Ivanchuk Is The New World Rapid Chess Champion--Grischuk Second

Carlsen finished third losing one game today as White in spectacular fashion.

[Event "World Rapid 2016"]
[Site "Doha QAT"]
[Date "2016.12.28"]
[Round "11.1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Korobov, Anton"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2840"]
[BlackElo "2692"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nc6 4. c3 Nf6 5. Nd2 e6 6. Ngf3 Bd6 7. Bg3 O-O 8. Bb5
Ne7 9. Bd3 b6 10. e4 Bxg3 11. hxg3 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Ng6 13. dxc5 Bb7 14. Nxf6+
Qxf6 15. cxb6 e5 16. Bxg6 hxg6 17. Qd7 Qxb6 18. Ng5 Bxg2 19. O-O-O Rab8 20. b3
Qxf2 21. Qg4 Rfc8 22. Kb1 Rxc3 23. Qb4 Rcc8 0-1

Ivanchuk Leads At World Rapid Championship After Round 10

Ivanchuk Leads World Rapid Championship by 1/2 Point After en Rounds.
Here are two of his wins from today. The first is his win as White against a Caro Kahn. The second is his win over Carlsen.
[Event "World Rapid 2016"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Site "Doha QAT"]
[Round "4.4"]
[Annotator ""]
[Result "1-0"]
[Date "2016.12.26"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2689"]
[PlyCount "97"]

1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Bg4 6. Be3 Nd7 7. Nbd2 e5 8. Bc4 Bc5 9. Ke2 Bxe3 10. Kxe3 Ngf6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 Ke7 13. Rhd1 Nb6 14. Nxe5 Nfd7 15. Rxd7+ Nxd7 16. Nxf7 Rhf8 17. Ng5 b5 18. Bb3 a5 19. a3 Ne5 20. Ne6 Rfb8 21. Nxg7 a4 22. Nf5+ Kf6 23. f4 axb3 24. fxe5+ Kxe5 25. cxb3 c5 26. Rc1 c4 27. Nd4 Rc8 28. b4 c3 29. bxc3 Rxa3 30. Nxb5 Ra2 31. Rf1 Rxg2 32. Rf5+ Ke6 33. Rh5 Rg7 34. Nd4+ Kf6 35. Rf5+ Ke7 36. Kd3 Rg3+ 37. Rf3 Rxf3+ 38. Nxf3 Rg8 39. h4 Rg3 40. Ke3 Rg4 41. c4 h5 42. c5 Kd8 43. b5 Kc7 44. e5 Rc4 45. Nd4 Rc3+ 46. Ke4 Rh3 47. Nf5 Rb3 48. b6+ Kb7 49. e6 1-0

[Event "World Rapid 2016"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Site "Doha QAT"]
[Round "7.1"]
[Annotator ""]
[Result "1-0"]
[Date "2016.12.27"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2840"]
[PlyCount "103"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. Nbd2 dxc4 6. Nxc4 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. a3 0-0 9. b4 Be7 10. Bb2 Qc7 11. Rc1 Nbd7 12. e4 b5 13. Na5 Qxc2 14. Rxc2 Nxe4 15. Bxb5 Nd6 16. Bc6 Rb8 17. 0-0 Nb6 18. Rd1 Rd8 19. Ne5 f6 20. Bf3 fxe5 21. Nc6 Bb7 22. Nxe7+ Kf8 23. Bxe5 Nbc4 24. Bxd6 Nxd6 25. Nc6 Bxc6 26. Rxc6 Nb5 27. Rxd8+ Rxd8 28. Ra6 Rc8 29. h4 Rc7 30. Bg4 e5 31. Ra5 Nd6 32. Rxe5 Nc4 33. Rf5+ Ke7 34. Rf3 Ne5 35. Re3 Kd6 36. Be2 h6 37. f4 Rc1+ 38. Kf2 Nd7 39. Bf3 Rc2+ 40. Kg3 Ra2 41. Rd3+ Ke7 42. Rc3 Kd8 43. Kg4 Rd2 44. Rc6 Rd3 45. Ra6 Nf6+ 46. Kf5 Rd7 47. g4 Ne8 48. g5 hxg5 49. hxg5 Nd6+ 50. Kg6 Nb5 51. Ra5 Nd4 52. Bg4 1-0

All the games can be found at chessbase

http://en.chessbase.com/post/rapid-world-championship-vassily-ivanchuk-strikes

Even GMs Make Blunders Like Mortals

Luke McShane played ...Rd1 leading to a back rank mate.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/23/valentina-gunina-wesley-so-super-rapidplay

Kavalek Looks Back on 50 Years

http://en.chessbase.com/post/lubomir-kavalek-nailed-to-the-chessboard-for-50-years

Weekly Chess Starting in Danville, Tuesday, January 17 from 6PM until 9PM

Mike Chadburn has tentatively agreed to a 1/17/2017 start of chess at his new place of business in Danville, VT. on Rt. 2 in the VT Liquor Store -- North side of the road just before the intersection with the traffic light as one drives West from St. Johnsbury.

We will be incorporating as Kingdom Chess Association, Ltd., which we hope to have qualified with the IRS as a 501 (c)3 charitable organization. Mike Chadburn, Melissa Manseau and I will be the incorporators and directors. There will be some basic costs to the club as a US Chess affiliate that includes annual affiliation fee and liability insurance (you never know when someone might lose and turn their wood board into a weapon of mass destruction). Thus, after several free visits, we will likely have the option of an annual association fee, probably in the range of $25 a year, or people can play for perhaps $5 a visit. The annual amount is the clear bargain and will help to meet costs.

Mike is in the process of obtaining appropriate food and beverage licenses to allow us to eat and drink wine or beer/ale from his Growler Bar. We may have something similar to the chess pub night done in Toronto once a month where anyone can attend and for an "pub fee" have a sandwich, a Pint and hear a talk by a well-regarded chess player or play a simul, perhaps against someone like David Carter.

A central part of our mission will be to grow adult chess in Vermont in partnership with the Vermont Chess Association and in the Northeast Kingdom with any number of groups that might find chess a way of helping the overall community.

Please join us for chess, conversation and community building in Danville, starting 1/17/2017. Good chess to all.

New Vermont Chess Club Is Forming Based In Danville Vermont

   A soon to be non-profit organization affiliated with US Chess, the national governing body for tournament chess in the United States. We will be meeting at Mike Chadburn's new place of business in Danville, VT on Tuesday evenings from 6PM until 9PM beginning in mid-January.

   All levels of chess expertise are welcome, from absolute beginners to the World Champion should Magnus pass through the area. 

   Good chess to all!  Visit us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/700339456802664/?ref=bookmarks

The London Chess Classic Has Begun With An Interesting So Win Over Nakamura

Wesley so leads the overall Grand Prix chess series. His win over Nakamura is a sweet one. Pgn is below with analysis by Fritz 12.

[Event "8th London Classic 2016"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2016.12.09"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Black "So, W."]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2779"]
[BlackElo "2794"]
[Annotator "Fritz 12 (15m)"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

{D85: Exchange Grünfeld: Unusual White 7th moves and lines with 7 Nf3} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3 c5 8. Rc1 O-O
9. Qd2 e5 {last book move. Black threatens to win material: e5xd4} 10. d5 {
White has a new protected passed pawn: d5} (10. Nf3 exd4 11. cxd4 cxd4 12. Nxd4
Qe7 $11) 10... Nd7 (10... Qd6 11. Bd3 $11) 11. c4 {Black's piece can't move: c8
} (11. f3 Qc7 $14) 11... f5 $11 {Black threatens to win material: f5xe4} 12.
Bg5 {White threatens to win material: Bg5xd8} (12. exf5 $5 {is worth
consideration} gxf5 13. Bg5 $11) 12... Nf6 $15 {Black threatens to win
material: Nf6xe4} 13. Ne2 $2 (13. exf5 $142 $5 {is an interesting idea} Bxf5
14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 $15) 13... Nxe4 $17 14. Bxd8 Nxd2 15. Be7 Rf7 16. Bxc5
Nxf1 17. Rxf1 b6 18. Bb4 Ba6 19. f4 (19. f3 Rc8 20. c5 bxc5 21. Rxc5 Rxc5 22.
Bxc5 Rc7 $19) 19... Rc8 $19 20. fxe5 $2 (20. c5 $142 bxc5 21. Rxc5 (21. Bxc5 $4
Rfc7 22. Be3 Rxc1+ 23. Bxc1 exf4 $19) 21... Rxc5 22. Bxc5 $19) 20... Bxe5 21.
Rf3 Bxc4 (21... Rxc4 {might be the shorter path} 22. Rxc4 Bxc4 23. Re3 Bxh2 24.
d6 $19) 22. Re3 Bg7 (22... Bxh2 $6 23. a4 a6 24. g3 $17) 23. Nf4 Rd7 24. a4 Bh6
25. g3 Bxf4 26. gxf4 Rxd5 27. Re7 Rd4 28. Bd2 Kf8 29. Bb4 (29. Be3 Rd3 30. Re5
Kf7 $19) 29... Re8 (29... Re8 30. Rxe8+ Kxe8 $19) 0-1