The World Chess Championship Match is in crisis and things are happening fast. FIDE President Ilyumzhinov has cut short a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is on his way to Elista. In the meantime, Kramnik's team has sent another open letter to Ilyumzhinov agreeing to play Game 5 if conditions--including a written letter of apology from Topalov's team and toilets connected to the rest areas--are satisfied. In addition, Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, world-class player, organizer and broker, contributes his propsal to break the impasse.
Continue reading "Ilyumzhinov Returns; Kramnik May Play; Seirawan's Proposal" »
Accusations, counter-accusations, open letters, complaints and demands permeated the atmosphere at the Topalov - Kramnik Match for the World Chess Championship in Elista, Kalmykia. The fifth game was officially forfieted by Kramnik earlier today when he refused to arrive at the board thus allowing his game time to run out. We bring you an update on the series of events that has left this reunification match hanging in the balance.
Veselin Topalov's manager Silvio Danailov has written a letter to the World Chess Championship Match Organizing and Appeals Committees stating if certain conditions are not met regarding Kramnik's overuse of the restroom, the only place without video surveillance, the Topalov team will "seriously reconsider the participation of the World Champion Veselin Topalov in this match." 
After 54 moves and 5 hours of play, Game 4 of the World Chess Championship Match ended in a hard-fought draw. In a kind of psychological posturing, both players banged out the opening moves very quickly and with much confidence. As play progressed, Topalov seemed a bit more cautious showing a discretion is the better part of valor attitude. Chided for not playing e4 at some points in this game, Topalov clearly understands that agression without control may lead him into a 3-point deficit against the Classical World Champion. Game 5 is on Friday.
Topalov has managed to stem the flood of two consecutive losses with a 38-move draw in Game 3. For Kramnik's second go around with the white pieces, he again got into an Open Catalan. Topalov was the first to vary from Game 1 with 5. ...Nc6. It's still very early in the match and there is lots of chess yet to come--Game 4 begins tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern--watch it here!
This week at the George Cunningham Chess Club at the University of Maine, Orono it's a bishops and pawns vs knights and pawns tournament with prizes for the top three places. A good opportunity to work on your endgame technique and have some fun while you're at it. Also results from last week's Ruy Lopez Open Variation Theme Tournament.
Important information for viewing the World Chess Championship Match using the LIVE Game Link: after clicking on the LIVE Game Link from any of the ChessMaine.net World Chess Championship Match entries, a selection of games will appear i.e., Game 1, Game 2 etc. Choose the game number you wish to follow LIVE or a game from a previous round. A board and notation window will appear. Just below the board you will see (for example) Game 2 09-24-2006, WCC Match Elista, 2006 0-1 Topalov, Veselin vs Kramnik, Vladimir. You MUST click on this link in order to activate the LIVE transmission. Good luck, enjoy the games, and let us know if you experience any difficulties.
GM Roman Dzindzichashvili called it one of the most exciting games ever played in a world championship match. Both players went in for uncompromising chess with plenty of complications. Some regressions were evident (with the help of Fritz 9 on 16-ply) on behalf of both players and each missed the strongest continuation in turn. In the end it was Kramnik who, with 63. ... Re3 had the last move, and the last laugh.
Vladimir Kramnik has hit the ground running. Playing the white pieces in the first round of the World Chess Championship Match in Elista, Kalmikia he let Veselin Topalov know that he was ready to play. The game was an Open Catalan that lasted six and a half hours. Rather than repeat the position and settle for a draw, Topalov pressed for a win, made a serious inaccuracy on move 57 and lost.
