FIDE Candidates 2011 (Withdrawal)
Magnus Carlsen withdraws from FIDE Candidates
IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 13th November 2010
Malcolm Pein looks at Magnus Carlsen's announcement of his withdrawal from the FIDE Candidates in 2011.
Magnus Carlsen's withdrawal from next year's candidates event is a huge blow for FIDE. Photo © Fred Lucas. | http://www.fredlucas.eu/
Magnus Carlsen has withdrawn from the World Championship Cycle in a move that will cause a small earthquake in the chess world. Carlsen was qualified for the last eight and was due to play in the knockout phase, known as the Candidates Matches. Carlsen's decision is a massive blow to credibility of FIDE as he is fast becoming the best known active player as he combines tournaments with a modelling career.
The nineteen year old Norwegian grandmaster has been heavily critical of the many changes to the cycle made by the world's governing body, some of which appear tohave been made on the hoof. Even with four months to go to the scheduled start of the Candidates, the eight players vieing to challenge Vishy Anand have not received contracts.
Carlsen's letter to FIDE was published yesterday and includes: 'After careful consideration I have reached the conclusion that the ongoing 2008 - 2012 cycle does not represent a system, sufficiently modern and fair, to provide the motivation I need to go through a lengthy process of preparations and matches and, to perform at my best.
Reigning champion privileges, the long (5 yr) span of the cycle, changes made during the cycle resulting in a new format (Candidates) that no World Champion has had to go through since Kasparov, puzzling ranking criteria as well as the shallow ceaseless match-after-match concept are all less than satisfactory in my opinion'
The system proposed by FIDE comprised four game matches for the quarter finals and semi fials and a six game final that would decide who plays Vishy Anand in 2012. This is hardly adequate; such short matches are something of a lottery and would most likely go to speed chess. FIDE's seedings were also bizarre and they had included an extra Azerbaijani player, Shak Mamedyarov, as some sort of compensation for Baku stepping down as a venue and allowing the matches to be staged in Russia.
Carlsen was due to play Teimour Radjabov although even this was not totally clear. His place will probably be taken by Alexander Grischuk.
Two fine games from the European Club Cup
A Korobov - T Polak
26th European Club Cup Plovdiv
Nimzo Indian Rubinstein
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 8.0-0 e5 9.Nd2 0-0 10.Rb1 b6 11.h3 Bd7 12.f4 exd4
(Black should be trying to blockade with e5-e4 so12...Qe7 suggests itself)
13.cxd4 Re8 14.Qf3 Qe7
(14...cxd4 15.e4)
15.d5 Nb4
Tomas Polak
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Anton Korobov
Position after 15...Nb4
16.Rxb4!! cxb4 17.e4 b5 18.cxb5 Rab8 19.a4! Rbc8
(19...bxa3 20.Bxa3 Bxb5 21.e5)
20.Bb2 Rc3!? 21.Rf2 Rxd3 22.Qxd3 Nxe4 23.Re2 f5
(Black has eliminated the white centre but not his fearsome bishop)
24.Nxe4 fxe4 25.Qd4 Qf7 26.Qxa7 h5 27.Qd4 Qg6 28.b6
(The passed pawns decide)
28...Bxh3 29.b7 e3 30.Qxb4 Bg4 31.Rxe3 Rxe3 32.b8Q+ Kh7 33.Qd4 1-0
Tomas Polak
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Anton Korobov
Final position after 33.Qd4
M Dambacher - B Jobava
26th European Club Cup Plovdiv
Nimzo Indian Rubinstein
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 0-0 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Bb2 Rd8 11.Qe2 Na5 12.Nd2 b6 13.cxd5 exd5 14.f3 Ne8 15.e4 Nd6 16.e5 Ndc4 17.Nxc4 dxc4 18.Be4
(18.Bxc4 cxd4 attacks the bishop)
18...Bb7 19.Rad1 cxd4 20.cxd4 Bd5
(White's attack is also faster after 20...Bxe4 21.Qxe4 Nb3 22.Bc3 b5 23.f4 a5 24.f5)
21.Bc3 b5 22.f4! Nc6 23.f5 Qe7
(Black optimistically grabs a pawn but 23...a5 24.f6 Bxe4 25.Qxe4 b4 26.Be1 also looks good for White, he threatens e5-e6 26...Re8 27.Qg4 g6 28.Qh4)
24.f6 Qxa3 25.Rf3!
Threat Bxh7+ Rh3+ and Qh5
25...g6 26.e6! Bxe4 27.Qxe4 Rd6 28.e7 Re8 29.Qf4 1-0
M Dambacher
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Baadur Jobava
Final position after 29.Qf4 and Qh6 will force mate for example 29...Kh8 30.Qh6 Rg8 31.Qxh7+! or 31.e8(Q)
