
News release
London Chess Classic 2011
The 2011 London Chess Classic is now just a month away – and it just
got a little bit stronger. The latest ratings published by FIDE, the World Chess
Federation, are the ones which will apply to the event. At the top of the list,
for the first time in the history of chess competition, there are four players
rated 2800 or more. And it just so happens that these four gentlemen are playing
in London next month! Have a look at the table below...
Name |
Title |
Country |
Rating |
W-rank |
Born |
Carlsen, Magnus |
grandmaster |
NOR |
2826 |
1 |
30.11.1990 |
Anand, Viswanathan |
world champion |
IND |
2811 |
2 |
11.12.1969 |
Aronian, Levon |
grandmaster |
ARM |
2802 |
3 |
06.10.1982 |
Kramnik, Vladimir |
ex-world champion |
RUS |
2800 |
4 |
25.06.1975 |
Nakamura, Hikaru |
grandmaster |
USA |
2758 |
10 |
09.12.1987 |
Adams, Michael |
grandmaster |
ENG |
2734 |
17 |
17.11.1971 |
Short, Nigel |
grandmaster |
ENG |
2698 |
48 |
01.06.1965 |
McShane, Luke |
grandmaster |
ENG |
2671 |
74 |
07.01.1984 |
Howell, David |
grandmaster |
ENG |
2633 |
139 |
14.11.1990 |
... and you can see that Vladimir Kramnik has enjoyed a great run of form recently
and hauled himself back up to 2800 for the first time since he ceased to be
world champion. It also means the London Chess Classic will have an average
rating over 2730, making it comfortably the strongest event ever held on these
shores.

The 2800-club, with Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik
and Levon Aronian
In a strange way, London will actually have 4½ members of the ‘2800
Club’. Don’t believe me? Well, we have it on very good authority
that Hikaru Nakamura is now being coached and assisted by Garry Kasparov, one
of only two former members of the ‘2800 Club’ (Topalov being the
other) not in the London line-up. Garry retired from chess several years but
his gaze is still firmly fixed on events in London, as it was last year, when
he paid us a two-day visit and enjoyed the play as a VIP guest.
Garry's Revenge?
Hikaru will be hoping that Garry brings him what he brought Magnus Carlsen
in 2009, when Kasparov was coaching the Norwegian from afar. It seems he brought
him not just chess expertise but a large slice of luck! It was Garry who advised
Magnus to prepare the English Opening (1.c4) against his major rival Vladimir
Kramnik in 2009.

At the drawing of lots, the players were invited to pick up a white pawn
from a giant
chess set. Magnus went first – and chose the pawn he intended to play
against Vlad.

It had the number “one” underneath! Vlad Kramnik was seen to
shake his head...

He stepped up, chose a pawn and found the number “eight” underneath
it
That meant the first round pairing was Carlsen (White) versus Kramnik. The
next day Magnus duly pushed 1.c4 and won – something his coach didn’t
manage to achieve when defending his world title against Kramnik in 2000. Is
Garry trying to gain revenge for 2000 via his protégés? If Hikaru
is “channelling” Kasparov and manages to beat Vlad, then Garry will
have achieved a measure of revenge for the two losses he suffered against Kramnik
eleven years ago.

Garry Kasparov giving an interview to CNN at the London Chess Classic 2010

Chanelling Magnus or Hikaru? In 2010 Garry gave the first prize to his Nowegian
student
Of course, the London Classic is not just about the guys mentioned above. Ask
any elite chessplayer what they want Santa to bring them for Christmas and it
would be the London Chess Classic trophy. The tournament rounds off the chess
year and all the players will be motivated to end on a high note as they head
off for their winter break.
Timetable, course details and tickets are available official web site, given
at the bottom of the page.
Play
Chess!
If all this talk of chess rivalries is only making you thirst for some chess
action yourself... you can play chess at the London Chess Classic, under the
same roof as the super-stars! There are all sorts of events and prizes for all
chess standards and tastes, from the humblest beginner, and tournaments which
last days at a time, or over the weekend – or for just part of a day (e.g. evening
blitz events lasting no longer than 2½ hours). Entry forms are available for
download NOW from the tournament
website.
Apart from the elite Classic tournament, there is a nine-round world-rated
open which attracts professional grandmasters from around the world, chasing
the £2,500 first prize. One of the legendary figures of the game, Viktor Korchnoi,
will be playing simultaneous displays, where amateur players can experience
what it is like to face the player who contested world championship matches
with Anatoly Karpov in the 1970s and 1980s.
For more information and to buy tickets to The London Chess Classic, please
go to www.londonchessclassic.com
Tickets are on sale now from the website or from the London Chess Centre, 44
Baker Street, W1U 7RT (tel. 020 7486 8222).
The timetable of the 2011 London Chess Classic

Friday December 2nd
Press Day
Saturday December 3rd
Classic round 1
1st Weekender
Open round 1
Sunday December 4th
Classic round 2
1st Weekender
Open round 2 |
Monday December 5th
Classic round 3
CSC Schools 1
Open round 3
Tuesday December 6th
Classic round 4
CSC Schools 2
Open round 4
Wednesday December 7th
Classic free day
Chess Cultural Festival
Open round 5
Thursday December 8th
Classic round 5
CSC Schools 3
Open round 6 |
Friday December 9th
Classic round 6
CSC Schools 4
Open round 7
Saturday December 10th
Classic round 7
2nd Weekender
Open round 8
Sunday December 11th
Classic round 8
2nd Weekender
Open round 9
Monday December 12th
Classic round 9
CSC Schools 5
Charity Fundraising Dinner |
Malcolm Pein (IM)
Tournament Director
Chess Promotions Ltd
44 Baker Street, London, W1U 7RT
Email: chesspromotions@gmail.com
Links