TWIC is 31. First issue 17th September 1994.
World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2012 (Day 3)
Karjakin surges to World Rapid title on the final day
IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 11th July 2012
Sergey Karjakin scored 4.5/5 on the final day to win the World Rapid Chess Championship in Astana as Magnus Carlsen faltered and Vasily Ivanchuk played a decisive role. Karjakin ended a full point clear of the world number one on 11.5/15. Carlsen was outright second on 10.5 with Veselin Topalov third on tie break from Shak Mamedyarov with 9.5.
In round 11, the first of the third day's play, Ivanchuk lost on time to Karjakin on the 75th move as he was trying to win an advantageous endgame. This gift seemed to energise Karajkin and he won his next three games. Karjakin was most impressive against Teimour Radjabov, as he converted a double rook endgame with an extra pawn before he exploited lacklustre opening play from Peter Svidler and again won a pawn. Carlsen blew his 1.5 point lead after losing to Ivanchuk, who ambushed him in the opening and then he subsided slowly against Alexander Grischuk as his Berlin Wall was demolished brick by brick.
In the final round Carlsen should have been mated by Veselin Topalov, the missed continuation forms today's puzzle. Topalov had just played 40.Nh5+!! and Carlsen had no choice but to take. The game ended
41.Qxh5? Rd6 42.Rg5+ Rg6 43.Rxd5 Qc6 44.Qxg6+ Qxg6 45.Rxd8 c4 46.d5 Qc2 47.d6 Qd2 48.Re4 Qxb2 49.Rxc4 Qa1+ 50.Kh2 Qe5+ 51.Kg1 Qe1+ 52.Kh2 Qe5+ 53.f4 Qe3 54.d7 Qg3+ draw.
What did Topalov miss from the board below?
Magnus Carlsen
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Veselin Topalov
Position after 40.Nh5+!! gxh5 White to play and win.
Answer:
41.Rg5+! Kf8 42.Qxh5 Nf6 43.Qh6#; 41.Rg5+! Kh7 42.Qxh5#; 41.Rg5+ Kf8! 42.Qxh5 f5 43.Qh8+ Kf7 44.Qg7#.
A Grischuk - V Bologan
World Rapid Final Astana
Caro Kann Advance Short Variation
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.0-0 h6 7.Nbd2 Bg6 8.Nb3 Nd7 9.Bd2 Nf5 10.Rc1 Be7 11.Ba5 b6 12.Bd2 0-0 13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Bh5 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 c5 17.Bd3 cxd4 18.Qe4
(Threatening g4)
18...g6
(Black's king is weak but he is surviving until a blunder on move 29)
19.Rfd1 Kh7 20.Qe2 Nc5 21.Bxf5 exf5 22.Bc3 Nxb3 23.axb3 Qd5 24.Rxd4 Qe6 25.b4 Rfd8 26.Qf3 Rac8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Ra1 Rd7 29.Qa8 Qc4?
29...Bd8 30.Rxa7 limits the damage to a pawn
Viktor Bologan
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Alexander Grischuk
Position after 29...Qc4?
30.e6! Rd8
(30...Qxe6 31.Qh8#)
31.Qxa7 Qxe6 32.Re1 Rd7 33.Qa8 1-0
Perhaps Black was fed up because 33...Qxe1+ 34.Bxe1 Rd1 resists 33.Qb8! Qxe1+ 34.Bxe1 Rd1 35.Qxb6 was better and an easy win.
