Chess Olympiad starts at Dresden

The Chess Olympiad 2008 started on 12th in Dresden with a record number of participating nations of 149 countries  and a total of 1345 players. More than half of them are titled, as there are 245 GMs, 69 WGMs, 169 IMs, etc.

Live coverage of this world event can be seen on Europe-Echecs/ Chessdom and Liveteleshows

ANAND IS WORLD CHESS CHAMPION

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand on Wednesday retained the world chess

championship crown after drawing with Russian challenger Vladimir Kramnik in the 11th game, capping a remarkable victory in a tension-filled match in Bonn.Playing white, Anand did not give any chance to a resurgent Kramnik who had got a bit of life after winning the 10th game of the match. Anand finished the match with an overall score of 6.5-4.5 points, which means a handy two point lead for the Indian ace in the 12-game match.

Kramnik, who had got a whiff of life after winning the 10th game of the match, could not do an encore with the black pieces and turned out to be a graceful loser in the end. Anand won three while Kramnik won one game in the 11 games played in the match while rest of the games were drawn.

CLICK ON LATEST VIDEO FOR THE CROWNING CEREMONY AND EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH ANAND     OR

CLICK ON VIDEO LINK  http://blip.tv/file/1412140

Anand half a point away from World Title

GM Vishy Anand Who lost the 10th Round game will be playing his 11th encounter with Vladimir Kramnik at the Arts and Exhibition  Hall in Bonn today from 3. p.m. He will have white pieces and there is every likelihood that this may be the last game for Anand to lift the coveted title

Click the LATEST Video to know what these two players said after the 10th Round

Humpy Harika get Silver medals at ECC 2008

India's Best Women Chess Player GM Koneru Humpy and World Jr Girls Champion Dronavali Harika  won individual Silver Medals at the Just Concluded ECC 2008 Championship.

Koneru Humpy playing for Monte Carlo also helped her team to get gold for the best performance

Anand draws 7th Game: 1.5points away from Title

Viswanathan Anand was unable to make it a hat-trick of wins, but nevertheless moved closer to retaining his world title with a draw in the seventh game that gave him a 5-2 lead over Vladimir Kramnik in the 12-game World Chess championship final.

With the match moving into the second half, Anand had white for the second game in a row. This is because the games are played in pairs and the regulations switch the day that the players have white in this pair at the half way stage

Anand beat Kramnik :heads for the World Title

The Reigning World Chess Champion Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand once again confirmed his superiority when with black he thrashed Vladimir Kramnik in the 6th Round Game of WCC Match 2008 being played here in Bonn , Germany.

Kramnik once again was surprised in the same opening - really bad work of his seconds - and got into time trouble. Then, experiencing some problems, he missed a nice combination and lost his second game. This could prove decisive for the outcome of the match but it isn't over yet. Nevertheless, he is definitely not in his best form and Anand is all sey to  successfully defend his title. Anand is just two points away from taking the Unified World Chess Champion's Title

Anand beat Kramnik Takes 2 points lead at WCC

Anand does it again : Demolishes Kramnik  in 5th Game

Anand won Game 5 of the match with Black –The playersrepeated the opening of Game 3 – the Meran Variation of the Slav Defence.In a complex middle game position.

Kramnik, who was getting short of time, went for a combination which

had a major tactical flaw. After five games Anand is leading +2 =3. He will

have White in Game 6 today

Watch their GAMES AND LISTEN TO THEM AFTER R 5

Six Teams with Perfect Score after 3 Rounds

The top seeded URAL Sverdlovskaya passed  another barrier, allowing only one draw to the team of Siroki Brijeg - Hering. Much more uncertainty was seen in the match between MIKA Chess Club and 4-time ECC winner Bosna Sarajevo. Being weakened after the unexpected withdrawal  of Alexander Morozevich, the Bosnian team still gave a stiff resistance. Baadur Jobava and Arman Pashikian brought a lead to MIKA, which proved to be decisive in spite of Magnus Carlsen’s rook blunder in the endgame against Sergei Movsesian. With this win, Movsesian enters top 10 in the Live Rating List provided by Hans Arild Runde.

See also the video interview with Magnus Carlsen. [Click on LATEST VIDEO]

Humpy wins in ECC 2008

After the usual swiss first-round mixed matchups, today’s pairings brought more balance in comparative average ratings. The top teams have introduced their strongest lineups after some of the best players had a rest day - Teimour Radjabov, Magnus Carlsen Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Sasikiran and Harikrishna have stepped on the scene.

Anand beat Kramnik with Black pieces in 3rd Game

Anand missed excellent winning chances in the previous game. Being a pawn up, he got himself into time trouble and agreed to draw having clear edge

In the 3^rd game  Kramnik playing with white, decided  that it's vital to finish rapidly the development, even if it results in weakening of the pawn structure.

Vishy took early  initiative in this game and forced Kramnik into a time trouble. This lead to the 25.Qe2 inaccuracy and subsequently to 33.Bd3?? when White was doomed. Good game by Anand and he takes the lead in the match.

Anand surprises Kramnik in Game 2

Viswanathan Anand (India) decides to play 1.d4) and surprised Kramnik. The two players got engaged in Nimzo-Indian variant Sämisch in Game 2

 The match in 12 games classics (120 minutes for the first 40 shots and 60 minutes for 20 moves following and finally, 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from 61st coup.) More tie if necessary (Sunday November 2 at 15:00), takes place in "Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn.  The contract was signed by players on 18 December 2007, who decided to share the prize of 1.5 million euro in equal shares, regardless of the outcome of the match.

Watch the video Report of Game 2 by Clicking on the LATEST VIDEO/ 

WCC Match Anand vs Kramnik First Game Drawn

Indian Media Persons with Aruna Anand at WCC Match Anand vs Kramnik [Left to Right Rakesh Rao [Hindu] Vijay Kumar [TV] Manisha Mohite [MID DAY]  Shrikant [HT] and Aruna Anand.

Reigning World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik are playing WCC Match here in Bonn. In this duel of 12 games,Vladimir Kramnik having white pieces in the first game opened with d4 to which Anand replied with d5 and later look the game to Queen's Gambit Declined Slav variation giving a hint that he wants to give a fightin game to Kramnik. However Kramnik played cautiously and agreed for a draw in the end game

Here is video Report of the First Game  : http://blip.tv/file/1360391/

BILBAO GRAND SLAM on DD Sports

Kosteniuk beat Stefanova in Blitz Final

3rd Europe Echecs Circuit Chess under Eiffel Tower

Europe Echecs is organizing the 3rd Circuit Espoir which will take place on 5th October, under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. This year, the chess event will be part of the bigger festival - "Vivre le sport", which will bring together the best European athletes of 18 sports. This day will be opened by a speech of the President of the European Union, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Sophie Milliet, 2008 French champion, and Pauline Guichard will represent tricolores, while the best Latvian player Dana Reizniece and 2008 Hungarian champion Anna Rudolf will complete the international presence.

HARIKRISHNA WINS SPICE CUP

India’s Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna  Came out victorious in the tie breaks to share the Top position with Onischuk, Kritz and Akobian on 5.5 points each in the just concluded SPICE CUP organized by GM Susan Polgar

A Category 15 SPICE Cup (SPICE is Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) finished yesterday in Lubbock, Texas. It was unusual for the U.S. chess scene in that it was an all play-all event of real international importance

FIGHTING FOR THE CROWN

A short documentary entitled FIGHTING FOR THE CROWN has been produced for telecast on German TV Network prior to start of the WCC Match between Grandmasters Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik.

The match begins on 14th October and this 12 game Marathon will be played in Bonn to determine the UNIFIED WORLD CHESS CHAMPION

A  DVD of this Programme will also be available  in the first week of October and will be on sale during the championship

CLICK ON THE LATEST VIDEO for the trailor of  FIGHTING FOR THE CROWN >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Alexandra Kosteniuk Wins The Crown

Alexandra Kosteniuk played another superb game today to clinch the final match and crown herself as the 14th Women's World Champion. Seven years after losing a final to Zhu Chen, Kosteniuk was ready for the Chinese challenge and outplayed 14-years old GM-elect Hou Yifan by 2.5-1.5.

Topalov is Bilbao Grand Slam Champion

It was an exiting finish of a great tournament. The game Carlsen –Anand was a bit dull (the Exchange Slav), but the other two didn't disappoint. Topalov employed a novelty in a fashionable line of the Meran Slav. Ivanchuk sacrificed a pawn, but a counter-sacrifice allowed Topalov to obtain a very promising endgame, where he later converted his advantage into a full point and captured the Bilbao Grand Slam Title.

Interview with Topalov  VIDEO: http://blip.tv/file/1258612   

Prize Distribution  VIDEO: http://blip.tv/file/1258823

Inidians at Figueira da Foz Chess International

Figueira da Foz , a small city some 200 km North of Lisbon in Portugal will be hosting Figueira da Foz International Chess Meet 2008 for the Fifth Time  immediately after the Chess Olympiad from 29^th November to 7^th December 2008. Some 76 Chess Players including the reigning World Jr Champion Abhijeet Gupta and the former World Jr Girls Champion Vera Nebolsina  will compete for a 4500 Euro prize money tournament.

The man behind the championship Miguel Babo was in Bilbao and Vijay Kumar  spoke to him about his tournament.

Click on the Latest Video

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