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Fabiano Caruana won Zurich Chess Challenge

The second encounter of Zurich Chess Challenge in the last round was also marked with a blunder:

СARUANA - GELFAND

Gelfand had to defend his queen with any of his light pieces, instead he blundered "a small combination", as Genna Sosonko remembered in live talk on Chess-News, by playing 30...Qd6? 31.Re8+! Rxe8 32.Qxd6 Nxd6 33.Rxc7 a4 34.Nc5 b3 35.axb3 axb3 36.Rc6 Bxb2 37.Nxb3.

As a result Caruana got an endgame with an extra pawn. Caruana would win the tournament even if he drew, but it was clear Italian would try to convert his advantage. Maybe Black still had a chance draw, when Gelfand made a decisive blunder 55...h4? and resigned after three moves.

Thus, Fabiano Caruana of Italy took clear first at Zurich Chess Challenge and got his place back in the list of top -10 players in the world rating.  

Taken from: http://chess-news.ru

Vladimir Kramnik: "If Anyone Decides to Organize the Match Against Kasparov I Will Agree Immediately"

Live talk on Chess-News with Genna Sosonko, Vladimir Kramnik and Oleg Skvortsov was moderated by Evgeny Surov 24.02.2013

V.KRAMNIK: [...] The players here are really strong - as Boris, so Vishy. I mean it's very hard to outplay them when they're in their normal shape, especially when you get this kind of calm position. I wanted to get complications, but it turned out that we have already exhanged our queens up to 20th move. I wouldn't say I initiated that, but that's how it went. I guess I could "squeeze" some 1.5 points here if the opponents were weaker, but in addition to all that Vishy was very well prepared to everything today. The endgame we got was quite complex and of course both of us have analysed it, but the difference was that it seems that he revised it right before the game, while I have last checked it a year ago. So, I remembered rather hazily that White plays c5 at some point - but when and how exactly? And the position is really precise.

G.SOSONKO: And if not being accurate White just loses advantage.

V.KRAMNIK: Exactly, or vice versa, Black faces problems if playing inaccurately.

G.SOSONKO: Actually I can't remember if Vishy has ever played c5 in the position like this.

V.KRAMNIK: That's exactly what I'm talking about. That was the reason why I chose this position. First I wanted to play Reti with d3, but when he played d5, c5, Nf6, Nc6 which actually is considered inaccurate exactly because of d4, I decided to play as in the game remembering he never played c5 in Catalan. However, he played without hesitation. I even asked him after the game and he knew that usually you don't play c5 there. I mean he knew it. If I have revised that before the game maybe I would be able to do something... I'm sure I have that written down somewhere, but unfortunately I can't remember everything. This is contemporary chess. It's not about only doing a lot of preparation - everyone is spending lots of time on preparation - but it's also about remembering what you have analysed.

G.SOSONKO: I remembered Peter Leko's expression when the journalist far from chess world asked him what is his favourite habit before the game and if he has any kind of talisman. He responded, "My favourite thing to do before the game is to revise and remember the analyses." Great answer!

E.SUROV: And do you believe in omens Vladimir? I guess every chess player believes at least in some.

V.KRAMNIK: No, I don't. It doesn't matter for me what I'm dressed in. I also wash my head even if I play successfully. I outgrew all that somehow.  

О.SKVORTSOV: We're planning to make this tournament traditional, to attract Swiss and other sponsors including the ones from Russia. What do you say Vladimir?

V.KRAMNIK: That sounds great, just marvelous! I was happy to play here last year too. I mean the venue is also so nice - here in Zurich in Savoy, it's very pleasant to play here. I have played here for a lot of times already - first I came here was in 90's. This is a very nice tournament, so I would love to come and play here again. 

О.SKVORTSOV: We're planning to hold it in these dates...

G.SOSONKO: I guess the calendar is pretty rich, so do you think this is the best time for holding it Oleg? Roughly speaking at the end of February and beginning of March.

О.SKVORTSOV: We still don't know what is going to take place next year, right? Let others plan their tournaments. We are not going to adapt our competition to others' schedules. 

V.KRAMNIK: Well, the fact is that the calendar is always a bit unreliable.

О.SKVORTSOV: Ours will be reliable.

V.KRAMNIK: Sometimes you are just forced to reschedule the tournament because FIDE can suddenly announce some competition. In general I think this is more or less appropriate time for this tournament.

О.SKVORTSOV: It's also pleasant that there are a lot of spectators.

V.KRAMNIK: That's true.

* * *

Е.SUROV: Our readers are able to leave their questions in the chat and here's one of the questions, "How the match Kasparov - Kramnik would finish now?"

V.KRAMNIK: Well what should I be thinking about...  I would pleasantly play it again. Doesn't matter would it be rapid, blitz or classical chess. If anyone decides to organize such a match I can say I would agree immediately.  

G.SOSONKO: Thanks a lot! We can only hope...

E.SUROV: ... that you will have a good reason to come to us again.

V.KRAMNIK: Well, I'm hoping to play against Anand soon. And then yes, I can also play against Garry Kimovich.   


Taken from: http://chess-news.ru

Somewhat Exaggerated

Zurich: Vladimir Kramnik, as well as the audience, has enjoyed the game

"The predictions on draw death of chess seem to be somewhat exaggerated." This is how Oleg Skvortsov, the organizer of the tournament, summarized Round 3 of Zurich Chess Challenge. He said that watching Caruana - Kramnik encounter which finished peacefully much like all other games in the first cycle. 

After the detailed analysis of the longest game of the round, the former world champion agreed to give us a brief commentary.    

"I enjoyed the game a lot, - Kramnik smiled. - Surely I played the opening too risky and got an uncomfortable position. It seemed to me that I found a very interesting resource with taking on e4 and then Ng6. The position is complex, but it seems that I grab initiative here. At some point I thought I was close to winning. ... We couldn't find anything considerable during the analysis though. Fabiano made a very interesting move 43.d6 - just brilliant I would say. At least from first sight.

43.d6! [It's not the only possibility though - CN] Rb6 44.Nf5 Bxf2 45.d7 Nxd7 46.Rxd7+ Ke6 47.Rh7 Kxf5 48.Rxh5+ Kg6 49.Rxa5 Rb4 [49...c3 50.Ra2] 50.Ra6 Bd4 51.Rc6 Bxb2 52.R6xc4 Rxc4 53.Rxc4 Kh5 1/2

"In any case I enjoyed the game: it was funny with lots of fascinating variations. I'm glad we have the rest day tomorrow."

The encounter between the world champion Vishy Anand and his challenger Boris Gelfand was also pretty tense. The Israeli player made a rare  9...h5 in Najdorf with 6.h3. We found four games with such position ChessBase database, all of them finished in White's favour.  

ANAND - GELFAND

Anand has just took d5-pawn, Gelfand missed 14...Bxh3! which could have changed the result of the game. For example, 15.Bf4 (15.Bxh3 would be followed by Bh2+ with winning the queen) 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Bb8! and Black has no problems.

Gelfand played 14...Be6 after which Anand had a slight advantage with an extra pawn, he however didn't manage to convert it.

Anand, Viswanathan

2013.02.25

Gelfand, Boris

Zuerich SUI

1/2-1/2

Zuerich Chess Challenge (3.1)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf65. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd59. Nde2 h5 10. g5 Bd6 11. Nxd5 exd512. Bg2 O-O 13. O-O Nc6 14. Qxd5 Be615. Qf3 Re8 16. Be3 Bc4 17. Rfe1 Nb418. Rac1 Be5 19. Nc3 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Bd521. Qxh5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qd5 23. Kg1 Nc624. Red1 Qxa2 25. g6 fxg6 26. Qxg6 Qf727. Qxf7 Kxf7 28. Rb1 b5 29. c4 b4 30. c3bxc3 31. Rbc1 Red8 32. Rxd8 Rxd833. Rxc3 a5 34. Kf1 Ke6 35. Ke2 Rh836. Bb6 Rh4 37. Re3 Kf5 38. Ra3 Rxc439. Bxa5 Nxa5 40. Rxa5 Kf6 41. Ra6 Kf542. Kf3

Thus, Zurich Chess Challenge still has no leader. Tomorrow is the rest day.

Taken from: http://chess-news.ru/