Chess - The Scotsman 12/03/2012

THE Ides of March proved deadly yet again, as the governing body of world chess, Fide, looks set to kill off two established elite events by confirming that the London Candidates Tournament will be going ahead as scheduled, running from October 24 to November 12, 2012.

The announcement by Agon, Fide’s new partner for organising the World Chess Championship Cycle, raises serious questions about whether the London Chess Classic (early December) and the Bilbao Masters Grand Slam Final (ending mid-October) will take place, as most of the star players for both events are set to play in the Candidates.

Indeed Malcolm Pein, the LCC organiser is already casting doubts about whether his event will be running this year: “Although some players have indicated they would still play the 4th LCC, I am not sure if the public and particularly the media would have the appetite for two elite tournaments in London staged so close together.”

The situation is even more precarious for Bilbao, as I am led to believe they were on the verge of making an announcement that again their tournament will be split (as last year) with São Paulo, Brazil. This would mean the players would not only have ten days before the start of the Candidates, but they would also have the added exhaustion factor of travelling between two continents with minimal rest.

It’s beginning to look like yet another bad PR move by Fide.

B Lalic - Y Zherebukh

28th Cappelle Open, (7)

Queen’s Gambit Dec., Cambridge Springs

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Bg5 Nbd7 6 e3 Qa5 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 Rc1 Bb4 9 a3 Bxc3+ 10 bxc3 h6 11 Bh4 Qxa3 12 Qd2 e5 13 Bd3 exd4 14 exd4 0–0 15 0–0 b5 16 Rfe1 a5 17 Bb1 Bb7 18 c4 bxc4 19 Rxc4 Rfe8 20 Ne5 Nf8 21 h3 a4 22 Rec1 Qd6 23 Bg3 Qe6 24 Qb2 Qe7 25 Ba2 Ne6 26 Kh2 Red8 27 Rb1 Ra7 28 Rxc6! a3 29 Qc1 f6 30 Ng6 Qe8 31 Rxe6 Qxe6 32 Qc5 Qa6 33 Rb6 Qa5 34 Rb5 Qa6 35 Bc7 Raa8 36 Bxd8 Rxd8 37 Ne7+ Kh8 38 Ra5 Qe2 39 Bxd5 Bxd5 40 Nxd5 Qxf2 41 Rxa3 Qf5 42 Ne7 Qe4 43 d5 1–0