Volume 144

MARCH
2024

EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
FORTHCOMING CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT
IN-DEPTH: WHO TO FEAR AND
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE
MOST PRESTIGIOUS
TOURNAMENT
IN CHESS?

THE EVOLUTION OF THE

CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT: FROM BUDAPEST 1950 TO TORONTO 2024
 IMPRESSUM
Contents
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Founded 1881

www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk

Chairman Shaun Taulbut

132
Director Stephen Lowe

Editors
Milan Dinic and Shaun Taulbut

Photo editor
David Llada

Prepress Specialist
EVERYTHING
Milica Mitic YOU NEED TO KNOW
Photography
ABOUT THE FORTHCOMING
FIDE Official, CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT
Shutterstock, Wikipedia
By GM Aleksandar Colovic
Advertising
Stephen Lowe
Enquiries
166 The Evolution of the
editor@britishchessmagazine.co.uk
Candidates Tournament:
ISSN 0007-0440 From Budapest 1950 to Toronto 2024
© The British Chess Magazine Limited
177 Giants from the past
Company Limited by Shares By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE
Registered in England No 00334968
182 Quotes add Queries
Postal correspondence:
Max Euwe in 1924
Albany House, 14 Shute End
Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BJ
By Alan Smith

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186 Openings for Amateurs
Silman: The Amateurs' Chess Teacher
By Pete Tamburro
189 PROBLEM WORLD
By Christopher Jones

130 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


The 2024 Candidates and the
Canadian visa hurdle
The FIDE Candidates tournament is a celebration of the
best in chess. However, as this issue of BCM goes to
press, it has been reported that the tournament – due
to start on 3rd April in Toronto – is in danger because
the Canadian authorities have not issued visas to many
of the players!
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) published
the following statement on 1st March:
Urgent visa appeal to the Canadian Government
regarding the FIDE Candidates Tournament
The most prestigious tournament in the chess
world, the FIDE Candidates, which will determine the
challengers for the World Champion title in both the
Open and Women’s Categories, is set to take place
from April 3 – 22 in Toronto, Canada. This is the first
time in the history of chess that the most prestigious
tournament is due to be hosted in Canada, recognizing
the country’s growing role in the chess world.
Regrettably, players from various countries worldwide,
who submitted their visa applications a few months
ago, have not yet received any updates on their status.
With only a month remaining till the FIDE Candidates
Tournament, there are grave concerns about the timely
arrival of the players to Toronto.
Recognizing the popularity of the game in the
country, and its growing role in the chess world, we
kindly ask the Canadian Government for support in
urgently addressing this matter. Ensuring the safe
and timely arrival of players is crucial for the success
and integrity of the FIDE Candidates Tournament and
for promoting Canada as a host of the most important
chess tournament of the year, which will be followed
by millions of spectators worldwide.
As BCM understands, most of the players submitted
their visa applications months ago, following the
Canadian immigration procedures, but have not
received any reply so far. While FIDE was reluctant to
name the players, it seems that those affected were not
March 2024
just the Russians but also Indians as well as players
from at least two other countries (including Ukraine!).
Following the appeal, there have been reports of a
positive reaction from Canada and that most players
got the visas, as well as the members of the organizing
team (many of whom are from Russia).
FIDE – which also engaged an immigration lawyer
in Canada - resorted to this public appeal after the
Canadian authorities failed to provide any response
after several attempts to get a clarification. FIDE’s Emil
Sutovsky said the International Chess Federation have
a “plan B” for hosting the Candidates somewhere else
and that the tournament won’t be cancelled, but that
FIDE is eager to hold the event in Toronto and is hoping
for a positive response from the Canadian Government.
This issue reminded me of a complaint occasionally
heard in the chess world (most recently by Hikaru
Nakamura who wasn’t happy with the World Rapid
and Blitz being held in Uzbekistan): why are top chess
events held in former Eastern Bloc countries (say,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia…) or somewhere
like India?
Well, it seems that this experience with Canada
gives a hint: because in those countries chess has a
recognized status and the governments there are not
only willing to help with the visas (most participants
often don’t require them at all, unlike for Western
countries) but also provide sponsorship and support
akin to huge international sports events, which are not
matched in the West.
Let us hope that by the time this issue of BCM is out, the
visa problem will have been resolved positively so we
can all focus on the most important chess tournament
for this year. Canada should not miss a chance to take
its rightful place in chess history by hosting a double
first: the first time the Candidates in both Open and
Women’s sections are held together, and the first time
the event is taking place in North America!
Editor
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 131
THE 2023 CANDIDATES PREVIEW
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE FORTHCOMING CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT
IN-DEPTH: WHO TO FEAR AND
WHAT TO EXPECTFROM THE MOST
PRESTIGIOUS TOURNAMENT IN CHESS?
THE CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT WILL BE A DOUBLE TREAT FOR THE
AUDIENCE. WITH EIGHT GAMES PER DAY, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL FOUR,
IT WILL PROVIDE THE FINEST CHESS
By GM Aleksandar Colovic; www.alexcolovic.com
Photo: FIDE Official (with permission from FIDE)
For the first time in history, we will witness
two Candidates tournaments played side
by side. Both the Women’s and the Open
Candidates tournaments are cheduled to
take place from 3-23 April in Toronto,
Canada (although, at the time of writing,
there seems to be uncertainty about the place
of the event, as the Canadian Government
has not responded to visa requests from
players from several countries).
The winner of the Open tournament will
meet World Champion Ding Liren in a
World Championship match that is planned
for December.
The winner of the women’s tournament will
meet Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun
in a World Championship match, but it is still
not definite when this match will take place.
Ever since the legendary tournament in
London in 2013, which saw a nail-biting
finish where Magnus Carlsen edged out
Vladimir Kramnik on tie-breaks, the
Candidates is the most widely anticipated
tournament in the calendar. Eight players
play a double round-robin with 14 rounds
to determine the challenger.
132 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
There are two points about the two
competitions that are worth mentioning.
The first is that the players from the same
federation are required to meet in the first
rounds of each half of the tournament.
The rule aims to reduce the likelihood of
collusion.
The second is that the time control for the
tournaments is different. The Open event
has a time control of 120 minutes for 40
moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest
of the game, with a 30-second increment
starting from move 41.
The Women’s event will be played with the
time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves,
followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the
game, with a 30-second increment from
move one.
Notably, draw offers before move 40 will
not be allowed.
The issue with the time controls is a
controversial one, with FIDE claiming they
surveyed the players on their preferred time
controls and then took the decision.

The prize funds for the events also differ.
The Open has a prize fund of 500,000 euros
(around £430,000), while the women’s
tournament can count on half of that sum.
Let us now turn our attention to the players.
After all, the key question is who will win
the tournament and here we will take a look
at each player’s chances.
We will start with the Open.
THE EXPERIENCED ONES
In this category, we can find Ian
Nepomniachtchi (33), Fabiano Caruana
(31) and Hikaru Nakamura (36). These
players are all in their 30s and have decades
of experience playing top events. They
have either won a Candidates before, or,
in the case of Nakamura, have had a very
successful one.
Their experience at this level means that
they know how to prepare and what to
expect in such an event. This gives them a
definite advantage over the rest of the field.
The big question for Ian Nepomniachtchi
is whether he can do a three-peat. Winning
the Candidates twice was a historic leap,
not to mention scoring the highest number
of points in the recent Candidates history
(since the 8-player double round-robin was
introduced in 2013). However, there is a big
difference between the player who played
in Madrid and the player who will play in
this year’s Candidates.
When Nepomniachtchi lost to Carlsen he
understood that the reasons were mostly
psychological. He also realised that Carlsen
played better, but he was in no way inferior
to anybody else and, given a second chance
against Carlsen, he can use his previous
experience to have a better shot. So, with all
the tremendous preparation work done for
the match with Carlsen, with a lot of unused
ideas waiting to be used, he confidently
went to Madrid and played perhaps the best
tournament of his life.
Then came Astana.
March 2024
Ian Nepomniachtchi
As the match progressed, everybody
expected Nepomniachtchi to win the match.
Most importantly, he expected it. He was
so close, had so many chances, but missed
them all. In the end, it was the runner-up
at the Madrid Candidates, Ding Liren, who
became a World Champion.
Nepomniachtchi after Astana is not the
same confident and positive player that he
was after Dubai and Carlsen.
The reason for this is that now he is
painfully aware that he missed a unique
opportunity to become a World Champion,
an opportunity that he may not have again.
If he were to do so, he knows that he must
win the Candidates for an unprecedented
third time, something that definitely won’t
be as smooth as it was in Madrid.
Nepomniachtchi came to Madrid in a
strong frame of mind; he comes to the 2024
Candidates in a fractured one, the pain
of the missed chance in Astana not being
possible to erase.
Nepomniachtchi’s results in classical chess
after Astana were average at best: he finished
with a miserable 3.5/9 at the Superbet
Classic immediately after the match, he was
eliminated by Vidit in the fifth round of the
World Cup: he drew all his nine games at the
Sinquefield Cup and finished on 50% (three
wins and three losses) at this year’s Tata Steel.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 133
03/144
Nepomniachtchi will again have excellent
preparation. Surely a lot of ideas from his
matches still wait to be used, but it will
be his mental strength that will determine
his result. Will he manage to overcome
the Astana disappointment and rise to the
occasion, or will he fail to find the strength
to attain a new height in his career?
Fabiano Caruana comes to the Candidates
as the player with the biggest successes in
classical chess in the past period.
In his recent interviews, Caruana admitted
that he suffered from depression during the
pandemic, losing all his will to work on
chess. This was reflected in his results and
he consistently lost a lot of rating points,
culminating with the Chennai Olympiad
where he lost 18.
In Madrid, Caruana had a magnificent
first half of the tournament, playing great
chess, scoring 5/7 and keeping pace
with Nepomniachtchi. However, as he
admitted later, he failed to pace himself,
feeling the pressure of the runaway future
winner, and collapsed in the second half
after pushing way too hard, scoring a
miserable 1.5/7.
Bad periods come and go, and this was the
case with Caruana, too. He couldn’t quite
explain what made the bad period go, but I
have a suspicion that the news of Carlsen’s
departure from the World Championship
cycle gave Caruana a psychological boost.
He was the commentator for the match in
Astana and, while analysing those games
closely, he realised that he is in no way
inferior to those playing. As the only player
(not counting Karjakin, who is out of the
picture) who has not lost the classical
part of the World Championship match
to Carlsen, Caruana must be convinced
that without Carlsen he truly becomes the
main favourite to win everything.
After the Chennai Olympiad, Caruana
had excellent results: he won the US
Championship in 2022, while in 2023 he
134 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Fabiano Caruana
won the Superbet Classic and finished
second at Norway Chess (beating Carlsen
in the process, Carlsen’s only loss in
a rare winless tournament for him),
qualified for the Candidates by finishing
third at the World Cup, won the US
Championship with 8/11, 1.5 points ahead
of second-placed So, had a great Grand
Swiss before losing in the penultimate
round to Nakamura, due to a forgotten
preparation, and won the Sinquefield Cup
with 5.5/8.
These results brought back Caruana over
2800 again.
In finance, they say that past performance
is not indicative of future results, but in
chess, the opposite is often true, especially
if these results have been consistent. Before
World Championship matches there have
been examples of the eventual winner
having a bad event beforehand, but that has
more often than not been an exception to
his general results.
In Caruana’s case, his results have been
excellent: his experience (having already
won one such event, coming close in
almost all the others) and preparation are
unmatched. He learned from the mistakes
he made in Madrid and will know how to
navigate different tournament scenarios. All
these factors make him a heavy favourite in
the 2024 Candidates.

The only player in the field who is not a
professional is one of the favourites. How
unbelievable can that be?
Hikaru Nakamura, aka The Streamer, is
one of the strongest players in the world in
spite of very rarely playing classical chess.
One of the main reasons for this is that he
plays the psychological card very wisely.
By constantly stressing the fact that he is
not a professional, that he sees himself as
a streamer, and that his earnings do not
depend on his results - all of which are
true – he successfully diverts the tension
and pressure that he would inevitably feel
if those factors weren’t true.
Nakamura is the oldest participant in this
year’s Candidates. This also means that
he’s also the most experienced, having
been an elite player for more than a decade.
Before Madrid, Nakamura acknowledged
that pressure and playing openings that
didn’t suit him were the reason for his
poor showing at his previous Candidates
appearance in Moscow in 2016. In Madrid,
he rectified his previous errors by sticking to
his usual openings with Black, albeit always
with a unique twist, and by coming up with
numerous surprising ideas with White. This
approach kept him in contention for first
place until Nepomniachtchi pulled ahead.
The absence of pressure, combined with the
positive energy he draws from his millions
of followers, makes Nakamura a formidable
opponent and a favourite to win. Add to
this his very cunning opening preparation,
incredible resilience and tactical vision
and you have a complete player who with
a bit of luck can qualify to play a World
Championship match.
Nakamura’s results in classical chess after
Madrid were excellent: in 2023 he won the
American Cup, beating So in the final, he
won Norway Chess with 6/9, half a point
ahead of Caruana, whom he beat in the
last round for a tournament victory, shared
third in the Qatar Masters Open with 6.5/9
March 2024
and finished clear second in the Grand
Swiss, thus qualifying for the Candidates.
His only average result was the loss to
Praggnanandhaa in the fourth round of
the World Cup. The most amazing statistic
from these results is the number of classical
games lost by Nakamura – zero.
What was mentioned above about past
performances and future results is also
valid for Nakamura. He keeps himself
constantly in playing condition through his
endless online sessions. They help him keep
his instincts sharp, his tactical awareness
ever-present and his resilience unrivalled.
At the end of February, Nakamura
announced that he will start his preparation
for the Candidates. We can expect new and
surprising ideas from a motivated fighter at
the end of the month-long training camp.
Here’s a good case study: the game
Nakamura won against Caruana in the last
round of Norway Chess is an ideal example
of his serve-and-volley opening approach
with the white pieces. Going for a (semi)-
forced variation, he banks on superior
preparation, surprise value and a prepared,
though far from decisive, novelty.
The game was analysed in the July issue
of BCM.
It’s worth noting that Nakamura beat
Caruana exactly in the same manner in
the penultimate round of the Grand Swiss.
Here’s the game, with brief comments.
Hikaru Nakamura - Fabiano Caruana
FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Douglas IOM (10.1),
04.11.2023
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤f6 3.¤c3 Nakamura avoids
theoretical discussions in the Petroff and
steers the game to the Four Knights Scotch,
an opening with a drawish reputation.
3...¤c6 4.d4 exd4 5.¤xd4 ¥b4 6.¤xc6
bxc6 7.¥d3 d5 8.exd5 0–0 9.0–0 cxd5 10.h3
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 135
03/144

Hikaru Nakamura
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zp-zp-+pzpp0
9-+-+-sn-+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-vl-+-+-+0
9+-sNL+-+P0
9PzPP+-zPP+0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This move, with the idea of £f3 when
Black won’t be able to harass the queen
with ...¥g4, was introduced into modern The final mistake. Black could hang on
practice by Kramnik in his game with after 19...¦ad8, but White is already better
Aronian in 2012. It has remained popular here.
ever since.
20.£e3 With the double threat of ¥xh6
10...¥e6 Black can react in many ways. and £xe4.
What became apparent, though, was that
Caruana didn’t recall his analysis of this 20...¦c8 21.¥xh6 White is practically
line, and this showed quickly enough. winning and he doesn’t allow any chances.

11.£f3 c5 12.¦d1 ¥xc3 13.bxc3 £a5 The
alternative is 13...£c7.
14.¥g5 ¤e4 15.¥xe4 dxe4 16.£g3 ¢h8
17.a4 ¦fe8 18.¦d6 h6? The first mistake.
Caruana was spending time and energy
solving problems while Nakamura was still
in his preparation. Good moves were 18...
f6 or 18...¦ac8.
21...f6 22.£xe4 £xc3 23.¦ad1 ¦ce8
24.¦d8 ¥g8 25.£h4 £xc2 26.¦1d3 ¥h7
27.¦3d7 g5 28.£g3 £b1+ 29.¢h2 £f5
30.¦xe7 ¦xd8 31.£c7 £f4+ 32.£xf4
gxf4 33.¥g7+ ¢g8 34.¥xf6 ¥b1
35.¦g7+ ¢f8 36.¥xd8 ¢xg7 37.¥g5 f3
38.g4 c4 39.¢g3 ¥e4 40.¥d2
1–0

19.¥f4 ¦e7?
XIIIIIIIIY These two games clearly illustrate
9r+-+-+-mk0 Nakamura’s approach with White in the
9zp-+-trpzp-0 opening and Caruana’s susceptibility to
being caught in the opening.
9-+-tRl+-zp0
9wq-zp-+-+-0 THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
9P+-+pvL-+0 Alireza Firouzja (20) can easily belong to
9+-zP-+-wQP0 the group of the experienced ones, but also
9-+P+-zPP+0 to the group of the talented youngsters. As
such, he’s unique.
9tR-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy Firouzja has been an elite player for

136 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


around four years, reaching his peak rating
of 2804 in 2021, which makes him quite
experienced in elite events. He also has one
Candidates tournament under his belt.
A lot of things went wrong in that
Candidates for Firouzja. Even though he
prepared conscientiously, working with
Kramnik among others, he couldn’t deal
with the expectations (Carlsen named him
as the only player he would play in a match,
putting enormous pressure on the teenager
to win) and the quality of his play suffered.
After the disappointment in Madrid,
Firouzja made the unexpected decision
to explore a career beyond chess, opting
for the fashion industry as his new field
of interest. This led to a semi-retirement
of sorts, especially when it came to
classical tournaments.
After Madrid he shared first in
the Sinquefield Cup in 2022 with
Nepomniachtchi, beating him in the play-
off, shared second with 5/9 at the Superbet
Classic in 2023, finished with a minus
score of 4/9 at Norway Chess, scored a
mediocre 6/11 at the Grand Swiss after a
good start, scored a minus score of 3/8 at
the Sinquefield Cup and then we arrive at
the controversial moment.
For a very long time, it appeared that
Firouzja would qualify for the Candidates
based on his rating, but the above results
damaged his chances considerably. By
December 2023 he was no longer the
highest-rated player to qualify by rating.
In this moment Firouzja showed
ambition that perhaps wasn’t easily
visible beforehand, especially taking into
consideration his dabbling with the fashion
industry. His native French federation
managed to give him a chance to overtake
So in the rating list by organising a series of
matches in Chartres.
His opponents were Grandmasters
Alexandre Dgebuadze, rated 2439,
March 2024
Andrei Shchekachev (2506) and Sergey
Fedorchuk (2546). Firouzja had to play
two-game matches against them and, in
order to achieve his objective, he had to
win all his games.
While clearly the better player, Firouzja’s
play was far from convincing. He won the
first five games (while being lost or standing
worse in some of them), but faltered in his
last game against Fedorchuk. 5.5/6 wasn’t
enough to overtake So.
Alireza Firouzja – Sergey Fedorchuk
Chartres Noel Match3 2023 Chartres FRA (2.1),
22.12.2023
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-+-+-+0
9+-+p+p+-0
9-+-mk-zP-+0
9+r+lzp-zP-0
9-+-sn-+-tR0
9+P+-+-+-0
9-mKL+-+-+0
9+-sNR+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
49.¦h3 White is lost in this position
and Firouzja’s best move was to offer
a draw, which was accepted. Under
different circumstances, Fedorchuk, who
is an accomplished serial winner of open
tournaments and whose top rating was
2674, would certainly have continued and
won this game.
½–½
Only four days later, Firouzja entered the
open tournament in Rouen, where the first
prize was 700 euros. Once again, he sought
rating points by beating weaker opposition.
This time he was successful. He scored
7/7, with Gata Kamsky and Li Min Peng
(2562) being his only worthy opponents.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 137
03/144

The tournament finished on 29 December

Alireza Firouzja
and on 1 January Firouzja was ahead of So
in the rating list by two points.

With the weight of qualification off his

shoulders, Firouzja played liberated chess
in Wijk aan Zee, winning five games and
losing three, finishing a point behind the
joint winners.

The opinion of the general public on

Firouzja’s qualification path was that, while
not illegal, it was still morally questionable.
The term farming became the buzzword on
social media – it refers to seeking to play
and win against clearly weaker opponents
with the intention of gaining rating points.
Firouzja’s exceptional skills in chess
undeniably establish his rightful place
among the Candidates. He is a proven elite
player who has won this type of tournament.
What raises questions is how will Caissa
look upon his path to qualify.
There are several factors at play here. First,
he decided to seek a career outside of chess
(“Caissa is a jealous goddess, it requires the
whole of man” – Tarrasch). Second, after a
period of relative inactivity, he suddenly
showed ambition and desire to qualify
for the Candidates at all costs. Third,
having been unable to qualify through
“normal” means, such as the Grand Swiss
or maintaining his rating, he resorted to
farming to achieve his goal.
The last point has a historical precedent,
though.
organised three events for their star player,
who even increased his rating and qualified
for Madrid.
The rest, as we know today, is history.
It’s impossible to say what Caissa will decide
in Firouzja’s case. Will she take him all the
way to the crown, as in Ding’s case, or will
she frown upon his farming attempts?
These considerations may sound
ethereal, but there is a certain energy that
encompasses events that are out of the
ordinary. Which way it will go it remains
to be seen. As they would say in Madrid,
que sera, sera.
THE INDIAN CONTINGENT
Three players qualified from India, all of
them via different paths.

The reigning World Champion Ding Liren
wasn’t even supposed to play in the Madrid
Candidates. It took no less than a war and a
warmongering Karjakin to be disqualified
for Ding Liren to get the chance to
participate. Still, given his inactivity
because of the pandemic, Ding Liren had
to play 26 rated games in one month,
while maintaining his high rating, in order
to comply with the activity requirement.
The Chinese federation stepped in and
Gujrathi Vidit (29) was the surprise winner
of the Grand Swiss.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (18) was a
runner-up at the World Cup.
Dommaraju Gukesh (17) was a runner-up
of the FIDE World Circuit.
Gujrathi Vidit has always been considered
a very strong Grandmaster, but he never

138 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


really made it to the elite, thus being forced
to play open tournaments and leagues, with
the occasional qualification opportunity
like the World Cup or the Grand Swiss. He
was “one of the many” and nobody really
paid special attention to him.
In spite of this, Vidit trusted himself. He
consistently worked on his improvement,
both on and off the board. His secret was
taking up meditation and yoga, which
helped his mindset and inner stability.
The hard work started to pay off.
At the World Cup Vidit had a great
tournament. He eliminated Nepomniachtchi
in the fifth round and had only one hurdle
to overcome to qualify for the semi-final,
which, in view of Carlsen’s assumed (and
later confirmed) declination to participate,
guaranteed a spot in the Candidates.
That last hurdle was a bigger surprise than
Vidit. It was Nijat Abasov, certainly a lesser
threat than the double World Championship
contender whom Vidit had just eliminated.
In this defining moment, Vidit fell into a
typical psychological trap. After a draw in
the first game of their two-game match,
playing with the black pieces in game two
he over-pressed in a drawn position (after
all, he had just beaten Nepomniachtchi,
so, surely, he could beat Abasov at will?)
and, in the end, lost both the game and the
match. He was out of the World Cup and
the Candidates seemed a distant dream.
Vidit’s next chance was the Grand Swiss.
He started the Grand Swiss with a loss
from a winning position. Not a good start
by any means.
In round two he won a marathon, 80-
move long, game against fellow Indian
Gupta. Things started to improve and he
continued winning. He won four out of
the next five games and found himself
in serious contention for one of the two
qualifying spots.
March 2024
Vidit knew that because of his first-round loss,
he would lose out to any other competitor due
to a bad tie-break. He knew that if he were to
stand a chance, he must win games.
In the last two rounds, he won both his
games. In round 10 he beat Deac with the
black pieces, a game he called decisive for
his eventual victory. In a tense game, he
was simply the better calculator and fighter
than the Romanian.
In the last round, playing with White against
Predke, Vidit spent 10 minutes on move
seven of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted.
Should he take on c5 and play the endgame,
or should he keep the queens on the board?
He chose to enter the endgame. It turned
out to be a wise choice. Even though
there was an endgame on the board, there
was still a lot of calculation to be done,
especially as Predke gave in to his instincts
and injected life into the position by going
for complications.
In the following position Vidit showed that
he is ready for the next level, the level of
the Candidates.
Gujrathi Vidit - Alexandr Predke
FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 Douglas IOM (11.2),
05.11.2023
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-trk+-+0
9+p+-+p+p0
9pvll+psn-+0
9+-sN-+-tr-0
9-vL-+-+p+0
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9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
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21.¤xa6! The critical continuation. White
takes the pawn but now there are variations
to be calculated.
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21...¤d7 Predke chooses the best move.
However, by taking on a6 White had to
foresee how to refute the move 21...¥f3 and
when he was giving the commentary after
his game, Vidit demonstrated the following
line, which convinced me that with this type
of precise calculation, he is a fully deserving
Candidate. 22.¦xd8+ ¢xd8 23.h4!! the
move that Vidit saw and the only way for
White to keep the advantage. An incredible
resource, the idea of which is to chase the
rook away from the fifth rank so that the
knight can escape via c5. 23...¥xe2 (or
23...¦g8 24.¥d1! threatening to take on f3
when the recapture ...gxf3 would not attack
the bishop on e2. 24...¥d5 25.¤c5 and
White remains a pawn up.) 24.hxg5 ¤d5
25.¥c5 ¥xa6 26.¥xb6+ ¤xb6 27.¢h2!!
another point of 23.h4!!. The king uses the
free h2–square to attack Black’s pawns on
the kingside. White has excellent winning
chances in the endgame.
22.¥f1 ¦a8 23.¥d6! Powerful play by
Vidit. The threat is ¤c7 and if the knight
on a6 is taken White will regain the piece
by taking the bishop on c6.
23...¥a4 24.¥f4 Continuing the tempo-
play. The move 24.b3 was a good alternative.
24...¦a5 25.¤c7+ ¥xc7 26.¥xc7 ¥xd1
27.¥xa5 ¦xa5 28.¦xd1 The final detail.
The pawn on a2 is taboo as after ¥b5
White wins the pinned knight on d7. After
28...¤e5 29.a4 White was a clear pawn up
and won the game in 47 moves.
1–0
The smoothness with which he
demonstrated the lines he calculated was
a sign of a confident young man who has
matured and is ready to make the next step
in his career.
Vidit won the Grand Swiss with 8.5 out of
11, half a point ahead of Nakamura, with
140 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
both players qualifying for the Candidates.
An incredible feat for the Indian, especially
taking into consideration his disappointment
at the World Cup and the losing start of the
Grand Swiss.
What Vidit lacks, however, is experience
playing on elite level on a consistent basis.
This means playing tournaments where
there are no weak opponents, where every
round a tough and motivated opponent
wants to beat you.
As a Candidate, Vidit received an invitation
to this year’s Tata Steel Masters. He played
well, beating Firouzja, Maghsoodloo and
Abdusattorov to share first before the
last round. It would have been another
magnificent finish for him if it had not been
not for the messed-up opening in the last
round against the eventual winner Wei Yi.
By age, Vidit is closer to The Experienced
Ones, but he has even less experience than
the teenagers in this event. He is fully
capable of playing on equal terms with the
best, but his lack of experience is a factor
that he must factor in during his preparation
for the most important event of his career.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa qualified
for the Candidates by having an incredible
run in the World Cup. He reached the final,
the youngest player ever to do so.
Like all prodigies, Praggnanandhaa had
ample opportunities to test himself against
the world’s best. For example, at the age of
13, he was invited to the Magistral de Leon
where he played a four-game match against
So. He won one game in that match, which
he lost marginally.
Other invitations poured in and today
Praggnanandhaa is an experienced player
of elite events. This experience has formed
his style as one of the toughest players to
beat.
In the World Cup, the first impressive
moment was eliminating Nakamura in round

four. The classical games were drawn, but
then Nakamura uncharacteristically badly
misplayed the opening with White, ending
up a piece down with no compensation.
His desperate attempts to muddy the waters
in the second rapid game led to nothing: 2-0
for the prodigy.
In his own words, this victory made
Praggnanandhaa ambitious. He started
to believe that he could go far in the
tournament.
The second critical moment was his clash
with his friend Erigaisi in the quarter-finals.
The match lasted nine (!) games, with
the players exchanging five consecutive
wins before Praggnanandhaa won the
Armageddon to qualify.
In the semifinal, Praggnanandhaa
eliminated another elite player he will face
in the Candidates – Caruana. After draws
in the classical and the longer rapid (25
minutes +10 seconds per move) games,
Praggnanandhaa won an impressive
technical game in the faster rapid game (10
minutes + 10 seconds per move) before
holding the return game to advance to the
final.
In the final, he drew both classical games
with Carlsen. In the first rapid game, he had
a good chance to beat the favourite.
R Praggnanandhaa - Magnus Carlsen
FIDE World Cup 2023 Baku AZE (8.3),
24.08.2023
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥c4 ¤f6 In
important encounters Carlsen sticks to his
World Championship preparation.
4.d3 ¥c5 5.a4 One of the many ways for
White to play the Giuoco Piano.
5...d6 6.0–0 6.a5 has been played by
Carlsen himself. After 6...a6 7.c3 ¥a7
8.0–0 0–0 we have the usual Italian stuff.
March 2024
Vidit Gujrathi
1–0 (50) Carlsen,M (2862)-Vidit,S (2726)
chess24.com INT 2020.
6...a5 The alternative is to play ...a6.
7.¥e3 One of the moves that the engine
likes. There are others, too, like 7.c3, 7.h3,
7.¦e1, 7.¤bd2 etc.
7...¥xe3 8.fxe3 0–0 9.¤bd2 ¤e7 Carlsen
plans ...¤g6 or a central expansion,
preparing ...c6 and ...d5.
9...¥e6 was Giri’s choice. After 10.h3
¥xc4 11.¤xc4 £e7 12.¦f2 b6 13.¤fd2
¤b8! 14.¤b1 ¤bd7, he strengthened
the knight on f6 and drew: ½–½ (21)
Aronian,L (2735)-Giri,A (2764) Wijk aan
Zee NED 2023.
10.¤h4 The idea behind this move is to
dissuade Black from ...¤g6, but here Black
can go for it.
10...c6 Carlsen decides to expand in the
centre.
10...¤g6 was still possible; for example,
11.¤f5 (11.¤xg6 hxg6 12.£f3 £e7 with
...¥e6 to come, with equality.) 11...c6
12.¥b3 d5 13.£f3 ¥e6 14.¦f2 with unclear
play, but White can claim he has an annoying
knight on f5 and play on the f-file.
11.£e1 Intending £g3.
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11...d5 12.¥b3 £d6 Lending the knight
on f6 extra protection, but allowing White
some initiative on the kingside.
12...¥e6 13.£g3 ¤d7 is a more compact
way to deal with White’s play. 14.¦f2
£b6 15.¦af1 ¢h8, with a tense position
for both sides.
13.£g3 ¤h5 14.£g5 g6?!
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14...¤f6 is better, though it’s understandable
that Carlsen was reluctant to waste a move
like this. The retreat, however, creates the
threat of ...¤g4. 15.h3 h6 16.£g3 ¤h5
17.£h2 ¤f6 with a position where Black
isn’t worse.
15.¤f5? A mistake in evaluation. After the
exchanges Black has no problems.
15.¤hf3! was better. The threat is to
take on e5, so Black must play 15...
f6 but after 16.£h4 Black’s position
is a bit loose, being susceptible to the
opening of the centre. 16...¤g7 17.¦ae1
the last preparation before d4. (17.¤g5!?
¤h5! forces the knight back; 17.d4!? is
immediately possible. 17...exd4 18.e5!?
£b4 19.e4 leads to very sharp play where
Black must be careful. 19...fxe5 20.¤g5
¦xf1+ 21.¦xf1 ¤h5 22.£f2 ¤f4 23.¤df3
with messy play.) 17...¤e6 18.d4 exd4
19.exd5 cxd5 (19...¤xd5? 20.e4 ¤dc7
21.e5! shows the dangers Black is facing.)
20.e4 ¢g7 21.exd5 ¤xd5 22.¤xd4 with
strong initiative for White, who is better
developed and has a safer king.
142 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
15...¥xf5 16.exf5 ¢g7
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9tR-+-+RmK-0
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Black is fine now.
17.¢h1?! A vague move that helps only
Black.
17.¦ae1 is better. It’s a "mysterious rook
move" whose idea is seen deep into one
line. 17...£f6 (17...¦ae8 is safer, but also
more complex.) 18.£g4 ¤xf5 19.e4 ¤h6
20.£d7 £d8 21.£xd8 ¦axd8 22.exd5
cxd5 23.¦xe5 here we see the deep idea
behind putting the rook on e1 on move 17.
23...¤f6 24.c3 ¤f5 with a fairly balanced
endgame.
17...£f6! 18.£xf6+ ¤xf6 19.fxg6 hxg6
The endgame is more pleasant for Black,
who has a better structure and central
control.
20.e4 dxe4 With this exchange Black
isolates the e4–pawn and then quickly
attacks it.
21.dxe4 ¦ad8 22.¦f2 ¦d4 This was
Carlsen’s idea on move 20.
23.¦af1 White’s counterplay is on the
f-file.
23...¤eg8 Carlsen keeps the tension in the
position.
23...¤xe4 leads to simplifications. 24.¤xe4
¦xe4 25.¦xf7+ ¦xf7 26.¦xf7+ ¢h6
27.¢g1 is easy for White.

24.c3 ¦d7 The first attempt at activity was
fended off, so Carlsen retreats and regroups.
25.¦e2 ¦e7 Freeing the d7–square for the
knight.
26.¥c2?! Somewhat passive and time-wasting.
The immediate 26.¤c4 was preferable.
26...¦a8 (26...b5 27.axb5 cxb5 28.¤xa5
¦c7 doesn’t really bring much. After
29.¥c2 the knight can drop back to
b3.) 27.¤b6 is the difference with the
game, the knight is still on f8 and not on
d7, thus not controlling the b6–square.
27...¦a6 28.¤c8 ¦c7 (28...¦d7? 29.¥c4
¦a8 30.¤b6 wins for White.) 29.¤d6
¦d7 30.¤c4 and the knight’s pirouette
made Black’s position less harmonious
and coordinated.
26...¤d7 Carlsen is cautious with his pawns.
26...b5 is an alternative, stopping ¤c4.
27.¦a1 ¦a8 28.¤b3 (28.¢g1 ¦b7 29.¤f3
¤d7 30.g4!? with the idea of g5, leading
to an interesting endgame with mutual
chances.) 28...¦ea7 29.¦d2 with a complex
endgame.
27.¤c4 ¦a8 28.g4?! White could still
improve the position of his pieces before
committing like this.
28.¦ef2 ¤gf6 29.¤d6 b6 (29...¦e6
30.¦d2) 30.h3 and White’s activity doesn’t
allow Black to untangle. 28.¤d6 ¤c5
29.¦ef2 ¦f8 30.b3 is another way to play.
28...f6 Carlsen doesn’t allow g5, but it was
possible to do so.
28...¤gf6!? 29.¤d6 (29.g5 ¤h5 exposes
the f4–square.) 29...¤xg4 30.¤xb7 ¤b6
31.¤c5 ¦aa7 is sharper than the game,
with both sides having damaged pawn
structures.
29.¦g2 ¤h6 30.g5 Before Black could stop
this move with ...¤f7, when the weakening
of the kingside would make less sense.
March 2024
30...fxg5 31.¦xg5 ¤f7 32.¦g2 Played with
the idea of swinging the rook to the d-file.
32.¦g3 is an alternative, with the idea
of using the rooks on the g-file. 32...¦e6
33.¤e3 ¦f6 34.¦fg1: the threat is ¤f5
and, when the king comes to the h-file,
¦h3. This is why the rook retreated to
g3. 34...¤h6 35.¤c4 intending ¦d1,
attacking the knight that defends the
pawn on e5. 35...b5 36.axb5 cxb5 37.¤e3
a4 38.¤d5 ¦d6 with a dynamically
balanced endgame.
32...¦e6 33.¦d2 It was still possible to
play on the kingside with 33.¤e3 ¦f6
34.¦fg1 ¤f8 (34...¤c5 35.¤f5+ ¢h7
36.¤e7 ¤h8 37.¦g4 is another unclear
position.) 35.¤f5+ ¢h7: with a rook on
g2, there is no check on the h-file. 36.¦g3!?
an interesting sacrifice. 36...gxf5 37.¦g7+
¢h6 38.exf5 ¦e8 39.¦7g3 ¢h7 40.¦g7+
¢h6 41.¦7g3 with a repetition.
33...¦f6 34.¦xf6 34.¦fd1?! the rooks are
ineffective on the d-file, as there is no entry
point: for example, 34...¤c5 35.¤b6 ¦h8,
though the position is still equal;
If White wanted to exchange rooks, he
could have brought the king closer to the
centre with 34.¢g1 ¦xf1+ 35.¢xf1 ¤f6
36.¤b6 ¦h8 (36...¦a6 37.¤d7 ¤xd7
38.¦xd7 ¦b6 39.¥d3! with the idea of
¥c4 and suddenly White wins! 39...¢f8
40.b4 axb4 41.a5 traps the rook.) 37.¤c4
forces a repetition as the rook must go back
to a8 to defend the a5–pawn.
34...¤xf6 35.b4 35.¤b6 ¦a6 (35...¦h8
36.¤c4 ¦a8 is a repetition.) 36.¤d7 ¤xd7
37.¦xd7 ¦b6 38.¥d3!? (38.b3 is also fine;
the rook is awkward on b6, while 38...c5
weakens the d5–square. 39.¦d5 c4 40.bxc4
¦b2 41.¥d1: Black has compensation
here, but only for equality.) 38...¦xb2
39.¥c4 ¦f2 With the king on h1 this
square is available, something that wasn’t
the case in the analogous line after 34.g1.
40.¦xb7 ¢f8 with approximate equality, as
both sides have a lot of weaknesses.
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35...axb4 36.cxb4 ¢f8 Black centralises
the king.
37.¢g2 37.¤b6 ¦e8 38.¤d7+ ¤xd7
39.¦xd7 ¦e7 40.¦d2 should again be a
draw. (40.¦xe7 ¢xe7 41.¢g2 is another
draw: the king will defend the pawn on e4
and then the bishop can be activated.)
37...¢e7 38.a5 ¦h8 White missed several
options to make a draw easily and now
has to deal with the impending activation
of Black’s pieces on the kingside. The
position is still a draw, but he needs to be
more careful.
39.¦e2?!
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The first small step in the wrong direction.
White doesn’t think he should do anything
urgent and stays put, but what’s clear is that
it is Black who has the easier game and can
build up his play on the kingside.
39.¥d3 ¦h4 40.¦b2!,with the idea of
b5, is the engine’s suggestion. It’s a
difficult line to choose as, in order to do
so, White must feel the urgency to switch
from normal to dynamic play in search
of counterplay. 40...¤xe4 (40...¦g4+
41.¢f1 ¦f4+ 42.¢g2 changes little.)
41.b5 cxb5 42.¦xb5. The double attack
on e5 and b7 ensures that White regains
the pawn.
39...¤h5 40.¢g1 ¤f4 41.¦d2 ¦h3 Black
made obvious progress and all of a sudden
White has only one move to stay in the game.
144 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
42.a6? But he doesn’t find it and it’s not
surprising. After a whole game of normal
play White couldn’t adjust to the sudden
(in the last few moves) change of scenery.
His attempt at dynamic counterplay comes
three moves too late.
42.¥d1! was the only move, an unobvious
one at that. The idea is to meet 42...¦c3
with 43.¦c2
42...bxa6 43.¥a4 ¦c3 43...¤g5! was even
stronger. 44.¦c2 ¤f3+ 45.¢h1 ¢f6 and
the pawn on c6 is taboo in view of ...¤d4.
44.¤a5?
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This is too much. Even visually it’s clear
that White cannot possibly survive with his
pieces offside on the a-file.
44.¦c2 was more resilient. 44...¦f3
45.¥xc6 ¤g5 should still be winning for
Black. Now White must stop ...¤h3 by
46.¥d7! but after 46...¦b3 47.¥c8 ¦b1+
48.¢f2 ¤xe4+ 49.¢f3 ¤g5+ 50.¢f2
¦h1 Black should eventually win, though
White can play on, unlike in the game.
44...¤g5 45.¦c2 ¤gh3+ 46.¢f1 ¦a3
Threatening mate on a1 and the bishop on a4.
47.¤xc6+ ¢f6
0–1
 March 2024

This game was the decisive one, as in the

Gukesh Dommaraju
next game Carlsen successfully killed the
game off from the start.

It was an impressive performance by

Praggnanandhaa, showing solidity and
incisiveness against the best players
in the world. This combination is
particularly important for matches,
something that he clearly showed in
Baku at the World Cup.

With the main objective of qualification for

the Candidates achieved, Praggnanandhaa
played several classical tournaments
afterwards. He played the top division of
the Spanish league, the Asian games, the
Grand Swiss, two games in the Bundesliga
and the Tata Steel. He didn’t lose a single
game in those events.
Praggnanandhaa’s style is classical
with an emphasis on good technique.
He is an incredibly difficult player to
beat, something that will be extremely
important in the forthcoming event. But
to succeed in the Candidates one needs to
win games (usually +3 has been enough
to win) and in a dense tournament like
the Candidates wins won’t be easy to
come by.
The danger for players with a classical
style is that they may lose their
penetrating power, which is essential
to win games. Two examples are Giri’s
14 draws at the Moscow Candidates
and So’s draws. It is still too early for
Praggnanandhaa to experience these
problems, as, thanks to his youthful
energy, he should still be able to win
games, but, if that happens, he will
have to find ways to modify his style,
something similar to what happened
to Giri after the above-mentioned
infamous feat.
In the Candidates, Praggnanandhaa will
play to win the tournament. The young
talents don’t want to waste time and wait
for another opportunity.
The last two sentences also apply to
Dommaraju Gukesh. The youngest
participant in the tournament is only one
year older than Fischer was, when the
latter played in the Candidates in 1959.
One of the first words Fischer learned in
Serbian was “prvi”, meaning “first”.
Gukesh will also want to be first and has
every reason to believe he can do it.
In order to qualify for the Candidates
Gukesh had to beat Giri in the race for the
qualifying spot via the FIDE Circuit. It
was an exciting race until the last moment
and one that showed Gukesh’s tremendous
fighting spirit.
Before it came to the nail-biting finish,
Gukesh played well at the World Cup
in Baku, confidently overcoming
the opposition round after round. He
eliminated Esipenko and Wang Hao in
classical chess before hitting a roadblock
named Magnus Carlsen.
That match was in fact quite illustrative.
In the first game, playing with the white
pieces, Gukesh played sharply for a win.
His confidence and fighting spirit were on
full display.

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D Gukesh - Magnus Carlsen
FIDE World Cup 2023 Baku AZE (6.1),
15.08.2023
1.d4 ¤f6 2.¥f4 Gukesh tried to surprise
Carlsen with the London System.
Nowadays nobody should be surprised by
the London System, but, strangely as it may
sound, Carlsen was.
2...b6 So Carlsen tried to surprise his
opponent in return, but Gukesh would have
none of it.
3.¤c3! Probably the only way to challenge
Black’s move-order. But now at least the
game has nothing to do with the usual
London System set-ups.
Something like 3.e3 ¥b7 4.¤f3 g6 5.h3
¥g7 6.¥e2 0–0 7.0–0 d6 with ...c5 next
leads to a reversed Réti Opening.
3...¥b7 4.f3 White wants to build a full
centre with e4.
4...e6 The alternative is 4...d5, but Carlsen
prefers more French-like ideas.
5.e4 a6 Covering the b5–square and
avoiding ¤b5 ideas.
5...d5 is possible, as 6.¤b5 ¤a6 is not too
scary.
6.£d2 d5 7.0–0–0 7.exd5 ¥xd5! (7...¤xd5
is also possible, but it gives White free play
after 8.¤xd5 ¥xd5 9.c4 ¥b7 10.0–0–0)
8.¤xd5 ¤xd5 9.¥g5 £d7 is comfortable
for Black as the knight is stable on d5. It
cannot be chased away with c4 in view of
...¥b4.; 7.e5 ¤fd7 8.¥g5 £c8 is a good
French for Black who gets in ...c5 quickly.
7...¥b4 Still playing with French motifs.
7...b5!? is an interesting alternative.
8.a3 White decides to keep the centre more
fluid.
146 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
8.e5 is a major option. 8...¤fd7 9.¥g5
£c8 (9...¥e7 is probably simpler
10.¥xe7 £xe7 11.f4 c5 is a typical
French position, which means it’s
complex and with chances for both
sides.) 10.a3 ¥xc3 11.£xc3 c5 12.f4
¤c6 13.¤f3 cxd4 14.£e1!? (14.¤xd4
¤xd4 15.£xd4 £c5 is slightly worse,
but tenable, for Black.) 14...£c7
15.¥h4 with ¥f2 in mind. The position
is complicated, but White’s pair of
bishops should give him a slight edge
here.
8...¥xc3 9.£xc3 dxe4 10.d5 Gukesh
shows aggressive intentions, but, after the
forcing 10.¥xc7, leads to simplifications
and an equal endgame after 10...¤d5
11.¥xd8 ¤xc3 12.bxc3 ¢xd8.
10...¤xd5 11.£xg7 £f6! 12.£xf6 ¤xf6
We land in a balanced endgame.
13.¥e5 ¢e7 14.¥xc7 ¤bd7 White’s
pair of bishops is compensated with
Black’s smooth development and central
control.
15.¥g3 ¦hg8 16.¥e2 White defends
the pawn on f3 so that he can finish
development with ¤h3.
16...¢e8 A prophylactic move, avoiding a
check on d6.
17.fxe4 White decides to simplify the game.
In the event of 17.¤h3, Black can
play 17...¤h5, not fearing a check
on d6, thanks to his last move. After
18.¥d6 ¦xg2 19.¦hg1 ¦xg1 20.¦xg1
¤hf6 White has a certain amount of
compensation for the pawn as his dark-
squared bishop is particularly strong.
17...¤xe4 18.¥f3 ¤xg3 19.hxg3 19.¥xb7
¦a7 20.hxg3 ¦xb7 21.¦xh7 ¦xg3 22.¦d2
is similar to the game.
19...¥xf3 20.¤xf3 ¦xg3 21.¦xh7 ¢e7

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The position is equal, but, if anyone, it’s
Black who can play for more. He has
two factors going on for him: one is his
centralised king and the other is his central
pawn majority (with the passed e-pawn)
that can advance with the support of that
king, unlike White’s queenside majority.
22.¤d4 Threatening ¤c6.
22.¦d2 ¦ag8 gives Black unpleasant
pressure.
22...¤e5 23.¦e1 ¦g4 Carlsen wants to go
for a double-rook endgame where White’s
king is cut off along the d-file.
23...¢f6 24.¦h6+ ¤g6 25.¦h7 creates
the threat of ¦f1, winning the pawn on f7.
Now a curious line is 25...¤f4 26.¦f1 ¢g6
27.¦xf4!? (27.¦fh1 is simpler.) 27...¢xh7
28.¦xf7+ ¢g6 29.¦e7 ¦e3 30.¦xe6+
¦xe6 31.¤xe6 and this should be a draw,
but it’s a long game ahead.
24.¦xe5 24.¤f5+ is an attempt to keep
the knights on the board. 24...¢f6 25.¤d6
threatening ¤xf7 followed by ¦f1. 25...¦f8
26.¦e2 ¢g6 27.¦h3 ¦d4 28.¤e4 ¦fd8
29.b3 ¤g4 when the game is more complex
and White is on the defensive.
24...¦xd4 The endgame should be a draw,
but it is White who must exercise some care.
25.¦e2 25.¦e3 is another option, with
the idea of activating the rook via the c3–
March 2024
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
square: for example, 25...¦ad8 26.b3 ¦f4
27.¦c3 ¦f2 28.g3 and Black cannot easily
advance his pawns while White’s rooks are
active.
25...¦ad8 26.c3 ¦f4 Preventing ¦f2,
which would awkwardly attack the pawn
on f7.
27.¢c2 27.¦g7!? would have been a nice
prophylactic move, preventing Black from
using the g-file like in the game.
27...¦g8 28.b4 White decides to activate
his majority, but this turns out to lead to a
position where everything will depend on
precise moves.
28.¢d2 ¦fg4 29.¦h2 looks unappealing,
but White can bring the king to f1 to
liberate one rook.
28...b5 29.¢b3 ¦fg4 30.¦f2 ¦8g7
31.¦xg7 ¦xg7 32.a4 White must be quick
with his counterplay.
32...f5 33.axb5 axb5 34.¦a2? The losing
mistake. It doesn’t seem like it, but the
position is more dangerous for White than
it appears at first sight. In fact, White had
only one(!) move to avoid defeat and it was
not an obvious one.
34.c4! is the only move. 34...¦g3+ 35.¦f3!
bxc4+ 36.¢xc4 ¦xg2 37.¦b3! and the
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 147
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passed b-pawn secures enough counterplay
for a draw.
34...¦g5?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-mk-+-0
9-+-+p+-+0
9+p+-+ptr-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
9+KzP-+-+-0
9R+-+-+P+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Carlsen wants to have his b5–pawn protected
once he plays ...f4, but this misses the win.
34...¢d6! was the winning move. Perhaps
he didn’t want to enter the race after
35.¦a5 ¢c6 36.¦a6+ ¢d5 37.¦b6 ¦xg2
38.¦xb5+ ¢e4 but as the old saying goes:
"Black’s pawns run faster". 39.¦b8 f4
40.b5 f3 41.¦f8 (41.b6 ¦g1!) 41...¦g5!
42.c4 ¦f5.
35.¦a7+? White misses his chance, but it
wasn’t an easy one.
35.¦a5! f4 36.¢c2! the tough move, giving
up g2 with check but activating the king.
After 36...¦xg2+ 37.¢d3 ¦g5 38.¢e4
¦f5 39.¦a7+ ¢f6 40.¢f3 White should
be able to draw because Black cannot at
the same time coordinate his pieces to get
his pawns moving and keep his opponent’s
counterplay at the queenside controlled.
35...¢f6 36.¦a2 f4 Now White has nothing
to oppose the central advance.
37.¦c2 ¦g3 Stopping c4.
38.¢a2 ¢e5 White is passive and in a rook
endgame that equals death.
39.¢b2 ¢d5 40.¦d2+ ¢e4 41.¢b3 e5
42.¦e2+ ¢f5 43.¦d2 e4 44.¦d5+ ¢f6
148 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
45.¦xb5 e3 Black’s pawns are too far
advanced.
46.¦b6+ ¢f5 47.¦b5+ ¢e4 48.¦b8 e2
One of the black pawns will cost White a
rook and the second one will promote to
a queen.
0–1
The game also showed the weaknesses
Gukesh still has compared to the number
one player in the world: more balance in his
play and better technique are musts if he is
to climb the highest peaks in chess. Even
though he lost the match, Gukesh must
have learned a lot from this game.
The second chance to qualify was the
Grand Swiss, but just before it, at the Qatar
Masters, Gukesh entered a period of bad
form. In Qatar he lost two games and, even
though he finished with 6.5/9, sharing third
place, his play lost some of its solidity,
leading to more losses.
At the Grand Swiss it became apparent
that he also lost some of his ability to
win games. Starting with four draws
Gukesh lost two games in a row, to
Narayanan (he had lost to the same
player two weeks earlier in Qatar, too)
and Suleymanli. He never managed to
recover and finished the event with a
minus score of 5/11, losing one more
game in the process.
It was the worst possible time to be in bad
form, as his main competitor in the FIDE
Circuit, Giri, had a good Grand Swiss and
overtook him in the standings.
Things became hectic in December.
Fighting bad form Gukesh had to win a
tournament to overtake Giri.
His first attempt was the London Classic.
His start was very promising, 2.5/3, but
a winning position in round four against
Moussard was spoiled by a blunder which

led to a loss. In view of Adams’s controlled
play, Gukesh didn’t stand a chance of
winning the event, finishing shared third.
It all seemed lost, but, just like the French
federation, the Indian federation stepped
in to give its bright star another chance.
Moving quickly, they arranged an eight-
player Grandmaster tournament in Chennai
from December 15 to 21, providing a final
opportunity.
Gukesh started with three draws, before
beating Predke and Sjugirov. These two
wins were enough for a shared first with
Erigaisi and a lead in the FIDE Circuit.
Giri had a last chance to overtake Gukesh
with a successful World Rapid and Blitz,
but he didn’t even come close, thus
granting the youngster the final spot in the
Candidates.
This exciting and nerve-wracking
qualification demonstrated Gukesh’s
excellent qualities: fighting spirit, never
giving up, belief in one’s ability and self-
confidence.
Comparing Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa
we can notice that the former is less solid,
but more incisive. This can go both ways
and a lot will depend on the direction the
tournament will take.
After securing qualification, Gukesh played
freely in the Tata Steel Masters. He lost two
games but won six to share first place. In a
curious twist, he blundered into a threefold
repetition against Praggnanandhaa in a
position when he was winning, when a win
would have given him the sole lead before
the last round!
In spite of losing the final of the tie-break
to Wei Yi, Gukesh can be content with his
form at the beginning of the year.
Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit are
scheduled to play in the Prague Masters,
which should finish on March 7th, less than
March 2024
a month before the start of the Candidates.
These young players can afford to play
without rest thanks to their limitless energy;
as for preparation, they will find time for
that, too. When you live and breathe chess,
there is time for everything.
The Indian contingent will be a serious
factor in this year’s event, counterbalancing
the experience of the older players. A lot
will depend on the start, as a good one will
only add to their confidence, while, in a
tough tournament like the Candidates, it
is difficult to come back after a bad one.
But, for the next generation, nothing is
impossible.
THE CINDERELLA MAN
Before the World Cup in Baku, not many
people were familiar with the name Nijat
Abasov (28). A strong Grandmaster with
a peak rating of 2679 who mainly played
in open tournaments and leagues, he
was barely known as he was one of the
numerous Grandmasters who existed just
below the elite level.
Abasov’s result in Baku is a testament to
what any of these strong Grandmasters
below the elite level is capable of. Under
the right circumstances and a bit of luck,
they are capable of playing with the elite on
equal terms and even beating them.
A solid player who likes the Catalan with
White and who doesn’t mind making a
draw, he is tough to beat and he played the
underdog card to perfection.
Before Baku, Abasov had three tournaments
without a loss: the Baku Open (+3=6), the
Sharjah Masters (+1=8) and the Turkish
Super League (+3=8). The good form,
and what’s more important, avoiding losses
in classical chess continued in the most
important tournament of his life.
In the second round Abasov drew twice
with Fressinet, winning the rapid tie-break
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by winning the first game with White. The
first test of character happened in round
three, when he met Giri.
Abasov’s strategy in Baku was simple. Play
solid chess, don’t mind the draw, and let the
favourites feel the pressure to beat him. As
the time controls were getting shorter, the
pressure on the favourites only grew and,
as it happened, none of them managed to
overcome it. Giri managed to win the first
rapid game, but then Abasov struck back in
convincing fashion.
Nijat Abasov - Anish Giri
FIDE World Cup 2023 Baku AZE (3.4),
07.08.2023
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.¤f3 d5 4.¤c3 ¥e7 Giri
was relying on the QGD in this match and
it served him well. In this game he needed
a draw to progress to the next round, so he
sticks to one of the most solid openings in
chess.
5.¥g5 h6 6.¥h4 dxc4 This capture is a
relatively recent short cut. Instead of the
vast theory of the main lines of the QGD,
Black strives for a position with an IQP
for White (or a symmetrical position,
depending on White’s choice on move 9),
which is quite acceptable for him.
7.e3 One of Black’s ideas is that 7.e4?! is
met by the typical trick 7...¤xe4! 8.¤xe4
¥xh4 when Black has already solved his
problems.
7...c5 8.¥xc4 cxd4 9.exd4 Naturally, in a
must-win situation White goes for the more
dynamic option with an IQP instead of the
symmetrical position with 9.¤xd4.
9...0–0 10.0–0 ¤c6 11.¦e1 After 11.¦c1,
¤h5! was the strong move that Karpov
introduced in his match with Korchnoi in
Merano, winning an exemplary game that
made it to all textbooks on how to play
against the IQP. Giri has also used this
move before. 12.¥xe7 ¤xe7 13.¥b3 (13.
150 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
d5 leads to mass simplifications and a draw
after 13...exd5 14.¥xd5 ¤xd5 15.¤xd5
¤f6 ½–½ (36) Vidit,S (2695)-Giri,A (2783)
Wijk aan Zee 2019) 13...¤f6 14.¤e5 ¥d7
15.£e2 ¦c8 16.¤e4 ¤xe4 17.£xe4 ¥c6
18.¤xc6 ¦xc6 with an advantage for Black
in: 0–1 (43) Korchnoi,V (2650)-Karpov,A
(2690) Merano m/9 1981.
11...¤h5 The same idea is applicable with
a rook on e1, too.
12.¥xe7 ¤xe7 13.¤e5 White must try to
win, so he keeps the IQP.
In their classical encounter, Abasov chose
the simplifying 13.d5 just as Vidit did in
Wijk against the same opponent (see the
previous note). Not surprisingly, the game
was drawn without too many adventures:
13...exd5 14.¤xd5 ¤xd5 15.¥xd5 ¤f4
16.¥e4 ¥e6 17.£d4 £xd4 18.¤xd4 ¥d5
½– ½ (37) Abasov,N (2632)-Giri,A (2775)
Baku AZE 2023.
13...¤f6 14.a4 Curiously enough, White
now plays three moves in a row with
pawns, first one on the queenside...
14...a6 15.h4 Then one on the kingside...
15...¥d7 16.g4!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9+p+lsnpzp-0
9p+-+psn-zp0
9+-+-sN-+-0
9P+LzP-+PzP0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9-zP-+-zP-+0
9tR-+QtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
And now another one on the kingside,
signalling an attack! It’s rare to see a pawn
storm in IQP positions, but White’s centre is
stable and he must take some risks in view of
the match situation. This is quite a creative
 March 2024

g6 stops g6, but after 22.£h6 threatening ¢g2

Nijat Abasov
and ¦h1. 22...¥c6 23.¦d1 White crashes
through, with the threat of ¦d3–h3 or d5.

21...f5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwq-trk+0
9+p+l+-zpn0
9p+-+p+-+0
9+-+-tRpzPQ0
9P+-zP-+-+0
9+-sNL+-+-0
9-zP-+-zP-+0
opening preparation, especially as the engine 9tR-+-+-mK-0
is unconvinced and gives the boring 0.00. xiiiiiiiiy
Now Black is back into the game.
16...¤c6 16...¥e8 17.g5 ¤d7 18.gxh6
gxh6 is what the engine proposes, but 22.gxf6 ¤xf6 23.£h4 ¢f7 24.¦ae1
it’s understandable that Giri didn’t want ¦h8 25.£g5 ¦h6 Black has managed to
to weaken his kingside. 19.¤xd7 ¥xd7 consolidate, though at least visually White
20.£h5 ¢h7 21.¤e4 is very unclear. still has the initiative.

17.g5 hxg5? Clearly surprised, Giri makes 26.¦1e3?! 26.¥e4 is best according to the
it worse than it objectively was. This is engine, stopping ...¥c6, but after 26...¤xe4
a stark example how much an opening 27.¤xe4 ¥c6 Black is in no way worse.
surprise is important in modern chess. Even
an elite grandmaster couldn’t find his way 26...¥c6! Now Black takes over the
after being surprised and ends up lost mere initiative. The crude threat is ...¦h1#.
2 (!) moves after his opponent’s 16.g4!
27.¢f1?
17...¤xe5 18.dxe5 ¤h7 is preferable, XIIIIIIIIY
though White keeps attacking chances after 9-+rwq-+-+0
19.¥d3 ¥c6 20.¦e3 9+p+-+kzp-0
18.hxg5 White should be winning now, 9p+l+psn-tr0
though a lot of play remains. 9+-+-tR-wQ-0
18...¤xe5 19.¦xe5 ¤h7 20.£h5 Black is 9P+-zP-+-+0
passive and only helps White bring more 9+-sNLtR-+-0
pieces to the queenside. 9-zP-+-zP-+0
20...¦c8 21.¥d3? Natural, retreating with 9+-+-+K+-0
tempo, but this helps Black as he actually xiiiiiiiiy
wants to play his next move. This should have lost, but tie-breaks have
rules and ways of their own...
It was better to keep the bishop on the a2–g8
diagonal with 21.¥b3! as this stops ...f5 and 27.f3 is better, but after 27...£h8! it is Black
also threatens g6, to weaken the e6–pawn. 21... who starts to attack the opponent’s king.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 151

03/144
27...¤d5? Black wants an endgame to
secure himself against an attack, but misses
a good chance.
27...£xd4! was brave and decisive. After
28.¦xe6 ¢g8 the threat is still ...¦h1.
Black’s king is safer here and this gives
him a decisive advantage.
28.¦g3 White is equal now.
28...£xg5 29.¦exg5 ¦g8 Under normal
circumstances Giri would never have lost
this endgame.
30.¥g6+ ¢f6 30...¢e7 31.¥e4 Attacks
the pawn on g7 and that is most likely why
Giri didn’t play it. Still, after 31...¤xc3
32.¥xc6 bxc6 33.bxc3 g6, the double-rook
endgame should be a draw.
31.¥e4 ¤e7 A rather surprising move,
leaving White with an active knight.
I wonder why Giri didn’t go for simplifications
after 31...¤xc3 32.¥xc6 bxc6 33.bxc3 as
Black should have little trouble drawing
this endgame. For example, even active play
sacrificing a pawn should suffice: 33...¦c8!?
34.¦xg7 c5 with enough counterplay.
32.¥xc6 ¤xc6 It was better to take with a
pawn, but then it would have been better to
play that position without knights!
33.¤e4+ White has an unpleasant initiative
now.
33...¢f7 34.¦f3+ ¢e7 35.¦b3 b5 36.¦c3
¦h4! The only move for Black to stay in the
game. This already indicates that his choice
on move 31 was rather risky, forcing him into
a position where he needs to find only moves.
37.axb5 axb5 38.f3 ¤xd4 39.¦c7+ ¢f8??
Cracking under pressure.
39...¢d8 was the only move. It looks
scary, but Black holds. 40.¦gc5 (40.¦a7
¦h1+ 41.¢g2 ¦gh8 is also fine for Black.)
40...¦e8 41.¤g5 (41.¦xg7 ¦e7) 41...¦e7
152 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
42.¤f7+ ¢e8 43.¤d6+ ¢d8 and White
has nothing more than a perpetual.
40.¤d6 ¦f4 41.¦g4! Perhaps Giri missed
this move?
41...¦xf3+ 41...¦xg4 42.¦f7# being the
point.
42.¢g2 Black loses a piece as the knight
on d4 cannot move and defending it allows
¦xd4, winning the rook on f3.
1–0
It’s rare to see an elite player crack under
pressure like this, but this has happened
to Giri in the past in similar high-tension
situations, as when he lost to Xiong in the
tie-break in the World Cup in 2019.
Three draws followed and Giri couldn’t
take it any more. In the second blitz game
he played passively with White and was
outplayed, losing on time in 32 moves in an
already lost position.
Abasov’s nervous system was working
perfectly under the tension of the World Cup.
Next came former World Cup winner, Peter
Svidler. The scenario was identical: after
two draws in the classical and one in the
rapid, Svidler, playing White in the second
rapid game, blundered in one move and lost
in a mere 27 moves.
Another win with Black against an elite
player in a situation where the tension was
high and the pressure on the favourite to
win proved too much to handle.
Abasov continued with the same game plan
in the next two matches, the difference
being that he won them in classical. He beat
Salem and Vidit and qualified for the semi-
finals where he was to meet Carlsen.
The semi-final was the dream for every
player who tried to qualify for the

Candidates. As Carlsen was expected
not to participate, the semi-final meant
a guaranteed spot for this year’s event.
Abasov made his dream come true.
His Cinderella story continued though,
as even against Carlsen Abasov had his
chances. He lost the first classical game,
but he missed an incredible chance to turn
the game around and win. In the second
game he put Carlsen under pressure for 74
moves before conceding the draw.
In the match for third place, he started by
beating Caruana in his beloved Catalan.
This was a result of a blunder by Caruana,
but many people blundered against Abasov
in Baku. To his credit, Caruana managed to
recover and won the match on tie-break.
With a starting rank of 69, Abasov qualified
for the Candidates. Truly a Cinderella story.
After this high point, Abasov’s results
declined.
In the Grand Swiss, he scored one win
and three losses. At the European Teams,
playing for Azerbaijan, he scored one win
and two losses. In the last weekend of the
Bundesliga, at the end of February, he
scored a draw and two losses (to Anand
and Nakamura). The loss to Nakamura was
particularly harrowing.
Nijat Abasov - Hikaru Nakamura
Bundesliga 2023–24 Viernheim GER (11.4),
25.02.2024
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤f3 a6 Nakamura
chooses the Janowski Variation of the QGD,
a popular choice lately. It’s likely that he
didn’t want to show his preparation for the
Candidates and particularly not against one
of the participants.
4.¥g5 ¥e7 5.¥xe7 £xe7 6.¤bd2 ¤f6
7.g3 This is one of the most promising
lines for White. It is also in line with
Abasov’s taste for fianchettoing the light-
squared bishop.
March 2024
7...c5 The alternative plan is to push ...c5
with the aid of ...b6.
8.dxc5 0–0 9.¥g2 d4?
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+-trk+0
9+p+-wqpzpp0
9p+-+psn-+0
9+-zP-+-+-0
9-+Pzp-+-+0
9+-+-+NzP-0
9PzP-sNPzPLzP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
A case of mixed-up preparation. After
this, Black ends up a pawn down with no
compensation.
9...£xc5 10.¦c1 £e7 is fine for Black.
10.¤xd4 ¦d8 10...£xc5 11.¤4b3 is similar.
11.¤4b3 The best Black can hope is to win
the c5–pawn, but then he will be "only" a
pawn down.
11...a5 12.a4 ¤fd7 13.0–0 ¤xc5 14.¤xc5
£xc5 15.¤e4 £c7 16.£c2 White is a clear
pawn up with a completely safe position.
The fact that he managed to lose from this
position doesn’t bode well for Abasov’s
chances in the Candidates.
0–1
This game shows the danger Abasov faces
in the Candidates. Without the wave of good
form and luck behind him, he is objectivelya
weaker player than everybody else in the
field. Still, as a strong Grandmaster, he should
never even have come close to losing from the
position he got after the opening, irrespective
of the opposition. If he cracks from the start
in the same way as in the game above, he
will be targeted with both colours and the
tournament may end up as a disaster for him.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 153
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On the other hand, his recipe for success
should be the same as in Baku: staying
solid, not minding draws and passing
the pressure to win on his opponents.
Abasov won’t win the Candidates, but,
depending on how things turn out for
him, he may be an important factor in
deciding who will.
To conclude this part of the analysis, I’d
like to point out one aspect that is valid for
all the favourites. Without Magnus Carlsen
awaiting them in a match, every single one
of them is convinced that they can beat Ding
Liren. This further fuels their determination
to secure a victory in the Candidates,
promising an exciting spectacle for us all.
And besides, when was the last time that a
Candidates tournament disappointed?

THE WOMEN’S EVENT

For the first time in history, the women will play next to their colleagues from the Open
section in the most prestigious tournament that will determine the challenger for the World
Champion.

If in the Open one could single out Abasov as not quite on that level, in the women’s
event it’s hard to do the same. Every single player has a realistic chance of winning and
everything will depend on the form and preparation they will bring to the Candidates.

THE RUSSIANS
Aleksandra Goryachkina (25) and Kateryna Goryachkina’s last results show a positive
Lagno (34) qualified via the Women’s Grand trend. She won the Women’s World Cup by
Prix, finishing second and first, respectively. beating Salimova in the final in the rapid
tie-break after the two classical games
Aleksandra Goryachkina came very close were drawn. The decisive game of the final
to becoming a World Champion in 2020 shows her technical prowess in purest form.
when she drew the classical part of the World
Championship match with Ju Wenjun. She Aleksandra Goryachkina -
had the initiative in that match, but in the Nurgyul Salimova
rapid tie-breaks Ju Wenjun used the only
chance she had to win one game and, with the FIDE World Cup Women 2023 Baku AZE (7.4),
other three games drawn, to win the match. 21.08.2023
XIIIIIIIIY
Losing the match was a big disappointment 9-+-+-+-+0
for Goryachkina, but in the years that 9+-+-+-+-0
followed she only strengthened her place as
one of the best players in the world.
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
Goryachkina’s highly technical and 9-+lzpk+p+0
positional style makes her a very tough
opponent. In an event where avoiding losing 9+-+-+-zP-0
is of primary importance, her style gives 9-+NmKPzP-+0
her an advantage over the more dynamic
styles of her competitors.
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
154 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
 March 2024

Salimova defended well and here she could

Aleksandra Goryachkina
force a draw by reducing the material even
more.

68...¥a6?! But she missed the simple

tactic. Now White obtains two connected
passed pawns and can continue to play for
a win, in spite of the objective evaluation
as a draw.

68...¥xe2! 69.¤xd4 (69.¢xe2?? d3+

70.¢d2 dxc2 71.¢xc2 ¢f3 even wins for
Black.) 69...¥c4 and White cannot possibly
win this position.

69.¤e1 ¥b5 70.f3+ gxf3 71.exf3+ ¢d5

72.¤d3 White can certainly make progress
here by trying to activate her king and 90...¥d3+ 91.¢f6 ¥c2 92.g5 ¥d3 93.g6
advance her pawns. The position remains a ¢c6 94.g7 ¥h7 95.¢f7 ¢d5 96.f4 d3
draw until move 89. 97.¢e7 Preparing f5.

72...¥c4 73.¤f2 ¢e5 74.¤d3+ ¢d5 The immediate 97.f5?? would be very
75.¤e1 ¢e5 76.¤c2 ¥d5 77.¤e1 ¢f5 unfortunate in view of 97...¥xf5! 98.g8£
78.¢e2 ¥c4+ 79.¢f2 ¢e5 80.¤g2 ¥b5 ¥e6+
81.¤f4 ¥c4 82.¤h3 ¥b5 83.¤g5 ¥c4
84.¤e4 ¥d3 85.¤d2 ¥b5 86.¢g2 ¢d5 97...¢d4 98.f5 ¢e3 99.¤c4+ ¢d4
87.g4 ¥d3 88.¢g3 ¥b5 89.¢f4 ¥e2? 100.¤b2 d2 100...¢c3 101.¤xd3 is the
XIIIIIIIIY simplest.
9-+-+-+-+0 101.f6 ¢c3 102.¤d1+ ¢c2 103.¤f2 d1£
9+-+-+-+-0 104.¤xd1 ¢xd1 105.f7
9-+-+-+-+0 1–0
9+-+k+-+-0
9-+-zp-mKP+0 Then she was successful in the open
9+-+-+P+-0 Russian Superfinal, scoring 50% in a strong
9-+-sNl+-+0 field, beating Grandmasters Rozum (2531)
and Timofeev (2576) in her trademark
9+-+-+-+-0 technical fashion.
xiiiiiiiiy
The decisive mistake as it allows ¢f5. Black She fared worse at the Grand Swiss, where
had to stop this move. She had two moves to after a good start of 4/5 she lost two games
do so, moving the bishop to d3 or d7. in a row in rounds eight and nine and was
out of contention for the top places.
89...¥d3 90.¤e4 ¥e2;
With limited travelling opportunities,
89...¥d7 90.¢g5 d3 91.f4 ¢d4 Goryachkina mostly played online, though it
is certain she prepared very thoroughly for the
90.¢f5 Now White wins by simply pushing Candidates. She is one of the main favourites,
her pawns. mostly because of her experience and style.

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Kateryna Lagno was the winner of

Kateryna Lagno
the Women’s Grand Prix, the series of
tournaments in 2022 and 2023 that had
two qualifying spots for the Candidates.
Like Goryachkina, with her place in the
Candidates already secured, Lagno was not
subject to the same pressure as other players
who were still vying for qualification.

Still, her results last year were worse than

her compatriot’s.

In the World Cup, Lagno was eliminated

in her first match, losing to Mary-Ann
Gomes of India in the second round. After
two draws in the classical and one in
the rapid, Lagno blundered a piece in an XIIIIIIIIY
advantageous position.
9-+-+-mk-tr0
With limited playing opportunities, Lagno 9+-+-wqpvl-0
also participated in the Russian Superfinal
but fared worse than Goryachkina. After the 9p+Lzpl+-zp0
fine technical win over former European 9+p+-zp-+Q0
Champion Matlakov (2674) in round one, 9r+P+N+-+0
Lagno couldn’t win another game and lost
four in the remainder of the tournament. 9+-+-+-zP-0
9P+-+-zP-zP0
Kateryna Lagno - Maxim Matlakov 9+-+R+RmK-0
76th ch-RUS 2023 St Petersburg RUS (1.5), xiiiiiiiiy
01.10.2023 This is Lagno’s improvement.

1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4
¤f6 5.¤c3 e5 6.¤db5 d6 7.¥g5 a6
8.¤a3 b5 9.¥xf6 gxf6 10.¤d5 f5 11.g3
One of White’s options in this tabiya of
the Sveshnikov Sicilian. Lagno chooses the
move that was played by Kramnik against
her husband. Now both players follow that
game until Lagno slightly improves on
Kramnik’s play.
11...fxe4 12.¥g2 ¥g7 13.¥xe4 ¥e6
14.£h5 ¦c8 15.0–0 ¤e7 16.¦ad1 ¦c5
Taking on d5 is an alternative.
17.¤xe7 £xe7 18.b4! ¦c3 19.¤b1 ¦c4
20.¤d2 ¦xb4 21.c3 ¦a4 22.c4 h6 The
move 22...£c7 may be an improvement.
23.¥c6+ ¢f8 24.¤e4
24.cxb5 axb5 25.¤e4? d5! was suddenly
winning for Black, but after 26.¥xd5
¥xd5 27.¦xd5 ¦xe4 28.¦xb5 ¥f6
29.¦fb1 White somehow confused his
opponent to save the draw. ½–½ (38)
Kramnik,V (2753)-Grischuk,A (2745)
Astana 2023.
24...¦xc4 25.¦xd6 ¦xe4 26.¦xe6 £xe6
27.¥xe4 After some forcing moves White
obtained a more pleasant position. Black
is a pawn up, but the opposite-coloured
bishops and Black’s weaker king make
White’s position easier to play.
27...¢e7 28.¦c1 ¦c8 29.¦xc8 £xc8
30.¥d5 £e8 31.£f3 Black will always be
tied down to the defence of his pawns on
the light squares.

156 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2024

31...b4 32.£g4 £b5 33.¥b3 ¢f8

Nurgyul Salimova
34.£c8+ £e8 35.£xa6 ¢g8 Matlakov
has sacrificed one pawn to get his king to
the kingside, making it a bit safer.

36.£c4 e4 37.¢g2 £e7 38.£d5 e3 The

pawn wouldn’t have survived long on a
light square, so Matlakov sacrificed it to
open up his bishop.

39.fxe3 ¥e5 40.£e4 ¢g7 41.£g4+

£g5?!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+pmk-0
53...hxg4 54.hxg4 ¢f8 55.¢b6 ¥f2+
9-+-+-+-zp0 56.¢a6 ¢e7 57.a5 After ¢b7, the a-pawn
9+-+-vl-wq-0 will cost Black the bishop.
9-zp-+-+Q+0 1–0
9+L+-zP-zP-0
9P+-+-+KzP0
If Lagno can put this type of pressure
9+-+-+-+-0 on her opponents then she will have
xiiiiiiiiy excellent chances.
It’s strange that Black allowed White to
obtain a passed pawn on the queenside. However, those were Lagno’s last classical
tournaments.
41...¢f8 should have held the draw, though
Black will have to stay passive until the end For well-known reasons, the Russians
of the game. haven’t been able to play much and
this lack of practice can be a problem
42.£xb4 £xe3 43.£c4 £d2+ Objectively for them. Nevertheless, with their
Black should still draw. experience and all the help they will get,
both of them are heavy favourites in this
44.¢f3 £c3+ 45.¢e4 £xc4+ 46.¥xc4 year’s Candidates.
¥c7 The bishop endgame is drawn.

47.¢f5 Lagno wants to prevent the THE CHINESE PLAYERS

centralisation of Black’s king.
47...¥b6 48.a4 ¥g1 49.h3 ¥f2 50.g4
¥e1 51.¢e5 f6+ 52.¢d6 h5?? The
decisive mistake.
Running with the king to the queenside was
sufficient: 52...¢f8 53.¢c6 ¢e7 54.¢b6
¢d7 55.a5 ¢c8 with a draw.
53.¢c6 Now Black is simply not in time.
Tan Zhongyi (32) and Lei Tingjie (27)
will be the Chinese representatives in the
prestigious event. Both of them will seek a
rematch with the reigning World Champion
Ju Wenjun.
The only player to have had even less
practice than the Russians is Lei Tingjie.
She beat Tan Zhongyi in the Candidates
final 3.5-1.5 in March/April last year and

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03/144
Lei Tingjie
then went on to face Ju Wenjun. In July she
lost the World Championship in the last
game of the match, after which she only
played one Titled Tuesday in August and
then World Rapid and Blitz at the end of
last year.
The loss in the match seeded Lei Tingjie
directly in the Candidates, so she didn’t
need to qualify. However, this lack
of practice is concerning – her last
classical game was game 12 of the World
Championship match on 22 July 2023. The
next one will be on 4 April, the first round
of the Candidates.
Modern practice has shown that a
long absence from practical play is
detrimental to a player’s strength. Long
gone are the days when Bobby Fischer
could take a break of a couple of years,
come back and win everything again.
Today, it’s crucial for top players to
maintain peak condition constantly,
which is why they participate in
an endless array of tournaments in
all formats.
The most recent example that proves
this point is Ding Liren’s return to
active play in Wijk aan Zee. He was
absent for a shorter period than Lei
Tingjie and still fared badly. Perhaps
Lei Tingjie will take some comfort from
the fact that she shared first place in the
158 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
World Rapid at the end of 2023 (she
took bronze on tie-break), but rapid is
quite different to classical.
There is no doubt that Lei Tingjie at her full
strength is capable of winning the tournament,
but the question of her form won’t be known
until the first few games in the Candidates.
That makes her a big unknown.
Tan Zhongyi is a former World
Champion from 2017, when she won
the knock-out tournament in Tehran by
beating Anna Muzychuk in the final.
The following year she lost a World
Championship match to the current title
holder Ju Wenjun by the narrow margin
of 5.5-4.5.
Tan Zhongyi qualified for the Candidate
by virtue of finishing third in the Grand
Swiss. Anna Muzychuk, who finished in
second place, had already secured her
spot through the World Cup, thereby
granting the place to Tan Zhongyi.
After losing the Candidates final to
Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi continued to
play at a high level. In May 2023 she
finished undefeated and shared second
place in the Nicosia Grand Prix, half
a point behind the winner Wagner. In
the World Cup she reached the semi-
final, where she lost to eventual winner
Goryachkina. She also lost the match
for third place to Anna Muzychuk,
but her third place in the Grand Swiss
(behind the winner Vaishali and the
already qualified Muzychuk) booked
her the ticket for the Candidates.
After securing qualification she played
in several rapid events as well as the
World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
Compared to her compatriot, Tan
Zhongyi’s form is better known. She
has generally played well. In the
decisive last-round game in the Grand
Swiss, she displayed both her strengths
and weaknesses.
 March 2024

Tan Zhongyi
Tan Zhongyi – Gunay Mammadzada
FIDE Grand Swiss Women Douglas IOM (11.3),
05.11.2023

1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6

5.¤c3 a6 6.¥e3 e5 7.¤b3 ¥e6 8.f3 h5
9.¤d5 ¥xd5 10.exd5 ¤bd7 11.£d2 g6
12.0–0–0 ¥g7 13.¢b1 0–0 14.h3 £c7
15.g4 ¤b6 16.¥g5!?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-trk+0
9+pwq-+pvl-0
9psn-zp-snp+0
9+-+Pzp-vLp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+P+0 9r+r+-+k+0
9+N+-+P+P0 9+pwq-+pvl-0
9PzPPwQ-+-+0 9-sn-zp-+-+0
9+K+R+L+R0 9+-+Pzp-zPp0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-+-+0
The more commonly-played move here is
16.£a5. This is a good practical choice by 9zpP+-+P+-0
Tan Zhongyi because for an unprepared 9P+PwQ-+-+0
player it’s hard to find the best move for
Black here. 9sNK+R+L+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
16...h4? Mammadzada errs immediately, A mistake.
giving White a clear advantage, thus
justifying her opponent’s preparation. Black had to play 23...£c3! stopping
White’s c4, which completely kills off
16...e4! was more or less the only way for Black’s play on the queenside.
Black to keep the balance.
24.¥h3?? White returns an even bigger
17.¥xh4 Black prevented ¥xf6 followed favour! The nerves of the last round must
by gxh5, but now White threatens to move have played a role in this. The natural 24.c4
the bishop from h4 and continue with h4–h5 would have shut down all black attempts on
with a strong attack. the queenside.

17...¦fc8 18.¥xf6 ¥xf6 19.h4 a5 20.g5
¥g7 21.h5 a4 22.¤a1 Covering c2, even
though going to c1 was also possible.
22...a3 23.b3 The critical moment in the
game.
23...gxh5?
24...¦f8?? It’s as if Fate wanted Tan
Zhongyi to win this game.
24...£c3! would have given Black a
winning advantage. After 25.£xc3
¦xc3 White plays without a knight and,
after 26.¦hf1 ¦a5, she also loses the
pawn on d5.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 159

03/144
25.c4 Taking the second chance. Now
White is winning and the rest is easy.
25...e4 Desperate, but it achieves very little.
26.fxe4 £e7 27.¤c2 £e5 28.£d4 £g3
29.¦d3 ¥xd4 30.¦xg3 ¥e5 31.¦f3 f6
32.¦g1 ¢f7 33.g6+ ¢g7 34.¤e3
1–0
White demonstrated shrewd opening
preparation and obtained an almost winning
position, but then, in a tense situation,
additionally affected by the obligation to
win, blundered badly, turning a winning
position into a losing one. She got lucky,
but these situations won’t go unpunished in
this year’s event.
Tan Zhongyi has reached the summit of
chess and this makes her a favourite of
every tournament she participates in. This
year’s Candidates won’t be an exception.
THE INDIANS
The Indian contingent in the Candidates
presents a study in contrasts: on one
hand, we have the seasoned and prolific
tournament champion, Humpy Koneru (37),
while, on the other, there is the ascending
star, Rameshbabu Vaishali (22).
Humpy Koneru is already a legend in
chess. She is the eighth woman to become
a Grandmaster and the second woman after
Judit Polgar to cross 2600. A winner of
countless tournaments and awards, Koneru
only lacks the ultimate title – the one of
World Champion.
The closest she came was in the match with
Hou Yifan in 2011. In the duel between
the 17-year-old Hou Yifan and 24-year-old
Koneru, the Chinese prodigy was the more
successful, winning the match by 5.5-2.5.
Koneru didn’t manage to win a game in
that match.
160 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Following the birth of her daughter,
Koneru made a triumphant return to
active competition after a two-year
break, becoming World Rapid Champion
in 2019.
Koneru qualified for the Candidates thanks
to having the highest rating in the January
2024 rating list. Nevertheless, she was
active in the previous year and her results
were fluctuating.
In February 2023, at the Munich Grand
Prix, she finished undefeated second,
half a point behind the winner Kosteniuk.
This was followed by a 50% score at the
controversial New Delhi Grand Prix in
March/April.
In June she was forced to withdraw from
the Cairns Cup due to medical issues.
In her last classical tournament, the World
Cup, Koneru reached the fourth round,
where she was eliminated by Khotenashvili
in the rapid tie-break after winning the
second classical game at will.
Koneru shared first at the year-end’s World
Rapid, but lost the tie-break for first place
to Bodnaruk. The curious fact is that, in
the 4-game tie-break, Koneru lost both her
games with the white pieces.
This has happened to Koneru before.
When the stakes are high and the title
is in question’, she is more likely to
falter under pressure. There is no doubt
that Koneru has all the chess qualities
to win in the Candidates and to beat Ju
Wenjun, but whether she has managed to
overcome the psychological issues that
prevented her in the past, it remains to
be seen.
Rameshbabu Vaishali repeated Koneru’s
feat of becoming a Grandmaster, India’s
third woman to do so (Dronavalli Harika
being the third one) after another incredible
success – her victory at the Isle of Man in
the Grand Swiss.
 March 2024

Vaishali played a lot in 2023, which

Humpy Koneru
is normal for a young player. She was
invited to the Challengers group of Tata
Steel, where she scored 4.5/13, beating
Grandmasters Ivic (2585) and Supi
(2608) along the way. She didn’t fare
well at the New Delhi Grand Prix, where
she finished last with 3/10 (she beat
Paehtz, who withdrew from the event,
but failed to win another game, while
losing five).

She scored 5/10 at the Sunway Formentera

open, another tournament where she faced
strong opposition. The typical trajectory for
the development of young talents involves
frequent playing against stronger opponents.
This is the approach that Vaishali has
consistently adopted throughout the year.
Next was the Norway Masters open,
followed by the round-robin Grandmaster
event Janos Rigo in Balatonlelle, Hungary.
Vaishali’s play and results improved with
every tournament she played.
At the World Cup Vaishali was eliminated
early, losing to Mariya Muzychuk 0-2 in
the third round.
3.¥b5 Muzychuk would rather not play
against either, so she opts for the Rossolimo.
3...g6 4.¥xc6 bxc6 This continuation
leads to more forcing lines compared to the
slower 4...dxc6.
5.0–0 ¥g7 6.¦e1 £c7 The latest twist in
this variation. This move keeps Black’s
options open: the main alternatives are
6...¤h6 and 6...¤f6.

She had a successful Qatar Masters, scoring 7.c3 d6 8.h3 ¤f6 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 0–0
a Grandmaster norm, before her triumphant 11.¤c3 c5 12.e5 The most direct attempt,
Grand Swiss performance. but this decision is wrong for someone who
cannot recall her preparation correctly. An
Vaishali was dominant at the Isle alternative was 12.¥e3.
of Man. She successfully combined
excellent opening preparation with 12...dxe5 13.dxe5 ¦d8 14.£a4 ¤h5
aggressive play on the board. Her game 15.£h4?
with Mariya Muzychuk in round four is XIIIIIIIIY
very good example.
9r+ltr-+k+0
Mariya Muzychuk - 9zp-wq-zppvlp0
Rameshbabu Vaishali
9-+-+-+p+0
FIDE Grand Swiss Women Douglas IOM (4.3), 9+-zp-zP-+n0
28.10.2023
9-+-+-+-wQ0
1.e4 c5 Vaishali also plays ...1...e5. 9+-sN-+N+P0
9PzP-+-zPP+0
2.¤f3 ¤c6 Intending either the Sveshnikov
or the Classical Sicilian, both of which 9tR-vL-tR-mK-0
feature in Vaishali’s repertoire. xiiiiiiiiy
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 161
03/144
Natural, but wrong. This often happens in
concrete positions and here Muzychuk is a
victim of Vaishali’s surprise use of this variation.
15.¥e3 ¥b7 16.£g4 is the correct way to
swing the queen to the kingside.
15...¥b7 Black takes over the initiative
now. It’s impressive how quickly Vaishali
converts this position into a full point.
16.e6? Further worsening the situation.
Admitting i mistake with 16.£g4 was better.
16...f5! Black is winning now. All her pieces are
excellent, especially the bishops, which control
the whole board along the two long diagonals.
17.¥g5 ¥xf3 Leading to material gains.
18.gxf3 £b7 A double attack on f3 and b2.
19.¤e2 £xf3 20.¥xe7 ¦d2 21.¥xc5 In case
of 21.¤c3 ¥d4 22.¦f1 ¤g3 White gets mated.
21...¦xe2 22.£c4 ¤g3 23.e7+ ¢h8
0–1
Vaishali continued with impressive play as
she beat Assaubayeva, Stefanova and Tan
Zhongyi in the remainder of the tournament
to clinch clear first place with 8.5 out of 11.
Rameshbabu Vaishali
162 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
In December she participated in the El
Llobregat Open, where she successfully
crossed the 2500 mark to have her
Grandmaster title officially confirmed.
Vaishali is definitely a young player on the
rise and one should never bet against youth.
If she keeps the momentum from last year,
it will be difficult to stop her.
THE UKRAINIAN
AND THE BULGARIAN
Anna Muzychuk (34) and Nurgyul
Salimova (20) complete the field in this
year’s Candidates. Both of them qualified
via the World Cup by finishing respectively
third (Muzychuk beat Tan Zhongyi in the
match for third place) and second (Salimova
lost to Goryachkina in the final).
Anna Muzychuk is an established elite
player. She was the fourth woman in history
to cross the 2600 mark. She has won World
Championships in Rapid (2014) and blitz
(2014 and 2016), but the classical crown
has evaded her so far (unlike her sister
Mariya, who won the knock-out World
Championship in 2015). The closest she got
to the classical title was in 2017, when she
lost the final match to Tan Zhongyi.
After playing for many years at the top,
Muzychuk has inevitably matured and
her formerly aggressive style has become
more balanced. This is also reflected in her
opening repertoire: apart from the sharp
Sveshnikov, today she can also play the
Petroff or the Berlin, the Grünfeld can
be combined with the Queen’s Gambit
Accepted or Declined.
This universality is a positive development.
After a disappointing start last year, with a -3
score at the Munich Grand Prix, Muzychuk’s
results improved with every tournament. In the
World Cup she won the match for third place
against Tan Zhongyi and in the Grand Swiss
she went the whole distance without a loss and
finished clear second with 8 out of 11.

In many events there are small moments that
decide whether a tournament will be a success
or not. The game that skyrocketed Muzychuk’s
success was played as early as round two.
Anna Muzychuk - Stavroula Tsolakidou
FIDE Grand Swiss Women Douglas IOM (2.2),
26.10.2023
1.e4 c5 2.c3 A regular alternative in
Muzychuk’s repertoire to her usual choice
of an open Sicilian.
2...e5 This was played by Carlsen online,
so many players have followed the trend.
3.¤f3 ¤c6 4.¥c4 ¤f6 5.¤g5 d5 6.exd5
¤xd5 7.£h5 g6 8.£f3 The position looks
dangerous for Black, but with precise play
she should hold.
8...£xg5 9.¥xd5 ¤d8 10.0–0 £e7 The
alternative is to put the queen on f5.
11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 exd4 13.¥f4 White
has compensation for the pawn in view of
her superior development.
13...g5 14.¥g3 ¥g7 15.¤d2 0–0?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lsn-trk+0
9zpp+-wqpvlp0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+L+-zp-0
9-+-zp-+-+0
9+-+-+QvL-0
9PzP-sN-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Natural, as Black wants to get her king out
of the centre as soon as possible, but wrong.
The correct move was 15...¥e6, challenging
White’s imposing light-squared bishop.
16.¤e4 g4 17.£b3 £d7 18.¤c5 White
was spoilt for choice: promising alternatives
were 18.¦ac1, 18.¦ae1 and 18.f3.
March 2024
18...£e7 19.¦ac1 This lets the advantage
slip, but the position remains easier
for White.
19...¤e6?! Black misses the second chance
to put her bishop on e6.
20.¤d3 h5 21.¦fe1 £g5 22.¥e5 £g6
23.¥e4 £g5 24.¥d5 £g6 25.¥e4 £g5
26.¥xb7? Cashing in, but settling for too
little. The move 26.f4 was strong, either
before or after an exchange on g7.
26...¥xb7 27.£xb7 £f5 Black has
counterplay now.
28.¥xg7 ¢xg7 29.£a6 h4 30.¦e5
£g6 31.¤c5 ¦fc8 32.b4 h3 33.£d6
¤xc5 The critical moment for
Muzychuk’s tournament.
34.£xd4?? In mutual time-trouble White
blunders. Exchanging the queen would
have led to an equal endgame.
34...¤b3??
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+r+-+-+0
9zp-+-+pmk-0
9-+-+-+q+0
9+-+-tR-+-0
9-zP-wQ-+p+0
9+n+-+-+p0
9P+-+-zPPzP0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
34...¤d7! 35.¦ec5+ ¤f6 would have won
for Black - the point is that White cannot
take the rook in view of 36.¦xc8 ¦xc8
37.¦xc8 £b1+ and Black mates.
35.axb3 Now it’s equal again, but the
excitement continues.
35...¦xc1+ 36.¦e1+ ¢g8 37.¦xc1
¦e8 38.£d5 a6 39.b5 axb5 40.£xb5
£h6?? The final move of the zeitnot
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 163
03/144
and Tsolakidou simply leaves her rook
en prise.
41.£xe8+
1–0
A lucky break for Muzychuk, one that she
used to the maximum by playing well in the
rest of the tournament.
In the 2019 Candidates tournament, played
with the same format, Muzychuk had a
terrible start, scoring 0.5/3. She recovered in
the second part by winning four games, but
that was only enough for second place, a point
and a half behind the winner Goryachkina.
If Muzychuk can deal with her nerves in
the beginning, her excellent preparation
and fighting ability can take her all the way.
Nurgyul Salimova is the lowest-rated and the
youngest player in the event. A player with a
solid positional foundation, who can also play
attacking chess, she has been known in chess
circles for some time. Her global fame came
with her performance at the World Cup in Baku.
An incredible run of match wins against
Kiolbasa, Gomes (who eliminated Lagno),
Medina (who eliminated Khademalsharieh
and Bivol), Shuvalova and Anna Muzychuk
was eye-catching not only because of the
results, but also because of the manner in
which she played.
A good example is the second rapid game
of the tie-break against Muzychuk.
Nurgyul Salimova - Anna Muzychuk
FIDE World Cup Women 2023 Baku AZE (6.5),
17.08.2023
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 This is not Muzychuk’s
normal choice against 1.d4, but she used
the QGA twice against Salimova.
3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.e3 e6 5.¥xc4 c5 6.0–0
a6 7.¦e1 Their classical encounter saw
164 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Geller’s idea 7.e4!? b5 8.¥e2 ¤xe4 9.a4
b4 10.¤bd2 ¥b7 11.¤xe4 ¥xe4 12.¥e3,
with compensation for the pawn: ½–½ (41)
Salimova,N (2409)-Muzychuk,A (2504)
Baku AZE 2023.
7...¤c6 Other options are 7...¥e7 and 7...b5.
8.¤c3 b5 In his triumphant Berlin Grand
Prix Nakamura played 8...¥e7 9.dxc5
£xd1 10.¦xd1 ¥xc5 and held the
endgame without much trouble. ½– ½ (31)
Grischuk,A (2764)-Nakamura,H (2736)
Berlin 2022.
9.¥d3 ¥b7 10.a4 b4 11.¤e4 cxd4
Deviating from the mainstream theory,
which is 11...¤a5.
12.¤xf6+ gxf6 13.exd4 ¤a5?!
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wqkvl-tr0
9+l+-+p+p0
9p+-+pzp-+0
9sn-+-+-+-0
9Pzp-zP-+-+0
9+-+L+N+-0
9-zP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
It appears that Muzychuk mixed up her
lines while trying to remember how Black
should play. This move is 2 moves too late.
13...¤e7! is better, keeping an eye on the d5–
square. Black must still finish her development,
so she’d better not allow the opening up of the
game. 14.¥d2 £d6 15.a5 h5 with the idea of
...¥h6 leads to a very sharp middlegame.
14.¥f4 White develops normally and soon
enough crashes through - Black’s king’s
being stuck in the centre makes it very
difficult to defend.
14...¦c8?! Black had to try to exchange
some pieces.
 March 2024

After 14...¥d6 15.¥xd6 (or 15.¥h6 ¥f8

Anna Muzychuk
16.¥d2) 15...£xd6 16.¦c1 the problem
of the safety of Black’s king makes her
position problematic in the long term.

15.£e2 ¥d6 16.¥h6 ¤b3 16...¥f8

17.¥xf8 ¢xf8 18.¥xa6 wins a pawn, but
this was probably the lesser evil for Black.

17.¦ad1 White is ready to blast open the

position.

17...£a5
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+k+-tr0
9+l+-+p+p0 started to address that issue and now has
more variety when it comes to her choice
9p+-vlpzp-vL0 of openings.
9wq-+-+-+-0
9Pzp-zP-+-+0 Another issue that will be an important
factor for the event is her lack of experience
9+n+L+N+-0 at this level, especially compared to the
9-zP-+QzPPzP0 other competitors. Even Vaishali managed
to have one tremendous high-level
9+-+RtR-mK-0 tournament in the Grand Swiss, playing
xiiiiiiiiy well from start to finish against the best
18.d5! Crashing through. players in the world. In spite of having
played in many open tournaments, facing
18...¥xd5 18...£xd5 19.¥b5+ wins the strong opposition, Salimova, hasn’t had
queen. that type of tournament in her life – the
matches in Baku were in a different format.
19.¥xa6 ¦c5 20.¥b5+ ¢d8 20...¢e7 The key characteristic that the winner will
21.¥e3 wins material as, if the rook need is consistency: being able to perform
escapes, ¦xd5 comes. every single day at a high level against a
different opponent. So far, we haven’t
21.¥e3 ¦c7 22.¦xd5 exd5 23.¥b6 With seen that type of performance by Salimova
the pretty threat of £e8, mating. and it’s hard to expect that of her in the
forthcoming tournament.
1–0
Nevertheless, she is capable of beating anyone
and can inflict damage, as witnessed by Anna
She wasn’t worse in the final against the Muzychuk and others in the World Cup.
rating favourite Goryachkina: as we saw
above, she shouldn’t have lost the game The Candidates Tournament will be a
that cost her the final. double treat for the audience. With eight
games per day, instead of the usual four, it
Salimova’s main issue was her limited will provide the finest chess and determine
opening repertoire, particularly her the next challengers.
dependence on the Caro-Kann with the
black pieces. After the World Cup she has May the best players win!

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 165

 The Evolution of the Candidates Tournament:

FROM BUDAPEST 1950 TO TORONTO 2024

The Candidates Tournament, the final test that a player must pass to challenge the
World Champion in chess, has a rich history dating back to 1950
This event emerged as a response to the need for a systematic approach to
determine a world championship challenger. Prior to 1950, contenders had to
navigate a maze of negotiations directly with the champion, secure funding, and
organize a match - a process that lacked structure and consistency.

The turning point came in 1950 when Budapest hosted the inaugural Candidates
Tournament, a 10-player double round-robin to select the challenger for
the then world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik. This tradition, set in Budapest,
continued almost every third year until 1993, alternating between tournaments
and matches. However, the early 1990s saw a disruption due to the split in the
world championship structure.

The Candidates Tournament returned to prominence in 2007 as part of the unified

cycle, initially in the form of matches. The modern-day era has witnessed notable
tournaments in London-2013, Khanty-Mansiysk-2014, Moscow-2016, Berlin-2018,
Yekaterinburg 2020-21 and Madrid in 2022, each contributing to the great history
of the championship qualification process. Toronto is the next chapter in this great
story of chess.

THE INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT IN BUDAPEST (1950)

The inaugural Candidates Tournament was held in Budapest from April 11 to

May 18, 1950. It was a double round-robin with ten contenders—Bronstein,

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Boleslavsky, Smyslov, Keres, Najdorf, Kotov, Stahlberg, Lilienthal, Szabo,

Flohr. The event in Budapest became the only Candidates Tournament to end
in a tie for first place with no tiebreaker in place. Bronstein and Boleslavsky
had to play a playoff match, held in the summer of 1950 in Moscow. It ended
in another tie, but Bronstein won the first decisive game and became the
official Challenger. He drew a match with Botvinnik, who retained his title, as
an equal score favoured the champion at the time.

THE MEMORABLE SECOND CANDIDATES (1953)

The second Candidates stands out as one of the most famous chess
tournaments ever, thanks to the timeless popularity of excellent tournament
books by participants David Bronstein and Miguel Najdorf. The tournament
was a massive affair – a double round-robin with 15 contestants, meaning
each participant played 28 games. The superb lineup contributed to the
rich chess heritage of this event: Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky,
Petrosian, Geller, Najdorf, Kotov, Taimanov, Averbakh, Boleslavsky, Szabo,
Gligoric, Euwe, Stahlberg (named in order of final standings). The clear
winner Vasily Smyslov went on to draw his first match with Botvinnik, who
therefore retained the title.

AMSTERDAM 1956 AND THE SUCCESS OF VASILY SMYSLOV

The 1956 Candidates Tournament in Amsterdam showcased the remarkable
success of Vasily Smyslov, who secured victory for the second consecutive time.
Finishing 1.5 points above the field of 10 players, he lost only one game – to
19-year-old debutant Boris Spassky. Having reached his prime form, next year
Smyslov beat Botvinnik 12½-9½ in the match for the title and became the 7th
World Chess Champion.

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YUGOSLAVIA 1959 – A CHESS ODYSSEY

After winning the rematch against Smyslov 12½–10½ in 1958, Botvinnik was again
the World Champion and awaited a new Challenger. In 1959, Yugoslavia hosted
the Candidates Tournament, narrowing down to eight participants. In a quadruple
round-robin, meaning each player meeting every opponent four times, 28 games
were played in total. Three cities in Yugoslavia hosted the event, with the first
half played in Bled and then moving to Zagreb and finally Belgrade. Despite the

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disastrous result against Keres (1-3), the young 22-year-old debutant Mikhail
Tal swept through the rest of the field – Petrosian, Smyslov, Gligoric, the other
remarkable newcomer 16-year-old Fischer, Olafsson and Benko. Half a year later,
“the magician from Riga” took the title from Botvinnik, defeating the Soviet chess
patriarch 12½–8½.

CURACAO 1962 - THE CARIBBEAN CHALLENGE

And again, the World Champion was Mikhail Botvinnik. Like Smyslov, Tal held
the title only for a year before handing it back to the patriarch, who won the
rematch 13-8. The next Challenger for the resilient and ever-resourceful but
ageing 50-year-old Botvinnik was to be determined in the Caribbean. The
eight-player quadruple round-robin format stood another test – Petrosian,
Geller, Keres, Fischer, Korchnoi, Benko, Tal and Filip were to stay on the
tropical island for two months. Tal’s deteriorating health did not let him finish
the event, and he withdrew after 21 rounds. At the height of the Cold War, all
eyes were on the performance of 19-year-old Bobby Fischer, but he was not
yet ready to stand up against the Soviet chess machine, especially when its
players had the benefit of making short draws between each other. Tigran
Petrosian won the tournament without losing a single game and went on to
become the 9th World Champion

1965-1968 - THE ERA OF MATCHES

The Candidates Matches of 1965 and 1968 were the golden era of Boris
Spassky, who won both events. In their first match, Tigran Petrosian held
his title by one point, 12½–11½, but in the second encounter, three years later,
he was defeated by the younger opponent (Spassky was eight years his
junior) 12½–10½.

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1971 - FISCHER’S DOMINANCE

The next cycle went into the history of chess as Robert (Bobby) Fischer’s crescendo
of dominant victories, culminating in the famous 1972 Reykjavik Spassky-Fischer
face-off, dubbed the Match of the Century. Fischer’s remarkable victories in the
Candidates matches, beating Taimanov 6–0, Larsen 6–0, and Petrosian 6½–2½
paved the way for him to face Spassky. In the World Championship Match, he
dethroned Spassky with 12½–8½ and became the 11th World Chess Champion.

1977 – 1984 - ANATOLY KARPOV’S ERA

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In the decade following the Match of the Century, Anatoly Karpov gathered
momentum and turned into the chess scene’s leading actor, winning the Candidate
Matches 1977-78 and becoming the 12th World Champion following Fischer’s
withdrawal. His historic battles with Victor Korchnoi, winner of the 1977-78
and 1980 Candidate Matches, and later with Garry Kasparov, winner of 1983-84
Candidate Matches, are some of the 20th century chess saga’s most exciting chapters.

CHAOS AND STABILITY - THE CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT

AND MATCHES 1985-1987
The second part of the 1980s was a hot time for chess: a famous unlimited match
between Karpov and Kasparov in Moscow 1984-85; its interruption; the 1985 24-
game replay, in which Garry Kasparov became the 13th World Champion, followed
by the 1986 rematch. This series of matches shook the stable world championship
system. As a result, the 1987 world championship match qualification was a mixture
of formats and gave serious personal preferences to Karpov. Sixteen players first
played a round-robin in Montpellier in 1985, from which the top four – Yusupov,
Vaganian, Sokolov and Timman – qualified for the knockout phase. They played a
series of matches in 1986, and the winner, Andrei Sokolov, got to play Anatoly Karpov,
seeded directly into this final match. Karpov once again became the Challenger
and was one game short of winning the 1987 World Championship Match in Seville.
Kasparov won the 24th game, levelled the score and retained the title.

1988-1989 - RETURN TO MATCHES

For the next cycle, the Candidates phase returned to matches, but this time with 14
players, whom Karpov joined in the quarterfinals. He again proceeded to win the event
and played his fifth match against Kasparov in New York/Lyon in 1990, losing it 11½–12½.

1991 - THE SPLIT

The 1991 Candidates Matches kept the same format as three years before – half
of the 14 players were eliminated before Karpov joined in the quarterfinals. In
the final, held in 1993, Nigel Short beat Jan Timman. Amid the disagreements on
the organisational side of the World Championship Match, the incumbent World
Champion Garry Kasparov and the Challenger Nigel Short diverged from FIDE. They
played their match under the auspices of the freshly created Professional Chess
Association (PCA). In response, FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title, temporarily
removed Kasparov and Short from the FIDE rating list, and held a match between
Anatoly Karpov and the Candidates’ runner-up Jan Timman. Kasparov defeated
Short, and Karpov beat Timman to trigger a split in the chess world that was finally
resolved only 13 years later, in 2006, with the reunification match between Vladimir
Kramnik and 2005 FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov. In the years of the split,
FIDE held five knockout championships. The Candidates were put on a halt.

2007 - THE REUNIFICATION

After the reunification, the knockout FIDE World Cup and the FIDE Grand Prix
Series were introduced as qualification paths for the Candidates. In 2007, the

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World Championship was held in the form of an eight-player double round-

robin tournament in Mexico City. The Candidates Matches, which happened three
months earlier, determined four out of eight participants: Levon Aronian, Boris
Gelfand, Alexander Grischuk, and Peter Leko. They were joined by those seeded
directly into the Championship Tournament: Viswanathan Anand, Peter Svidler,
Alexander Morozevich (they finished 2nd–4th in San Luis 2005 where Veselin
Topalov became the FIDE World Champion), and the winner of the reunification
match Vladimir Kramnik. “The Tiger of Madras”, Anand, triumphed, scoring 9 out
of 14, and became the World Champion. A year later, he defended his title in the
rematch against Kramnik.

2009 - TOPALOV’S MOMENT

The next cycle had only one Candidates Match between the knockout 2007 World
Cup winner, Gata Kamsky, and 2005 FIDE World Champion, Veselin Topalov, who
was compensated for missing the 2007 World Championship Tournament. Topalov
won 4½-2½ and became the Challenger. The World Championship match between
Anand and Topalov took place in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, in 2010. Anand won the
final game to win the match by 6½–5½ and retain the title

2011 – BORIS GELFAND EMERGES ON TOP

After years of disarray, the World Championship Cycle stabilised again. In 2011, the
Candidates Matches were held in Kazan, Russia, with eight players taking part.
Levon Aronian and Teimour Rajdabov qualified from FIDE Grand Prix, Magnus
Carlsen (replaced by Alexander Grischuk) and Vladimir Kramnik by rating, Boris
Gelfand as the winner of the World Cup, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov got the wild card.
They were joined by Gata Kamsky (runner-up of the 2009 Challengers Match) and
Veselin Topalov (runner-up of the 2010 World Championship Match). The 42-year-

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old Boris Gelfand consecutively defeated Mamedyarov 2½–1½, Kamsky in the blitz
playoff, and Grischuk in the final 3½–2½ to become the Challenger for the first
time in his career. The match with defending champion Anand finished at 6–6, but
Gelfand lost the rapid tiebreak by 2½–1½.

LONDON 2013 – THE RETURN OF THE TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Fifty-one years after Curaçao, the Candidates Tournament was back. Eight players,
the heirs of the legendary generations before them, gathered in London to follow
in the footsteps of Spassky, Tal, and Fischer, albeit in the truncated double round-
robin format – the increasingly hurrying world could hardly handle the gigantic
quadruple tournaments of the past. The lineup – hardly a surprise for a tournament
of such calibre – boasted big names: Peter Svidler, Alexander Grischuk, Vasily
Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, and
Teimour Radjabov. The event went down in history as one with an unusual and
dramatic finish. Both leaders, Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, lost their
last-round games, and the 22-year-old Norwegian came out on top due to the
greater number of wins, the second tiebreak criterion. In November of the same
year, it took Magnus Carlsen just 10 games to win the match with Viswanathan
Anand in Chennai and become the World Champion.

KATHY-MINSK 2014 – THE RETURN OF VISHY ANAND

India’s first grandmaster, the only player to win the FIDE World Championship
in three different formats (knockout, tournament, match), Viswanathan Anand
had lost his crown just three months earlier. “Former players and media had
given me poor odds at the start of the tournament,” wrote Anand in his 2019
autobiography Mind Master. “In fact, I’d predicted last place for myself and had
been thinking up ways to feel less miserable. But here I was, staring at another

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World Championship match in seven months’ time.” The legendary champion won
three games – against Levon Aronian, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and, the prettiest
of all, against Veselin Topalov – and drew both games versus Sergey Karjakin,
Vladimir Kramnik, Dmitry Andreikin, Peter Svidler to claim the victory with one
round to spare, scoring 8½ out of 14 undefeated. The World Championship Match,
which essentially became a rematch against Carlsen, was also held in Russia,
only in its much warmer part – in Sochi. Carlsen retained the title by 6½–4½.

MOSCOW 2016 – THE QUEST TO RETURN THE CROWN TO RUSSIA

The 2016 Candidates Tournament, held in the heart of the Russian capital, brought
together Veselin Topalov, Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian, Sergey Karjakin, Peter
Svidler, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Anish Giri – for the last three, it
was their debut at the Candidates. Karjakin emerged as the clear winner, losing
only one game to Anand and winning four, sealing the deal with a last- round victory
against Caruana. Half a year later, in New York, Karjakin’s team engaged in a widely
advertised quest to “return the crown to Russia” but, despite Karjakin’s being the
first to score, Carlsen bounced back, stood his ground and won the rapid tiebreak.

BERLIN 2018 – A NEW AMERICAN HOPE

After the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, held in Berlin three years earlier,
chess returned to the German capital with the most important tournament of the
year, this time starring Sergey Karjakin, Levon Aronian, Ding Lireng, Shakhriyar
Mamedyarov, Alexander Grischuk, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and Vladimir
Kramnik. Only Ding and So did not have prior Candidates experience. For Kramnik
this was his fourth and – as it turned out - last Candidates Tournament as a year
later he announced his retirement from classical chess. One of the initial favourites,
25-year-old Fabiano Caruana, started with victories in the first and fourth rounds,

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nonetheless breaking away from pursuers only towards the end of the tournament
and securing his success with a last-round victory, bringing a new hope for the US
that after Bobby Fischer they would once again have a World Champion. In Berlin,
Caruana picked up 20 rating points and climbed to the second spot in the world – he’d
hold this position from May 2018 to October 2021 before clinching it again at the start
of 2024! The ensuing World Championship Match in London was one of the closest in
history, with all twelve classical games ending in draws before Carlsen clinched the
title in the rapid tiebreak.

YEKATERINBURG 2021 – THE CORONAVIRUS CANDIDATES

It took more than a year for eight grandmasters to figure out the next contender
for the world title. Split in half, this tournament became the longest-running
sports event in history. Apart from Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Grischuk, Ian
Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren, Wang Hao, Anish Giri, Kiriil Alekseenko, and Maxime
Vachier-Lagrave, one more mighty player, by the name of Novel Coronavirus,
pitched in. Before the start, Russia, and Yekaterinburg in particular, had registered
only a handful of Covid-19 cases. Teimour Radjabov, who withdrew amid pandemic
concerns, was replaced by Vachier-Lagrave, and the tournament began with a
number of medical precautions in place. The players finished the first half of the
tournament, Vachier-Lagrave and Nepomniachtchi finding themselves in the lead,
when the Russian government announced that it was shutting down air traffic
with other countries. The tournament had to be stopped and the players were
urgently evacuated. FIDE made a few attempts to resume the event. In the end,
it wouldn’t be until 13 months later that the players returned to Yekaterinburg. In
the second half, the world’s #4 Ian Nepomniachtchi won two more games and
claimed first place with a round to spare. Despite the promising start, he lost the
World Championship Match in Dubai by 7½–3½, Carlsen defending his title for the
fourth time

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MADRID 2022 - THE SECOND COMING OF IAN NEPOMNIACHTCHI

This event stood out because the second place mattered almost as much as the first.
Magnus Carlsen hinted (which he later confirmed) that he would not be defending
the World Championship crown. Eight top Grandmasters played 56 games in the
grand Palacio de Santona venue in Madrid. The tournament concluded with a firm,
convincing victory by Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, securing 9.5/14.
Nepomniachtchi took an early lead and maintained it convincingly until the very
end, winning with a round to spare, similar to his performance in Yekaterinburg in
2021. Hikaru Nakamura narrowly missed out on second place. Instead, Ding Liren,
who started the tournament with a crushing loss to Nepomniachtchi and then
had a streak of seven draws before bouncing back in the second half, clinched
the runner-up position. This achievement eventually led him to the match for the
world chess crown. In the 2023 match between Nepomniachtchi and Ding, the
Chinese player emerged victorious.

TORONTO 2024 - A NEW CHAPTER

A new chapter of the Candidates tournament will be written in Toronto this April.
Not only will this event mark the inaugural occasion of the women’s Candidates
taking place alongside the Open category, but it will also be the first time the
tournament finds its home in North America.

The article was produced for FIDE.com and

originally published on the website of the International Chess Federation
Photo credit: FIDE Official

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GIANTS FROM THE PAST
By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE
Recently, a photograph re-emerged on
X (formerly Twitter) recording all of the
world champions and grandmasters who
competed in the celebrated 1970 Match
of the Century, which pitted the mighty
USSR team against the Rest of the World
in Belgrade, Serbia (then, Yugoslavia).
The USSR won the contest by a single-
point margin, largely due to the excellent
score of Paul Keres, who was never world
champion, but runner- up in no fewer than
four Candidates qualifying tournaments for
the world championship. The remaining
representatives of the Soviet chess
imperium generally underperformed, when
compared with pre-match expectations. In
particular, the brand new World Champion
Boris Spassky suffered a humiliating loss
against Bent Larsen, and opted out of his
fourth and final game against the Great
Dane, being replaced by the reserve,
Leonid Stein, who also lost to Larsen. Even
worse was to befall former world champion
Tigran Petrosian, playing on board two,
who was crushed mercilessly by a rampant
Bobby Fischer.
On perusing the photograph, I realised that
I had played against everyone in it, apart
from Lev Polugaievsky, while Fischer (who
declined to appear in this unique visual
record) was the only world champion
amongst the group whom I did not face
over the board.
I was quite pleasantly surprised when I
totalled up my record: losses, of course,
but also draws with Spassky, Smyslov,
Euwe (world champion from 1935-37,
officiating but not playing in 1970). I also
had draws against Keres, Larsen, Hort,
Portisch, Taimanov, Geller, Najdorf,
Tal, Matulovic, Reshevsky, Korchnoi,
Uhlmann, Gligoric, Ivkov, Olafsson and
Stein. And now for my wins, with top
March 2024
of the list being the Red Czar of Soviet
Chess himself, Mikhail Botvinnik, World
Champion on and off from 1948-1963,
as well as wins against Geller, Gligoric,
Darga (reserve for The World Team in
1970) and Tal, though this was only in
a simultaneous display. Sadly, most of
these giants have now passed, though
fortunately former world champion Boris
Spassky and former FIDE President
Fridrik Olafsson are still with us.
The champion (1957-1958) whom I found it
most difficult to face was Vassily Smyslov,
whose moves I could never anticipate. That
great tactical genius Mikhail Tal, the Wizard
of Riga, on the other hand, was more or less
an open book to me: not just because of my
juvenile simultaneous win against him, but
also in tournament chess. There I found his
aggressive intentions quite easy to foresee
and counter.
The main differences between the chess
elite then, 55 years ago, and now? Current
champions and contenders in world chess
are much younger, partly down to a huge
proliferation of tournament opportunities
and computer training, neither of which
was the case in the 1960s and 70s.
Here are the ages of each of the players at
the match:
USSR: Spassky (33), Petrosian (41),
Korchnoi (39), Polugaevsky (36), Geller
(45), Smyslov (49), Taimanov (44),
Botvinnik (59), Tal (34), Keres (54), Stein
(36), Bronstein (46).
Team World: Larsen (35), Fischer (27),
Portisch (33), Hort (26), Gligoric (47),
Reshevsky (59), Uhlman (35), Matulovic
(35), Najdorf (60), Ivkov (37), Olafsson
(35), Darga (36).
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A curious fact concerning that 1970 match
was Fischer’s totally unexpected and self-
effacing acquiescence in Bent Larsen’s
demand to represent the world on Board
1. Most observers expected the mercurial
Fischer to walk out when faced with such
a demand, but Fischer meekly submitted to
playing second fiddle. As it was, in spite of a
disaster in round one, when Larsen crashed
to Spassky in one of the most sensational
sacrificial masterpieces ever conceived
over the board, the Danish Grandmaster
bounced back to defeat Spassky in round
two. Thereafter, he went on to beat Stein,
when the reigning world champion opted
out of the last round.
The main differences between the
chess elite then, 55 years ago,
and now? Current champions and
contenders in world chess are
much younger, partly down to a
huge proliferation of tournament
opportunities and computer training,
neither of which was the case
in the 1960s and 70s
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Fischer also profited from his voluntary
demotion in two other ways: the
unstoppable American was still not
unstoppable where Spassky was concerned,
so deferring a clash made good strategic
sense. Furthermore, Tigran Petrosian had
doubtless expected to face Larsen on board
two and prepared accordingly. The sudden
switch to Fischer disrupted his equilibrium
and led to a couple of sharp defeats against
his new surprise opponent.
To conclude this month, I present one of my
games against those giants of the Sixties
and Seventies:
Svetozar Gligoric - Raymond Keene [B09]
FRG-ch International West Berlin FRG, 1971
1.d4 d6 2.e4 g6 3.f4 ¥g7 4.¤f3 ¤f6 5.¤c3
0–0 6.¥d3 ¤c6 7.e5 dxe5 8.fxe5 The old
main-line position of the Austrian Attack.
Now 8...¤d5 was refuted in Fischer - Perez,
Havana 1965, while 8...¤g4 never recovered
from the game Gligoric - Quinteros, Vinkovci
1970, which continued 9.¥e4 f6 10.h3 ¤h6
11.¥d5+ ¢h8 12.O-O ¤f5 13.¦e1! ¤fxd4
 March 2024

14.¤xd4 ¤xd4 15.£xd4 and, whichever ¦f8 20.¤e2 £d2) 19...¤g3 20.¦c1 £xd4
way Black chooses to regain the piece, he 21.£xd4 ¥xd4 22.hxg4 ¥xc3 23.bxc3
remains with a markedly inferior position. In ¦b8 with an incredible checkmate.
this line the bold piece sacrifice 10...fxe5! 11.
hxg4 exd4 certainly deserves attention. The 14...£b8!!
XIIIIIIIIY
text move 8...¤h5! was mentioned, but not
analysed, by Fischer in his My 60 Memorable 9rwq-+-trk+0
Games. To the best of my knowledge, the 9zp-zp-+-vlp0
move was first employed in an international
tournament in the game Safvat - Keene, 9-+p+p+p+0
Siegen Olympiad 1970. 9+-+-zp-vLn0
8...¤h5! The idea behind this is to clear
9-+QzP-+l+0
g4 for the queen’s bishop, to intensify the 9+-sN-+N+-0
measure against White’s d-pawn. A similar 9PzPP+-+PzP0
scheme is introduced by 8...¤e8!?, as in
Sax - Keene, Rovinj/Zagreb 1975. 9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
9.¥e4 9.¥e2 occurred in Browne - Timman, Gligoric had missed this, and now he is
IBM 1971, but I feel that this meek retreat lost. Some variations:
cannot really be dangerous for Black.
a) 15.¤xe5 £xb2 16.¦b1 £xc2 17.¤xg4
9...¥g4 10.¥e3 f6 11.£e2 A novelty, but £xg2 18.£xe6+ ¢h8 19.£e4 ¦ae8 (Fritz
no good. White plans O-O-O plus £c4+ gives 19...¦f3 here) 20.¤e5 xg5 21.¤f7+
and ¥xc6, maintaining the cramping pawn ¦xf7 22.£xe8+ ¦f8 with a huge attack;
at e5. But it’s all too slow. Normal is 11.exf6
to which I replied 11...exf6!? in my above- Or 16.¦c1 ¥xe5 17.dxe5 £b6! 18.£xg4
mentioned game v. Safvat, which continued £f2+ 19.¢d1 ¦ad8+ 20.¥xd8 ¦xd8+
12.O-O ¤e7 13.£d2 c6 14.¦ae1 ¢h8 and wins.
15.¤e2 f5 with a reasonable game for Black.
After 11.exf6, Parma - Kagan, Netanya 1971, b) 15.dxe5 £xb2 followed by ...¥xf3 and
continued 11...¤xf6 12.¥xc6 bxc6 13.O-O ...£xc2 winning much material.
¤d5 14.¤xd5 £xd5 15.c3 ¦ab8 16.£e2
¦f7 17.¦f2 ¦bf8 with balanced chances. 15.0–0–0 ¥xf3 16.gxf3 exd4 17.¤e4 £b5
18.£xe6+ ¢h8 19.¦d3 ¦ae8 20.£g4 £d5
11...fxe5 12.¥xc6 bxc6 13.£c4+ e6 ! XIIIIIIIIY
Threatening a potential ...£h4+ which is
most unpleasant for White. 9-+-+rtr-mk0
9zp-zp-+-vlp0
14.¥g5 Alternatives to this move are:
9-+p+-+p+0
a) 14.O-O-O e4! 15.¤xe4 £d5 with an 9+-+q+-vLn0
excellent game for Black; 9-+-zpN+Q+0
b) 14.dxe5 ¥xf3 15.gxf3 ¦xf3 16.£xe6+ 9+-+R+P+-0
¢h8 17.¤e2 ¦xe3+! 18.¢xe3 £g5+ and 9PzPP+-+-zP0
Black wins;
9+-mK-+-+R0
c) 14.¤xe5 £h4+ 15.¢d2 (if 15.g3 ¤xg3) xiiiiiiiiy
15...¦f2+! 16.¥xf2 £xf2+ 17.¢c1 The position has clarified into a clear win
£f4+ 18.¢b1 ¥xe5 19.h3 (if 19.£xc6 for Black.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 179

03/144
21.b3 c5 22.c4 £e5 23.£g2 ¤f4 24.¥xf4
£xf4+ 25.¢b2 £f5 26.¦e1 ¥h6!
27.¦e2 ¥e3 28.¢c2 ¦e5 Covering c5.
29.¦exe3 dxe3 30.¦xe3 ¦d8 31.£g3 ¦e7
32.£e1 £e5 33.¦e2 £f5 34.£c3+ £e5
35.£e1 ¦dd7 36.£c1 ¢g7 37.£e1 ¦f7
38.¤d2 £f5+ 39.¢b2 £f4 40.¢a3 ¦d6
41.¤e4 ¦a6+
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9zp-zp-+rmkp0
9r+-+-+p+0
9+-zp-+-+-0
9-+P+Nwq-+0
9mKP+-+P+-0
9P+-+R+-zP0
9+-+-wQ-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This was the sealed move. White’s king is
pushed back to the a1–h8 diagonal. Black wins
by concentrating pressure against the f-pawn.
42.¢b2 ¦e6 43.£c3+ How else to save
the pawn?
43...£e5 44.¦e3 £xc3+ 45.¦xc3 ¦e5
46.¢a3 ¦h5 47.¢a4 ¦xh2 48.a3 ¦a2
49.¤xc5 h5 50.b4 h4 51.f4 ¢f6 52.¦h3 ¦h7
53.¤e4+ ¢f5 54.¤g5 ¦h5 55.¦h1 ¦f2
0–1
Ray’s 206th book, “Chess in the Year of
the King”, written in collaboration with
former Reuters chess correspondent,
Adam Black, appeared earlier this year.
Now his 207th, “Napoleon and Goethe:
The Touchstone of Genius” (which
discusses their relationship with chess
and explains how Ray used Napoleonic
era battle strategies to develop his own
chess style) has materialised, just in
time to complement Ridley Scott’s new
epic biopic, ‘Napoleon’. Both books are
available from Amazon and Blackwell’s.
180 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
REPRINT FROM THE
2020 JUNE ISSUE OF BCM
In June 2020 BCM published a special report
dedicated to 50 years of the historic Match
USSR vs The Rest of the World. Here, we are
reproducing a part of that report which was
written by Vladan Dinic (a Serbian journalist and
editor, and father of BCM’s current editor Milan
Dinic). This part consists of an interview with
the famous Yugoslav/Serbian GM Aleksandar
Matnaovic, who passed away in August 2023).
BCM
HOW THE
1970 MATCH OF THE
CENTURY CAME ABOUT
By Vladan Dinic
One of the key people who took part in
organising the 1970 match in Belgrade
was Grandmaster Aleksandar Matanovic
(pictured). He revealed for BCM how the idea
to organise the match was put into action.
- The idea of such a match existed before.
On one occasion, I was returning from the
coach station with Mosa Molerovic from
Chess Informant. We were discussing
various things about chess, including
events. At one point I said to
Mosa: ‘Listen, let’s use the
fact that chess is really
popular in Yugoslavia and
played at a high level,
that we’re the second
chess power in the world
and have a strong backing
of the state and big sponsors.
Let’s organise something’. I also
hinted that the ‘Trade Union
Hall’ in Belgrade could be
a great venue.
He looked at me and,
without any hesitation,

said: “Beko (Matanovic’s nickname), let’s
do it! I’m going to go around and see a
couple of friends, possible financers of the
event. We also have the Chess Informant.
Let’s try and make history’.
And that’s how it started. On 30th March
1970, Belgrade hosted the match, and it was
incredible, remembers Matanovic.
GETTING BOBBY FISCHER TO PLAY
Matanovic also referred to one other
interesting question surrounding the event
– the participation of Bobby Fischer. At the
time, Fischer was a star who just continued
to ascend without any sign of hesitation or
meaningful opposition. However, he also
had a reputation for being very difficult,
especially when it comes to dealing with
organisers. It was, therefore, a surprise
that he agreed to play, and an even greater
surprise that Fischer accepted not being the
top board for the Rest of the World team!
Matanovic explains how this all happened.
- Everyone has their theory about Fischer,
but, actually, it was very simple. It was
well known that Bobby liked playing in
Yugoslavia, that he was liked by the crowds
and that he had much more support there
than in the States. So, when we got in
touch with him he immediately said ‘I’m
coming’, and that’s it.
BCM: Did he have any conditions?
A.M: He had one – he asked for his taxi
from the airport to be paid and that he had
a person waiting for him to carry his bags
with chess books. It was odd he specifically
asked about that as there would have been
someone to wait for him and help him
anyway, but that was Bobby.
BCM: But, if I remember well, it wasn’t all
that simple. There was an issue over who
would play on board one. Larsen thought
that he should have the honour, given that
he was also very strong back then.
March 2024
A.M: Formally, Bent [Larsen] was right, but
practically speaking Bobby was stronger.
However, when Bobby heard that Bent was
ready to pack and leave if he was not given
board one, Fischer, in his style, said: ‘OK,
I’m stronger but let Larsen play board one’.
BCM: Then there was that tense moment
on the first day – Fischer was late for his
game against Petrosian.
A.M: Indeed. I remember that. There
was a lot of tension as you can imagine
with such big events and a lot of that
came about just from the scale of things.
Regarding that game against Petrosian,
it wasn’t clear if Bobby had changed his
mind and decided to leave even before
the match had begun. Mosa Molerovic
went to the ‘Majestic’ hotel where Bobby
was staying, to see what was happening.
Bobby was there at the hotel doing
something and getting ready. Molerovic
rushed him, came back with Bobby, who
– despite being late – literally smashed
Petrosian. And after that any tension with
Fischer disappeared – everything was OK
by him. Larsen stayed, Bobby played and
the magic could continue!
BCM: Why do you think Fischer agreed to
play board two?
A.M: He said to me – ‘I’m stronger than
Bent, but no problem.’ I think that, at that
moment, Bobby was still not feeling fully
ready to face Spassky. Also, let’s not forget
that Bobby got his own back against Larsen
– in Denver in 1971, when he beat him 6:0
in the semi-finals of the Candidates.
Matanovic concluded by saying that the
second part of the 20th century was a great
time to be a chess player, especially in
Yugoslavia, and the match of 1970 has a
special place in that history.
- Chess was everywhere, there was support
for the game and chess players were
happily seen both in the country and
around the world.”
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 181
QUOTES AND QUERIES
03/144
MAX EUWE IN 1924
By Alan Smith
6252 Some writers would be happy to
nominate the top three at New York 1924 as
players of the year. Your columnist is not so
sure. Machgielis Euwe continued his steady
improvement, winning three tournaments and
two matches, with just the one sub-par result.
After his first place at Hastings, Euwe contested
an 8-game match with Edgar Colle. Starting
early in April at Zutphen, this was a close-
run match. Colle had won their two previous
encounters. Euwe scored his first win in game
1. Colle won game 2 and so it continued, the
player with the white pieces winning each
game. With one game to play Euwe led +4-3.
Edgar Colle - Max Euwe
Mg 8 Zutphen 1924
1.d4 d5 2.¤f3 ¤f6 3.e3 e6 4.c4 c6 5.¤bd2
¥e7 6.¥d3 0-0 7.0-0 £c7 8.£e2 ¦d8 9.e4
dxe4 10.¤xe4 ¤bd7 11.¥g5 b6 12.¦ad1 ¥b7
13.¦fe1 c5 14.¤c3? The columnist suggested
14.d5: the text loses a key central pawn.
14...¥xf3 15.£xf3 cxd4 16.¤b5 £c5 17.¥f4
e5 18.b4 £xb4 19.¥xe5 ¤xe5 20.¦xe5 ¥f8
21.£f5 ¦ac8 22.g4 22.¤xa7? £a4! Column.
22...a6 23.¤xd4 ¦xd4 24.g5 ¦cd8 25.¦e3
25.gxf6? ¦xd3!
25...¤e4 26.¦db1 g6 27.£e5 £c5
28.£xc5 ¤xc5 29.¥e2 ¦d2 30.¦xb6
¦da2 31.¥f3 ¤e6
0-1 Chess games website gives the additional
moves 32.¦e2 ¦d1+ 33.¢g2 ¤f4+
Twentsche Dagblad. 28th March 1924
Later the same month Euwe was involved
in a four-way battle for top spot at Weston-
super-Mare and clinched first prize with
wins against two of his closest rivals, Znosko
Borowski and Edmund Spencer.
182 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
The World Amateur championship at Paris
proved to be a tough test. Fourteen rounds
crammed into nine days. Euwe won his
preliminary section, qualifying for the nine-
player final. He beat the eventual winner,
Herman Mattison, but then lost to his
compatriot Apšenieks. A tie for fourth place
was not on par with his other results in 1924.
Just four days after Paris 1924 ended, Euwe
was back at the board, competing in a ten-
player Dutch championship. Euwe had won
with a round to spare at Nijmegen 1921,
then lost to Schelfhout in the seventh round.
The following win from round 8 ensured
his tournament victory. Just as he had done
three years earlier, he lost his last game - this
time to Davidson, who closed the distance
between them to a single point.
Max Euwe - Joseph Louis Kersten
Netherlands ch, 1924
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 c6 3.¤f3 d5 4.e3 e6 5.¤bd2
¤bd7 6.¥d3 ¥d6 Black should not play 6...
dxc4? as White showed in the game Grünfeld
- Lajos Steiner Meran 1924 7.¤xc4 ¥e7 8.0-0
b5? 9.¤ce5 ¥b7 10.¥d2 a5 11.a4 b4 12.¤xf7!
when White won in just 8 more moves.
7.e4 dxe4 8.¤xe4 ¤xe4 9.¥xe4 ¥b4+
10.¥d2 ¥xd2+ 11.£xd2 ¤f6 11...0-0
12.0-0 £f6.
12.¥c2 0-0 13.0-0 £c7? The queen is
needed on e7.
14.£d3! Direct play.
14...¦d8 15.¤g5 g6 15...c5? 16.d5! exd5
17.¤xh7 ¤xh7 18.£xh7+ ¢f8 19.¦fe1
¥e6 20.¦xe6!
16.£f3 ¢g7 17.¦ad1 b6 18.¦fe1 h6 This
forces the knight back, but it is only a
temporary reprieve.
19.¤h3 ¥b7 20.¤f4 £e7 21.¥xg6! ¦xd4
21...fxg6 22.¤xe6+ ¢h8 23.¤xd8 £xd8
24.¦xe6 leaves Black struggling to coordinate.

22.¦xd4 c5 23.£g3 cxd4 24.¥xf7+ ¢h8
24...¢f7 25.£g6+ ¢f8 26.¤xe6+.
25.¤g6+ 1-0
Algemeen Handelsblad, 1st August 1924
The match between Euwe and Jacques
Davidson seems to have been inspired by the
1924 Dutch championship. Euwe won game 1,
Davidson equalized, game 3 was drawn, then
Euwe won two games on either side of the
King’s Indian. Euwe went on to win +5=3-1.
Max Euwe - Jacques Davidson
Mg 1, Hague 1924
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 ¤f6 4.¥g5 ¤bd7
5.e3 ¥e7 6.¤f3 0-0 7.¦c1 b6 8.cxd5
exd5 9.¥b5 This was introduced in Speyer-
Gunston Richmond 1912.
9...¥b7 10.0-0 c6 10...a6 11.¥a4 ¦c8
12.£e2 c5 13.dxc5 ¤xc5 14.¦fd1 was
Capablanca - Teichmann Berlin 1913.
11.¥a4 ¦c8 12.£e2 ¤e4 13.¥xe7 £xe7
14.¤xe4 dxe4 15.¤d2 ¤f6 15...¦fd8
16.f3 c5 17.fxe4 ¥xe4 18.¤xe4 £xe4
Michell - Menchik Scarborough 1928: White
overreached and duly lost.
16.¦fd1 ¦fd8 17.¤f1 g6 18.¥b3 ¦d7 18...
c5 19.dxc5 ¦xd1+ 20.£xd1 ¦xc5 21.¦xc5
£xc5 22.£d8+ ¢g7 23.£b8 ¥a6 24.£xa7
favours White Nieuw Rotterdamsche Courant;
if Black then looked for counterplay with
24...£b5 White would win with 25.£xf7+
¢h6 26.£f8+ ¢g5 27.h4+!
19.¤g3 ¦cd8 20.£c4 c5 21.dxc5 ¥d5
22.£c3 ¥xb3 23.£xb3 ¦xd1+ 24.¦xd1
¦xd1+ 25.£xd1 £xc5? Overlooking a
combination: 25...bxc5 was necessary.
26.£d8+ ¢g7 27.£xf6+! ¢xf6 28.¤e4+
¢e5 29.¤xc5 bxc5 30.¢f1 ¢d5 32. ¢d2 a5
33.h4 h5 34.¢c2 a4 35.¢d2 ¢b4 36.¢d3
c4+ 37.¢d4 c3 38.bxc3+ ¢a3 39.c4 ¢a2
40.¢c3 1-0 40...¢b1 41.¢b4, 40...a3 41.¢c2.
March 2024
Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant,
22nd November 1924
Euwe had a wide repertoire and was at home
in many different openings. Primarily a
1.d4 player he dabbled with the Ruy Lopezl
against Muffang he reverted to the Giuoco
Piano, and, following in Réti’s footsteps, he
also adopted 1.¤f3.
The next game was played in 1923, but
published in Brian Harley’s Observer
column on 6th July 1924.
Max Euwe - Rudolf Loman
Scheveningen Schach Society, 1923
1.¤f3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 g6 3...c5 4.¥b2
£c7 5.e3 e5 6.bxc5 ¤c6 7.exd4 ¥g4
8.dxe5 Euwe - Kroone Amsterdam 1923.
4.¥b2 ¥g7 5.¤a3 e5 6.¤c2 ¥g4 7.e3
¤e7 8.exd4 exd4 9.h3 ¥xf3 10.£xf3 c6
11.h4 0-0? Walking into a fierce attack: he
ought to have tried 11...h5 12.g4 ¤d7.
12.h5 ¦e8 13.0-0-0 a5 14.hxg6 hxg6
15.£h3 axb4 16.¤xd4! ¥xd4?? Missing
the point. 16...¤f5 17.¤xf5 ¥xb2+
18.¢xb2 £f6+ 19.d4 gxf5 20.£h7+ ¢f8
21.£h8+ £xh8 22.¦xh8+ ¢e7 23.¦e1+
Harley.16...¦xa2 does not work either
17.£h7+ ¢f8 18.£xg7+! ¢xg7 19.¤e6 #
. Black does have a way to escape 16...¢f8!
17.£h7 ¤f5! ( 17...¥xd4?? 18.£h6+! )
18.¤xf5 ¥xb2+ 19.¢xb2 gxf5 20.£h8+
¢e7 21.£e5+ ¢d7 22.£xf5+ ¢c7
23.£xf7+ ¤d7. White has two extra pawns,
but both kings are vulnerable.
17.£h8+! ¥xh8 18.¦xh8
de Indische Courant, 10th November 1923
Lasker’s win at New York 1924 was his
last tournament first prize, Capablanca
was below his best, while Alekhine was
a distant third, just as he had been at St
Petersburg 1914. Euwe may not have been
at their level, but he was improving quickly.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 183
03/144

Endgame Studies
by Ian Watson
ian@irwatson.uk

L. Prokes M. Hlinka
Kulturi Zpravodaj 1926 ISC 2024
win draw

L. Topko V. Anufriev
Ukraine Team Champ 2011 The Problemist 1998
win draw

184 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2024

A SOLVING SIMUL

Solvers from 46 countries took part in this year’s ISC (International Solving Contest). It’s
held simultaneously at multiple venues across the world with everyone solving the same
problems, so you can compare your results with those of the solvers in all the other venues.
It’s a mix of direct mates, helpmates, selfmates and endgame studies and this month I’m
inviting you to try your solving skills on some of the studies!

I went to one of the British venues, Sheffield, where we started solving at 10 am. There
weren’t many solvers at the Sheffield venue, but it was the day of the ferocious Storm Isha
and travelling was fraught. Solvers in Brazil didn’t have Isha to contend with, but they had
to start at 7 am, because all venues solve simultaneously; solvers in Japan (UTC+9) had
an early evening start but were busy deep into their night!

I said everyone solves the same problems, but there are three categories - open, under 2000
solving Elo, and junior, and each of these categories solves a different set of problems. The
first two studies in this month’s column are from the under 2000 event and the second two
are from the open. The last one will truly challenge your solving skills.

The best result by a British solver was John Nunn’s - he came third in the open category,
with a fine total of 55 points out of the maximum available of 60. Even he, however, had
difficulties with the fourth of these studies and only scored 1 point out of the five available
for it. The world’s strongest solver, Danila Pavlov, also only got one out of five for it.

The usual solving procedures apply: You’ll need to set up these positions on a board. In
solving events, you can use a chess set and you can move the pieces to try and help you
solve. You solve against the clock; for these four studies give yourself an average of 20
minutes for each one, so 80 minutes in total. Points are awarded according to how much
of the composer’s solution you find, with five points available for each study if you find
it all. In the answers, I’ll show you where the points were awarded. You need to find the
composer’s main line; you can also write down sidelines if you’re not sure what the main
line is, but only the main line moves earn points. So, look for the most artistic, elegant line.

The solutions are on page 191.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 185

03/144
Openings
for Amateurs By Pete Tamburro; ptamburro@aol.com
Silman: The Amateurs' Chess Teacher
By Pete Tamburro; ptamburro@aol.com
Americans lost a treasure in the past year with
the passing of IM Jeremy Silman (August 28,
1954 – September 21, 2023). He was most
famous for his now legendary Complete
Endgame Course and his How to Reassess
Your Chess series. He knew how to handle
the openings. This game is an instructive
handling of The Accelerated Dragon. Enjoy.
Strenzwilk – J Silman
National Open, 1990
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 g6 The
Accelerated Dragon, on which we went into in
detail in Openings for Amateurs - Next Steps.
5.¤c3 ¥g7 6.¤b3 Old school! The Bc4
with Be3 approach and the Maroczy Bind
are both covered in Next Steps.
6...¤f6 If you’re into damaging pawn
structures right away you could play
6...¥xc3+ 7.bxc3 ¤f6 8.¥d3 d5 9.exd5
£xd5 10.0–0 0–0 11.c4 £d6 12.h3 ¥f5
, but it’s not as convincing as Silman’s
approach, which uses a more traditional
Dragon approach.
7.¥e2 d6 8.0–0 0–0
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwq-trk+0
9zpp+-zppvlp0
9-+nzp-snp+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0
9+NsN-+-+-0
9PzPP+LzPPzP0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
186 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
9.¢h1 Also possible is 9.¥e3 ¥e6
10.f4 £c8!! 11.h3 ¦d8 (Skold-Lundin,
Stockholm-Budapest Match, 1947) where
Black has no fear of 12.g4 because of
12...d5, the thematic Dragon move which
discourages f5. 13.f5 dxe4 14.£e1 gxf5
and Black is winning. Now we see the
importance of £c8. It allowed the rook to
get to d8 to aim at the white queen and it
supported the defence of f5.
9...¥e6 Why put the bishop in front of
the e-pawn? Lots of reasons: 1. It can
support a pawn move to d5; 2. It attacks
c4 and may even support a knight going
there; 3. There’s no really good e-pawn
move in view, so the bishop isn’t really
obstructing anything.
10.¥g5 h6 This and the next move go all
the way back to the Primer explanation
in the first Openings for Amateurs.
Since White is castled on the kingside
as well, Black can afford to play these
two pawn moves.
He could have preceded the d5 thrust with
10...a5 11.a4 h6 12.¥e3 d5.
11.¥h4 g5! Strengthens the knight
supporting the d5 move.
12.¥g3 d5! And there we are! Black has
equalised.
13.¤c5 If 13.exd5 ¤xd5 14.¤xd5 £xd5
15.£xd5 ¥xd5 16.¦ad1 ¦fd8! 17.c3 ¤e5
18.f4 gxf4 19.¦xf4 ¤g6 and Black’s a
little better: a nicely directed pair and the
e7 pawn is passed even though it hasn’t
moved yet!

13...dxe4 A somewhat unorthodox move
for modern tastes, but Silman has a plan for
his tripled pawns!
14.¤xe6 fxe6 15.¥c4 £c8
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+q+-trk+0
9zpp+-zp-vl-0
9-+n+psn-zp0
9+-+-+-zp-0
9-+L+p+-+0
9+-sN-+-vL-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+Q+R+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
We’re looking at tripled pawns, no lead
in development and a queen defending
a pawn attacked only by a bishop! Is this
positional chess?? Well, yes. You see, the
Dragon bishop is still potentially dangerous
along the diagonal, the queen is indirectly
attacking the light-squared bishop, the
black knights have good squares to go to
(check out Nd5 at some point!) and the
black king’s rook has easy access to the
open and half-open files. Silman evaluates
this as more than enough compensation for
White’s having the two bishops.
16.¥b3 Although this move loses the joy
of having a pair of bishops, the alternative
gives no better prospect: 16.¥e2 ¦d8
17.£e1 ¤d4 18.¦c1 ¤f5µ.
16...¤a5 17.£e2 ¤xb3 18.axb3 All
the "vectors" in the Dragon are coming
into play: action along the long diagonal,
the c-file and the coming ¤d5 - all later
A wonderful lesson game! The
Accelerated Dragon is a great
thematic defence for both young
people making their way up the
ranks and older people who don't
want to have to remember umpteen
different lines in the Najdorf
March 2024
IM Jeremy Silman
supported by the rooks – make for an
enormous headache for White.
18...£c6 19.¦a4 ¦fc8? The engine likes
two other moves better: 19...e3 20.£xe3
b5 21.¦a5 a6=; 19...¦ac8 20.¦xa7 ¤d5
21.£xe4 ¤xc3 22.£xc6 ¦xc6 23.bxc3
¦xc3 24.¦xb7 ¢f7= 25.¦c7 ¦xc7
26.¥xc7 ¦c8 27.¥b6 ¦xc2 28.¦b1 ¥c3
29.h4 gxh4 30.b4 ¢e8=.
20.¦c4 £a6?! Black has sufficient
counterplay after 20...£b6 21.¤xe4 ¦xc4
22.bxc4 a5 23.c3 a4 24.h3 £c6 25.¤d2 a3.
21.¦xc8+ ¦xc8 22.£xa6?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+k+0
9zpp+-zp-vl-0
9Q+-+psn-zp0
9+-+-+-zp-0
9-+-+p+-+0
9+PsN-+-vL-0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9+-+-+R+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
A better chance at keeping the balance was
22.¤b5 £b6 23.¤a3 £c5³, but Black
is still better placed. The White knight is
offside and defensive. The white bishop
attacks air and Black’s major pieces are on
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 187
03/144
better squares. White’s move is a perfect
example of bad positional thinking. White
"routinely" adds to the pawn structure mess
with a new set of doubled pawns, but Black
increases square control. Being aware
of square control can involve occupying
or controlling a square to prevent your
opponent from occupying it. Petrosian’s
games are a good group to study to learn
about this idea.
22...bxa6 Black has tripled pawns AND
doubled isolated rook-pawns, yet he has
the advantage.
23.¦a1 ¤d5
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+k+0
9zp-+-zp-vl-0
9p+-+p+-zp0
9+-+n+-zp-0
9-+-+p+-+0
9+PsN-+-vL-0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-+-+-+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
The vectors come to fruition – without
the queen and one less rook. This is real
Dragon play. White does get to gobble
some pawns, but Black does, too, and the
game is equal, but there are some things
that can go wrong...
24.¦xa6 ¢f7 25.¦xa7 ¥xc3! The great
endgame author is not wedded to saving
his bishop over his knight if giving up the
bishop is better. Objectivity!
26.bxc3 ¦xc3 27.h4 ¦xc2 28.hxg5 hxg5
29.¢g1 e3 The engine likes these two
moves a little better: 29...¢f6; 29...¦c1+
, but the game move is much more artistic
and just as effective.
30.fxe3 ¤xe3 31.¥d6 ¦xg2+
188 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9tR-+-zpk+-0
9-+-vLp+-+0
9+-+-+-zp-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+P+-sn-+-0
9-+-+-+r+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This whole planned-out concept is terrific!
Silman has set up an endgame win. Do you
see the concrete plan?
32.¢h1 ¦e2 33.¥xe7 ¢g6 34.¥c5 g4
White is in a world of hurt. The white passed
pawn is not a threat as Black can get behind
it with his rook. The black king will not only
become more powerful as it advances, but
it will be shielded from check by the black
pawns. If the rook, knight, g-pawn and king
are all allowed to descend on the trapped
white king, it will be over quickly, so...
35.¥xe3 ¦xe3 36.¦b7 ¦e2 37.¢g1
¢f5 38.¦f7+ ¢e4 39.¦g7 ¢f3 40.¦f7+
¢g3 41.¢f1 ¦b2 42.¦e7 ¦xb3 43.¦xe6
¦b1+ 44.¢e2 ¢g2 Black controls the
queening square with his king. It’s over.
Can you say, “Lucena”?
45.¢d2 g3 46.¦g6 ¦b8 47.¢e3 ¦f8 48.¦g7
¢h2 49.¢e2 g2 50.¦h7+ ¢g1 51.¦h6 ¦e8+
52.¢d2 ¦e5 53.¦h8 ¢f2 54.¦f8+ ¢g3
55.¦g8+ ¢f3 White resigns. It’s surprising
Strenzwilk made Silman play this out. Didn’t
he read Silman’s 1988 book, Essential Chess
Endings (Chess Digest)? For those readers not
familiar with the Lucena position, here’s how
you build what is known as a bridge:
56.¦f8+ ¢g4 57.¦g8+ ¦g5
0–1
The game was chock full of excellent concepts
for those playing the Dragon and for those who
wish to see a master of endgames at work.
Problem
World
by Christopher Jones
cjajones1@yahoo.co.uk
Grandmaster of Chess Composition
Solutions are given on page 190

xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
David Shire (Canterbury) David Shire (Canterbury)
Mate in 2 Mate in 2
Original Original

xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Steven Dowd (USA) Paul Michelet (London)
Mate in 3 Mate in 10
Original Original

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 189

03/144

Solutions to Problems

This month’s problems

Fans of orthodox, fairly traditional problems will be pleased with this month’s
selection. David Shire points out that his two two-movers were composed in quick
succession and that therefore you may discern some kinship between them. As I’ve
said before, methodical manoeuvres such as are required in Paul’s ten-mover may
not be more difficult – indeed, may be easier – to spot than the solutions of shorter
problems. I think that you will find this one – indeed, all four of this month’s problems
– enjoyable, whether you solve them or simply read through the solutions.

”Of course, it is self-solving…”

says David of his first problem, and indeed 1.¦c8!, threatening 2.d8=£, leaps to the eye.
What is of particular interest is what happens when Black replies by moving the c-pawn,
pinning the d7 pawn. 1…c5 interferes with the guard from c1 of c6, and so allows 2.£c6.
(This is the feature that David finds to be most unusual in a two-move problem.) 1…c6
avoids that defect, but because it does still interfere with the guard of c7 it allows 2.¤c7
(a move which after 1…c5 would have allowed 2…¢d6). The byplay is 1…¦c6 2.£d1
and 1…¥f8 2.¤xf6.

A companion piece

I said in the intro that this was composed shortly after the first problem, and the
diagram already manifests a degree of similarity, all the more so after the key move,
1.dxc7!, threatening 2.¦f6. David remarks that this is a highly thematic key move, as
(far from the unobtrusive, hard-to-spot key moves of many two-mover problems) it
generates a host of new possibilities that did not exist in the diagram position, but he
points out too that “this very thematic key is also very bad!” – you may have found this
to be another ‘self-solving problem’. In a similar matrix to David’s other problem, a
lot of the interest resides in what happens after the two defences by the d7 pawn – 1…
d6 blocks the line a6-f6 but opens the line c8-f5, thus enabling 2.c8=£#; and 1…
d5, which defends by intercepting the a8-e4 line, interferes with the line of defence
d3-d6 and so permits 2.¤d6#. This effect of the two-square move of the black pawn
(interfering with the black guard on the move’s intervening square) is the particular
bond with the earlier problem. In this case, we have byplay 1…£xa6 2.¤xg3 and
1…£xe4 2.£f8.

A classic miniature

Steven can find no close forerunner to his three-mover, and so his miniature (i.e., only
seven pieces) counts as a fine discovery. The black king is quite mobile, and the only way
in which to corral it is to play 1.¤b6!, which, it will become clear, will provide an essential
guard on c4 after 1…¢e4 2.¥c4+, and now either 2…¢d4 3.£e3 or 2…¢f3 3.£e2 or
2…¢f5 3.£e6. There are three alternatives on the first move – 1…¢d4 2.£b5 ¢c3/¢e4
3.£c4/£d5; 1…¢d6 2.¤c4+ ¢c5/¢c7 3.¥e3/£c8; and 1…¢f6 2.¤d7+ ¢g7 3.£g8.
All these white moves are unique, and we have a total of eight different mating moves –
what an achievement!

190 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2024

(See page 189)

A systematic manoeuvre

As noted in the intro, solving the ten-mover shouldn’t be too daunting, as the risk that
Black plays …¢h2 and then negates all White’s hopes with …g1=£+ limits White’s
possibilities and enforces a careful methodical procedure, featuring an Excelsior march by
the c2 pawn, crowned in an under-promotion that facilitates an ‘Indian manoeuvre’, setting
up a battery fired on move nine followed by mate on move ten. In the solution, there is a
variable move order for Black (for instance, he might play a pawn move on move one),
but this has no bearing on the outcome – 1.¥a7! ¢h2 2.¥b8+ ¢g1 3.c4 a4 4.c5 a3 5.c6
g6 6.c7 ¢h2 7.c8=¦+ ¢g1 8.¦c7 ¢h2 9.¦h7+ ¢g1 10.¥h2#.

Solutions to Endgames (See page 184)

Prokes

1.e7 ¦xb6+ 2.¤d6 (2 points) ¦xd6+ 3.¢f5 ¦d5+ 4.¢f4 (+1 point = 3) ¦d4+ 5.¢e3
(+1 = 4) 5.¦d1 6.¢e2 (+1 = 5) wins.

The major sidelines are: 1.¤d6? g3; and 1...¦xe4 2.b7; and 2...¦b8 3.¤b7+ ¢b6 4.¤d8;
and 4.¢e4? ¦d1; and 6.¢f2? g3+.

Hlinka

1.b7 ¤c3 2.bxc3 ¦e1+ 3.¢a2 (1 point) ¥f7+ 4.¥e6 (+1 point = 2) ¥xe6+ 5.c4 (+1 =
3) ¥xc4+ 6.¢b2 ¥d3 7.b8£ ¦b1+ 8.¢c3 (+2 = 5) ¦xb8 stalemate.

The major sidelines: 1.¢xb1? ¥g6+ 2.¢a2 ¥f7+ 3.¢a3 ¢d4; and 1...¦e1 2.b3 ¤d2+
3.¢a2; and 3.¢b2? ¥g6.

Topko

1.g3+ (1 point) ¢g5 2.£xd5+ (+1 point = 2) ¢g4/f6/g6 3.£e6+ ¢g5 4.£xh6+ (+1 =
3) ¢xh6 5.¢e6 d3 6.d7 ¥f6 7.¢xf6 d2 8.d8¦ (+2 = 5) d1£ 9.¦xd1 wins.

1.£h3+? ¢g5 2.£xh6+ ¢xh6 3.¢e6 d3 4.d7 ¥f6 5.¢xf6 d2 6.d8£ d1£; and 8.d8£?
d1£ 9.£xd1 stalemate.

Anufriev

1.¦a3+ ¦b3 2.¦xb3+ (1 point) ¢e4 3.¤xe2 (+1 point = 2) ¤f3+ 4.¢xg4 ¤e5+ 5.¢h5
(+1 = 3) a1£ 6.¤c5+ (+1 = 4) 6.¢d5 7.¦b1 (+1 = 5) £a5 8.¦b5 £a7 9.¦b7 £a3
10.¦b3 positional draw.

2...¢d2 3.¦b2+ ¢c3 4.¤xa2+ ¢xb2 5.¤f4; and 3.¤c5+? ¢d5 4.¤xe2 a1£: and
3.¦b4+ ¢d5 4.¤f4+ ¢c6 5.¤fxe2 ¤f3+ 6.¢xg4 ¤e5+ 7.¢f5 a1£: and 6...¢f5
7.¤g3+ ¢f6 8.¤ge4+ ¢g7 9.¦b7+ ¤f7 10.¤e6+ ¢g8 11.¦b8+ ¢h7 12.¤f8+ ¢g7
13.¤e6+.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 191

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