Defeated US challenger has a chance to capture the top ranking which the Norwegian has held in an unbroken run since 2011

Fabiano Caruana can gain significant consolation for his world title failure next week when the defeated US challenger has an opportunity to capture the global No 1 ranking. His conqueror, Magnus Carlsen, has held the top spot unbroken since 2011, and it is one of the Norwegian’s most prized possessions.

Caruana, along with his compatriot Hikaru Nakamura, Armenia’s Levon Aronian and France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, are survivors from the year-long Grand Tour whose previous legs were in Brussels, Paris and St Louis. Carlsen declined the full Tour and played only in St Louis, where he tied first, because he preferred his own programme to prepare for his world title defence. Semi-final pairings for the $300,000 London Classic are Caruana v Nakamura and Aronian v Vachier-Lagrave.

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Each match consists of two classical games, two rapid and four blitz. For the purposes of the event classical points count triple and rapid points double.

There will be a third/fourth place play-off for the defeated semi-finalists, which means that Caruana is guaranteed four classical games to reach No 1. If his first decisive result is a win, or his overall total is 2.5/4 or better, that will be enough to overcome the tiny rating gap – 2832 to 2835 – which still separates him from Carlsen. Four draws, 2-2 with a loss before a win, or a minus score, and Carlsen stays No 1.

Caruana’s four classical games are on Tuesday 11, Wednesday 12, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December. All rounds start at 2pm GMT and will be live online, although only the last two plus the rapid/blitz on Monday 17 December will have available spectator tickets at the Olympia Conference Centre, the venue for all London Classics.

What of Carlsen and the controversial way he retained his crown via 12 draws in classical chess then 3-0 in rapid? The champion has given his blog account of the match which glosses over his near-winning position in game one.

The shrewd analysis by Jonathan Tisdall, the US-born journalist living in Norway who 30 years ago helped Jon Speelman to reach the candidates semi-final, proved popular.

Tisdall’s theory is that Carlsen entered the match with high hopes and combative intentions, but then failed to convert game one and soon came to realise his own poor form: “He faced up to and coped with the growing understanding that 23-year-old Maximum Carlsen had once again failed to turn up, and that worried, slightly sloppy 2018 Magnus had to win this match.”

Caruana for his part missed his chance to convert game eight, and realised too late how much he would be outclassed in rapid. Tisdall praises the challenger’s “inner objectivity and equilibrium” and expects him to challenge again in future. But the future is already here, and next week’s games will immediately test Caruana’s resilience after his demoralising setback.

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Uzbekistan has won the world under-16 youth Olympiad, edging out India and China. There were 46 teams in the event at Konya, Turkey, but none from England, which was unable to raise a team.

Times have changed. In the first unofficial U16 Olympiad at Viborg, Denmark in 1979, England’s Nigel Short, Julian Hodgson, Daniel King, Ian Wells and John Pitcher won the gold medals.

The individual 2018 gold medallist was Alireza Firouzja, 15, Iran’s top board, who scored 8/9 with a 2736 rating performance. Firouzja was Iran champion at 12, a GM at 14, and is currently one of the top blitz/bullet players on chess.com where his skills rival Nakamura.

Quick guide Alireza Firouzja (Iran) v David Brodsky (US), U16 Olympiad 2018 Show Hide Below, the game is virtually settled in one move by Black’s 14…Nc5?? (c5!) after which White’s f pawn marches up the board, Excelsior style, and sets up a routine mating attack. Alireza Firouzja (Iran) v David Brodsky (US), U16 Olympiad 2018 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 c3 Bc5 10 Qd3 Ne7 11 Nd4 Bb6 12 Bc2 Ng6 13 Qe2 0-0 14 f3 Nc5?? 15 f4 Bd7 16 f5 Ne7 17 Bg5 Qe8 18 f6 Ng6 19 fxg7 Kxg7 20 Bf6+ Kg8 21 Qh5 Ne6 22 Qh6 Bc8 23 Rf3 1-0

3596 1 e4 Qd8? 2 Na6+! draws since bxa6?? allows 3 Rb3+ Ka8 4 Qc6+ and mates, while otherwise the knight gives perpetual check at a6 and c7. 1…Rb2+ should win for Black.