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The 37th edition of the “Magistral Ciudad de León” took place on June 28-30 at the Spanish city’s Auditorium. A 4-player knockout tournament with a rapid time control was once again the format of the festival’s main event.
Three matches took place, one per day, from Friday to Sunday. The semifinals were played on Friday and Saturday, and the two winners faced each other on Sunday. The drawing of lots resulted in Vishy Anand facing Veselin Topalov in the first semifinal and Arjun Erigaisi facing Jaime Santos in the second semifinal.
Master Class Vol. 12: Viswanathan Anand
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.
Each match consisted of four rapid games (20 minutes for the game plus 10-second increments). In case of a draw, two blitz games followed (5 minutes + 3-second increments); if the tie remained, the match winner would be decided in Armageddon (White gets 6 minutes, Black gets 5 minutes and draw odds).
Anand defeated Topalov by a 2½-1½ score on Friday, while Santos stunned top seed Arjun by the same score in the second semifinal. In the final, Anand got the better of Santos — who was the defending champion — in an exciting match.
This was Anand’s tenth title in León. For many years, the legend from Chennai lived in Collado Mediano, a small city near Madrid, so he speaks Spanish fluently and has often participated in top events organized in Bilbao and León.
Coincidentally, the 54-year-old obtained the title on his wife’s birthday. It is well known that Aruna Anand has played a vital role in her husband’s career. As Vishy himself recounted on his X account, it was Aruna who encouraged him to play in León despite her birthday being on the same date as the final:
As my wife celebrated her 50th birthday, I was apprehensive about being away playing chess. However, she told me to go and play, saying, "Who knows, you might win." Very happy to win while it was still her birthday!! Sometimes, the best moves are the ones made with love and…
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 30, 2024
It was yet another achievement by the 5-time world champion, who continues to show his strength while semi-retired from official competitions!
Vishy Anand facing Jaime Santos in the final | Photo: Luque
Analysis by Klaus Besenthal
A practical repertoire for the positional player after 1.d4 Vol.1 – 1….d5
I give promising mainlines for white against all black’s main replies to 1.d4 d5 that are engine-proof, easy to learn and can be played almost instantly.
Veselin Topalov | Photo: Luque
Analysis by Klaus Besenthal
The Keymer Variation - 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3
This video course features the ins-and-outs of the possible setups Black can choose. You’ll learn the key concepts and strategies needed to add this fantastic opening to your repertoire. An easy-to-learn and yet venomous weapon.
Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Luque
Master Class Vol.17 - Boris Spassky
In this video course, experts including Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller and Oliver Reeh, examine the games of Boris Spassky. Let them show you which openings Spassky chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were and much more.
