London Chess Classic 2009 (Countdown)
Countdown to the London Chess Classic
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 4th December 2009
The London Chess Classic will not quite make a 2700 average rating despite the recent gains for Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik and Nigel Short. Some of the other players lost points and by combining the November official ratings from FIDE with the Live Ratings of Carlsen, Kramnik and Short my pocket calculator offers me a figure of just over 2698, still much higher than any other tournament ever staged in the UK.
The London Chess Classic will not quite make a 2700 average rating despite the recent gains for Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik and Nigel Short. Some of the other players lost points and by combining the November official ratings from FIDE with the Live Ratings of Carlsen, Kramnik and Short my pocket calculator offers me a figure of just over 2698, still much higher than any other tournament ever staged in the UK.
The dramatic fall of Ni Hua, 2724 when I invited him 2665 now, was unexpected to say the least.
There are still spectator tickets available for the tournament which starts at Olympia on Tuesday. Ticket holders are guaranteed a seat in the auditorium and access to the Commentary Room. Holding court there will be some of England's leading players including GM Stephen Gordon and IM Lawrence Trent who have entertained online audiences on their radio show for the Internet Chess Club known as 'The Full English' because tournaments often start at breakfast time in the USA.
Also appearing will be former British champion Julian Hodgson and of course the guest of honour Viktor Korchnoi.
Tickets can be purchased via www.londonchessclassic.com and you may enter for the side events there too. The weekend of the 12th and 13th is filling up rapidly. Telegraph readers can get 20% off online orders by quoting Telegraph at the checkout.
Mark Hebden has been is in great form in 2009. Here is one of his wins from the British Rapidplay at Halifax where he shared first with David Howell. Hebden demonstrates a common sense counter to a line where White's expansion on the queenside can cause
- A timely blow in the centre gives Black good play and the move 4.b4 soon looks out of place.
A Slavin - M Hebden
British Rapidplay Halifax (10)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.b4 0-0 5.Be2 d6 6.0-0 e5 7.c4 exd4 8.exd4 Bf5 9.Nc3 d5 10.Bg5 dxc4 11.Bxc4 h6 12.Bh4 Nc6 13.d5 Nxb4 14.Rc1 c6 15.d6 Qa5 16.Qb3 b5! 17.Bxf7+ Rxf7 18.Ne5 Raf8 19.a3 Nd3
Mark Hebden
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A Slavin
Position after 19...Nd3
20.Nxf7 Nxc1! 21.Rxc1 Rxf7 22.Re1 Ne4 23.Rxe4 Bxe4 24.d7 Bd5 25.Qb4 Qxb4 26.d8Q+ Qf8 0-1
After some complications Black gets to a level endgame but is rapidly outplayed. Ater the exchange of rooks White's two queenside pawns hold Black's three.
L Aronian - V Tkachiev
World Blitz Moscow (14)
Slav Defence Moscow Variation
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.a3 g6 9.e4 dxc4 10.e5 Qd8 11.Bxc4 Bg7 12.Qe2 0-0 13.Rd1 Qc7 14.Kf1 a6 15.h4 Rd8 16.h5 g5 17.Nxg5 Nxe5
(17...hxg5 18.h6 Bh8 19.h7+ Kf8 20.Rh5)
18.Nxe6 Bxe6 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.dxe5 Qxe5 21.Rh3 Qxe2+
(21...Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 Rf8)
22.Kxe2 Bxc3 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Rxc3 Rd5 25.g4 Rb5 26.b4 a5? 27.Rc5! Rxc5 28.bxc5 e5 29.f4 exf4 30.Kf3 Kf7 31.Kxf4 Kf6 32.a4 1-0
