ODT070703

=**World Championship cycle resumes**=


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

Another step was taken toward resurrecting a credible world championship qualifying cycle when the Candidates quarter and semi-final matches were staged in Elista in the Russian Federation recently. Sixteen grandmasters started – twelve as the highest finishers in the 2006 FIDE World Cup and four as the bottom half of the previous World Championship tournament in San Luis. After two rounds of six-game knockout matches, the remaining four were to join the current World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the 2nd-4th finshers from San Luis, in another eight-player double round-robin World Championship tournament to be held in Mexico later this year.

The Candidates matches saw some great fighting chess, with players generally pulling out all the stops in an effort to progress to Mexico. The eventual qualifiers were Levon Aronian (Armenia), Peter Leko (Hungary), Boris Gelfand (Israel) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia). These four will join Kramnik (Russia), Vishwananthan Anand (India), Peter Svidler (Russia) and Alexander Morozevich (Russia) in the final.

Of the four qualifiers Aronian probably had the hardest path, drawn to play the fast improving Magnus Carlsen in the first round. Their match was an epic battle, drawn with two wins apiece and staying level in the rapid playoff before Aronian prevailed in the blitz playoff. Today's game is the very first game of that match where Aronian managed a sparkling win with the black pieces. Notes are based on those of IM Malcolm Pein. media type="custom" key="26836742" In the Ruy Lopez, avoiding the Marshal Attack (6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d5!?) has become almost routine at this level. An original way to organise c7-c5, claiming precious central space. White should be aiming for b2-b4 and Qb3 with play against the weak doubled pawn on e6 as occurs in some other Anti-Marshal lines. Securing a potentially lethal outpost on d3 for the knight and a queenside pawn majority. After the exchange of knights Black has the superior minor piece, as well as mobile pawns and a king-side attack. Now if 25 Nf5 then d5 undermines the knight. A spectacular rook offer, which Carlsen declines. If 27 gxf3 then Rxf3! threatening 28 ... Qxh3 & 29 ... Bh2+ mating. So 28 Nf4 Bxf4 29 Qd5+ Kh7 30 Qf5 Qxf5! with a winning endgame: 31 exf5 Be5 32 Ra2 Rb3 33 Rb1 c3 etc. Or if 27 Qd5+ Kh7 28 Rad1 Qc8 intending 29 ... Rxh3 continues as above. If on move 26 Carlsen had played f3 instead of Rf1, 26 ... Rxf3!! would still have come. The protected passed c-pawn is now a winning endgame asset for Black. E.g. if White defends the e-pawn by 29 f4 Bf6 30 Qd5+ Qxd5 31 exd5 Rc8 followed by Rc8-c5 and c4-c3 etc. Or 33 Qxc5 dxc5 34 f4 b4 and the connected passed pawns win. Preventing any counterplay starting with a back-rank check and preparing the crushing advance b5-b4-b3 etc so White resigns.
 * 1. e4 e5**
 * 2. Nf3 Nc6**
 * 3. Bb5 a6**
 * 4. Ba4 Nf6**
 * 5. O-O Be7**
 * 6. d3 ---**
 * 6. --- b5**
 * 7. Bb3 d6**
 * 8. a4 Rb8**
 * 9. axb5 axb5**
 * 10. Nc3 O-O**
 * 11. h3 Nb4!**
 * 12. Ne2 c5**
 * 13. Ng3 Be6**
 * 14. Bxe6 fxe6**
 * 15. c3 Nc6**
 * 16. Re1 Qd7**
 * 17. d4?! ---**
 * 17. --- exd4**
 * 18. cxd4 c4!**
 * 19. Bg5 h6**
 * 20. d5 exd5**
 * 21. Bxf6 Bxf6**
 * 22. Qxd5+ Rf7**
 * 23. Qd2 Ne5!**
 * 24. Nxe5 Bxe5**
 * 25. Ne2 Rbf8**
 * 26. Rf1 Rf3!!**
 * 27. Ra3 Rxa3**
 * 28. bxa3 Qc6**
 * 29. Nd4 Bxd4**
 * 30. Qxd4 Ra8**
 * 31. Ra1 c3**
 * 32. Qb4 Qc5**
 * 33. Qb3+ ---**
 * 33. --- Kh8**
 * 34. Ra2 Ra4**
 * 35. Re2 Rxa3**
 * 36. Qd1 Ra8**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Re8! Qxe8 (else 2 Qg7#) 2 Qf6+ Rg7 3 Qxg7#.