The NH Experience Vs Rising Stars match in Amsterdam saw the Experience team log a 27.5-22.5 victory. Nielsen, Svidler and Ljubojevic had plus scores for the oldsters. The 58 year-old Ljubo's performance was the real surprise.
Jan Smeets was the only youngster to log a plus score and he books a coveted spot in the 2010 Amber Rapid-Blindfold. The higher-rated Hikaru Nakamura was unwell throughout and the other youth favourite, Fabiano Caruana was out of form.
September sees the Rating List periodicity reduce to bi-monthly. The new list sees Topalov (2813) and Anand (2788) stay at 1 and 2 respectively without either having played a single rated game in the last two months. Aronyan jumps to no:3 with 2773 ahead of Carlsen and Kramnik (2772 each). Ivanchuk who dropped from joint third to 30 in the last list, has climbed back to 8. Anatoly Karpov slides out of the top 100 for the first time in his illustrious career.
Among Indians, Harikrishna and Sasikiran remain in the top 100 without having moved much. Ganguly, Negi and Sandipan Chanda are all now rated above 2600 though none of them makes the top 100 cutoff at 2643. Humpy has seen a dip in her rating though she remains no:2 on the women's list.
Top level chess moved close to home with the Alekhine Chess Club, Kolkata hosting a strong open (with a 120 min-Sudden Death control). This is a 9-round Swiss with a prize fund of about $20,000. Some 35 GMs led by three 2700-plus players (Shakhriyar Mamedaryov, Nigel Short and Ni Hua) lead a field of 125 with 82 title-holders. Hence good chances for a lot of local norms. After round 2, 15 players have perfect scores.
THE DIAGRAM, BLACK TO PLAY, (Van Wely Vs Stellwagen, NH 2009) has occurred before. Van Wely won at the Dresden Olympiad 2008, after Radjabov played 24.-h5. Computers also suggest 24.-Rg2 and rate it equal.
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Stellwagen found the novelty 24.-Qf3 and the game continued 25. Nxd6 Bf6 26. c5. Post mortem and Stellwagen's prep suggests 26. Qe1 is better due to the stunning 26 — Nd5! 27. exd5 e4! There is no credible defence to Bc3# due to lines like 28. Nxe4 Qxe4 29. Ba3 Qf4+ 30. Kc2 Qc4 31. Kb1 Rxe2.
White tried 28. Ke1 Qg2 ? 29. Kd2 Bxa1 30. c6 Qf3 31. Nxe4 Qxe4 32. c7 Qf4+ 33. Ke1 Bc3+ 34. Qg3 35. Bxc3 (35. c8=Q Rf8#) Rf3 36. Kd2 Rxc3 37. d6 Qe3+ 38. Ke1 Rc1 39. Qxc1 Qxc1+ 40. Kf2 Qc5 + and (0-1, 47 moves). Rather more decisive is the beautiful 28. Ke1 Bc3+ 29. Bd2 (Qd2 Qxe2#) Qg3 30. Bxc3 e3! 31. Qd4 Rf1++ 32. Kxf1 Qf2 where black sacrifices everything.