The current FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, simply confirmed what many have lengthy predicted: India, the nation with the longest historical past with our noble sport, might also be the nation with the brightest future.
In a consequence that precipitated a sensation within the historic homeland of chess, 4 younger Indian grandmasters have been among the many eight quarterfinalists on the elite 206-player open knockout event, with rising 18-year-old celebrity GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa shedding within the hard-fought finals to former world champ Magnus Carlsen. “Pragg” with the consequence booked a berth within the upcoming FIDE Candidates’ event to select the subsequent challenger to reigning world champ Ding Liren of China.
India, after a couple of centuries adjusting to the trendy, European model of the sport, already has produced one world champion within the nice Viswanathan Anand, who at 53 continues to be the ninth-ranked participant on the earth. And GM Humpy Koneru at 36 is the fourth-highest-rated feminine participant on the planet. Thanks partly to the craze impressed by Anand’s success, India additionally boasts one of many world’s most energetic chess scenes and enjoys appreciable industrial help for promising gamers.
The consequence: the deepest bench and richest chess farm system of maybe any nation on the earth.
Even at his tender age, the Chennai-born Praggnanandhaa has been a participant to look at for years — a world grasp at 10, a grandmaster at 12 and already the Nineteenth-highest-rated participant on the late FIDE international record. He defeated one other former world champ, Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov, with a glowing assault towards the good attacker on the annual Gibraltar Masters event in 2020 simply earlier than COVID-19 shut down worldwide play.
In a Classical French after 13. Bf2 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Nxa6, Black manages to rid himself of his downside bishop however offers Pragg the chance to right away start an assault on the kingside.
After 21. Qxf2 Qd7 22. Qh4 Qd8, Black is clearly attempting to commerce right down to ease the stress, however White has different concepts: 23. Nf6+! gxf6 (Kh8?? 24. Qxh7 mate is a tough no right here) 24. Rad1! (easy and lethal; the rook raise 24. Re3? [also bad would be 24. exf6? Qd4+ 25. Qxd4 Nxd4 and Black wins] is tempting, however Black holds on 23…fxe5 25. Rg3+ Kh8 26. Qh6 Qd4+ 27. Kf1 Qxa1+ 28. Kf2 Qd4+), and Topalov should surrender his queen as 24…Qc7 25. exf6 Kh8 26. Rd3 is now decisive.
Black will get a rook and knight for his queen, however White’s assault is not at all spent. Another piece falls after 28. Rf1 f4 29. g4! Rd3 30. gxh5 Rg3+ 31. Kf2 Nxh4 32. Qxh4 Rxc4 33. Re1, and Black decides to pack it in.
GM Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, one other of Baku’s Indian quarterfinalists, is, like Pragg, a Chennai native and insanely proficient. His win over veteran Armenian GM Gabriel Sargissian from final yr’s forty fourth Olympiad, held in Chennai, channels Pragg-Topalov in putting methods: a kingside assault and a well timed minor piece sacrifice lead to White getting a queen for a rook and minor piece and a successful edge.
Out of a QGD Ragozin, the kings fort on reverse wings and Gukesh has a half-open g-file for his main items to use. Black rightly seeks queenside counterplay however can’t shake White’s single-minded deal with checkmate on the opposite wing: 19. Rg5 Ba6 20. Rdg1 g6 (at all times a scary transfer in these positions, however 20…Bxe2?? 21. Rxg7+ Kh8 22. Qxh7 mate was not an possibility) 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. f5 Ba7?! (few people would even contemplate it, however the engines like 22…Rc6!?, with the thought of defending after 23. Kb1 Qe8 24. Qe4 Be7) 23. e6!? (stronger was 23. Kb1 instantly, in strains like 23…Rd8 24. e6 Rad6 25. fxg6 fxg6 26. Rxg6+ hxg6 27. Rxg6+ Kh8 28. Qe4!, and if 28…Rxd2, White wins with 29. Qe5+ Kh7 30. Qh5 mate) Kh8? (lacking a final likelihood to defend with 23…fxe6 24. fxg6 h6! 25. g7 hxg5 26. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 27. h4 Qd7, and Black continues to be combating) 24. Kb1 gxf5 (see diagram), and White simply wants one tempo to interrupt by means of.
Gukesh finds it with 25. Bxb4! Qxb4 26. Qg2 (the lineup of the massive weapons on the g-file proves too highly effective) Qe4+ (Qb8 27. Rg7 Rxe6 28. Rxh7+! Kxh7 29. Qg7 mate) 27. Qe4 fxe4 28. e7! Re8 29. Rg8+!, and White can’t be stopped from getting a brand new queen.
Any hopes Black’s bishop and rook can arrange a fortress disappear after 33. Qg5+ Rg6 34. Qxa5, and the White a-pawn will run free even when the place locks up. Things conclude extra rapidly after 40. Qxe4+ Kf8 41. Qb4+, as 41…Kg7 (Ke8 42. Qb5+ additionally picks off the rook) 42. Qg4+ is curtains.
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Looks like Beth Harmon has actually and really performed her final imaginary sport on the ceiling.
Despite social media rumors (and a few wishful pondering on the contrary), Netflix officers are saying there is not going to be a second season of the phenomenally well-liked “The Queen’s Gambit” collection, and no reprise of actress Anya Taylor-Joy as chess prodigy Beth Harmon. With Garry Kasparov among the many present’s technical advisers, the collection introduced a brand new degree of realism and class to the precise chess performed by the actors.
Netflix shot down related rumors final fall and was at it once more final week, telling Chess.com in an announcement, “There will not be a continuation of the series.”
On a happier be aware, Beth can retire understanding her final sport will endlessly be her upset win over world champion “Vasily Borgov.”
(Click on the picture above for a bigger view of the chessboard.)
Praggnanandhaa-Topalov, Gibraltar Masters, La Caleta, Gibraltar, January 2020
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Be3 b6 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Nb8 13. Bf2 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Nxa6 15. f5 exf5 16. Nxd5 Nb4 17. c4 Rc8 18. a3 Nc6 19. Rfe1 Bc5 20. b4 Bxf2+ 21. Qxf2 Qd7 22. Qh4 Qd8 23. Nf6+ gxf6 24. Rad1 Nxe5 25. Rxd8 Rfxd8 26. Qxf6 Ng6 27. h4 h5 28. Rf1 f4 29. g4 Rd3 30. gxh5 Rg3+ 31. Kf2 Nxh4 32. Qxh4 Rxc4 33. Re1 Black resigns.
Gukesh-Sargissian, forty fourth Olympiad, Chennai, China, August 2022
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd6 9. Qc2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Be2 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3 a6 13. O-O-O b5 14. Rhg1 b4 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. fxe4 Qe7 17. f4 a5 18. e5 Bc5 19. Rg5 Ba6 20. Rdg1 g6 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. f5 Ba7 23. e6 Kh8 24. Kb1 gxf5 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Qg2 Qe4+ 27. Qxe4 fxe4 28. e7 Re8 29. Rg8+ Rxg8 30. Rxg8+ Kxg8 31. e8=Q+ Kg7 32. Qe5+ Rf6 33. Qg5+ Rg6 34. Qxa5 Rg1+ 35. Kc2 Rg2+ 36. Kb3 Bb6 37. Qe5+ Kf8 38. Qh8+ Ke7 39. Qxh7 Re2 40. Qxe4+ Kf8 41. Qb4+ Black resigns.
• David R. Sands might be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e-mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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