TWIC Theory

TWIC Theory is an electronic monthly magazine with high quality articles delivered in PGN and PDF format on the 25th of every month. You can still get the back issues.


Number 35 September 2007. Benko Gambit - Main Line/ The Latest Trends in the post-Topalov period By GM Alex Finkel

Details: http://www.chesscenter.com/twictheory/

Kramnik and Anand before their rapid game in round 1. Photo © ChessVibes

The 17th Amber Rapid and Blindfold Chess Tournament takes place March 14th-28th, 2008 at the Hotel Palais de la Mediterranée on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Twelve grandmasters from ten different countries will take part and the total prize-fund is 216,000 Euro.

Official site: http://www.amberchess2008.com

Blindfold Games in PGN Rounds 1-8 and Rapid Games in PGN Rounds 1-8

Page of results and pairings

Videos from the Official site: http://www.amberchess2008.com

Round 6. Photo © http://www.palace-heviz.hu

The Palace Hotel International Chess Tournament Heviz (Hungary) 18th-28th March 2008. There are GM, IM and Open sections.

Games in PGN

Official site: http://www.palace-heviz.hu with live games.

Round 6: Almasi takes the lead Nisipeanu - Naiditsch  Ruy-Lopez Black made an unpleasant pin that provoked White to break up the king-side pawn structure. While White restructured his king-position Black and created a passed-pawn on the Queen-side. White had to put all his eggs in one basket and went on for the king with all his forces. Black was a little careless so the attack resulted a better endgame with a pawn up for white. 1-0 in 55. Mikhalevski - Almasi Z. London-System White failed to play c4 to have a usual Catalan, black played an early b5 and equalised. Black took the initiative gradually and an interesting two bishop against rook arose. 0-1 in 70. Balogh Cs. - Vallejo Pons   Ruy-Lopez Closed Early trades gave a slight positional advantage for White. Black started against the king bringing up both knights. White traded one of them and was able to keep the edge. However, both of them got into time pressure and a draw was agreed in 31 moves.

Round 5 Almasi Z - Vallejo Pons    Caro Cann Defence. Black's usual central blast with c5 came early then White isolated the d5-pawn. It was impossible to defend it so Black activated his Queen to find counter chances on the Black squares. White found it advisable to trade the queens with a slight positional advantage. But Black saved the game with a surprising king-manoeuvre. Draw in 26 moves. Nisipeanu - Mikhalevski   Ruy-Lopez  Exchange Black castled long and started action against the e4-pawn. White found the best way of defence and was left with an advantage due to his Kingside majority of pawns and by the formidable central knights. 1-0 in 46 moves. Naiditsch - Balogh Cs.  English opening Fine positional play went on for the centre for a long time. Then White started to advance on both flanks with his pawns in order to gain some space. Black held on well and in mutual time pressure a draw was agreed in move 37 with a complicated position left behind.

Round 4 Balogh Cs. - Almasi Z.  Ruy-Lopez   Berlin - Defence White offered a pawn for an attack before Black could castle. It lead to a jungle of complications. Both king-positions became vulnerable and repetition of moves became inevitable. Draw in 32 moves. Mikhalevski - Naiditsch   Catalan opening White sacrificed his c4-pawn for central dominance. A Central break-through came soon and then even after castling Black seemed to have serious difficulties but he found clever counter-play against the king by sacrificing a piece. In the course of defence White had to give an exchange back so material got about even. After trading the Queens a draw was agreed on move 40. Vallejo Pons - Nisipeanu   English opening A Hedgehog system arose and the usual pressure on d6 was compensated for with counter-pressure on c4. Finally the liberating b5 arrived on time to save the game. A draw was agreed in 26 moves.

Round 3 Almasi-Nisipeanu Philidor- defence They quickly left known lines and all knights disappeared. Both players concentrated all their forces in the centre and the balance was never broken though Black's position looked more impressive at some stages. Draw agreed in 31 moves. Vallejo Pons - Naiditsch QGA Queen's-Gambit soon transformed into a Catalan opening. After an early Queen-trade White decided to keep on a central knight against a bishop. Black successfully undermined its position and then his Q-side majority with the support of the R and B configuration became strong. 0-1 in 36 moves. Balogh Cs - Mikhalevski Ruy-Lopez Open The e5-outpost pawn was as strong as a fort and White started to set up against the king behind it. Black advanced on the Q-side with his pawn-majority. White missed the right course of attack so black survived with a complicated heavy piece endgame. Draw was agreed in 27 moves.

Round 2 The 2nd round of the Heviz GM tournament was no less fierce than the first. Mikhalevski - Vallejo Pons started as a Miles defence that transformed into a kind of Benoni. White could build up a strong centre and offered a bishop to breaking through with two passed central pawns. Later in mutual time pressure these two proved to be decisively stronger. Naiditsch - Almasi Ruy Lopez Classical - Black opened the c-file hoping for counter-play. White took risk with a pawn sacrifice in the hope of taking the initiative but Black countered the plan with immediate central actions a draw was agreed in 27 moves. Nisipeanu-Balogh was a Slav Defence. After a balanced opening Black sacrificed a rook for a knight and two passed pawns on the queenside. White succeeded in blockading them well enough for a correct draw.

Round 1 Almasi beat Mikhalevski in an Open Ruy-Lopez line in spectacular attacking style. Naiditsch judged the endgame phase well and beat Nisipeanu after hard a battle in a sharp Sicilian Scheveningen variation. Vallejo Pons blundered a winning endgame to allow a draw against Balogh after a fine positional game in a Double fianchetto. With the consent of all the players rounds 4 and 5 will be exchanged to avoid having the same colors three times in a row for two players. Report: Miklos Orso.

The Foxwood Open took place 19th-22nd March 2008.

Official site: http://www.foxwoodsopen.com/

Viswanathan Anand against Veselin Topalov in round 14. Photo © ChessVibes.

The Morelia - Linares tournament took place 15th-23rd February (Mexican half) and then 28th February - 7th March 2008 (Spanish half). Viswanathan Anand took clear first half a point clear of Magnus Carlsen.

Index to TWIC videos, stories and annotations from Morelia and Linares 2008

PGN Games

Official site (Linares part): http://www.soloajedrez.com/ciudaddelinares/ and http://www.ajedrezmorelialinares.com.mx/

The Reykjavik Open took place 3rd-11th March 2008.

Official site for the Reykjavic Open

The World Championship match where Viswanathan Anand will defends his World title against Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn, Germany will now take place October 14th– 2nd November, 2008. The main reason for the slight change in dates is to fit in with the sponsors and politicians ability to attend the opening. The main sponsor is Evonik Industries AG and the prizemoney 1,5 Million Euro. The contract was signed by both players 18th December 2007.

Dates for the match: Gm1: Oct 14th, Gm2: Oct 15th, Gm3: Oct 17th, Gm4: Oct 18th, Gm5: Oct 20th, Gm6: Oct 21st, Gm7: Oct 23rd, Gm8: Oct 24th, Gm9: Oct 26th, Gm10: Oct 27th, Gm11: Oct 29th, Gm12: Oct 31st, Tiebreak Nov 2nd.

Website: http://www.uep-worldchess.com/