Play together, stay together

Not for the faint of heart

Cherishing the little moments in life is essential for a happy, healthy existence. But it is often the case that big events yield memories that last a lifetime and give us something to plan for and look ahead to. For many of us, attending the world's strongest chess open is such an occasion.

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The familiar tournament was once again hosted by Villa Marina, the island's premier scene for business, social and entertainment events

Making a trip across the globe to be a part of the iconic Isle of Man chess tournament can be, from a chess perspective, a life-changing experience. It is an awe-inspiring opportunity to meet — and contend against — the best of the best, where the top-ten alone mirror the famed Rotarian society: by invitation only! It does look like a round-robin event, where players with a more modest rating stand no chance of coming in from the cold.

Altibox, Tata Steel, Sinquefield Cup, Gashimov Memorial, Grenke Classic? No, it is the chess.com Isle of Man Open!

The betters bet it's to better their bets

At a closer look, the 2700+ club continues up to and including the 20th player on the list, followed by former world title challengers, young stars, leading women contenders... 

Caruana and Carlsen absent?! Beyond doubt, the match is quite a good excuse for declining the Isle of Man's manly challenge. For the other 165 participants though the prize fund is a strong incentive, and the generous time control speaks to the imagination of those seeking the truth.

Since it is wiser to find out than to suppose, heart-rate monitors have been used on volunteer players to measure the effects of the seven-hours-plus chess sessions

Besides the fact that playing this game is good for your waistline, the heartaches of the time scramble are getting close to the maximum safe heart-rate. During the Blitz playoff, for example, Wojtaszek came within a whisker of 170 beats per minute, which according to the specialists is in the vicinity of a level he should not cross.

The final handshake of the Blitz playoff which sealed Wojtaszek's victory over Naiditsch

Since both players were not too happy with their overall blitz performance, you can find in the following selection some key games that decided the podium, and a couple of chess questions for you:

Two chess players, one family

The Catalan: A complete repertoire for White!

The Catalan is one of the most solid openings for White. It forms part of the large and strong fianchetto family in which White builds his strategy mainly around the bishop on g2. Grandmaster Victor Bologan covers all of Black’s replies to the Catalan, some of which can even transpose to other openings such as the Tarrasch System and the Queen’s Indian. Suffice it to say that the Catalan rules!

The love for chess is a lot like a backache — it doesn't show up on those heart-rate devices but we know it's there. And that's what morphed the hip couple into a train with no breaks — Alina and Radek became unstoppable! To describe just how amazing this chess couple is, three words are needed: 1.d4. Advantage. Point.

Happiness is...winning the tournament, the playoff, the ladies prize, a GM norm and having each other: Alina Kashlinskaya and Radek Wojtaszek, seconds after the playoff clocks stopped

Forget date night or a romantic weekend away, the key to a long-lasting and happy relationship is to work on chess together, as proven by the tandem win. But in the world of chess and success, there is little time to enjoy victory.

There is a thin line between laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humour and hurt

Alina went more or less straight to Khanty-Mansiysk and has been eliminated from the Women's World Championship, while her husband is already playing another tough event, the double round robin Masters in Shenzhen. But nothing and nobody will take away their enormous success.

To my surprise, little has been analysed, if anything, from Alina's incredible tournament. Sure, her name was mentioned and the double family triumph made the headlines, but mostly as a coincidence rather than appraisal for her play. This is my take on it:

The Accelerated Dragon - a sharp weapon against 1.e4

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6! leads to the so-called "Accelerated Dragon Defense". On this DVD the Russian grandmaster and top women player Nadezhda Kosintseva reveals the secrets of her favourite opening.

We don't know what the future will bring but right now the game is on for all the chess couples out there. Winning a tournament, a board medal, a beauty prize is great yet 'nothing spectacular'. The golden family raised our sights, since winning together IS!

Playing and laughing together — and next time winning together — the lovely young couple: Sopiko Guramishvili and Anish Giri

But "the tournament finished before it started" — claimed some voices on the account that out of 45 possible pairings between the top ten players, only one was pulled out of a hat: the last round encounter between Grischuk and MVL. For your author this aspect is irrelevant. Every game is a fight and every player in the field is ambitious, particularly the Indian Championship section (no less than 35 players represented India!) 

A low rating doesn't necessarily translate into low chess knowledge

Besides, some players are luckier than others. The new FIDE Vice-president Nigel Short said: 

It feels like Altibox #IOMchess. Playing @SergeyKaryakin , Alexander Grischuk, Wesley So & @LevAronian in successive rounds.

— Nigel Short (@nigelshortchess) October 25, 2018

…and confessed that 

I have faced @SergeyKaryakin and Alexander Grischuk on successive days. I am just not used to playing world-class opponents any more. It is a big strain #isleofman

— Nigel Short (@nigelshortchess) October 24, 2018

Nakamura escaped while on a short leash and finished in fifth position

Nigel Short did play very well though and despite his tongue-in-cheek assertions he didn't take, like many others, the strategic or relaxing day off that comes with a half-point bye (neither did Nakamura). But after the rough long games, he succumbed in the final round against a lower rated opponent. 

"Chess is unforgiving", Nigel continued...and to that many of us can surely subscribe

Time off is needed — if only we had the time

If that was not hard enough, for other players things can complicate even further: due to spiritual reasons, at certain hours and dates the French GM Anthony Bellaiche cannot touch the electronic clock, hence another person does that for him. I wonder if he ever lost on time or committed a terrible blunder because of it...

And what would happen if by mistake, due to automatism, the French GM would press the clock? Life as a chess player is not easy

Beauty, brains and secret weapons — some never forget the importance of having fun! (That's a pen by the way)

The wonder kids' 'surprises' are no longer a surprise — Nihal Sarin. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Vincent Keymer and Gukesh D

Excerpts from 13 y.o. diaries:

Meet the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2

Rustam Kasimdzhanov, the FIDE World Champion in 2004, has been extremely successful with the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 with White and with Black. In over 4 hours of video, Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains all the important ideas, strategies and tricks helped by sample games in which the white side is represented, e.g., by Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik and Ivanchuk as well as the author himself.

The tournament in Isle of Man is a beautiful example of how players with less resounding names can create havoc if given the chance. If many top events have their doors closed for mere mortals and opened only for the elite, the strongest Open ever has its windows unlocked for 2000+ rating in the Masters, with an additional Major and Minor sections for the amateurs.

An off-the-board surprise — "I doubt they have Peacock Beer here...oh well, I'll settle for an Okells then" (the bird is real!)

Now we have some good news and some bad news. Good news is that the chess.com Isle of Man International Tournament is secured for next year's 6th edition. Bad news is that the current playing venue will not be available for October 2019. But as it often happens in life, a bad thing can be a good one in disguise.* While the organizers are busy finding an alternative, we can sit back & relax and follow the World Championship match. 

Once the dates are cast in stone and the tournament hall settled, one should better hurry — the number of entries for IOM is limited

*Still trying to figure out the positive aspect of destroying the keyboard, the motherboard and a few circuits of my gorgeous laptop, which happened a few days ago...coke is not good for your health, especially when you spill it all over your computer :). Lesson learned, and the reason why this article had to be postponed. Thank you for your understanding!

Always look on the bright side of life :)

Links

• Reports on the Isle of Man International Tournament 2018
• Stories by Alina l'Ami