Four highlights and a new number one. That is the summary of the autumn of 2009 in chess.

It ran from the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing with the triumphal success of Magnus Carlsen via the European Club and National Championships to the major high point of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which Vladimir Kramnik was able to take with half a point of a lead.

The new (unofficial) number one in the FIDE world ranking list is now Magnus Carlsen, whose second place in Moscow was sufficient for him to push Topalov from the top spot.

Opening surveys:

Marin: Alekhine Defence B04
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7

Erenburg: Caro-Kann B12
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bf4

Kuzmin: Sicilian B80
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 h5
  
Berg: Sicilian B97
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3   

Moskalenko: French C05
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7  

Kritz: French C18
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4  

Skembris: Petroff Defence C42
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nd6!? 7.0-0 Be7
  
Stohl: Scotch C45
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 Ne5 8.Be2 Qg6 9.0-0 d6 10.f4
  
Marin: Ruy Lopez C66
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nc3  

Karolyi: Queen's Gambit Accepted D20
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4  

Langrock: Queen's Indian Defence E12
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 g6
  
Krasenkow: King's Indian E90
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5