London Chess Clasic Ken Rogoff Reggio Emilia Nigel Short Russian Championship Loek van Wely Women’s World Championship Larry Evans (1932-2010) Forcing Moves S.O.S. Rowson's Reviews Just Checking

Content NIC’s Café Your Move London is Carlsen’s Call The second edition of the London Chess Classic repeated everything that made the first one so memorable and enjoyable, rightly assuming that the difference would be made by the addition of World Champion Vishy Anand and the new games the grandmasters were going to delight us with. And although the winner’s name also remained the same, the way Magnus Carlsen repeated last year’s victory turned out to be an entirely different story. Interview Ken Rogoff At 16 he dropped out of school to be a chess player. Today he is an international economist consulted by political leaders and policy makers all over the world. In the meantime his passion for chess has not dwindled, as Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam found out. The Promise ‘Three years ago, when I finished in second place here in Reggio Emilia, my father told me that the trophy awarded to the winner was very pretty. I promised to win the cup for him next time. Today I’m so happy that I was able to keep that promise!’, said Vugar Gashimov after his victory at the 53rd Torneo di Capodanno. Of Beasts and Books In his first contribution our new columnist Nigel Short deplores the downsides of the democratisation of information that the computer has brought to chess. What’s Next for Ian Nepomniachtchi? He entered the Russian Super Final as European champion and ended the tournament as new Russian champion. Mark Glukhovsky, editor-in-chief of ‘64’, analyses the progress of former wunderkind Ian Nepomniachtchi to a mature grandmaster who is ready to compete with the very best. Warming up for a Sabbatical With his announced sabbatical ­eerily drawing close, Loek van Wely ­decided to make a last splash on the American circuit. Hou Yifan Women’s World Champion In an all-Chinese final 16-year-old Hou Yifan defeated her compatriot Ruan Lufei to become the youngest Women’s World Champion in history. ‘Chess Is My Bread and Butter’ Jimmy Adams remembers Larry Evans (1932-2010), for decades one of the top players in the USA and for more than half a century one of its most prolific chess writers. Forcing Moves Test your tactical acumen by solving Charles Hertan’s brain crunchers. Double Punishment in London Jan Timman analyses two games from the London Chess Classic that brought Vladimir Kramnik a lot less than he deserved. S.O.S. Jeroen Bosch reveals the secret of the North Sea Defence as an opening surprise. Homo Ludens In his 50th Rowson’s Reviews, ­Jonathan Rowson takes a close look at An ­Anthropologist at the Chessboard by Robert Desjarlais, a remarkable book to be published later this year. Just Checking What was the most exciting chess game Garry Kasparov ever saw? Did they play your opening? Sicilian Karjakin-Nepomniachtchi, by Karjakin Friedel-Van Wely, by Van Wely Kamsky-Van Wely, by Van Wely Lahno-Hou Yifan, by Hou Yifan Caro-Kann Friedel-Kacheishvili, by Van Wely Gashimov-Ivanchuk, by Gashimov Ruy Lopez Kosteniuk-Ruan Lufei, by Ruan Lufei McShane-Kramnik, by Timman Anand-Carlsen, by Anand Scotch Vallejo-Onischuk, by Vallejo Nepomniachtchi-Svidler, by Nepomniachtchi Nimzo-Indian Malakhov-Karjakin, by Karjakin Queen's Pawn Koneru-Hou Yifan, by Hou Yifan Dutch Carlsen-Nakamura, by Carlsen English Opening McShane-Carlsen, by McShane Kramnik-Nakamura, by Nakamura