 "Chess (#1165)")
The World Cup starts in Baku this weekend. Apart from the $1.6 million plus in prize money, it also offers up to four slots in the 2016 Candidates. The WC is a Wimbledon style knock out with 128 players and mini matches, with tie breaks at accelerated controls. Prize money escalates, round by round.
Viswanathan Anand has already qualified for the Candidates and so have Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, via the Grand Prix. Both "Fab" and "Naka" are playing. For Veselin Topalov, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik (who won the last WC edition in Norway), Alexander Grischuk, Wesley So, Dmitry Jakovenko, Sergei Karjakin, Ding Liren, et cera, this is a good shot at the Candidates. India also has six WC warriors in P Harikrishna, Baskaran Adhiban, Suryasekhar Ganguly, Vidit Gujrathi, SP Sethuraman and Lalith Babu.
There are confusing sub-clauses to Candidates qualification. Apart from the two WC finalists, "the next two highest rated players from the World Cup, OR the GP, will play the Candidates" (using a 12-month rating average). Averaging ratings of all who played the GP and the WC for two slots "may" be a more fair formula than simply qualifying the four WC semi-finalists. But what happens if Caruana or Nakamura make the WC final?
The format guarantees excitement. A KO reduces the chances of any given person (true for tennis as for chess) compared to a round robin. Blitz and rapid play tiebreakers randomises things even more and tend to favour younger players. Topalov for example, doesn't like fast controls.
The enigmas could be Aronian and Grischuk. If Grischuk manages time well in normal play, he is dangerous. Aronian showed recovery in form at Sinquefield. He is however, literally playing in enemy territory with a specially granted visa. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at war since 1994 and there are continuous border clashes. The substantial local Armenian community was forced to flee Azerbaijan in the 1990s. Garry Kasparov, who is half Armenian and Baku born and bred, chartered planes to help evacuate people. Aronian will have to find ways to shut out that tension.
Aronian's artistry is evident in the DIAGRAM, BLACK TO MOVE ( White: So Vs Black: Aronian, Sinquefield Cup 2015) Black played 15. Ne5! 16.Be1 Maybe white should try 16.gxh5 f5 17. Be1 Qf6 18. Nd2 Nxf3 though it looks horrible. Now black punches on with 16...Qf6! 17.gxh5 Nxf3 18.Bf2 Bg4! 19.Qc1 Nd4! 20.Nxd4 cxd4.
White tried to hold things up with 21.e5 dxe5 22.Nd2 Rac8 23.Qb1 b3! 24.Nxb3 Bb6 25.a5 Ba7. Here Aronian missed 25...Rc2! 26. Qxc2 d3! 27. axb6 dxc2 but he won easily with 26.Kg1 Bf5! 27.Be4 Qg5+ 28.Kf1 Qf4 (0-1). Now d3 is a killer.
Viswanathan Anand has already qualified for the Candidates and so have Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, via the Grand Prix. Both "Fab" and "Naka" are playing. For Veselin Topalov, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik (who won the last WC edition in Norway), Alexander Grischuk, Wesley So, Dmitry Jakovenko, Sergei Karjakin, Ding Liren, et cera, this is a good shot at the Candidates. India also has six WC warriors in P Harikrishna, Baskaran Adhiban, Suryasekhar Ganguly, Vidit Gujrathi, SP Sethuraman and Lalith Babu.
There are confusing sub-clauses to Candidates qualification. Apart from the two WC finalists, "the next two highest rated players from the World Cup, OR the GP, will play the Candidates" (using a 12-month rating average). Averaging ratings of all who played the GP and the WC for two slots "may" be a more fair formula than simply qualifying the four WC semi-finalists. But what happens if Caruana or Nakamura make the WC final?
The format guarantees excitement. A KO reduces the chances of any given person (true for tennis as for chess) compared to a round robin. Blitz and rapid play tiebreakers randomises things even more and tend to favour younger players. Topalov for example, doesn't like fast controls.
The enigmas could be Aronian and Grischuk. If Grischuk manages time well in normal play, he is dangerous. Aronian showed recovery in form at Sinquefield. He is however, literally playing in enemy territory with a specially granted visa. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at war since 1994 and there are continuous border clashes. The substantial local Armenian community was forced to flee Azerbaijan in the 1990s. Garry Kasparov, who is half Armenian and Baku born and bred, chartered planes to help evacuate people. Aronian will have to find ways to shut out that tension.
Aronian's artistry is evident in the DIAGRAM, BLACK TO MOVE ( White: So Vs Black: Aronian, Sinquefield Cup 2015) Black played 15. Ne5! 16.Be1 Maybe white should try 16.gxh5 f5 17. Be1 Qf6 18. Nd2 Nxf3 though it looks horrible. Now black punches on with 16...Qf6! 17.gxh5 Nxf3 18.Bf2 Bg4! 19.Qc1 Nd4! 20.Nxd4 cxd4.
White tried to hold things up with 21.e5 dxe5 22.Nd2 Rac8 23.Qb1 b3! 24.Nxb3 Bb6 25.a5 Ba7. Here Aronian missed 25...Rc2! 26. Qxc2 d3! 27. axb6 dxc2 but he won easily with 26.Kg1 Bf5! 27.Be4 Qg5+ 28.Kf1 Qf4 (0-1). Now d3 is a killer.
Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player