ZURICH Chess Challenge 2014

[ajay]

As Tata Steel chess ends, another high profile tournament starts today. ZURICH Chess challenge will host 6 players this year, including Carlsen and Anand. Carlsen is playing first tournament as a world champion. There will be only 5 rounds in the tournament. The list of players is:

Carlsen
Aroninan
Anand
Caruana
Nakamura
Gelfand

Last year (2013) only 4 players (Anand, Kramnik, Gelfand, and Caruana) played the tournament. Anand beat Kramnik in the final round (only victory) to take the second place. Anand earlier lost to talented youngster Caruana who also won the tournament.

[sameerph]

It seems Anand is now ranked 9th in the world & will be going into this tournament as the lowest ranked player which will be something new for him. Somtimes, it is not bad going into a tournament as underdog.

[ajay]

Today they played Blitz tournament to determine the color. Anand won two, lost two and drew one. Anand lost to the top two players, i.e. Carlsen and Aronian, won against Caruana and Gelfand, and drew with Nakamura (that's a relief). Everybody lost at least one game,

Round 1

GM Carlsen, M. (0) 2872 0-1 GM Caruana, F. (0) 2782
GM Gelfand, B. (0) 2777 1-0 GM Nakamura, H. (0)
GM Aronian, L. (0) 2812 1-0 GM Anand, V. (0) 2773

Round 2

GM Caruana, F. (1) 2782 0-1 GM Anand, V. (0) 2773
GM Nakamura, H. (0) 2789 1-0 GM Aronian, L. (1) 2812
GM Carlsen, M. (0) 2872 ½-½ GM Gelfand, B. (1) 2777

Round 3

GM Gelfand, B. (1½) 2777 0-1 GM Caruana, F. (1) 2782
GM Aronian, L. (1) 2812 ½-½ GM Carlsen, M. (½) 2872
GM Anand, V. (1) 2773 ½-½ GM Nakamura, H. (1) 2789

Round 4

GM Caruana, F. (2) 2782 0-1 GM Nakamura, H. (1½) 2789
GM Carlsen, M. (1) 2872 1-0 GM Anand, V. (1½) 2773
GM Gelfand, B. (1½) 2777 0-1 GM Aronian, L. (1½) 2812

Round 5

GM Aronian, L. (2½) 2812 ½-½ GM Caruana, F. (2) 2782
GM Anand, V. (1½) 2773 1-0 GM Gelfand, B. (1½) 2777
GM Nakamura, H. (2½) 2789 0-1 GM Carlsen, M. (2) 2872

[ajay]

This is the strongest tournament ever in the chess history with average rating 2801. Here is a nice report on the event.

Viswanathan Anand admits he will be under "some pressure" when he takes on Magnus Carlsen at the Zurich Chess Challenge, starting tomorrow.

Anand sharing his thoughts with ET from Switzerland, says "I guess my game (against Magnus) will attract a lot of attention". Anand's season will open with the event.

"I am looking forward to a nice start to 2014," he says of his expectations. The Zurich Chess Challenge (ZCC) will feature six of the absolute best of the chess world, including newly-minted world champion Carlsen, last year's tournament winner Fabiano Caruana and current world # 2 Levon Aronian.

It is "one of the best events of the year," Anand says. The winner will enter the record books, as the Challenge is the strongest tournament in chess history. The average rating of the participants is a stratospheric 2801, making it the first Category 23 tournament. It is a sprint rather than a marathon, with just five rounds of classical chess.

"True, it is a short event, but with blitz and rapid events as well," says Anand. He also points out that "4 out of 6 played in Wijk, so they will be continuing in a way," referring to the just-concluded Tata Steel event held in Wijk aan Zee. Anand was tracking that event and has words of praise for the winner, Aronian who scored a tremendous 8 point of 11 rounds.

"It was a very impressive run by Levon," he says. Anand points out with a smile that Aronian actually blew the last game, but still won with a "1.5 point margin after the loss".

The Challenge, held in the opulent surroundings of Hotel Savoy, is the brainchild of Russian magnate Oleg Skvortsov. A keen amateur chess player, Skvortsov made his fortune in gems and pulls out all stops in the events that he organises. The tournament has a unique format, the six contestants play against each other once in classical and then play with the colours reversed in rapid. What is more, the rapid tournament is weighed down, i.e. a win in rapid only brings you half the points as in classical.

However, if two rivals are closely matched, then a player could make up for that by going all out in the rapid. "Well first things first," says Anand when presented with such a scenario. This kind of hybrid formats is perhaps the wave of the future, as organisers try to add masala to staid events. Of the other players, defending champion Fabiano Caruana will be keen to make a good impression after a patchy show in Wijk.

Anand, of course, is aware of the resonance Zurich has in the chess world. "I have indeed read the book," he says referring to the famous 1953 tournament held in Zurich, and the book written about it by former world champion challenger David Bronstein. Of course, for two of the players, Anand and Aronian, the event will have a resonance beyond the event.

In March, the Candidates tournament in Khanty-Mansisyk will be held to decide the challenger to Carlsen. Still, when they take on the rivals in the ballroom of the Savoy, Siberia will be far from their minds.

[ajay]

Its a tough tournament. Can Anand win any match here?

First Round - Aronian beats Anand

Magnus Carlsen - Boris Gelfand: 1 : 0
Levon Aronian - Viswanathan Anand: 1 : 0
Fabiano Caruana - Hikaru Nakamura: ½ : ½

Round 2
Boris Gelfand - Fabiano Caruana
Viswanathan Anand - Hikaru Nakamura
Magnus Carlsen - Levon Aronian

[ajay]

No surprise, Anand loses again against Nakamura. The most positive result that I'm optimistic in this tournament is Anand-Gelfand draw. Anand will save few more games, but can't say which one. A victory (may be against Caruana? But Anand has black against him ) would be bonus.

Round 2,
Carlsen ½:½ Aronian
Gelfand ½:½ Caruana
Anand 0:1 Nakamura

Round 3
Levon Aronian - Boris Gelfand
Hikaru Nakamura - Magnus Carlsen
Fabiano Caruana - Viswanathan Anand

[prasen9]

Ajay, why do you think Anand has become so much worse in two years? Is it the way with age?

[ajay]

I'm sure age is definitely a factor, probably he can't analyze that fast as he used to, and this slowness on the board may be producing nervousness making his game more error prone. He is lacking energy, and if I recall correctly even Kramnik also noted before the world championship that Anand is scared [of losing]. He has to probably make mental adjustment with reality and just play to enjoy the game without any fear, i.e. rediscover the fun.

It is like Tendulkar who was having hard time making his 100th century and any century at all after that. I mean Tendulkar will play great and reach into 60s 70s, but after that he'd look so much vulnerable and it would be matter of time that he'd get a good ball or he would simply play a bad stroke and get out.

[prasen9]

Age: nature's great leveler wrt sportsmen!

[ajay]

Anand drew with Caruana!

[prasen9]

Now it is time to beat Carlsen?

[PKBasu]

Shouldn't the great man retire now rather than put himself through the humiliation of losing to all sorts of guys. But I suppose Federer is the inspiration for older ex-champions to keep at it...

[prasen9]

No. There is no (serious) humiliation to losing to the likes of Carlsen, who is perhaps (or is going to be) an all-time great. He is still performing at a top-10 level. He should play. Only when you cannot beat the lower rung guys perhaps you lose motivation. It is his profession. He plays at a high level, he earns his living. Most importantly, he is not keeping out a deserving youngster or preventing rebuilding as in a team sport. As long as there is a chance of him winning a premier tournament, I'd keep playing. I think Anand can still win a premier tournament. He may not be a favorite; the chance may be 5% but there is a chance. Good luck Anand.

And in that sense, I want to see Federer play a long time too.

And Leander.

[ajay]

Prasen, I totally agree with you. Yes, he is still a top 10 player. And I'd say he should continue to play as long as he is in top 25. He is still expected to beat any top player once a while.

And I just checked, Anand beat Gelfand today with black (I was expecting only a draw). Great! I'm happy that he got at least one victory.

4th Round
Boris Gelfand - Viswanathan Anand: 0:1
Magnus Carlsen - Fabiano Caruana: 1:0
Levon Aronian - Hikaru Nakamura: 1:0

Standings
1  Carlsen, M. 7 2872
2  Aronian, L. 6 2812
3  Nakamura, H. 3 2789
4  Caruana, F. 3 2782
5  Anand, V. 3 2773
6  Gelfand, B. 2 2777

[Sin Hombre]

Carlsen, Aronian and when motivated Kramnik are a level above everyone else. Anand can still compete on an equal footing with the rest of the top 10,