1/8/2025 – Welcome to 2025, a rare "square year" (45×45), and a time for both reflection and prediction. Chess fans enter the new year with excitement after a historic 2024, crowned by Gukesh's ascension as World Champion, marking India's growing dominance in chess. Meanwhile, Ian Nepomniachtchi's dazzling ...Ne3+!! in the World Blitz final against Magnus Carlsen provided a fitting finale to a dramatic year. As we look ahead, will 2025 unveil a new prodigy destined for greatness? Share your thoughts and favourites in the comments. | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
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Two and a half world champions
[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]
A very happy New Year to everybody at the start of a "square year" (45*45) - the only one almost all of us will ever see unless you're old enough to have been born in or before 1936 or young enough to live to 2116.
At this time of year, you're supposed to look both forwards and backwards, and I'm mainly doing the latter. But I will make just one prediction, which is that by the end of 2025 there will be at least one player whom we've hardly heard of now who will be spoken of in hushed terms as a possible future great. I'm only speaking in generalities and have nobody specific in mind, but if readers would like to suggest anybody in the comments, you're most welcome.
We begin 2025 with "two and a half" new world champions: Dommaraju Gukesh, Volodar Murzin and Ian Nepomniachtchi, together with defending blitz champion Magnus Carlsen.
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Carlsen's denim powered imbroglio with FIDE and the subsequent resolution engendered strong emotions and a certain amount of wry amusement. I'm reliably informed that at least one grandmaster has written limericks on the subject - though I haven't actually asked to see them - while in my newspaper column I restricted myself to a pun involving shooting oneself in the foot and leg-alistic leg-islators. If readers would like to try their hand at either in the comments, then you're most welcome - please remain reasonably polite. (Incidentally, If the title of this column means nothing to you, then please read this article and go from there.)
The end of the Blitz final when Carlsen and Nepo agreed to share the title also led to a storm of controversy. I can certainly see why they didn't want the title decided by a blunder after a potentially endless stream of sudden-death games, but also why the organisers may not have been best pleased.
Initiating negotiations to split the title | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
Gukesh's triumph and the best move of 2024
The biggest chess moment of 2024 was undoubtedly when Gukesh became champion, marking a shift not only of the generations but also geographically as India became ever more (in chess terms) "the new Russia".
It's worth noting that the position where Ding blundered in the final game wasn't that drawn. Black would be winning if only he could get his king across the fourth rank to e3 while defending the f5-pawn with the bishop on d3. The problem is that the king can't safely cross the rank.
Ding v. Gukesh
This is where Ding blundered with 55 Rf2??. It still defensible here, but if you put Black's king on e3 and the bishop on d3 with White to move then engines confirm that this is about -4, and so winning for Black.
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I have to admit that during the match I was supporting Gukesh. Not because I have anything remotely against Ding - he's a great player, by all accounts a very pleasant man and, moreover, it's nice to see the older generation defending themselves: but because he clearly found being champion such a burden. Understandably, Gukesh hasn't yet played since becoming champion, but he's listed in Wijk aan Zee in a fortnight and let's hope that he finds being champion much more congenial.
New world champion Gukesh Dommaraju during the final stages of the deciding game 14 in Singapore | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An
Carlsen v. Nepomniachtchi
The "best move" of 2024 was made when it was already 2025 in large parts of the globe: Ian Nepomniachtchi's beautiful combination to level the scores in the blitz final in New York.
After 29.Bf4? [29.Bf1] 29...Qxf4 30.Rxb7 Rxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Nepo hit Magnus with the superb Ne3+!! forcing immediate resignation.
I was at a New Year's Eve meal, surreptitiously glancing at the game and totally missed ...Ne3+. What a wonderful move!
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Tactical wizard Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
Rapidplay and especially blitz games are seldom tremendously accurate, but when played by top players they can flow beautifully, and I've added a couple more in the game file.
Returning to the biggest moments of 2024, many if not most of them involved Indians. Of course, the final game of the Candidates between Caruana and Nepo which propelled Gukesh to become Ding's challenger only involved him indirectly if utterly crucially. The Indians played marvellously in the Budapest Olympiad, especially Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, and if one were to speculate now about Gukesh's challenger in 2026, then Erigaisi would be high up the list.
To finish off, a couple more games and moves from last year that I really enjoyed. I'll see you again on February 2nd.
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You really don't need me to reprise the earlier part of the game, but I thought I would say something about the position where Ding blundered. I made an attempt to get the king across the fourth rank but it shouldn't be possible. Also there's a little bit to say about the pawn ending.55.Rf2??55.Ra455.Bg2Ba255...Bc456.Bc6Bd357.Bg2Rd258.Bb7Bc259.Ba659.Bc6Rd460.Rxd4Kxd461.Kf2!Only move.61.Bg2Ke361.Bb5Ke362.Kg2Bd363.Ba4Be4+64.Kh2Kf265.Bd165.Bc6Bf359...Be459...Rd1+56.Rf256.Rf1Bb157.Rf2Rb358.Kh2?58.Re2+Kd459.Kf2Be460.Rd2+58...Kd4-+56...Rb1+57.Rf1Rb458.Re1+Kf658...Kd459.Rd1+Ke360.Re1+Kd261.Re5Bb162.Kf2Bd363.Ra5Rb264.Bc6Kc3+65.Ke3Re2+66.Kf4Rf2+67.Kg5Rf368.Bxf3gxf369.Ra3+Kd270.Kf4f271.Ra1Be272.g4Bxg473.Kg359.Kf2Bb155...Rxf256.Kxf2Bd557.Bxd5Kxd558.Ke358.Ke1Ke559.Kd1f460.Ke258.Kf1Kd458...Ke558...Ke559.Kd3f460.Ke2f3+!60...fxg3??61.Kf1Ke462.Kg2Kf463.Kg1Kf364.Kf1g2+65.Kg1=60...Ke461.gxf4Kxf462.Kf2g3+63.Kg2Kg464.Kg1!=61.Ke3Kd562.Kf2Ke463.Kf1Ke364.Ke1f2+65.Kf1Kd366.Kxf2Kd267.Kf1Ke368.Kg2Ke269.Kg1Kf370.Kh2Kf271.Kh1Kxg372.Kg1Kh3!72...Kf373.Kh2Kf273...g3+??74.Kh174.Kh1Kg375.Kg1Kh373.Kh173.Kf2Kh274.Kf1g373...g374.Kg1g20–1
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Jonathan SpeelmanJonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.
Arzi is correct. FIDE lets Carlsen flout the regulations. You can't share a world chess championship. You either have a world champion or you don't. There is no doubles team championship in chess like there is in tennis.
SKAcz 1/12/2025 12:48
Well i think they both deserved it if they agreed to share. After all that complications and FIDE too narrow rules which many ask which is purpose of ? I understand Carlsen being tired after all non-chess things. I also don't understand why FIDE preventing form organizing chess960 start positions championships and in same moment wish not to maintain rating. We was very lucky in past Kirsan Iljumžinov realized atleast blitz chess rating to have fun for all. Maybe in future will come somebody who will move chess into future to make fun for all more and not only for who likes memorize openings. Is so many variants so why to go way to play bullet to make blunders if we can play for fun with ratings those miriads of variants of start positions etc.? But it is not about chess and fun i guess right ?
PJOD 1/10/2025 09:01
To lighten the mood...you could say that Carlsen withdrew from the rapid play because up until then, his play had been pants (by his standards)
Fritzpa 1/9/2025 06:52
I've just resent the .pgn so the game should appear in its entirety soon.
Jon
Mamack1 1/9/2025 05:42
The final game in the above drop down list is incomplete?
Frits Fritschy 1/9/2025 04:46
I did like it, but it's hardly the move of the year.
Fritzpa 1/9/2025 03:05
Sorry you didn't like Ne3+. Indeed it's not that special but I enjoyed it on New Year's Eve and it segued nicely to the 2nd Wallace and Gromit reference...
Frits Fritschy 1/9/2025 02:59
Maybe we can just agree on that Rxg2+ followed by Ne3 is not a very special combination. As after an immediate d4+ white runs with Kh1, Ne3+ is an easy to find move (in at least 99 out of 100 cases also for GM Speelman, is my guess).
lajosarpad 1/9/2025 02:20
I agree with Frits Fritschy. The chess world moves towards quantity over quality, thanks to the efforts of Magnus Carlsen and it's no wonder that we start to find relatively good moves as "fantastic". Gukesh and Liren had a very very high quality match, so was the Olympiad and multiple chess tournaments (some people call chess tournaments "classical tournaments", as if they were besides, and not above the other formats). Carlsen has brought so much value into chess with his wonderful career, but lately I no longer see him as a benign force. He wants to do away with chess and embrace Fischer random, so he can work less on the preparation. And he is very scandalous lately. He strongly suggested that the most important event in the chess calendar is boring, damaging the reputation of the game, chosen not to defend his title, he pushes quantity over quality, he trolls around with the dress code and he is a sore loser, accusing Niemann without conclusive evidence.
arzi 1/9/2025 09:19
Jon Speelman: "Carlsen's denim powered imbroglio with FIDE and the subsequent resolution engendered strong emotions and a certain amount of wry amusement..."
It seems that the FIDE rules are different for different players. If a strong player with a ELO 2500 had come to play wearing jeans, he/she would have been disqualified without unnecessary gravel noises. No one would have been against disqualification. If Carlsen, ex-world champion, does the same, the rules will change. This applies not only to dress code but also to the rules of chess itself. It became a clear testimony in the blitz championship. The women played according to the rules, because they have more "balls" than the men's side, although their prize money did not match that of Carlsen's group and of course the rules don't apply to everyone.
Clearly, the rules say that the games are continued until a solution is reached. A player can propose to give up, but players cannot agree to share the title. That's cheating. Towards sponsors and other players, the solution was completely wrong. Sponsors have put thousands of dollars or euros into the prize money, which gives them the right to have the players work for the salary. A player can't say: "thank you just for the money, but I don't mind doing all the work that the reward requires. I`m too tired." If the rules are bad, they will be corrected for the next tournament, and not changed in the middle of the tournament because of a change of heart of an ex-world champion and his good buddy. Why should you organize competitions at all, when players can agree on the final result with a fellow player? Who wants to pay for such a competition? If the sponsors pay big money for the games, then you can dress for it according to the instructions and follow other rules as well. Another option is not to participate. However, this decision to obay rules must be made before the Games and not during the Games.
Frits Fritschy 1/8/2025 10:42
Somewhere else I wrote that nowadays, with bullet, blitz and rapid slowly taking over classical chess, every fart is turned into a thunderclap. Ne3+ is a nice move in a blitz game, but if anything, seeing Bf4 doesn't work is the real brillancy (if really seen ahead). For the rest, for every French player, castling long and sacrificing a rook on g2 is just as standard as 'Sicilian' sacrifices on b5, d5, e6 or f5 (or Rxc3 from the other side). Move of the year? Then it was a very bad year. Compare Ne3 with any key move in Oliver Reeh's articles on this site.
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