New Delhi: The World Chess Championship featuring reigning World champion Viswanathan Anand and Challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway has been hogging the limelight last week, especially in India with Chennai as the chosen venue for the November Match. The first Norway Super GM Chess tournament commencing at Norway from on Wednesday is like an appetizer, just before the main course in Chennai, as it features both the Champion and Challenger along with eight other players.
Incidentally the tournament would be played at four different venues which are separated by a distance of about 20 kms, a novelty at high level chess event. Norway is also hosting the World Chess Olympiad next year.
Ananad the undisputed and undefeated World Chess Champion since 2007 has had a busy chess season and had just competed in the Alekhine Memorial where he finished third, just half point behind the joint leaders Levon Aronian and Boris Gelfand.
This is the first time that Anand and Carlsen will be playing in a tournament after the latter qualified from the Candidates as the Challenger earlier this year. Interestingly Anand will the oldest player in fray at 43 years and Carlsen the youngest at 22.
Carlsen is the highest ever rated player on this planet and has been in blistering form for almost the past three years, virtually winning every tournament.
After 2007, Anand has triumphed in three consecutive Classical World Championship Matches. The NIIT MindChampion had not been in good form in 2012 but has been in good nick this year. A victory in this tournament would definitely boost his morale for the forthcoming World Championship.
Levon Aronian of Armenia is another contender for the title and is the second highest rated player in the tournament. Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan is ranked third and 22-year-old Sergey Karjakin of Russia is rated fourth. Hikaru Nakamura of USA is also a strong and dangerous player, one who has beaten the best in the business. John Ludwig is the host entry and he is rated lot lower than the other participants.
The tournament also features former World Champion Veselin Topalov whom Anand had beaten in the World title Match at Sofia in 2010. Topalov after an indifferent form since then has once again shown his strength by winning the Grand Prix in Switzerland last week. Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik has pulled out of the tournament and he is replace by Peter Svidler.
However what chess enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting, is the Anand versus Carlsen clash in this 10 player Round Robin event. Statistically speaking Anand enjoys a 6-2 personal score against Carlsen in Classical chess but most of his victories were over a younger Carlsen.
Participants:
: GM Magnus Carlsen NOR 2872
: GM Levon Aronian ARM 2809
: GM Teimour Radjabov AZE 2793
: GM Sergey Karjakin RUS 2786
: GM Viswanathan Anand IND 2783
: GM Veselin Topalov BUL 2771
: GM Hikaru Nakamura USA 2767
: GM Peter Svidler RUS 2747
: GM Hao Wang CHN 2743
: GM Jon Ludvig Hammer NOR 2629
By ISN