Chess - The Scotsman 07/03/2012

ARPAD ELO (1903-92), professor of physics at Marquette University in Milwaukee, became one of the biggest names in the game not for his playing skills but his prowess with a calculator. In 1960, his Elo system replaced the Harkness rating system in the USA, and in the past 50 years or so the term “Elo” has become what millions of players around the world associate with chess ratings.

The latest Fide bimonthly rating list was released last week, showing who is up and who is down in the world’s Top 10. Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Armenian Levon Aronian remained the top two players in the March Top 10 for a fourth straight month, though the latter moved within striking distance of the top spot.

The big movers were Hikaru Nakamura (USA), who moved up to a career-high No 6, and Italian teenager Fabiano Caruana – the biggest new entry into the Top 10, in at No 7 with a gain of 31 rating points. Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand (India) did not play in this period and retained third and fourth spots. Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) likewise retained fifth place.

On a downward spiral and out of the Top 10, though, went the former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, who dropped from sixth to 12th after losing 18 points.

World Top 10: 1. M Carlsen, 2835 (=); 2. L Aronian, 2820 (+15); 3 V Kramnik, 2801 (=); 4. V Anand, 2799 (=); 5. T Radjabov, 2784 (+11); 6. H Nakamura, 2771 (+12); 7 F Caruana, 2767 (+31); 8. S Karjakin, 2766 (-3); 9. A Morozevich, 2765 (+2); 10. V Ivanchuk, 2764 (-2).

B Lalic - E Vorobiov

28th Cappelle Open, (3)

Benko Gambit

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c5 4 d5 b5 5 cxb5 a6 6 bxa6 d6 7 Nc3 Bg7 8 Bg2 0–0 9 Nf3 Nbd7 10 0–0 Nb6 11 Re1 Bxa6 12 h3 Nfd7 13 Qc2 Ra7 14 Rd1 Qa8 15 e4 Bb7 16 b3 f5 17 Ng5 fxe4 18 Bxe4 Nf6 19 Bb2 Nxe4 20 Qxe4 Nxd5 21 Qe6+ Kh8 22 Nxd5 Bxb2 23 Nc7 Qd8 24 Qf7! Rxf7 25 Nxf7+ Kg8 26 Nxd8 Bf3 27 Nde6 Bxd1 28 Rxd1 Rxa2 29 Rd3 1–0