Xavier Busig, or "Doods" among his circle, topped the latest tournament he joined in Ireland, Irish Intermediate Championships (1500-1900) with perfect score of 5-0. Please visit http://www.icu.ie/ for details of the event.
And from The Weekender, we have the complete issue below:
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strong>The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 4
Paragua seeks third strike in World Open
GM Mark Paragua
FRESH from two lucky strikes in less than a week since arriving in the United States, No. 3 Filipino GM and 1996 Shell champion Mark Paragua makes no bones about his dream of making a third such strike in the $400,000 World Open in Valley Forge near Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.
Paragua made his first strike on June 17 in the 12th Bradley Cup in Windsor, Connecticut, where he won the second prize. The first prize went to American GM Alexander Ivanov, who finished half a point ahead of Paragua and four others.
Paragua, a former under-14 world rapid champion, won on tiebreak over two-time world title candidate GM Leonid Yudasin of Israel, former world under-16 champion Zviad Izoria of Georgia, US women’s champion WGM Anna Zatonskih, and US Fide Mastert Robert Hess.
Paragua made his second strike on June 21 at the famous Marshall Chess Club in the heart of New York City’s Manhattan.
The Filipino prodigy settled for a tie for second to sixth places with 3.0 points from five games in the club’s Thursday night Championship won by former Estonian GM Jaan Ehlvest, now based in the Big Apple, who had 3.5 points.to top a field of 57 players.
“I have had a good start in my preparation for the big event, the World Open, since I came to America,” Paragua said.—M. Bernardino
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Antonio still No. 1 in July Fide ratings
GM Joey Antonio is still the No. 1 player in the Philippines with Elo 2539, followed by GM Eugene Torre with 2538 and GM Mark Paragua with 2525, according to the July 1, 2007 ratings list issued today by the World Chess Federation (Fide).
IM Wesley So, 13, the country’s foremost child prodigy in chess, retains his No. 4 position with 2516, followed by IM Rogelio Barcenilla 2503, IM Oliver Dimakiling 2500, IM Joseph Sanchez 2469, IM Jayson Gonzales 2461, and IM Roland Salvador 2452 among the top ten Filipino players.
The rest of the top 20: GM Mariano Nelson 2447, IM Enrique Paciencia 2431, IM Rolly Martinez 2430, NM Hamed Nouri 2426, GM Bong Villamayor 2425, FM Julio Catalino Sadorra 2421, IM Rico Mascariñas 2416, IM Yves Rañola 2410, NM Ernesto Fernandez 2408 and NM Sander Severino 2405.—Marlon Bernardino
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BACK TO CENTER STAGE
Prospero Pichay Sr. Memorial set
ALL players in the country, both masters and non-masters, are being invited to compete in the fourth Prospero Pichay Sr. Memorial Tournament to be held in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, from August 12 to 15.
The annual open is being held to honor the late father of former Rep. Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr., president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
Among those expected to sign up for the event is last year’s champion, NM Ernesto Fernandez of Pagadian City.
According to tournament director Cesar Caturla, the NCFP president is sponsoring the tournament in memory of his father as one way of developing discipline and mental agility of young Filipinos so they can keep away from vice and other unwelcome activities like the use of prohibited drugs.
As in last year’s event, the 2007 Pichay Sr. Memorial would be a Fide-rated, nine-round Swiss with cash prizes at stake for the top 10 players, NM Caturla said.
The first prize is P100,000, second of P40,000, third P20,000, fourth P10,000, fifth P6,000 and sixth P5,000.
Players who finish in seventh to 10th places will receive P4,000 each.
Interested parties may contact NM Caturla for complete details, cell phone No. (0928) 713-2397.
Cantilan is ex-Congressman Pichay’s hometown.—Marlon Bernardino
=====================================================================================Kramnik keeps half-point lead in Dortmund
WORLD champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia entered the penultimate sixth round late Saturday with a half-point lead in the Sparkassen Super GM in the German city of Dortmund.
Kramnik had 3.5 points after five rounds, followed by former world champion Viswanathan Anand of India and Aeroflot Open champion Evgeny Alekseev of Russia.
All the rankings were unchanged after all four games in the fifth round—Peter Leko of Hungary vs Kramnik, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan vs Anand, Magnus Carlsen of Norway vs Boris Gelfand of Israel and Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany vs Alekseev—ended in draws.
Kramnik seized the lead with a fourth-round win against the Norwegian wunderkind, 16-year-old Carlsen.
• V. Kramnik (2772) – M. Carlsen (2693)
Rd. 4, Open Catlaan (E05)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Nc6 11.e3 Nb4 12.Bxb4 Bxb4 13.a3 Be7 14.Nbd2 Rc8 15.b4 a5 16.Ne5 Nd5 Not 16...Bxg2 because of 17.Kxg2 axb4 18.Nc6! 17.Nb3! axb4 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Nac6 Bxc6 Best was 19...Qe8!, e.g., 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Nxe7+ Qxe7 22.axb4 Rfe8 20.Nxc6 Qd7 21.Bxd5 exd5 22.axb4 Rfe8 23.Ra5! Bf8 24.Ne5 24.Rxb5 was stronger, e,g,, 24…Re6 25.Rc1 Rh6, with a huge advantage Qe6 25.Rxb5 Rb8 26.Rxb8 Rxb8 27.Qxc7 Bd6 28.Qa5 Bxb4? Best was 28...Bxe5! 29.dxe5 Qxe5 29.Rb1 Qd6 Not 29...Bxa5?? because of 30.Rxb8+ Qc8 31.Rxc8+ Bd8 32.Rxd8#! 30.Qa4! 1–0
The seven-round Sparkassen Super GM tournament is scheduled to end on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
=====================================================================================
IN QUEST OF GM TITLE IN EUROPE
IM Salvador lands high in Lodi
By Marlon Bernardino
FILIPINO IM Roland Salvador, No. 10 in the Philippines today, has landed among the top 10, in a tie for third place with five grandmasters, a fellow international master and a woman grandmaster, in the 76-player Lodi International Open in Italy.
The 25-year-old 2000 Shell national youth active chess champion, who is now based in Milan, finished with 4.0 points and took the sixth place on tiebreak, behind GMs Mladen Palec of Croatia and Vadim Malakhatko of Belgium and WGM Regina Pokorna of Slovakia, in that order.
Salvador who was the lone Filipino in the event was ahead, however, of IM Sabino Brunello and GMs Robert Zelcic of Croatia, Aleksander Delchev of Bulgaria and Miroljub Lazic of Serbia, also in that order.
The eight in a tie were only a half point behind the champion and his runner-up—Dutch GM Jan Werle and Ukraine’s Sergey A. Fedorchuk, respectively. With 4.5 points apiece, Werle took the championship trophy on tiebreak over his fellow GM.
The event drew 76 players, most of them from the host country.
It will be recalled that Salvador, a former stalwart of the Philippine Navy team who originally lived in Sapang Palay, Bulacan, earned his IM title in Lodi last year. He is now actively seeking the GM title in Europe.
One of his best efforts in Lodi was his win with Black against an Italian player.
• Angelo Damia – R. Salvador
Lodi Open, Italy 2007
Sicilian Defense (B20)
1.e4 c5 2.a3 b6 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 equalizes, says Fritz 3.b4 Bb7 Equalizing 4.f3 e6 5.d4 cxd4 Not 5...cxb4 because of 6.axb4 Bxb4+ 7.c3 6.Qxd4 Keeping the balance Be7 7.Bf4 7.Qxg7?? would be a mistake, e.g., 7...Bf6 8.Bb2 Bxg7 9.Bxg7 Qg5 10.Bxh8 Qc1+ 11.Kf2 f6! Nc6 8.Qb2 That g7 pawn is still poisoned: 8.Qxg7?? Bf6 9.Qxh8 Bxh8, and Black is way ahead Bf6 9.e5 Bg5 10.Bg3 Bh4 11.Nd2 11.f4 should be tried Nxe5! 12.0–0–0 Not 12.Qxe5 because of 12...Bf6! Bxg3 13.hxg3 Qf6 14.Ne2 Ne7 14...d5 favors White: 15.g4 Nc6 16.Qxf6 Nxf6 17.g5! 15.g4 Best was 15.Nf4, e.g., 15...N5g6 16.Nc4, with equal chances Rc8! 16.Kb1 N7g6 17.Ng3 0–0 If 17...Qe7 18.Be2 f6 19.Nh5! 18.Nde4 Bxe4 19.Nxe4 Qf4 20.Nd6 Rc6 21.Bb5 21.Qd4! was the saving move Rxd6!
After 21…Rxd6!
The turning point.
22.Rxd6 Nc4! 23.Rd4 Nxb2 24.Rxf4 Nxf4 25.Kxb2 After the smoke of battle has cleared, Black is seen to have the material and positional advantage, with White saddled by a pair of doubled pawns d5! Simplification by liquidating the pawns 26.g3 Ng6 27.f4 Ne7 28.c4 dxc4 29.Bxc4 Rd8 30.Kc3 g6 31.a4 Kg7 32.a5 bxa5 33.bxa5 Nd5+ 34.Bxd5 Rxd5 35.Kb4 e5 If 35...h6 36.Rc1 36.fxe5 Rxe5 37.Rc1 Re3 Missing his best shot, 37...Rg5! 38.Rc3? Missing 38.Kb5! Rxc3! White is now winning 39.Kxc3 Kf6 39...h5 was the clincher: 40.gxh5 gxh5 41.Kd4, and Black wins 40.Kc4 Kg5 41.Kb5 Kxg4 42.Ka6 Kxg3 43.Kxa7 f5! Both will have new queens but Black’s pawn chain rules: seeing the futility of further resistance, White resigns. 0–1
CAAP: calling all non-masters rated 1950 & below
NON-MASTERS with ratings of 1950 (not 1500) and below may join the tournament being held today, July 1, at Ramon Magsaysay High School in Quezon City, just across Edsa Avenue from the Nepa-Q Mart, the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines (CAAP) has announced.
Yes, it will be held today, not last Sunday as erroneously reported here last week due to oversight under deadline pressure. The editor wishes to apologize for any inconvenience the wrong report may have caused.
As earlier reported, cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winners—P4,000 for the champion, P2,000 for the first runner-up, P1,000 for the second runner-up, P500 for the third runner-up and for each of those taking the fifth to 10th places, as well as for the special category winners—top kiddie, top lady and top senior players (aged 50 and older)..
The 11th to 20th winners will each receive a printed copy of the latest issue of The Weekender and those with email addresses will henceforth receive electronic copies every Sunday via email.
BRAIN VS BEAUTY: THE POLGAR SISTERS
Nelson’s loss to Zsofia recalled
HERE you are, a full-blooded, teenaged male specimen of the Pinoy macho race. There, seated in front of you, is a girl about your age or maybe even younger, fair-skinned and very attractive. Then she flashes a smile at you and extends her hand….
Can you beat her black and blue, figuratively that is, in a no-holds-barred battle of wits?
I doubt it, and so does Ignacio Dee, who came up with the score of Nelson Mariano’s loss to Zsofia Polgar in the 1994 World Junior Championships in Matinhos, Brazil.
The beauty of your opponent, if she is a girl and you are a boy in your teens, can be very distracting. Don’t you think so, too?
This is what may have happened to Nelson, now a grandmaster, when he came face to face with Ms Polgar, who remains a WIM, over a decade ago in the World Juniors.
It may be mentioned, however, that Zsofia, the middle one of the three famous Polgar sisters, was at the pinnacle of her powers at the time because she topped the tough Reggio Emilia a few years later in Rome.
Nelson finished third in the 1994 Juniors, the highest ever attained by a Filipino in that global event.
• Nelson Mariano – Zsofia Polgar
World Juniors, Matinhos, Brazil 1994
Open Ruy Lopez (C82)
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.Bc2 0–0 11.Nbd2 Nxf2 12.Rxf2 f6 13.exf6 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Qxf6 15.Kg1 Rae8 16.Nf1?! Dubious: 16.Qf1 should keep the enemy at bay Ne5! 17.Be3 Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 Qxf3 19.gxf3 Rxf3 Black is now ahead 20.Bd4 Bh3 21.Ng3 Re6 22.Rd1 If 22.b4 g6, with equal chances h5! 23.Bb3 23.Nxh5!? is interesting, says Fritz: 23...Re2 24.Bb3! c6 Black is now way, way ahead 24.Nxh5 Bg4 25.Nxg7 Rg6 26.Kg2 Rf7 Not 26...Rxg7?! because of 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.Re1! 27.Re1? If 27.Rd3 Bf3+ 28.Kh3 Rf4 29.Rxf3 Rxf3+ 30.Kh4 Rxg7 c5!
After 27…c5!
Brilliant, says Fritz.
28.Be5 If 28.Bdxc5 Bd1+!, a discovered attack c4 29.Bc2 Bf5+! 30.Bg3 Bxc2 31.Ne8 Be4+ 32.Kg1 Rf3 33.a3?! Fritz condemns the text as offering little resistance: 33.Rd1 was better, e.g., 33…b4 34.cxb4 Rc6 Kf8 34.Nc7 Rf7 35.Rf1 Rxf1+ 36.Kxf1 Ke7! 0–1
“If eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being,” as the eminent Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his immortal poem, The Rhodora.
Susan Polgar gets a doctorate, job from Texas Tech U
FORMER women’s world champion Zsuzsa Polgar—now better known as Susan Polgar in New York where she has lived for the past decade or so—has received an honorary doctoral degree in Human Letters from the Texas Tech University in Lubbock where she will be coaching the varsity chess team, the Knight Raiders.
The university announced at its graduation exercises where Dr. Polgar was the commencement speaker that it had set up a Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE).
She will head SPICE and her Vietnamese-American husband, Paul Truong, will serve as coach and business manager.
Texas Tech U, which offers undergraduate and post- graduate studies, has been named Chess College of the Year by the US Chess Federation because it has established itself as a chess center in the state of Texas.
The university’s Knight Raiders Club counts on more than 100 members.
Dr. Polgar became the first chess celebrity to speak at a university graduation program in America and the first to receive an honorary doctorate as well as the “University Medal,” according to Chessbase News.
Her chess blog: www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com.
HOMEGROUND VICTORY IN FOROS
Ukrainian superstars rule Aerosvit, 1-2
UKRAINIAN superstars Vassily Ivanchuk, 38, and Sergey Karjakin, 17, have seen to it that the top two prizes offered by Ukraine’s flag-carrying airline, Aerosvit, in the Foros GM Tournament would stay on home soil.
Ivanchuk finished with 7.5, half a point ahead of Karjakin, the world’s youngest player ever to become a grandmaster, in the second Aerosvit International held in the Crimean spa of Foros, not far from historic Yalta of World War II fame.
Crossing the halfway mark, Karjakin who earned his GM title at 12 years and seven months in 2002 had been flying solo at the pilot’s seat until the eighth round when the more experienced Ivanchuk, No. 12 in the world, caught up with him.
Ivanchuk, once dubbed the heir apparent of Garry Kasparov, took the solo lead with a win with Black against Spanish superstar and ex-world title candidate Alexei Shirov in the ninth round.
Shirov had also lost to Karjakin in the fifth round.
Both Ukrainians then coasted along with draws in the last two rounds to ensure that the top two prizes would not leave Ukraine.
The third slot, however, went to former US champion Alexander Onischuk, a Russian-American superstar who won a major prize in the First GMA Cup at the Duty Free Shop in Parañaque City in November last year.
Onischuk shared the third to sixth prizes with four-time Russian champion Peter Svidler, six-time Dutch champion Loek van Wely, and Latvian-Spanish superstar Shirov.
A third Ukrainian in the star-studded Aerosvit crew of 12 players, GM Pavel Eljanov, 24, finished in a tie for ninth to 10th slots with Russian superstar Dmitry Jakovenko. They had 4.5 points each.
The final standings: 1. Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2729 7.5; 2. Karjakin, Sergey g UKR 2686 7.0; 3. Onischuk, Alexander g USA 2663 6.0; 4. Svidler, Peter g RUS 2736 6.0; 5. Van Wely, Loek g NED 2674 6.0; 6. Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2699 6.0; 7. Dominguez Perez, Lenier g CUB 2678 5.5; 8. Rublevsky, Sergei g RUS 2680 5.0; 9. Jakovenko, Dmitry g RUS 2708 4.5; 10. Eljanov, Pavel g UKR 2686 4.5; 11. Sasikiran, Krishnan g IND 2690 4.0; 12. Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter g ROM 2693 4.0;
• S. Rublevsky (2680) – V. Ivanchuk (2729)
Rd. 8, Sicilian Scheveningen/Najdorf (B86)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.g4 0–0 9.g5 Nfd7 10.h4 Missing 10.g6!: 10...hxg6 11.Bxe6! Nc5 Equalizing 11.Be3 b5 12.Qg4 b4 13.Na4 Nxb3 Not 13...Qc7 because of 14.g6 hxg6 15.h5! 14.axb3 Qc7 15.0–0–0 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Qxc6 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Nxc8 Rbxc8 Not 18...Qxc8?! 19.h5, allowing White to restore the equilibrium 19.Rd2 a5 20.g6 f5 21.gxh7+ Kh8 22.Qg3 a4 23.Rg1 Bf6 24.Bg5 f4 25.Qd3 Not 25.Qxf4 because of 25...Bxb2! axb3 26.Bxf6 Rxf6 27.Kb1 Rf7 28.cxb3 Rfc7 29.Rdd1 Qb6 30.h5 Qxf2 31.h6 g5 32.Rxg5 e5 Better than 32...Kxh7 33.e5+ Kh8 34.h7 33.Rdg1 f3 Missing his best shot, 33...Kxh7, e.g., 34.Rf1 Rc2 35.Rg7+ Kh8 36.Rg8+ Rxg8 37.Rxf2 Rxf2, and Black is winning 34.Rg8+??
After 34.Rg8??
A terrible miscalculation that worsens White’s game. Best was 34.Rg7 Qc5 35.Ka2 Ra7+ 36.Kb1, with counterplay.
34…Kxh7!! 35.R1g7+ Rxg7 36.Rxg7+ Kxh6 37.Qxd6+ Kxg7 38.Qxe5+ Kh6 39.Qe6+ Kg5 40.Qxc8 Qe1+ 41.Ka2 Qxe4 42.Qc1+ Qf4 43.Qg1+ Kh5 44.Qh1+ Kg6 45.Qg1+ Kf5 46.Qc5+ Kg4 47.Qg1+ Qg3 48.Qd4+ Kh3 49.Qxb4 f2 50.Qc4 Kg2 51.Qd5+ Kg1 52.Qd4 Qg8 53.Ka3 Qa8+ 54.Kb4 Qf3 55.Ka3 Kg2 56.Qd2 56.Qg7+ won’t work Qa8+ 57.Kb4 Qb7+ 58.Ka4 Qa6+ 59.Kb4 Qf6 60.Ka3 Kh1 60...Qe5 was decisive 61.Qd5+ Kg1 62.Qc5 Qf4 63.Ka2 Qe4 64.b4 Kf1 65.b5 Ke1 66.Qc3+! 0–1
• S. Karjakin (2686) – A. Shirov (2699)
Rd 5, Ruy Lopez, Archangelsk and Moller Defenses (C78)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bg4 Equalizing 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Na5 11.Bc2 b4 12.Qd1 Qb8 13.d4 b3 14.dxc5 bxc2 15.Qxc2 Nb3 16.Ra3 Nxc5 17.Re1 0–0 18.Nd2 a5 19.Nb3 Ne6 20.Be3 c6 21.f3 Re8 22.Bf2 Qc7 23.Nd2 d5 24.Rb3 Nf4 25.exd5 N6xd5 26.Kh2 Re6 27.Bg3 Rg6 28.Nf1 h5 29.c4 Nb4! 30.Qf5 h4 31.Bxf4 exf4 32.Nd2 Rd8 33.Ne4 Re6 34.Qg5 f6 34...Rd4 should keep the balance 35.Qg4! Qf7 36.Qxh4 Nc2 37.Re2 Nd4 38.Rd2 Rxe4 39.fxe4 Qxc4 40.Rdd3 Re8 41.Qh5 Rf8 42.Rbc3 Qxa4 43.Qc5 Ne2? Missing his best shot, 43...Ne6!, which would not alter the course of events, though 44.Rd7 Re8 45.Qh5!
After 45.Qh5!
Mate is not far off, e.g., 45…Rf8 46.Qg6 Rf7 47.Qxf7+ Kh7 48.Qxg7#! 1–0
HEARTBREAKING LOSS FOR YOUNG STELLWAGEN
Tiviakov retakes Dutch crown
GM Daniel Stellwagen, 20, the brightest rising star on the Dutch firmament, led the 11-round Dutch Championship almost all the way and finished in a tie for first place with defending champion Sergei Tiviakov, 34, a Russian-born ex-Soviet grandmaster.
In the playoff, however, Tiviakov, who is now a naturalized Dutch citizen, drew on his vast experience to beat his young rival and recapture the crown.
It was a heartbreaking loss for Stellwagen, who would have been the first grandmaster from his generation to become Dutch national champion.
Stellwagen seized the lead just before the halfway mark, and never let go of it, but Tiviakov caught up with him in the closing rounds.
They finished with 7.5 points each, necessitating a playoff.
Earlier this year, Stellwagen, the youngest Dutch GM, had two matches against two former champions—Loek van Wely, with whom he tied, and Jan Timman, whom he outscored.
Six-time champion van Wely, 34, was absent from the Dutch Championship held in Hilversum. The highest-rated player in the Netherlands chose to play in the Aerosvit in Foros, Ukraine instead.
In the women’s division, full-fledged GM Peng Xiaoqing met no serious competition from any of her rivals and made a sweep of the event, winning all her games but for one draw.
The 39-year-old China-born wife of a Dutch businessman is now on her eighth year as women’s champion of the Netherlands.
• S. Tiviakov (2663) – D. Stellwagen (2600)
Rd. 1, Playoff, Dutch Ch., Hilversum 2007
Pirc Defense (B07)
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 0–0 6.0–0 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.h3 Nc6 9.Qe2 Qc7 10.a4 b6 11.Na3 Bb7 12.Bg5 a6 13.Rfe1 Nh5 14.e5 f6 15.exf6 exf6 16.Bd2 f5 17.Nc4 Rad8 18.Bc2 b5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Na3 b4 21.Nb5 Qb6 22.Qc4+ 22.Qe6+ was more precise, e.g., 22…Kh8 23.Nd6, with a clear advantage Kh8 23.Be3 Ba6 24.Ba4 Rb8 25.Bxc5 Bxb5 26.Bxb5 Qxb5 27.Qxb5 Rxb5 28.Bxf8 Bxf8 29.Ra8 Kg7 Equalizing 30.Ng5Be7 31.Ne6+ Kf6 31...Kf7 32.Ra6 Re5 33.Rxe5 Nxe5 34.cxb4 Bxb4 35.Ng5+ Kg8 would have equalized 32.Rc8 32.Ra6 may be tried Ne5 33.Nc7 Rc5 33...Ra5³ would keep Black in the game, says Fritz 34.cxb4 Rxc7 35.Rxc7 Bxb4 36.Rd1 Nf4 37.Rxh7 Ne6 Best was 37...Nfd3! 38.Rb7! Bc5 39.b4 Bd4 40.b5 f4 41.b6 Nc4 42.Rxd4 Nxd4 43.Rd7 Ke5 If 43...Nc6 44.b7! 44.b7 Nc6 45.Rd8!
After 45.Rd8!
Decisive.
45...Nd6 46.b8Q Nxb8 47.Rxb8 Nf5 48.Kf1 g5 49.Rb5+ Kf6 50.Rb6+ Kf7 51.Ke2 Nh4 52.g3 Nf5 53.gxf4 gxf4 54.Kf3! 1–0
• Peng Zhaoqin (2439) – P. van Nies (2174)
Rd. 5, Dutch Women’s Ch., Hilversum 2007
Modern Benoni (A70)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 e6 4.c4 4.Nc3 is bad because of 4…exd5 5.Nxd5 Nxd5 6.Qxd5 Nc6! exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Qa4+ Bd7 8.Qb3 Qc7 9.e4 Bg7 10.Bc4 0–0 11.0–0 a6 12.a4 Bc8 13.h3 Nbd7 14.Re1 b6 15.Bf4 Nh5 16.Bh2 Ne5 17.Be2 Rb8 17...Nf6 18.Rad1 Rd8 19.Ng5 favors White 18.Nxe5 dxe5 19.Bxh5 gxh5 20.Qd1 Qd6 21.Qxh5 Bd7 22.f4 Qg6 22...Rbe8 23.fxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Rxe5 25.Qh4 would boost White’s lead 23.Qf3 23.Qxg6 was best Qd6 24.Rf1 f6 25.Kh1 Kh8 26.Qe2 b5 27.fxe5 fxe5 28.Rxf8+ Qxf8 29.axb5 axb5 30.Ra7 Qd6 31.Nd1 Rf8 32.Ne3 Kg8 33.Bg3 c4 34.Kh2 Rc8 34...Rf7 should be tried 35.Nf5! White gets tremendous advantage Bxf5 36.exf5 Qf6 37.Qe4 Re8 If 37...Rf8 38.d6!! Qxf5 39.Qd5+!, and White is winning 38.Bh4 Qb6 Not 38...Qh6 because of 39.d6! 39.Rxg7+!
After 39.Rxg7+!
Decisive.
39...Kxg7 40.f6+ Kf8 41.Qxh7! The end: 41…Qg1+ 42.Kxg1 Re6 43.Qg7+ Ke8 44.f7+ Kd7 45.f8Q+ Re7 46.Qgxe7#! 1–0
‘ROYAL’ ROMANIAN FESTIVAL IN DRACULA COUNTRY
Khalifman now ‘King of Kings’
FORMER Fide world knockout champion Alexander Khalifman of Russia can now be proclaimed the “King of Kings.” Long live the king!
The 41-year-old Russian superstar captured the crown with 7.0 points from 11 games in the annual Kings Tournament hosted by the popular Romanian hot springs resort of Bazna, nestled in the mists of hauntingly scenic Transylvania mountains.
Transylvania is famous—or infamous—for its legend of the blood-sucking royal vampire, Count Dracula, as well as for the fortified castles dotting its rugged countryside, which were built in ancient times by warlike settlers from Germany, according to tourism brochures on the Net.
Khalifman finished a full point clear of his closest rival, first runner-up Rafael Vaganian of Armenia, whom he defeated in the 11th and final round.
In turn, Vaganian, 56, had toppled the aging Hungarian king, Lajos Portisch, in the penultimate 10th round.
Veteran campaigner Portisch, 70, was Filipino GM Eugene Torre’s co-champion in the Toluca (Mexico) Interzonal of 1982, which catapulted both of them to the world championship candidates matches the following year.
Portisch was then 45 years old and Torre, now 56, was pushing 33.
Khalifman became Fide KO champion in the casino city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1999 and ranks No. 99 among the top 100 players in the world with a rating of 2624.
The Philippines was represented by GM Joey Antonio in that world title series.
The Kings Tournament is named as such because its invited participants usually were once upon a time the kings of chess in their respective homelands.
Reading the names of the 11 participants in this year’s edition of the Kings event is like reading the Who’s Who of world chess 20 to 30 years ago.
The final standings: 1. Khalifman, Alexander g RUS 2624 7.0; 2. Vaganian, Rafael A g ARM 2590 6.0; 3. Beliavsky, Alexander G g SLO 2648 5.5; 4. Andersson, Ulf g SWE 2528 5.0; 5. Ribli, Zoltan g HUN 2580 5.0; 6. Mecking, Henrique g BRA 2565 5.0; 7. Sokolov, Andrei1 g FRA 2584 4.5; 8. Chiburdanidze, Maia g GEO 2510 4.5; 9. Portisch, Lajos g HUN 2512 4.5; 10. Suba, Mihai g ROM 2537 4.0; 11. Timman, Jan H g NED 2545 4.0.
• R. Vaganian (2590) – L. Portisch (2512)
Rd. 10, King's Tournament, Bazna, June 25, 2007
Queen’s Gambit Declined, Ragozin Defense (D39)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 6...h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Bxc4 favors White, says Fritz 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.0–0 Bxb5 12.Ncxb5 Na6 Not 12...Nc6 13.Nxc6 Qxb5 14.Nxb4 Qxb4 15.Qf3, and White has a clear advantage 13.Qf3 Be7 14.e5 Qb6 14...fxe5 may be tried, e.g., 15.Qxb7 Rb8 16.Qxa6 Qxa6 17.Nc7+ Kf8 18.Nxa6 Rb6! 15.exf6 Bc5 16.Rfd1 0–0–0 17.a4 Bxd4 17...Rxd4 was the saving resource, e.g., 18.Nxd4 Bxd4, with equal chances 18.Nxd4! White is now way ahead Nc7 19.Qf4 Rd5 19...Qd6!? 20.Qxd6 Rxd6 should reduce White’s lead 20.Nb5! e5? Missing his best shot, which would not alter the course of the game, however 21.Qf5+ Qe6 22.Qc2!
After 22.Qc2!
No comment. 1–0
• A. Khalifman (2624) – R. Vaganian (2590)
Rd. 1, King's Tournament, Bazna, June 26, 2007
French Tarrasch (C09)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 Not 4...cxd4 because of 5.Nxd4 e5 6.N4f3 dxe4 7.Nxe5! 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0–0 Nge7 9.Nb3 Bd6 10.Re1 0–0 Both sides now start consolidating their positions in the transition to the middle game 11.Bd3 h6 12.h3 Nf5 13.c3 Closing the points of entry for the invading cavalry Qf6 14.Bc2 Rd8 15.Qd3 g6 16.Nh2 Bxh2+?!
After 16…Bxh2+?!
Black resumes hostilities without first strengthening his defenses 17.Kxh2 Nh4? Showing his cards too soon: 17...d4! should be considered, says Fritz 18.Bxh6! White now has the edge Ne5? A miscalculation, but then good moves are hard to come by, e.g., 18...Qxf2 19.Re2 and White surges ahead 19.Qg3! Nef3+ Virtual suicide; 19...Ng4+ may be better but is not adequate, either 20.gxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Kg2!. 1–0
PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Eric’s days of glory
LIKE many of his countrymen who wish to raise the quality of life of their loved ones, NM Eric Gloria left his homeland to work as a chess teacher in Singapore. For the past few years, he has been sending home to his family the fruits of his labors.
Two weeks ago, tragedy struck when he was felled by what is now believed to be a stroke and since then has been in a very critical condition. At this writing, he has been in intensive care in a Singapore hospital for over a week.
The case of NM Gloria, 47, is similar to hundreds or even thousands of Filipinos who left their homes to seek a better life abroad for themselves and their families but met with tragedy instead.
In the case of chess masters like him, the opportunities for finding a good-paying job are quite limited, but at least better than what they can find at home where most settle for a daily grind of hustling for a living—living by their wits literally, that is.
Except for those who have acquired other skills, they end up playing for wagers day in and day out. And even if they win most of the time in an 18-hour day of betting, what they bring home will never be enough to keep body and soul together, let alone feed their families.
Even the best of the lot—most of them school dropouts—cannot seem to make a go of it unless they are lucky enough to find work as coaches and trainers. Even then, their earnings are not up to par compared with other professions or trades.
NM Gloria was one of the lucky few who got good jobs in Singapore, which is now benefiting from their teachings as shown in the latest Asean Age-Group Championships where Singaporean kids finished second to Vietnam, way ahead of Pinoy kids, collectively at least.
Gloria achieved more than a modicum of success as a player. He starred in the Manila Olympiad of 1992, being the only Filipino of the 18 fielded in three teams—to win a medal: silver on first reserve board.
He won seven of eight games, with a performance rating of 85.7 per cent.
And most of his games sparkled during those days of glory.
• Eric Gloria PHI2 (2235) - Abdullah Abdul Rahman UAE
Rd. 2, 30th Olympiad, PICC, Manila, June 9, 1992
King’s Indian, Four Pawns Attack (E76)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0–0 6.Nf3 Na6 7.Be2 e5 Missing the equalizer, 7...c5 8.0–0 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 c6 10.Bg5 Qa5 11.Nd2 Qb6 12.Nb3 h6 12...cxd5 would be bad because of 13.cxd5 Bd7 14.Bh4! 13.Bh4 h5 Fritz says 13...cxd5 may be better, e.g., 14.cxd5 Bd7 14.c5 Gaining a clear edge Nxc5 15.Bf2 Nfd7 16.0–0 Qb4 17.Nxc5 17.dxc6! was stronger, e.g., 17…bxc6 18.Qd6, with a big lead Nxc5 18.a3!
18.a3!
A tactical finesse that wins material and tempi, as we shall soon see.
18…Qxb2 19.Bxc5 Qxc3 20.Rc1 The point Qa5 21.Bxf8 Bxf8 22.dxc6 bxc6? Stronger was 22...Bxa3 23.Ra1 bxc6! 23.Bc4! Be6? 23...Bg4 won’t alter the course of the game, e.g., 24.Qc2 Bxa3 25.Rxf7 Qc5+ 26.Kh1, with great advantage to White 24.Bxe6 Qb6+? Better but not enough was 24...fxe6 25.Qd7 Bc5+ 26.Kh1 Rf8 25.Kh1 fxe6 26.Qd7 Qe3 27.Qb7! If 27…Rd8 28.Qf7+ Kh8 29.Qf6+ Kh7 30.Qxd8! 1–0
• Eric Gloria PHI2 (2235) – Aleksander Wohl AUS (2280)
Rd. 6, 30th Olympiad, PICC Manila, June 14, 1992
Classical Nimzo-Indian (E33)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 0–0 7...Ne4 8.Qc2 f5 9.e3 should equalize 8.g3 e5 9.Bg2 Re8 10.d5 Ne7 11.0–0 h6 12.b4 b5 13.Nxe5! bxc4 14.Nxc4 Nexd5 15.Qd3 c6 16.e4 Ba6 6...Nc7 may be better: 17.Nxd6 Ba6, minimizing White’s lead 17.exd5! White surges ahead cxd5 18.Bxd5 Qc7 19.b5 Stronger was 19.Bxa8, e.g., 19…Bxc4 20.Qc3 Rxa8 21.Bxh6, with a big lead Bxb5 20.Bxa8 Bxc4 21.Qc2 Rxa8 22.Bb2 Rc8 23.Rfc1 Qd7 24.Bxf6!
After 24.Bxf6!
Smashing Black’s pawn shield.
24…gxf6 25.Qe4 d5 26.Qf4 Kg7 27.Rd1 Rc6 28.Rac1 Qe7 29.Qg4+ Kf8 30.Rb1 Rb6 31.Rxb6 axb6 32.Qf4 Kg7 33.Qe3 Qe6 34.Rd4 Qh3 35.Qc1 Qf5 36.h3 Be2 37.Rf4 Qe5 Of course not 37...Qxh3?? because of 38.Rh4 Qf1+ 39.Qxf1 Bxf1 40.Kxf1 38.Qd2 Bh5 39.Qd4 Bg6 40.Qxe5 fxe5 41.Rb4 Bf5 42.g4 Be4 43.Rxb6 d4 44.f4 44.a4 was more decisive f6 45.fxe5 fxe5 46.Re6! It’s all over, e.g., 46…Bc2 47.Kf2! 1–0
GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Karjakin, the youngest GM ever
HE is not only the youngest person ever to become a grandmaster—at 12 years and seven months—but is also one of the most ferocious giant killers making the rounds on the international scene today.
That, I think, is the most apt description of the Ukrainian wunderkind, 17-year-old Sergey Karjakin, the youngest ever Men’s Olympiad gold medalist—at 14 during the 36th Olympiad in Calvia, Spain, for his incredible 92.9 performance rating on the second reserve board, where he had 6.5 points from seven games during his debut.
It may not be amiss to mention that the youngest ever to win a gold medal at the biennial global chess event was Judit Polgar of Hungary—at the age of 12 on second board in the women’s division of the Thessaloniki Olympiad of 1988.
That Sergey’s becoming a GM at 12 was not a fluke is clearly shown in his steady progress up the ladder, becoming a superstar at 15 when he entered the top 100 players’ list in 2005 with a rating of 2634, to become No. 64 in the world.
Today Karjakin at 17 is No. 27 in the world with a rating of 2686. His most recent feat was to finish second in the Aerosvit Super GM in the Crimean spa of Foros.
Fiercely competitive, Sergey has never been awed by the age, title or reputation of whoever he faces across the 64-square board.
He was only 12 in 2002 when, about to become a grandmaster himself, he made mincemeat of his GM-opponent’s Nimzowitsch Defense to his Scotch Game by transposition, forcing Black’s surrender with a threat of mate in just 20 moves of a sparkling minigem.
His opponent? A Russian GM who was 46 years old at the time—almost four times his age!
• Sergey Karjakin (2523) - Vasily Malinin (2434)
Rd. 7, Sudak Intern’l Tournament, Ukraine 2002
Scotch Game (C45)
1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.Nf3 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0–0 Bxc3 8.Nf5 Qxe4! 9.Bd3 Qg4 10.f3 Qa4 11.bxc3 0–0 12.Nxg7!! …
After 12.Nxg7!!
A deeply conceived and well-calculated sacrifice early in the game.
12…Kxg7 13.Bh6+! Kxh6? Better was 13...Kh8 14.Bxf8 Qf4 14.Qd2+ Kh5 15.g4+ Nxg4 16.fxg4+ Qxg4+ 17.Kh1 d6 Not 17...Ne5, which leads to mate: 18.Rf6 Qf3+ 19.Rxf3 Nxf3 20.Be2 d5 21.Bxf3+ Kg6 22.Rg1+ Bg4 23.Rxg4+ Kf5 24.Qxd5+ Kf6 25.Qd4+ Ke6 26.Re4+ Kf5 27.Qe5+ Kg6 28.Rg4+ Kh6 29.Qg5#! 18.Rf6 Qg5 18...Qf3+ won’t work, e.g., 19.Rxf3 Be6 20.Be2 Bd5 21.Rg1 h6 22.Qxd5+ Kh4 23.Qe4+ Kh5 24.Rxf7#! 19.Be2+ Bg4 20.Bxg4+! Mate is not too far off! 1–0
Let’s now take a look at an esthetically pleasing marathon won by the whiz kid against a world champion, known to be the strongest Fide master ever to play at the Olympiad--in Manila in 1992.
• Sergey Karjakin (2591) - Vladimir Kramnik (2770)
Rd. 5, Dortmund Sparkassen B playoff, Germany 2004
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense (C67)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.h3 Ng6 11.Ne4 h6 12.b3 Ke8 13.Bb2 a5 14.a4 Nf4 15.Rfe1 Bb4 16.c3 Be7 17.Rad1 Ne6 18.c4 Bb4. 19.Re3 Bd7 20.Nh4 Rd8 21.Nf5 Bc8 22.Rxd8+ Kxd8 23.Rd3+ Ke8 24.g4 Bf8 25.Bc1 b6 26.Nfg3 c5 27.Be3 Bb7 28.f4 h5 29.f5 h4 30.fxe6 hxg3 30...fxe6 should be tried, e.g., 31.Ng5 hxg3! 31.exf7+! Kxf7 32.Ng5+ Ke8 33.Bf4 Be7 34.Rxg3 Bxg5 35.Bxg5 Kd7 36.e6+ Kxe6 37.Re3+ Kf7 38.Re7+ Kg6 39.h4 Bf3 40.Rxc7 Re8 41.Kf2 Bxg4 42.Rc6+ Kf5 43.Rxb6 Re2+ 44.Kg3 Rc2 45.Rb5 Rc3+ 46.Kf2 Bd1 47.Rxa5 Bxb3 48.Rxc5+ Ke4 49.a5 Rxc4 50.Rb5 Rc2+ 51.Ke1 Bc4 52.Rb7 Ra2 53.Ra7 g6 54.Kd1 Kd3 54...Kd4 55.Rd7+ Kc5 56.Bd2 55.Rd7+ Ke4 56.Bd8 Ra3 57.Kc2 Bd5 58.Rd6 Kd4 59.Bb6+ Ke5 60.Rd8 Ra4 61.Rh8 Ke4 62.Rh6 Kf5 63.Kc3 Rc4+ 64.Kd3 Ra4 65.Rh8 Bg2 66.Rf8+ Kg4 67.Bd8 Be4+ 68.Kc3 Bd5 69.Rf6 Kh5 70.Rd6 Bb7 71.Kb3 Ra1 72.Kb4 Rb1+ 73.Kc5 Ra1 74.Kb6 Bc8 75.Ka7 Rb1 76.Rb6 Ra1 77.Rb5+ Bf5 78.a6 Kg4 If 78...Rd1 79.Be7! 79.Rb6 Rd1 80.Bg5 Be4 81.Kb8 Rf1 82.Bf6 Re1 83.a7 Bf3 84.Bd8 Ra1 84...Kh5 won’t work: 85.Rb3 Bh1 86.Rb5+ Kg4 87.Rg5+ Kh3 88.Rxg6 Rb1+ 89.Kc8 Bb7+ 90.Kc7! 85.Rxg6+ Kh5 86.Rg5+ Kh6 87.Rb5 Kg6 88.Rb7!
After 88.Rb7!
A lovely way of blocking the bishop to ensure the birth of a new queen: Black may resign now.
88...Rd1 Mere momentum 89.Bb6 Too tentative, missing 89.Ba5!, e.g., 89...Bxb7 90.Kxb7 Rd7+ 91.Bc7! Bxb7? 89...Re1 offers a small chance: 90.a8=R Re8+ 91.Ka7 Rxa8+ 92.Kxa8 Kh5 90.Kxb7 If 90…Ra1 91.a8=Q Rxa8 92.Kxa8 1–0
CHESS MAGIC
Mind-boggling classical gems
IT is a tribute to human ingenuity that the great masters of classical times produced brilliant, mind-over-matter games long before the advent of computers and despite the dearth of chess books and other instructional materials at the time.
In most cases, those who excelled in chess were born geniuses who mastered the game through self-study with nothing to aid them save their extraordinary gifts of intellect that enabled them to see what ordinary minds could not see.
It was this clear vision of the board that enabled them to execute brilliant combinations, and the first great player to master combinative play was Adolf Anderssen (1818-79), a German headmaster who had studied and then taught philosophy and mathematics.
What is a combination? It is said to be a coherent series of moves aimed at gaining great advantage or an outright win that is highlighted by a sacrifice or sacrifices. Without sacrificing a piece, the same series of moves is said to be just maneuvering to gain an advantage.
As elucidated by Richard Reti, the high priest of hypermodern chess, a “knowledge of combination is the foundation of positional play.”
“This is a rule which has stood its test in chess history and one which we cannot impress forcibly enough upon the young chess player,” he continues in his book, Masters of the Chess Board, in the chapter devoted to Anderssen (some authors like I.A. Horowitz spell it Andersson).
Reti urged chess players to study Anderssen’s games to “develop their powers of combination.”
“It is a mistake to think that combination is solely a question of talent and that it cannot be acquired,” he stressed, adding that the “same elements, as double attacks, pins, obstructions, etc., occur here (in Anderssen’s games) again and again in more or less complicated associations.”
“The more one sees of them, the easier it becomes to conceive and follow through such combinations oneself,” he concluded.
In short, one can learn to become a powerful combinative player through earnest study.
In any event, even the great Anderssen, famous for his Immortal and Evergreen brilliancies, fell victim to a combination himself, which was conceived and executed by a rival whose name is also enshrined in a popular opening attack.
• Adolf Anderssen – Max Lange
Breslau Tournament, Germany 1859
Ruy Lopez, Bird’s Defense (C61)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.e5 d5! 7.Bb3 Bg4?? This loses the initiative, says Fritz. Correct was 7...Ng4, e.g., 8.Qe2 Qg5! 8.f3 Ne4 9.0–0 Not 9.fxg4 because of 9…Qh4+ 10.g3 Nxg3!, and Black is winning d3 10.fxg4?? A gross mistake. Best was 10.Qe1 Bc5+ 11.Kh1 Nf2+ 12.Rxf2 Bxf2 13.Qxf2, and White is way ahead Bc5+!
After 10…Bc5+!
11.Kh1 Ng3+! 12.hxg3 Qg5 13.Rf5 Too late the hero h5! 14.gxh5 Of course not 14.Rxg5 because of 14…hxg4+! and mate next move Qxf5 15.g4 Rxh5+! 16.gxh5 Qe4 17.Qf3 17.Ba4+ won’t work because of 17...c6 18.Bxc6+ bxc6 19.Qf3 Qh4+ 20.Qh3 Qe1+ 21.Kh2 Bg1+ 22.Kh1 Bf2+ 23.Kh2 Qg1#! Qh4+! 18.Qh3 Qe1+ Mate can’t be stopped, e.g, 19.Kh2 Bg1+ 20.Kh1 Bf2+ 21.Kh2 Qg1#! 0–1
• A. Anderssen – J.H. Zukertort
Berlin Tournament, Germany 1869
Evans Gambit (C51)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5 6.0–0 d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 Na5 10.Bb2 Ne7 11.Bd3 Better than 11.Bxg7 Rg8 12.Bf6 Nxc4 13.Qa4+ Qd7 14.Qxc4 Rxg2+ 15.Kh1 0–0 12.Nc3 Ng6 13.Ne2 If 13.Na4 Bg4, with equal chances c5 Not 13...Bg4 because of 14.Ng3! 14.Rc1 Rb8 15.Qd2 f6 16.Kh1 Bc7 17.Ng3 b5 18.Nf5 b4 19.Rg1 Bb6 20.g4 Ne5 21.Bxe5 Better than 21.Nxe5 dxe5 22.Rg2 Qc7! dxe5 22.Rg3 Rf7 23.g5 Bxf5 24.exf5 Qxd5 25.gxf6 Rd8?? Better was 25...Qc6 26.Rcg1 Restoring the equilibrium Kh8?? 26...Rxf6 27.Rxg7+ Kh8 was more precise 27.fxg7+! Kg8 28.Qh6 Qd6 29.Qxh7+!!
After 29.Qxh7+!!
Opening the h-file and drawing out the enemy king in a well-calculated sacrifice.
29...Kxh7 30.f6+! Kg8 31.Bh7+!! Giving the enemy no time to rest Kxh7 32.Rh3+ Kg8 33.Rh8#! 1–0
MY FAVORITES
Anderssen games for study
AS suggested by Richard Reti as quoted in the previous article, young players should study the games of Adolf Anderssen so as to “develop their powers of combination.”
Indeed, Anderssen’s games have passed the test of time and most players of note today know his best brilliancies by heart.
In his book, Masters of the Chess Board, Reti has chosen three of Anderssen’s games as models for the earnest student of chess. I have chosen one of them in deference to my favorite author whose other book, Ideas of Modern Chess, opened my eyes to the possibility of writing about this wonderful game as a journalist.
But first, let’s take a look at Anderssen’s Evergreen brilliancy, one of the two most famous games won by the great German master of combination, his first one, Immortal Game, having been published in last week’s issue (part 2 of Chess Magic, page 9).
The Immortal Game was played in 1851 at Simpson’s Divan in London and the Evergreen a year later in Berlin.
• Adolf Anderssen – Jean Dufresne
Friendly, Berlin 1852
Evans Gambit Accepted (C52)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.0–0 d3!? 7...dxc3! was also good, says Fritz: 8.Qb3 Qf6! 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 If 9...Nxe5 10.Re1 10.Re1 Nge7 11.Ba3 b5 11...d5 may be more accurate: 12.exd6 cxd6! 12.Qxb5 Rb8 13.Qa4 Bb6 14.Nbd2 Bb7 14...0–0 15.Ne4 d2 16.Nfxd2 favors White 15.Ne4 Qf5 15...d2 was best but White would still be slightly ahead, e.g., 16.Nexd2 0–0 16.Bxd3 Qh5 17.Nf6+?? Fritz condemns this move, suggesting 17.Ng3 instead, e.g., 17...Qh6 18.Rad1 gxf6 18.exf6 Rg8 19.Rad1!
After 19.Rad1
This is the move—done coolly under heavy fire—that drew praise from Steinitz, who christened the game “Evergreen.” Fritz says the mundane 19.Be4 Qh3 20.g3 was also playable.
19…Qxf3?? Giving White breathing space; stronger but still favoring White was 19...Rxg2+!, e.g., 20.Kxg2 Ne5 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Bg6+ Ke6 23.Bxh5 Rg8+ 24.Kh3 N7g6 25.Bg4+ Kxf6 26.Nxe5 Nxe5 27.Be7+ Kxe7 28.Rxe5+ Kf6 29.Rf5+ Ke7 20.Rxe7+ Nxe7?? If 20...Kd8 21.Rxd7+! Kc8 22.Rd8+ Kxd8 23.Bf5+ Qxd1+ 24.Qxd1+ Nd4, and White is still way ahead 21.Qxd7+!! Kxd7 22.Bf5+! Ke8 23.Bd7+! Kf8 24.Bxe7#! 1–0
I don’t know of any modern master who could execute such a beautiful and daring combination as this over the board.
Anderssen was just as adept at making sparkling combinations with Black, as shown in this minigem of a game picked as the first game used as a model by Reti.
• M. Rosanes – A. Anderssen
Friendly, Breslau 1862
Falbeer Counter Gambit (C31)
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 3...exf4 4.Bb5 should equalize 4.Bb5+ c6 5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Qe2 Bc5 8.Nxe4 0–0 9.Bxc6 9.Nxc5 favors Black, e.g., 9…Re8 10.Nd3 Bg4 11.Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 12.Ne5 Nd7 13.Bxc6 bxc6! bxc6 10.d3 If 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.c3 Bf5! Re8! 11.Bd2 Nxe4 Not 11...Nd5 because of 12.Nf3 f5 13.Ne5 fxe4 14.dxe4! 12.dxe4 Keeping the balance Bf5 13.e5 Not 13.exf5 because of 13...Rxe2! Qb6 14.0–0–0 Bd4 15.c3?? From the frying pan into the fire, but good moves are hard to find, e.g.,15.b4 a5 16.Nf3 axb4 17.Qc4, and Black surges ahead Rab8 16.b3 Red8 16...Qa5 seems even better: 17.Kb2 Bc5! 17.Nf3?? Ringing his own death knell; 7.g4 was the saving move, e.g., 17...Be6 18.b4! Qxb3!!
After 17…Qxb3!!
The die is cast, and doomsday is at hand for White.
18.axb3 Rxb3 19.Be1 19.Qb5 loses to 19...cxb5 20.Be1 Be3+ 21.Bd2 Rb1#! Be3+! If 20.Qxe3/Bd2/Rd2 Rb1#! 0–1
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
Fourth to Mexico
AFTER Leko, Gelfand and Aronian had qualified for the Mexico World Championships, some of the participants had to stay behind for one more day to see the finish of the Grischuk vs Rublevsky match, which went into tie-breaks.
There were a total of nine games in that Candidates Finals Match – Grischuk had White in four games (all of them started out as a Sicilian Scheveningen) and Black in five (all of which were a specific variation of the Scotch Game). Grischuk won both opening debates to book himself on the last train going to Mexico. Final Result for Grischuk vs Rublevsky, 5.5-3.5.
The Scotch Debate
Rublevsky,Sergei (2680) - Grischuk,Alexander (2717) [C45]
WCh Candidates Finals Elista RUS (7), 13.06.2007
Scotch Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Qg3 h5!? 8.h4 Nh6
The idea is to play ...Ng4.
9.f3 d5 10.Nc3 Bd4!
In the fourth game Grischuk chose 10...Bb4 11.Bd2 dxe4 12.0–0–0 e3 13.Bxe3 Bxc3 14.bxc3 and now Grischuk erred with 14...0–0? 15.Qg5! Nf5 (15...Qxg5 16.hxg5 Nf5 17.Bc5 Re8 18.Rxh5; 15...Qe6 16.Bd3) 16.Qxf6 gxf6 17.Bf4 Be6 18.Ba6 Nd6 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.Rxd6 Rab8 21.Rxc6 Bxa2 22.Kd2 Rfd8+ 23.Bd3 Be6 24.Ra1 White had a big advantage which he carried on to victory. The text is a new idea which was unveiled the day before.
11.Bd2 Rb8 12.0–0–0 Be5! 13.f4
The sixth game ended in a draw after 13.Qg5 Qd6 14.exd5 0–0 15.Bc4 cxd5 16.Bxd5 Qxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxb2+ 18.Kb1 Bc3+ 19.Kc1 Bb2+ 20.Kb1 Bc3+ but some GMs pointed out that Black could improve with 16...Rxb2 17.Kxb2 Qxd5. So it was natural that Rublevsky would look for another way to play.
13...Bd4 14.Qd3 Bg4 15.e5
[15.Re1 Bf2!]
15...Bxc3 16.Qxc3
[16.exf6 Bxb2+ 17.Kb1 Bxf6+ 18.Kc1 Bb2+ 19.Kb1 Bxd1 and only Black has winning chances here]
16...Qe6 17.Re1 0–0
Time to assess the hand we are dealt with. Black seems to have emerged with a position which is easier to play – he has the open line against the white king plus a knight which is more useful than white’s dark-squared bishop. In fact, his immediate plan here would be to exchange the light-squared bishops. As Bobby Fischer has preached, when you are in the attack Q+N is stronger than Q+B.
18.Be3 Rfd8 19.Qc5
Rublevsky physically blocks the c-pawn to prevent the Black center from advancing.
19...a5!
[19...d4? 20.Bc4]
20.Kb1 a4 21.Bd3 Bf5 22.Rc1 Bxd3 23.cxd3 Nf5 24.Bf2 Rb5! 25.Qxc6 Rdb8! 26.Qxe6 Rxb2+ 27.Ka1 fxe6 28.Rb1 a3! 29.Bc5 Nxh4! 30.Rxb2
[30.Bxa3 Rxb1+ 31.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 32.Kxb1 Nxg2 33.Bc5 Nxf4 Black's passed pawn is more dangerous than White's - work it out]
30...axb2+ 31.Kb1 Nxg2 32.f5 Nf4 33.fxe6 Nxd3 34.Ba3 Nxe5 35.Kc2
[35.Bxb2 Nc4 36.Rh2 Rxb2+ 37.Rxb2 Nxb2 38.Kxb2 h4]
35...Nc4 36.Bc5 Nd2! 37.a4 b1Q+ 38.Rxb1 Nxb1 39.a5 Rb5 0–1
The Sicilian Scheveningen
Grischuk,Alexander (2717) - Rublevsky,Sergei (2680) [B84]
WCh Candidates Finals Elista RUS (1), 06.05.2007
Sicilian Defence – Scheveningen Line
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 d6
In games 3, 5 and 8 6...Qc7 was played, which led into the Classical Scheveningen with 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Be3 Be7 9.f4 d6 10.a4 0–0 11.Kh1 Re8 12.Bf3 with an exciting game ahead. Karpov (white) and Kasparov (black) argued this position extensiely in their world championship matches. Do you know in what game this position first arose? Eugene Torre vs Julio Kaplan, Cleveland 1973. It ended in a short draw after 16 moves.
7.0–0 Nf6 8.Be3 Bd7 9.a4 Be7 10.f4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc6 12.b4!?
This head-long rush is the American GM Alex Fishbein's invention in the early 90s. It scored many victories until Black players found an antidote. I will show you what it is later.
12...0–0 13.b5 Be8!
This move, together with ...Qc7 is the medicine. White will be playing e4-e5, so Black leaves the square d7 open for his knight to retreat to.
14.e5 Qc7
This is the big idea - 15.exf6 Bxf6 regains the sacrificed material.
15.b6 Qc6 16.Bf3!
Grischuk's novelty. Rublevsky had this position twice as Black before, against Jakovenko in the 2003 Moscow Aeroflot Open, and vs Peter Svidler in the Russian Super-Finals 2005. In both cases White played 16.exd6 and the game was ultimately drawn.
16...d5 17.Rae1 Nd7
After 17...Nd7
18.Nxd5! exd5 19.Bxd5 Qc5
Of course not 19...Qxc2 20.Rc1! Qe2 21.Bxb7 (21.e6 Nf6!) 21...Rd8 22.Bf3 Qa2 23.f5 Black's position is very difficult.
Another possibility is 19...Bc5? 20.Bxc6! Bxd4 21.Bxd4 bxc6 22.b7 Rb8 23.Rb1 c5 24.Be3! Strangely, Black has no more moves.
20.e6!
You know why I think this was all prepared at home? Because Rublevsky thought for a long time here before playing 19...Qc5, to which White replied 20.e6! instantaneously.
20...Qxd4
[20...fxe6 21.Bxe6+ Rf7 (21...Kh8? 22.Bxd7 Qxd4? 23.Bxd4 Bxd7 24.Rxe7 White has the attack as well as material superiority) 22.Bxf7+ Kxf7 23.Qd3 with a big advantage]
21.Bxd4 Nf6 22.Bb3! Rd8 23.Bxf6 Bc5+ 24.Kh1 gxf6 25.e7 Bxe7 26.Rxe7 Bc6 27.Rc7 Rd2 28.Re1! Rf2
[28...Rxg2? 29.Rxc6]
29.h3 Rxf4 30.Ree7 Rf1+ 31.Kh2 Rf2
Grischuk had obviously seen the coming sacrifice, as otherwise Black's pressure on g2 is very strong.
32.Rxc6! bxc6 33.Rxf7
The point of Grischuk's play becomes clear – the passed b-pawn cannot be stopped.
33...Rf4
[33...Rxf7 34.b7]
34.c3! 1–0
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, June 25, 2007.
Fide opens office in Singapore
THE World Chess Federation, better known as Fide, has opened an office in Singapore to handle administrative work.
Fide secretary general Ignatius Leong, who is at the same time president of the Singapore Chess Federation, will oversee the new office, with Singaporean Tang Kun Foo as administrative manager.
Leong has been active in Fide affairs for nearly half a century, having also been president of the Singapore federation in 1960 and again in 2000.
Leong became Fide zone president in 1998 and Fide vice president in 2002. He has been Fide general secretary since 2005.
The new Fide office is located at 7500A Beach Road, No. 21-324 The Plaza,, 199591. Fax number is (63) 6297 7647.
RP to kick off Asean 5 Grand Prix open events
THE Philippines will launch the Asean Five Grand Prix with a two-tier open tournament in November.
This was announced in Jakarta by the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) soon after the Asean Age-Group Championships in Thailand.
Percasi said five members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) agreed on an open Grand Prix at a meeting in Pattaya.
Besides the Philippines and Asia, the other Grand Prix members are Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
The Philippine Open will have two divisions—one for players rated 2100 and above and the other for those rated below 2100.
The second leg will be held in Indonesia in January. It will have three levels—for grandmasters, international masters and women international masters.
The Grand Prix will consist of open tournaments, said Percasi executive director Eka Putra Wirya.
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
US National Open
US National Open
Riviera Hotel & Casino
June 7 to 11, 2007
Final Top Standings
1 GM Hikaru Nakamura USA 2658, 5.5/6
2-7 GM Viktor Korchnoi SUI 2623, IM Enrico Sevillano USA 2493, GM Gregory Serper 2507, USA, IM Joshua Friedel USA 2474, IM Renier Gonzalez USA 2454, IM Andranik Matikozyan USA 2469, 5.0/6
8-14 GM Varuzhan Akobian, USA 2574, GM Sergey Erenburg ISR 2574, GM Atanas Kolev BUL 2553, GM Dmitry Gurevich USA 2518, IM Irina Krush 2464, USA, IM David Pruess USA 2408, FM Eugene Yanayt USA 2332, 4.5/6
Total of 102 players
FORMER US Champion Hikaru Nakamura defeated GM Renier Gonzalez in the last round to take clear first place in the national Open with 5.5/6. His only draw was to Filipino turned American IM Enrico Sevillano.
Nakamura,H (2658) - Sevillano,E (2493) [C05]
National Open Las Vegas USA (4), 09.06.2007
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.f4 Nc6 7.Ndf3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qb6 10.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 11.Qd2 Nb6 12.Qxb4 Nxb4 13.Kd2 Bd7 14.a3 Nc6 15.b3 Rc8 16.Bd3 Na5 17.Rb1 Ke7 18.Ne2 a6 19.a4 g6 20.h3 Nc6 21.Rbf1 Nb4 22.Bb1 Na8 23.g4 b5 24.axb5 Bxb5 25.f5 Bxe2 26.Kxe2 Nc7 27.Ng5 gxf5 28.gxf5 h6 29.fxe6 hxg5 30.Rxf7+ Kxe6 31.Rhf1 Ne8 32.Rb7 Nc2 33.Rb6+ Ke7 34.Rb7+ ½–½
Nakamura earned $8,000 as first prize. The six players who tied for second earned around $1,000 each.
The National Open was set up many years ago as some sort of chess vacation of the year. It is usually held in the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. You can bring your whole family to the hotel, enjoy reasonable rates, ample and low-priced buffet, well-secured surroundings, and you get to play in a very strong open and face the top players in the USA and also the world (for example, Viktor Korchnoi participated this year). The best part here is that you don’t feel guilty at all for playing chess and missing “bonding” time with your wife and kids.
No, not at all, for while you are wracking your brains and trying to refute the French Winawer, chances are your wife and children have forgotten all about you – they are too busy shopping, sight-seeing, gambling, getting drunk etc etc and never notice you come staggering home at past twelve midnight.
A part of me thinks that Riviera does not mind sponsoring this annual tournament because most of the prize money comes back to them anyway. I remember there was this year when National Master Edgardo Garma won around $3,000 in the tournament. He lost all of it in the card tables and slot machines that same night!
Speaking about card games, six-time US champion Walter Shawn Browne had a terrific time in Las Vegas this year. He arrived in Las Vegas and signed up for the National Open, but had to withdraw before the start after a winning run at poker in that same hotel. He made it all the way through to a World Poker Tour final table and earned $58,000 for a seventh place finish. Feeling that his luck has not yet changed, Browne entered a second World Poker Tour event, and also went to the finals and finished second overall, bringing his winnings at the poker tables to $189,000!
And to think that Nakamura, who won the chess tournament, got $8,000.
Anyway, this column is not about the poker, nor are we interested in the adventures of swellhead Nakamura. The one we want to write about is the third placer, Enrico Sevillano.
This transplanted Filipino, also the former Asian Junior champion, last month played in the US Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the first Filipino to ever qualify, where he finished 18th overall. Then he won the Lina Grumette Memorial Day Classic in Los Angeles. This 3rd place in Las Vegas marks his third consecutive great result.
Here is his model victory over tough Russian-turned Israeli GM Erenburg.
Sevillano,Enrico (2493) - Erenburg,Sergey (2574) [B22]
National Open Las Vegas USA (5), 10.06.2007
Sicilian Alapin
1.e4 c5 2.c3
Long before the Sicilian Alapin became very popular in the 90s, the Filipino players Sevillano GM Joey Antonio had adopted it as their main weapon against 1...c5.
2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bd3 Nc6
The famous chess coach/trainer/theoretician IM Dorian Rogozenko opines that Black should keep the tension with 6...Be7 7.0–0 0–0 and it is not so easy for White to develop an attack with the center still unsettled. An example is 8.c4 Qh5 9.Be2 (9.dxc5 Rd8 10.Bf4 Qxc5 11.Qe2 Nc6 12.Nc3 Nd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 looks equal) 9...Rd8 10.Be3 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qe5 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Bf3 Nc6 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.Qe2 Rdc8 16.Rac1 a6 17.Rfd1 Qf5 18.Bxc6 Rxc6 19.b3 Rac8 20.a4 Ba3 21.Ra1 Bb4 22.Rac1 Ba3 23.Ra1 Bb4 ½–½ Dvoretzky,M (2495)-Polugaevsky,L (2630)/ URS-ch Leningrad 1974.
7.0–0 cxd4 8.cxd4 Be7 9.Nc3 Qd6 10.Bg5 0–0 11.Qd2 Nd5 12.Rad1 Nxc3 13.bxc3
White has emerged with exactly the position he wants – no isolated d-pawn problem, two bishops, queen can transfer easily to the kingside, open e-file for his rook. Black must look for an improvement in his earlier moves.
13...b6 14.Qe3 Bb7
Sevillano's following maneuver is textbook on how to assault such Black positions. Everybody should study it.
15.Qe4
Attacking h7.
15...g6 16.Qh4
Transferring queen to kingside. If 16...Bxg5 then 17.Nxg5 h5 18.Ne4 penetrating the weak dark squares around Black's king.
16...Rfe8 17.Rfe1
Sevillano wants to bring his knight to g4 via e5.
17...Rac8 18.Bb5 h5
After 18...h5
19.d5! exd5
[19...Bxg5 20.dxc6 Bxh4 21.Rxd6 wins a piece]
20.Rxe7! Rxe7
[20...Nxe7 21.Bxe8 Rxe8 22.Re1 Kf8 23.Bh6+ Kg8 24.Qd4 f6 25.Ng5 followed by Re6]
21.Bxc6 Rec7 22.Bxb7 Rxb7 23.Bf6
White's control of the long diagonal will win.
23...Re8?! 24.Qg5 Rd7 25.Be5 Qe6 26.Qh6 f6 27.Qxg6+ Rg7 28.Qxf6 Qxf6 29.Bxf6 Rf7 30.Bd4
It is now only a matter of technique.
30...Re2 31.Nd2 b5 32.Be3
Sevillano tries to trap the black rook, but it is not so easy. Take note that if on the next move he plays 33.Kf1 then Erenburg takes advantage of the f-file pin by playing 33...Rxe3.
32...a5 33.a3 a4 34.g3 Rf6 35.Kg2 Kf7 36.Rb1 Re6
White can play Nf1 or Bf4, but he decides to force a liquidation to a won rook and pawn endgame.
37.Kf3 R6xe3+ 38.fxe3 Rxd2 39.Rxb5 Rxh2 40.Rxd5 Ra2 41.Rxh5 Rxa3 42.Ra5 Ra1 43.c4 a3 44.Ke4
Of course this is important, so Black cannot check his king from behind.
44...a2 45.c5 Ke6 46.Ra7 Kf6 47.c6 Ke6 48.c7 Kd7 49.Ke5 Re1 50.Rxa2 Rxe3+ 51.Kf4 Rc3 52.Ra7 Ke6 53.g4 Rc5 54.g5 Rc4+ 55.Ke3 Kf5 56.Kd3 Rc1 57.Kd4 Kxg5 58.Ra5+ To be followed by Rc5. 1–0
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, June 29, 2007.
FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Revive NCFP website first!
GLAD to know that former Congressman Prospero “Butch” Pichay has resumed discharging his duties as NCFP president and that he is pushing through with the annual tournament in memory of his late father next month. Now that he is back from the snake pit that is Pinoy politics, he should first revive the NCFP website!
—0—
I FIND it rather embarrassing to admit that I had to rely on the Vietnamese website for the actual results of the recent Asean Age-Group held in Pattaya, Thailand, and not that of the Asean Confederation, of which NCFP boss Pichay is the first deputy president. What are our technical experts doing about it?
—0—
ANY sports promotion needs media support and in this age of cyber technology, the World Wide Web has become the primary means of mass communication. I blame the previous NCFP leadership for not maintaining its original website in the Asean portal, which has been languishing there for the past seven years.
—0—
LACK of funding cannot be an acceptable excuse from the NCFP leadership for its utter neglect of the new NCFP website, in the face of a costly poll campaign. As of this writing, it says that it was last updated on May 11, three days before Election Day. That was more than one and a half months ago!
—0—
WHAT will happen now to Chessmates? And how about that excellent vehicle for chess promotion in the grassroots, the Pichay Chess Caravan? Will that also die a natural death as did many of the federation’s projects in the past? And yet we complain of being left behind by our neighbors like Vietnam and Singapore!
—0—
READER Emmanuel Marbella has written to thank me on behalf of the Filipino Chess Players League of the United Arab Emirates. The FCPL has posted The Weekender on fcplworldblogspot.com. “Happy anniversary to The Weekender and we wish you all the best!” the FCPL secretary general wrote.
—0—
FINALLY, I have received the database containing games from the Philippine International Open at Subic Freeport, which was held in April. My thanks to Pat Lee and the rest of the staff at the NCFP headquarters. Pat and Ilann Perez are the tireless workhorses of the federation. May their tribe increase!
—0—
I WISH to acknowledge, too, the invaluable help given me by NM and IA Erwin Carag, coach of Shell NCR junior champion M.J. Turqueza and other players from the Diliman Preparatory School. Carag interviewed the Shell NCR winners on my behalf.
—0—
MY apology to readers for occasional slips that the Weekender has had lately. One example was Pattaya being spelled Payatta, and the CAAP Non-masters scheduled for today was wrongly reported as set for last Sunday. My apology to GMs Torre and Antonio for including them among those Wesley had beaten in the 2006 Pichay Cup Nationals. They didn’t take part.
Chess quote
“You cannot play chess if you are kind-hearted”—French proverb
The Weekender
Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon City
Manuel O. Benitez
Editor & Publisher
Alfredo V. Chay
Circulation Manager
Published every weekend
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