Independent on Saturday

NICK BARNETT CHESS

PUZZLE BY M Havel

ON THE 20th of July GM Magnus Carlsen tweeted ‘Happy World Chess Day to everyone’ with a red heart emoji. And well he might, as he was still in play in the FIDE World Cup 2021 in Sochi. The other ‘2800 club members’ however, had tumbled like kingpins in a brutal reckoning which eliminated GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Anish Giri.

Others in the + 2700 cohort fell too, namely Shakhriyar Mamedyarov who was bettered by Haik M. Martirosyan 21, leading player of the Azerbaijan national chess team. (It was also Martirosyan who defeated Zambian chess player Chitumbo Mwali.) But it was Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa the young Indian Grandmaster, who surprised everyone by defeating veteran GM Michal Krasenkow. The 57-year old GM fought hard before the teenager secured a win in 67 moves in the second tie-break game.

Some of those left standing were GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave who prevailed after a 5-game stretch including Armageddon against GM David Paravyan, who is to meet the 15 year-old prodigy, GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa on the 21st. Also in that group was GM Sergey Karjakin, GM Peter Svidler, GM Sam Shankland, GM Pentala Harikrishna and GM Jeffery Xiong.

Carlsen would be meeting Radoslaw Wojtaszek, rated 2691 on the 21st.

The finals will be on August 6th 2021. You can follow on https://worldcup-results.fide.com/

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THE CHANGING of the old guard was no more evident than in the shocking defeat of Garry Kasparov (58), in seven moves by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (36) in a recent event at the Zagreb stage of the St Louis-organised Grand Chess Tour. Kasparov won only one game, with three draws and 14 losses.

Shak Mamedyarov v Garry Kasparov, Zagreb blitz 2021: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 The Queen’s Gambit Accepted is normally a safe line... 3 e3 e5 4 Nf3 exd4 5 Bxc4 ...but this early attack can be tricky, for example 5...dxe3? allows 6 Bxf7+! Nf6? Bb4+! forces exchanges. 6 Qb3! Qe7 7 0-0 Resigns.

Garry said: “I probably could have done a better job preparing, but the problem is it’s shifting from totally different things. Having a speech on cybersecurity or messages reporting dissidents in Iran. And then you have to play guys; they’re the best guys. This is their job. Things could go better on the first day. I was shocked.”

Flubbier, a wag commenting on the game: ‘The difference between Kasparov and us critics is that he actually knew it was over after move 7.’

You can watch the game on YouTube: Agadmater Chess Channel: Nothing Is Impossible! * * *

REMEMBER to check facebook.com/ SACHESSPLAYERS for news and tournaments in South Africa.

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For comment or news please write to thechessnik@ gmail.com

OPINION

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2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

http://independentonsaturday.pressreader.com/article/282308208129451

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