Raymond Keene

Tendonitis

Magnus Carlsen has risen to achieve the highest ever chess rating. He ascended to 2872 on the rankings, which compares with 2851 for Kasparov, 2785 for Bobby Fischer and 2817 for Viswanathan Anand, the reigning champion. Carlsen commences his multi-million-dollar challenge for the world chess title against Anand in Chennai on 9 November. Carlsen is the firm favourite, with the betting odds clearly in his favour — he is being offered at 1/3 with Anand at 2/1. But for all the impressive statistics, he does have one Achilles heel, namely a certain vulnerability when facing White’s most aggressive first move, 1 e4. On occasion he has even resorted to contortions such as 1 e4 g6 2 d4 Nf6 3 e5 Nh5, which he tried unsuccessfully against England’s Michael Adams in the 2010 Chess Olympiad. The most solid reply to 1 e4 is  1 … e5 but in the past Carlsen has also suffered on the black side of the Ruy Lopez opening — aka the Spanish Torture — which is seen in this week’s game.
 
Svidler-Carlsen: World Championship Blitz, Rishon Le Zion 2006; Ruy Lopez
 
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Be7 7 Re1 0-0 8 h3 Avoiding the infamous Marshall Gambit 8 c3 d5 which is now judged to grant Black complete equality. 8 … Bb7 9 d3 Re8 Already suspicious, since it reduces the defences of the traditionally vulnerable f7-square. 10 c3 h6 11 Nbd2 Bc5 A further move in the wrong direction. The bishop is needed on the kingside for defensive purposes. 12 Nf1 Bb6 13 Ng3 d5 14 exd5 Na5 15 Bc2 Svidler correctly preserves his all important light squared bishop from exchange. 15 … Qxd5 (see diagram 1) 16 b4 Black appears to be both active and well developed, with pressure against the white pawn on d3.



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