World Championships
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2010 Women Chess Cup (Antakya, Turkey)
Today starts the Women’s World Championship with most of the top players in the world. Of course, Judit Polgar has eschewed playing in the gender-based tournament, but as the gap closes, there may be more entrants into the upper echelon of chess. Two possibilities are from the Asian continent in…
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Carlsen bolts Championship Cycle
Magnus Carlsen has written FIDE a letter expressing his intent to exit from the World Championship Cycle. Photo by ChessBase. Magnus Carlsen, one of the top contenders for the World Championship crown, has decided to drop out of the cycle. This is the first time since Garry Kasparov that such…
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WCC 2010-12: Anand wins… defends title!
Viswanathan Anand Photo © Chessvibes. There was speculation on whether the match finale would show Topalov going for the juglar. Yet it was Anand who bolted out of the opening with the dynamism that he had been reserving with the black pieces. Anand played with the energy, speed and precision…
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WCC 2010-11: Gladiator Battle, but no Winner
While this match has had its share of mistakes, no chess fan on the planet will say that the match was not hard-fought. This match has had many exciting battles where the game hung in the balance such that the result was unclear. Game #11 was different because it featured…
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WCC 2010-10: Topalov charges but Anand holds
Topalov and Anand battle in Game 10’s Grunfeld Defense. Photo by Chessvibes. This world championship will go down go down as one of the best in the past 25 years. The play has not been stellar, but the fighting between the two players has been admirable and the games (and…
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WCC 2010-9: Missed Chances in Seesaw Battle
This illustration was done by Mike Magnan of Toronto. Magnan is one of several talented chess cartoonists which include José Diaz for Chessvibes and Rene Duret for Alexandra Kosteniuk’s site. These types of images will certainly make chess appear to be more friendly. Viswanathan Anand may have missed a crucial…
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WCC 2010-8: Topalov levels match at 4-4!
The body language tells all… Topalov will be pressing and Anand will be defending. Game #8 had its twists and turns but certainly not reminiscent of Game #7. Photo © ChessVibes. If it is not clear that the momentum shifted after Game #7, then it should be absolutely clear that…
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WCC 2010-7: ‘Fire on Board’ fizzles to draw
Anand and Topalov have an epic battle in Game #7. Photo © Chessvibes. World Champion Viswanathan Anand and Challenger Veselin Topalov played what was arguably the most exciting game in the match. A game replete with theoretical complications and a perpetual ebb and flow, Topalov rolled out his famous preparation…
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WCC 2010-6: Topalov presses but no point
Veselin Topalov knows that he will have to build some momentum since he is a point down in a short match. In Game #6, Topalov gained that momentum by outplaying Viswanathan Anand in the latter stages of the game, but unfortunately was unable to score a full point. Nevertheless, this…
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WCC 2010-5: Anand continues to hold lead
Topalov and Anand square in a pivotal 5th game. Photo by ChessBase. Game #5 was a key affair for Challenger Veselin Topalov. Many pundits were wondering how he would react to the severe thrashing he took in the previous game. Would he come out with guns blazing trying to get…
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