Candidates – Teimour Radjabov (2793 – World #4)

Teimour Radjabov (2793 – World #4)

Nigel Short may have described Radjabov best, when passing comment on the “battle of Baku,” where a 15-year-old Radjabov handed Kasparov an infamous defeat at the 2003 edition of Linares: "Radjabov plays very imaginatively […] he just won't give up, he is extremely tenacious and will always find a way to muddy the waters to throw you off track. He is very good at finding disconcerting moves." Despite (or, perhaps, due to) the surrounding controversy after the game was awarded a beauty prize, this is the single accomplishment for which Radjabov has been best remembered.

Early signs of his prowess included his victory at the 1999 European Under-18 Championship when still only a tween, coupled with his status as the youngest Top-100 player in history at the age of 14. This, of course, ignores the fact that, similarly to Carlsen, Radjabov was also once the second-youngest grandmaster ever.

With all of the forgoing in mind, it comes as no surprise that he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with by securing bronze at the 2004 FIDE Knockout World Championship, while still well within the limits of his junior eligibility. Unfortunately, however, he never reached his full potential and has since fallen off Carlsen’s astronomical pace. That said, he has been an ever-present danger in a number of high-profile events over the years, as he is, after all, still #4 in the world rankings.

One must also consider that his presence at the last Candidates tournament was by virtue of qualifying through his runner-up status in the 2008-10 FIDE Grand Prix cycle, as opposed to being granted by way of an exemption. In the first round, he worked doggedly in his attempts to dispatch of Kramnik in the tiebreak matches, but, after a controversial clock malfunction stymied him, he was ultimately eliminated. The organizer’s decision to bring him back this year was, therefore, a purely natural choice.

Now, allow us to see how he has fared against the current field in games of the past.

Grischuk's opponents at the Candidates

Boris Gelfand (2740 – World #18)

Overall: 5 Wins, 11 Draws, 1 Loss
White: 1 Win, 5 Draws, 1 Loss
Black: 4 Wins, 6 Draws, 0 Losses

We all have our favourite marks and, in this case, Radjabov’s is Gelfand. With back-to-back victories against the Israeli in the 2010 edition of Bazna, Radjabov has both recent success to draw strength from, as well as a comfortable lead in their lifetime series. The Azerbaijani will definitely be seeking blood against this opponent. With the KID and Petrov as firmly established battlegrounds, one or both openings will make a return appearance.

Peter Svidler (2747 – World #14)

Overall: 2 Wins, 12 Draws, 1 Loss
White: 1 Win, 7 Draws, 0 Losses
Black: 1 Win, 5 Draws, 1 Loss

Radjabov has enjoyed consistently solid results against Svidler. Despite a loss in 2008, he has avenged it as of the 2011 European Team Championship and seems destined to snatch a few more victories from the Russian. The Queen’s Gambit may seem a likely choice, but Radjabov could also have been doing some home-cooking in the Yugoslav.

Vassily Ivanchuk (2757 – World #13)

Overall: 4 Wins, 23 Draws, 5 Losses
White: 1 Win, 14 Draws, 1 Loss
Black: 3 Wins, 9 Draws, 4 Losses

Radjabov has been granted plenty of opportunities to tussle with Ivanchuk and both players have put in creditable performances, including a handful of victories to each. One cannot soon forget that they split their match at the 2011 FIDE World Cup by clocking out with back-to-back decisive games, only adding to the drama they are wont to produce, and, thereby, taking them to a nail-biting tiebreak. Radjabov is unlikely to try the Sicilian against the Ukrainian at this event, but anticipate an interesting choice.

Alexander Grischuk (2764 – World #10)

Overall: 0 Wins, 7 Draws, 2 Losses
White: 0 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
Black: 0 Wins, 6 Draws, 1 Loss

Grischuk has rarely had the pleasure of contesting matters with Radjabov, but, when granted, the result has been a number of highly interesting games. Unfortunately, Teimour has never managed victory against the Russian, so their games in London will be entertaining, as the stronger player seeks to finally assert his dominance. A KID seems likely, but anything is possible.

Vladimir Kramnik (2810 – World #2)

Overall: 0 Wins, 13 Draws, 2 Losses
White: 0 Wins, 8 Draws, 0 Losses
Black: 0 Wins, 5 Draws, 2 Losses

Through no fault of their own, Kramnik-Radjabov pairings have served as yet another rare bird. Similar to Grischuk, Kramnik has been tough on Teimour and, as a slightly stronger player who is both on a roll (see 2012 London Classic) and in possession of clutch world championship experience, it seems fair to favour the world’s #2 in head-to-head competition between these two candidates. Drawing from their experience in the 2011 Candidates tournament, they may once again revisit the Queen’s Gambit.

Levon Aronian (2809 – World #3)

Overall: 3 Wins, 16 Draws, 3 Losses
White: 1 Win, 10 Draws, 1 Loss
Black: 2 Wins, 6 Draws, 2 Losses

If ever there were two players you would like to see meet in this event, Aronian and Radjabov are as good a choice as any. They have a lifetime split of three wins and three losses each, sit one directly in front of the other in the world rankings and both can be counted on to fight. Aronian had all the luck in the early going, but Radjabov has since turned on the jets to take all three of their most recent decisive encounters. They have employed plenty of opening systems against one another, but the Queen’s Gambit is a mainstay.

Magnus Carlsen (2872 – World #1)

Overall: 1 Win, 16 Draws, 6 Losses
White: 1 Win, 8 Draws, 2 Losses
Black: 0 Wins, 8 Draws, 4 Losses

Radjabov was a victim of history, as his accomplishments in youth were quickly overshadowed by the rise of Carlsen, who is only a few years his junior. Worse still, the young Norwegian has thrashed the Azerbaijani repeatedly with little reciprocation up to this point. With plenty of bruising losses when facing Magnus in Sicilian lines, this is yet another opponent Radjabov may try the French against. After a failed experiment with the Scotch, he may also turn to the English as white.

Overall Stats Against Field

Repertoire white

Historically, the Symmetrical Variation of the Zukertort has treated Radjabov well, which he may use as a transpositional tool in this event. The Anti-Nimzo, on the other hand, is not his favourite pick.

Repertoire black

Radjabov has had relatively poor performances as black over the years, but the Sicilian is a favourite pet of his. Expect one or more of these candidates to get burned by him in the Yugoslav.

The Candidates Tournament in London

The London Candidates 2013 will be the strongest tournament of its kind in history. The Prize Fund to be shared by the players totals €510,000. The winner of the Candidates will become the Challenger to Viswanathan Anand who has reigned as World Champion since 2007. Schedule:

• Detailed schedule here

Players

• Full information on the players here + Schedule and pairings

Links

• World Chess Web Site
• FIDE Web Site