* Pyjama Girls
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Mumbai Kids Crazy about Magnus Carlsen
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
* 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)
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.
Photos: Official website
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."
* 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.)
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
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.
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.
Celebrating World Chess Match: Join FREE Online Blitz Chess Tournament (with Prizes) Starting Nov 23
* 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.
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.
We have here a special cartoon made for Chess Magazine Black and White by Andrés Guadalupe. It looks like indeed that World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is using these tiny robots 'secretly' in his pawns and practicing a amazing art of 'futuristic chess'. Read all about Andrés Guadalupe in this earlier post with lots of cartoons on our site.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Heinz India makes World Champion Vishy Anand Brand Ambassador for 'Complan with Memory Chargers'
Monday, November 18, 2013
This association will include Anand sporting the Complan with Memory Chargers logo during all professional commitments starting with the World Chess Championship.
A Globosport Platinum Rye deal, the association signifies a partnership of excellence as one of the country's one of the leading brands, backs one of the India's iconic and trusted names in sport, said V. Mohan, Director-Corporate Affairs Heinz India. While the World Champion takes on the challenger and India watches with a bated breath, the team at Globosport Platinum Rye and Heinz India have made their winning move.
He said, "Vishwanathan Anand personifies hard work, strategic and smart thinking and a sustained quest for excellence - traits that we as a company are eager to encourage in every young Indian child."
Anand in a statement said, "I am selective about the brands I partner with. I would like to be associated with brands that I can trust personally. Heinz, over the years has commanded confidence and trust across the globe and I am delighted to be part of this globally well-trusted company."
The H.J. Heinz Company, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA provides nutritious and convenient foods for families in 200 countries around the world. Heinz came to India in 1994 and over the years has built strong local products like Complan (Milk Food Drink), Glucon-D (Glucose Powder), Nycil (Prickly Heat Powder), and Sampriti Ghee apart from its iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup.
Complan is a premium health beverage scientifically designed to maximise the growth and development potential of children within their genetic potential. It is a leading brand and nutrition expert in the "milk food drink" category. Complan with Memory Chargers is a delicious chocolate flavoured drink which helps provide key nutrients required for children's cognitive development.
WSJ: What do you think about the World Chess Championship? Is it the most anticipated since the Fischer Spassky game in 1972?
Gary Kasparov : This is a great match and as you mentioned one of the most anticipated games in the Google-Facebook era. My match with Karpov was also one of the great ones since the Fischer match. This match could be the turning point for the game and bring it back into the spotlight. Magnus is a great talent and I hope he wins since I have trained him some years ago. However, Vishy is too experienced and motivated for this match, so it is going to be a challenge.
WSJ: What are your views on rise of chess in India especially in the city of Chennai?
Kasparov: I don’t have much experience in India and this is probably my third visit to the country. Chennai is my first chess experience in India and I am not surprised at the growth of chess here. Having a role model like Anand who is the World Champion is bound to get people more interested in the game. Besides that, from social media, I see that there is decent infrastructure to support the growth.
WSJ: What do you think about how the World Championship has been organized this time?
Kasparov: It seems to be more than decent and I hope to see more of it today. I hope these standards are replicated in future World Championships so as to have great events in the future.
WSJ: You have been an advocate of democracy in Russia. How do you feel being in the world’s largest democracy?
Kasparov: I do understand the diversity of issues in such a large democracy such as India. Considering the diverse challenges the country has faced, the country has been doing great in its progress. I hope that Indian democracy and India move forward in the years to come.
WSJ: You also have plans to run for FIDE president next year. How do you see India and Indian chess fitting into your campaign?
Kasparov: I am concentrating on my campaign and I hope by the end of next summer I become the FIDE president. I will be obligated to visit India much more since I see India as an integral part of my plans to promote chess globally. My goal is to make chess mainstream and make it part of education. The idea is to create a nexus between education, technology, social media and chess so as to promote chess globally, this would be my idea to transform FIDE.
WSJ: Lastly, do you think Anand is one of the legends of the game?
Kasparov: He has been a five-time World Champion and that record speaks for itself. I don’t need to speak anything about it, the records do.
Gary Kasparov : This is a great match and as you mentioned one of the most anticipated games in the Google-Facebook era. My match with Karpov was also one of the great ones since the Fischer match. This match could be the turning point for the game and bring it back into the spotlight. Magnus is a great talent and I hope he wins since I have trained him some years ago. However, Vishy is too experienced and motivated for this match, so it is going to be a challenge.
WSJ: What are your views on rise of chess in India especially in the city of Chennai?
Kasparov: I don’t have much experience in India and this is probably my third visit to the country. Chennai is my first chess experience in India and I am not surprised at the growth of chess here. Having a role model like Anand who is the World Champion is bound to get people more interested in the game. Besides that, from social media, I see that there is decent infrastructure to support the growth.
WSJ: What do you think about how the World Championship has been organized this time?
Kasparov: It seems to be more than decent and I hope to see more of it today. I hope these standards are replicated in future World Championships so as to have great events in the future.
WSJ: You have been an advocate of democracy in Russia. How do you feel being in the world’s largest democracy?
Kasparov: I do understand the diversity of issues in such a large democracy such as India. Considering the diverse challenges the country has faced, the country has been doing great in its progress. I hope that Indian democracy and India move forward in the years to come.
WSJ: You also have plans to run for FIDE president next year. How do you see India and Indian chess fitting into your campaign?
Kasparov: I am concentrating on my campaign and I hope by the end of next summer I become the FIDE president. I will be obligated to visit India much more since I see India as an integral part of my plans to promote chess globally. My goal is to make chess mainstream and make it part of education. The idea is to create a nexus between education, technology, social media and chess so as to promote chess globally, this would be my idea to transform FIDE.
WSJ: Lastly, do you think Anand is one of the legends of the game?
Kasparov: He has been a five-time World Champion and that record speaks for itself. I don’t need to speak anything about it, the records do.
Victory eluded him yet again but defending champion Viswanathan Anand said he was relieved to eke out a draw after two losses on the trot against Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship, in Chennai, on Monday.
"Obviously after the last two games it's nice to break this result but I was hoping to be able to press him a little, but I could not manage," Anand said in a press conference after the seventh round game.
Carlsen, meanwhile, continued to enjoy his two-point lead after the deadlock. The Norwegian now needs just two points in the next five games to become the next world chess champion. Anand elaborated the game in perfect fashion to a packed audience, a sign that the Indian has recovered and is raring to have a go again.
"I chose a line that both of us have played quite a bit in the past. He went for this Bishop move and then we have this slow manoeuvring game. White has two plans, a break on king side or play on the flank. 'f4' was not so good as black is basically preparing to play this knight manoeuvre.
"I thought I will be able to press a little bit, it's not huge but somehow I was not able to make it happen," Anand said matter-of-factly.
Carlsen almost echoed the opinion. "Not so much more to say, we both have played this line, there are many different plans of course. But whatever you play it's usually quite slow and the game goes on. I thought I was doing more or less fine, just a little bit worse but not much. It's just going to be a bit more pleasant, but my pieces are well developed," he said.
Anand said he will definitely keep trying and push for a win.
"I will definitely keep trying. The last two games were unpleasant, there is no getting around that, we played a game today and we will continue to do so," noted the local hero.
Speaking about the psychological aspects related to the game, Carlsen was quite forthcoming.
"I think there are some psychological aspects. The outcome of game five influenced the next game, I think that's unavoidable, you just try to move on as quickly as possible, but it's not so easy in a match," Carlsen said.
On whether the two were following the messages for both on social media, Anand said his team would let him know if they felt he should know something.
"I follow it just a little bit, I am very thankful to those who wish for me and for those who are not, I don't read it anyway," quipped Carlsen.
Carlsen said he was quite happy with the way things turned out in game seven.
"I have the lead, I won my last game with black, so this suited me just fine," he said.
The eighth game will be played on Tuesday followed by a day's break. -- PTI/Photos: Official website
[Event "FWCM 2013"]
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.18"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2775"]
[BlackElo "2870"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nf1 Nd7 9. Ng3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g6 11. Be3 Qe7 12. O-O-O O-O-O 13. Ne2 Rhe8 14. Kb1 b6 15. h4 Kb7 16. h5 Bxe3 17. Qxe3 Nc5 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. g3 a5 20. Rh7 Rh8 21. Rdh1 Rxh7 22. Rxh7 Qf6 23. f4 Rh8 24. Rxh8 Qxh8 25. fxe5 Qxe5 26. Qf3 f5 27. exf5 gxf5 28. c3 Ne6 29. Kc2 Ng5 30. Qf2 Ne6 31. Qf3 Ng5 32. Qf2 Ne6 1/2-1/2
"Obviously after the last two games it's nice to break this result but I was hoping to be able to press him a little, but I could not manage," Anand said in a press conference after the seventh round game.
Carlsen, meanwhile, continued to enjoy his two-point lead after the deadlock. The Norwegian now needs just two points in the next five games to become the next world chess champion. Anand elaborated the game in perfect fashion to a packed audience, a sign that the Indian has recovered and is raring to have a go again.
"I chose a line that both of us have played quite a bit in the past. He went for this Bishop move and then we have this slow manoeuvring game. White has two plans, a break on king side or play on the flank. 'f4' was not so good as black is basically preparing to play this knight manoeuvre.
"I thought I will be able to press a little bit, it's not huge but somehow I was not able to make it happen," Anand said matter-of-factly.
Carlsen almost echoed the opinion. "Not so much more to say, we both have played this line, there are many different plans of course. But whatever you play it's usually quite slow and the game goes on. I thought I was doing more or less fine, just a little bit worse but not much. It's just going to be a bit more pleasant, but my pieces are well developed," he said.
Anand said he will definitely keep trying and push for a win.
"I will definitely keep trying. The last two games were unpleasant, there is no getting around that, we played a game today and we will continue to do so," noted the local hero.
Speaking about the psychological aspects related to the game, Carlsen was quite forthcoming.
"I think there are some psychological aspects. The outcome of game five influenced the next game, I think that's unavoidable, you just try to move on as quickly as possible, but it's not so easy in a match," Carlsen said.
On whether the two were following the messages for both on social media, Anand said his team would let him know if they felt he should know something.
"I follow it just a little bit, I am very thankful to those who wish for me and for those who are not, I don't read it anyway," quipped Carlsen.
Carlsen said he was quite happy with the way things turned out in game seven.
"I have the lead, I won my last game with black, so this suited me just fine," he said.
The eighth game will be played on Tuesday followed by a day's break. -- PTI/Photos: Official website
[Event "FWCM 2013"]
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.18"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2775"]
[BlackElo "2870"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nf1 Nd7 9. Ng3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g6 11. Be3 Qe7 12. O-O-O O-O-O 13. Ne2 Rhe8 14. Kb1 b6 15. h4 Kb7 16. h5 Bxe3 17. Qxe3 Nc5 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. g3 a5 20. Rh7 Rh8 21. Rdh1 Rxh7 22. Rxh7 Qf6 23. f4 Rh8 24. Rxh8 Qxh8 25. fxe5 Qxe5 26. Qf3 f5 27. exf5 gxf5 28. c3 Ne6 29. Kc2 Ng5 30. Qf2 Ne6 31. Qf3 Ng5 32. Qf2 Ne6 1/2-1/2
Sunday, November 17, 2013
World Chess Championship Parallel Events: Nihal Sarin, Divya Deshmukh win India Under-9 Chess Tournaments
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship Parallel Events: A special children's chess tournament was also organised in Chennai. It was the national age-group chess qualifier tournament for kids.
Nihal Sarin of Kottayam, Kerala and Divya Deshmukh of Nagpur, Maharashtra won the National Under-9 Chess Championships that concluded at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on November 14, 2013.
The closely fought 199-player Under-9 championship saw the top four players remaining undefeated. The top four places were taken by players from each of the four southern states, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The winners of both the Open Under-10 and Girls Under-10 sections started as second seed.
Divya Deshmukh recovered from an early loss to Chinnam Vyshnavi and won by a comfortable one point margin. Divya had previously won the National Under-7 girls’ championship and the Asian Under-8 Girls’ championship.
The top finishers will represent India in the World Under-10 Championship at Durban in South Africa in 2014.
The top standings placings (tie-break order):
Open: 1-3. Nihal Sarin (Ker), R Praggnanandhaa (TN), Dhanush Bharadwaj (Kar) 9/11 each; 4-6. Raja Rithvik (AP), Om Kharola, S Abhinesh 8.5 each.
Girls: 1 Divya Deshmukh (Mah) 9.5; 2-4. Mrudul Dehankar (Mah), Rakshitta Ravi (TN), Gunjal Chopdekar (Goa) 8.5 each.
With the scores reading 4-2 in favour of Carlsen and just six games to come, the Norwegian is well on track to win his maiden world title in his first match itself.
Carlsen has clearly dictated the course of the match so far and Anand needs to do a 'Houdini' of sorts if he has to remain in the match. As things stand, Carlsen needs just 2.5 points in the next six games to prove youth's supremacy over experience.
While the championship started on a predictable course no one had expected Anand to cave in so easily. The defending champion is feeling the heat and the way the last two losses have come, they are sure to dampen the spirits.
Carlsen had started as the favourite and he is living upto that. Everyone, who understands chess, knows his style, which are long and tiring grinds where he creates complications out of nothing and then almost hypnotises opponents into making mistakes.
This has been the hallmark of the world number one and in this championship too, he has carried on in similar vein. Anand has been looking at forcing variations both as white and black but has not succeeded as Carlsen's plans have proved to be better.
One Caro Kann and two Berlin defence in the three black games have given nothing away to Anand and the Indian in fact has found very little going his way.
On the contrary, Carlsen has succeeded in creating exactly the kind of positions he wanted out of nonchalant, in fact, almost forgettable openings.
The Norwegian has presented a new style to the chess world wherein home preparation takes a backseat.
Anand, if anything, seemed stressed. Normally, the one to keep emotions in check, the local hero had a mild loss of temper during the press conference after game six.
"I mean, today was a heavy blow. I will not pretend otherwise. Nothing to be done, you just go on," he said.
A Norwegian journalist asked how he would deal with it, to which Anand answered: "Well you just do your best."
The same journalist wanted him to elaborate on his answer, to which Anand answered: "Doing your best means doing your best. I don't know why you don't understand English?"
It is never too easy to take such losses in stride and even more difficult to attend a press conference soon after such pressing defeats.
Fortunately for Anand, it's not over yet. He still has three white games and he needs to wins to equalise. The Indian ace needs to pull himself together to make a match of it.
Monday is when he will his white pieces again. If he can turn the clock back a little by winning one, then a lot can still happen. Team Anand has a lot to do on the rest day. Plan 'B' has to be initiated. -- PTI
WGM Mary Ann Gomes won the chess event with 8.5 points in Chennai on the basis of better tie-break score after 11 rounds at the Multipurpose Indoor Stadium. WGM Batsiashvili Nino of Georgia and International Master S Vijayalakshmi finished second and third on tiebreak. All three scored 8.5 points. Keti Tsatsalashvili (Georgia) and Soumya Swaminathan (India) shared the fourth spot with 8.0 points.
Final top standings (Indians unless specified):
1-3 Mary Ann Gomes, Batsiashvili Nino (Geo), S Vijayalakshmi 8.5, 4-5 Keti Tsatsalashvili (Geo), Soumya Swaminathan 8.0, 6-10 Ivakhinova Inna (Rus), S Meenakshi, Swathi Ghate, Gevorgyan Maria (Arm), Guramishvili Sopiko (Geo) 7.5 pts
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Game 6: Carlsen Wins Again to Lead 4 -2 vs Anand at Chennai World Chess Championship 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Chennai World Chess Championship Game 6 - Viswanathan Anand - Magnus Carlsen 0-1: They said Magnus Carlsen does not know chess openings. They said Magnus Carlsen does not have the match experience. The World No. 1 didn't hear what they said. At 22, Magnus Carlsen is now the heavy favourite to become the next World Chess Champion. He has won both Game 5 and 6 and leads 4-2 as the World Chess Championship 2013 goes into half-time.
World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand struggled once again with White pieces in the sixth game on Saturday. The overnight shock continued with a second successive defeat for the Indian who has struck back after similar losses in previous World Chess Championships and eventually won the title.
But, Magnus Carlsen, held steady today. Ironically, any "lesser player" but for Magnus Carlsen would have settled for a draw in both Game 5 and Game 6 which should have been the games' logical conclusions.
[Event "FWCM 2013"]
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.16"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2775"]
[BlackElo "2870"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "2013.16.11"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O Re8 7. Re1 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bb3 d6 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bh4 Bxb3 13. axb3 Nb8 14. h3 Nbd7 15. Nh2 Qe7 16. Ndf1 Bb6 17. Ne3 Qe6 18. b4 a5 19. bxa5 Bxa5 20. Nhg4 Bb6 21. Bxf6 Nxf6 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. Qg4 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qe7 25. Rf1 c5 26. Kh2 c4 27. d4 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Qb7 29. Rd1 Qc6 30. Qf5 exd4 31. Rxd4 Re5 32. Qf3 Qc7 33. Kh1 Qe7 34. Qg4 Kh7 35. Qf4 g6 36. Kh2 Kg7 37. Qf3 Re6 38. Qg3 Rxe4 39. Qxd6 Rxe3 40. Qxe7 Rxe7 41. Rd5 Rb7 42. Rd6 f6 43. h4 Kf7 44. h5 gxh5 45. Rd5 Kg6 46. Kg3 Rb6 47. Rc5 f5 48. Kh4 Re6 49. Rxb5 Re4+ 50. Kh3 Kg5 51. Rb8 h4 52. Rg8+ Kh5 53. Rf8 Rf4 54. Rc8 Rg4 55. Rf8 Rg3+ 56. Kh2 Kg5 57. Rg8+ Kf4 58. Rc8 Ke3 59. Rxc4 f4 60. Ra4 h3 61. gxh3 Rg6 62. c4 f3 63. Ra3+ Ke2 64. b4 f2 65. Ra2+ Kf3 66. Ra3+ Kf4 67. Ra8 Rg1 0-1
World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand struggled once again with White pieces in the sixth game on Saturday. The overnight shock continued with a second successive defeat for the Indian who has struck back after similar losses in previous World Chess Championships and eventually won the title.
But, Magnus Carlsen, held steady today. Ironically, any "lesser player" but for Magnus Carlsen would have settled for a draw in both Game 5 and Game 6 which should have been the games' logical conclusions.
Game 6 photos by Ananstasiya Karlovich/Official website
Not so with Carlsen. The experts can say the game's a draw. The strongest of computer engines can say the game's a draw. Magnus Carlsen has to play it all and find out for himself.
Anand opened with 1.e4 and faced the Challenger's Berlin Ruy Lopez. Anand stayed away from an early Queen exchange and tried 4.d3 which he has used previously to beat Russian talent Sergey Karjakin. Anand sprung a novelty with 10.Bg5 to pin the Black knight on f6 taking advantage of the fact that Carlsen’s dark-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain. Carlsen traded the light-squared bishops, steered his Knight back from c6 to b8 to d7 to support the Knight pinned on f6.
Anand opened with 1.e4 and faced the Challenger's Berlin Ruy Lopez. Anand stayed away from an early Queen exchange and tried 4.d3 which he has used previously to beat Russian talent Sergey Karjakin. Anand sprung a novelty with 10.Bg5 to pin the Black knight on f6 taking advantage of the fact that Carlsen’s dark-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain. Carlsen traded the light-squared bishops, steered his Knight back from c6 to b8 to d7 to support the Knight pinned on f6.
Game 6 press conference
The game was very much level even after Carlsen neutralised Anand's subsequent central operations. Anand tried to push considering the previous loss in Game 5 and walked straight into an endgame to the liking of the World No. 1. Carlsen was quick to end all White's chances with a series of exchanges diluting down to a Queen and Rook plus pawns endgame.
Anand, unable to deny his inherent human element, faltered while facing Carlsen's adamant chess. Even then, versus someone else, such minute mis-steps by the World Chess Champion would not have mattered. Unfortunately, for fans rooting for Anand, Carlsen pounces upon even the slightest of errors like a carnivore looking to devour.
Anand, unable to deny his inherent human element, faltered while facing Carlsen's adamant chess. Even then, versus someone else, such minute mis-steps by the World Chess Champion would not have mattered. Unfortunately, for fans rooting for Anand, Carlsen pounces upon even the slightest of errors like a carnivore looking to devour.
Thereafter, it was Carlsen playing for a win or draw, while Anand was on the backfoot trying to save a draw. Carlsen soon went pawn up even though the position was still theoretically a draw. This was exactly the case in Game 5 as well. Magnus Carlsen played on and on to win again.
In the post-game press conference, Carlsen said he was happy to have a nice lead at the half-way stage in the World Chess Championship Match. Viswanathan Anand said the loss was a blow and he would not try to pretend otherwise.
Magnus Carlsen needs just 2.5 points more from six games to become the new World Chess Champion. Sunday is a rest day and Game 7 will be played on Monday. -- Rajat Khanna
In the post-game press conference, Carlsen said he was happy to have a nice lead at the half-way stage in the World Chess Championship Match. Viswanathan Anand said the loss was a blow and he would not try to pretend otherwise.
Magnus Carlsen needs just 2.5 points more from six games to become the new World Chess Champion. Sunday is a rest day and Game 7 will be played on Monday. -- Rajat Khanna
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.16"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2775"]
[BlackElo "2870"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "2013.16.11"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O Re8 7. Re1 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bb3 d6 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bh4 Bxb3 13. axb3 Nb8 14. h3 Nbd7 15. Nh2 Qe7 16. Ndf1 Bb6 17. Ne3 Qe6 18. b4 a5 19. bxa5 Bxa5 20. Nhg4 Bb6 21. Bxf6 Nxf6 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. Qg4 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qe7 25. Rf1 c5 26. Kh2 c4 27. d4 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Qb7 29. Rd1 Qc6 30. Qf5 exd4 31. Rxd4 Re5 32. Qf3 Qc7 33. Kh1 Qe7 34. Qg4 Kh7 35. Qf4 g6 36. Kh2 Kg7 37. Qf3 Re6 38. Qg3 Rxe4 39. Qxd6 Rxe3 40. Qxe7 Rxe7 41. Rd5 Rb7 42. Rd6 f6 43. h4 Kf7 44. h5 gxh5 45. Rd5 Kg6 46. Kg3 Rb6 47. Rc5 f5 48. Kh4 Re6 49. Rxb5 Re4+ 50. Kh3 Kg5 51. Rb8 h4 52. Rg8+ Kh5 53. Rf8 Rf4 54. Rc8 Rg4 55. Rf8 Rg3+ 56. Kh2 Kg5 57. Rg8+ Kf4 58. Rc8 Ke3 59. Rxc4 f4 60. Ra4 h3 61. gxh3 Rg6 62. c4 f3 63. Ra3+ Ke2 64. b4 f2 65. Ra2+ Kf3 66. Ra3+ Kf4 67. Ra8 Rg1 0-1
Friday, November 15, 2013
World Chess Championship Game 5: Carlsen Tortures Anand to Win Rook Ending, Takes Lead 3 -2
Friday, November 15, 2013
Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 Game 5 goes down in history as the first game won by Magnus Carlsen at the event versus Viswanathan Anand: What was it? The overnight stay at Fisherman's Cove, the Pyjama Girls' effect, sister Ellen's intuitive tweets of a victory for Magnus Carlsen, more supporters at the venue, or just pure chess? Possibly all combined.
This one's going to be one for both history and chess classrooms: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand lost to World No.1 Magnus Carlsen after 58 moves (five and a half hours) in a Rook ending that really wasn't losing until the very end. Finally, Anand blinked on Friday. All earlier four games at the World Chess Championship Match have been drawn so far.
The Challenger, for the first time in the match, played 1.c4 instead of 1.Nf3 which he had tried so far with White. Not opting for the main variations, the game steered from Semi-Slav to Noteboom to Marshall Attack and a Nimzo-Indian pawn structure with the rare 6.Nc3. Carlsen also sprung a surprise with 10.Qd3. Eventually, the pair of central pawns were exchanged and white dark-squared bishop had better scope.
Black ‘won’ the bishops pair and isolated one of the opponent’s pawns, but white completed the development and was ready for action. One careless move by black – 13…Bc7 – allowed Carlsen to perform convenient exchanges and transform the structure to his advantage.
Both players had pawn weaknesses but white pieces enjoyed greater activity. White was slightly better without any risks. Anand’s bishop was passive but it successfully protected the entry points on the 7th rank. Black also activated the rook along the fifth rank though it seemed to get blocked there. Both of Black's rooks remained disconnected for ages.
White couldn’t break in and black pieces gradually gained activity. However, Anand still had to find the best moves just to stay in the game. He did so for some time until a careless check 45…Rc1+ cost him the a-pawn. In the resulting rook endgame with ‘a’ and ‘h’ pawns, white pieces were ideally placed to force the quick advance of the passed pawn on the a-file. Anand resigned after Carlsen got the second passed pawn on the h-file rolling.
In the post-match press conference, Carlsen said the first to win a game does not mean he has won the match. There are still seven games to go. The sixth game, in which Anand has White, will be played on Saturday. Here is a summary of all live streams that you can use for viewing Game 6 live. -- Rajat Khanna (inputs via official website)
This one's going to be one for both history and chess classrooms: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand lost to World No.1 Magnus Carlsen after 58 moves (five and a half hours) in a Rook ending that really wasn't losing until the very end. Finally, Anand blinked on Friday. All earlier four games at the World Chess Championship Match have been drawn so far.
The Challenger, for the first time in the match, played 1.c4 instead of 1.Nf3 which he had tried so far with White. Not opting for the main variations, the game steered from Semi-Slav to Noteboom to Marshall Attack and a Nimzo-Indian pawn structure with the rare 6.Nc3. Carlsen also sprung a surprise with 10.Qd3. Eventually, the pair of central pawns were exchanged and white dark-squared bishop had better scope.
Black ‘won’ the bishops pair and isolated one of the opponent’s pawns, but white completed the development and was ready for action. One careless move by black – 13…Bc7 – allowed Carlsen to perform convenient exchanges and transform the structure to his advantage.
Both players had pawn weaknesses but white pieces enjoyed greater activity. White was slightly better without any risks. Anand’s bishop was passive but it successfully protected the entry points on the 7th rank. Black also activated the rook along the fifth rank though it seemed to get blocked there. Both of Black's rooks remained disconnected for ages.
Game 5 at Chennai World Chess Championship 2013: Magnus Carlsen - Viswanathan Anand 1-0 Photos Official website.
White couldn’t break in and black pieces gradually gained activity. However, Anand still had to find the best moves just to stay in the game. He did so for some time until a careless check 45…Rc1+ cost him the a-pawn. In the resulting rook endgame with ‘a’ and ‘h’ pawns, white pieces were ideally placed to force the quick advance of the passed pawn on the a-file. Anand resigned after Carlsen got the second passed pawn on the h-file rolling.
In the post-match press conference, Carlsen said the first to win a game does not mean he has won the match. There are still seven games to go. The sixth game, in which Anand has White, will be played on Saturday. Here is a summary of all live streams that you can use for viewing Game 6 live. -- Rajat Khanna (inputs via official website)
Game 5 Moves Carlsen - Anand 1-0
Chennai World Chess Championship 2013
[Event "FWCM 2013"]
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.15"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D31"]
[WhiteElo "2870"]
[BlackElo "2775"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2013.15.1"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]
1. c4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 c5 7. a3 Ba5 8. Nf3 Nf6 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qd3 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Ng4 12. O-O-O Nxe3 13. fxe3 Bc7 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Qxd8+ Bxd8 16. Be2 Ke7 17. Bf3 Bd7 18. Ne4 Bb6 19. c5 f5 20. cxb6 fxe4 21. b7 Rab8 22. Bxe4 Rxb7 23. Rhf1 Rb5 24. Rf4 g5 25. Rf3 h5 26. Rdf1 Be8 27. Bc2 Rc5 28. Rf6 h4 29. e4 a5 30. Kd2 Rb5 31. b3 Bh5 32. Kc3 Rc5+ 33. Kb2 Rd8 34. R1f2 Rd4 35. Rh6 Bd1 36. Bb1 Rb5 37. Kc3 c5 38. Rb2 e5 39. Rg6 a4 40. Rxg5 Rxb3+ 41. Rxb3 Bxb3 42. Rxe5+ Kd6 43. Rh5 Rd1 44. e5+ Kd5 45. Bh7 Rc1+ 46. Kb2 Rg1 47. Bg8+ Kc6 48. Rh6+ Kd7 49. Bxb3 axb3 50. Kxb3 Rxg2 51. Rxh4 Ke6 52. a4 Kxe5 53. a5 Kd6 54. Rh7 Kd5 55. a6 c4+ 56. Kc3 Ra2 57. a7 Kc5 58. h4 1-0
