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Publisher: New In Chess, 2006
Edition: Magazine
Pages: 100
Language: English

World Cup winner Levon Aronian. Sergey Rublevsky, the new Russian Champion. Bessel Kok, the next FIDE President? Elisabeth Pähtz, girls U20 World Champion. Ponomariov strikes in Pamplona. Kortchnoi on the Young Ones. Chess and Religion. Chess or Poker?

Content YOUTH REVOLT 'A few seconds before the clocks are started in crucial games, while his opponents are concentrating and absorbed in themselves, serious reflections darkening their faces, Levon strolls around the stage, chortles spontaneously and pesters all and sundry with teasing questions. And now you'll say that this man could have lost? Never!' As he set off for the 'edge of the world', Khanty Mansiysk, our reporter Evgeny Atarov was completely sure that 23-year-old Levon Aronian would become the holder of the World Cup. ANOTHER LEAP FORWARD Apart from Aronian's superb victory, easily the greatest sensation in Khanty-Mansiysk was Magnus Carlsen's performance. Simen Agdestein, author of <I>Wonderboy</I>, takes a look at Magnus' results in the past year that culminated in yet another leap forward. RUBLEVSKY & SON The names of the favourites were known and, no, we would certainly not see a surprise winner at the Super Final of the 58th Russian Championship. Fortunately, such dead certainties do not exist and reality was quite different once the games got underway in the thoroughly renovated Central Chess Club. Sergey Rublevsky had less than one day to recover from the World Cup in Siberia, but that couldn't stop him from becoming the new Russian champion. Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam reports from Moscow. INTERVIEW: BESSEL KOK During the Turin Olympiad the FIDE Congress will elect a new President. One of the candidates to challenge Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is Bessel Kok, co-founder of the legendary Grandmasters Association and architect of the Prague Agreement. 'No leadership can continue to transform and improve, if you're sitting in the same seat for 15 years.' WORLD JUNIORS In Istanbul, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Elisabeth Pähtz became the new junior world champions. They both annotated their best game. PONO STRIKES IN PAMPLONA 'The spectators were especially eager to see Ponomariov at work', writes Jan Timman. And right they were. BOUNDLESS LOVE OF CHESS AS AN ART Viktor Kortchnoi, usually not one to mince his words, tells us what he thinks of some of the greatest promises of the new generation. TWO AGAINST ONE Genna Sosonko investigated the sometimes troubled relations between chess and religion. CHESS AND POKER 'I never expected to get hooked on poker', Jennifer Shahade confides. ROWSON'S REVIEWS Jonathan Rowson wouldn't review a book he wrote himself, would he? OLD AND NEW STUDIES Jan Timman found some more studies with totally natural starting-positions. JOHN NUNN AT 50 Like the author himself, Hans Ree regrets that the third collection of John Nunn's best games will be the final volume of the series. A YEAR FOR CHANGES At the start of a new year Garry Kasparov notices that a generation shift is well under way. JUST CHECKING Guess who's Elisabeth Pähtz's favourite chess player of all time. Did they play your opening? In this issue games with the following openings were annotated by world class players: Sicilian Malakhov-Vallejo, by Malakhov Pähtz-Vasilevich, by Pähtz Carlsen-Kamsky, by Carlsen Caro-Kann Ponomariov-Timman, by Timman Motylev-Bareev, by Motylev Ponomariov-Izoria, by Ponomariov Petroff Rublevsky-Motylev, by Rublevsky Svidler-Kramnik, by Svidler Ruy Lopez Morozevich-Khalifman, by Morozevich Grischuk-Kamsky, by Grischuk Ponomariov-Aronian, by Notkin Motylev-Yakovenko, by Yakovenko Italian Game Malakhov-Carlsen, by Carlsen Harikrishna-Sokolov, by Harikrishna King's Pawn Opening Sutovsky-Bacrot, by Bacrot Queens' Gambit Declined Aronian-Ponomariov, by Notkin Aronian-Ponomariov, by Ponomariov Volkov-Zviagintsev, by Zviagintsev Slav Carlsen-Grønn, by Agdestein Nimzo-Indian Gurevich-Aronian, by Notkin Queen's Indian Grischuk-Gelfand, by Grischuk King's Indian Wely-Radjabov, by Wely English Opening Alekseev-Mamedyarov, by Mamedyarov Aronian-Areschenko, by Notkin