Black to play. This is from Carlsen-Polgar, Mexico 2012. Judit had been struggling in this game but when Carlsen slipped up she was quick to spot the opportunity. Black’s next destroyed the white position. What was it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 24 July or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a
This description of Viktor Korchnoi was coined (an oblique reference to Muhammad Ali’s nickname of Louisville Lip) by Ian Ward of the Daily Telegraph during the Baguio City World Championship of 1978. During the pre-Kasparov mid-1970s and early 1980s, world title chess was dominated by the three great matches between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly
Black to play. This is from Karpov-Korchnoi, Dortmund 1994. In this unusual position Karpov has two queens but Korchnoi’s forces coordinate much more efficiently. His next move led to a decisive material gain. Can you see it? Answers via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by Tuesday 17 July. There is a prize of £20 for the first
The second leg of this year’s Grand Tour was contested in Paris, almost immediately after Leuven. For Paris, Anish Giri was replaced by the former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, increasing the overall strength of the competition. Final results and top prizes in Paris were as follows: Hikaru Nakamura 13 ($37,500), Sergei Karjakin 10 ($25,000),
White to play. This is from Nakamura-Kramnik, Paris Blitz 2018. The third victim of Nakamura’s hypnotism was Vladimir Kramnik who, in a more or less balanced position, has just played his rook to d7. Why was this a horrible mistake? Answers via email to victoria@spectator.-co.uk by Tuesday 10 July. There is a prize of £20
Over the course of this year Fabiano Caruana has scored splendidly in tournaments with classical time limits, notching up first prizes in the Berlin Candidates tournament, Baden Baden and Stavanger. The first of these triumphs qualified him to contest the World Championship match against Magnus Carlsen, the title holder, in London in November. In the
White to play. This position is from Anand-Caruana, Leuven Blitz 2018. How did Anand achieve a winning material advantage? Answers to me at The Spectator or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk by 3 July. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of
Fabiano Caruana has won the elite Altibox tournament ahead of world champion Magnus Carlsen. This result might appear to give a promising boost to Caruana’s prospects for his world title challenge to Carlsen, which is due to take place in London in November. Alas, that is not the case. It is true that Caruana triumphed
White to play. This position is a variation from So-Carlsen, Norway Chess 2018. The world champion suffered a reverse in this game. How would So have concluded here? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 26 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out
Viktor Korchnoi is the subject of a poignant new book from the distinguished pen of the Dutch grandmaster and former Soviet emigré Genna Sosonko. The title Evil Doer (published by Elk and Ruby) refers to the damnatio memoriae meted out by the USSR after Korchnoi’s very public defection to Amsterdam from the socialist paradise in 1976.
Black to play. This position is from Korchnoi–-Karpov, World Championship game 17, Baguio 1978. Can you spot Karpov’s dramatic finish? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 19 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will be contesting their World Championship match in London in November. As I mentioned last week, there is no better guide to the entire history of the World Championship than the extraordinary series by Garry Kasparov. He catalogues the best games of every champion, demonstrating how each one represents the
Black to play. This is from Pillsbury-Lasker, St Petersburg 1895/96. Black has sacrificed two rooks for a bishop to drive the white king into the open. What is the correct move to conclude the attack? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 12 June or via email to victoria@spectator.-co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for
My Great Predecessors is an indispensable guide to the achievements, style and best games of the former world chess champions. It is a monumental series, consisting of five volumes, written by probably the greatest champion of them all, Garry Kasparov. In Modern Chess and Kasparov on Kasparov there are several more volumes, and in the latter
Black to play. This is from Paulsen-Morphy, New York 1857. Having sacrificed his queen to expose the white king, Morphy continued 1 …Bh3+ which was good enough to win. But there was a better move, forcing a quick mate. Can you see it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 5 June or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk.
On 10 May, Britain’s most famous grandmaster, Nigel Short, chose the pages of the Times to announce his surprise candidacy for the post of president of Fidé, the World Chess Federation. It is high time indeed that someone had the courage to attempt the clean-up of this organisation, whose bank account has recently been terminated
White to play. This position is from Short-Muir, Gibraltar Masters 2004. How did Short bring his kingside attack to a successful conclusion? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 29 May or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a
Chess, the musical by Sir Tim Rice and the male half of ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, runs at the London Coliseum until 2 June. I cannot recommend it more highly, especially for chess enthusiasts who recall the defections, alcoholism, protests, match terminations and paranormal interventions of the age of Tal, Spassky, Fischer, Korchnoi, Karpov
White to play. This position is a variation from Carlsen-Wojtaszek, Vugar Gashimov Memorial, Shamkir 2018. How can White power through? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 22 May or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk. There is a prize of £20 for the first correct answer out of a hat. Please include a postal address
Matthew Sadler was the star of the evening on the night of the Royal Automobile Club annual dinner which I mentioned in this column on 14 April. It is traditional that a grandmaster takes on the assembled forces of the RAC, who this year won the Hamilton Russell Trophy. On this occasion it was Matthew
