ODT101116

= **Carlsen withdraws from World Championship** =

**Problem:** White to play and mate in 5.

Norway's Magnus Carslen (19) has delayed his seemingly inevitable destiny to become the world champion, by withdrawing from the current qualification cycle for the next challenger to India's Vishy Anand. In an open letter to the FIDE (International Chess Federation) president, Kirsan Ilyumzinov, Carlsen cited his dissatisfaction with ongoing rule changes and the grueling schedule of matches required, while the reigning champion advantageously waits to meet the winner.

As the most favoured contender to Anand's title, Carlsen's withdrawal is a blow to FIDE's newly redesigned qualification cycle, if understandable from a professional chessplayer's point of view. At the start of 2010 he became the youngest ever player to rank number one in the world. Though a series of uncharacteristic losses in the recent Olympiad and the Bilbao Masters (won by Vladimir Kramnik) meant that he was toppled as number one in the November rankings by Anand. However Carlsen recovered in the Pearl Spring Masters tournament in Nanjing this month, where he comfortably won with a round to spare on 7/10 ahead of both Anand and his last challenger for the world title, Veselin Topalov.

Today's game is the first of Carlsen's two wins versus Topalov at Nanjing, from the 5th round with Carlsen playing White. media type="custom" key="26033112" **1.e4 e5** **2.Nf3 Nc6** **3.Bb5 a6** **4.Ba4 Nf6** **5.O-O Be7** **6.d3 ---** One of the ways White avoids meeting the Marshall Gambit, which is proving very resilient against the Ruy Lopez. **6.--- b5** **7.Bb3 d6** **8.a4 Rb8** **9.axb5 axb5** **10.Nbd2 ---** Here 10 Nc3 transposes back to an older line with a 100 year pedigree, whereas the the text leads to more typical Ruy Lopez central buildup to d3-d4. **10.--- O-O** **11.Re1 Bd7** **12.c3 Ra8** **13.Rxa8 Qxa8** **14.d4 h6** **15.Nf1 Re8** **16.Ng3 Qc8** White's pawn centre and the strength of his light-squared bishop give him the advantage. Black has been unable to neutralise it with either ...Na5 due to the weakness of his e5 pawn or ...Be6 because of the fork d4-d5. This central preponderance allows White to build up a kingside attack. **17.Nh4 Bf8** More combative seems to be 17...Na5 18 Bc2 (or 18 Ba2 Nc4) allowing Black to retain a key defensive piece. White immediately exploits the pin on f7 to remove the bishop. **18.Ng6! Na5** **19.Nxf8 Rxf8** **20.Bc2 Re8** Leaving the the black knight is stuck out on a5. 20...c5 challenging immediately in the centre was possible. **21.f4! Bg4?** Chasing the queen to its ideal square – 21...Nc4 was better. Now the threats of capturing on b5 and e5 force Black to concede the blockade on e5 allowing White to bring both his bishops to bear on the black kingside. **22.Qd3 exf4** **23.Bxf4 Nc4** **24.Bc1 c5** **25.Rf1 cxd4** **26.cxd4 Qd8** Defending against the threat 27 Bxh6 gxh6 28 Rxf6. White has all his forces aimed at the black king and calmly improves his position before choosing the final method of assault. **27.h3 Be6** **28.b3 Qa5** **29.Kh2! ---** Preventing any awkward checks and demonstrating that Black has no defence to the combined threats of 30 Rxf6! and 30 e5. Material gain by 29 bxc4?! Bxc4 30 Qd2 Qxd2 31 Bxd2 Bxf1 32 Kxf1 would leave a much longer winning task in prospect. **29.--- Nh7** **30.e5 g6** If 30...Nf8 then 31 Nh5 Ng6 32 Qg3 leaves Black with a piece en prise and the threat of 33 Bxg6 breaking through (32 ...Nd2 33 Rf2 doesn't help). **31.d5 Nxe5** **32.dxe6! Resigns** Black loses a piece, as after capturing the queen 32... Nxd3 33 exf7+ Kf8 34 Bxh6+ Ke7 35 fxe8=Q+ Kxe8 36 Bxd3 Kd8 37 Bxg6 even the knight can't be saved.

**1-0**

**Solution:** 1 Rxh7+!! (1 Qh5? Qd1+) Kxh7 (1...Kg8 2 Qg4+ Ng5 3 Qxg5+ Kf8 4 Qxd8# or 3... Kxh7 4 Qg7#) 2 Qh5+ Kg8 3 Qg6+ Kf8 4 Qg7+ Ke8 5 Qe7#.