In a post-Candidates interview, Vladimir Kramnik predicted the 2012 title match, “will not be so easy for Anand, who is still the favourite. Nobody should underestimate Boris (Gelfand). He has the unique ability to play his very best at the most important moments.”
Kramnik also said the very short classical match format in Kazan encouraged short draws until the lottery of rapid/ blitz tiebreaks. He suggests either longer matches, or a double round robin (RR). RRs can be “fixed”. Indeed, this happened in Curacao 1962 when several Soviet players (Petrosian Geller, Keres) ganged up on Fischer and Korchnoi.
Even an “unfixed” double RR can become a no-contest like San Luis 2005, when Topalov logged 6.5 from 7 and then coasted 7 draws. Silvio Danailov's remedy would be to just apply Sofia Rules and ban agreed draws — a long-overdue change.
As the candidates meandered, Nakamura won an exhibition match against Ponomariov. Naka notched 3.5-2,5 in the classical segment followed by 3-1 in the rapids. This weekend, Anand will also play an exhibition against Shirov in Leon. That’s at a rapid control (45 minutes +30 seconds increment), which should favour the new dad, who is gunning for an eighth Leon victory.
In other news, Indians won 10 out of the 12 titles at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Subic City, Philippines. The Indian girls won all six titles while the boys took four titles. Back home in Bhubaneswar, the third Orissa Open KiiT Cup also started with 15 GMs in the field of around 220.
The prize fund is moderate at around Rs 10 lakhs equivalent. After Round 6, Magesh Chandran leads with 5.5. Top seeded Armenian GM Tigran L Petrosian is part of a pack on 5 along with Arun Prasad, Abhijeet Gupta, Stany, Michedlishvili, etc.
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The diagram, BLACK TO PLAY, (Kramnik Vs Grischuk, Game 4 Candidates Semifinals 2011) indicates Kramnik’s objections to short matches may be overstated. If Black stops mate, the c-pawn should win. So 28...Rg7 29.Qe5 Qb7 30.g3 c2 31.Rc1 Ba3 32.Nh5 Bxc1 33.Rxc1 Rd8 looks good for black with Rd1 to come.
Instead 28. .. Bg7? 29.Nh5? Fabiano Caruana suggested the fabulous line 29.Nxh7 c2! (29...Kxh7 30.Qh3+ Kg8 31.Qxe6+ wins for White with a rook lift Rd3 /Re3) 30.Qh4 Be5!! which he analyses to a draw after 31.Ng5+ Kg8 32.Rc1 Bc3! 33.Rf1 Bd2 34.Nxe6.
29...Qb7 30.Qh4 Rg8 31.Rd8? 31.Nf4! wins 31. - h6 32. Rxe6. Play continued 31...Rc8 32.Rxg8+ Rxg8 33.Nxg7 Qxg7 White could reach a better but probably drawn ending with 33.Nf6 Bxf6 34.Qxf6+ Qg7 35.Qxg7+ Kxg7 36.Rc1 Ra8 37. Rxc3 Rxa2. Now it peters out after 34.Qe4 c2 35.Rc1 Rc8 36.Qxe6 Rd8 37.Qb3 Rd2 38.Qb8+ Qg8 39.Qb2+ Qg7 40.Qb8+ Qg8 41.Qe5+ Qg7 42.Qe8+ Qg8 43.Qe5+ Qg7 44.Qe8+ 1/2-1/2
Devangshu Datta is an internationally-rated chess and correspondence chess player