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This weeks puzzle is the opening round of a national contest where Guardian readers traditionally perform strongly and in numbers. You have to work out how White, playing as usual up the board, can force checkmate in two moves, however Black defends.

The puzzle is the first stage of the annual Winton British Solving Championship, organised by the British Chess Problem Society. The competition is open to British residents only and entry is free. Its prize fund is expected to be at least 1,200, plus awards to juniors.

To take part, simply send Whites first move to Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1QY. The email route is winton@theproblemist.org. Please include your name, home address and postcode and mark your entry Guardian. If you were under 18 on 31 August 2021, please give your date of birth.

The closing date is 31 July. After that all solvers will receive the answer. Those who get it right will also be sent a postal round of eight problems, with plenty of time for solving. The best 20-25 entries from the postal round, plus the best juniors, will be invited to the final in February 2023 (subject to any Covid19 restrictions).

The champion will qualify for the Great Britain team in the 2023 world solving championship, an event where GB is often a medal contender. The starter problem is tricky, though less so than two years ago when a hidden variation which involved queens side castling even defeated some computers. Obvious moves rarely work. It is easy to make an error, so review your answer before sending it. Good luck to all Guardian entrants.

Chinas world No 2, Ding Liren, the pre-tournament favourite for the world championship Candidates in Madrid, suffered a disastrous start in Fridays opening round when he was outclassed by Ian Nepomniachtchi, who six months ago had failed to win a single game in his 4-0 world title defeat by Magnus Carlsen.

Dings over-complex strategic play with the white pieces was brutally refuted by Russias Nepomniachtchi, who played under a neutral Fide flag. The Muscovite massed his black army against the white king, and his pawn advance g7-g5! led to a rapid breakthrough. Ding resigned in the face of a forced checkmate.

The only other decisive game in the opening round was the all-American clash. Fabiano Caruana, the 2018 world title challenger, defeated the five-time US champion Hikaru Nakamura by using his more active pieces to create defensive weaknesses which opened up the streamers king.

Round-one results: Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) 0.5 Richard Rapport (Hungary), Ding Liren (China) 0-1 Ian Nepomniachtchi (Fide); Fabiano Caruana (US) 1-0 Hikaru Nakamura (US); Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 0.5 Alireza Firouzja (France).

There are still 13 rounds to go, but the standout round-two pairing on Saturday is Nepomniachtchi v Caruana. The impressive start by both grandmasters already gives this matchup between Carlsens 2021 and 2018 challengers the potential to be a first prize decider.

Play is at the Palacio de Santona in the centre of Madrid. Rounds start at 2pm BST and last approximately five or six hours. The games are free and live to watch online, with move by move grandmaster commentaries and a handy sidebar which enables non-players to see at a glance who is winning, Your favourite major chess site is likely to screen the games live. Chess24 will have the all-time No 1 woman, Judit Polgar, as its main commentator.

There is no English competitor to follow at Madrid but on Monday England teams will be the top seeds in both the World Senior over-50 and over-65 championships at Acqui Terme, Italy.

England over-50s field GMs Michael Adams, Nigel Short, John Emms, Mark Hebden and Keith Arkell. It is the first time that Adams, now 51, has been eligible. Much depends on whether he and Short can recapture some of their golden form of 1993 and 2004 when they were world championship finalists, and whether the squad can avoid any mishaps which could give a rival an advantage in match points.

The United States team are second seeds with a team consisting mainly of ex-Russians who learnt their skills in the former Soviet Union. Georgia, the No 3 seeds, will include the legendary former world womens champion Nona Gaprindashvili, now aged 81. GM John Nunn leads England over-65s, supported by Paul Littlewood, Nigel Povah, Tony Stebbings and Ian Snape.

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Chess: national solving championship open for entries from Britain - The Guardian

Its time to give back to the sport, says the legendary Viswanathan Anand, who is seeking to enter global chess administration with an aim to make it professionally more enticing for the youth.

Anand, whose moves on the board still leave opponents grasping at straws, wants to fully commit himself as someone who can work towards the betterment of the sport.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the five-time world champion charted out his future plans, days after the All India Chess Federation (AICF) unanimously decided to endorse his candidature for the deputy presidents post in the forthcoming FIDE election.

Compared to three or four years back, I have cut down on my time as a active chess player. I have long aspired to come into the chess administration and this opportunity as the deputy president will be a huge learning curve for me, Anand remarked.

The game of chess helped me become what I am today. Its time for me to give back. The idea is to encourage more youth to take up the sport seriously and make it a profession. I will communicate my ideas and vision once I am elected to the new panel, he added.

While Anand will be part of incumbent Arkady Dvorkovichs panel, among other candidates is the seasoned administrator and former deputy president of the international chess federation, Bachar Kouatly.

However, Anand believes the Dvorkovich administration will have a clear advantage over the others because of the work done by them to make the sport immensely popular, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current administration has done some outstanding work to give the game a facelift especially when every sport was sidelined because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I readily agreed to be a part this panel when I was nominated for the position, Anand said, speaking about his decision to take part in the elections.

The year was 1987 when India got its first grandmaster in Anand. As many as 35 years down the line, India has 74 of them, with the latest being the 19-year-old Rahul Srivatshav Peddi from Hyderabad.

I always had a firm belief that we deserve to have many grandmasters in Chess. During the first time ten years of my career, there were only Pravin Thipsey, Dibyendu Barua, and I. But the current figures make me immensely happy because of the fact that we have progressed so much in chess by leaps and bounds, Anand said.

It is unbeknownst to many that there is a serious cost factor involved when it comes to making a child an age-group world champions or a Grandmaster. Unlike other sports like cricket, football, badminton, or even hockey, where talented athletes are offered scholarships, chess doesnt seem to have many.

Anand, however, mentions that once he gets into administration, his prime focus would be to help those athletes who are talented enough to make the country proud.

The (Viswanathan) Anand academy already nurtures many talented youngsters through the fellowship programmes who can make big in the coming years.

Besides, the FIDE has many ongoing projects for such talented athletes, especially in a country like India, where there is no dearth of talent.

If and when I involve myself as an administrator, my main focus would to guide the top talent who can make India immensely proud. Following his spectacular show at the recently-concluded Norway Chess event, where he beat his arch-rival and current world champion Magnus Carlsen, the 52-year-old Anand is back in the top 10 of the world chess rankings after a long hiatus of 32 months.

During the discussion, Anand also brushed aside retirement plans said that even if he makes a foray as an active administrator, he will not bid adieu to the sport as a player anytime soon.

I will go on as long as I can. I have informed my team as well that I want to continue playing even if I win the FIDE elections. The goal is to not stop playing chess anytime soon, Anand signed off with his trademark smile.

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Chess helped me become what I am, it's time for me to give back: Viswanathan Anand - The Indian Express

Delhi News Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Delhi. Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Indian Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand were also present. Over 2,000 chess players from 188 countries will participate in this Olympiad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the main tunnel and five underpasses of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project, an integral part of the Pragati Maidan redevelopment exercise. The Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor project has been built at a cost of more than Rs 920 crore and is entirely funded by the central government. It is aimed at providing hassle-free and smooth access to the new world-class exhibition and convention centre being developed at Pragati Maidan to facilitate easy participation of exhibitors and visitors in the programmes being held there. The much-awaited tunnel and six underpasses that are part of the project is expected to ease traffic for 1 lakh commuters.

Meanwhile, even as the incidence of Covid continues to remain high in the capital with 1,534 new cases recorded on Saturday, hospitals say there is no need to increase the number of beds earmarked for the treatment of the infection as hospitalisations continue to be low. The number of active cases or those with current infection has shot to 5,119, however, just more than 200 people are hospitalised, according to the daily health bulletin released by the government.

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Delhi News Live Updates: PM Modi launches torch relay for 44th Chess Olympiad - The Indian Express

"We are excited to once again kick off this summer's national championships by bringing together the top chess players from across the United States," said Executive Director Tony Rich. "Over the past 13 years, we've been proud to host the future of chess annually with the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls' Junior Championships and for the fourth consecutive year we will feature the legends of chess with the U.S. Senior Championship."

The three 10-player fields will tie together chess past and future for a celebration of the best of chess.

The U.S. Junior Championship will feature a field of new and returning young prodigies. 2021 U.S. Junior Champion GM Hans Niemann will not be returning to reclaim his title. Headlining players include two-time U.S. Junior Champion GM Awonder Liang, GM Brandon Jacobson, GM Christopher Yoo and GM Abhimanyu Mishra, whose talent and determination put them among the brightest young minds in the game. Additionally, the wildcard player will be three-time U.S. Girls' Junior Champion, IM Carissa Yip. Along with winning the title, players will be competing to win a piece of the more than $20,000 prize fund and an invitation to the U.S. Championship later this year. The winner of the U.S. Junior Championship will be awarded a $6,000 scholarship, jointly supported by US Chess and Dewain Barber.

The future of women's chess in America is bright and will be on full display during the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. This tournament features a field of rising stars, while 2021 US Girls' Junior Champion IM Annie Wang will not return to reclaim her title. Headlining players returning to compete again this year include WGM Jennifer Yu, WGM Thalia Cervantes, and WIM Alice Lee, each considered to be among the top U.S. girls and women chess players. Along with winning the title, players will be up for the chance to win a piece of the more than $10,000 prize fund and an invitation to the U.S. Women's Championship later this year. Additionally, the winner of the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship will be awarded a $6,000 scholarship, jointly supported by US Chess and Dewain Barber.

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. Senior Championship will be held alongside the country's other national chess championships. The 2022 field boasts legendary chess players, including six U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductees: Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov, the 2021 U.S. Senior Champion, Joel Benjamin, the 2020 U.S. Senior Champion, Alex Shabalov, the 2019 U.S. Senior Champion, Larry Christiansen, Igor Novikov, and wildcard Nick Di Firmian.

The expert commentary team of GM'sYasser Seirawan, Alejandro Ramirez and Cristian Chirila will call the action live. The team will be providing game analysis daily from July 6 - July 16 online starting at 1:00 p.m. CT.

Fans can watch all the action live on http://www.uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.

2022 U.S. Junior Championship Field

Name

Qualification Method

Invitational Rating*

Hometown

GM Awonder Liang

2021 Denker Champion

2705

Madison, WI

GM Brandon Jacobson

Rating

2627

Westfield NJ

GM Christopher Yoo

Rating

2626

Dublin, CA

GM Andrew Hong

Rating

2610

Saratoga, CA

GM Abhimanyu Mishra

Rating

2607

Englishtown, NJ

IM David Brodsky

Rating

2584

Cortlandt Manor, NY

IM Justin Wang

Rating

2565

Katy, TX

NM Pedro Espinosa

2021 US Junior Open Champion

2222

New York, NY

IM Balaji Daggupati

Rating

2525

San Ramon, CA

IM Carissa Yip

Wildcard

2514

Andover, MA

2022 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship Field

Name

Invitational Rating*

Qualification

Hometown

WGM Jennifer Yu

Rating

2388

Ashburn, VA

WGM Thalia Cervantes

Rating

2355

Saint Louis, MO

WIM Alice Lee

Rating

2347

1North Oaks, MN

FM Ruiyang Yan

2021 Haring Champion

2344

Mountain View, CA

WIM Rochelle Wu

Rating

2319

Woodland, CA

WFM Sophie Morris-Suzuki

Rating

2250

Waccabuc, NY

WFM Zoey Tang

Rating

2232

Portland, OR

WIM Ellen Wang

Rating

2213

Bronx, NY

WFM Gracy Prasanna

Rating

2210

Nazareth, PA

WFM Anne-Marie Velea

Wildcard

2201

Sammamish, WA

2022 U.S. Senior Championship Field

Name

Invitational Rating*

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Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Legends and Rising Stars of American Chess - PR Newswire

ANI | Updated: Jun 19, 2022 22:54 IST

New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand took to social media to express his delight at being handed over the torch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad on Sunday at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi."There are moments when you stand there and everything that you have done flashes past you. Today as I took the torch from Respected Shri @narendramodi Ji. I looked at the Indian Chess Team. It was "THE MOMENT " like no other. @FIDE_chess @aicfchess #chennaichessolympiad," tweeted Anand.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Indian Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur were present at the opening of the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay. This torch will then be taken to 75 cities in a span of 40 days before the final culmination at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. At every location, chess grandmasters of the state will receive the torch.This year, for the very first time, the International Chess Body, FIDE, has instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch which is part of Olympic tradition but was never done in the Chess Olympiad. India will be the first-ever country to have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay.The 44th edition of the world's biggest chess event will be held in Mahabalipuram near Chennai from July 28 to August 10.In nearly 100 years of the history of the Chess Olympiad, it's the first time that India will be hosting this prestigious event. With 188 countries registered for the upcoming Olympiad, Indian sporting history is also set to witness a huge congregation of countries on Indian soil for the first time at an event. And celebrating this, AICF has unveiled a social media campaign 'Namaste World', welcoming the chess community from around the world for this event.AICF had earlier announced two Indian teams each in the open and women's sections as the 44th Chess Olympiad has attracted 343 teams in both sections. (ANI)

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Viswanathan Anand terms receiving Chess Olympiad torch from PM Modi as 'the moment like no other' - ANI News