According to FIDE, the World Chess Federation, Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan is the new world champion. He won this august title earlier this year in a controversial tournament in Libya, which a good number of top players, including especially top Jewish players, declined to attend. Does the title have validity? Is he really the world’s best player?

One measure worth considering is Kasimdzhanov’s performance in other events. An open tournament in Vlissingen in the Netherlands does not suggest he is top flight. Only five grandmasters participated in this event, yet the new champ tied for the 21st to the 43rd slot.

Here we see the Indian grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran take Kasimdzhanov apart. Sasikiran is one of the big hopes of the Indian chess team which might bring major surprises to the World Chess Olympiad opening next month in Spain.

KASIMDZHANOV VS. SASIKIRAN

(white) (black)

Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.f3 Be7 10.h4 h6 11.Be3 h5! 12.Bg5 Ne5!

With his last two moves black has paralyzed white’s kingside pawns. White’s thrust is obligatory but it yields black control of the crucial g4 square. 13.f4 Neg4 14.Qe1 Qc7 15.Rh3 b5 16.a3 0-0!? It was very tempting to save time by deferring castling and initiating an attack immediately: 16…Rb8!? 17.Be2 b4 18.axb4 Qb7! (Inferior is 18…Rxb4?! 19.Nd5! Nxd5 20.exd5 Ra4 21.dxe6 fxe6 22.Kb1 with an advantage for white.) 19.b5 axb5 20.Bxb5 Bxb5 21.Ndxb5 0-0 with good compensation for the pawn. 17.Be2 Rfe8! A necessary prophylactic move because 17…Rab8 18.Bxg4 hxg4 19.Rhd3 was not good for black. 18.Bxg4 Nxg4 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 20.Rhd3 d5 21.e5 Rc8 22.Qd2 The more straightforward 22.Nce2 Ree8 23.Ng3 g6 24.Nf1 a5 25.Ne3 Nxe3 26.Qxe3 b4 27.g4 hxg4 28.Rg1 Kg7! 29.Rxg4 Rh8 led to an approximately equal position. 22…Qb8 23.Re1 a5 24.Nd1 b4 25.Nf2 Qb6 Deserving serious attention was 25…Nxf2!? 26.Qxf2 Ba4! with counterplay. 26.Nxg4 hxg4 27.axb4?! The beginning of a plan aimed at relocating the white king to the kingside. But it is refuted. White had to play 27.h5! bxa3 28.Rxa3 Rc4 29.c3 with a solid position. 27… axb4 28.Kd1 Ree8 29.Ree3 The immediate 29.Ke2 Bb5 would give an advantage to black. 29… Rc4 30.b3

(See diagram)

30… Ra8! After this sudden blow white’s position is defenseless. 31.Nxe6 Now white looks for complications. If he seeks to continue his plan of relocating the king by 31.Ke2 Ra1 32.Kf2 Rh1! 33.Ne2 Re4! 34.g3 Bb5 35.Rd4 Bxe2 36.Rdxe4 Bf3 37.Qxb4 Qa6 black would win because white can not neutralize the penetrating rook on c4. 31… Re4! 32.Rxe4 Equally hopeless was 32.Nd4 Ra1+ 33.Ke2 Rxf4. 32… dxe4 33.Rxd7 Qg1+ 34.Ke2 Qxg2+ 35.Ke3 Qf3+ 36.Kd4 fxe6 37.Kc4 e3 38.Rd8+ Rxd8 39.Qxd8+ Kh7 40.Qd3+ Kh6 41.Qd8 White resigned. After 41…Qe4+ 42.Kc5 Qd5+ the pawn on e3 would queen. 0-1