IM YEOH LI TIAN vs GM VISWANATHAN ANAND TBILISI 2017

FIDE World Cup had my attention this year. It is held in Tbilisi, Georgia and it featured one of the best current Malaysian player, IM Yeoh Li Tian. 

I was on holidays but I still found some time to watch the games.

It only lasted two games, but our own IM made them very eventful. I don't have anything but praise for the way IM Yeoh Li Tian took GM Anand in the games. In fact, many of his moves surprised me as they were really energetic. Going for the Queen sacrifice in Round 1 and taking the initiative with the Black pieces in Round 2 gave me goosebumps. It was clear that the ex-World Champion was going for the draw by choosing the exchange variation so Yeoh was forced to play aggressively. In the end, he went down fighting. 

Congratulations. 

The games

Round 1

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1884627

Round 2

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1884695

Some video coverage on the games from Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHOEMp5dhQA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95SEXiMc9dI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFs-2TpUM_4

CARLSEN vs ANAND 2014

Sochi will witness the rematch of last year's World Championship match between the reigning World Champion, Magnus Carlsen and the challenger Viswanathan Anand. Will there be something new from Anand's camp? Or will it be same old, same old for Carlsen? Currently at the time of writing, Carlsen has just won the second game with the white pieces after drawing the first game with black. Hopefully Anand will bounce back because the whole world want to see a fair fight. 

You may witness the duel on the official site here.

ps: Carlsen looked very old in the above picture taken from the official site :)

ANAND vs CARLSEN - Final Episode

Anand finally started with 1.d4. A Nimzo-Indian ensued and we quickly found that Carlsen was under pressure right from the start. He was behind in time and also space and was in danger of being checkmated. However, with nerves of steel, he counter attacked on the opposite wing and got a passed pawn. In the end, this passed pawn contributed to the demise of a champion. 

I really feel sad for Anand. He must win the remaining 3 games to go level and bring the championship into tie breaks. It will be amazing if he really pulls that out, though. If today's game ends in a draw, he will surely regret the draws he had wasted in the first and second games.

Click on the picture to browse the gallery and click on the caption below for the 'live' video. Credit goes to the official website.

Game 9 Game 9 (Press Conference)

Game 10 (Part 1) (Part 2)
(Press Conference)

ANAND vs CARLSEN - Episode 2

At last, the first win goes to Carlsen. I kind of expected the result after seeing that Carlsen has managed to gain momentum, especially in Game 4. He might have accustom himself with the climate and atmosphere of Chennai, as well as to its people. Slowly, he took out his arsenal and started firing, although I must admit that part of Anand's weak defending led to his downfall today. He should have probably known by now that messy positions suit Carlsen very well, and they should be avoided if possible. 

On the bright side, they will be plenty of games to go. I personally think that there are still exciting games coming, much to the delight of chess fans worldwide. We have seen Reti, Caro Kann, Berlin and Queen's Gambit Semi Slav (if I'm not mistaken, as shown by my chess programme). Being Carlsen, he might come out with more openings in the course of the 12 games. 

Click on the picture to browse the gallery and click on the caption below for the 'live' video. Credit goes to the official website.

Game 5 Game 5 (Press Conference)

Game 6 Game 6 (Press Conference)

Game 7 Game 7 (Press Conference)

Game 8 Game 8 (Press Conference)

ANAND vs CARLSEN - Episode 1

I, like the rest of the chess world right now, am following the Chennai World Chess Championship where the current World Champion, Viswanathan Anand is playing the highest rated player of all time, Magnus Carlsen. This is the sternest test yet for the World Champion, as Carlsen is not a pushover. He is up there, by the way, and will strive to justify his rating by winning this battle between two generations. 

During my early chess days, I like Anand very much. Then, he was dubbed 'The lightning kid from Madras'. I was inspired by one of his rapid games featured in JAGUH (a chess column in Berita Harian a long time ago) that I took up French Defense as my first opening. I still like him, though. He is arguably the best prepared chess player for this kind of world class tournament, as his five world championship titles show. He even has the home advantage this time.

As for Carlsen, I first heard about him when he nearly beat Kasparov in 2004, the one and only time they faced each other in a competitive chess match. I thought that, 'Wow! I would like him to replace Kasparov in the near future'. Nearly 10 years later, he has the chance to prove that he should be the one holding the title. He did a lot of interviews, and I watched some of them. As a thirteen-year-old boy, interviewed after his game against Kasparov, he did say that he wanted to be the world champion. I was in awe! He showed maturity beyond his age in most of the interviews. 

After two opening games, they are still even. I suspect that both are still studying each other's preparation. Although some of the viewers have already labeled this match as 'boring', I still think that there is so much more to come. As much as I want Anand to win this, I also want Carlsen to get his wish. 

What do YOU think?

Can you imagine these videos airing at ASTRO? I sure can't. Nevertheless, enjoy! (Click on the picture to browse the gallery and click on the caption below for the 'live' video. Credit goes to the official website)

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4 (Part 1) Game 4 (Part 2)

ANAND WINS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Everything seems to go against him; the delayed arrival, the age, and even the venue favour Topalov, but the determination and hard work of GM Viswanathan Anand helps him to retain the World Chess Championship title.

And boy he did it in style. Game Twelve of the championship provides an excellent testimony of Anand's prowess - his attacking instinct even when playing the Black pieces. The Lasker variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined was the choice to contain Topalov, and the latter's blunder helped Anand to establish a long diagonal into the heart of his opponent's defense. The Bishop, the Queen and the Rook worked together to open up Topalov's King through mating attacks, and Topalov had to give up his Queen in order to prevent it. The Knight and Rook were never a match for Anand's Queen, thus resignation was the result.

I watched the whole game excitedly, brushing aside the sorrow of Malaysia's loss to the Japanese in the Thomas Cup when Hafiz Hashim played poorly and lost to Shoji Sato.

I signed an e-card for him. Click here to sign the card for The Champion.

Anand could not coordinate his pieces in Game 8

THE JUDGMENT DAY

Today is the last game of Anand - Topalov encounter. With the score still tied after Game Eleven, Topalov will surely relish his advantage of playing the white pieces tonight. Anand lost Game Eight in cruel fashion when he could not coordinate his pieces well after the exchange of Queens. Even though it resulted in different coloured Bishops, the passed pawn on d6 tied Anand's Bishop to its defense. With the opponent's Bishop immobilized, Topalov pushed his pawns merrily without fear. Game Six, Game Seven, Game Nine and Game Ten all drawn, meaning whoever wins tonight's game will be the winner. If however the score still tied, the followers will surely see 'The lightning kid from Madras' again!

TOPALOV STOPS ANAND'S CATALAN WINNING STREAK

At last, Anand's Catalan was stopped. After disastrous tries in Game Two and Game Four, Topalov managed a draw against the Catalan in Game Six. The players repeated the moves from Game Two until Anand deviated with 10.Bg5 (previously he played 10.Bd2). This time he had to part early with his Catalan bishop and subsequent play lead to the same passed b-pawn for Anand, albeit with different result. Whereas in Game Two the pawn ensured his victory, this time the pawn did not get the marching orders. I wonder what will happen if Anand played 34.Nb4 blockade instead of the actual 34.Nc5 and pressurized the d4 pawn? Nevertheless, Anand still leads with a point heading to the third recess.

Viewing the live video telecast, I shared non-chess players views on whether chess game should be aired on the tube. Looking at the participants sitting at the table without even a twitch will surely bore the viewers. I wonder if even chess players enjoy watching the match if there is no live commentary by GM Zurab. Maybe the cameras should zoom to the face of each players to see their face expressions throughout the match, and not statically placed like what they provided at the official website.

ANAND vs TOPALOV WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2010

After the first recess, Game Three started peacefully (really?). True to his word, Topalov did not offer a draw or shake Anand's hand. Instead, the three-fold repetition forced the share of the point. However, Game Four was another matter. Anand masterfully finished his opponent with a sound mating attack, reminiscent of his younger playing days. Another recess followed before Anand's Slav held Topalov's attack once again in Game Five. Before the start of game 6 tonight, Anand still has the upper hand with the scoreline 3 - 2.

ANAND vs TOPALOV WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2010

I'm following the duel between two great masters of the game; an Asian versus an European. The championship started colourfully when Anand had to travel overland after the Icelandic volcanic eruption which prompted him to ask for a 3-day postponement. The organizer rejected his appeal but luckily Anand managed to arrive on time. However, he eventually succumbed to Topalov's knight sacrifice in Game One. Topalov then invoked a small rule of 'silence' which clearly incensed Anand and his team. So it's only natural that Anand bounced back in Game Two to level the score before they rest.

All the games can be watched live at the official website.

picture taken from Internet Chess Club

TOPALOV WINS IN CHINA AND READY TO FACE ANAND

When I read this article, I thought that Topalov can play Chinese Chess. However, it really means Topalov won a tournament in China. He is ready to beat Kamsky to earn the right to play Viswanathan Anand in the World Title Match 2009. I can't wait to see who is better between these two, but Topalov is ahead in the rating list, with nearly 20 points margin. You can see their rating live here.

ANAND WINS WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2008

Anand drew the 11th game to retain his title of the World Chess Champion with the final score of 6.5 to 4.5. As expected, Anand pushed the e-pawn to seduce Kramnik to play Petroff Defense, which is known to be very drawish among the top GMs. Understandably, Kramnik chose the sharp Najdorf to keep his chance alive. Anand replied with 6.Bg5, and soon the position went AWOL and the result could not be predicted. However, Anand got a slight advantage at the end so Kramnik offered a draw.

Kasparov commented on the championship in Chess Ninja:

"It was a very well-played match by Vishy. Except for the loss of concentration in the tenth game he played consistently and managed to enforce his style. His choice to open with 1.d4 was excellent. He reached playable positions with life in them, so he could make Kramnik work at the board. Anand outprepared Kramnik completely.

[In this match] Kramnik did not expect tough, sharp challenges with white, and this was the key for Anand. He kicked some sand in Kramnik's face and hit Kramnik's weakness: his conservative approach to the game itself. Suddenly Kramnik had to fight in these sharp positions and he wasn't able to do it. This result ends the illusion that Kramnik is a great match player. London was a unique occurrence and I still stand with Leonid Yudasin as the only players Kramnik has ever beaten in a match! Kramnik now has some work to do. His overly-defensive play seems to represent a general decline in strength."

Match director Josef Resch (left) with Anand and Campomanes
(pictures courtesy of chessbase.com)

Replay game 11 here:

KRAMNIK WON, AT LAST!

The score now 4 - 6. Kramnik have to win the last 2 games to bring the championship into a tie break. Last night, he chose the Kasparov variation to counter Anand's Nimzo-Indian Defense. He then moved his Queen to a6 and tied the black pieces down before forcing Anand's knight into the edge of the board. Once the rook entered the seventh heaven, Anand resigned.

Xabi celebrated his goal after the final whistle (pic from LFC official site)

RECORD BREAKING

Chelsea 0 - Liverpool 1. Do not adjust your computer screen, it is true. Liverpool had done what other teams could not do for the past 86 games (4 and a half years) by beating Chelsea at their own turf - the Stamford Bridge. Xabi Alonso's deflected goal was enough for the Reds to maintain their unbeaten run this season thus confirming their title credentials despite what others said or would say about them. One interesting fact I want to share with you - IM Malcolm Pein (picture right) is a Liverpool fan and last night he commented on the 9th game of Anand vs Kramnik from the stand at the Stamford Bridge.

Enough said. Now let us ponder upon Kramnik's record of going without a win for nearly 2 years now with the black pieces. He needed to win this game to have a chance of ever winning the championship. However, the game was delayed for about half an hour because of the daylight saving time. But this did not deter Anand from playing the ultra sharp anti-Moscow gambit in order to kill Kramnik off. Even a novelty with 11...Bb4 and a Bishop sacrifice could not stop Anand from getting the result he wanted. So, Kramnik's waiting continues.

Anand played the anti-Moscow gambit

Kramnik sprang a novelty

Kramnik sacrificed a Bishop

NOTHING IS FREE

Last night I had to watch game 8 of Anand vs Kramnik at the UKM library. As it happened, I forgot to bring my broadband modem. So, I used the wireless connection readily available at the library compound. Although it was quite fast, it blocked some features from the Internet. As a consequence, I cannot watch the game live at Chesscube, so I had to find some quick alternatives. I tried Playchess and ICC, all of which I had to download some .exe files and register in order to watch the game. It was troublesome, until I came across Chessdom. The drawback, however, was that I had to continuously refresh the browser. I cannot wait for my wife to finish her class and head home to watch this game using my broadband connection, in the comfort of Chesscube.

Back to the game. Kramnik was blown out of his preparation again as Anand sprang a novelty as soon as move 10. After sinking into deep thought for most of the game, Kramnik had to make a perpetual check to draw the game.

Anand's novelty 10...Bxb5!

You can replay the 8th game here:

Anand vs Kramnik, World Chess Championship 2008
Final position Game 7

DEAD DRAW

What can Black do in above position? Sleep for 100 years, of course! He can't enter his opposition's castle, thus the outcome is obvious. I wonder what went in Kramnik's mind when he shook Anand's hand for the conclusion of game 7. 3 points down with only 5 games to go, he surely must do a gung-ho or bust in the most embarrassing defeat in his world championship history. Anand chose to play white, but this time Kramnik strayed away from his beloved Nimzo after defeat of game 6. After refusing Anand's pawn sacrifice on move 10, Kramnik unexpectedly offered to fix the pawns on move 31... a5. Anand, with 3 points in his bag, happily accepted. Then a series of pieces exchanges followed before the inevitable draw was agreed. You can follow the game here:

Anand was forced to move 16.Rg1

ANAND 4.5 - KRAMNIK 1.5

Anand did it again! Winning games when supposedly having bad piece placements. Forced to move 16.Rg1, it became uglier when Kramnik exchanged Bishops on g2. Whereas Kramnik's pieces comfortably placed in the middle of the board, commanding everything, Anand slowly pushed away Kramnik's control and made his pieces stronger with every moves. Finally, Kramnik became disoriented, and shortly after Anand's King got married with another Queen, Kramnik resigned. Replay the 6th game here:

Here are some pictures I took from chessbase.com:

Karpov made the first move for Anand

Kramnik offered his hand in resignation

The winner's smile

The loser

ANAND LEADS BY TWO POINTS!

... and both games won, incredibly, with the Black pieces! Today game 6 commences, and Kramnik has an Everest mountain to climb in order to cut the deficit. I follow the games at chesscube.com, with comments from Mark Levitt and analysis by Fritz 11. So far, it is Anand who states his intention of ever winning this championship, to retain his World Champion title, while Kramnik still has not reveal (I'm being kind, I know) his secret weapon yet. Can he do a Liverpool, or die miserably by Anand's onslaught, we just have to see. Replay game 5 here:

KING OF COMEBACKS?

Kuyt celebrates after getting the winner, again!

Liverpool has done it again! Winning games after getting themselves a goal down, or even 2 goals down. Last night confirmed their title of the 'King of Comebacks' this season after winning the game when Wigan got on the scoresheet first. They have done it against Boro, Marseille, and even Manchester United! Virtually, I watched two games at the same time - game 4 of Anand vs Kramnik World Chess Championship running on my laptop while Liverpool game was on Astro. Both resulted in my favour, so to speak, as I am a fan of both Anand and Liverpool. Surely, Kramnik couldn't do a comeback, can he? Being a point down after losing the 3rd game yesterday, he lamely chose to offer Anand a draw which the latter duly accepted. Play the 4th game here:

HOME PREPARATION

Game 3 of Anand vs Kramnik World Chess Championship match 2008 in Bonn, Germany shows how deadly prepared lines could be. I was among many chess enthusiasts who gets to see the game live because of the advancement of technology nowadays (I watched it at ChessCube). Anand gets the upperhand by moving very quickly which leaves a whopping 1 hour gap between the two (Anand used 20 minutes to reach move 20 to Kramnik's 1 hour and a half!). You can replay the game below:

As a player, I myself had the opportunity to prepare against a very good player once (he was 2196 FIDE rated!) during Royal Selangor 2004. He went down checkmated before reaching move 20! However, I did not move quickly so as not to reveal my home preparation. I just pretended to think even though I already knew what to move.

Yours Truly - FIDE Rated Player (2196)
Royal Selangor, 2004
Sicilian Defence

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Nf3 c5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qxd5 Qb6 9.Bc4 Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 0-0 11.Rf1 Bc5 12.Ng5 Nd4+ 13.Kd1 Ne6 14.Ne4 d6 15.exd6 Bd7 16.Bd3 Bc6 17.Nf6+ gxf6 18.Qf5 Rfd8 1-0