The Candidates tournament to decide the challenger to world champion Anand is the strongest tournament ever to have graced the capital. As I write, three rounds of fighting chess have produced the following scores: Aronian 2½, Carlsen and Svidler 2, Kramnik Grischuk and Radjabov 1½, Gelfand and Ivanchuk ½. The tournament continues at the IET building, No. 2 Savoy Place, London until early next month (www.worldchess.com/candidates). This week, some dramatic positions from the early rounds.
Ivanchuk-Aronian: Fidé Candidates London 2013 (see diagram 1)
In this position Black finds an extraordinary move to keep his chances alive. Ivanchuk was in awful time trouble, racing against the clock to complete 40 moves. 31 … Rb6 32 Qxb6 Qf3 33 Qf2 Qa3 34 Nc5 White lost on time. After 34 … Qxb4+ 35 Kd1 Bf5 the position is balanced.
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