St Louis Chess Showdown: Nakamura beats Aronian for $60,000
Hello chess blog friends, this chess update is about the Levon Aronian - Hikaru Nakamura clash in St Louis recently. The American Grandmaster won the event with blitz fireworks to take home the 60,000 winner’s purse.
Brian Jerauld updates for the US Chess Federation website: Nakamura fell back on his instincts Tuesday afternoon, peppering Armenian heavyweight GM Levon Aronian with 9.5 points across 16 games of Blitz chess in the fifth round. The speed attack tipped the Showdown’s scorecard just before its last bell, after the match had entered Tuesday’s final round tied after four Classical games of chess. Nakamura and Aronian traded wins in the first two rounds, then fought to a pair of draws."
"In his post-game interview, Aronian admitted the 3-minute, 2-second-increment time control had often served as kryptonite in his blitzing history, perhaps revealed by his clock falling tragically behind in nearly every game played at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The American, however, looked comfortable in his zone on Tuesday, upholding his reputation as one of the chess world’s fastest thinkers. The earth’s second highest-rated Blitz player perhaps showcased his talents best in the round’s opening game -- first hanging his queen, then stunning Aronian with a rook-and-two-knights checkmate. Nakamura eventually won the round with six wins, besting Aronian’s three. They drew seven times."
Aronian, ranked as the World No. 4 Blitz player, earned $40,000 for his efforts in the Showdown.
You can watch the full blitz match below, along with analysis form GMs Maurice Ashley,Yasser Seirawan and WGM Jennifer Shahade.
For more information, including round replays and videos, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
Labels: Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, st louis chess
$100,000 Chess Showdown - Nakamura vs Aronian in St Louis
Hello chess blog friends, there's a superstrong chess event taking place in St Louis, US. On Friday began a chess match between two of the world’s chess heavyweights.
The United States’ super Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura is set to square off against GM Levon Aronian, the World No. 4, in the Showdown in Saint Louis, a five-round contest for the lion’s share of a $100,000 purse. The special head-to-head exhibition will include four classical games of chess and a final round featuring 16 games of Blitz. The event will run from Friday, Nov. 21 to Tuesday, Nov. 25, with each round’s first move made at 2:00 p.m. daily.
Nakamura, the top American player ranked No. 9 in the world according to FIDE’s November 2014 rating list, is in the hunt for his first Candidates Tournament appearance and today holds second place, halfway through the 2014-2015 FIDE Grand Prix cycle. Aronian, a veteran to the world ranks, has long-been regarded as the main rival to World Champion Magnus Carlsen and reached his career-peak rating of 2830 earlier this year. Along with providing both players with elite head-to-head match experience, the Showdown in Saint Louis will also settle the score from the players’ last meeting: drawing twice at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup in the U.S. Capital of Chess last September.
GM HIKARU NAKAMURA vs. GM LEVON ARONIAN, SHOWDOWN IN SAINT LOUIS
Friday, November 21, 2:00 p.m.
Classical Round 1
Saturday, November 22, 2:00 p.m.
Classical Round 2
Sunday, November 23, 2:00 p.m.
Classical Round 3
Monday, November 24, 2:00 p.m.
Classical Round 4
Tuesday, November 25, 2:00 p.m.
Blitz Round (16 games, one every 15 minutes)
Alongside the Showdown are two specialized invitational tournaments designed for up-and-coming players attempting to earn chess’ elite master titles: International Master and, the superior, Grandmaster. The 2014 GM/IM Invitational events are two 10-player, round-robin tournaments designed to award title “norms,” or superior performances required by FIDE for player titles.
Of special focus in the GM norm event is Samuel Sevian and Ashwin Jayaram, two players who have already collected three Grandmaster norms and need just a handful of rating points to pass the necessary FIDE watermark of 2500. If Sevian clears the mark, the 13-year-old will become the youngest American Grandmaster in the history of chess.
The Showdown in Saint Louis will be streamed live in its entirety on www.uschesschamps.com, featuring live play-by-play commentary and analysis from the renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Live spectators may take in all the action as it unfolds in the upstairs tournament hall of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, with admission free-of-charge for annual, monthly and day members.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, us chess
Play Chess with Nakamura, Aronian: Schein-Friedman Benefit Auction Chess Auction
Hello chess blog friends, this is a cool chess event in the US - Time with Aronian and Nakamura: Schein-Friedman Benefit Auction! FM Aviv Friedman writes at the www.uschess.org.
Need a creative holiday gift idea? Find details on an online auction to benefit the Schein-Friedman Scholastic Recognition Project headlined by lessons with Levon Aronian and Hikaru Nakamura. The two super-GMs face each other in a match later this week in Saint Louis. Also up for auction: A private simul by GM Robert Hess and lessons with GMs Ray Robson, Daniel Naroditsky, Kayden Troff, Sam Sevian, Daniel Naroditsky & FM Alisa Melekhina.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also
see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
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Labels: chess auction, levon aronian, nakamura
St Louis Chess: Nakamura vs Aronian Super Match!
Hello chess blog friends, here's some super-cool chess update from the St Louis Chess Club.
NAKAMURA, ARONIAN TO GO FIVE ROUNDS IN SHOWDOWN IN SAINT LOUIS
Super GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronian return to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis for four classical games of chess and 16 Blitz.
SAINT LOUIS (November 4, 2014) – From the same venue that hosts such high-quality events as the U.S. Championships and the global super-tournament Sinquefield Cup, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis now presents a high-stakes slugfest between two of the world’s heavyweights.
The United States’ super Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura will square off with GM Levon Aronian, the pride of Armenia, in the Showdown in Saint Louis from Nov. 21-25. The special head-to-head exhibition will go five rounds, including four classical games of chess and a final round featuring 16 games of Blitz. The two kings will fight for the lion’s share of a $100,000 purse.
Nakamura, the top American player ranked No. 9 in the world, is in the hunt for his first Candidates Tournament appearance and currently sits in second place halfway through the 2014-2015 FIDE Grand Prix cycle. Aronian, a veteran to the world ranks currently at No. 4, has long-been regarded as the main rival to World Champion Magnus Carlsen and reached his career-peak rating of 2830 earlier this year. The Showdown in Saint Louis will settle the score from the players’ last meeting, drawing twice at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup in the U.S. Capital of Chess last September.
As a special feature to the Showdown in Saint Louis, 20 high-tiered chess players will look to prove – and earn – their stripes at the CCSCSL. Surrounding the heavyweight fight will be two 10-player, round robin tournaments designed for players to earn International Master and Grandmaster title norms. The GM norm event features Grandmasters Ben Finegold, Denes Boros and Samy Shoker setting the standard against such players as IM Sam Sevian and IM Priyadharshan Kannappan, both dangerously close to earning their new titles.
The Showdown in Saint Louis and surrounding GM/IM norm tournaments will be streamed live on www.uschesschamps.com and once again feature live play-by-play and analysis from the renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Live spectators may take in all the action as it unfolds in the upstairs tournament hall of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, with admission free-of-charge for annual, monthly and day members.
For more information as it unfolds, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also
see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube
Channel
Labels: Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, st louis chess club
Armenian President meets World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, World No. 2 Levon Aronian
Hello chess blog friends, here's some update about World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen's most recent trip. The Public Radio of Armenia has reported that the President of the Republic of Armenia, President of Chess Federation of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received today World Chess Champion, Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who has arrived in Armenia at the invitation of the “Armenian Development Initiative” Fund and the “Acronis” Company. World Cup holder, three-time winner of the World Chess Olympics, Champion of the World Team Championship, GM Levon Aronian was also present at the meeting.
Attending the meeting were leaders of a number of world-known IT companies, including Parallels and Acronis and the Skolkovo Foundation. The latter has united chess and information technologies in one program, taking into consideration that Armenia, which has already achieved considerable success, attaches importance to the two spheres.
The Executive Director of the Foundation noted that the program aims to present Armenia to the world with all its achievements and peculiarities and create new opportunities for these and other promising spheres.
President Sargsyan greeted the guests, underlining that it’s a great honor for Armenia to host the strongest chess player of the world in our country. “I’m glad that Levon Aronian is also here. He’s the pride of our people, and perhaps Carlsen’s strongest competitor in the world. We definitely connect great hopes with Levon, and it’s first of all thanks to him that the team of our tiny country has become the winner of the World Chess Olympiad three times. I’m very grateful to him,” he said.
Magnus Carlsesen said, in turn, it’s a great honor for him to be in Armenia –a chess superpower. “During the days of my stay here I have seen the inspiration and the love of the Armenian people for chess. I think this approach, and the program of inclusion of chess as a compulsory discipline in schools serves a wonderful example to the world. It’s a very big step,” Carlsen said.
During the meeting reference was made to Armenia’s scientific and educational potential, the work done in our country towards the development of the IT sphere and the promising programs of development. (Via Public Radio of Armenia)
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, serzh sargsyan, world chess champion
MetroChess Interview: Levon Aronian Chess Career began at Age 10!
Hello chess friends, here's a cool chess interview with World No. 2 Levon Aronian via the US Chess Federation website. The interview is by Kostya Kavutskiy.
As a prelude to the upcoming MetroChess and ACA Summer Chess Camp, headlined by lead instructor Levon Aronian, we interviewed Levon about playing chess in his childhood, as well as his road to becoming a professional chess player. His answers were, as usual, honest and genuine, and provide valuable insight into the life of one of the strongest and most creative chess players today.
1) Can you tell us what it was like to learn chess in your youth? What did you like about the game? Did you have any early ambitions to become #1 in Armenia, or the World Champion?
When I was 4 or 5 years old, my maternal grandpa tried to show me the game of chess, but I was more fascinated by the game of draughts (checkers) back then and I used to terrorize every guest that would visit my family by pestering them to play a game of draughts with me. My chess playing started when my sister re-introduced me to the game when I was about 9, and then it took off from there. My favorite thing in chess was that in comparison with draughts there was a big goal - the king! So from an early age I always went for risky, attacking options. I always had the feeling that I was a very good player from my earliest days. It's hard to say what my ambition or goal was back then, but whenever I got to beat everybody in my chess class, I wanted to play better opponents, and so on.
2) Did you attend any chess camps as a child, or group training sessions, or did you mostly train privately?
I was very lucky to have a great trainer staying at my house. Training with a then-strong IM Melik Khachiyan allowed me to blossom immediately, and I won my first Junior Championship of Armenia after just one year of getting to know the rules of the game. I visited one camp in my life and it was in Podolsk, Russia with the Petrosian Chess School when I was about 11 years old. There I met many of my future opponents, and trained under the guidance of famous chess trainers such as Alexander Nikitin and Aleksander Vaisman, and got to see Garry Kasparov himself who gave lectures for 2 days!
3) At what age did you begin to take chess seriously, and when did you first consider yourself a "professional chess player"?
Since I grew up in a very turbulent time, taking myself seriously was the only way. After the fall of USSR most scientists became jobless, and since my parents were in science, my early success in chess became the light for my family. It might sound strange, but my professional career started at the age of 10, when, with my mother's continuous efforts of knocking on every high ranked official's door, brought me my first sponsorship deal.
4) In 1994 you won the World Youth Championship u12, and in 2002 you became the World Junior Champion - how important were these victories to you? How did you deal with the pressure of the final rounds in those events?
Winning tournaments in my early years was vital for me and my family. Good results enabled me to find new sponsors, and without them I think I would never have become the player that I am. Pressure is always there; but playing in Armenia where everyone is a fighter made me skilled in last round situations.
5) Was there a particular moment in your career when you felt your personal chess "style" was developing?
I want to believe that I am still developing and I welcome new challenges. I do feel that most of the things I love in chess come from 3 people - Melikset Khachiyan, Arshak Petrosian, and Gabriel Sargissian.
6) Is there a particular part or subject of the game you enjoy studying? (openings, middlegames, endgames, tactical combinations, etc)
I really enjoy finding new ideas in the early stages of the game. The biggest joy in the modern chess era is the discovery of good moves that are not approved by the computer.
7) Can you name some of your favorite chess books growing up, or current favorites?
I absolutely adore "Attack with Mikhail Tal", by Mikhail Tal & Iakov Damsky, as well as Petrosian's and Larsen's annotated game collections. I love it when the book consists of light analysis but plenty of words describing the subtle psychological details.
8) In your view what is the main benefit of learning chess during childhood?
Chess can teach a person to appreciate beauty in things that are not visibly beautiful at first sight. In chess you need to dig deep to see the true meaning of some moves. Another thing I learned from chess is patience. Before you react, you need to understand the situation.
9) Is there any advice you can give to young developing chess players?
I think it's important to be good at tactics and calculation. Those skills you can develop by yourself, and for strategy you will need an experienced guide. The best thing that Melik did for me was to force me to solve and play blindfold chess - it helped my calculation and imagination.
The 2014 MetroChess and ACA Summer Chess Camp will take place from July 9-13th, in Glendale, California. Levon will be joined by several other top instructors, including GM Melik Khachiyan, GM Dejan Bojkov, IM Armen Ambartsoumian, IM Andranik Matikozyan, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, and Jay Stallings. For full details, please visit http://metrochessla.com/camp2014/ . For any inquiries, please email info@metrochessla.com.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: chess interview, levon aronian
May 2014 Chess Ratings: Carlsen, Polgar No. 1; Grischuk, Kosteniuk Top-Rated Russians at No. 3 and 8!
Hello everyone,
The May FIDE chess ratings list is out and World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway maintains his No. 1 slot. Also maintaining his second spot is Levon Aronian of Armenia. Alexander Grischuk is now the highest rated Russian at No. 3 followed by former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand of India. Grischuk added a whopping 15 points to his rating to get to the No. 3 slot while Vladimir Kramnik fell following the Candidates.
In the women's list, Judit Polgar of Hungary, Hou Yifan of China and Koneru Humpy of India keep the top three slots. Alexandra Kosteniuk remains the top Russian woman chess player and actually improves on her previous month's no. 9 slot by moving up to no. 8 by earning five rating points. Hou Yifan has earned 11 rating points. Viktorija Cmiylte has done well to earn 14 points and jump up to 10th position in the women's list.
Russia is still the strongest chess country in the world according to ratings in the elite of the chess world. Three Grandmasters from Russia - Alexander Grischuk, Vladimir Kramnik and Sergey Karjakin are in the top-10 of the men's list. There is one Russian Grandmaster in the top-10 of the women's list as well - Alexandra Kosteniuk. China could be next as they have three Grandmasters in the top-10 of the world, but these are in the women's list only - Yifan, Zhao and Wenjun.
Top 20 women chess players in the world
Rank Name Title Country Rating Games B-Year
1 Polgar, Judit g HUN 2685 0 1976
2 Hou, Yifan g CHN 2629 11 1994
3 Koneru, Humpy g IND 2613 0 1987
4 Muzychuk, Anna g SLO 2561 13 1990
5 Dzagnidze, Nana g GEO 2541 11 1987
6 Lagno, Kateryna g UKR 2540 11 1989
7 Zhao, Xue g CHN 2538 11 1985
8 Kosteniuk, Alexandra g RUS 2532 11 1984
9 Ju, Wenjun wg CHN 2526 3 1991
10 Cmilyte, Viktorija g LTU 2525 8 1983
11 Muzychuk, Mariya m UKR 2521 4 1992
12 Khotenashvili, Bela g GEO 2518 3 1988
13 Kosintseva, Nadezhda g RUS 2513 0 1985
14 Hoang, Thanh Trang g HUN 2509 1 1980
15 Gunina, Valentina g RUS 2507 9 1989
16 Cramling, Pia g SWE 2507 0 1963
17 Harika, Dronavalli g IND 2503 9 1991
18 Ruan, Lufei wg CHN 2503 0 1987
19 Pogonina, Natalija wg RUS 2501 6 1985
20 Ushenina, Anna g UKR 2495 11 1985
Top 20 men chess players in the world
Rank Name Title Country Rating Games B-Year
1 Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2882 1 1990
2 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2815 3 1982
3 Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2792 7 1983
4 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2785 0 1969
5 Caruana, Fabiano g ITA 2783 0 1992
6 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2783 0 1975
7 Nakamura, Hikaru g USA 2772 0 1987
8 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2772 0 1975
9 Karjakin, Sergey g RUS 2770 7 1990
10 Dominguez Perez, Leinier g CUB 2768 6 1983
11 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2760 0 1985
12 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime g FRA 2758 0 1990
13 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2753 6 1976
14 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2753 0 1968
15 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2753 0 1969
16 Adams, Michael g ENG 2750 3 1971
17 Giri, Anish g NED 2746 4 1994
18 Vitiugov, Nikita g RUS 2742 6 1987
19 Leko, Peter g HUN 2737 7 1979
20 Nepomniachtchi, Ian g RUS 2735 6 1990
The FIDE chess ratings website can be accessed at the official website.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: alexander grischuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk, fide chess ratings may 2014, Hou Yifan, Judit Polgar, koneru humpy, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen
Armenia Chess Talent Levon Aronian Learns Tango
Hello everyone,
The world's strongest chess players are multi-faceted and talented chess people. That is why chess is so cool!
World No. 2 and Armenia's strongest chess player Levon Aronian is learning the tango!
Aronian has tweeted about his new hobby along with the update that he would be leading July 9-13 the summer chess camp in the city of Glendale, California.
Levon Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. On the May 2012 FIDE list, he was ranked number two in the world and had an Elo rating of 2825, making him the third highest rated player in history. Aronian won the Chess World Cup 2005. He has a rich haul of chess prizes, was declared the best sportsman of Armenia in 2005 and was awarded the title of "Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia" in 2009.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: levon aronian
Levon Aronian to Lead US Chess Camp July 9-13
Hello everyone,
YEREVAN, APRIL 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian GM Levon Aronian will lead a summer chess camp July 9-13, 2014 in Glendale, California.
The Chess Federation of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that the camp is organized by Metropolitan Chess Company and the American Chess Academy (director Armen Ambartsoumian). The assistants of Aronian during the camp will be particularly Armenian chess players - GM Melikset Khachiyan, IM Andranik Matikozyan, IM Armen Ambartsoumian, WGM Tatev Abrahamian.
Levon Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. On the May 2012 FIDE list, he was ranked number two in the world and had an Elo rating of 2825, making him the third highest rated player in history.
Aronian won the Chess World Cup 2005. He led the Armenian national team to the Gold medals in the 2006 (Turin), 2008 (Dresden) and 2012 (Istanbul) Chess Olympics and at the World Team Chess Championship in Ningbo 2011. He won the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010, qualifying him for the Candidates tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012, where he was knocked out in the first round. He was also World Chess960 Champion in 2006 and 2007, World Rapid Chess Champion in 2009, and World Blitz Chess Champion in 2010.
Levon Aronian was declared the best sportsman of Armenia in 2005 and was awarded the title of "Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia" in 2009.
Labels: chess camp, levon aronian, us chess
Chess Candidates R9: Anand beats Topalov, Takes 1 Point Lead; Aronian Loses to Mamedyarov
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
In the battle of two former World Champions, Viswanathan Anand defeated Veselin Topalov to single out again on the top after his co-leader Levon Aronian lost to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Sergey Karjakin scored a second consecutive victory by beating Vladimir Kramnik, while the other two Russians – Dmitry Andreikin and Peter Svidler, split the point.
After nine rounds of play Anand is leading the race with 6 points, a full point ahead of the second placed Aronian.
Kramnik, Karjakin and Mamedyarov are on 4,5 points each. Andreikin and Svidler share the sixth place on 4 points, while Topalov is last with 3,5 points.
Monday is the rest day, the tournament resumes with round 10 on Tuesday.
Former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand - full throttle on in Khanty Mansiysk - on his way to beating Veselin Topalov on Sunday in Round 9.
The match between Dmitry Andreikin and Peter Svidler was a Naidorf Sicilian with the Fischer’s variation 6.h3.
Svidler opted for the traditional e5-Be6 setup, while Andreikin expanded on the kingside with g4. Black made a counter in the center and soon the queens went off.
Replay all the games of Round 9 with Chess King.
The position quickly simplified but there were still some resources for both sides.
However, after reaching the required 30 moves the players have agreed to a draw.
Levon Aronian introduced another stunning idea when he temporarily sacrificed two pawns in the sharp Gheorghiu Nimzo Indian against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Black successfully built a strong attack and white was forced to concede an exchange. But then black strayed from the right path and white was given a chance to coordinate the pieces.
A few more mistakes by Aronian and Mamedyarov was already launching a devastating counterattack.
Shortly before the time control white decided to trade down to a winning opposite-colored bishops ending with two extra pawns. Black immediately gave up.
Former World Champions Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov also had the h3 Naidorf Sicilian on trial.
Topalov went for a more flexible structure with e6, much similar to the Scheveningen Sicilian.
White allowed the exchange of his strong dark-squared bishop, but he got a quick long castle in return. Black’s reaction was not the best and he soon ended up in a slightly passive French-like structure with the backward pawn on e6.
Black tried to obtain some counterplay against white f4-pawn, but the exchange of both pairs of rooks only helped white to press on black’s weak points.
In the ensuing Q+B endgame white king was also much safer.
After some clever maneuvering white won the pawn and proceeded to convert the advantage.
Today it was Sergey Karjakin’s turn to use an unexpected move order in the opening to throw Vladimir Kramnik off the balance.
The position after 7.Qb3 strongly resembled some of the Kramnik’s own games with white from the 90′s. Exactly at this moment black erred by capturing the pawn on c4 instead of taking the knight on f3.
Karjakin grabbed the b7-pawn and after a sequence of natural moves obtained clear advantage.
In desperation, black sacrificed another pawn in the hope of setting a blockade on the light-squares. But after some patient build-up, white was able to push the opponent’s pieces back.
Karjakin exchanged everything to reach a winning double-rook endgame with two extra pawns. Kramnik resigned on move 64. (Official website)
Labels: khanty mansiysk chess candidates 2014, levon aronian, Viswanathan Anand
Norway Chess 2014 with Carlsen, Aronian, Karjakin, Svidler, Topalov, Caruana Confirmed
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
There's plenty of Norway in chess these days and some strong chess in Norway as well! Coming this June is the very exciting Norway Chess Festival (June 2-13)including a super-GM event.
The official website states: The idea behind Norway Chess was not only to arrange one of the strongest tournaments in the world, but also to show the world our beautiful country and region. A traditional chess tournament is normally held in a fairly neutral venue, where the game and the players are in focus. We will of course also focus on the players, but we will give the event a edge by showing beautiful and unique surroundings while playing chess."
Six of the 10 players invited have already confirmed participation for the Norway Chess 2014 tournament: Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Veselin Topalov, Fabiano Caruana, Sergey Karjakin and Peter Svidler.
Looks like a replica of the Candidates that will first be held in March in Khanty-Mansiysk. It will be nice also to have a stronger Russian flavour as compared to the very exciting Zurich Chess that concluded recently.
Here is a nice promo video Norway Chess 2013 featuring World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. In all probability you've seen it before!
Labels: Fabiano Caruana, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, norway chess 2014, peter svidler, sergey karjakin, veselin topalov
Zurich Chess Challenge 2014: Magnus Carlsen wins Tournament despite Collapse in Rapid Section
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen begins the rapid section, at the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014, with a win over Boris Gelfand. He managed to score only 2/5, but won the tournament thanks to super performance in the classical section and some crazy results in the rapid section! Photo: Maria Emelianova
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has won the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 despite being "outplayed by Aronian and Caruana" on the final day in the five-game rapid section. Carlsen had come into the rapid section after winning the five-game classical section with a two-point lead over Aronian.
The Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 had a unique format: Five rounds of classical games over five days and five rounds of rapid games (15 minutes +10 seconds increment) on the final day. Each win in the classical section was worth two points and draw was one point. In the rapid section, each win was worth one point and draw was half-point.
Today, in the rapid section, the world #1 scored 2/5 with Caruana playing extremely well to score 4/5 including wins over Carlsen, and Nakamura. The Zurich title nearly slipped out of the World Champion's hands.
Rapid Standings
1. Fabiano Caruana 4.0
2. Hikaru Nakamura 3.5
3. Levon Aronian 3.0
4. Magnus Carlsen 2.0
5. Boris Gelfand 1.5
6. Viswanathan Anand 1.0
Final Standings (on a max of 15 points)
1. Magnus Carlsen 10.0
2. Fabiano Caruana 9.0
3. Levon Aronian 9.0
4. Hikaru Nakamura 7.5
5. Viswanathan Anand 5.0
6. Boris Gelfand 4.5
But, it was a crazy situation in the rapid section. Hikaru Nakamura did a huge favour to Magnus Carlsen by beating Levon Aronian in after Magnus himself lost to both Caruana and Aronian. Nakamura also lost to Caruana, but drew with Magnus.
This held Aronian back from catching up with the World Chess Champion! Aronian scored 3/5 and could not cover up the two-point lead Carlsen had obtained over him in the classical section.
This was the Magnus Carlsen's first tournament (and first tournament victory) after winning the world chess champion title in November 2013 by beating Viswanathan Anand in Chennai.
Fabiano Caruana was the youngest player at the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014. He was also the defending champion. This year's edition of the event was also the highest-average rating tournament in chess history.
Replay all the games of the rapid section at the Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 with Chess King.
Here is the closing ceremony video:
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
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Queen™
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Labels: Boris gelfand, Chess video, closing ceremony video, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, zurich chess challenge 2014
76th Tata Steel Chess R10 Full Report: Aronian wins Masters Group, Ivan Saric wins Challengers Group in Penultimate Rounds!
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
76th Tata Steel Chess 2014: Here is the final report (via the official website) on Round 10 of which we shared a quick update yesterday - Levon Aronian has won the 76th Tata Steel Chess Tournament! He beat Leinier Dominguez in the penultimate round, bringing his total to an impressive 8.0/10. In a Ruy Lopez, the Armenian felt that Dominguez’ 17.Rfe1 was not the best move, making black’s position “slightly more preferable.” The Cuban committed several more inaccuracies, desperately trying to squeeze out of his predicament. Matters only got worse, however, and when Aronian obtained a menacing passed b-pawn, it was just a matter of time before Dominguez had no other option but to admit defeat.
Anish Giri and Sergey Karjakin are the main contenders for second place, both with a 6.0/10 score. In their game, Giri tried a long-forgotten idea in the Catalan.
He said that “If I’m able to stop his breakthrough with b5 I should be slightly better.” When he missed the sly 17.Ne5, with the idea of 17. …Bxg2 18.c4!, the Dutchman was unable to prevent the breakthrough with which Karjakin maintained the balance. Giri saw it coming and “just tried to make a draw.” He succeeded in doing so after 32 moves.
Replay all the games with Chess King.
Hikaru Nakamura managed to win his game, defeating Richard Rapport. Rapport once again ventured onto uncharted opening territory, creating a highly interesting position. Nakamura said that “had he (Rapport) calmed down he should have been a bit better but he continued to play very creatively.” Rapport went for an all-out attack against the black king with 19.Qf3, instead of taking the knight. The American happily accepted the material and when he fended off the assault, there was nothing Rapport could do to avoid losing the battle.
In the encounter between Loek van Wely and Boris Gelfand, the latter got his first win of the tournament. A balanced position arose from a Trompowsky but then the Dutchman “was overoptimistic and played a bit too ambitiously”, according to Gelfand. Van Wely sidelined his pieces, reducing them to mere spectators as the Israeli countered with 32. …Rd1. After 33.c5 Bc7 34.Rxh5? Rxf1+ 35.Kg2 Qg6 Van Wely could not prevent the checkmate and resigned several moves later.
Read more »Labels: 76th tata steel chess 2014, levon aronian
Levon Aronian wins 76th Tata Steel Chess 2014 with One Round to Go (Video)
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
World No. 2, Armenia's Levon Aronian has won the 76th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2014 with one round to go. He already has 8/10 which is two points of Anish Giri and Sergey Karjakin who have 6 points each. Aronian beat Dominguez with Black to take the title in the penultimate round that concluded a while back. Aronian last won the event in 2012, ahead of Magnus Carlsen. Here is the post-game video via the official website. Also, Ivan Saric won the Challengers Group, by winning his game today against Yu Yangiy. (More updates later).
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Labels: 76th tata steel chess 2014, ivan saric, levon aronian
76th Tata Steel Chess R9: Levon Aronian Extends Lead
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
With just two rounds to go, Levon Aronian has already opened a 1.5 lead over the others after the 9th round at the 76th Tata Steel Chess Masters Group in Wijk aan Zee. Here is the report via the official website:
The ninth round of the Tata Steel Masters Group was held at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.
Levon Aronian dealt a huge blow, defeating his main rival Sergey Karjakin. Both combatants repeated the first 15 moves from an earlier encounter in 2013, which Karjakin won. The top-seed deviated, playing 16.Ne2 instead of 16.Na4. On this occasion, Aronian got the advantage after Karjakin played 30. …Kh8?. Aronian replied with the strong 31.Nxb6!, winning a pawn.
Replay all Round 9 games with Chess King.
Aronian: “I think somewhere he should have had a way to escape but in a practical game it is not easy to do so.” Karjakin failed to find a way out of his predicament. A pawn down, he ended up in an unpleasant ending and was forced to resign on his 61st move. Aronian is now firmly in the lead with 7.0/9, one and a half point ahead of the pack.
The battle between Richard Rapport and Anish Giri took off slowly, with Rapport taking his time before playing 3.dxc5. In the resulting original position, the Hungarian sacrificed two pawns with 13.Nf3!? Qxc2 14.0-0 Qxe4 to obtain a lead in development. Giri defended well, though, not allowing his opponent to take control of the position. Several exchanges later, a rook-ending was reached. Sound play by both competitors assured that a draw was the inevitable outcome.
In the encounter between Boris Gelfand and Leinier Dominguez, both combatants agreed it was “a balanced game.” In a Grünfeld, Dominguez sacrificed a pawn in order to activate his pieces. The Cuban got sufficient compensation, winning back the pawn, but Gelfand had no problems in the resulting ending. After a few more moves, a draw was agreed.
Pentala Harikrishna had no trouble with Arkadij Naiditsch, defeating the German in a mere 19 moves. Unorthodox opening play by Naiditsch gave the initiative to Harikrishna. After some dubious maneuvers by Naiditsch, the Indian developed a strong attack against the white king. Harikrishna did not see a way for his opponent to get out of the tight predicament, stating he thought “it’s just lost for white.” Things escalated quickly when Naiditsch went for 16.dxc5? The Indian demolished the white position with 16. …Bxc3! 17.cxb6 axb6 18.bxc3 Nxa2+ 19.Kb2 Qd6 and as he could not prevent the checkmate, Naiditsch resigned.
Loek van Wely “wanted to show the home crowd some fireworks” so he opted for an aggressive King’s Indian Defense in his game against Wesley So. A double-edged position arose, where So got the usual queenside-play while Van Wely tried to break through on the kingside. So said “it was a complicated game and it could have gone either way” but in the end Van Wely blundered with 39. …Bxc6??. After 40.dxc6 dxe5 41.Be4 the Dutchman realized the ending was dead lost and ceased combat.
The last game of the round was the interesting duel between Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana. Nakamura won a pawn but Caruana’s pressure against the white position made up for the deficit. The American tried but failed to outmaneuver his opponent and, eventually, had to give back the pawn in order to reach an equal rook-ending. Nakamura desperately attempted to break through but his actions were in vain as a solid defense by the Italian secured the draw.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
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Labels: 76th tata steel chess 2014, levon aronian
Khanty-Mansiysk Chess Candidates 2014: Aronian, Kramnik Favourites to Win, says World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hello everyone,
The World Chess Championship Candidates to be held in March, in Khanty Mansiysk, will decide the Challenger for reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.
In an exclusive interview to ArmenPress, Magnus Carlsen has said the favourites to win the Chess Candidates 2014 are the Armenian GM Levon Aronian and the Russian GM Vladimir Kramnik.
"The favorites of the Candidates Tournament are probably Aronian and Kramnik, but It's difficult to predict. For me the most important thing is to try to improve as a player. It's for the others to fight to become the most serious competitor," Carlsen said.
To the question how the new world chess champion feels to be the youngest title holder, Carlsen answered frankly and directly: It felt good, and I'm of course very happy to have become World Chess Champion."
We saw several times chess players, after becoming the World Champions, reduce participation in international tournaments. Notwithstanding, Magnus Carlsen does not share their standpoint. In particular, Magnus Carlsen underscored: "I plan to continue to play tournaments as I think that's both fun and important to maintain my strength."
Candidates Tournament will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from 11 March (arrivals) to 1 April 2014. The participants are: Vishy Anand (IND, former world chess champion), Vladimir Kramnik (RUS, world cup 2013 winner), Dmitry Andreikin (RUS, world cup 2013 finalist), Veselin Topalov (BUL, grand-prix 2012-13 winner), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE, grand-prix 2012-13 runner-up), Levon Aronian (ARM, rating list 2012-13), Sergey Karjakin (RUS, rating list 2012-13), Peter Svidler (RUS, host nominee).
In case Viswanathan Anand does not play, the slot would go to Fabiano Caruana.
Labels: candidates 2014, khanty mansiysk chess, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, vladimir kramnik
Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 with Anand, Carlsen, Aronian, Nakamura, Caruana, Gelfand from Jan 29
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 will be the first encounter between the newly-crowned World Chess Champion, Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, and the former title holder, India’s Viswanathan Anand after their recent match in Chennai.
Zurich Chess 2013 Opening Ceremony: Boris Gelfand, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Fabiano Caruana (left to right)
From Wednesday, 29 January to Tuesday, 4 February 2014, they will compete in the 3rd Zurich Chess Challenge along with four other great chess stars Levon Aronian (Arm), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Fabiano Caruana (It) and Boris Gelfand (Isr). With an average of 2794 Elo points (according to the September 13 rating list) this is going to be the strongest tournament in chess history.
The main sponsor is Oleg Skvortsov of the International Gemological Laboratories, Moscow, with the Zurich Chess Club acting as organizer.
The owner of IGC International Gemological Laboratories, Mr. Oleg Skvortsov, is the creator of this chess event. He not only loves chess, but also plays chess and supports chess events. Furthermore, Mr. Skvortsov knows many of the greatest chess players in the world personally and has played a lot of games with them.
The first Zurich Chess Challenge in 2012 was a match between Kramnik and Aronian. The second event in 2013 was a double-round robin with Kramnik, Anand, Caruana and Gelfand.
For the 2014 edition, a blitz tournament will determine the color distribution. A round-robin tournament of five rounds with a classical time control is then followed by a rapid tournament with colors reversed on the last day of play. A won game in the classical tournament counts 2 points, a draw 1 point. Wins in the rapid tournament count 1 point and draws half a point.
All games will be commented by Yannick Pelletier and Werner Hug and broadcast live via Internet.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: Boris gelfand, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, vladimir kramnik, zurich chess challenge 2014
SportAccord World Mind Games Chess Blitz: Gunina, Aronian Lead on Day 1
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Blitz Chess events began at the SportAccord World Mind Games 2013 in Beijing on Saturday. This category has a different format, whereby players will face-off two times and only have 3 minutes (+2 seconds added after every move) for an entire game.
Valentina Gunina from Russia was leading after 10 rounds with 8 points. She showed great play with excellent decision making. Right behind is Anna Muzychuk from Slovenia and Yifan Hou (reigning women's world chess champion) from China.
In the Men's Blitz category, Levon Aronian from Armenia was leading with 8.5 points. Right behind the leader was Current World Blitz Chess Champion, Le Quang from Vietnam.
Chess Grandmaster Bartek Heberla teaches a young chess club member)
On a day where no school visit took place, the students of the Faming Mountain Chess Club visited the competition venue. Chess Grandmasters Bartek Heberla and Pieter Heine Nielsen welcomed the 15 students of the Chess Club at the spectator area of the Beijing International Convention Center. This time around, the Grandmasters were the ones getting taught by 5-10 year olds!
Labels: beijing chess, levon aronian, sportaccord world mind games, valentina gunina
FIDE Chess Ratings December 1 Announced: Carlsen, Judit Stay No. 1; Kramnik, Kosteniuk Russia No. 1
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The latest FIDE chess ratings list has been announced. World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen remains the highest-rated human on the planet with 2782 - a record he had set in April 2013. Carlsen earned two rating points for beating Viswanathan Anand at the Chennai World Chess Championship 2013 recently.
Levon Aronian is the only player, besides Magnus, rated over 2800 elo though, the Armenian is still about 79 points behind. Vladimir Kramnik is third with 2793. Hikaru Nakamura of the US is at fourth place with 2786.
World Chess Ratings Top-20
1 Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2872 10 1990
2 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2803 9 1982
3 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2793 0 1975
4 Nakamura, Hikaru g USA 2786 0 1987
5 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2785 7 1975
6 Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2783 8 1983
7 Caruana, Fabiano g ITA 2782 9 1992
8 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2777 0 1968
9 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2773 10 1969
10 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2758 11 1976
11 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2757 8 1985
12 Karjakin, Sergey g RUS 2756 0 1990
13 Adams, Michael g ENG 2754 8 1971
14 Dominguez Perez, Leinier g CUB 2754 0 1983
15 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime g FRA 2745 11 1990
16 Vitiugov, Nikita g RUS 2741 0 1987
17 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2740 10 1983
18 Naiditsch, Arkadij g GER 2737 9 1985
19 Wang, Hao g CHN 2735 3 1989
20 Giri, Anish g NED 2734 10 1994
In the women's list, Judit Polgar retains her number 1 spot with 2693. In second place is Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan with 2629. India's Humpy Koneru is third with 2607. Chessqueen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk is back in the top-10 with a fantastic two months of hard work! Read all about it in her post at ChessQueen. She is now the #1 woman chess player in Russia and tied for world number 8 with a rating of 2527 along with Bela Khotenashvili. Vladimir Kramnik remains top Russian player in the men's group.
World Women's Chess Ratings Top-20
1 Polgar, Judit g HUN 2693 8 1976
2 Hou, Yifan g CHN 2629 0 1994
3 Koneru, Humpy g IND 2607 3 1987
4 Zhao, Xue g CHN 2568 3 1985
5 Muzychuk, Anna g SLO 2566 0 1990
6 Dzagnidze, Nana g GEO 2557 9 1987
7 Lagno, Kateryna g UKR 2543 9 1989
8 Khotenashvili, Bela m GEO 2527 9 1988
9 Kosteniuk, Alexandra g RUS 2527 8 1984
10 Cramling, Pia g SWE 2525 3 1963
11 Cmilyte, Viktorija g LTU 2514 9 1983
12 Ju, Wenjun wg CHN 2514 3 1991
13 Kosintseva, Nadezhda g RUS 2513 9 1985
14 Gunina, Valentina g RUS 2509 10 1989
15 Hoang, Thanh Trang g HUN 2507 10 1980
16 Muzychuk, Mariya m UKR 2503 8 1992
17 Sebag, Marie g FRA 2501 9 1986
18 Ushenina, Anna g UKR 2501 8 1985
19 Krush, Irina m USA 2499 12 1983
20 Kosintseva, Tatiana g RUS 2496 0 1986
For a full list of all ratings read this FIDE page. For a list of the progress chart, read this FIDE chess ratings list.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: alexander grischuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Anna Muzychuk, fide chess ratings december 2013, Hikaru nakamura, Hou Yifan, Judit Polgar, koneru humpy, levon aronian, Magnus Carlsen, vladimir kramnik
World Team Chess Round 1: Russia - Armenia Draw
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
The World Team Chess Championship 2013 has begun in Antalya, Turkey. The most important pairing of the first round was Russia versus Armenia, but it ended in a hard-fought draw!
The top game of the day, Vladimir Kramnik versus Levon Aronian was a very sharp struggle in a Botvinnik Slav. The exchange sacrifice by Kramnik resulted in an queen+bishop vs. queen+rook ending, where Kramnik had two pawns for the exchange. The position was in dynamic equilibrium and although Kramnik tried a bit to play for a win, but Aronian didn't let him get anything.
On the second board Movsesian, achieved a nice advantage and wanted to torture Karjakin which didn't materialise in the end as Karjakin managed to exchange pieces to relieve the pressure and save the game. Also on the fourth board Armenia seemed to have the advantage but when Sargissian missed the double attack 39...Qa7 he had to concede the draw to his resourceful opponent Nepomniatchi.
The last game was Grischuk-Akopian in which the Russians hoped that Akopian would falter under the pressure of Grischuk in a rook endgame up a pawn but the game was drawn.
The other big fight was the Ukraine versus USA match. Nakamura wanted to employ the impenetrable Berlin Wall (possibly inspired by the recent Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship), but Ivanchuk preferred not to bother dealing with it and chose instead the old Two Knights System. As he didn't manage to create something out of this well-studied line, the game ended in a draw. Moiseenko-Onischuk was also a quiet affair in which neither side could imbalance the game.
On the remaining two boards Akobian couldn't convert his nice positional edge into a full point due to the dynamic defense of Kryvorouchko and thus when Korobov punished Kamsky's over-optimistic pawn sacrifice in a long endgame it was time to cheer for Ukrainians.
USA will for sure try to make a comeback in the race for the world team champion title.
Actually the first match to finish in the first round was Netherlands-China. On first board after a Caro Kann opening Anish Giri decided to force a repetition in a balanced position pretty quickly whereas second and fourth boards saw two longer draws in which Dutch players showed strong and solid play, giving their Chinese opponents no chance to take advantage of white pieces.
The only decisive result of the match came from the Tiviakov-Bu Xiangzhi game. Bu had obviously prepared thoroughly for Tiviakov's pet line Alapin Sicilian and even being perhaps the most formidable expert of the variation Tiviakov couldn't achieve any advantage with white.
To make things worse for Netherlands he soon lost control of position under time pressure and collapsed giving China the chance to score an important match victory.
One of the most exciting games of the round was played on the fourth board of Germany-Egypt match between Bassem Amin and David Baramidze. Feeling perhaps the need to win as the leading player of Egypt, Amin didn't allow a threefold repetition and instead moved his king to h4 in a complicated middlegame with queens on the board! It was a very risky decision which was at the end efficiently punished by Baramidze. What was perhaps unfortunate for the representative of Africa was the fact that although in the first three boards they were definitely the underdogs they managed to held their ground and their cause of defeat came from the most unexpected board. But such is chess!
Finally, in the first round the hosts had a tough challenge against the Azerbaijani team but they were obviously hoping to get a good start to the championship. The positions of Turkish players were looking mostly fine at one point however Azeris didn't give them a chance to score a win in the end and the defeat of Yilmaz at the hands of Nidjat Mamedov meant a disappointing loss for the Turkish team.
In the second round pairings include USA-Russia! Also don't forget to follow the live commentary by GM Oleksienko and IM Arduman.
Labels: Ivanchuk, levon aronian, movsesian, nakamura, sergey karjakin, vladimir kramnik, world team chess
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