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. Safer is 34 b5 Qc1+ with a perpetual check draw.
Gelfand-Carlsen; Fidé Candidates London 2013 (see diagram 2)
This endgame is balanced but Gelfand now proceeds to wilt under Carlsen’s charismatic psychological pressure. 40 h5 Here 40 Qh5 gives White excellent chances to draw. 40 … Qc1 41 Qe4 b4 42 Be3 Qc7 43 Qa8+ Kg7 44 h6+ Kh7 45 Qe4+ Kg8 46 Qa8+ Qd8 47 Qxd8+ Nxd8 White now has no defence against the advance of the black pawns. 48 Kf3 a4 49 Ke4 Nc6 50 Bc1 Na5 51 Bd2 b3 52 Kd3 Nc4 53 Bc3 a3 54 g4 Kh7 55 g5 Kg6 56 Bd4 b2 57 Kc2 Nd2 White resigns
Svidler-Radjabov; Fidé Candidates London 2013 (see diagram 3)
White enjoys a material advantage but even more important is the precarious situation of the black king which enables White to mop up.
41 Bxd6 After 41 … Rdxd6 42 Nxd6 Rxd6 43 Rxd6+ Kxd6 44 Kc4 Kc6 45 a4 Kb6 46 a5+ Kxa5 47 Kxc5 the white king mops up on the kingside.
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