From the archives

Mark Dvoretsky

An epic fight

I’ll never forget that day in early February 1999. We, the first team of Apeldoorn, were paired against Rotterdam, the heavy favourites, fighting for the title in the second Dutch league and for promotion to the ‘Meesterklasse’. We lost that match narrowly, and I lost my game too. No, that wasn’t why the day was unforgettable. It was because of the legendary game that took place on first board. Apeldoorn chess organizer Karel van Delft had asked Mark Dvoretsky, the world’s most famous chess coach and in his prime the strongest International Master on the globe, to play a few games for our ambitious team. Mark had gladly complied – even more so when he heard that in our match with Rotterdam, Viktor Korchnoi would be playing! Dvoretsky wasn’t afraid to face Viktor, who was 67 years old at the time but still quite Terrible. The Muscovite coach saw it as a great opportunity to have a game with this top player whom he’d never crossed swords with before. And now this face-off between two legends175

A happy Ding Liren after his victory in the 2019 Sinquefield Cup.

Ding’s Tiebreak Brilliance… Four Years Ago

Easily the most-heard remark in the chess world the past weeks was what a wonderful and exciting fight the World Championship match between Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi had turned out to be. There simply were no dull moments and dramatic turns and wonderful games were the order of the day. Traditionalists might have hoped that the outcome would be decided in the classical games, but those considerations were probably quickly forgotten when the rapid tiebreak proved no less entertaining. And what a finale it was! Ding Liren’s decision to play for a win in the fourth rapid game was epic and will be remembered for a long time to come.An account of the match in Astana and the key games with great notes by Anish Giri, Jan Timman and Jorden van Foreest you will find in the 2023/3 issue of New In Chess that will be published (the digital edition) on May 6. Here I would like to remind you of another most remarkable tiebreak game that Ding Liren played, a brilliancy that I had the pleasure175

World Championship 2023: Ding vs Nepo

Recognition

The FIDE World Championship match in Astana has turned out to be a most pleasant surprise. While expectations were generally modest and many pundits had expressed or feigned indifference before the match, interest in the battle between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren seems to be growing by the day. The players lay into each other with abandon and so far draws have been a rarity. Four out of the first six games have ended in a decision, we have seen brilliant attacks and it’s anyone’s guess who has the best chances.We don’t know who will win the match and we don’t know either what the position of the winner, the new World Champion, will be in the chess community. There is good reason to think that his status will be less glamorous than it should be. As Magnus Carlsen, the number one in the world rankings, has decided not to defend his title, we will have a world champion who many will not see as such. That is far from ideal and it remains regrettable that Carlsen has undermined a great175

Magnus Carlsen in Wijk aan Zee 2023

Kings, Queens & Rookies. And Rooks.

The prize-giving of the 85th Tata Steel Chess Festival in Wijk aan Zee took place four days ago, but I still feel the heat and the excitement of the final round. What a sensational finish it was. A finale that left the Dutch fans delighted and rubbing their eyes in disbelief.As could be expected Magnus Carlsen fought for his chances till the very last moment and did what he had to do by grinding down India’s Arjun Erigaisi. But it was not enough, as Anish Giri leapfrogged Nodirbek Abdusattorov to finally win ‘Wijk aan Zee’ after no fewer than five second places in previous editions. While our contributing editor himself defeated Richard Rapport on the last day, he got a mighty helping hand from his Dutch teammate Jorden van Foreest, who beat Abdusattorov and destroyed the Uzbek’s dream to win his first classical super-tournament. In the next issue of New In Chess Magazine, Anish Giri will be properly feted with extensive coverage of the highlights of the 85th edition of ‘the Wimbledon of175

Magnus in Wijk aan Zee 2013

When did the Magnus Carlsen era begin?

Good question. When did the Magnus Carlsen era begin? In 2004 when he became a grandmaster at the age of 13? In 2010 when he first topped the world rankings? Or in 2013 when he defeated Vishy Anand to become World Champion?If we turn the clock back exactly 10 years, it’s not hard to remember the feelings of excitement and anticipation we all had about Magnus’s ultimate breakthrough. Vishy Anand was still World Champion, having defended his title successfully earlier in the year against Boris Gelfand in Moscow, but his next Challenger would be the winner of the Candidates tournament in London in March 2013. And few doubted that Magnus Carlsen was ready to take the final two hurdles to the highest title. Magnus’s big test before the Candidates was the Tata Steel Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, the ‘Wimbledon of Chess’ that he had already won twice. Just like we are now looking forward to the 85th anniversary tournament, we were then eagerly awaiting the 75th edition. An edition that didn’t disappoint175