(143) World's No. 1 Prefers to let creativity be his guide

WORLD'S NO. 1 MAGNUS CARLSEN

World's No. 1 chess player Magnus Carlsen of Norway plays against a player twice his age. He's still a teen-ager here during the 2006 Torino, Italy World Chess Olympiad. Carlsen qualified to play in the next cycle of chess events to determine the challenger of reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India.        (Photo by Jan-Olav Berglund)




    WORLD'S NO. 1 PREFERS TO LET
       CREATIVITY BE HIS GUIDE
(This article by Dylan Loeb McClain was published in The New York Times in July 03, 2010)

ONE OF the reasons that Gary Kasparov was the world's dominant player from the late 1980's through the '90's was that he was better prepared than his competitors.

He spent an enormous amount of time researching openings for new ideas to spring on his opponents, or he paid others to do it for him.

Magnus Carlsen, currently the world's top-ranked player, is beginning to be dominant as Kasparov was, but it is not because of his preparation.

He has described himself as a bit lazy, so rather than play the most popular openings, which everyone has studied, he often chooses systems, particularly as White, that do not yield any advantage.

Carlsen wants to get out of the opening and advance to the point in games where he can use his creativity to outwit his opponents. His motto might be "Just play it."

At the fourth King's Tournament in Romania, which ended just a week ago, Carlsen ran away from the field that includes 3 of the top 15 players in the world.

In Round 4, playing White, he beat Wang Yue of China using the King's Gambit, an opening that has not been played regularly, if at all, for decades at the top level because there are several ways for Black to achieve a good position.

Wang chooses 2. ... d5, the Faulkbeer Counter Gambit. After 3. exd5, he could have played 3. ... e4 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 e3 7. Be3 nd5 8. Bd2 0-0, when Black has compensation for his pawn deficit.

But Wang chooses the quieter 3. ... exf4, which also gives Black a fine position.

Carlsen's 7. Bd5 was surprising, as White usually does not trade the light-squared bishop so easily, but it speeded up his development.

Wang should have played 11. ... Nc6, but he underestimated Whites' chances. After 13. Nb5 Qd8 14. c4, White pawn center and pawn majority on the queenside gave him an edge.

Carlsen's 30. Nb6 was a nice move because Wang could not take the d pawn without losing material. For example 30. ... Qxd6 31. Re8+ wins. Or 30. ... Rxd6 31. Nd5 Qg5 32. Rxf5 Qxf5 33. Ne7+ Kf8 34. Nxf5 Rxd4 35. Nxd4 and White is up a piece.

Wang sacrificed an exchange to get rid of the d pawn, but the ending was worse for Black. He then blundered with 45. ... g5, allowing Carlsen to get a passed pawn with 46. g4.

Wang resigned after 54. Ke3. He could have been checkmated soon, and promoting a pawn by 54. ... f1=Q would not saved him.

THE MOVES: White: Carlsen Black: Wang 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 exf4 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bc4 Nd5 6. 0-0 Be7 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qd8 9. d4 0-0 10. Bf4 Bf5 11. Bf4 Bf5 12. Qe2 Bd6 13. Nb5 Qd8 14. c4 a6 15. Nc3 Nd7 16. Rad1 Bg6 17. Qf2 Re8 18. h3 Re8 19. Rfe1 Rxe1 20. Rxe1 c6 21. d5 Nf6 22. Qd4 cxd5 23. Nxd5 Nxd5 24. cxd5 Qd6 25. Ne5 Re8 26. Re3 Rd8 27. Nc4 Qf6 28. Rc5 h6 29. d6 Bf5 30. Nb6 Bc6 31. d7 Kh8 32. a4 g6 33. Qc3 Kg7 34. a5 h5 35. h4 Rd7 36. Nxd7 Bxd7 37. Qd4 Bc6 38. b4 Bb5 39. Kh2 Ba4 40. Rd5 Bc6 41. Qxf6 Kxf6 42.Rc5 Ke6 43. Kg3 f6 44. Kf2 Bd5 45. g3 g5 46. g4 hxg4 47. h5 Be4 48. Rc7 f5 49. h6 f4 50. h7 g3+ 51. Ke1 f3 52. h8=Q f2 53. Ke2 Bd3+ 54. Ke3 Resigns.

      REMAINS OF BOBBY FISCHER
       ARE EXHUMED IN ICELAND
By Dylan Loeb McClain, Compiled by Kate Taylor Published July 05, 2010

THE REMAINS of Bobby Fischer, the American chess champion, have been exhumed at the cemetery of Laugardaelir Church in Iceland, according to report Monday in The Reykjavik Grapevine, a magazine.

The exhumation was ordered by Icelandic Supreme Court to determine if Fischer is the father of Jinky Young, a 9-year old Filipino girl.

Olafur Heigi Kjartansson, the sheriff of Selfoss, the town near the cemetery; the Rev. Kristinn Agust Fridfinsson, the pastor of Selfoss; members of the local parish; medical workers; and several law-enforcement officers oversaw the exhumation, according to The Grapevine.

Since Fischer's death in 2008 there has been a dispute over his estate involving claims by Marilyn Young, Jinky's mother; Miyoko Watai, general secretary of the Japanese Chess Association, who said she married Fischer in 2004; and two of Fischer's nephews, Alexander and Nicholas Targ.

The estate is said to be worth at least $2 million, and Fischer left no will. Marilyn filed her claim in Iceland last November. Among the documents she provided were pictures of herself with Fischer and Jinky, and postcards to Jinky signed "Daddy" that she said were from Fischer.

She has also produced records showing that Fischer gave her money in 2006 and 2007 for Jinky, according to RUV, a public broadcaster. Ms. Young had sought to retrieve samples of Fischer's DNA from the National Hospital in Iceland, where he died, but none had been preserved.


Source: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Page 12-13
Volume 19 Issue 30
July 26 - August 01, 2010