|
Carlsen charges on
|
Magnus Carlsen is knocking on Vishy Anand’s door after another win at the Aerosvit tournament, sponsored by the Ukrainian airline and staged in the Crimean resort of Foros. If the rating list were to be published now, Carlsen’s string of five victories in seven games have gained him so many rating points he would be almost level with Anand, the world champion and world number one. The seventeen year old Norwegian prodigy already leads the tournament by two clear points.
The players the visited the town of Balaklava on the rest day and Carlsen returned apparently more refreshed and more inspired than his opponent Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania. I would have liked to have reported that Nisipeanu boldly sent his cavalry forward into the attack before losing gallantly but this was no Charge of the Light Brigade on the chess board. The white knights were meekly exchanged before battle could be properly joined and then White’s foot soldiers were cut down by the black bishops as Carlsen won easily.
Nisipieanu is a very strong player who has reached the semi finals of the Fide World Championship and won the European Individual champion yet he was easily outplayed despite having the advantage of the white pieces. Carlsen’s win took his tournament rating performance back over 3000.
|
|
Carlsen run checked
|
The frantic pace of the Aerosvit tournament in Ukraine relented a little in the sixth round as Magnus Carlsen’s winning run was ended by Evgeny Alexseev who held the youngster with black. However, even this game demonstrated how far Carlsen has advanced recently. Alexseev was a pawn ahead in the final position and could have played on but was not minded to take the risk. Carlsen retains a 1.5 point lead. A wild game, typical of Planet Shirov a faraway world that most players will never visit and where the philosophy is never to take material back when you can sacrifice more. I am sure most players would have played 21.Bh4 Bxh4 22.Qxh4+ N7f6 23.Rfe1 Kd7 when Black's position looks distinctly shaky but Shirov cannot resist giving up his queen.
|
|
Rivalries, Both Old and New, and Two Blowout Victories
|
Last weekend, Anatoly Karpov faced Viktor Korchnoi, and Viswanathan Anand of India, the world champion, played Vassily Ivanchuk.
|
|
Carlsen snares Shirov
|
Magnus Carlsen won yet again at Foros to take a 1.5 point lead over the field after only five rounds. Carlsen outplayed Alexey Shirov in an endgame where he held just the faintest of edges. After some skilful manoeuvring reminiscent of the former world champion Tigran Petrosian, the youngster laid a fiendish trap worthy of another world champion Mikhail Tal. Shirov missed the hidden tactical point and his king was suddenly in a mating net.
Here is the denouement.
M Carlsen– A Shirov
Aerosvit (5) Foros
|
|
Carlsen's carve-up
|
The Norwegian wunderkind Magnus Carlsen is carving up another world class field at the Aerosvit tournament being staged in the Crimean resort of Foros. Carlsen took the lead in round three with a victory over Loek van Wely and maintained it in the fourth round by defeating Pavel Eljanov with black. Carlsen’s tournament rating performance climbed over 3000 and if he maintains this remarkable pace he may take the world number one spot.
One of Carlsen’s most impressive results last year was holding Kramnik with black in the former world champion’s favourite Catalan Opening. Against Eljanov Carlsen equalised then outplayed the Ukrainian in an endgame with rook and four pawns against two knights and one pawn. Carlsen lost two of his pawns but then found the right idea and won after 82 moves.
The performance of another former prodigy should not be overlooked. Sergei Karjakin of Ukraine, at 18, a year older than Carlsen has ? after a win over former Russian champion Dmitry Jakovenko. Play followed a game between Peter Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik for 22 moves before Karjakin’s 23rd move made a subtle difference to the situation on the board and he whipped up a strong attack.
Alexey Shirov, who started with two wins, misplayed a quiet position against Pavel Eljanov. The white queen looks odd on a3 but pressures a7 while controlling d6 and e7. It only takes one inaccurate move to transform an uncomfortable position into one that is very difficult to defend.
P Eljanov – A Shirov
Aerosvit Foros (3)
English v Gruenfeld
|
|
Death mars opening
|
The opening of the Armenian Chess Giants at Yerevan was overshadowed by news of the tragic death of Karen Asrian, one the country's top Grandmasters, at the age of 28. The news was announced to the audience at the Yerevan Opera House by his teammate Smbat Lputian and a minute's silence was observed. Asrian was champion of Armenia three times, their number four ranked player and number 92 in the world rankings. Asrian was a member of the gold medal winning Armenian team at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin.
When play started there were wins for Alexander Morozevich over Boris Gelfand who hung his queen in a drawn position and for Peter Leko who defeated Bu Xiangzhi 1.5-0.5. The Armenian players appeared too distraught to compete and drew all their games in about ten moves. Under the circumstances Michael Adams was content to share the points with Armenian Gabriel Sargissian.
Although Asrian excelled in quiet positions and in endgame he could also unleash fearsome attacks and opened with 1.e4 much of the time.
K Asrian – V Karasev
Chigorin Mem St Petersburg 1997
Sicilian Defence
|
|
Adams in the fast lane
|
Michael Adams is in action at an elite Rapid Chess tournament, the Yerevan Chess Giants taking place in the Armenian capital. The England number one is in an eight player field that includes three of the world’s top 10 including the Armenian number one Levon Aronian and world number three Alexander Morozevich.
The line up is:
Alexander Morozevich, Russia, 2774
Levon Aronian, Armenia, 2763
Leko, Peter Hungary 2741
Michael Adams, England, 2729
Boris Gelfand, Israel, 2723
Bu Xiangzhi, China, 2708
Vladimir Akopian, Armenia, 2673
Gabriel Sargissian, Armenia, 2643
Another elite event is underway at the Ukrainian resort of Forose. The Aerosvit tournament, sponsored by the Ukrainian airline has an average rating of over 2700 which even in today’s rating inflated world is impressive. The seventeen year old prodigy Magnus Carlsen continues to play non-stop and he is the top seed.
1. Carlsen Norway 2765
2. Svidler Russia 2746
3. Ivanchuk Ukraine 2740
4. Shirov Spain 2740
5. Karjakin Ukraine 2732
6. Jakovenko Russia 2711
7. Alekseev Russia 2711
8. Eljanov Ukraine 2687
9. Volokitin Ukraine 2684
10. Nisipeanu Romania 2684
11. Van Wely Netherlands 2676
12. Onischuk USA 2664
It is approximately 100 years since the birth of the Hungarian Master Sammi Fajarowicz who first played the gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 eighty years ago. This Fajarowicz Gambit is an offshoot of the Budapest Gambit which runs 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4. The Fajarowicz is pretty rare nowadays but gives the first player ample opportunity to go wrong in the opening.
|
|
Martial Art of Chess, Promoted by a Rapper
|
 The rapper RZA, a founder of the Wu-Tang Clan and holder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation belt, is turning his interest into a business.
|
|
Leonard Barden. June 7, 2008
|
Nigel Short made a shrewd decision last week. The England No2 spurned the chance to return to Sarajevo, where he finished next to last in 2007, and instead opted for Bazna, Romania, and a tournament of grandmaster old-timers. Short, 43, was the second youngest in the event and the former world title challenger won first prize with 7/10. If he had gone to Sarajevo he would have come up against the world No3, Alex Morozevich, in unstoppable form.
This week's polished game must have especially pleased Short. Back in 1980 as a 15-year-old he finished runner-up in the world junior (under-20) championship in Dortmund. The winner was Garry Kasparov, so it seemed sure that Short's turn would come. Alas, it did not, and one who blocked his path was Andrei Sokolov, then of the USSR, who won the 1982 U20 and went on to contest the 1987 candidates' final against Anatoly Karpov before his career went on the slide.
Short's win below had an original touch. The Keres Attack, 6 g4, normally presages a king-side pawn storm; Sokolov's extravagant 14...Nh7 stopped g5 and planned f5 Bg5 but it enabled Short to switch his pressure to the Q-side. Later 23 e5! gained material since Black could not allow 25...Nh7 26 Rd7 winning the c6 knight. Sokolov continued with two pawns for a piece but 29 Qa2! cashed in Short's c pawn, and at the end White made large material gains.
N Short v A Sokolov
|
|
Short crowned king
|
Nigel Short was a convincing winner of the Tournament of Kings held at Bazna in Romania. The eleven player event comprised nine former world championship Candidates and two Romanian players. Some of the players could be regarded as veterans but all remain active in tournament play. Short was the highest rated player but more than justified his billing as he won four games, drew six and had won the tournament with a round to spare.
We have already seen Short’s fine over Ulf Andersson but his best game by far was this victory over Andrei Sokolov which was reminiscent of Short at his best in the 1990s when no Sicilian player was safe.
N Short – A Sokolov
King's Tournament (7) Bazna
Sicilian Defence Keres Attack
|
|
Sarajevo superman
|
Alexander Morozevich was a class apart at Sarajevo and has secured the first prize with a round to spare. The Russian GM who is ranked third in the world conceded just five draws on his was to 7.5/10 and gained nine rating points and closer to Vladimir Kramnik, ranked two. Only the Cuban Lenier Dominguez avoided defeat at Morozevich’s hands and the winner must have been doubly delighted as last year he played indifferently at Sarajevo, losing three games, one to Nigel Short, and scored just 50%. This time roles were reversed as Sergei Movsesian, the winner in 2007 had to be content with 5/10. L Dominguez - A Morozevich
Sarajevo (4)
Sicilian Taimanov
|
|
Sweet 16 for Ivanchuk
|
Vasily Ivanchuk’s wonderful form continued as he defeated the world champion Vishy Anand in just sixteenth moves in the fourth and decisive game of the final of the City of Leon Rapidplay tournament in Spain. Both players won with black, Ivanchuk in game one and Anand in game two. After many vicissitudes game three was drawn before Ivanchuk secured victory as follows Anand appears to either ignore or forget the theoretical continuation.
Ivanchuk’s recent triumphs include:
· Carlos Torre Memorial Yucatan Mexico 2007
· World Blitz Moscow 2007
· Montreal 2007
· Pivdeny Bank Odessa 2007
· Foros 2007
· Capablanca Memorial Havana 2007
· M Tel Masters Sofia 2008
Black is losing rook for bishop and pawn but after a further error it’s a case of what John Nunn famously described as LPDO, ‘ loose pieces drop off’ .
V Ivanchuk – V Anand
XXI Magistral Rapid Final (4) Leon
|
|
After a Run for the U.S. Title, the Champ Has an Off Day
|
After his undefeated United States Championship win, grandmaster Yury Shulman performed poorly at the Chicago Open.
|
|
Leonard Barden. May 31, 2008
|
Nearly a decade after Gawain Jones and David Howell - now the UK's two youngest grandmasters - emerged, England has a new trio of schoolboy talents with real promise.
This column has already reported on Yang-Fan Zhou. The Whitgift 13-year-old recently won the Coulsdon Premier with 8.5/9, gaining nearly 100 world rating points which will make him England's highest ranked under-18 after Howell in the July Fide list.
Dulwich College's Samuel Franklin, 13, drew with a Russian GM at Cappelle, defeated GM Alex Cherniaev in the Surrey Open and won the imaginative game below against an IM in the UK league.White's Mikhail Tal-style 17 Nd5?! (17 Be3) is dubious but creates wild complications which pay off when 24...Qa7+? (Nxg2! 25 Qxg2 Qa7+ should win) allows 25 c5! gaining decisive material.
The fastest mover is Felix Ynojosa, who in December won the London U21 title at the age of 11 (Nigel Short did that at 12). Last month the Prospect School, Reading, pupil astonishingly won the King's Head Open and this month he was fourth in another strong open in Richmond. He totalled 9.5/12 in the two events, with a rating performance well above 2300 - Fide Master level - which included 2/2 against IMs.
A new test for the talented trio is near. All have qualified for the British championship in Liverpool in July.
|
|
Don't mention yogurt...
|
The Cold War rivals Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi face each other over the board again at the 4th Pivdenny Bank Chess Cup which begins tomorrow at National Academy of Law in Odessa, Ukraine. The tournament will be Rapid Chess and the veterans are in a tough field which includes two of the highest rated players in the world today.
Karpov and Korchnoi contested three matches for the world title. The first, in 1974, was in effect a title contest as Fischer soon abdicated. The second two took place after Korchnoi defected from the USSR in 1977 and had become a non-person, scarcely ever mentioned or even referred to in the official media in the USSR. The match at Baguio City in 1978 became notorious for the shenanigans off the board including the famous accusation from Korchnoi’s camp that Karpov was receiving messages in his yoghurt during the game. The Russians sent parapsychologist Dr Zukhar to stare at Korchnoi from the front row of the audience and Korchnoi took to wearing reflective glasses. The first match was very close, but Karpov won the decisive 29th game. The match at Merano in 1981 was more comfortable for Karpov who at 57, is 20 years Korchnoi’s junior.
The full line up is: Boris Gelfand (2723, Israel), Ruslan Ponomariov (2719, Ukraine) Anatoly Karpov (2655, Russia) Pavel Tregubov (2629, Russia) Viktor Korchnoi (2598, Switzerland) Yuri Drozdovskij (2581, Ukraine) Valery Beim (2523, Austria) Mikhail Golubev (2474, Ukraine). Each player will face the other with both colours. The time limit is fast with 10 minutes on the clock and an extra five seconds added each move. Bank Pivdenny is the largest bank in southern Ukraine and one of the main sponsors of the Association of Chess Players or ACP.
V Kortchnoi – A Karpov
|
|
Going for Spanish gold
|
The 21st edition of the "Magistral Ciudad de Leon" starts today in the Spanish city which has a magnificent chess tradition. The Rapid Chess tournament will see the world champion Vishy Anand taking on the man of the moment Vasily Ivanchuk plus Spain’s two leading players Alexei Shirov and Francisco Vallejo Pons.
At the recent Dos Hermanas tournament which was also a rapid Chess knockout, Vallejo eliminated Shirov before losing to Veselin Topalov.
An eight game match between former world title finalist Peter Leko and prodigy Magnus Carlsen is already underway at the Hungarian resort of Miskolc which stages a match for the Hungarian number one each year. Leko drew with Michael Adams 4-4 in 2005, defeated Anatoly Karpov in 2006 and was defeated by Vladimir Kramnik in 2007.
A Morozevich – S Movsesian
Bosna Sarajevo (3
|
|
Coming out fighting
|
The British Land UK Chess Challenge is at its second stage with 39 Megafinals either completed or shortly to take place across the UK. Founder and organizer International Michael Basman has again attracted a huge number of children to the event with over 73,000 children, close to a record for the competition taking part in over 2000 schools.
All children who scored 4/6 or better in their graded section at the Megafinal qualify for the Giga Finals which are zoned north and south and take place at Wellington College and Manchester in July. The very best from Gigafinal go forward to the Terrafinal in August.
The winners of each age group win a big cash prize and the overall winner will earn ?2000.
Alexander Morozevich is top seed at this year’s Bosna Sarajevo tournament and is living up to his billing with his usual brand of creative and fighting chess. After four of the ten rounds Morozevich leads with 3/4. Here is one of his victories.
The game soon reaches positions similar to those from the Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 followed by Ne2 and Morozevich makes every effort to dismantle White’s centre and avoids committing his king. When he finally castles White is already lost.
B Predojevic – A Morozevich
|
|
Ukrainian Upstages His Hosts in Capturing Title in Bulgaria
|
Vassily Ivanchuk stole the spotlight at the M-Tel Masters, tournaments which have been showcases for Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria’s top player, who has taken first each time.
|
|
Leonard Barden. May 24, 2008
|
Sofia's double-round M-Tel Masters manages to be one of the strongest events of the year despite a virtual boycott by the top Russians since Vladimir Kramnik was accused by the Bulgarians of cheating in the 2006 world title match. In the latest M-Tel, which ended this week, the hometown favourite Veselin Topalov was eclipsed by Ukraine's Vasily Ivanchuk, who began with 5/5 and won easing up.
Earlier Topalov scored this crushing win. Bu's rare 9...Ne4 reflects recent white successes with the normal Bg6 10 Nh4, but after 10 Ne5!? Black ducked the untested gambit Nxc3 11 Bxc3 Bxc3 12 Ra3 Bb4 12 e4 Bxa3 13 Bxa3 Bg6 14 Bxf8 Kxf8. His actual choice gave White an easy edge, though 22...exf4 and 23...N or Bf8 are likely improvements. As played, Topa's quiet manoeuvre Nc1-d3-f4xg6 gained the bishop pair and 24 f5! opened up the defences. Then he finished with 31 Rf2, planning Bxf2+ 32 Kf1! mating.
V Topalov v Bu Xiangzhi
|
|
Defeat with a smile
|
Vladimir Kramnik defeated Czech number one David Navara 5.5-2.5 in a Rapid Chess match to capture the CEZ trophy at Prague last week. The fourteenth world champion is mainly playing Rapid Chess prior to his title contest against defending champion Vishy Anand in October although he is expected to play the Classical Chess tournament at Dortmund.
Navara was pummeled on the first day but after that he got a few winning positions and eventually, in the final game on day four he converted one. Navara expertly converts the advantages of a queenside pawn majority and control of the open file.
He advances his pawns supported by his king and once he makes a passed pawn the game is won. Kramnik tries to counter by advancing his kingside pawns but in doing so he makes them weak.
D Navara – V Kramnik
|
|
Najer nets the prize
|
Chess in the Caucasus is thriving as more and more big money tournaments appear in Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following the Fide Grand Prix event where Michael Adams competed, Nigel Short finished in joint second place at the President’s Cup, a very strong Open tournament also held at Baku, the birthplace of Garry Kasparov.
The tournament was won by the Russian GM Evgeny Najer who is something of an Open tournament specialist. At 2627, just outside the world’s top100 he is hugely under rated.
Michael Adams is in action in Yerevan later this month in a Rapid Chess tournament with a prize fund of $262,000 US. The favourite will be the local hero Levon Aronian who defeated Vladimir Kramnik in a Rapid Chess contest also in Yerevan last year. The full line up is:
|
|
Goalkeeper on the attack
|
The MTel Masters ended in triumph for Vasily Ivanchuk who scored his sixth victory in the final round to reach an unbeaten 8/10 and dash the lingering hopes of Veselin Topalov who finished 1.5 point behind. Topalov's analytical assistant Ivan Cheparinov went for the win with the white pieces against Ivanchuk in the last round but was well beaten.
Nigel Short once famously said that he never bothered preparing for Ivanchuk because: 'he can play anything' and so it proved. The Ukrainian chess genius chose the Sicilian Paulsen and when confronted with a dangerous looking novelty he reflected briefly and then refuted it. The Cheparinov’s queenside was soon full of holes and his king had nowhere to hide.
Ivanchuk started with five straight wins but had his customary attack of nerves in the second half of the event and drew four in a row before his lat round victory. 'Chuky' joked that because he played in goal during the traditional football match played on the rest day, he had developed a goalkeeper’s mindset: "I am thinking only of defence" he said. However, in the final game, when forced to fight he showed again what a great player he is.
|
|
Bu... there's a surprise
|
Veselin Topalov can still make it four first prizes in a row at the MTel Masters but after a shock defeat at the hands of Bu Xianhgzhi in the penultimate round he must defeat Teimour Radjabov and hope that his analytical assistant and fellow Bulgarian Ivan Cheparinov can inflict a first defeat on Vasily Ivanchuk
Topalov has won every MTel event in his home city of Sofia since its inception. In recent years he has made many magnificent comebacks. However, after winning for the fifth time in round eight he went astray against Bu who had yet to win a game but took the chances he was offered.
Vasily Ivanchuk started with five straight wins but has looked increasingly tentative and has drawn his last four. The Ukrainian played in goal during the traditional football match on the rest day and tongue in cheek, he suggested that since then he has carried on in goal during his games, thinking only of defence.
|
|
Brooklyn Public School Is a Big Winner at National Championships
|
 At the elementary school national championships in Pittsburgh last weekend, Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn won the section for players in kindergarten through the sixth grade.
|
|
Guildford ADC prolong their monopoly
|
The Premier League may have only four realistic contenders, but the UK chess league is way ahead of that in uncompetitiveness. For the second year in succession Guildford-ADC won the national title, with Guildford reserves runner-up.
Why the monopoly? ADC is Assessment & Development Consultants, a local human resources firm directed by international master Nigel Povah, which bankrolled a grandmaster squad of a calibre that no other team could match.
Lower down the league, a veteran squad finished fifth while the women's team Pride and Prejudice's rise continued with promotion to the top flight.
In a rare Guildford loss on the final weekend, GM Jonathan Parker, one of several top English players who abandoned full-time chess for the City, showed he retains his strength by this polished two-bishop win over England's youngest GM.
J Parker v D Howell
|
|
Nearly topped by Topalov
|
Vasily Ivanchuk conceded his first half point in the sixth round of the MTel Masters in Sofia. Ivanchuk was held to a draw by Teimour Radjabov and saw his lead cut to one point as Veselin Topalov defeated an out of sorts Levon Aronian.
Ivanchuk’s performance has been remarkable but Topalov, who has won all three M-Tel tournaments staged in his home city is also in fine form and his tournament rating performance so far is over 2900. Ivanchuk’s is over 3100. to put that in context, Vishy Anand, the world number one is rated 2803. Garry Kasparov’s highest ever rating achieved in 2000 was 2849.
Bu Xiangzhi lost again, he and Aronian are now well adrift of the field.
|
|
Turmoil at the top
|
The English Chess Federation is in meltdown after the resignation of the Chief Executive and three key directors. The four, all members of the ECF Executive Board stood down after they felt unable to implement a business plan for the coming year.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph the outgoing Chief Executive Martin Regan blamed the obstructive behaviour of the ECF President Gerry Walsh and called for his resignation. International Director Peter Sowray, Junior Director Claire Summerscale and Non Executive Director Mike Truran also resigned.
There is no doubt that since the four were elected in October 2006 the decline of English Chess was halted and there was cause for great optimism. However the hasty appointments of what are described on the ECF website as 'familiar faces' makes for depressing reading.
There was one scrap of good news, the new Director of Congress Chess is Stewart Reuben who has written the book on his subject and has run successful tournaments in the UK and abroad for more than thirty years. Mr Reuben's first act was to reinstate some start money for the leading players at the forthcoming British Championships. This may be enough to prevent it being hopelessly unrepresentative.
There was a rest day at the MTel Masters in Sofia.
Scores: 1 Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 5/5; 2 Topalov (Bulgaria) 3.5; 3-4 Cheparinov (Bulgaria), Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 2; 5 Aronian (Armenia) 1.5; 6 Bu (China) 1 .
|
|
Boohoo for Bu
|
Another stirring victory for Vasily Ivanchuk gave him a clean sweep over his five opponents at the MTel Masters in Sofia. The Ukrainian chess genius is heading for for the record books as his run of wins over such highly rated opposition is reminiscent of Bobby Fischer or Garry Kasparov at their best. Ivanchuk's fifth victim was Levon Aronian whose form this year has been imperious with victories at Corus Wijk aan Zee and Amber.
Ivanchuk's victory was his third with the black pieces and he now faces the same five opponents again in the second half of the tournament emboldened by the prospect of three more games with white and two with black. Ivanchuk's lack of what he calls himself: " psychological stability" is legendary so at the half way stage the question is will we see another spectactular collapse or will 'Chuky' march into the record books?
|
|
Ivanchuk at the double
|
Vasily Ivanchuk did the double over the Bulgarians and sent his tournament rating performance to stratospheric heights with a fourth straight win at the M-Tel Masters at Sofia. Ivanchuk defeated Ivan Cheparinov with clever defensive play, enticing his opponent forward but somehow managing to keep his own king safe. There were chances for both sides but in a very complicated position Cheparinov erred.
Cheparinov has scored many brilliant wins with the King’s Indian Defence but despite launching an attack with nearly all his pieces he could not break through and when queens were exchanged material loss was unavoidable. Ivanchuk is now 1.5 points ahead of Veselin Topalov as the other two fourth round games were drawn without much incident.
V Ivanchuk - I Cheparinov
4th M-Tel Masters (4) Sofia
|
|
Ivanchuk's demolition
|
Vasily Ivanchuk is spoiling the party at Sofia as he raced to 3/3 with some sparkling play. Ivanchuk defeated local hero Veselin Topalov with black in the second round and had reduced the position of the Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi to ruins after only nine moves in Saturday's third game.
The tournament is a six player double round all play all and is part of a new Grand Slam which involves Wijk aan Zee and a new event to be held in Bilbao. There are also plans to hold a new event in Seattle with a $750,000 prize fund.
V Ivanchuk - Bu Xiangzhi
4th M-Tel Masters (3) Sofia
English Opening v Slav
|