Chess - The Scotsman 24/04/2012

THE World Championship is upon us and the long-awaited match between champion Viswanathan Anand of India and his Soviet-born challenger Boris Gelfand, now of Israel, gets under way in just over two weeks time in Moscow.

Could this be Anand’s last chance to defend his title before Magnus Carlsen sweeps in, or will big underdog Gelfand become the oldest player in the modern era to win the title? In a matchplay scenario, anything can happen – and despite Anand being the big favourite to retain his title, the challenger’s chances of pulling off a shock win is not as far-fetched as some pundits would suggest.

And as we wait for that big kick-off – and with the dearth of top-class tournaments with Linares cancelled and the ending of the Melody Amber tournaments – what better action can we ask for in the meantime than a very intriguing six-game training match in Zurich, Switzerland between Levon Aronian and former champion Vladimir Kramnik, the world numbers two and three?

The contest will be played at a Classical Chess time-control to be employed in the next Candidates tournament, with 40 moves in two hours, 20 moves in one hour plus 15 minutes and an increment of 30 seconds per move for the remainder of the game.

Aronian got off to a good start in the match, by winning the opening game of the contest.

V Kramnik - L Aronian

Zurich Chess Challenge, (1)

Semi-Slav, Anti-Moscow Gambit

1 Nf3 d5 2 d4 Nf6 3 c4 c6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bxf6 Qxf6 7 e3 Nd7 8 Bd3 dxc4 9 Bxc4 g6 10 0–0 Bg7 11 Re1 0–0 12 e4 e5 13 d5 Rd8 14 Re3 b5 15 dxc6 bxc4 16 Nd5 Qe6 17 cxd7 Rxd7 18 Qa4 Bb7 19 Qxc4 Bxd5 20 exd5 Qxd5 21 Qxd5 Rxd5 22 Rae1 Re8 23 g4 Kh7 24 g5 hxg5 25 Nxg5+ Kg8 26 f4 Rb8! 27 fxe5 Rxb2 28 Nf3 Rxa2 29 e6 fxe6 30 Rxe6 Rf5 31 Nh4 Rf4 32 R6e4 Rf6 33 Rg4 Kf7 34 Rc1 Bh6 35 Rc7+ Ke8 36 Re4+ Kd8 37 Rh7 Bf8 38 Rd4+ Kc8 39 Rc4+ Kb8 40 Rd7 g5 41 Ng6 Bd6 0–1