In-Between

Five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand finally returned to India on Saturday after over a three-month stay in Germany due to coronavirus travel shutdown. Anand took an AI120 flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore (via Delhi). He will have to undergo one week of quarantine in the capital of Karnataka, before finally going home to Chennai and serving another two-week quarantine — hopefully his last one for awhile. Nevertheless, it was life. “It has been a very unusual experience for me to be in self-isolation. I interact[ed] with my friends and family on a daily basis. Besides that, I [went] for a nice long walk once or twice a day”, Anand told The Times of India.

Today and a Half

Viswanathan Anand – Magnus Carlsen
7th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 18, 2019
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. If nothing else, this minimalist approach has the virtue of avoiding — at least illusorily — the most theorised tabiyas. 3. ... g6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d4 Bg7 6. dxc5 Qa5+ 7. Nbd2 Qxc5 8. 0-0 d6 9. Re1 f6 10. a3!? A recent game ended with a pyrotechnic draw after 10. c4 Nh6 11. Qa4 Ng4 12. Re2 Bd7 13. h3 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Nf3 Qh5 16. Qb3 Kf7 17. e5 dxe5 18. g4 Bxg4 19. hxg4 Qxg4+ 20. Kf1 Qh3+ 21. Kg1 ½ : ½ Antal – Markoš, 27th Slovak Chess Extraliga, Bratislava 2019. 10. ... Nh6 11. b4 Qh5 12. c4 0-0 13. Qa4 Bd7 14. Nf1 Nf7 15. Ng3 Qg4

16. c5. This releases the tension and allows Black a comfortable equality, so 16. h3!? Qe6 17. Qb3 seemed to be at least worth considering, but then after 17. ... Nd8! Black should likewise hold without too much difficulty. 16. ... e5! 17. cxd6 c5 18. Qb3 cxb4 19. axb4 Qe6 20. Qxe6 Bxe6 21. Be3 a6 22. Rec1 Rfd8 23. Nd2 Bf8 24. Nc4 Rac8! Naturally, as after 24. ... Nxd6? 25. Nb6 Black could even risk losing the game. 25. f3 Nb5 29. Bxf8 Rxc1+ 30. Rxc1 Kxf8. Now it is an obvious draw, so no wonder that the official agreement comes within a few moves. 31. Nf1 Nd4 32. Rc4 Ke7 33. Ne3 Kd6 34. Rc5! Nc6 35. Rd5+ Ke7 36. b5 axb5 37. Rxb5 Rb8 38. Rxb8 Nxb8 39. Kf2 Ke6 40. g3 Nd7 41. Nc4 Nc5 42. Ke3 Nd7 43. Kf2 Nc5 44. Ke3 Nd7 45. Kf2 ½ : ½.

Not even Superman can stop an earthquake

In the end, Wesley So won his 4-game semi-final rapid chess match against Jan-Krzysztof Duda, but what a heartbreak it was for him after losing the first game due to an inexplicable, unimaginable and kryptonitic Queen’s harakiri at move 17! We cannot provide any account details about his “black hole”, and at best, we can only guess that something out of place in his Superman costume made some of his fans exceedingly upset and angry at him. Photo: Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León” (Facebook).

Wesley So – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
30th Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”; match game 1; León, July 7, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D30

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. b3 c5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bb2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 e5!? 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Bc4 Bb4+ 11. Nbd2 Nb6 12. Bb5 Qd5 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 14. Bxe5 Bg4 15. Bc7 0-0 16. a3 Bxf3

17. axb4?? Bxd1 0 : 1.

Dress Code with Amendment

Chess.com (@chesscom)

Enjoy the Play

Oleg Skvortsov – Viswanathan Anand
6th Zürich Chess Challenge; exhibition game; Zürich, April 12, 2017
Italian Game C54

Caïssa says this year it’s up to Anand to stand up to the modern Prince of Mingrelia: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. b4 Bb6 7. e5 d5 8. exf6 dxc4 9. Qe2+. If 9. b5 then 9. ... 0-0! and now not 10. bxc6? because of 10. ... Re8+ 11. Kf1 d3 12. Be3 Qxf6 13. Qa4 Bxe3 14. fxe3 Rxe3 15. Nd2 Bh3! with an overwhelming attack, Berend – Barle, Debrecen 1992. 9. ... Be6 10. b5 Nb4!? Black, too, plays for the sake of amusement. 11. fxg7 Rg8 12. cxb4 Qf6 13. 0-0 Qxg7 14. g3 0-0-0 15. a4 d3 16. Qb2

16. ... Qxg3+!! A very spectacular Queen sacrifice, which is also the only way to evocate the deity and convince Maecenas he is playing – even if in Kieseritzky’s shoes – Anand’s Immortal Game. 17. hxg3 Rxg3+ 18. Kh2 Rxf3 19. Bg5? Here is where Skovrtsov does not dare to challenge Caïssa’s Will. In his on-line commentary, Marc Lang recommends 19. Qg7 Rh3+ 20. Kg2 Bd4 21. Qg5 f6 22. Qg7 Rh4 23. Kg3 Rh3+ 24. Kg2 Rh4 with a “salomonic repetition”, but it is obvious White could have played for much more by 23. f3! (Stockfish). 19. ... Bd4 20. Qd2 Rg8 21. Ra3. 21. Rg1 Rh3+ 22. Kg2 h6 makes no difference at all. 21. ... h6 22. Rg1 Rh3+ 23. Kg2 Rxg5+ 0 : 1. Skovrtsov resigned because of 24. Kf1 Rxg1+ 25.Kxg1 Bd5 and mate in two moves.

Oleg Skvortsov (R.) vs. Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Rustam Kalimullin

Who’s Who

World Chess (@theworldchess)

Antonio Ligabue, Tiger

Molasses

Viswanathan Anand – Szidónia Lázárné Vajda
14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D16

1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 6. e3 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. 0-0 cxd4 9. exd4 Be7 10. Qe2 0-0 11. Rd1 Nb4 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Bd7 14. Ne5 Be8. Black usually continues 14. ... Bc6, e.g. 15. Bg3 Nbd5 16. a5 Rc8 17. Bb3 a6 18. Rdc1 Bb4 19. Bh4 Qd6 20. Qd1 Bb5 21. Nxb5 axb5 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Qf3 Qc7 24. h3 Ra8 25. Qd1 Bd6 ½ : ½ Ivanchuk – Tkachiev, French Team Chess Championship Top 16, Mulhouse 2010. 15. a5 Nfd5 16. Bg3 Rc8 17. a6 bxa6 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Bxa6 Rc2 20. Rd2 Rxd2 21. Qxd2 Qb6 22. Bf1 a5 23. h4 Bf6 24. Ra3 Nc6 25. Nxc6 Bxc6 26. Rxa5 Qxd4 27. Qxd4 Bxd4 28. b4 Ra8 29. Bd3 Bb6 30. Rxa8+ Bxa8 31. Kf1 f6 32. h5 Kf7 33. Ke2 Bc6 34. Bf4 Ke7 35. f3 Bd4 36. Be3 Bxe3 37. Kxe3 Bb7 38. Kd4 Kd6

39. b5. Anand has constantly pressed his opponent, without producing any appreciable result. Now it was his last chance for trying to capitalize with 39. Bb5 Ba8 40. Be8, but after 40. ... Bb7 41. b5 Ba8 42. Bg6 Bb7 43. Bf5 Ba8 44. Bc8 Kc7 45. Be6 Kd6 “[...] there doesn’t really seem a way to breakthrough”, says International Maester Sagar Shah. 39. ... Bc8 40. g4 Bd7 41. b6 Bc8 42. Bg6 Kc6 43. Bf5 Bb7 44. Be6 Kxb6 45. Bxd5 Bc8 46. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Viswanathan Anand vs. Szidónia Lázárné Vajda
Photo: John Saunders

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Advertising break during the opening ceremony of the 14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, with the tournament director, Grandmaster Stuart Conquest, welcoming 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Muzychuk who returned to the Rock after a year of living in a fairy tale (but-not-always-so). Photo: Sophie Tray. For more pictures of the opening ceremony see Sophie Tray’s Flickr gallery.

Two Women and Sofa

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (@GibraltarChess)

Milly, Molly and the Sun Hat

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (@GibraltarChess)

The King Hunt

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (@GibraltarChess)

Спліт акцій (Stock split)

14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival (@GibraltarChess)

The 14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival will take place from January 25 to February 5 in Caleta Hotel at Catalan Bay, Gibraltar. It is an open tournament with 10 rounds of Swiss that features some of the top players in the world. Time control is 100 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves. Then 15 minutes for the remaining moves with 30 seconds increment for each move. It's not allowed to offer a draw before the 30th move. The top seeded player is Hikaru Nakamura, closely followed by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Viswanathan Anand, while 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Muzychuk, although she is directly involved as a major figure with the organization of the upcoming Women’s World Chess Championship match in Lviv, Ukraine, will be back to the Rock and hopes for something more than the “best female player” prize.

Anna & Mariya Muzychuk back to the Rock
Photo: Sophie Triay

Back To The Rock

The 14th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival will take place from January 25 to February 5 in Caleta Hotel at Catalan Bay, Gibraltar. It is an open tournament with 10 rounds of Swiss that features some of the top players in the world. Time control is 100 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves. Then 15 minutes for the remaining moves with 30 seconds increment for each move. It's not allowed to offer a draw before the 30th move. The top seeded player is Hikaru Nakamura, closely followed by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Viswanathan Anand, while 15th Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Muzychuk hopes for something more than the “best female player” prize.

The Muzychuk sisters coming back to the Rock
Photo: Forbes

A Grandmaster and a Gentleman

• Вишванатан Ананд и его семья распахнули двери своего дома для пострадавших от наводнения в Ченнае (Viswanathan Anand and his family open the doors of their home to Chennai flood victims), Chess-News.ru, December 8, 2015

• Susan Ninan, Vishwanathan Anand provides “castle” for slum dwellers affected by flood, The Times of India, December 8, 2015

15th World Chess Champion Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, although he’s currently participating in the 7th London Chess Classic, noblily opened the doors of his house to flood-affected people from neighbouring slums in Chennai, India. [Read more].

Viswanathan Anand
Photo: Ray Morris Hill

“Most of the slum kids whom we offered refuge were unaware that the house belongs to Anand”, said Vishy’s wife Aruna. “Once our maid informed them they were thrilled at the idea of living at the house of someone about whom they had read only in textbooks”.

Eye of the Madras Tiger

Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand
World Chess Championship match game 9; Sochi, November 20, 2014
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Ne2. Departing from 11. Bf4 as in Carlsen – Anand, Sochi 2014, World Chess Championship match game 7. 11. ... b6 12. Rd1 Ba6 13. Nf4 Bb7! “Vishy’s Bishop manoeuvre is a bit mysterious to this Neanderthal, but I am sure he knows what he is doing”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short tweeted. If, instead 13. ... Rd8 then 14. Bd2 Nd4 15. Nxd4 Rxd4 16. a4! Bc8 (16. ... g5!?) 17. a5 a6 (17. ... Bf5!?) 18. Be3 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 b5 20. Nd3! with an edge for White, Domínguez Pérez – Ponomariov, 25th Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez “Ciudad de León”, León 2012. 14. e6. After 16 minutes of thinking. 14. ... Bd6

15. exf7+ Kxf7 16. Ng5+ Kf6 17. Ne4+ Kf7 18. Ng5+ Kf6 19. Ne4+ Kf7 20. Ng5+ ½ : ½. “Today’s result is slightly in Vishy’s favour. 3 games is enough to level the score but it is now time to sharpen the struggle”, Short said.