Arctic Securities Rapid: Anand and Carlsen lead with 2.5/3

The first half brought the result many expected: the World Champion and the world's highest ranked player won both their games against their lower-ranked opponents, and drew the encounter against each other. But it was not all smooth sailing. In his game against compatriot Jon Ludvig Hammer Magnus stared disaster in the face. First day report with poignant videos by Europe Echecs.

This rapid chess tournament is taking place in Kristiansund from Saturday, August 28th to Monday, August 30th 2010. It is a double round robin with four players: Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar and Jon Ludvig Hammer. On Monday there follows the finals between the two leading players, together with the bronze final for third place. Time controls are 20 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move.


Introduction and excerpts from the press conference before the tournament.


Interviews with the players

In the second video report the "blunder of the day" is vividly described by Jon Ludvig, who apparently like all Norwegians speaks a very high level of English. Starting at 1:57 min into the video he talks about the missed chance, while the thumbnail on the top left (from 2:14 min) shows Magnus playing 39.Rd2?? and Hammer immediately recapturing with his h-rook – and realising what he has missed at 2:21 min. Heartbreaking to watch.

Links

• Official tournament site
• All games in PGN
• Videos by GM Robert Fontaine and Gérard Demuydt for Europe Echecs

Text: Courtesy of Chessbase

Game, Set and Mate

Whilst watching the predictable looking match between sister’s Serena and Venus Williams from Wimbledon and trying to fill the gaps doing something ‘useful’ on the web, I came across this article on the Indian Chathurangam website.

Anand prefers Tennis to Chess
World Champion Viswanathan Anand might have been a Tennis player depriving India of its first Grandmaster, but for the alarm clock. He also attended a coaching camp for the game in his childhood. "They wanted me to wake up at 5-30 am every day and jog, so I gave up the game," he said.

"Had I not become a Chess player, I would have loved to be in Fine Arts or Information Technology - in which one can sit alone and work his brains," he said. Asked how he felt at being one of the eminent personalities of the country, Anand said simply, 'I enjoy it'. Revealing how he concentrated during a gruelling game, Anand said "I do a lot of preparation before a game. So, I know the first 10 or 15 moves. Of course in critical moments one really has to push oneself and that is very challenging".

The Champion candidly confessed that he hated losing to rivals he did not like. "It really hurts then". He could, however, reconcile himself to defeat if the writing on the wall became clear to him within half an hour even if the game dragged on for hours. He felt that a sound sleep before the game increased concentration.



What made a true sportsperson? The Grandmaster said "Probably, the desire to compete and play in a healthy way to bring out the best in oneself". Asked to spell out his initial feeling on winning the World Championship, Anand said "Confusion. Suddenly everybody rushed to the stage. It took half an hour for the feeling to sink in".

Chased by autograph hunters, whose autograph would he wish to take? the question came from a young lady. "Any pretty woman, of course," he said with a glance at wife Aruna, as the packed auditorium burst into laughter. Aruna, who enjoyed the interaction, proved equally good at fielding questions.

"How difficult is Anand as a husband?"
"He is very simple and down to earth," she replied.