqin
Sjoerd Plukkel - Stefan Kuipers
Li Chao - Mariya Muzychuk
Robin van Kampen - Robin Swinkels
Kjetil Lie - Ray Robson
Nils Grandelius - Abhijeet Gupta
Group C: Round 12 - Sat. Jan. 30th
Soumya Swaminathan - Abhijeet Gupta
Ray Robson - Nils Grandelius
Robin Swinkels - Kjetil Lie
Mariya Muzychuk - Robin van Kampen
Stefan Kuipers - Li Chao
Peng Zhaoqin - Sjoerd Plukkel
Benjamin Bok - Daniele Vocaturo
Group C: Round 13 - Sun. Jan. 31st
Daniele Vocaturo - Soumya Swaminathan
Sjoerd Plukkel - Benjamin Bok
Li Chao - Peng Zhaoqin
Robin van Kampen - Stefan Kuipers
Kjetil Lie - Mariya Muzychuk
Nils Grandelius - Robin Swinkels
Abhijeet Gupta - Ray Robson
Schedule (playing days)
January 2010
M
T
W
T
F
S
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
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31
Games begin at 13:30h local time (15:30 Moscow, 12:30 London, 7:30 a.m. NY),
except for the last round on January 31st, which begins at 12:30h. There are
three
19.01.2010 – Last year Garry Kasparov visited Asia for the first time since the Philippines Olympiad in 1992. He was in India and in Malaysia, where our reporter Edwin Lam did a Q&A with him. Kasparov spoke engagingly and candidly about Asia, his early career as a chess player, his protégé Magnus Carlsen and his Chess Foundation in America. Not a line of blah in this interview. Must read.
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Yasser Seirawan:
My best games Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
"The interview with Garry Kasparov lasted forty minutes," Edwin Lam
tells us. "If his minder had not stopped us he would have gone on for hours.
I can still see his eyes light up when he talked about Carlsen – he just
glowed, and I saw so much passion when he was on that subject. I must say that
I learnt a lot from the man himself in the Q&A – I learnt a lot about
life, work. and coupled with a game theory book I was reading back then, The
Art of Strategy, it re-shaped my thinking about work and how best to approach
it."
Bisik-Bisik with Garry Kasparov Part 1
By Edwin Lam Choong Wai
Garry Kasparov made his first trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, back in mid
November 2009, in order to speak at the Youth Engagement Summit (YES) 2009.
I had the opportunity to catch up with the best player in chess history, ever,
over a Bisik-Bisik session for ChessBase at the Putrajaya Convention Center.
Our candid 40-minute chat covered a variety of topics. In this first part of
the Bisik-Bisik session, Garry talked about his recent speaking engagements
across Asia, his fascination with Malaysia, growing up years and most importantly,
his collaboration with Magnus Carlsen.
Bisik-Bisik is a word from the Malay Archipelago, and means the act of
“whispering” from one person to another. In my interviews I seeks
to “whisper” to all our readers out there the previously unknown
other side of his interview partners.
Edwin Lam: Is this your first trip to Malaysia?
Garry Kasparov: Yes, this is my first trip to Malaysia. 2009 is my first
year that I have been around Asia. Due to the inequality in the distribution
of chess events, I have travelled extensively across Europe, visiting many countries,
many times. I have also been to the United States, Canada, Mexico and many Latin
American countries, but never to Asia, with the only exception of the Philippines
for the Chess Olympiad of 1992. Its hard to imagine and people wouldnt believe
it if I say that before 2009, Philippines is the only Asian country Ive ever
visited. But, it is true! And, in this year alone, Ive already made two trips
to India, once to Delhi and the other one to Mumbai. The Mumbai trip took place
only a couple of weeks ago for an all India IBM conference and now its Malaysia.
I am definitely covering new areas on the map!
Panorama of Kuala Lumpur (photo by Azreey in )
by day
You had arrived in Malaysia about two days ago with your wife. Have
you had the chance to go around Kuala Lumpur?
No, no, not yet. My wife and I liked what we have seen so far here in Putrajaya,
the administrative capital of Malaysia. We went to the mall here in Putrajaya
yesterday and it is very clean, very organized. We saw a very interesting mix
of ethnic diversity in the population of Malaysia. The other thing that we observed
in the mall was that 40% of the stores there are catering for kids. This is
an interesting, and again, for me someone like me who is into politics, its
always interesting to see how people behave in public places and the atmosphere
of the mall on a Sunday, with a lot of middle class people and their families.
It is interesting and the impression is very positive.
Panorama of Kuala Lumpur (photo by )
We also noticed one other thing: that the colors of the clothes worn by Malaysians
are very bright. Again, this is a refreshing change from Europe and the United
States, in winter. So far, we have been quite inspired by the overall atmosphere
its a very positive atmosphere and the people are friendly. I am sure there
are other parts of Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur, where we can see more
diversity. But, so far, the experience in Putrajaya has been very good. We will
go to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, after the speech and on the 18th of November. We
have to see the Twin Towers, no doubt. Otherwise, it will be very strange, you
know. Thanks to the flight schedule the non-availability of daily flights
to Moscow – meant that we are stuck here for one more day, and this is
good news for us.
The landmark Petronas Twin Towers (photo by )
Lets talk a little bit about growing up and chess. What are the factors
that pushed you towards mastery of the game? How did you know it was your
real passion?
My own early development certainly owed a great deal to my determined parents.
My natural aptitude for chess was quickly discovered by my family. My father,
Kim, then struggling with leukemia, made the decision to send me for chess schooling
at the age of seven and my mother enthusiastically supported the idea. Internally,
it is clear to me that I would not have achieved such success at anything other
than chess. I must count my lucky stars here as the game came to me naturally,
its requirements fitting my talents like a glove.
First game against Anatoly Karpov, a simul when Garry was twelve
Looking back at your own experience, and we see how kids these days start
chess at a very young age, some as young as four and five, do you think is
this a little too young, given that you started chess only at the age of seven?
I dont think that it is too young or too late to start learning the game.
Instead, it is a question on the goal or the objective of learning the game.
I believe chess can play a very important role in a childs education as it
can help to improve their vision of things around them. Most of them, in fact
99.9% of them, will not play chess later in life. But, it is still very helpful
for chess to be included in their general education curriculum. If the child
shows interest in chess at the age of four or five, then fine. I believe that
you have to help kids – you have to guide them but, you cannot force
them to do something they dont like. For instance, my son doesnt want to play
chess. He has no interest and there is nothing that I can I do about it. He
learnt chess when he was five or six and showed no special interest. He did
not demonstrate any passion for it. While we play an important role of trying
to guide kids to not be under the heavy influence of modern, mindless games,
we must also understand the limitations of our interference. Its about finding
the golden balance of how to influence them without being too nasty and causing
a counter reaction. This is true in any form of human relations, be it in a
working team or in a father and son relationship.
A game against the great Viktor Korchoi – young Garik had winning chances
but drew
In your opinion, can a less talented individual still succeed in chess,
if he or she has the utmost passion in the game and a detailed plan to get
there?
I had written in my book, How Life Imitates Chess, that working hard
is also part of an individuals talent. Sometimes, I find it hard to understand
what it means when someone said, Oh he or she is talented, but lazy. To me,
this simply showed that there is a big gap in the persons character. Working
hard is a form of talent it is in fact, an important element of the persons
talent. By not working hard, how can your natural gift become real diamonds?
So, that is why I think working hard is sometimes just as important to having
a talent. Of course, I must admit that it will be difficult for someone without
a huge talent to be a world champion. But, you can still go very high up and
achieve a lot, even with limited talent. Of course, when I said limited talent,
please do not get confused with the term. People can get really confused as
talent can mean anything, you know. Being number one in your school also requires
some talent. Being number one in the world also requires talent, but these are
very different forms of talent. That said, I am a great proponent of the concept
that the ability to work hard is a unique talent and if you can work hard and
if you can spend the long hours and if you can concentrate on the goal and if
you can make detailed plans, you could still be ahead of your competitor even
if you are less talented or less gifted in chess or anything else simply because
he or she is not as good in organizing their work.
We have all heard about your collaboration with the exceptionally talented
Magnus Carlsen. When did the collaboration begin?
I met him in Oslo in 2005. I was there filming a documentary and we spent a
few hours together. After I stopped playing chess, Magnus actually came to Moscow
with his father, and we spent a day maybe and thats it. For the next four years,
we didnt communicate except that I sent him my book, My Great Predecessors
volumes 1 and 2, through Frederic Friedel of ChessBase. We re-established our
contact last Christmas, again via Frederic, as there was an interest on Magnus
part to find an opportunity to push ahead, because he has always had a problem
of not having a real coach, someone who could organize things in the most efficient
way. And, he also needs the extra teeth to play at the highest level. I mean
he is already quite good in beating the average GMs and even the strong GMs.
But, to become number one, you need more than just a talent, and I was quite
interested. So, we established this communication and we talked for a while.
First encounter: Garry Kasparov vs Magnus Carlsen in Reykjavik in 2004.
In game one Kasparov escaped with a draw (!), in the second he outplayed his
youthful opponent. "I was not at all happy with ½-1½ against Kasparov,"
said Magnus later. "I should have won as White. As Black I played like
a child!
During Wijk ann Zee 2009, we spoke a couple of times on the telephone. It was
just the beginning. And before Linares 2009 we had just one short session. Technically,
in Linares, I had already offered him some advice, but it was not yet the full
scale work because I also needed time to prepare for it. Despite my continuous
work on chess and also my constant update of my chess database, I was obviously
lagging behind. And, I also needed to get back my feel of the competitive atmosphere
and it took a little bit of time before we actually got our act together. When
summer came, we had quite a good training session in Croatia. And, then we had
another training session in Oslo. I also accepted the chance to play the match
with Karpov because I got back my feel for the game after working with Magnus.
I got back with my senses. And, right after our Oslo training session, he played
very successfully in Nanjing. And after the Moscow tournament he is unofficially
number one. Its still a very thin gap. And, I hope that London will be another
success for him a real success so that he will end the year as the clear number
one in the official rating list. [This was said in November 2009]
Garry Kasparov coaching Magnus Carlsen in his summer residence in Croatia
Still, there is a lot of work to be done. I mean, he has showed tremendous
progress and resistance recently. He was very sick in Moscow and even considered
withdrawing after round two. I mean, we discussed it seriously with his father
and his doctor. He had a very high temperature and throughout rounds three and
four he played on while feeling really sick. He was seriously sick, and he only
gradually recovered before round six, after the game with Anand. But, he was
still far from good. I mean, even in the last round, he still had some complications
and it was very tough. And, I was very proud that he had a +2 in a tournament,
even with such horrible conditions. This showed that he is getting stronger.
It is a demonstration of your character, to do well, not only in tournaments
like Nanjing, but also when you are down and out. I think he is getting tougher
and I have high hopes for the future of this cooperation.
Found it! Carlsen works on a chess board, Kasparov on his notebook computer
I think it is important for chess to have someone like Magnus Carlsen to give
it a new face to excite the world. He is a young man with no prejudices of
the old world of chess. He is a representative of the new generation, with
an open approach and he can attract the following for the game of chess from
the public. The current leaders of the chess world are not very active in promoting
the game of chess, and they are not encouraging the new generations to join
in. I hope that things can change with Magnus.
Coaches will typically accompany their charges to tournaments. With your
busy schedule, how do you help Magnus during competitions?
Skype. We do Skype. Skype is most convenient. We can even send databases very
quickly you know, any database. Its just Skype.
So modern technologies help a lot, huh?
But, still I have to admit that Skype and computers are not and cannot be considered
as equal replacements for normal training sessions. One of the problems for
the Moscow tournament was that Magnus and I couldnt find the time for a normal
training session before the event. He was busy in Norway and I was in Mumbai.
Even three days, you know, of just moving the pieces, and things can be very,
very different. Before London, we are definitely going to have a session. There
is no doubt about this.
Is your collaboration with Carlsen an indication of your intent to form
the Kasparov Chess School, moving forward?
I have never stopped working on chess and education projects and I tried to
do it in several countries. The most successful attempt has been in the United
States. The Kasparov Chess Foundation was founded in 2002 and we had a very
generous donor who kept supporting us all these years. We built up a blueprint
curriculum that is used in all 50 states, of course mainly in New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut as well as in Chicago and Texas. Technically, we are in
all 50 states, in more than 3,000 schools and we are teaching teachers how to
teach chess. We believe that the teachers who are already in schools need some
simple lessons to teach the game of chess because it is more important to be
a teacher than to be a chess player in the classroom. And, again, our concept
is that chess is an inexpensive but very efficient way to improve their education.
Garry Kasparov with members of the Kasparov Chess Foundation
Besides that, the Kasparov Chess Foundation has been actively helping American
talents in the past few years. We have also been sponsoring semi-professional
youth events such as the All-Girls US Championship, whereby the Texas University
are providing scholarships for the winner. Twice a year, we run special chess
sessions with kids, the most talented ones. The next one will be in December,
just before Christmas. We started with many, up till 30, and now we have about
10 to 12 kids. We go through their games. Its all very Soviet tradition that
we have now installed in the United States.
As you can see with all these, Ive never stopped working on that level. But,
as for professional collaboration, my answer to your question is No. I mean,
if you work with a player like Magnus, you cant work with anybody else. I also
have no interest for it as I am very satisfied working with Magnus. Working
with the kids through the Kasparov Chess Foundation as well as with Magnus keeps
my chess playing skills alive. And, it is a refreshing change, thanks to the
advice of my mother, to keep your mind working and not get bored or tired by
switching from one area of work to another. So, you dont get stuck with politics,
or doing the speeches. I mean, playing chess, or working on chess and I am still
working on the books, you know volume three of all my games against Karpov this
year, and next year I will be working on another three volumes of Garry Kasparovs
best games. But, you know, doing actual work with Magnus is also very refreshing.
And, I am very happy. Its not that I am playing the moves in the games myself,
but sometimes, I feel that I am personally preparing for Kramnik or for Anand.
And, its nice. It feels good. Working with kids at the 2300-2400 level with
the Kasparov Chess Foundation is one story. Now, working with a 2800 player
is another story.
Breaking news: Carlsen and Kasparov join forces 07.09.2009 It was the best-kept secret of
the year: Magnus Carlsen, at 18 already the fourth highest ranked player
in the world, has won the legendary Garry Kasparov, arguably the greatest
player in chess history, as his personal trainer. The goal is to make
Magnus the world's number one in the course of the coming year. The Norwegian
newspaper VG
has broken the news.
Media blitz: Kasparov and Carlsen in Oslo 17.09.2009 A scheduled training session with
Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen was used as an occasion to meet the
Norwegian press. The two sat down for a friendly game against Education
Minister Solhjell, and all three answered questions for a Channel 2 journalist.
The government is set to back their brightest chess star, said the Minister,
and his country's bid to host a Chess Olympiad. Video
report.
Kasparov and Carlsen on Norway's NRK talk show 22.09.2009 Nobody watches long interviews
on the Internet any more Google and YouTube have satiated us pretty
much. But sometimes you have to make an exception. Here are Garry Kasparov
and Magnus Carlsen talking about their cooperation to make the latter
the number one in chess. The discussion on Norway's NRK Nett-TV talk show
is charming and insightful. Video
and full transcript.
Magnus Carlsen on Golden Goal 19.10.2009 Johan Golden is a Norwegian TV
host and a colorful figure in the country's comedy, musical and political
scene. In his show Golden Goal he recently had a special guest:
Magnus Carlsen, Norway's chess wonder and one of the greatest sports heros
the country has had. A light-hearted trademark Golden exchange (in Nowegian)
ensues. We bring you a video
and English transcript.
Previous Bisik-Bisik articles by Edwin Lam
Viktor Bologan and the Chebanenko Slav 18.02.2009 Recently we found a book entitled The Chebanenko Slav according to Bologan. The author is Moldavia
GM Viktor Bologan, who looks back on a two decade long career, which includes
a 2003 Dortmund triumph ahead of Anand and Kramnik. That came, incidentally,
after a ten-day training session with Garry Kasparov. Read all about it
in this Bisik-Bisik
session with Edwin Lam.
Bisik-Bisik with GM Nigel Short 03.10.2008 Mention GM Nigel Short and we
think grandmaster, world championship challenger, coach, author and journalist.
Some of us will also associate him with the French Defence, an opening
that he used to play regularly many years ago. But away from the chess
board, this man is also very well known for his witty reports and articles
on chess. Edwin
Lam interviews the chess writer.
Bisik-Bisik with GM Alexander Khalifman 20.08.2008 Bisik-Bisik is a word from
the Malay Archipelago, and means whispering from one person to another.
In a series Edwin Lam seeks to whisper to our readers out there the
previously unknown other side of his interview partners. Today he talks
with GM Alexander Khalifman, who in 1999 became the FIDE world champion
in Las Vegas. Today "El Khalif" runs a training web site and publishes
books.
Ni hao, GM Zhang Zhong and WGM Li Ruofan 10.01.2008 Ni hao, pronounced second tone-third
tone, is Chinese for Hello or Hi ("Ni hao ma?" means "how are you" and
"Wo hun hao" means "I'm doing great"). After this short lesson in Chinese
first encounters we bring you a portrait of the Chinese dream couple:
GM Zhang Zhong, Elo 2634, and his wife WGM Li Ruofan, rated 2417. Bisik-Bisik
(Malay for "whisperings") by
Edwin Lam.
Bisik-Bisik with Viktor Moskalenko 15.12.2007 Bisik-Bisik is a word from
the Malay Archipelago, and means the act of whispering from one person
to another. Starting with this inaugural article Edwin Lam will seek to
whisper to all our readers out there the previously unknown other side
of his interview partners. He kicks off with a conversation between Edwin
and Ukrainian Viktor Moskalenko, grandmaster,
teacher and chess author.
18.01.2010 – What a round: White lost no fewer than four games in the top group, without winning any. Alexei Shirov continued his storm in the Dutch resort with a third victory in succession, beating Tiviakov. Nakamura, Ivanchuk and Carlsen also won their black games (Garry Kasparov was pleased as Punch about his protégé's victory). Round three report with beautiful photos by Fred Lucas.
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Yasser Seirawan:
My best games Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
Wijk aan Zee 2010 – Round three report
Report by Steve Giddins / photos by Fred Lucas
Garry Kasparov described round three of this year's Wijk aan Zee tournament
as "a black day, total disaster for White, lots of blood on the floor".
And indeed it was, as White lost no fewer than four games, without winning any.
Sergey Tiviakov, who collapsed in round three against firebrand Shirov
The day's first decisive result came in the game Short-Nakamura. The Englishman
lost the initiative in the early middlegame, and his position collapsed with
surprising speed.
Hikaru Nakamura, who scored a convincing black-piece victory over Nigel
Short
Suddenly, White has no good way to defend f2, since 22.Rf1 is met by 22...Bxf2+,
so Short decides on desperate measures. 22.c5 dxc5 23.Nc4 Qd8 24.Bh5 cxb4
25.Bxg6 fxg6 26.Rxe4 Bxf2+ 27.Kh1 b5 28.Ne5 Rxc1 29.Bxc1 Nxe5 30.Rxe5 Bg3 31.Re3
Bf4 32.Rd3 Bd6 33.axb4 Qf6 34.Be3 Qf1+ 35.Bg1 Rf4 36.g4 Qxd1 37.Rxd1 Rxb4 38.Re1
Rf4 39.Ra1 Ra4 40.Re1
Short does his best to generate a smidgeon of counterplay with his passed d5-pawn,
but now a piece sacrifice decides. 40...b4! 41.Re6 b3 42.Rxd6 Rb4 43.Rd8+
Kh7 0-1. []
Nigel Short facing the black pieces of Hikaru Nakamura
Magnus Carlsen moved onto 2.5 points, after beating van Wely, with some help
from the world's strongest online kibitzer.
Magnus Carlsen, who scored his second win in succession in round three
Van Wely,L (2641) - Carlsen,M (2810) [D37]
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (3), 18.01.2010 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Be7 7.e3 c6
8.Qc2 0-0 9.Bd3 Re8 10.h3
10...Ne4!? Van Wely's first round game against Short had gone 10...Nf8.
The pawn sacrifice in the text had been analysed by Kasparov back in 1998. He
had recommended it to Carlsen on the telephone yesterday, and the world number
one immediately liked it. 11.Bxe4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Qa5+ 13.Kf1 Bf8.
This was the crux of Kasparov's idea, improving on 13...Qf5 of van Wely-Piket,
Groningen 1997. In fact, though, the move had been played before that, as far
as back as the game Videki-Robert, from the Biel C Group in 1990!
14.Bf4N. This the real novelty, 14.Nc3 having been preferred in three
previous games. 14...Qf5 15.Nfd2 Nb6 16.Rc1 Nd5 17.g4 Qg6 18.Nd6 Rd8 19.Qxg6
hxg6 20.Nxc8 Nxf4 21.exf4 Rxd4 22.Nb3 Rb4 23.Kg2 Rxc8 24.Rhd1 Rxf4 25.Rd7 Rb4
26.Rc2 Re8 27.Rcd2 Be7 28.Rc7 Bf6 29.Rdd7 b6 30.Rxa7 g5 31.Rd2 c5 32.Ra6 c4
33.Nd4 Bxd4 34.Rxd4 Rxb2
Carlsen has managed to eke out a small advantage, but it is hard to believe
that he can win after 35.Rxc4 in view of the trick 35...Ree2 36.Kg3 Rxf2 37.Rxb6!
Instead, a time-troubled van Wely allows the c4-pawn to survive, after which
it gratefully goes all the way. 35.Rd7?c3 36.Raa7 Rf8 37.Rdc7 c2 38.Kg3 Rd8
39.Rxf7 Rd3+ 40.Kg2 c1Q 0-1. Garry Kasparov was very pleased with this game.
"He played impeccably, put unrelenting pressure on his opponent, got him
into time trouble and waited for him to crack." That is how great players
win their games. []
Loek van Wely won brilliantly in round one, but lost to Nakamura and
Carlsen in two and three
The day's fourth winner was Ivanchuk, who beat Smeets. For the second day running,
the latter's position fell apart in time-trouble.
Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk scored his first full point in round three
Fritz politely informs us that it is now mate in 13. 35...Rxa5+ 36.bxa5
Rb8 0-1. []
Dutch GM Jan Smeets lost to Magnus Carlsen on Sunday and to Vassily
Ivanchuk today
The day's other three games were all drawn. Anand spent most of the afternoon
a pawn down, but held a 3 v 2 ending with all pawns on the same side, whilst
the games Leko-Kariakin and Caruana-Kramnik were both balanced struggles.
Magnus Carlsen kibitzes in the game Leinier Dominguez vs Vishy Anand
Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez put World Champion Vishy Anand under pressure
Vladimir Kramnik was held to a draw by...
Standings
Group A
Group B
Group C
Video reports by Europe Echecs
video
report by GM Robert Fontaine
Here's something we would like to share with you. The January issue of the
British Chess Magazine has the winner of the London Chess Classic on its cover.
The clever little slogan at the bottom right caught our eye. Beer drinkers will
get it.
BCM January issue – the green box on the bottom right reads:
The Editor of the British Chess Magazine, John Saunders, writes: "This
month's issue of British Chess Magazine is now out, a little (well, OK, a lot)
later than usual. We were keen to include a full report of the London Chess
Classic as it was the best thing to happen to British chess for a long time.
For the cover we couldn't resist designing a graphic along the lines of a certain
brand of beer of a similar name to the world chess number one. It's not quite
the same design (nor the same font) so hopefully those jolly nice chaps who
brew the excellent beer will not be minded to sue. We have no fewer than 40
pages of games and photos on this fantastic tournament in the January BCM, amounting
to a souvenir issue. I do urge you all to buy a copy – only £4.05
."
Commentary on Playchess
GM Yasser Seirawan commenting live during the games
Lots of GMs watching the Carlsen game – including "the strongest
kibitzer in the world"
