World Chess Championship 2013 Viswanathan Anand vs Magnus Carlsen at Chennai Hyatt Regency
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Saturday, November 23, 2013

World Chess Championship 2013 Parallel Chess Events: Aravindh Chithambaram wins Chennai Chess Open

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog Saturday, November 23, 2013
FIDE Master V R Aravindh Chithambaram has won the Chennai Grandmaster International Open Chess tournament held alongside the Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship Match. Aravindh won the event with nine points in 11 rounds and earned the winner's trophy along with a cash award of Rs two lakh.

Grandmasters Neverov Valeriy (Ukraine) and S P Sethuraman (India) shared the second spot with 8.5 points.

Half a point away were GMs Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, V Vishnu Prasanna (both India) and Borovikov Vladislav (Ukraine). Borovikov beat Indian GM Lalith Babu with an exciting Queen sacrifice.

Fourteen-year-old Aravindh, who already has won National titles in Under 11, 13 and 19 sections, is also an Under-14 silver medal winner at the World Youth Chess Championship. His elo 2728 performance rating here got him 80 elo points taking him past the 2400 mark.

Earlier, 15-year-old Chennai boy B Kumaran made an International Master Norm, bringing the Norms tally (2 GM Norms, 6 IM Norms, 1 WIM Norm) here to nine.

This GM event, sponsored by the Government of Tamil Nadu, carries a total prize fund of Rs 10 lakh, including cash awards for top 35 players and cash prizes for various categories.

Final Standings: 1 V R Aravindh Chithambaram (India) 9, 2-3 Neverov Valeriy (Ukr), S P Sethuraman (Ind) 8.5, 4-6 Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, V Vishnu Prasanna (both India), Borovikov Vladislav (Ukr) 8, 7-8 Mozharov Mikhail (Rus), Babujian Levon (Arm) 7.5, 9-10 M R Lalith Babu (Ind), Mirzoev Azer (Aze) 7.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Magnus Carlsen Dethrones Viswanathan Anand to become World Chess Champion 2013

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog Friday, November 22, 2013
Five-time title-holder Viswanathan Anand's reign as the world chess champion came to an end today with Norway's Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship Match. 
 


Carlsen, who will be 23 years on 30th November, closed the championship with two games to spare by taking his tally to required 6.5 points out of a possible ten, winning three and drawing seven games.

In what could be marked as the dawn of a new era in the chess world, Carlsen showed stellar effort yet again by not going for a tame draw when one was enough for him to take the title home.

Instead, the Norwegian made Anand suffer for a long and gruelling four hours and forty five minutes before the Indian could heave a sigh of relief in what was the most one-sided world championship match in modern history.

Anand had won the world championship title five times -- 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 -- but ironically was dethroned in his home town of Chennai.

In a dubious first, this was the only time that Anand failed to win a single game in a world chess championship match.

Starting with his journey in 1991, Anand had always scored at least one victory in each of the matches that he played in the last 22 years.
 


Carlsen was in his elements right through the tenth game getting what he wanted out of the opening and then pursuing on his favourite mission on grinding out opponent. Anand, this time, did not collapse and came up with some fantastic defense he is known for to steer the game to a draw.

Anand, on expected lines, employed the Sicilian defense and faced the Moscow variation that Carlsen had employed before.

There were no surprises earlier as both players opted for routine theory and it was a Maroczy bind structure on board after Carlsen came up with a check on move three, parting with his light squared Bishop for a knight.

On move 14, Carlsen took back Anand’s light Bishop to even things up and it was again a slow grind thereafter that has been hallmark of Carlsen’s play in this match.

With two minor pieces off the board, the position had only a minuscule advantage for white but Carlsen did not go for the draw. It was on the 21st move that many pundits believed both players will be happy to repeat moves.
 


Carlsen for obvious reasons and Anand because there was not much hope. However, the Norwegian was the first to deviate from a possible repetition.

Anand found some solace after trading another set of minor pieces but the pressure remained on the Indian. Carlsen went for his final liquidation plan on the 28th move when he pushed his king pawn to fifth rank. Anand temporarily parted with a pawn and recovered it some moves later but this led the game to a pure knight and pawns endgame.

To make matters worse for Anand, Carlsen retained his small advantage as his king quickly walked over to the king side and penetrated the fifth rank. Anand’s knight and king were confined to the defense and to stop further damage.
 
The players reached the first time control in just three hours when 40 moves were completed but by then it was also clear that either Carlsen will win or it will be a draw. In either case Anand’s campaign was coming to an end and it was a pretty unpleasant task for the five times world champion.

As the game progressed both the players were engrossed in their own ways. Anand showed some signs of nervousness while Carlsen at one point leaned like ‘the Crocodile’ he wants to be if he was an animal. Relaxed but ready to eat the prey when they came its way.

The situation took another dramatic turn on the 46th move when Carlsen sank in to a long thought. The Norwegian looked at the possibilities of sacrificing his last remaining pieces and this is what he did a couple of moves later. In return, Anand lost all his pawns and the players promoted new queens on the board.

Anand had an extra Knight but Carlsen had Queen and a couple of dangerous looking pawns on the queen side.

Finding just the right moves, Anand forced an exchange pretty soon leading to a forced draw. The epic game lasted 65 moves.

Apart from the winning the title, Carlsen will also take home 60 per cent of around Rs. 14 crore as part of his winner’s purse.

The final score stood 6.5 - 3.5 in favour of Magnus Carlsen. -- PTI/Photos Anastasia Karlovich/official website
Game 10 Moves
Magnus Carlsen - Viswanathan Anand 1/2-1/2

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 a6 6. Bxd7+ Bxd7 7. c4 Nf6 8. Bg5 e6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. O-O Bc6 11. Qd3 O-O 12. Nd4 Rc8 13. b3 Qc7 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Rac1 h6 16. Be3 Nd7 17. Bd4 Rfd8 18. h3 Qc7 19. Rfd1 Qa5 20. Qd2 Kf8 21. Qb2 Kg8 22. a4 Qh5 23. Ne2 Bf6 24. Rc3 Bxd4 25. Rxd4 Qe5 26. Qd2 Nf6 27. Re3 Rd7 28. a5 Qg5 29. e5 Ne8 30. exd6 Rc6 31. f4 Qd8 32. Red3 Rcxd6 33. Rxd6 Rxd6 34. Rxd6 Qxd6 35. Qxd6 Nxd6 36. Kf2 Kf8 37. Ke3 Ke7 38. Kd4 Kd7 39. Kc5 Kc7 40. Nc3 Nf5 41. Ne4 Ne3 42. g3 f5 43. Nd6 g5 44. Ne8+ Kd7 45. Nf6+ Ke7 46. Ng8+ Kf8 47. Nxh6 gxf4 48. gxf4 Kg7 49. Nxf5+ exf5 50. Kb6 Ng2 51. Kxb7 Nxf4 52. Kxa6 Ne6 53. Kb6 f4 54. a6 f3 55. a7 f2 56. a8=Q f1=Q 57. Qd5 Qe1 58. Qd6 Qe3+ 59. Ka6 Nc5+ 60. Kb5 Nxb3 61. Qc7+ Kh6 62. Qb6+ Qxb6+ 63. Kxb6 Kh5 64. h4 Kxh4 65. c5 Nxc5 1/2-1/2

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Knight's Betrayal: Moment of Excitement, Moment of Irresponsibility, says Anand for Game 9

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog Thursday, November 21, 2013
Game 9 Press Conference at Chennai World Chess Championship Match 2013: His title defense in tatters after suffering another loss, world chess champion Viswanathan Anand today said he was left with little choice and decided to go for the kill in the ninth game as he had to drastically change the course of the World Chess Championship Match. 

Going into the ninth game today with a two-game deficit, Anand said he had to give it a shot. 

“In general, the match situation did not leave me with much of a choice. I had to give it a shot, I saw a couple of moments where I could exit but I decided to give it a shot. It seemed very dangerous for black,” the defending champion said. 

The Indian Grandmaster mentioned it was a moment of excitement that led to the blunder. “In a sense it was irresponsible or silly but I spent about 40 minutes on this move and then I suddenly saw his response. And for a second I got excited with this knight move (which was the blunder) and simply missed. As soon as I played the knight move I saw what I had done,” the Indian conceded. *28.Nf1 played in position on the left instead of 28.Bf1

Explaining the match situation, Anand said he had no regrets about his choice of opening. “I needed to change the course of the match drastically that’s why I went for this. I had a rest day to get familiar with the lines. Basically this is what I had to do. This was the correct choice so I have no regrets for that,” he noted. 

When asked whether he still will go for the kill in the last three games, Anand said he will try. “Of course, I will try but the situation doesn’t look very good,” he said. 

As soon as the ninth game ended, giving Magnus Carlsen an unassailable three points lead, highly regarded British grandmaster Nigel Short came out with a tweet: End of an era. 

Carlsen showed to the world that his maturity is not confined to the 64 squares in the post-game conference when the question was posed to him. After a usual poise, came the answer. “Let’s be correct this time,” indicating that the match is not over yet. (Unfortunately, a journalist decided to ask that question to Anand even though the tweet was meant for the GM's own Twitter followers.)


The Norwegian agreed that he was even scared for the first time in the match. 

“Basically all the time I was scared, white’s position looks menacing. I had to calculate as best as could and go with that. It seems that there wasn’t any mate (checkmate),” Carlsen said. 

Speaking about his choices in the game, Carlsen said that it was quite complicated. “We got a very sharp position from the opening. Basically I missed something with e5, in general I would like to block the pawns but there too he has options,” he added. 

Looking for the counter play, the Norwegian hit back on the queen side. “I just had to go all out for counter play and there were amazing number of complicated lines, I was not sure what to do. As it happened I had to play the only moves for a long time and fortunately for me he (Anand) blundered.” 

After his third victory in just nine games, Carlsen is now just a draw away from dethroning Anand who has remained the undisputed world champion since 2007. -- PTI/Photos by Anastasiya Karlovich/official website


Challenger Magnus Carlsen closed in on the World Chess Champion crown after defeating defending champion Viswanathan Anand in the ninth game of the World Chess Championship match in Chennai today.

On what turned out be a dramatic affair, Anand missed out on his chances with White pieces and suffered a painful defeat that almost sealed the fate of the match.

Carlsen now leads 6-3 and needs just half a point from the remaining three games to become the new world chess champion.

It was a Nimzo Indian defense that Carlsen chose as Black and Anand, realising well that this was his last chance for a strike, went for the Saemisch variation.




Anand had used this system before, in the World Chess Championship match against Vladimir Kramnik, and later in a gem of a match against Wang Hao of China.

Carlsen showed some signs of nervousness in the early stages of the middlegame after he went for a line that is not favoured at top level chess. Anand got his chances by way of a Kingside attack while Carlsen had no option, but to push harder on the other flank. The position in the middlegame looked very dangerous for Carlsen, but with precise calculations, he kept himself in the game.




Even till the end of the game, Carlsen's Queen and one Bishop remained on the initial squares as mere spectators to the proceedings, while he defended his position with all other available resources.

On the 22nd move, Anand had about 25 minutes more than Carlsen and optically dominating position, but the Norwegian World No. 1 had calculated that his King was guarded against any checkmate threats.

On the 23rd move, Anand spent nearly 40 minutes and decided to continue the attack instead of equalising once again. This was more to do with match situation as Anand had things under control but another drawn result would not have improved the match situation.

The 28-move game gave the World No. 1 a three-point lead in the Match. At the start, Viswanathan Anand played 1.d4 for the first time in the match. The challenger and world’s top rated player responded with his trusted Nimzo-Indian defence.

Anand repeated the line that he has already used in the match with Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn 2008. Black was obviously well prepared, as he made a rare recapture on move 7 (exd5 instead of more common Nxd5) and then immediately closed the Queenside with 8…c4.

Anand got the pawns rolling towards the Black King, while Carlsen created a passed pawn on b3, deep within opponent’s territory. Anand spent around 30 minutes to calculate complicated lines before going all in with 23.Qf4.

White went directly for the checkmate and Black promoted a new queen on b1. However, playing too quickly, Anand erred with 28.Nf1, which effectively concluded the game after Carlsen’s reply 28…Qe1.

Carlsen is now leading 6-3 and needs only one draw in the remaining three games to claim the title of FIDE World Chess Champion. -- PTI/Official website


Game 9 moves
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"] - [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "0-1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. e3 c4 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. g4 O-O 11. Bg2 Na5 12. O-O Nb3 13. Ra2 b5 14. Ng3 a5 15. g5 Ne8 16. e4 Nxc1 17. Qxc1 Ra6 18. e5 Nc7 19. f4 b4 20. axb4 axb4 21. Rxa6 Nxa6 22. f5 b3 23. Qf4 Nc7 24. f6 g6 25. Qh4 Ne8 26. Qh6 b2 27. Rf4 b1=Q+ 28. Nf1 Qe1 0-1



Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013 Parallel Events: Chennai Chess Open - International Master Mikhail Mozharov of Russia is in sole lead with seven points after eight rounds at the Chennai Grandmaster International Open Chess Tournament being held at Nehru Stadium in celebration of the World Chess Championship Match. 

Indian talent, 14-year-old FM VR Aravindh Chithambaram shares the second spot with Indian GM Vishnu Prasanna at 6.5 points. In upsets of the day (on Wednesday), top seed GM Popov Ivan of Russia lost to GM Vishnu Prasanna (India), while IM Swayams Mishra (India) stunned GM Babujian Levon (Armenia).

Important Results (Round 8) : (Indians unless specified): Aravindh Chithambaram (6.5) drew with Mozharov Mikhail (Rus) 7, V Vishnu Prasanna (6.5) bt Popov Ivan (Rus) 5.5, Rishi Sardana (Aus) 5 lost to M R Lalith Babu (6), Swayams Mishra (6) bt Babujian Levon (Arm) 5, Papin Vasily (Rus) 5.5 drew with Neverov Valeriy (Ukr) 5.5, Ter-Sahakyan Samvel (Arm) 5.5 bt S Ravi Teja (5), Gagare Shardul (4.5) lost to Borovikov Vladislav (Ukr) 5.5, Sethuraman S P (5.5) bt Narayanan Srinath (4.5), Aditya Udeshi (4.5) lost to M Shyam Sundar (5.5). The playing format of the tournament is 11-round Swiss and the total prize fund is 16,000 USD. -- AICF/PTI
Chess currently has its highest profile for years - with millions gripped by the world championship. But one attempt to capitalise on this interest - a Norway versus the Rest of the World match - has been abandoned due to online sabotage.

Kjetil Kolsrud, the Managing Editor of Norway's Aftenposten newspaper, thought a Norway versus the Rest of the World online crowdsourced match would boost audience engagement and be a bit of fun. That's not how it turned out. "It didn't take long for chat rooms to fill up with pranksters," says Kolsrud. People in Norway - and the rest of the world respectively - had one hour to decide each move. Each hour, the most popular move would be played. Anyone with an IP address in Norway would play for team Norway; anyone outside, for the Rest of the World.

The online match was timed to run alongside the tournament between India's Viswanathan Anand and Norway's Magnus Carlsen in Chennai, India. It kicked off at 10:00 Norwegian time on Monday, and was expected to last four days. Norwegians were encouraged to tweet using the hashtag #apsjakk and the Rest of the World, #apchess.

But within hours the Aftenposten team noticed some suspiciously bad moves by the Rest of the World. After 12 hours, they closed the game entirely, citing abuse. Kolsrud says this appears to have been stoked by one specific online forum - which has now been removed.

A number of the tweets allege Norwegians were using fake proxy servers to deliberately make bad moves on behalf of the opposition. But many of those accusations come from accounts with very little activity prior to this, suggesting they may not be genuine. Another theory is that disgruntled Indian fans may be to blame - keen to shut down the game in revenge for Anand being behind in the real tournament.

Crowdsourced chess games are common - Gary Kasparov famously took on the Rest of the World, and won - but their sabotage is new. "These type of matches are a great way to popularise the game and are usually very successful," says Susan Polgar, the first woman grandmaster, and one of the four official commentators of the World Championships. "It's just sad and disappointing that people would try to sabotage like this." -- Cordelia Hebblethwaite/BBC
All India Chess Federation Press Release November 20, 2013: Game nine is set to define the Viswanathan Anand - Magnus Carlsen World Chess Championship Match 2013 in Chennai. The score reads 5-3 in favour of the Norwegian World No. 1. 

Eight games have been played so far. Four games are left to be played. Viswanathan Anand needs to draw level to force a tiebreak, unless of course, either of the two reach the magical score of 6.5 and take the title in the classical time-control games.

Aggression, attack, positive play are the options left for the World Chess Champion according to the experts. Anand will be expected to play sharp and also hopefully for the Indians, reduce the deficit. Anand has scored 3.5/4 in a world championship match at Tehran 2000. He will need to repeat that to keep the title.

Carlsen who is enjoying a double point lead is sitting pretty. People in Norway are expecting a new world chess champion soon enough. 

Indian fans, scribes and even people from the chess fraternity are nervous about what Anand is doing in the match. Two games down, he quietly takes two easy games.

Great champions keep a cool at difficult moments. Anand belongs to that genius category. While watching a cricket match, with the required run rate huge, a champion called M.S. Dhoni walks in and blocks the first ball. Then he goes for the calculated assault. That is what Anand will be doing. Risking himself in game seven and eight would have spoilt his chance as he is still thinking about game five and six in the back of his mind. Now, he will be “trying” from game nine.

Prize fund: The winner will receive Rs.8.40 crores and the loser will get Rs.5.60 crores. The entire prize fund is sponsored by the Tamil Nadu Government who have offered a budget of Rs.29 crores.

The winner will keep the title until next year. The loser will play in the Candidates Tournament at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia along with seven others from Feb-Mar 2014. The winner of this Candidates tournament will play the winner of the Anand versus Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013.

If Magnus Carlsen wins the World Chess Championship 2013, he will become the 20th player in chess history of world chess championships since 1886 to do so. Anand, who should be hoping to make a big turnaround in the match, will win it for the sixth time if he does so. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Award-Winning Documentary 'Algorithms' Screening in Chennai at Anand - Carlsen World Chess Match 2013

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Four years in the making, a unique documentary on young blind chess players from India made by British filmmaker Ian McDonald and an Indian team to screen at the World Chess Championship in Chennai.

A film by Ian McDonald
India | 2012 | HDV | B&W | 96 mins
English, Hindi, Tamil, Odiya with English subtitles
produced by Geetha J.


The award-winning documentary Algorithms, directed by sports sociologist and documentarian Ian McDonald will be screened at the FIDE World Chess Championship 2013.

This one-off special screening presented by FIDE, AICF and TNSCA will be held at 4 pm on 21 Nov, 2013 at the Abbotsbury Ballroom (next to Media Centre), Hotel Hyatt Regency, the venue of the championship. Director Ian McDonald and Geetha J, the producer of the film will be present for the screening.

Algorithms (2012 / 96mins) is a feature documentary on young blind chess players from India. Filmed over three years from just before the World Junior Blind Chess Championship in Sweden in 2009 to just after the next championship in Greece in 2011, it follows three talented boys from different parts of India and a totally blind player turned pioneer who not only aims to situate India on a global stage but also wants all blind children to play chess.

The film, which has received critical acclaim and picked up awards at film festivals all over the world, is Ian’s first feature documentary and the first ever feature documentary on blind chess. Ian, who recently joined Newcastle University, UK, as a Lecturer in Film Practice, commented:

“The response to Algorithms has been amazing wherever it has screened. Audiences have been really taken with the subject matter, but most of all, it is the compelling characters in the film that seem to have captivated people. I am really looking forward to seeing what the audience in this chess championship make of the extraordinary young blind chess players of India!”

Screening is free to all but donations are welcome as all proceeds will go towards creating a high spec “Audio Narration” to make the film accessible to the blind and visually impaired community.




Contact:
TNSCA – Press Officer R.R.Vasudevan 919840251675
AICF – Press Officer Arvind Aaron 919840053063
Algorithms – Producer Geetha J 919447744864
Information:

About the film:

In India, a group of boys dream of becoming Chess Masters, driven by a man with a vision. But this is no ordinary chess and these are no ordinary players. Algorithms is a documentary on the thriving but little known world of Blind Chess in India.

Filmed over three years from just before the World Junior Blind Chess Championship in Sweden in 2009 to just after the next championship in Greece in 2011, it follows three talented boys from different parts of India and a totally blind player turned pioneer who not only aims to situate India on a global stage but also wants all blind children to play chess.

Algorithms travels with the chess players to competitive tournaments and visits them in their home milieu where they reveal their struggles, anxieties and hopes. It moves through the algorithms of the blind chess world reminding the sighted of what it means to see. Going beyond sight and story, this observational sport doc with a difference elicits hidden realms of subjectivity. It allows for the tactile and thoughtful journey that explores foresight, sight and vision to continue long after the moving image ends.

Algorithms is the first ever feature documentary on Blind Chess.

Awards for Algorithms:

• Won the Prix du Patrimoine Culturel Immateriel at the Jean Rouch International Film Festival in Paris, Nov 2013.

• Won the prestigious Ram Bahadur Trophy for Best Film at Film South Asia 2013, Kathmandu, Nepal in Oct 2013.

The citation for the Ram Bahadur Tamang Trophy for Best Film that Algorithms received at Film South Asia:
Once in a while, a film comes along that can surprise with the elegance it evokes through simplicity. For telling a simple, moving story that delivers us, right from the outset, into the thick of the extraordinary universe of a handful of blind boys dreaming of becoming International Grand Masters in chess; for its fluid narration of the practical barriers they need to overcome and the enabling human bonds that mitigate their disability; for taking us close to a demonstration that fingers can ‘see’; for its dispassionate humour in noting the tensions of the sighted as against the restraint of the sightless players; and for magically and incrementally evoking deep emotions out of singularly non-narrative material rendered in the fluent abstraction of B&W, the Jury picked Algorithms, from India, by Ian McDonald. The Jury also felt compelled to remark on the grace and near balletic finesse of the camera-work that, throughout, hardly seemed intrusive and the seamless editing that gave the film a poetic quality.

Jury Chairman Sadanand Menon, distinguished art and film critic, India
Shahidul Alam, internationally renowned photographer and curator from Dhaka
Sapana Sakya, Public Media Director at the Center for Asian American Media, Kathmandu

• Received Special Mention in Best Documentary Category at Durban International Film Festival, S.Africa in July 2013.

• Won the Audience Prize at the RAI International Festival of Ethnographic Films, Edinburgh, UK in June 2013.

Screening History:
International Film Festival of India, Goa, India – Nov 2012
Sydney Film Festival, Australia – June 2013
International Short and Documentary Film Festival, Kerala, India – June 2013
RAI International Festival of Ethnographic Films, Edinburgh, UK – June 2013
Durban International Film Festival, S.Africa – July 2013
Film South Asia 2013, Kathmandu, Nepal – Oct 2013
International Festival of Ethnographic Films, Belgrade, Serbia – Oct 2013
NAFA Film Festival, Bilbao, Spain – Oct 2013
Asiatica Film Mediale, Rome, Italy – Oct 2013
Jean Rouch International Film Festival, Paris, France – Nov 2013
International Children’s Film Festival of India, Hyderabad, India – Nov 2013
Cinecity, the Brighton Film Festival, UK – Nov 2013

About the Director:
Dr Ian McDonald is a documentary filmmaker and sociologist based in the UK. His seemingly effortless ‘way of seeing’ has resulted in beautifully shot and carefully observed documentaries with a difference. Previous films include Inside the Kalari on martial art kalarippayattu, Brighton Bandits on a gay football team, Melancholic Constellations on the art of William Kentridge and Justin on a forgotten man and a campaign in his name.

About the Producer:
Dr Geetha J began her career as a journalist, critic and media professional based in India. Keen on yoking theory and practice, Geetha turned to filmmaking with her first film Woman With A Video Camera from Kerala. She received the Goteborg International Film Festival’s Development Fund for her first feature script that is now complete. Her experience as a producer includes several documentaries in the UK and India.

Contact for film:
Ian McDonald
0044 7828637358
ian.interventions@gmail.com, info@algorithmsthedocumentary.com
Geetha J / AkamPuram:
0091 9447744864
geetha@akampuram.net, info@akampuram.net

Website:
www.algorithmsthedocumentary.com

* Older post on Chess Magazine Black and White
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen's teachers Simen Agdestein and Torbjoern Ringdal Hansen on the "curious, restless and ambitious" chess prodigy from Norway:

"The first facet of Magnus which struck me was his amazing memory. He could recall almost everything that he heard, read or was shown. Which meant that I couldn't actually read out the same passage of the book more than once. By the second time, he would be telling me what was written even before I started reading. He made rapid strides in his game within a year and his incredible improvement left me quite amazed. Today he is of course a lot more confident as a player," says 34-year-old Torbjoern, who is part of Team Carlsen.

"I remember an instance when I was delivering an online lecture to the national U-20 team, Carlsen scrambled up the chair beside me, curious. I let him join me. I cannot help but admit that during the course of the entire lecture, I was actually hoping he would not be pressing all the keys. He was just restless. I can see that restlessness in him even now, restlessness to win."

While Torbjoern trained the 22-year old challenger to the world title for a year, it was under Simen's decade-long tutelage that Carlsen found his footing. "I think he could be a little nervous since it's his maiden World Championship match, at least I am", says Simen, before pausing to add, "I trained him for 10 years till he finished high school. To me, Magnus is playing chess the way we talked about when he was nine and discussed what a world No. 1 would play like in the era after Kasparov. More practical, less computer chess."


Simen, who is in Chennai to witness the match, is still recovering from a dislocated jaw which he suffered after falling over a lumber. Brother of Carlsen's manager Espen, the 46 year-old feels the match will be all about nerves. "Being well-rested before the games and handling of the nerves will hold the key."

Having had a run-in with Anand during the world junior championship in 1987, Simen only knows too well what could possibly be in store for Carlsen. "I first met Anand in Luzern in 1982. He beat Norwegian player Leif Ogaard in our match against India. He was fast. Supersonic actually. His experience, I think will be invaluable in a match of such intense pressure. Playing with white though, looks like an advantage for Magnus during the course of the match to me," says Simen.

While both Simen and Torbjoern continue to train students in the sport in Norway, they are both agreed that it would be a while before another young Carlsen walks up to them curious, restless and ambitious. -- As told to Susan Ninan/Times of India




Mumbai Kids Crazy about Magnus Carlsen

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog
Chess fans are having a great time watching two quite friendly chess superstars fight it out for the World Chess Championship in Chennai this November. Here's a fun video by IBN Live speaking to young chess fans from Mumbai. Yes, Magnus Carlsen's got chess fans in India as well. 







* Pyjama Girls

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Game 8 1/2-1/2, Carlsen Leads 5-3: How Dangerous will be an Injured Tiger in Game 9? (World Chess Match)

Posted by World Chess Championship 2013 News Blog Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Game 8 Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 Magnus Carlsen - Viswanathan Anand 1/2-1/2: Is an injured tiger more dangerous than a tiger looking for prey? We have four games remaining to find out the answer to that! Game 8 at the Chennai World Chess Championship on Tuesday was a quick draw. That leaves Magnus Carlsen still in lead with a score of 5-3. 



Four games are still to be played in the World Chess Championship Match if Viswanathan Anand is to force a tiebreak. Wednesday is the rest day and Anand returns with White in Game 9 on Thursday.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen now needs only three draws or 1.5 points from four games to become the next World Chess Champion. 


Game 8 - lasting just 75 minutes and 33 moves - saw Carlsen fire off his moves in only 20 minutes. The only excitement of the game was that Magnus Carlsen battled his own poison - the Berlin - that he uses as a weapon when playing with Black against 1.e4. Anand played took the same route against Carlsen in Game 8.

From Carlsen’s perspective, the draw takes the Norwegian a step closer to the title. Magnus Carlsen played 1.e4 for the first time in the Match. Quick exchanges followed and the chess board came down to pawns and Kings grid-locked in a draw. 


Speaking at the press conference, World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand said, "Given the match situation I am expected to liven things up, I will try to do it in the next game."

Dr Jana Bellin conducted the doping tests on the players after the end of Game 8 as part of the FIDE endeavour to become a part of the Olympic family. Anand side-stepped the subject of doping tests at the press conference and went straight to discussing the game of the day.  -- Rajat Khanna

An interesting article on doping in chess).
Game 8 Moves 
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. Bf4 d5 14. Bd3 g6 15. Nd2 Ng7 16. Qe2 c6 17. Re1 Bf5 18. Bxf5 Nxf5 19. Nf3 Ng7 20. Be5 Ne6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Ne5 Re8 23. Ng4 Qd8 24. Qe5 Ng7 25. Qxe8+ Nxe8 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8 27. Nf6+ Kf8 28. Nxe8 Kxe8 29. f4 f5 30. Kf2 b5 31. b4 Kf7 32. h3 h6 33. h4 h5 ½-½



Ever wondered how you get those amazing photographs of top chess players even though the photographers have barely the first few minutes to take shots after the game starts? 

Ray Morris-Hill (Photo courtesy of Will Sowter) is a creative 'camera artist' who has wow-ed chess lovers over the last several years with his photos of top chess stars like Viswanathan Anand, Magnus Carlsen, Judit Polgar and others - particularly at the London Chess Classic. 

Ray Morris-Hill speaks to Chess Magazine Black and White about his favourite 'chess subjects', the art of chess photography and the fun of it all. (All photos in this article are copyright Ray Morris-Hill and may not be reproduced without permission.)


Q: What do you see - as the eye behind the camera - when you see Carlsen and Anand - their differences?


When I set out to take photographs of chess players I start work before they sit down to play. I am at the venue early, making friends with the support staff and the arbiters to determine my access, checking the backgrounds and finding the best angles. I will study my photos of the players taken at previous events, noting what they do at the board.

I like to get light into the eyes of my subject. Even better if they can look straight at me. Anand is a most gracious and modest World Chess Champion. His focus is always on the board and he rarely looks straight down the lens.

Vishy Anand 2012

Carlsen looks up once he has settled at the board but gives most photographers a distant stare. If he spots me then he will often give me a direct look. This connection comes from spending time photographing him away from the media crowds.


Magnus Carlsen 2013

Q:. Who are your - as a photographer - favourite chess players?

I have been fortunate to photograph Magnus Carlsen for the last three years and have sold more photos of him than any other player so he would have to be top of the list.

Vassily Ivanchuk and Veselin Topalov are great subjects to photograph as they both have a wide range of expressions.


Vassily Ivanchuk 2013

Veselin Topalov 2012

One of the friendliest players on the circuit is Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. I met him in London for the Grand Prix event last year and he was most engaging off the board, which undoubtedly helped to get this shot of him at the board.


Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2012

Judit Polgar is the most charming person. I spent forty-five minutes photographing her last year in London and she even gave me some advice to improve my own chess game.


Judit Polgar 2012


Q: What's different and special about chess photography compared to other sports?

A: Low light is a key difference and most photos of chess players are either under exposed, or not sharp because the shutter speed is too slow. There is also great pressure to get the shot in the first five minutes of play before the photographers are ushered off the stage.

On the other hand, the action is more predictable, especially when compared to a sport like football.

My approach has always been to look for strong expressive portraits of players under intense pressure. Many of my best portraits are in high contrast black and white to emphasise the dramatic context.


Magnus Carlsen 2013

Q: When did your love for chess photography start and how?

I played at the British Championships in Torquay in 2009 and took my camera to the prize giving. Malcolm Pein (Director of the London Chess Classic) spotted me and published three of my photos in Chess Magazine. That year I photographed several rounds of the London Chess Classic and found my photos were in demand around the world. Since 2010 I have been the official photographer at the Classic.

Q: Most memorable projects?


The shoot with Magnus Carlsen and Judit Polgar in the London Eye has got to be the most memorable. It was a cold November day last year but the light was amazing, wrapping around my subjects in the pod high above London. Magnus and Judit were a pleasure to photograph.

Judit Polgar and Magnus Carlsen 2012

I have enjoyed working for the Chess in Schools and Communities Charity. The junior days at the London Chess Classic attract hundreds of children and have produced some of my favourite photos.


Chessin Schools and Communities 2012 http://www.chessinschools.co.uk/

Q: Future exciting projects

The 2013 London Chess Classic www.londonchessclassic.com starts on 10 December and I am looking forward to photographing Fabiano Caruana for the first time and meeting Boris Gelfand and Peter Svidler again.

Lookout for my photos on my website www.rmhphoto.eu and follow me on Twitter @raymorrishill.



Read the details about the tournament and sign up here.

* The tournament will start on November 23

* This is a blitz chess tournament in honour of the Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship Match. 

* It's FREE to join



RCA-Open 2013
3,500 USD in prizes
30 prizes &
18 “lucky winners”
FREE entry


The basis for success in chess is to keep the right balance between learning, practice and fun. During the World Chess Championship Match, which started on November 9, you have the opportunity to learn much. 

But you need not just be a viewer!

RCA Chess Open2013This will be a 13-round Swiss tournament, played with 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move. It is open to anyone – no serial number for playchess is required (free entry).

All you have to do is download the client on to your machine, create an account and play in the event. For details, see http://www.playchess.com. Here you will find instructions on how to download the software and create an account.

The event is a human-only tournament. It is forbidden to use a computer, especially an engine, as help for finding your moves. All games will be controlled and strictly monitored for engine use.

In order to improve your competitive mood, we are offering some attractive prizes, worth approximately 3,500 USD.

Winner: ChessBase12 Mega-PackagePlace 2: USD 300 Voucher for products of RCA
Place 3: USD 250 Voucher for products of RCA
Place 4: ChessBase 12 Starter-Package
Place 5: USD 200 Voucher forproducts of RCA
Place 6: USD 150 Voucher for products ofRCA
Places 7 & 8: ChessBase Mega-Database 2014
Places 9 &10: USD 100 Voucher for products of RCA
Places 11 & 12: DeepFritz 14
Places 13 & 14: USD 75 Voucher for products ofRCA
Places 15 to 20: 6-month premium membership toplaychess.com
Places 21 to 30: 6-month standard membership toplaychess.com

Luckywins for places 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145,155, 165, 175, 185, 195 and 205: 3-month classic membership.

You can observe the above-mentioned ChessBase products (prizes) here: LINK

RCA = Remote Chess Academy, and you can check its products here: LINK

Voucher is equivalent to the money that you can spend on a purchase of RCA products


The sign-up link again: sign up here.