Archive for February 18th, 2010

Every so often a player has a run for the ages, and this incredible series inevitably ushers in a new name to be reckoned with at the highest echelons of chess. 19-year-old Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem has just had such a run, passing through the fiercest trial by fire the chess world has to offer, coming first or equal first in two super-strong Russian tournaments. Albert Silver reports.

The first pocket PCs all had very similar designs, with standard button and key arrangements. With the improvement of touch screens and the incorporation of mobile phone features, the design has changed, as have the number and functions of the keys in each device. So we need to allow every user to configure our program according to his/her preferences and needs. Here’s how it is done.

In the analysis of Short-Kramnik (”the wrong choice of ending”) we saw a knight that had everything under its
control triumph over the bishop. But having the superior minor piece
does not always guarantee the full point, as can be seen in the game McShane-Sebag.
White has an extra pawn and the last black pawn is fixed on the same colour
square as the bishop. Black should be able to save the game here, because
the winning potential in the position is just too
slight. However, the reason for 134….Kd7? being the wrong move and how
Black could have held the draw can be seen in Karsten Müller’s analysis for  ChessBase Magazine Online.

This young Vietnamese grandmaster is having an incredible run: after finishing joint first in the very strong Moscow Open, and without a single day’s rest, he played in the Aeroflot and clinched sole first with a fine win over Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final round. Second was Ukrainian GM Anton Korobov. Final results, games and pictures from Moscow.