The Ten Best Games of Volume 99

Sasa Velickovic

Prior to the World Championship tournament in Mexico, Vishy Anand stated that he was looking forward to clashing with the leaders of the chess world in the hope of once again becoming world champion. However, it is his stability over many years that sticks in my mind: his play, his results and rating! So many brilliant victories, beautiful games and important theoretical novelties! He is truly the “complete package.”

Indicative of his good form leading up to Mexico is his beautiful game from the Morelia/Linares tournament at the beginning of this year. As white against Magnus Carlsen, his refined opening play virtually destroyed Black’s defenses. Here’s to a long-lived championship title!

 
 

EDITORIAL SELECTION

  

1.

V. ANAND — M. CARLSEN

247

7

3

9

9

9

3

9

10

59

2.

KRAMNIK — V. ANAND

344

10

8

–

8

8

–

4

9

47

3.

KRAMNIK — M. CARLSEN

295

8

–

4

10

–

–

10

7

39

4.

NEPOMNIACHTCHI — VALLEJO PONS

199

4

9

8

–

2

10

–

–

33

5.

IVANCHUK — V. TOPALOV

169

2

–

5

–

10

–

7

5

29

6.

AHN — T. RUCK

212

6

6

7

–

1

1

8

–

29

7.

IVANCHUK — ARONIAN

289

–

7

6

–

6

–

5

4

28

8.

ARONIAN — V. ANAND

270

–

10

–

2

5

2

–

6

25

9.

V. TOPALOV — SHIROV

329

–

1

–

–

7

–

1

8

17

10.

SVIDLER — SERGEY KARJAKIN

170

–

2

10

–

–

–

–

3

15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.

MOTYLEV — SVIDLER

313

–

–

–

3

–

8

2

2

15

12.

A. VOLOKITIN — AR. JUSSUPOW

197

9

–

–

–

–

4

–

–

13

13.

MOTYLEV — CH. LUTZ

113

3

–

–

1

–

9

–

–

13

14.

LEKO — KRAMNIK

234

–

–

–

7

–

–

6

–

13

15.

SUTOVSKY — SAKAEV

211

–

5

1

–

–

5

–

1

12

16.

SERGEY KARJAKIN — SHIROV

90

–

–

–

–

4

7

–

–

11

17.

ALEXANDER MOISEENKO — DVOIRYS

319

–

–

–

6

3

–

–

–

9

18.

SUTOVSKY — KI. GEORGIEV

157

–

4

–

4

–

–

–

–

8

19.

WERLE — A. NAIDITSCH

361

–

–

–

–

–

6

–

–

6

20.

LEKO — SVIDLER

174

–

–

–

5

–

–

–

–

5

21.

M. CARLSEN — SVIDLER

235

5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5

22.

RUBLEVSKY — ZHANG PENGXIANG

82

1

–

–

–

–

–

3

–

4

23.

A. BELIAVSKY — LAZNICKA

264

–

–

3

–

–

–

–

–

3

24.

Z. ILINCIC — KR. SZABO

358

–

–

2

–

–

–

–

–

2

25.

KRAMNIK — NAVARA

27

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

26.

ALEXEY IVANOV — SANDULEAC

70

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

27.

SVIDLER — V. TOPALOV

177

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

28.

M. CARLSEN — V. ANAND

304

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

29.

M. GUREVICH — N. PERT

312

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

30.

BU XIANGZHI — BOLOGAN

393

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0