World Championship: Take Another Moment to Remember Smyslov

World Championship matches are the supreme form of chess in almost every way.  The quality of play is usually worthy of the event's name; every match has its own off-the-board drama; the opening preparation, for example, is intriguing in a way that is missing in even the Super GM tournaments; and seemingly tangential events--like the mere identity of the contenders' seconds--can make for big news. 

The intensity of a World Championship is simply unequaled by every other form of the game...as it should be.  And this year's Championship is likely to be no exception. 

As the first game of the World Championship nears, may I suggest that you take one more moment to remember a past World Champion--Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov--who passed away recently. 

There are few better ways to do so than by reading Tim Harding's piece at ChessCafe.com.

World Championship: First Game Will Be Saturday

The opening ceremony for the World Championship will be held today.  The first round, however, has been delayed one day until Saturday due to Europe's air transportation crisis and Anand's resulting late arrival in Sofia. Georgios Makropoulos, Deputy President of the FIDE, stated there was an impasse in resolving a dispute over the start time of the match.  This dispute likely involved a tension between Anand asking for three days and the Bulgarians offering none.  Makropoulos decided to delay the first round one day, which seems the easy and best decision. 

Go to Chessdom for a full report and a large number of photos. 

World Championship: Patience Required

See Chessdom for a more full report.

FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos:

"What happened is known to everybody. The volcano in Iceland erupted, a lot of airports are having problems, a lot of flights are cancelled. Sofia is also one of those airports that partly has problem. We have late arrivals not only with Anand, but also of officials of FIDE for the Presidential board and for the match – the second arbiter is not here, the members of the appeals committee are not here as well, we do not know yet exactly when they are going to arrive. We are giving instructions and helping everyone with how to move and what transportation to take if airports are closed. For example, to fly to either Thessaloniki or Istanbul and drive from there. We are not sure if the FIDE President himself will arrive.

Two days ago we received a letter from Viswanathan Anand, asking a postponement of three days because he cannot arrive on time. Now, it is clear that here we’re facing a force majeure situation. Of course, based on the agreement we have signed, all sides should do their best here to solve this problem, FIDE, the organizers, Anand should also try to come up with other transportation. He is actually on his way by car, as far as I know. From what I know they have already left to Sofia, so we are expecting them probably Tuesday early in the morning or in the afternoon."  (Emphasis added.)

All need to be respectful of the operative contracts and of the prospect that delay will cost the organizers' substantial money.  Nevertheless, the organizers' initial written response was inartfully crafted and seemed to fly (when nothing else would) in the face of some rather harsh reality.  A little up front grace would have gone a long way.

World Championship: Match Delayed?

For reasons unknown, Iceland is attempting to delay the start of the World Championship match between Anand and Topalov scheduled to start on Wednesday.  The country is spewing vast amounts of volcanic ash over most of Europe and has managed to bring the airlines to a standstill with the help of Europe's transportation authorities.  Anand is reportedly still some substantial distance from Sofia, and he's not likely to be flying there in the next day or two.  One can imagine the difficulties of trying to find alternative transportation at such a time, but the word is that he's trying.  Anand has invoked the force majeure provision of his contract (clauses that provide performance relief in the event of natural disasters), asking for a three day delay.  The organizers aren't too keen on the prospect (see below).  We should all be looking forward to hearing from Topalov's team, if we haven't already. 

World Championship (2): Assessment at 25,000 feet

Overall statistics:

I have 88 games between Anand and Topalov in my Mega 2009 (updated with all but CBM 133). This number includes fast time controls and blindfold. White has won 31% of the games and Black 14%. Anand has scored 48.5 out of the 88 games. Topalov has scored 39.5 of 88. All percentages hereafter are from the white perspective.

The players have met by my count 49 times in classical chess, splitting the score down the middle. That goes also for the last 11 games played since the beginning of 2008, each with 2 wins.

Anand has had white in 25 of the 49 classic games. He’s scored 58.3% in 24 games beginning 1.e4, and he‘s won 1 of 1 with 1.Nf3. Topalov has had white 24 times in the classic games. He’s played 1.e4 15 times (scoring 53.3%), 1.d4 8 times (75%), and 1.Nf3 once (50%).

High Level Opening breakdown:

Anand as White. Topalov has answered 1.e4 with 1...c5 17 times, with 1...e5 6 times, and with 1...c6 once.

Respecting the 17 Sicilians, Topalov has played 2...d6 15 times, 2...e6 once, and 2...Nc6 once. Of those Sicilians with 2...d6, 15 have been Najdorfs (61.5%), and 2 Dragons (25%). Against the Najdorfs, Anand has played 8 English Attacks (75%), 3 Classics (6.Be2)(33.3%), and 2 6.f3s (50%). Against the English Attack, Topalov has played 6...e5 (83.3%), 6...e6 (66.7%), and 6...Ng4 (75%).

All of the six 1...e5s have led to the Ruy Lopez (66.6%), with two of those being Berlins (50%).

Topalov as White. Anand has answered 15 1.e4s with eight 1...e5s, four 1...c5s, two 1...c6s, and an 1...e6. Three of the 1...e5s have been Petroffs (33%) and the others classical Ruys (40%).

Against the Sicilian, Topalov has played everything but the English Attack: one 6.Be2, one Bg5, one f3, and one Bc4. He won all of these games save the 6.Be2 game, which was drawn.

Anand has played only 1...Nf6 against the six 1.d4s. Four of these have been Queen’s Indians (83.6%), and two Nimzos (50%, both drawn). Topalov scored 75% against the Caro-Kanns, and won against the French in a Burns variation.

Conclusions: None.

Okay, but not taking this too seriously, Topalov should play the Dragon, and not get into the English Attack against Anand, or he should play the Berlin. Anand should avoid the Sicilian, or consider other than the Najdorf, or play the Petroff against 1.e4. He should go back to the drawing board against 1.d4.

World Championship (1): Beginning the Preview

I'll begin here a preview that is going to go into some depth and over a number of posts between now and the match. I'm a fan of the big chess match, and we have few of them these days. Chess, according to me, was never better than in the matches leading to and including the World Championship in Reykjavik. Matches have not only the interest of the game at hand, but there's a psychological element that is sharply heightened as the players come out to face each other day after day. Who, for example, will go to the bathroom too often? There's also a greater anticipation concerning opening selection and the appearance of novelties.

Will the players continue a theoretical "discussion" begun years ago and played out over many games since, or will one or both of them build a new repertoire, either in whole or in part? How will the players respond when the match score is no longer level?

One of the things I note about World Championship matches is that there's often a feeling of doubt about whether the players are really the best two players in the world. Anand just turned 40, and Topalov is going to be 35 in March. Poets, theoretical physicists, and chess players are on the downhill after 30, aren't they? Anand, Ivanchuk, and Short, among others, may have something to say here. And of course neither Anand nor Topalov is likely to be the world's highest rated player at the time of the match. The new number one, who's less than half the age of Anand, is a giant shoe waiting to drop somewhere. In addition, Anand demolished Kramnik in the last match, but Kramnik has dominated Topalov, about to the same extent that Anand has dominated Topalov (but this is considering all games, including fast time controls and blindfold). That's not exciting. (The only player who's ever had Anand's number is Kasparov.)

Having said all that, I don't think there's a better matchup for the World Championship than Anand and Topalov in 2010. We have the 2nd and 3rd rated players meeting, and the 4th rated was defeated by Anand just last year. I'm a fan of the kid from Norway, but we're all going to have to wait a bit for him. I also have doubts about whether Carlsen would defeat either of these players in a match in 2010.

Finally, remember that even if the chess all goes to hell in a hand basket, we'll still have Silvio. Mark your calendars for April 21.