Carlsen beats Anand, wins Arctic Securities Rapid

Arctic Securities Chess Stars

The Arctic Securities Chess Stars rapid chess tournament is took place in the Norwegian coastal city of Kristiansund, from Saturday, August 28th to Monday, August 30th 2010. It was a double round robin with four players: Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar and Jon Ludvig Hammer. After the preliminary there was a final between the two leading players and a bronze final for third place. Time controls were 20 min. + 10 sec. increment per move.

Finals

The organizers and sponsors could hardly ask for more. Entering the final, the stars seemed positioned for a brilliant victory by Anand, the World Champion, as he stormed through the preliminary stages with a crushing 5.0/6. In contrast, Magnus Carlsen, the world's top ranked player, had had several delicate moments, including blunders in both games against his compatriot Jon Hammer, suggesting he was not in his best form. A good night's rest seemed to be just what the doctor recommended though, and in the final duel, the Norwegian prodigy came up with the goods as he worked over the Indian from the queenside to the kingside in their first game.

Magnus Carlsen playing at the Arctic Stars in Kristiansund

Carlsen,M (2826) - Anand,V (2800) [D78]
Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund NOR (1), 30.08.2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 c6 6.0-0 d5 7.Nbd2 Bf5 8.b3 Ne4 9.Bb2 Na6!? A rare continuation that had never been played by a top player until now. 10.Nh4 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 Be6 12.Rac1 Qd7 13.Nf3 Rfd8 14.Rfd1 Nc7 15.Qa5 Ne8 16.e3 Bg4 17.Rd2 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 e6 19.Rdc2 Nd6 20.a4 f5 21.Qe1 a5?

Anand was severely critical of this move after which "Black just loses a pawn". 22.Bc3?! Fortunately for Black, the Norwegian's reply is not decisive (yet). Black would indeed lose a pawn by force if play had continued with 22.cxd5! exd5 (If 22...cxd5? 23.Rc7 Qe8 24.Ba3 Bf8 25.Bxd6 Bxd6 26.Rxb7) 23.Rc5 And the a5 pawn falls. For example 23...Qc7 is unplayable due to 24.Bxd5+! 22...dxc4 23.Bxa5 cxb3 24.Rb2 Rdc8 25.Rxb3 Bf8 26.Rcb1 Ra7 27.Kg2 Nc4 28.Bb4 Bxb4 29.Rxb4 Nd6 30.Qc3 Rca8 31.Qc2 Ra6 32.h4. White already starts softening up the opponent's kingside. 32...h5

33.e4! R8a7 34.exf5 Nxf5. Anand could not retake with the pawn with 34...exf5? because of 35.d5! and things go downhill very quickly. 35.Re1 Ra5 36.Qb3 Kf7 37.Re4?! Ne7. 37...b5 would have been better. 38.axb5 cxb5. 38.Qc2 Nd5 39.Rc4 Ra8 40.Re5! Ne7

41.Bxh5! The bishop is untouchable. 41...Rxe5. 41...gxh5? 42.Qh7+ Kf6 (42...Ke8 43.Qxh5+ Kf8 44.Rxa5) 43.Rg5 Threatening Qg7 mate. 43...Rxg5 44.hxg5+ Kxg5 45.Qg7+ Kf5 46.Qf7+ Kg5 47.Rc5+ and Black loses the queen or is mated. 42.dxe5 Qd5+ 43.Bf3 Qxe5 44.Re4 Qd6 45.h5! Rf8 46.Qb2 b5 47.axb5 cxb5 48.Qxb5 Nf5 49.Qb7+ Kf6 50.Qh7 gxh5 51.Bxh5 Qd5 52.Bf3 Qd2 53.g4 Ng7

54.g5+! After 54...Qxg5+ 55.Rg4 ends it. 1-0. [Click to replay all games of the finals]

In the second game, a closed Ruy Lopez Breyer, Anand could not find a way to gain a tangible advantage and resigned himself to a draw after 28 moves.

Third and fourth place were also decided by a two-game match between Judit Polgar and Jon Ludvig Hammer. Though Judit has a significant Elo edge, and has had excellent rapid results this year, the tournament had clearly been very good for Jon Ludvig, and this final decider was no exception. In the first game, Polgar, as White, managed to obtain a solid initiative in a Scotch, but was unable to convert it, and Hammer successfully liquidated the threats away to a draw. In the second game, the Norwegian made little headway as White until an oversight by his opponent left him up a pawn and with a strong initiative which he duly converted. As a result, Jon Hammer took third place, and Judit Polgar had to content herself with fourth.

Hammer,J (2636) - Polgar,Ju (2682) [E17]
Arctic Stars Bronze Kristiansund NOR (2), 30.08.2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Ne5 0-0 9.Nc3 Na6 10.Bg5 Ne4 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Rc1 c5 13.e3 Rac8 14.Re1 Rfd8 15.Bh3 Ra8 16.Qa4 Nc7 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Qxc6 Nxc3 19.bxc3

19...c4?! 20.e4 Rd6 21.exd5 Qd8? Black is in deep trouble now. 22.Qxc4 Nxd5 23.Re5 Rb8 24.Rce1 a5 25.Bg2 Nf6 26.Re7 Qf8 27.Qc7 Rbd8 28.Bc6 h5 29.h4 g6 30.a4 Qg7 31.R1e5 Ng4 32.Re8+ Kh7

33.Rxd8. 33.Rxh5+ gxh5 34.Be4+ Kh6 35.Rxd8 would have been cute and decisive. Now the Norwegian has some work ahead. 33...Qf6 34.Re2 Rxd8 35.Kg2 Rd6 36.Bf3 Kg7 37.Qe7 Rd8 38.Qxf6+ Nxf6 39.Bc6 Rd6 40.Bb5 Nd5 41.Rc2 Rd8 42.Kf3 Kf6 43.Ke4 Nc7 44.Bc6 Ke7 45.Rb2 Rb8 46.Bd5 b5 47.axb5 f5+ 48.Ke5 Rxb5 49.Rxb5 Nxb5 50.c4 Nc3 51.c5 a4 52.Be6 a3 53.d5 a2 54.d6+ Kd8 55.c6

and because of 55...a1Q 56.c7+ Ke8 57.c8Q# Black resigned. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Standings after the double round robin preliminary

Finals

Photos and videos by GM Robert Fontaine and Gérard Demuydt for Europe Echecs

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!

Sponsors

Arctic Securities is an employee owned investment bank, independent of all financial institutions, with an absolute commitment to integrity, quality and independent research, focusing on competence, discretion and rapid execution.

The City of Tromsø, at a latitude of nearly 70 degrees north, is with its 68 000 inhabitants and 10 000 students the biggest city in the North of Norway. The city has the world’s northernmost university, brewery and cathedral and the city lives on education, research, administration, fishing exports and satellite technology. Tromsø is a candidated to hold the 2014 Chess Olympiade.