Chess Club Black & White (CCBW)

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Exciting Chess at Alekhine Memorial

The Alekhine Chess Memorial began with great fireworks on the chessboard in Paris on Sunday. The chess pavilion which had been built specially for the Memorial on the premises of the Tuileries Garden (the Louvre Museum) was overcrowded. The Grandmasters didn’t disappoint their spectators – every game was a true and interesting fight and three of them were decisive.

Vachier-Lagrave – Fressinet and Svidler – Gelfand games finished earlier than others. Both of them ended in a draw: black managed to equalise the game after the opening. Ding Liren created a sensation by defeating Levon Aronian. The newcomer of the super tournament performed a wonderful attack against his opponent’s king. Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, who looks upon Alekhine Memorial as his “home” tournament (Kramnik has been living in Paris for a long time), scored a decisive victory over Nikita Vitiugov. Vladimir analysed his game in details in the press centre and showed the way he used his opponent’s inaccurate moves.

The game between Adams and Anand was very challenging. Anand, who was playing white, had to face a deep strategic idea put into effect by Adams, a multiple British champion. Adams won the game in his favorite manner and joined the leaders.

The venue was the Tuelerie Garden (the Louvre). This is the first major tournament in classical chess held in France in the past 30 years. The round began amid the overflowing presence of journalists and chess enthusiasts: The 300-seat hall was fully packed and spectators still waited outside. All games are broadcast live with commentary in three languages - Russian, English and French - at the official website.

CHENNAI: There is some uncertainty over Chennai as the venue for the eagerly-awaited World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen after the World No 1 player from Norway expressed unhappiness with the FIDE's choice of venue.

The FIDE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with All India Chess Federation and Tamil Nadu state association for holding the World Championship match in Chennai, the home city of Anand.

However, it has been learnt Carlsen's team is apprehensive about playing in Chennai given unfamiliar food and weather condition as the Norwegian has no experience of competing in hot climate.

The fallout could be Carlsen's refusal to sign the contract as both players are needed to sign the agreement despite FIDE's MoU with the TN state association.

According to Carlsen's agent, Espen Agdestein, what irked the 22-year-old challenger was the way the MoU was signed without following a bidding process as described in the FIDE regulations for the World Championship match.

Agdestein said there should be an open bidding process and a neutral venue for the match and that the world body should have a dialogue with both players before arriving at a final decision.

The MoU, uploaded on the FIDE website, says that the match could be held in Chennai from November 6 to 26.

Chennai had lost out on the last World Championship match between Anand and Boris Gelfand after Moscow offered a higher prize fund of USD 2.55 million to the organisers.

At that time, the FIDE president, Kirsan Ilymzhinov had promised the Tamil Nadu government that the state will get the first preference for the next match.

It has also been learnt that the earlier preferred locations for hosting the match were New York, Miami, St Tropez, Paris and Tromso. The Norwegian town is already hosting the 2013 World Cup and the 2014 World Team Olympiad.

If Carlsen insists on a neutral venue, FIDE may have little option but to move the game out of Chennai. (PTI)

Alekhine Chess Memorial Live 5.30 pm

International chess super tournament Alekhine Memorial started today, on April, 20 in Paris. The opening ceremony took place in a chess pavilion, which was specially built for the tournament on the territory of the Tuileries Garden (the Louvre Museum). The super tournament dedicated to a great Russian chess player and a citizen of Russia and France Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine is held at the initiative and with the support of Russian businessmen Gennady Timchenko and Andrey Filatov. The organizers of the tournament are the Russian chess Federation and Trade and Industry Chamber of Russia and France. The event is supported by the Louvre Museum and the State Russian Museum. Ten grandmasters from seven countries are playing in the Memorial that will start in Paris with five rounds and will end with four rounds in Saint Michael’s Castle in Saint-Petersburg. The winner will be announced on the 1-st of May.

The participants after the drawing of lots.

Alekhine Memorial carries a tradition of holding big international chess tournaments in museum halls. In May last year Engineering building of the Tretyakov Gallery became a home of the FIDE World championship match, organized by the Russian chess Federation with the support of Gennady Timchenko and Andrey Filatov. The match allowed to draw attention of millions of chess spectators to the art collection of one of the leading Russian museums.

Alekhine Memorial is expected to become one of the brightest events in international chess calendar. World’s best players are fighting for the main trophy: World chess champion Viswanathan Anand, 14-th World chess champion and World rating number 3 Vladimir Kramnik; World rating number 2 Levon Aronian; six-time Russian champion and World Cup winner Peter Svidler, World champion title contender (2012) Boris Gelfand, multiple champion of France and two-time European blitz champion Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, strongest British player Michael Adams, French team board number 2 Laurent Fressinet, World team champion Nikita Vitiugov and current champion of People’s Republic of China Ding Liren.

The pairings of the first round were identified in a ballot by the chief arbiter of the tournament Boris Postovsky. They are the following: Vachier-Lagrave – Fressinet, Ding Liren – Aronian, Kramnik – Vitiugov, Anand – Adams and Svidler – Gelfand.
Watch Live India Time: 5.30 pm at official website

The tournament was preceded by the press-conference attended by the director of the Russian Museum Vladimir Gusev, three World champions (Anatoly Karpov, Valdimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand) as well as philanthropists and tournament organizers. The press conference was opened by the Russian chess Federation CEO Ilya Levitov. He was followed by the Russian Museum director who told about the role of Nicholas II in foundation of the Russian Museum and in the life of the first Russian champion. The participants of the conference expressed their hope that Alekhine Memorial will promote the renaissance of chess traditions in Russia and France.

“Chess is a unique game that will help to do a lot in our country. It helps to bring up smart people who do not make fundamental mistakes!” mentioned Andrey Filatov, event sponsor. The head of the Economic Council of the Trade and Industry Chamber of Russia and France Gennady Timchenko promised that such tournaments will continue in the future.

“We hope that our initiative will find a positive reply in the regions. We try to bring to life what used to be in Russia!” said Mr. Timchenko.

The conference was followed by a concert performed by two outstanding Russian musicians – Nikolay Lugansky (piano) and Vadim Repin (violin) who offered the audience a few pieces composed by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Kasimdzhanov Not to Be Anand Second

By Zainab Raza Undulusi

It was this January that the Norwegian newspaper VG reported that Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen (39) who has worked with World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand for almost 10 years would be working with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Nielsen joined Carlsen in February to help Carlsen with the Candidates Tournament in March in London. Carlsen duly won the Candidates.

On Saturday, another of Viswanathan Anand's seconds, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, said at a press conference at the Renova Group Grand Prix press conference that he has decided not to continue as Anand's second.

“I think three World championship matches are enough for me. There were all very tough – one tougher than the other. At the end I think I deserve some rest (smiles). I’m a bit worried if the match is going to take place because it was announced to be held in India and Magnus is seriously opposed to the idea to play there. If they push it and Magnus gets nervous we can have the situation when the Norwegian will just refuse to play, as he had done with previous candidates tournament. It’s a great match and it would be a pity if something happens. I will be happy if they find some neutral ground. On the other hand India deserves to host the World Championship match because Anand has been holding the title for many years. So the situation is difficult,” said the former world chess champion.

Earlier, after Nielsen joined Team Carlsen, the World No. 1's manager Espen Agdestein had said, "We cannot use Peter after he has worked so long with Anand. That would not be good, morally, even if there are no problems legally. Peter is therefore not going to work with us in preparation (for the World Chess Championship 2013 match) if Magnus qualifies as World Championship challenger."

Also Read: World Chess 2013: Is it Chennai 100%?