Get this issue as part of our: Save 45% HOLIDAY PACKAGE   Content NIC’s Café Your Move Anand’s Challenger Out of thirty classical games only three ended in a decision at the Candidates’ matches in Kazan and in an avalanche of tie-breaks and upsets the favourites were knocked out one after the other. In the six-game final between two dark horses, 42-year-old Boris Gelfand of Israel and 27-year-old Alexander Grischuk of Russia, the oldest participant prevailed and won the right to challenge Vishy Anand for the World Championship. Deserving and Worthy Mark Glukhovsky, editor-in-chief of the Russian magazine ‘64’, profiles Boris Gelfand and apologizes to the reader in advance – the Israeli grandmaster is a good friend of his and this profile is unlikely to be unbiased and objective. A Club Only About Chess For the third time in a row the U.S. Championships were held in the magnificent Saint Louis Chess Club. Gata Kamsky successfully defended his title with hard-nosed and unshakable chess. An exhausting marathon of 19 games brought Anna Zatonskih her fourth women’s trophy. Interview: Gata Kamsky With disarming candour the three-time U.S. Champion speaks about his views on chess, his life philosophies and the exact date when he will quit chess. Law and Order Nigel Short shines his light on arbiters. ‘Whilst I am at it, let me propose a couple of minor amendments to the Laws of Chess.’ Champion in the Country of Champions In the Georgian capital of Tbilisi Victoria Cmilyte won the European Women’s Championship. Hertan’s Forcing Moves Bobby Fischer as Seen by Harry Benson A revealing interview with the legendary star photographer on one of his greatest stories ever. Opulence Is Bliss Lured by its fame, Max Illingworth took part in the Thailand Open. All the World’s a Stage ‘The stage which opens up for us at the beginning of the game makes all the difference to our scope for thrill-seeking later on’, writes Luke McShane. Favourites Stumble in Tiebreaks Jan Timman examines critical positions from the Candidates’ matches. Letter from the Soviet Chess School ‘Events are held in obscurity and the players produce chess worthy of obscurity. Which comes first?’, Garry Kasparov wonders. Just Checking What does Yasser Seirawan think is the stupidest rule in chess? Did They Play Your Opening? Sicilian Mamedyarov-Gelfand, by Giri Kamsky-Gelfand, by Timman Vallejo-Arvind, by Illingworth French Kamsky-Akobian, by Kamsky Caro-Kann Zaw Win Lay-Short, by Illingworth Hess-Finegold, by Hess Ruy Lopez Short-Gustafsson, by Gustafsson Queen's Gambit Declined Krush-Zatonskih, by Zatonskih Nimzo-Indian Shankland-Onischuk, by Shankland Cmilyte-Cramling, by Cmilyte Shulman-Ehlvest, by Shulman Grünfeld Indian Gelfand-Grischuk, by Timman English Opening Gelfand-Grischuk, by Giri     Get this issue as part of our: Save 45% HOLIDAY PACKAGE