exd5!

21.11.2009
– Suffering from withdrawal after Nanjing and the Tal Memorial? Do not worry, the next top tournament has just started. It is the FIDE World Cup in Central Russia, a seven-stage knockout with 128 players in the starting ranks and a total prize fund of US $1.6 million. The event is an integral part of the World Championship Cycle 2009-2011. Participants and schedule.

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

The FIDE World Chess Cup is taking place in Khanty-Mansiysk from November 20th
to December 15th 2009. It is a seven-round knockout event with six rounds of
matches comprising two games per round, with the winners progressing to the
next round. The final seventh round consists of four games. The time control
is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of
the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move from move one. Games start
at 15:00h local time, which is GMT +5 hours = 11:00 a.m. European time = 5 a.m.
New York.

Tiebreaks: In case of a tie four tie-break games are played, with a time control
of 25 minutes for each player with an addition of 10 seconds after each move.
If the score is still tied a match of two games is played, with a time control
of five minutes plus three seconds increment after each move. In case of a level
score, the same match is repeated. If still there is no winner after five such
matches (total ten games), a single decisive sudden death game is played, according
to the following rules: the player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the
color. The player with the white pieces receives five minutes, the opponent
with the black pieces receives four minutes, with both players receiving an
increment of three seconds from move 61. In case of a draw the player with the
black pieces is declared the winner.

The World Chess Cup is an integral part of the World Championship Cycle 2009-2011.

Prize fund for the World Cup

Total: US $1,600,000. A payment of 20% from the total prize fund is made to
FIDE.

Schedule of the World Cup 2009:

The venue: Khanty-Mansiysk

The town is located about 1400 miles (2250 km) east of Moscow, just north of
Kazakhstan, on the Irtysh River, 15 km from its confluence with the Ob. The
name is pronounced "hanty-mansisk", with the first part rhyming with "hunty",
the second pronounced "mun-sisk". If you are up to it, pronounce the initial
"k" like the guttural "ch" in the German "Dach" or the Spanish "rojo". The Russian
original is Ха́нты-Манси́йск.

The original place was called Samarovsky Yam, and was founded in 1637 by 50
horse-drivers with their families. They set up camp on the right bank of the
Irtysh River, at the foot of steep mountains, with the thick cedar forest growing
on them.The settlement became known as Samarovo, and the town of Khanty-Mansiysk
originated from it.

View
Larger Map

Opening ceremony

The Opening Ceremony ook place in the House of Culture “Oktyabr”
on 20 November. The Governor of Khanty Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Alexander
Filipenko and the Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Zhukov
welcomed the participants. Zhukov called Khanty Mansiysk one of the chess capitals
in Russia. Beautiful chess palaces are to be constructed before the start of
the Chess Olympiad in 2010, which is to be held in this city.

A brass band from Khanty-Mansiysk opens the ceremony

The obligatory black-and-white (and maroon) chess ballet

A performer on the stage

Costumed models in the lobby...

The club “Druzhba” with its chess fashion show “Yugra chess”...

... young and talented designers from Nyagany Elena Goncharova,...

...Elena Chernysh, Ob-yugorsk theatre “Solnze”.

Beautiful chess players – a game with puppets

Players and vistors stand for the national anthem

All photos courtesy of FIDE

Participants

Pairings for the first round

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

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20.11.2009
– Viktor Korchnoi is an all time great of chess. He fought two world title matches against Anatoly Karpov and generously replayed a match he had won by default against Garry Kasparov. In December you can hear Korchnoi comments at the Chess Classic or play him in a simultaneous display. To get you in the mood tournament director Malcolm Pein has annotated a recent Korchnoi brilliancy.

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

The London Chess Classic 2009 is the highest level tournament in London for
25 years and will be the first in a series of events designed, according to
the organisers, "to increase enthusiasm for chess in the UK and promote
the game and its undoubted educational benefits in schools and communities."
It is also their objective to bring the World Chess Championship to London in
the Olympic year 2012.

Guest of Honour Viktor Korchnoi Simultaneous

Monday
14th December, 7:00pm

The London Chess Classic is delighted to announce that Viktor Korchnoi, one
of the all time greats of world chess, has agreed to be the tournament’s
Guest of Honour. Korchnoi still plays high level chess at the age of 78 and
recently played on board one for Switzerland at the European Team Championship.

Korchnoi fought two world title matches against Anatoly Karpov in 1978 and
1981 which captured the imagination of the world. A man who had defected from
the USSR and made into a non-person took on the might of the Soviet chess machine
while his son was imprisoned by the Communist authorities.

Even in defeat Korchnoi has shaped the future of chess. It should not be forgotten
that he sportingly agreed to play Garry Kasparov in a Candidates semi final
after the Soviets had refused to allow Kasparov to take part in the match in
Pasadena in 1984. Although he had already won by default, Korchnoi agreed to
play in London and Kasparov eventually won and went on to challenge Anatoly
Karpov.

Korchnoi’s longevity at the top level, nearly 50 years, is unparalleled.
Visitors to the London Chess Classic which takes place at Olympia from December
8-15 will be able to hear him comment on the games or take on the great man
in a simultaneous display at Olympia on Monday 14th at 7pm. You can enter here.

To put you in the mood for the London Chess Classic its initiator IM Malcolm
Pein has annotated a recent brilliancy by Viktor Korchnoi for us. There is a
replay button at the end of the game for our JavaScript board.

Korchnoi,V (2566) - Dizdarevic,E (2483) [A32]
17th TCh-Eur Novi Sad SRB (5), 26.10.2009 [Pein,Malcolm]

1.c4 e6. Korchnoi has occasionally favoured the development of the
bishop to g5 against the Hedgehog. Usually it goes to e3 or b2 1...c5 2.Nf3
Nf6 3.Nc3 b6 4.e4 d6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bb7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.Nxc6 Bxc6 9.Bg5 eventually
drawn Kortschnoj,V (2695)-Gheorghiu,F (2605)/London 1980/MCD (59). 2.Nc3
c5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6. Opting for a Hedgehog. 5...Nc6 and 5...Bb4
are more combative but there is nothing wrong with this of course [5...Bb4
6.Bg5 Nc6 7.Rc1 Qb6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 White won Kortschnoj,V-Furman,S/Moscow 1961/URS-ch
(43). 6.Bg5

6...b6 7.e4 h6. Black later regrets this but at this stage it makes
some sense to sideline the bishop slightly. 8.Bh4 d6 9.Bd3 Be7 10.Rc1 Bb7
11.Qe2 Nbd7 12.Bb1 Rc8 13.Bg3 Qc7 14.0-0

14...Qc5. Grabbing the c4 pawn in such positions is usually risky,
the queen can get into trouble. In this concrete age of computer pawn grabbing
it may be possible but most human players would reject it 14...Qxc4 15.Qd2 Qb4.
15.Qd1 0-0. With a pawn on h6 this is a little risky. Some alternatives
15...Qxc4 16.Nce2 Qb4 17.Rxc8+ Bxc8 18.Nc6 would certainly worry me; 15...Qh5!?;
15...h5 A computer suggestion to which it wittily suggests 16.Bh4 and not then
16...g5 17.Nb3. 16.Nb3 Qc7. 16...Qxc4?? 17.Nd5. 17.f4 Qb8 18.Qe2!
e4-e5 looms so Black prevents it but gives away a couple of big squares
and suddenly his position does not look like a Hedgehog anymore

18...e5 19.fxe5 Nxe5. 19...dxe5 20.Nd5 Rfe8. 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5.
Nd4-f5 is a serious threat and the bishop on b1 is doing rather better than
it's counterpart on b7. 21...Bg5. This helps the white attack.
21...g6 was the best defence. 22.Rc3 Rce8 23.Qc2 Ng6. 23...g6 24.h4
Bd8 25.h5. 24.h4 Be3+

Black is lost already h4-h5 is too strong 24...Be3+ 25.Kh2 h5 26.Rxf7
Rxf7 27.Qxg6 Rf6 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.Qxh5+ Kg8 30.Bh7+ Kf8 31.Bg6; 24...Be3+ 25.Kh2
f5 26.Rf3 Bc5 27.Nxc5 bxc5 28.Rxf5. 1-0. [Click
to replay]

The games will be under a classical chess time control: 40 moves in two hours,
20 in the subsequent hour then an additional 15 minutes plus an increment of
30 seconds a move until the end of the game. The tournament will further benefit
from the use of Sofia Rules which disallow early draws. Players will receive
three points for a win and one for a draw.

Tournament Schedule

The events below will run in conjunction with the London Classic, 7-15 December.
Details of entry fees and prizes are now available on http://www.londonchessclassic.com/festival_events.htm.
Online entries can now be made by clicking
here a form suitable for download will be available soon as well.

Tickets

The London Chess Classic 2009 will offer free admission to children for the
duration of the event which runs from December 8th to 15th. Adult tickets are
just £10 per day or just £50 for all seven rounds. Adult and junior
ticket holders receive admission to the tournament, plus a guaranteed seat in
the auditorium and access to the commentary room where some of the UK’s
leading Grandmasters will give insights into the play and answer questions.
You can buy tickets here or call +44-207-388-2404.

Links Official tournament site Full details in our previous report The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

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20.11.2009
– Some watched it live in the GUM mall in Moscow. You probably followed the action
on Playchess, perhaps with webcam images
from the official site running as well (they had a strange two-minute lag to
the game moves). Now you have a chance to see highlights of the World Blitz
Championship close up in video with a JavaScript
replay board. A unique experience – you don't want to miss it!

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

World
Blitz Championship – final pictorial report

This event was held on November 16, 17 and 18 in the showroom of the Red Square
mall GUM. Time controls were three minutes for the whole game + two seconds
increment per move. The event was a 22-player double round-robin, i.e. it had
a total of 42 rounds, which were played on three consecutive days. The participants
include the players from the Tal Memorial, plus twelve invitees. The average
rating was 2718 – quite remarkable for an evernt with so many players.

Videos of the Blitz games in Moscow

Posted on YouTube by Eugene Potemkin and Sergey Sorlkhtin

Below are six videos we have selected for you. As a special service you can
watch them together with the replayable games on our JavaScript board. Try it
out: start the video and click on the notation or the replay buttons to follow
the moves on the graphic chessboard. Note that you can pause the video at any
stage by pressing the Space bar on your computer keyboard. Pressing it again
will restart the video.

If you just want to watch the videos you can use the players below:

World Blitz Championship – the players enter for the round

Round 17 games between Shakh Mamedyarov and Vladimir Kramnik

Round 28: Magnus Carlsen vs Peter Svidler. This video was posted
by
Bumblebee1607 –
there are more on his YouTube channel.

The zeitnot phase of the round 30 game between Carlsen and Grischuk

Ten-minute video of the full round 34 game Carlsen vs Karjakin

The final phase of the round 37 game Mamedyarov vs Ivanchuk

Final standings (after 42 rounds)

    Click to get
a full table (with ratings, performance and tiebreaks)

Links Official tournament site (Russian) All games in PGN + all results + all ChessBase reports The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

Chessbase.com

Read Full Post »

19.11.2009
– "I fell ill," the winner of the super-strong 2009 Tal Memorial tournament reveals. "But for some reason I achieved my best results when I had to take tablets to control my temperature." Vladimir Kramnik speaks about his chances in the Candidates tournament, the cooperation Carlsen-Kasparov, and Anand's chances in Sofia. We have added a brief Aronian statement to this Sport Express interview.

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

World
Blitz Championship

This event was held on November 16, 17 and 18 in the showroom of the Red Square
mall GUM. Time controls were three minutes for the whole game + two seconds
increment per move. The event was a 22-player double round-robin, i.e. it had
a total of 42 rounds, which were played on three consecutive days. The participants
include the players from the Tal Memorial, plus twelve invitees. The average
rating was 2718 – quite remarkable for an event with so many players.

In the press

This conversation with the 14th world champion took place on the 11th floor
of Moscow’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, immediately after the end of the IV Tal
Memorial, which Vladimir Kramnik won in brilliant style.

It is especially nice to win in Moscow

Vladimir, first a few words about how the tournament went.

It was both very successful and rather strange. Straight after the first round
game against Carlsen, I fell ill. Usually in such a strong tournament, if you
are playing with a temperature, you cannot expect anything very good. But for
some reason, I played really well, despite the illness. Of course, I had prepared
for the event and felt that I was in quite good form, but it was still a surprise
for me that I achieved such a good result when I was ill and had to take tablets
to control my temperature before the games. That was a revelation.

A result of "plus 3" is fairly typical for the winner of category
21 tournaments. Kasparov won with the same score at Las Palmas 1996 and Topalov
at Bilbao 2008. Are you satisfied with the result, or could you have scored
even more points?

I think this was not only the strongest tournament of this year, but also
one of the strongest ever. Even so, I made my plus three with something to spare.
I could even have won a couple of other games. I was winning against Carlsen,
and also against Gelfand at one time. On the other hand, I had some luck at
some moments too. So I think the result was about right. And I would emphasise
that it is especially nice to win such a tournament in Moscow.

Were you not shocked at how feebly Anand lost to Aronian in the last
round?

I was. Especially because Anand is well-known for his good preparation. I
think it is likely that he has a bit of a complex about Aronian. He plays very
badly against him. Almost every player has his bogey opponents. I said to Levon
“Tell me, how come you manage to get Anand to play against you at the
strength of an Indian candidate master?” Aronian laughed and said: “You
pay me, and I’ll tell you!”. But joking aside, apart from this game,
Anand played very well in Moscow. He was competing for first place until the
last round, and the misfortune against Aronian does not in any way detract from
his high class.

Do you have any bogey opponents yourself?

Fortunately not. At one time it was Alexey Shirov, but I shook off this complex
and now have a plus score against him.

How do you like the rule, used here, that draws can only be agreed with
the permission of the arbiter?

It seems to me that this is an imaginary problem, but if the organisers do
not want players to agree an early draw, then it is better to have stricter,
the so-called Sofia rules. Because, with all due respect to the arbiters, I
do not understand why they allowed a draw to be agreed in the game Leko-Ivanchuk.
The final position was nothing like those envisaged in these rules. As it was
explained to me, while Leko was thinking whether to agree or not, he used up
almost all his time, and when he decided to accept Ivanchuk’s proposal,
the arbiters did not object, out of “humanitarian” reasons, since
he had so little time left. It is all a bit strange. And although such a problem
did not arise for me personally – I played out all my games to the very
end – I think that if you are going to have anti-draw sanctions, then
it is better not to give the players the opportunity to have negotiations at
the board.

How far do you think that the poor play of Svidler and Morozevich was
the result of their having played in the European Team Championships in Serbia?

Undoubtedly! Once you are over 30, it is difficult to play two tournaments
in a row at such a level. You just do not have the energy. Knowing this, I arranged
things so that I would have time to rest and prepare before the Tal Memorial.
But I will certainly play for the Russian team at the Olympiad, which is next
year in Khanty-Mansysk. That will be the main focus of my 2010 schedule, to
arrive there feeling completely fresh. And I hope the other team members will
do likewise, because if we are to win the Olympiad (which we very much want
to do!), then everybody needs to come to the event fully armed.

The work with Kasparov is very important for Carlsen

When you played in Dortmund, it was not know that Carlsen was working
with Kasparov, whereas by Moscow this was public knowledge. Now there is lots
of talk about how Kasparov has given him his database, with 17,000 variations,
and how much this helps the young Norwegian. What do you think?

All the talk about databases is just for the public (laughs). It makes no
difference. The issue is not about variations, but that at Carlsen’s age,
you have a lot of energy, a fresh head, and your system recovers quickly, but
you do not have so much knowledge and experience. Because of this, the older
players can come ahead of you. I remember that when I was 18 or 19, I could
occasionally beat Kasparov, but I still lacked knowledge and experience.

Of course, Kasparov, who played against us all in his time, can tell Magnus
how to play against Anand, Topalov or me, and what openings he should study,
and which ones don’t suit his style. I think their work together will
very much have the character of personal contact, which is very important for
a youngster. If I had had such a person, maybe I would have become world champion
earlier. Even before this relationship between Carlsen and Kasparov, it was
clear that the former had the talent of a champion, but this cooperation with
Kasparov can help him to gain the title more quickly, say not at 27, but 23.

Could Magnus become world champion at 20?

Maybe, maybe not. I cannot guarantee that he will even become world champion.
At the moment, many people say that Magnus is a future champion, as though it
will happen of its own accord. But it is not easy to become world champion.
To my mind, Magnus is still not as strong as some of the “old guys”,
like Anand, me and Topalov. And if there were to be, say, a match Aronian-Carlsen,
then at this moment, I would put my money on Aronian. However, I repeat –
that this youngster has world championship talent has been clear since he was
15.

Can you already feel the hand of Kasparov in Carlsen’s play?

I have not seen the results of any global chess work, although Magnus has
started to play the openings better. But such talent, of course, brings results.

The candidates’ tournament will be very strong

After this event, you have a rating gap of about 30 points over those
players who are competing with you for a place in the Candidates. Do you think
you are now 100% guaranteed a place?

Not yet 100%, but I am 99% there.

The make-up of the tournament could be something like this. Anand or
Topalov, Kamsky, Aronian, Carlsen, you, the World Cup winner (anybody’s
guess!), the Grand Prix runner-up (Gashimov, Radjabov, Wang Yue or Gelfand),
and one nominee of the organisers (Gashimov or Radjabov)...

If the event takes place in Baku…

Do you doubt this?

Yes, it seems to me that much could still change in FIDE’s plans. I am
used to this.

OK, but let’s assume the line-up is as stated above. How would
you rate your chances?

The tournament will be very strong, but no stronger than the one which has
just finished in Moscow. And I have the potential to win such a tournament.
But of course, I know very well that the other players you have named also have
such potential, so why debate it? I will prepare seriously, to win the event
and go through to a world championship match. I am positively inclined, but
there are no guarantees.

The Candidates will be run, I believe, as short matches. Does this format
suit you better than San Luis 2005 and Mexico 2007?

I am not thinking about this at present. In any case, whatever the format,
one must be well prepared and play well.

There is more than a year before the Candidates, so what are your plans
in the short term?

In two and a half weeks, I play the tournament in London, assuming I eventually
get a visa.

Are you having problems with that?

Yes, they are reluctant to give out visas to anyone right now. But I hope to
get it and play in London. Then I play Wijk aan Zee, where I have already signed
the contract. I very much hope to break some bad habits there, and firstly,
not to fall ill in Holland again, and secondly, to win the tournament. I won
it about ten years ago, and ever since, have always played badly. But this time,
I will take it very seriously. Then, as usual, Monaco. After that, it will depend
on the dates for the Candidates tournament. But in any case I will play the
Olympiad, where, I repeat, the Russian team will make every effort to secure
the gold medals.

Anand’s chances in Bulgaria will be sharply reduced

When I spoke to you in Dortmund in July, it was not clear where the Anand-Topalov
match would be held. Now we know it will be in Sofia. How do you rate each
player’s chances?

I would say that Anand is favourite, but Topalov will win. Now that the match
will be held in Bulgaria, the chances of the Indian retaining his title are
sharply reduced. Anand is an adult, and he takes responsibility for his own
affairs, but in his shoes, I would not have agreed to play in Sofia.

In one of his recent interviews, Morozevich said he does not find it
boring to play without Topalov, either in Moscow or anywhere else in the world.
Do you miss Topalov’s play?

I am already used to playing tournaments without Topalov. I am not invited
to tournaments which are under the control, or let us say, of his manager Mr
Danailov, whilst Topalov avoids tournaments where I am playing. But as I have
already said, I am happy to play against him. I have no reason to avoid playing
him.

If the Tal Memorial had been part of the Grand Slam, then as its winner,
you would automatically have been invited to the Masters event in Bilbao,
and there, more than likely, you would have met Topalov. What do you think
of such a prospect?

If the organisers of the Tal Memorial think they need this, then why not join
this system? But it seems to me that in terms of strength, organisation and
finance, the Moscow tournament has already become one of the most prestigious
in the world. One cannot say this of the Bilbao Masters – this year it
was cut down to just four players, and was a parody of a super-tournament. In
addition, all the organisation of the Grand Slam is under Danailov’s influence,
and accordingly, they only invite their chosen few players. There is no objectivity
at all in who plays and who does not play. If they want to be a real grand slam,
then politics and personal preferences should be put to one side and not influence
objective factors. So I have a sceptical view of their Grand Prix.

• Interview
  in Sport Express by Yuri Vasiliev (18.11.2009)
  Translated by Steve Giddins

Levon Aronian: "When you are sick you do not feel like playing chess"

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian said that the reason for his uneven performance
at the Tal Memorial was illness. The top Armenian player finished on 4th-5th
place, together with World Champion Viswanathan Anand. "After the fourth
round game against Magnus Carlsen," Aronian said, "I felt ill. My
final result, even if I hadn't won my last-round game, would have been quite
satisfactory. It is difficult to play when you have a headache, a sore throat
and a cold. This makes it hard to compete in a sporting event. When you are
sick you do not feel like playing chess.

In the final (ninth) round of the Tal Memorial Aronian defeated the reigning
world champion Viswanathan Anand of India in 25 moves with the black pieces.
"I am very surprised at this victory over Anand. We all have bad days,
and there is nothing we can do about it," said Aronian. – Source:
Regnum (Russian)

Links Official tournament site (Russian) All games in PGN + all results + all ChessBase reports The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

Read Full Post »

19.11.2009
– "Until recently I was a schoolboy," says a candid Magnus Carlsen, "I am not very accustomed to rigid, hard and painstaking work. Only by working with Garry Kasparov have I become aware of just how important it is." The 18-year-old winner of the 2009 World Blitz Championship, and the inofficial world number one player, gives credit where it's due in this Vremya (Time) interview.

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

World
Blitz Championship

This event was held on November 16, 17 and 18 in the showroom of the Red Square
mall GUM. Time controls were three minutes for the whole game + two seconds
increment per move. The event was a 22-player double round-robin, i.e. it had
a total of 42 rounds, which were played on three consecutive days. The participants
include the players from the Tal Memorial, plus twelve invitees. The average
rating was 2718 – quite remarkable for an evernt with so many players.

In the press

Magnus Carlsen: I am constantly in touch with Kasparov

In Moscow yesterday the traditional Mikhail Tal Memorial ended, which brought
together almost all the strongest Grandmasters in the world. First, ten players
played in the tournament (first place was taken by Vladimir Kramnik) and then
22 players contested the world championship for blitz, which ended in the victory
of 18-year-old Magnus Carlsen. Ever since the Norwegian appeared on the chess
horizon, when at the age of 13 he was awarded the title of International Grandmaster,
he has been constantly in the eye of the game’s enthusiasts and professionals.
The Scandinavian’s rise has been meteoric. It took him just five years
to enter the world elite. After a recent appearance in the Chinese city of Nanjing,
the young Viking has passed the elite 2800 rating mark and is second only to
Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. Upon completion of the Tal Memorial, the second
prize winner of the main tournament and the new world blitz champion Magnus
Carlsen responded to questions from "Time News" correspondent Oleg
Stetsko.

How, in your opinion, does the Mikhail Tal Memorial compare with other
international super-tournaments in which you have taken part?

Very, very highly. I was glad to play in Russia's capital at this Memorial
to a really great chess player. I liked it not only because the organizers managed
to gather a very strong line-up and invited nearly all the best players in the
world. Similar things happen at some other traditional tournaments, such as
the Dutch Wijk aan Zee or Linares in Spain. Most of all, I received lots of
positive emotions because of the possibility of contact with the rich chess
and cultural traditions, not only of Moscow, but also throughout Russia as a
whole. So when I got the opportunity to play in your capital, I was doubly pleased.

Are you familiar with the legacy and play of Mikhail Tal, who, by the
way, was the youngest world champion in chess history?

Of course. I know, and have analyzed the games of not only Tal. I have studied
the play and the manner of all world champions, as well as many other strong
players of different eras.

What explains your somewhat lethargic play in the first part of the Memorial?
After such a strong performance at the super-tournament in Nanjing, which
you won by a big margin over your closest competitors, Moscow was expecting
something similar from Carlsen.

I do not want to make excuses to the audience and the demanding Moscow chess
fans for my slow start. For good play, several important components need to
come together at once. The first few days I played, I was sick. I was obviously
unwell, and in this state, of course, lacked energy. Feeling so unwell, I could
not play to win.

It is well known that this year you have been collaborating with Garry
Kasparov. How did this come about and how often do you meet with our grandmaster?

Kasparov and I had two short training sessions in the spring, then trained
for two weeks in Croatia. This was in August. Then we worked for a few days
in September. But in general, we have regular contact by email or Skype.

Almost all elite grandmasters attach great importance to opening preparation.
It would be interesting to know your opinion on this matter. After all, in
one interview you said that you never liked to study opening theory and do
so only as much as you need to get a normal position.

In principle, I do and always did understand that it is important to play the
opening well. However, only by working with Garry Kasparov have I become aware
of just how important it is. I'm still fairly young, until recently I was a
schoolboy, and therefore I am not very accustomed to rigid, hard and painstaking
work. And opening preparation is very heavy, exhausting work.

What are your plans for the coming competitions?

I'll play in London, where I am invited to a good round robin tournament of
seven rounds. Then, in January of next year I will play in Wijk aan Zee.

Assess your chances in the fight for the title of world champion. Is
the current cycle not your your time?

For me, short-term plans are more important. I do not look that far ahead.
What will be, will be. It is all the more difficult to plan for something in
particular, in the unstable conditions of the current leadership of the international
federation. When I am the best chess player the world, then I will make my plans.
In the meantime, Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik are both still very
strong.

• Original
  Vremya (Time) article in Russian (translation by Steve Giddins)

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