Chess with Errol

World champions on show in current international chess tournaments

By

The rapidity of strong chess tournaments have increased recently and it is becoming difficult to give coverage to all of them. One is committed to feature the stars because they are the strongest players worldwide. Some 200 countries, including Guyana, are actively involved with hosting chess competitions.

We begin with the 2015 Vugar Gashimov Memorial Chess Tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan, which features the current world champion Magnus Carlsen, and two other former world champions Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik and a few top ten players. After five rounds Carlsen leads in the narrow star-studded field of ten participants.

In contrast to the Chess Olympiad where all nations of the world can participate, only ten teams can take part in the World Team Championships, male and female.

20131117chess Usually, these are the best chess teams in the world in addition to teams which won the Continental Championships. This year, the country that won the Continental is Egypt which is considered an outsider in a very strong field. The competition is taking place in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. In round one, Ukraine defeated Russia 2.5 to 1.5 points, China beat the USA, Israel outplayed Armenia, India crushed Egypt and Cuba drew against Hungary.

In a sensational surprise move, Cuba outplayed the mighty chess nation of Russia during the second round of the tournament. The decisive Cuban victory emanated from the hands of Leinier Dominiguez Perez against Alexander Grischuk who is ranked some 60 rating points above his opponent. In the endgame, Perez demonstrated that a knight and queen is superior to a bishop and a queen. At the conclusion of the fourth round, Cuba surged into the lead of the competition by beating Egypt 3-1.

Two famous world chess champions, one current, Magnus Carlsen, and the other former, Vishy Anand, are photographed together at the celebrated Vugar Gashimov Memorial Tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan. Carlsen and Anand drew their individual game which is always an anticipated encounter since the two squared off last year for the world championship title. After five rounds Carlsen is leading the tournament while Anand is in an unruffled third place. Carlsen replaced the American Wesley So as the leader of the competition while Anand engineered a brutal concept in the Spanish Ruy Lopez to overcome So. In the photo does Anand seem to be concentrating on Carlsen rather than his opponent?
Two famous world chess champions, one current, Magnus Carlsen, and the other former, Vishy Anand, are photographed together at the celebrated Vugar Gashimov Memorial Tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan. Carlsen and Anand drew their individual game which is always an anticipated encounter since the two squared off last year for the world championship title. After five rounds Carlsen is leading the tournament while Anand is in an unruffled third place. Carlsen replaced the American Wesley So as the leader of the competition while Anand engineered a brutal concept in the Spanish Ruy Lopez to overcome So. In the photo does Anand seem to be concentrating on Carlsen rather than his opponent?
At the Women’s World Team Chess Championship which is currently happening in Chengdu, China, the round four match of the day was Russia vs India as the two chess powerhouses are equally balanced and have produced some entertaining encounters. The score of the four-member was drawn at 1.5 to 1.5, except for the game between Koneru Humpy (India) and Valentina Gunina on Board One. Under extreme time pressure, Humpy blundered a winning position and lost the game, thereby giving Russia the victory. In photo is India’s leading chess player Koneru Humpy.
At the Women’s World Team Chess Championship which is currently happening in Chengdu, China, the round four match of the day was Russia vs India as the two chess powerhouses are equally balanced and have produced some entertaining encounters. The score of the four-member was drawn at 1.5 to 1.5, except for the game between Koneru Humpy (India) and Valentina Gunina on Board One. Under extreme time pressure, Humpy blundered a winning position and lost the game, thereby giving Russia the victory. In photo is India’s leading chess player Koneru Humpy.

The city of Chengdu, China, is hosting the Women’s World Team Championship also this month. Team Georgia leads Russia which is in second place with a number of matches yet to be contested. Ukraine opposes Russia in a highly anticipated match tomorrow. India drew with Ukraine while Russia outplayed China by a 3-1 margin.

Chess games

The following games were played at the Second Gashimov Memorial Tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan. The tournament ends today.

 White Viswanathan Anand Black Magnus Carlsen

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d3 Bd6 13.Re1 Bf5 14.Qf3 Bg6 15.Bxd5 cxd5 16.Bf4 d4 17.cxd4 Bb4 18.Nc3 Qxd4 19.Be5 Qd7 20.Nd5 f6 21.Nxb4 fxe5 22.Qd5+ Qxd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd3 24.Rxe5 Rfe8 25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.Ne3 Rc8 27.a3 a5 28.h4 Bg6 29.Rd1 b4 30.axb4 axb4 31.g4 b3 32.h5 Bf7 33.Kg2 Kf8 34.Kg3 Ra8 35.Rd2 h6 36.Nf5 Be6 37.Nd4 Bf7 38.f3 Rc8 39.Kf4 Rc1 40.Nf5 Kg8 41.Rd8+ Kh7 42.Rd7 Kg8 43.Rd8+ Kh7 44.Rd7 Kg8 45.Nd6 Be6 46.Re7 Bd5 47.Kf5 Rc6 48.Ke5 Bxf3 49.Nf5 g5 50.Rg7+ Kh8 51.Rg6 Kh7 52.Rg7+ Kh8 53.Rg6 Kh7 1/2-1/2.

White Viswanathan Anand Black Wesley So

 

  1. 20150426Chess3e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. Nc3 d6 9. a3 Nb8 10. Ng5 Nc6 11. Ba2 Nd4 12. Ne2 Nxe2+ 13. Qxe2 h6 14. f4 hxg5 15. fxg5 Ng4 16. g6 Bg5 17. h3 Bxc1 18. Raxc1 Nh6 19. Qh5 Be6 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. g4 c6 22. Rxf8+ Qxf8 23. Rf1 Qe7 24. g5 Rf8 25. gxh6 Rxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Qf8+ 27. Ke2 gxh6 28. Qg4 Qf6 29. h4 d5 30. h5 d4 31. b4 Kg7 32. Qf3 Qe7 33. Kd1 Kg8 34. Qf2 Kg7 35. c3 dxc3 36. Kc2 Qc7 37. Qc5 Kg8 38. Qe3 a5 39. Qh3 axb4 40. Qxe6+ Kf8 41. axb4 Qa7 42. Kxc3 Qa3+ 43. Kc2 Qa4+ 44. Qb3 Qa7 45. d4 1-0.

 

White Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Black Vladimir Kramnik

 

  1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Rc1 b6 12. Bd3 Bb7 13. O-O h6 14. Qe3 Nc6 15. Rfd1 Rc8 16. h4 Ne7 17. h5 Qd6 18. d5 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 Rc8 20. Re1 Rc3 21. Qd2 Rc5 22. Bb1 Kf8 23. Qd3 Rc8 24. a3 e5 25. Qb3 Rc5 26. Qb2 f6 27. Ba2 Bc8 28. Nd2 Bg4 29. Nc4 Qd7 30. d6 Nc6 31. Nxb6 axb6
  2. Qb3 Be6 33. Qxe6 Qxe6 34. Bxe6 Nd4 35. Bg4 Rc6 36. d7 Ke7 37. Rb1 Rd6 38. Kh2 b5 39. a4 bxa4 40. Rb8 f5 41. exf5 Nc6 42. Ra8 a3 43. Rxa3 Nb8 44. f6+ gxf6 45. Ra7 Nxd7 46. Bf5 Ke8 47. g3 Rd2 48. Kg2 Nc5 49. Bg6+ Kd8 50. Ra5 Ne6 51. Ra8+ Ke7 52. Re8+ Kd6 53. Rh8 Nc5 54. Rd8+ Nd7 55. Kf3 Ke7 56. Re8+ Kd6 57. Bf5 e4+ 58. Ke3 Rd3+ 59. Kxe4 Nc5+ 60. Kf4 Rd4+ 61. Kf3 Rb4 62. Rh8 Ke5 63. Bg6 Ne6 64. Rxh6 f5 65. Rh8 Kf6 66. Ra8 Rb3+ 67. Kg2 f4 68. g4 Kg5 69. Bf7 Kh4 70. Bxe6 f3+ 71. Kh2 Rb2 72. Ra3 Rxf2+ 73. Kg1 Re2 74. Bd5 f2+ 75. Kf1 Rd2 76. Bf3 1-0.

Trending