White to play. This position is from Keene-Eley, Whitby 1964. White’s next move won at once. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 6 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and
On Monday next week the centenary British Championship commences at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay. The leading contenders are as follows: Gawain Jones, David Howell, John Emms, Mark Hebden and Keith Arkell. I first qualified for the British Championship by winning the Southern Counties title in 1967. However, since I had been selected to
White to play. This position is from Moiseenko-Pasiev, Fidé World Blitz 2013. White’s next move set up a winning tactic. What did he play? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 30 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out
Although he has never won the World Championship, Vassily Ivanchuk is the scourge of the world’s elite. In his day he has defeated Karpov, Kasparov, Anand, Carlsen and Topalov, usually in spectacular victories. A new book, which I highly recommend, catalogues Ivanchuk’s most impressive wins, accompanied by outstandingly deep and instructive annotations. White: Vassily
White to play. This position is from Ivanchuk-Kramnik, Moscow Blitz 2007. What is the most accurate way for White to continue? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 23 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat,
As previously reported, 45-year-old Boris Gelfand, the oldest player in the tournament, convincingly won the Tal Memorial in Moscow. This week’s game was Gelfand’s third and final win against the American grandmaster who had been his chief rival for top honours. Commendably, Gelfand sought early complications with a sharp line of the Sicilian Defence which
White to play. This position is from Al-Sayed-Georgiev, Fidé World Rapid 2013. What is the most accurate way for White to continue the attack? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 16 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out
A disturbing pattern has emerged in the games of world champion Viswanathan Anand. As White in the Ruy Lopez he has begun to disregard in serial fashion the precept that ownership of the bishop pair, against two opposing knights or knight and bishop, tends to confer a major advantage. Not only do the bishops act
Black to play. This position is from the game Nimzowitsch-Tarrasch, St Petersburg 1914. With both bishops trained on White’s king, what is the best way of ploughing up White’s defences? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 9 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be
The Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand celebrated his 45th birthday last Monday (24 June) with outright victory in the Tal Memorial elite super-tournament in Moscow. Given that Gelfand has recently tied first in the Alekhine Memorial in Paris, this means that over a total of 18 games against the world’s best in these two competitions, Gelfand has
Black to play. This position is a variation from the game Nakamura-Gelfand, Tal Memorial, Moscow 2013. White’s king is in danger. How can Black exploit this? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 2 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct
Viswanathan Anand, the world champion from Chennai (formerly known as Madras), defends his world title in a $5 million match in his home town in November against Magnus Carlsen. The venue will be the five-star Hyatt Hotel. This week, in my occasional series previewing the championship, I give a fine win by Anand against an
White to play. This position is the conclusion of a study by M Botvinnik & S Kaminer. How does White finish off? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 25 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a
Thessaloniki is said to be named after a half-sister of Alexander the Great. Fidé staged a recent Grand Prix there, with the surprising outcome that it was won by the Cuban grandmaster Lenier Dominguez Perez with 8/11, ahead of such luminaries as Gata Kamsky and Fabiano Caruana on 7½ as well as Hikaru Nakamura, Veselin
Black to play. This position is from Bacrot-Ivanchuk, Thessaloniki Grand Prix 2013. This was the scene of Ivanchuk’s only success. What is the key move? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 18 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer
World champion Vishy Anand will defend his title against Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November in a $5 million match in the Hyatt hotel in Chennai. Continuing my series on former World Championship matches, this week’s game is one where Vishy came horribly unstuck after forgetting his preparation in a critical line of the Grünfeld
White to play. This position is from Short-van Wely, Sigeman 2013. Short played 1 Qh2 and won but what would have been quicker? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 11 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat,
As a result of the London Candidates tournament, Magnus Carlsen will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Championship in Chennai in November, with a match budget exceeding $5 million. Between now and then I shall give occasional extracts from heroic deeds from past world title clashes. This week’s game comes from the marathon series of
Black to play. This position is a variation from Bogolyubov-Alekhine, Germany (Game 8) 1929. Here 1 … Nxf1 is not bad but Black actually has something much stronger. Can you see what it is? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 4 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681
Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian chess superstar who will be challenging Viswanathan Anand for the world title later this year, disappointed his home supporters by failing to win the first ever elite tournament to have been played on Norwegian soil. In spite of defeating 23-year-old Sergei Karjakin in their individual game, 22-year-old Magnus Carlsen stumbled at
