Busy times for grandmasters

Position No. 6015: White to play and win. From the game Erik Van den Doel-John Van der Weil, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2008.

Solution to Position No. 6014: Black resigned after 1 . . . Qa4??

2 Nxc5+, but he could have won with 1 . . . Ra1+! 2 Kxa1 (also hopeless is 2 Kc2 Qa4+ 3 Kd2 Qd1+ 4 Ke3 Qe1+ 5 Kf4 Be5+) Qa4+ 3 Kb1 Qd1+ 4 Ka2 b3+ 5 Ka3 Qa1+ 6 Kxb3 Qxb2+ 7 Kc4 Qc3+ 8 Kb5 Qb3+ 9 Ka5 Bc3+.

Here is a roundup of the most significant tournaments in a busy and exciting chess summer.

Young grandmasters Evgeny Alekseev of Russia and Leinier Dominguez Perez of Cuba scored 6 1/2 -3 1/2 to lead the prestigious tournament in Biel, Switzerland. Alekseev won a blitz playoff to take first prize.

Favorite Magnus Carlsen of Norway finished third at 6-4, his first setback after five terrific tournaments. Unofficially, his rating will drop from 2791 to 2787. The 17-year-old sensation reached 2796 mid-tournament before losing to Alekseev.

Former U.S. champion Alexander Onischuk of Maryland was fifth at 4-6. Last year, Onischuk and Carlsen tied for first place and Carlsen barely won the playoff.

One day after the Biel tournament, Carlsen competed in a double round robin of 20-minute games in Mainz, Germany. He scored 3 1/2 -2 1/2 (a win against Judit Polgar of Hungary and five draws), a 2822 performance, to qualify for the final against world champion Viswanathan Anand of India. However, Anand, the best rapid player for more than a decade, dispatched him convincingly, 3-1. Alexander Morozevich of Russia defeated Polgar, 2 1/2 -1 1/2 , to take third place.

Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria, women's world champion in 2004, won what was billed as the strongest women's tournament ever. She scored 4 1/2 -2 1/2 in the North Urals Cup in Krasnoturinsk, Russia. Current champion Xu Yuhua of China and ratings leader Humpy Koneru of India tied for fourth place at 3 1/2 -3 1/2 .

The second Grand Prix tournament, featuring 14 outstanding grandmasters, continues through Thursday in Sochi, Russia. Former U.S. champion Gata Kamsky started 2 1/2 -2 1/2 . For standings, games, interviews and photos, see sochi2008.fide.com.

Local news

The state championship begins Saturday in Century City. No spectators are allowed, but the moves of all games will be posted at scchess.com. The tournament concludes Aug. 24.

Several local players are competing in the U.S. Open in Dallas. Follow their progress at uschess.org.