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Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 30, 2017
Spanish Game C65

Magnus Carlsen became today World Blitz Chess Champion with an irresistible comeback, thus overcoming yesterday’s off-board “barriers”. The victory against Karjakin, in particular, tellingly showed what he is like when he is in good mood. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nc3 0-0 7. Be3. For 7. Nxe5 Qd4 8. Be3 Qxe5 9. d4 Qe7 10. dxc5 Nxe4 see Carlsen – Alekseev, 41st Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2008. 7. ... Bd6 8. Bg5!? If 8. h3 there might follow 8. ... Nd7 9. Ne2 c5 10. Ng3 Re8 11. Nf5 Nf8 12. Nd2 Qf6 13. Qf3 Bxf5 14. exf5 e4 with very unclear play, Karjakin – Malakhov, 67th Moscow Blitz Championship, Moscow 2013. 8. ... Re8 9. h3 c5!? 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. 0-0 h6 13. Be3 Nd7. Who knows, maybe 13. ... c4(!) was a most consistent policy. 14. Nd2! Nb8? Very sophisticated, but perhaps it was more prudent to head the opposite direction by 14. ... Nf8(!), giving priority to the King’s future. 15. f4 exf4 16. Rxf4 Nc6 17. Qh5 b6 18. Raf1. White’s attacking position looks quite scary to face, not only in a blitz game. 18. ... Rf8 19. Nf3!? Objectively best was 19. R4f3! (threatening both Rf3-g3 and Be3xh6) 19. ... Qe5 20. Qh4! retaining a tremendous attack, but also Magnus’s way will finally prove to be tricky enough for driving his opponent into panic.

19. ... Be6! Carlsen had prepared to meet 19. ... g5 by 20. Rh4! gxh4 21. Bxh6 with an explosive attack. 20. Rh4!? Oh, Be3xh6 is in the air. 20. ... f6 21. Qg6 Qf7? Probably this is the decisive mistake, as Her Majesty ends up exposed to the White Knight’s jumps on e5 or g5. Best was 21. ... Bf7(!) 22. Qg3 Kh7(!) with a robust defence. 22. Qg3 Nb4? After this Carlsen may produce an impressive finish: 23. Bxh6! Nxc2 24. Ne5! fxe5 25. Rxf7 Rxf7 26. Qg6 Bxa2 27. Bg5! Rff8 28. Rh7 Rf7 29. Bf6! 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

One might even think that Magnus’s mood got better after he removed beard and glasses. Photo: Skjermdump/NRK.

The Twenty-Per-Cent Solution

• Leonard Barden, Veteran Vishy Anand secures surprise title at world rapids in Riyadh, The Guardian, December 29, 2017

Offboard, it remains unclear how the tournament’s well publicised problems will play out. Its $2m total prize fund is the largest in chess history outside matches for the classical world championship. FIDE, the global chess body, takes a 20% cut, meaning that if the rapid/blitz also takes place in Riyadh in 2018 and 2019 as contracted, FIDE will collect $1.2m, which for a cash-strapped organisation would be a gold mine. However, FIDE’s statute 1.2 says unequivocally that its events must be open to all member federations. Players from Qatar have belatedly acquired visas and will compete in the blitz. Israelis, who remain barred, claim the tournament is illegal and will take their case to the FIDE’s next congress in autumn 2018 and possibly to the court of arbitration for sport in [Lausanne]. Is there a way out? One idea discussed informally between FIDE and the Saudis was for Israelis to play under the FIDE flag, as do individuals from countries like Bulgaria, whose membership is suspended. But this construction would only work for Israelis with a second passport. FIDE has promised a statement after the end of the current tournament as it seeks to escape what seems at the moment an insoluble impasse. [Read more].

Storm in a Teacup

Magnus Carlsen – Ernesto Kazbekovich Inarkiev
King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 29, 2017
1r2r3/Rp3ppp/1k6/1B1n4/8/2P2P2/2K3PP/1R6 w - - 2 27

Position after 26. ... Kc6-b6

Today, on the first day of the King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship, Magnus Carlsen literally told the referee to fuck off. Everything started from the position of diagram: Carlsen – who was in a position to win – played 27. Rxb7+, and Inarkiev, as if nothing had happened, replied 27. ... Ne3+ leaving his own King in check. Now Magnus should have stopped the clock and claim the win. But no! Carlsen, on his turn, perhaps to repay Ernesto Kazbekovich in his own coin, played 28. Kd3, after which Inarkiev promptly called the referee claiming illegal move and the win. Quite arbitrarily the arbiter gave Inarkiev the win. And then all hell broke loose, as indeed Carlsen’s move could not be regarded as illegal. Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer illustrated the point better than others: “Magnus moved his King when it was in check. Of course he didn’t make an illegal move – it’s not illegal to miss out on claiming a win”. There were many lively exchanges of opinions, but finally the chief arbiter annulled his deputy’s decision and ruled that the game should be continued from the last legal move made (27. Rxb7+). Inarkiev refused and Carlsen was eventually given the win. 1 : 0.

Magnus’s fury. Photo: Ole Kristian Strøm/VG.

Branding and Advertising

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Andrey Esipenko
King Salman World Rapid Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 27, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. d3 e6 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. 0-0-0 d4 9. Ne2 c5 10. e5 Nd5 11. Nf4?! A rather naive novelty. After 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. Kb1 0-0-0 13. g4 c4! 14. dxc4 Ba3 15. b3 Ne3! Black seized a volatile initiative which, however, soon resulted in quite a balanced game, Domínguez Pérez – Rodshtein, 30th European Chess Club Cup, Bilbao 2014. 11. ... Nb4! 12. Kb1 Nd7! 13. Qe4 Nc6 14. Nh5!? 0-0-0! If 14. ... Ndxe5 (idem to say 14. ... Ncxe5) White would have probably continued with f2-f4-f5. 15. f4? This move, which looks so natural, actually exposes itself to an impressive refutation, that I guess Esipenko had prepared for. 15. ... c4!! On the footsteps of Israeli Grandmaster Maxim Rodshtein, but under much favourable circumstances since the Black Queen’s Knight is on d7 rather than on c6. As a matter of fact, Black’s Pawn sacrifice is now devastating. 16. dxc4 Ba3! 17. Bc1. It doesn’t make any difference (for the better) 17. b3 Nc5 followed by ... d4-d3. 17. ... Nc5 18. Qf3 d3! A deadly interference. 19. cxd3. 19. c3 Na4 is all the same a tragedy. 19. ... Na4 20. Rd2 Nd4! 21. Qf2 Nc3+ 22. Ka1

22. ... Qb3! Esipenko’s Queen pseudo-sacrifice is as much spectacular as it is easy. 23. bxc3. Or 23. axb3 Nxb3 mate. 23. ... Qxc3+ 24. Bb2 Bxb2+ 25. Rxb2 Qc1+ 26. Rb1 Nc2+ 27. Qxc2 Qxc2 28. g3 b5! Black goes for the last detail of his long prepared line: the opening of the b-file sounds like an epitaph to White. 29. cxb5. If 29. Rxb5 then 29. ... Qc1+ 30. Rb1 Qc3+ 31. Rb2 Kc7 and the Black Rook enters the stage via the b-file. 29. ... Rd4! 0 : 1.

Walls and Bridges

Fatimah Salem A. Baeshen, spokeswoman at Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C., United States blamed the lack of formal relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel for the denial of visas to the seven Israeli chess players. “Related to the purported politicization of the International Chess Tournament hosted by Riyadh: the Kingdom has allowed the participation of all citizens. The exception is whereby Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has historically not had diplomatic ties with a specific country – thus has maintained its policy”, she wrote. Indeed, it seems to me that the Kingdom committed a gross political mistake – and lost a historic chance of distinguishing itself from Trump’s and Netanyahu’s wall-centered politics – in denying visas to seven Israeli individuals who willingly applied to participate, challenging both the lack of formal relations and the resentment of their own government, which, as well, does not entertain formal relations with Saudi Arabia.

Fatimah Salem A. Baeshen
Photo: @FatimahSBaeshen

Start to Finish

Magnus Carlsen – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)
King Salman World Rapid Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 26, 2017
English Opening A28

Today Carlsen has lost his first-round game, probably because he didn’t want to come after Morphy, who notoriously was a bad starter. 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. e3 Nc6 4. a3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Qc2 Be7 7. Nf3 0-0 8. b4 Nxc3 9. dxc3 Qd6 10. Bd3. Or 10. Bb2 Bg4 11. Be2 f5 12. b5 Bxf3 13. gxf3(!) Nd8 14. c4 (Koneru – Kosteniuk, Women’s Grand Prix, fifth stage, Lopota 2014) and now 14. ... f4(!) should give Black reasonable counter-chances. 10. ... f5 11. e4 f4 12. h3 a5 13. Bb2 Bf6 14. Rd1 Qe7 15. 0-0 Be6 16. Qe2 Qf7 17. Rd2 g5! Chinese Grandmaster makes a facsimile of what brought him good luck in Carlsen – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 7th Chess World Cup, Tbilisi 2017, match game 1. 18. b5 Ne7 19. c4 Ng6 20. Nh2 Rad8 21. Rfd1 Qe7 22. Qh5 Rd7 23. Ng4 Rfd8 24. Nh6+ Kh8 25. Nf5 Qc5 26. Qe2 Nh4 27. Nxh4 gxh4 28. Qh5 Rg8 29. Bf1 Rdg7 30. Kh1 Qe7 31. Qf3. 31. Bxe5 f3! doesn’t inspire too much confidence. 31. ... Rg5 32. a4 Bf7 33. Rd7 Qe6 34. Qe2?? A terrific blunder which allows Black to deliver his mating attack. Stockfish gives 34. Qa3 Bh5 35. f3 Rg3 36. R7d3 when, in comparison with the game, Black could not have closed matters by 36. ... Qb6 (due to 37. c5). 34. ... Bh5 35. f3

35. ... Rg3! Threatening both ... Bh5xf3 (36. R1d3 Bxf3!−+) and ... Qe6-b6 (36. R7d3 Qb6!−+). 36. Kh2 Qb6! With the deadly threat of 37. ... Rxh3+! 38. Kxh3 Qg1 followed by a very quick mate. 37. c5 Qxc5 38. Kh1 0 : 1. White’s time expired just before getting mated: 38. ... Rxh3+ 39. gxh3 Qg1 mate. After this “advertising” defeat, Carlsen recovered quite well, still retaining his chances of becoming World Rapid Chess Champion. So what? Just pay attention to Georg.

Only Believe

The saga of the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which will start on Tuesday, December 26 is assuming grotesque proportions. The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) says that “236 players representing 70 countries“ will take part, but, still now, no one knows for sure who they are. The only sure thing is that you will have to believe to what they’ll do and how they’ll act. It is not enough to think that everything you’ll see there is also true. Aside from theocratic dilemmas, however, it would not be simply tolerable, neither from a moral nor from a jurisprudential standpoint, that a transnational non-profit making organisation – such as FIDE claims to be – were willing to sponsor and support – in exchange for the twenty percent of the total money prize – a world event in which a whole people, namely the Israeli players, had been denied the right to take part. Hopefully, time will tell, but don’t be too sure you’ll ever know.

Reading Lips

Mr. Israel Gelfer, one of the countless FIDE Vice Presidents, told yesterday Reuters that seven Israeli players have been denied visas to take part in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017. While the news is not yet verified, FIDE instead announced that Saudi Arabia authorities granted visas to both Iranian and Qatari players. As often happens in diplomatic stargames, the next hours will be crucial for knowing the answer to unresolved issues.

Photo © NadyaBird

A Mood Almanack

According to latest news (screengrabbed above is @dalongzhouqian microblog’s related post), with respect to the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017:

• 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 韋奕 (Wéi Yì), 李超 (Lǐ Chāo), 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 王皓 (Wáng Hào), 王玥 (Wáng Yuè), 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), and 倪華 (Ní Huá) will play the unisex field;


• 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), 趙雪 (Zhào Xuě), 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng), 倪詩群 (Ní Shīqún), 郭琦 (Guō Qí), and 王珏 (Wáng Jué) will play the women’s field.

The list of players is significantly different from that one tweeted a few hours earlier by sinochess (@sinachess), so don’t take it for granted and be ready to deal with sudden changes of mood and habit.

Nobody nowhere knows what time it is

• Leonard Barden, Chess: lucrative world speed events to open in Saudi Arabia amid controversy, The Guardian, December 22, 2017

Photo © armene

Rainmaking

• Leonard Barden, Magnus Carlsen under the weather and out of sorts at London Classic, The Guardian, December 15, 2017

Next up for the GM elite are the world rapid and blitz championships, to be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, starting 26 December. The venue is controversial, even though it is claimed that Israeli entrants will be granted visas. A record prize fund, $1.5m for the two men’s competitions and $500,000 for the women, has attracted a strong field led by Carlsen. [Read more].

Λυσάνδρα

Woman Grandmaster and Cuba’s No. 1 female player Lisandra Teresa Ordaz Valdés (pictured above) will take part, by invitation, in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017, as announced by the CiberCuba Noticias website. Photo © Juventud Rebelde.

• R Padrón, Ajedrecista Lisandra Ordaz competirá en Mundial femenino de partidas rápidas, CiberCuba Noticias, December 7, 2017

I’m sorry, Edna. Your issue is currently pending, depending upon His mood

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) says it is making “huge efforts” to grant to Israeli players the right to participate in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships which will take place in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017. FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos confirmed to Reuters on Monday that seven Israeli eligible players (and not eleven as previously announced) have actually applied for visas. “We have sent their documents to the organizers and the visa status is currently pending”, Mr. Makropoulos told Reuters. “The same applies for many other chess players who are waiting for their visa invitation letters. We are making a huge effort to ensure that all players get their visas”.

ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia: A woman enjoying her makeup at the Saudi Comic Con, the first comic book and pop culture convention ever held in Saudi Arabia. Photo: CNN.

The Eleven Gates

Saudi Arabia can choose to make a historic step in granting entry visas for eleven Israeli eligible players, who – according to what reported by Dror Halavy in Hamodia of Sunday, November 19, 2017 – would have already applied for visas to the Kingdom in order to participate in the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships scheduled to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh) from 26 to 30 December 2017. At present an answer is awaited from the Saudi authorities within a short time.

Photo © abe911

Eyes Wide Shut

So Saudi Arabia has made a flashy welcoming move by allowing women not wearing neither the hijab nor the abaya on occasion of the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships scheduled to be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh) from 26 to 30 December 2017. This has been understandably welcomed as a success of the “diplomacy of chess” and might sound like a death knell to the “boycott activists”. Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika (the number 11 woman in the world), for instance, thinks that “this agreement by FIDE and the organisers in Saudi Arabia is a positive development”, and doesn’t exclude that the current Women’s World Champion both in Rapid and Blitz, Anna Olehivna Muzychuk of Ukraine, may reconsider her decision to not took part in the Championships. “She had written that post a week ago and FIDE’s agreement with the organisers came after that”, Harika told P.K. Ajith Kumar of The Hindu. As they say, who will live will see.

Photo © LostOnMyOwn.

Billboard’s Hot Hits

• Анна Музычук: “Я потеряю два чемпионских титула, но играть в Эр-Рияде не буду” | Anna Muzychuk: “I’ll lose both my world titles, but I’m not gonna play in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Sport-Express, November 11, 2017

Anna Muzychuk: “I’ll lose both my world titles, but I’m not gonna play in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh)” Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk won’t perform at the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships in Saudi Arabia. The current holder of both the Rapid and Blitz world titles took her decision in protest against that country’s attitude towards women. “World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships will be held at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia. First, Iran, now Saudi Arabia...”, Muzychuk wrote on her social media account. “I’m wondering where the next Women’s World Chess Championship will be staged. I’m not gonna play in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), despite record prize money. Yes, I’ll lose both my world titles. But should I risk my life and always wear an abaya? There’s a limit to everything, and a shawl in Iran has been just enough for me”.

(Free translation by Nobody’s Perfect)

Masmak fort

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) announced that the 2017 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships – renamed for the occasion as “King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships” will be held in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia from 26 to 30 December 2017, with an overall prize fund of $2 million dollars. Furthermore, FIDE published on its website the list of players who will be offered free accommodation in ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh) as well as travel expenses refund.