The Chess Players Society of Nigeria

What a turn of events! Russian GM Evgeny Alekseev caught the leader, Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez, who had been coasting to sole victory. Alekseev beat Pelletier, while Dominguez succumbed to revitalised French GM Etienne Bacrot. Magnus Carlsen was unable to overcome Alexander Onischuk’s defence. In the tiebreak Alekseev won the second blitz game to take overall victory. Express report.

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Three arduous rounds of chess, one nice day of rest, but not by any means of inactivity. The eight participants of the strongest women’s chess tournament of all time made a trip to the river, where you throw in coins to ensure your return. Then a festive dinner. Speeches. Then Karaoke. Then some dance moves. Free day report, richly illustrated with pictures by Vadim Smalkov.

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Chess960 is a form of Fischer Random Chess, where the pieces are shuffled (symmetrically) for the starting position of the game. At the Chess Classic in Mainz the Women’s Rapid World Championship Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russia, and Kateryna Lahno, Ukraine have qualified for the final. In the computer championship Rybka and Naum lead. Full reports and games.

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The main sponsors of the World Chess Championship from October 14 to November 2 in Bonn, Germany, are: Evonik Industries, which operates in chemicals, energy and real estate and turns over 14.4 billion Euros per year; and Gazprom, the world’s largest gas company, with a capitalization of over US $300 billion (it is one of the world’s three largest energy companies). Full details.

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Russian GM Evgeny Alekseev took a full point from Alexander Onischuk, USA, to join Magnus Carlsen in second place. Cuban grandmaster Leinier Dominguez, who in round nine had good chances against top seed Carlsen, is still a full point ahead and assured at least joint first in the tournament. The final round begins an hour earlier to accommodate possible tiebreaks. Round nine report.

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The smothered mate is one of the most attractive themes in chess, and the Editor of Chess Notes recalls a range of cases from over-the-board play, starting with the basic, familiar pattern. One of the other specimens, which occurred in a 1926 game, has to be seen to be believed: the black king is choked by eight ‘friendly’ pieces and pawns. Discover these variations on a theme.

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An exaggeration? Maybe, but if it is, it’s not much of one. In his Wednesday
night Playchess lecture Dennis Monokroussos
looks at an unusual game by the great Cuban world champion José Raúl
Capablanca, played in Karlsbad against Czech master Karel Treybal, in which
locking up the board was the key to success. Come watch this impressive game unfold.

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Two games ended in short draws, one (Ushenina vs Stefanova)
in 14 moves, one (Xu-Muzychuk) in 18. Apparently this was the calm after
the storm. Koneru Humpy recovered from her two shock defeats with a victory
over Pia Cramling, while Marie Sebag battered away at Natalija Pogonina for
117 moves. Round three report with more beautiful pictures by Vadim Smalkov.

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The news is that the Cuban GM Leinier Dominguez defeated Evgeny Alekseev from Russia with the black pieces, taking a full point lead in Biel. Magnus Carlsen made it possible by drawing with black against Etienne Bacrot. The other newsworthy item: Yannick Pelletier managed to chalk up a second draw, against Onischuk, to bring his total to one point. Round eight report.

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Simultaneous events are chess spectacles. Only a few games make it to the textbooks, and the atmosphere is informal and noisy. But Vishy Anand seems undisturbed, concentrating only on breaking a record. He does, finishing with a single draw conceded. The record he broke (four draws in 40 games) was set in Mainz in 1994 – by Vishy Anand! Report on simul and press conference.

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