Asian Individual Chess Championship 2007

Hi there!

After a non-blog weekend for me, here's The Weekender by Mr. Manny Benitez. News about the Asian Individual Chess Championship pretty much takes the center stage for this issue while World Championship update happening in Mexico takes up the fdirst 2 pages.

The recent Cavite Inter-town Chess Team Tournament is also presented. Guys, am so sorry if we all have to settle for the non-PGN posting I have here of the games. I still need to work on the instructions provided by Chessbuff and chessteacher (handle name) of one my yahoogroups on chess.

To Mr. John Manahan, thanks in advance! To Lilet, thanks too. Do make sure to read through the end of the blocked part of the post as I will be posting too he first two rounds of the Asian Individuals.

Here it is:

The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 16

Anand keeps solo lead in Mexico

WORLD No. 1 Viswanathan Anand of India and No. 13 Boris Gelfand of Israel battled to a draw in the eighth round of the World Championship in Mexico City, enabling the top Asian grandmaster to keep his solo lead with 5.5 points.

Gelfand also retained his solo second slot half a point behind

No. 1 seed Anand (2792) grabbed the lead when he outclassed Russian superstar Alexander Grischuk earlier.

World champion Vladimir Kramnik stayed in solo third with 4.5 points, with Peter Leko of Hungary who was his challenger in Brissago right behind him with 4.0.

Gelfand caught up with Anand with two wins in a row before meeting the solo leader in the eighth.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN MEXICO CITY

Anand dominates event

AS the following games will show, world No. 1 Viswanathan Anand of India has demonstrated beyond doubt that he went to Mexico City well prepared to fight for the crown now being worn by No. 2 Vladimir Kramnik..

After a first round of dull draws that showed the eight combatants were just testing the waters, so to speak, Anand came out fighting in the next and gave no chance to Armenian Levon Aronian to show his wares and worth.

Anand then tackled Kramnik and the two played to a draw..

• Anand,V (2792) - Kramnik,V (2769) [C42]
Rd. 3, Petroff Defense (C42)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0–0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0–0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 Black has equalized 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.Qa4 Bd7 17.Qc2 Qf5 18.Qxf5 Bxf5 19.Bb5 Bd7 20.d5 Ne5 21.Bxd7 Better than 21.Bxe5 Bxb5 22.Nd2 Bd3, with equality Nxd7 22.Bxc7 Rxc7 23.d6! Rxc3 Not 23...Bxd6 because of 24.Rxe8! 24.dxe7 Fritz suggest 24.Rxe7 Rxe7 25.dxe7 f6 25.Rad1 Rc7 26.Nd4 Ne5 27.f4 Nc6 28.Nxc6 bxc6 29.Rd6 c5 30.Ree6 c4 31.Rc6 Rexe7 32.Rxc4 Rxc4 33.Rxe7 Ra4 34.Rb7 h6 35.f5 Rxa3 36.Kf2 h5 37.g3 a5 38.Ra7 a4 39.h4 Ra2+ 40.Kf3 a3 41.Ke3 Ra1 42.Kf2 Kf8 43.Kg2 a2 44.Kh2 Ke8 45.Kg2 Kd8 46.Kh2 Kc8 47.Kg2 Kb8 48.Ra3 Kb7 49.Ra4 Kb6 50.Ra8 Kc5 51.Ra7 Kd5 52.Ra4 Ke5 53.Ra5+ Ke4 54.Kh2 Kf3 55.Ra3+ Kf2 56.Ra4 Kf1 57.Kh1 Ke1 58.Kg2 Kd1 59.Ra7 Rc1 Missing 59...Kc1! 60.Rxa2= Rc2+ 61.Rxc2 Kxc2 62.Kf3 Kd3 63.g4 hxg4+ 64.Kxg4 Ke4 65.Kh5! Kxf5

Stalemate, a very rare phenomenon in events of this magnitude! ½–½

• A. Morozevich,A (2758) – P. Svidler (2735)
Rd. 3, Scotch Game (C45)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 0–0 8.0–0 Ne5 9.Bb3 Not 9.Qh5 d5 10.Be2 g6! d6! 10.f3 Be6 11.Kh1 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Nd2 N5c6 leads to equality Bc4 12.Rf2 d5 13.Bc2 dxe4 14.Nd2 Bd3 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.fxe4 Qg6 17.Rf4 Nc4 18.Bg1 Qh6 19.Rf3 Qd2 20.Qb1 20.Ne6 fxe6 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Bxc5 Qxd1+ 23.Rxd1 gives White a clear advantage Bb6 21.Bb3 Bxd4 22.cxd4 Na5 Not 22...Nxb2?? 23.Rf2 Qc3 24.Rc2! 23.Bc2 Rad8 24.Rc3 Nac6 25.d5 Nb4 26.Bb3 Na6 27.Be3 Qe2 28.Bc4 Qg4 29.h3 Qh4 30.Bxa6 bxa6 31.Rxc7 f5? Best was 31...Rfe8, says Fritz 32.Bc5! Rfe8 33.d6 Ng6 34.exf5 Nf4 If 34...Ne5 35.b4 35.Qc2 35.d7 was the goal-getter, says Fritz Re2 35...Re1+ was worth a try 36.Qb3+ Kh8 37.Rg1 Black resigns 1–0

• V. Anand (2792) – P. Svidler (2735)
Rd. 5, Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack (C89)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.Re1 Bd6 13.g3 13...Bf5 14.d4 Qd7 15.Be3 Rae8 16.Nd2 Bg4 17.Qc2 Bf5 18.Qc1 Re7 19.Nf3 Bg4 20.Nh4 Rfe8 21.Qd2 h6 21...Nxe3 22.Rxe3 Rxe3 23.fxe3 22.Qd3 g6 23.Bd1 Bh3 24.Bf3 g5 25.Ng2 Bf5 26.Qd1 Nf6 27.a4 Ne4 28.axb5 axb5 29.Ra6 Qb7 30.Qa1 Bc8 31.Ra8 Bb8 32.Bc1 Nf6 33.Rxe7 Rxe7 34.Qa3 Rd7 35.Ra5 Ba7 35...Bd6! should be tried 36.Ne3! Taking a commanding view Qc7? 37.Nf5 c5 38.Nxh6+ Kh7 39.Bxg5!

The clincher, e.g., 39…Kg6 40.Bxf6 Kxf6 41.Bg4! 1–0

• A. Grischuk (2726) – A. Morozevich (2758)
Rd. 5, Queen’s Gambit Declined (D38)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.e3 c5 8.Bd3 Qa5 9.Qc2 c4 10.Bf5 0–0 11.0–0 Re8 12.Nd2 g6 13.Bh3 Kg7 14.Rae1 Ne4 15.Ndxe4 dxe4 16.Bf4 f5 17.f3 Nf6 18.a3 Bxc3 19.bxc3 h5 19...exf3 20.gxf3 Nd5 21.Be5+ Kg8 22.e4 Rxe5 23.dxe5 20.Qf2 20.Be5 Rxe5 21.dxe5 Qxe5 Bd7 20...exf3 21.Be5 would have restored the balance 21.Qg3 Qxc3 22.Be5 Qxa3? Overlooking 22...exf3 23.gxf3 Qxa3! 23.fxe4 White is back in the lead Rxe5 24.exf5 Not 24.Qxe5?! Re8 25.Qc7 Rxe4 26.Qxb7 a5! Rxf5 25.Bxf5 Bxf5 26.Rxf5 Re8 27.Re5 Missing 27.Rc5! Qd6 28.Rxe8 Nxe8? 28...Qxg3! was the lifesaver, e.g., 29.hxg3 Nxe8 29.Qf3! b5 30.Qb7+ Nc7 31.Qxa7 b4 32.e4 c3 33.e5 Qe7 34.Qb7 Kh6 35.Rf1 c2 36.Rc1 Qg5 37.Rxc2 Qe3+ 38.Rf2 Ne6 39.Qxb4 Qc1+ 40.Rf1 Qe3+ 41.Kh1

DISASTER FOR PINOYS IN MANDAUE

Megaranto leads in Asian title series

INDONESIAN superstar Susanto Megaranto took the solo lead with a powerful performance in the fourth round, outclassing his erstwhile Chinese co-leader, Wang Hao, early last night in the Asian Individual Chess Championship at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City .

GM Megaranto, 20, took on the 18-year-old top favorite from China after demolishing hopes for a share of the lead in the third round of Filipino International Master Darwin Laylo, who bounced back in the fourth with a fine win over Mongolian Fide Master Mesged Batchuluun.

At the same time, Megaranto’s other co-leader from the third round, Indian GM-to-be G.N. Gopal, 18, took a sound drubbing from another highly seeded Chinese, Zhang Pengxiang, in the fourth round and slid down to No. 4.

Gopal who earned his third and final GM norm when he captured the Kerala state championship recently was the nemesis of the Philippines’ highest-rated players, GM Eugene Torre in the second round and GM Joey Antonio in the third.

The Indian’s GM title is expected to be confirmed soon by the World Chess Federation (Fide).

The Filipinos suffered their worst setback in the third round when both GMs Antonio and Mark Paragua along with IMs Laylo and Wesley So lost to their foreign rivals.

Like Laylo, GMs Antonio and Paragua, along with IM So, recovered quickly and won in the fourth round to keep their hopes alive for a slot in the World Cup later this year.

Laylo and Antonio had 3.0 points from three wins and one loss each and were ranked No. 7 and No. 10, respectively, after their fourth-round wins.

Next in line were IM So in No. 17 and GM Paragua in No. 22 with 2.5 points from two wins, one loss and one draw each.

Five other Filipinos, including GM Eugene Torre, had 4.0 points each.

Besides Torre, who was ranked 37th, the Filipino 2.0-pointers were Kim Steven Yap in 32nd, IM Richard Bitoon in 35th, Voltaire Sevillano in 39th and IM Oliver Dimakiling in 46th at the bottom of the bracket.

NM Hamed Nouri, the former giant-killer from Escalante, Negros Occidental, was apparently in poor form. He was one of 10 Filipinos who looked out of the running for honors after four rounds.

Nouri was in 52nd place, followed by NM Efren Bagamasbad in 54th, IM Barlo Nadera in 56th, NM Rhobel Legaspi in 59th, with 1.5 points each; NMs Anthony Makinano and Rustum Tolentino in 63rd and 64th, respectively; IMs Ronald Bancod and Julio Catalino Sadorra in 66th and 68th, respectively, with 1.0 point each; NM Emmanuel Senador with 0.5, and NM Mirabeau Maga, 0.

A total of 72 players from all over Asia, 19 of them Filipinos, are competing in the event.

The way things look another Pinoy disaster is in the offing.

The country’s hopes are now pinned largely on IM Laylo and GM Antonio,

Laylo is a two-time national open champion and 2006 Doha Asian Games veteran, who is competing in his first tournament after a six-month suspension for alleged involvement in a game-fixing scandal.
Another key player suspended for the same alleged offense, IM Ronald Dableo, is said to have begged off from taking part in the Asian title series because of his previous commitment to play in the ongoing UAAP games.

Dableo, who was 2005 zonal champion, and his runner-up, GM Paragua, represented the Philippines in the 2005 World Men’s Championship held in Tripoli, Libya.

They both outraced Indonesian GM Megaranto in the Southeast Asian Zonals held in Vietnam earlier that year—yes, the same Susanto Megaranto who is currently leading the AIC field at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines under its president, former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr., along with the Cebu provincial government under Gov. Gwen Garcia, organized the Asian Individual Championship.

It was Pichay, who is also deputy president of the Asian Chess Federation, who negotiated for the Philippines to host the AIC this year, with the Cebu ICC as the venue.

Pichay has also announced his plan to bid for next year’s 38th World Olympiad.

Meanwhile, The Weekender has received two databases containing games played in the first and second rounds from Pat Lee of the NCFP but the first database had been corrupted during transmission.

• R. Antonio Jr - Deepan,Chakkravarthy
Rd. 2, Giuoco Piano (C54)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0–0 Nf6 5.d3 a6 6.c3 Ba7 7.Bb3 d6 8.Nbd2 h6 9.Nc4 Be6 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.Nxe3 0–0 12.Re1 Re8 13.Bxe6 fxe6 14.Qb3 Qd7 15.Rad1 Rf8 16.d4 Nxe4 17.d5 Nd8 18.dxe6 Qxe6 19.Nd5 Nc5 20.Nxc7 Nxb3 21.Nxe6 Nxe6 22.axb3 Rad8 23.b4 Kf7 24.Nd2 Nf4 25.Nc4 Ke6 26.Rd2 g5 27.g3 Ng6 28.Kg2 h5 29.Red1 d5 30.Nb6 Ne7 31.Na4 Kd6 32.Nc5² Rb8 33.Ne4+ Kc6 34.Nxg5 h4 35.Re1 Rf5 36.f4 hxg3 37.hxg3 exf4 38.Nf3 Kd6 39.Rde2 Nc6 40.g4 Rf7 41.Re6+ Kc7 42.Ne5 Nxe5 43.R1xe5 f3+ 44.Kf2 Rf4 45.Rxd5 Rh8 46.Rh5! Rd8 47.Rf5 Rxg4 48.Rxf3 Rd2+ 49.Re2 Rg2+ 50.Kxg2 Rxe2+ 51.Rf2 Re3 52.Kf1 Kc6 53.Re2 Rd3 54.Ke1 Rd6 55.Re5 Rh6 56.Kd2 Kb6 57.Kc2 Rh2+ 58.Kb3 Rg2 59.Re6+ Kc7 60.c4 Rg3+ 61.Ka4 Rg2 62.Ka3 Rg3+ 63.b3 Rg2 64.Re5 Rh265.Rg5 b6 66.Rg7+ Kb8 67.Rg6 Kb7 68.Rg1 Rf2 69.Rb1 Kc6 70.Rb2 Rf4 71.Re2 Rf6 72.Re7 Rf2 73.Ra7 Rf1 74.Rxa6! 74…Ra1+ 75.Kb2 Rxa6 76.b5+! Kb7 77.bxa6+ Kxa6 78.Kc3! 1–0

• W. So – L. Ravi
Rd. 2, Classical Caro-Kann (B19)

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qa4 13.a3 Ngf6 14.b3 Qb5 15.c4 Qa6 16.0–0 Bd6 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Nf6 19.Qh4 b5 20.Ne5 Rd8 21.Rfe1 Qb7 22.Rad1!! Baiting the enemy bishop with the a-pawn in a 10-move combination….
22…Bxa3 23.Ba5± Rc8 24.b4! 0–0 25.Re3 Bb2 26.Rb3 bxc4 27.Nxc4 Qb5 28.Nxb2 Nxh5 29.Rh3 Nf6 30.Rdd3 Nh7 31. f5 Qb8 33.Nd3 Rf6 34.Rhe3 Qd6 35.Re1 Ng5 36.Nc5 Rg6 37.Kh1 Rf8 38.f4 Qxd4 39.Qg3 Rff6 40.Qe3 Qb2? 41.Nd3 Qa2 42.fxg5 hxg5 43.Bd8 f4 44.Qe2 Qxe2 45.R1xe2 f3 46.Bxf6 gxf6 47.gxf3 fxe5 48.Nxe5 Rf6 49.Kg2 Kg7 50.Ra2 Rf4 51.Nxc6 Rc4 52.b5 Kf6 53.Kg3 e5 54.Rxa7 e4 55.fxe4 Rxe4 56.b6 1–0





DASMARI ÑAS FESTIVAL GIVES BIRTH TO FEDERATION
GMA wins Cavite team contest

CAVITE now has its own chess federation, thanks to its recent three-day Inter-town Team Tournament, which was won by GMA with Dasmariñas and Bacoor as its first and second runners-up, according to Bacoor-based Kiko Goodman in his widely read Philippine Chess daily blog on the World Wide Web.

The festival, held at the Center of SM in Dasmariñas from September 12 to 14, saw a total of 17 teams competing in a seven-round Swiss.

GMA swept through the event undefeated to post a total of 25 points and stay 4.5 points ahead of its closest rival, Dasmariñas, as shown in the round-by-round account given by Kiko in his blog.

In the last two rounds, all team matches ended in ties.

The final standings: 1. GMA, 25; 2. Dasmariñas, 20.5 3. Bacoor, 17. 4. Carmona, 15.5; 5-7. Rosario, Tanza and Maragondon, 15; 8-9. Mendez and Imus; 10-1. Cavite and Amadeo; 12-13. Trece Martires and General Trias; 14. Indang, 12; 15. Tagaytay, 9.5; 16. Bailen, 7.5; and 17. Magallanes.

Gold medalists were: Board 1, Herminigild C. Rafols of Mendez, 6.0 points; Board 2; Marohom C. de Leon, Dasmariñas, 6.5; Board 3. Guillermo Angay, GMA, 7.0; and Board 4. Eduardo Porlage, GMA, 6.5.

Bacoor’s board 4 player, Vince Angelo Medina, burst into tears in one game which ended in a draw by stalemate despite his having a queen and two pawns against his rival’s solitary king. Well, he is only 10 years old!.

Boyet Maliam of the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines served as chief arbiter.

Kiko also reported that the Cavite Chess Federation held its organizational meeting right after the award ceremony,

Elected were Assi Bagaipo (Imus), president; Johner Egenias (Dasmariñas), vice president; Ariel Panganiban (Amadeo), secretary; Boyet Maliam (Dasmariñas), treasurer; Manuel Yu (GMA), auditor; Jamy delos Fado (Bacoor), business manager; and Erdie Saquilayan (General Trias), PRO.

Town representatives: Amadeo – Francis Calubayan; Bacoor - Ed Tunguia; Carmona - Michael Chua; Dasmariñas - Orly Pascual; General Trias - Arman Montoya; GMA – Nixon Curiosa; Imus – Bobby Barranda; Indang – Eladio Piones; Maragondon – Antonio Cobardo; Mendez – Dindo Rey Maraan; Tagaytay – Norbert Enougaso; Tanza – Ronnie Nicolas; Aguinaldo (Bailen) – Carlos Binauhan.

PINOYS ABROAD IN QUEST OF G.M. TITLE
Vuelban fails to topple two GMs

AFTER his fine performance in a rapid chess event in Rome last month during which he had beaten three European grandmasters on his way to winning the top prize, Filipino FM Virgilio Vuelban failed to pass muster against two GMs in a slower event in the Riviera dei Cedri, also in Italy, John Manahan reports.

He says Vuelban (2332), 35, lost to GMs Vladimir Lazarev (2468), 43, and Igor Naumkin (2490), 42, both of Russia.

The Filipino Fide master decided to launch his campaign for the GM title in Europe after his big wins against the three grandmasters at the Prenestini Festival, a rapid chess event held in Rome from August 17 to 19.

After resting for a month, Vuelban decided to push his quest for a GM norm via a slower tournament, the Riviera dei Cedri (literally translated as “Coast of Cedars”) south of Rome.

The open Swiss with standard time control (90 minutes per game per player) was held from September 9 to 15.

Vuelban garnered 4.0 points from seven rounds for a performance rating of 2324, eight points lower than his current rating. It was good only for the 10th slot on tiebreak over five other players in a tournament that was won by a 57-year-old French IM, Vladimir Okhotnik (2468).

Okhutnik, who was born and grew up in the defunct Soviet Union, won the plum also on tiebreak over three GMs and one IM who had an identical score of 5.0 points each.

The four runners-up were GMs Rainer Buhmann (2468) of Germany, Georgi Bagaturov (2583) of Georgia Igor Efimov (2426) of Monaco and IM Nenad Aleksic (2374) of Serbia.

Three other Filipinos were ahead of Vuelban in going to Europe to improve their chances of earning the GM title because of the frequency of tournaments.

They are IMs Joseph Sanchez of Cebu, who used to live in Italy and is now based in France, and Rolly Martinez and Roland Salvador, both of Bulacan, who both reside in Milan.

Salvador and Sanchez have acquired two GM norms each and are seeking their third and final GM result in order to bag the coveted title, while Martinez already has one.

Salvador has narrowly missed getting his title twice or thrice.

Russia’s No. 70 wins Higher League nat’l crown

A LITTLE-KNOWN, relatively low-rated 28-year-old grandmaster by the name of Andrey Rychogov has won the 60th Championship of Russia (Higher League) held in the little-known and remote city of Krasnoyarsk in Russia’s frozen north, Siberia.

Rychogov won on tiebreak over 10 others who had the same score as his, 7.0 points from 11 games. And yet he had the lowest rating—2557—among the top 15 finishers!

Behind him as first and second runners-up were so-called super GMs Nikita Vitiugov (2608) and former superstar Alexey Dreev (2606), a two-time world under-16 champion, Soviet junior champion and 2700-rated titan when he finished in fourth place in the Russian Championship.

The other six who also had 7.0 points each were Farrukh Amonatov (2598) of Tajikistan, Evgeny Tomashevsky (2654), Aytom Timofeev (2650), Konstantin Sakaev (2634), Vadim Zvjaginsev (2658), Sergei Rublevsky (2679), Pavel Tregubov (2599) and Mikhail Kobavia (2634).

• M. Kobalia (2634) – A. Rychagov (2557)
Rd. 2, French Classical System (C1)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0–0 10.0–0–0 a6 11.Qf2 Bxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Kb1 Bb7 15.h4 f6 16.exf6 Nxf6 17.Qg1 Rae8 18.Bd3 Ng4 19.Bc1 d4 20.Ne4 e5 21.Ng5 h6 22.Be4 Nb4 23.Bh7+ Kh8 24.Qe1 Nd5 25.Bg6 Nde3 26.Rd2 Re7 27.fxe5 Nxe5 28.Be4 Bxe4 29.Nxe4 N5c4 30.Rxd4 Nxc2! 31.Kxc2 Na3+ 32.Kb3 Nc2 33.Qd2 Na1+ 34.Ka3 Nc2+?? 35.Kb3 Nxd4+ 36.Qxd4 Qc4+! 37.Qxc4 bxc4+ 38.Kxc4 Rxe4+ 39.Kd3 Rg4 40.Bd2 Rxg2 41.Bc3 Rf4 42.h5 Rf5 43.Rh4 Rgg5 44.Rc4 Rg3+ 45.Kc2 Rxh5 46.b4 Rhg5 47.a4 Kh7 48.Rc6 Rg6 49.Rc7 h5 50.b5 axb5 51.axb5 R3g5 0–1

’JoinDFun’ joust set at BSU

ATTENTION, all non-masters: There will be a day of fun at the Bulacan State University in Malolos next Sunday, September 30.

The Plaridel Chess Club of Malolos will hold a non-masters’ tournament for those rated 1950 and below.

There will be cash prizes galore.

Pre-tournament reservation fee is P150 per player. Onsite registration will cost P200 each.

Those interested may call up +639167271504.

TAGAYTAY FINALS REPORT: ‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’

Upsets rock nat’l team qualifier

MAJOR upsets rocked the national team selection finals, topped by IM Ronald Bancod, at the Mahogany Hotel in Tagaytay City last month.
The qualifier was held to select members of the national team that the Philippines will send to Macau next month for the Asian Indoor Games.

The Weekender received the games databases from Pat Lee of the NCFP via email only last weekend. I have selected quite a few sparklers for publication in this issue, more than a month since the event took place. Well, it’s better late than never….

For the first time in many years, IM Bancod captured the top slot, with IM Wesley So, whom he had upset in the fourth round, in second place, followed by NM Rolando Nolte and IM Barlo Nadera..

Strangely enough, the results of the finals overturned the results of the preliminaries: IM Richard Bitoon and veteran NM Alex Milagrosa, who sparkled at the Marketplace in Mandaluyong, took a dive at Mahogany Hotel in Tagaytay City.

Both preliminary winners failed to make it to the team. Neither did the top female players, WNM Kimberly Jane Cunanan nor her runner-up, Cristy Bernales, who had also shone at Marketplace, qualify for the team.

Veteran campaigner WNM Catherin Pereña topped the finals, with WNM Sherily Cua as her runner-up, followed by Sherrie Joy Lomibao and Cheradee Camacho.

NM Mirabeau Maga set the trend by downing higher-rated and -titled IM Bitoon in the opener.

• R. Bitoon (2399) – M. Maga (2368)
Rd. 1, English Opening, Four Knights (A28)

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Qc2 Be7 7.a3 0–0 7...a6 8.b4 would have equalized 8.Bb5 Qd6 9.0–0 Bg4 10.Be2 Bh5 11.b4 Nxc3 Not 11...Bg6 12.Qb3 Nxc3 13.dxc3! 12.dxc3 Bg6 13.e4 h6 14.Be3 Qe6 15.Nd2 Rad8 16.a4 Rd7 17.h3 h5 18.Nb3 b6 19.a5 Rfd8 20.Bb5 Rd6 21.Nd2 Qf6 21...a6 22.Bxa6 bxa5 23.b5 also gives White the edge 22.Nc4 Re6 23.Rfd1 23.f4 should keep the lead, says Fritz: 23…Nxb4 24.cxb4 exf4 25.axb6 axb6 26.Bxf4 Bxe4 27.Qc1 Bxb4 28.Rf2! Nd4! Equalizing 24.cxd4 exd4 25.axb6 axb6 26.Bd2 Bxe4 27.Qb3 Qf5 28.Na3 d3 29.Re1 Bxg2!

Breaching White’s defense line

30.Qxe6 Not 30.Kxg2 because of 30...Rg6 fxe6 31.Kxg2 Bh4 32.f4 Qd5+ 33.Kg1 Qf3 34.Rf1 Qg3+ 35.Kh1 Qxh3+ 36.Kg1 Bg3 White resigns, even though Black has missed the mating line, 36...Qg4+! 37.Kh1 Bg3 38.Rf2 Bxf2 39.Kh2 Qg3+ 40.Kh1 Qh3#! 0–1

In turn Maga was upset by NM Arlan Cabe.

• M. Maga (2368) – A. Cabe (2299)
Rd. 6, Symmentrical English (A36)

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.b3 e6 6.Bb2 Nge7 7.h4 h6 8.Qc1 d6 9.e3 Covers d49...e5 10.Nge2 Bg4 11.d3 Rb8 12.Qd2 a6 13.Nd5 If 13.f3 Be6 0–0 14.Nec3 Nc8 14...b5 15.f4 should equalize 15.0–0 Be6 16.f4 f5 17.Rae1 b5 18.Ne2 N8e7 19.Rc1 b4 20.Rfd1 Bf7 21.Qc2 Rc8 22.Qb1 Nb8 23.Qa1 Nxd5 24.cxd5 Qe7 25.Re1 Nd7 26.e4 fxe4 27.dxe4 Bf6 28.Bh3 Rcd8 Fritz says “28...Rce8 might be a viable alternative 29.Bxd7 Rxd7 30.fxe5 Bxe5 31.Bxe5 dxe5 32.Rc2 g5 33.Qc1 Bg6 34.Rc4 Best was 34.Qe3! gxh4 Black surges ahead 35.Qe3 hxg3 36.Nxg3 Qh4 36...Rf4 37.Rc2 Rg4 may be stronger 37.Kg2? 37.Rc2 is the refutation Rdf7 38.Rxc5 Qg4 39.Rc6 Bxe4+! The knockout punch: 40.Kg1 Rf3 41.Qxf3 Rxf3 42.Rc8+ Qxc8 43.Rb1 Qc5+ 44.Kh1 Rxg3+ 45.Kh2 Qf2#! 0–1

A cursory look at the games would show that NM Cabe was the giant killer in Tagaytay, mowing down the likes of Olympian veterans Maga, NM Emmanuel Senador and FM Fernie Donguines as well as preliminaries winner Milagrosa, but losing to IM Bancod and NM Roderick Nava. Moreover, he held such stars as IMs So, Nadera and Gonzales to draws.

Bancod went through the event unbeaten. Besides IM So, he also outclassed IM Gonzales and NMs Milagrosa, Nava and Cabe.

IM Bancod captured the top slot by intimidating most of his weaker rivals with, by local standards, ultra-sharp tactics.

But he started in Tagaytay rather tentatively, drawing his first three games against tough rivals—veteran NMs Senador, an ex-Olympian, and Nolte, a positional player well-grounded in theory, and IM Nadera, in that order.

Bancod sat down and played in earnest in the fourth round when he came face to face with young IM So, their first encounter since the Bacoor whiz kid captured the Pichay Cup late last year and the National Open earlier this year. The result? The biggest upset of the tournament!

After his phenomenal win, the would-be champion and erstwhile UP star started digging deep into his bag of tricks to browbeat whoever came his way.

The first to face the revivified Bancod after his win over So was IM Jayson Gonzales, followed by NM Milagrosa, who had lost his previous sparkle.

• J. Gonzales (2461) – R. Bancod (2373)
Rd. 5, Queen’s Pawn Opening (D02)

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.Nbd2 e6 5.c3 Bd6 6.Bxd6 cxd6 7.e4 Nf6 8.Bd3 dxe4 9.Bxe4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 d5 11.Ned2 0–0 12.Qa4 Qd6 Black is now ahead in development 13.0–0 b5 14.Qxb5 Rab8 15.Qa4 Bxf3 16.Nxf3 Rxb2 17.Rab1 Rfb8 18.Rxb2 Rxb2 19.g3 If 19.Ne1 h6! g6 Letting in some air 20.Rc1 Kg7 21.Kg2 Qc7 22.Qa3 Qb7 23.c4 dxc4 24.Rxc4 Ne7 25.Ra4 Nd5 26.Qd3 Missing his bes t shot, 26.Rxa7 a6 27.Ra5 Nb4 28.Qc4? Fritz suggests 28.Qe3 Qe4! Gaining a huge advantage 29.Ra3 Nd5 29...Nc2 was stronger: 30.Qc3 Rb1! 30.Qc1 Rc2 31.Qe1 Qg4 If 31...Re2 32.Qc1! 32.Qe5+ Fritz prefers 32.Kg1 f6 33.Qd6 Qe4 34.Rb3? Ne3+! 35.Rxe3 Qxe3 36.Qe7+ Kh6 37.h4 Rxf2+ 38.Kh3 Rxf3 Missing a mating line, 38...Qxf3! 39.Qf8+ Kh5 40.Qc5+ f5 41.Qxf5+ Qxf5+ 42.g4+ Qxg4#! 39.Qf8+! 0–1

• R. Bancod (2373) – A. Milagrosa (2232)
Rd. 6, Queen’s Pawn Opening with Torre Attack (D03)

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.Bg5 d5 5.Nbd2 0–0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Be2 Re8 8.0–0 e5 9.a4 a6 10.b4 a5 11.Nb3 axb4 12.cxb4 c6 13.b5 Qc7 14.bxc6 bxc6 Better than 14...Qxc6 15.Bb5 Qe6 16.dxe5! 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Qc2 exd4 17.Nbxd4 c5 18.Nb5! Qc6 19.Rac1 Bb7 20.Rfd1 c4 21.Nfd4! Qb6 22.Rb1 Nc5 23.Nc3 Qc7 24.Bf3 Red8 25.Rb5 Ra5 26.Nde2 If 26.Qb1 Rxb5 27.Ndxb5 Qa5 28.Nxd5 Bxd5 29.Rxd5 Rxd5 30.Bxd5 Qxa4! Rxb5 27.Nxb5 If 27.axb5 Nd3! Qa5 28.Nbc3 Nd3 29.Rb1 Bc6 30.h3 Re8 31.Bxd5! Bxd5? 32.Rb5! 32…Bxc3 If 32...Qa6 33.Nxd5 Qc6 34.Nc1! 33.Nxc3 Qd8 Best but inadequate to rewrite history was 33...Nb4 34.Rxa5 Nxc2 35.Nxd5 Re6 34.Nxd5 Qh4 35.g3 Qxh3 36.Nf6+ Kf8 37.Nxe8 Ne1 38.Qe4 f5 39.Qc6! 1–0

One of Nolte’s finest efforts was this win against Olympiad veteran NM Maga.

• R. Nolte (2396) – M. Maga (2368)
Rd. 5, Pirc Defense, Austrian Attack (B09)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be3 Na6 Missing the equalizer, 6...d5 7.e5 Ng4 8.Bd2 7.e5 Ng4 Equalizing 8.Bg1 c5 9.h3 cxd4 10.Qxd4 Nh6 11.0–0–0 Qa5 12.Qd5 Qb4? 12...Nc5 was more precie, e.g.,13.exd6 exd6 14.Qxd6 Ne6! 13.Bxa6! White surges ahead Qxf4+ 14.Kb1 e6 15.Qc4 Qg3 If 15...Bxe5 16.Nxe5 dxe5, White moves on 16.Qe2 bxa6 17.Bh2! 17…Nf5 18.Bxg3 Fritz says 18.Ne4!? will make it even easier: 18...Bxe5 19.Bxg3 Nxg3, and White has a big lead Nxg3 19.Qe1 Nxh1 20.Rxd6 Stronger than 20.Qxh1 dxe5 21.Qg1 f5 Bb7 21.Qxh1 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Bxe5 23.Rd3 Rab8 24.b3 Rfc8 25.Ne4 Rc7 26.Qd1 Kg7 27.Rd7 Rbb7 28.Rxc7 Rxc7 29.c4 29.Qd8 keeps an even firmer grip, says Fritz 30.Qd8 Rc6 31.f4! The end: 31.f4 Bxf4 32.Qf6+ Kg8 33.Qxf4, and White gets the point. 1–0

In Kuala Lumpur two weeks later, Nolte won a game with White that was nominated for the first brilliancy prize. NM Cabe proved to be the most aggressive player who rose above himself on occasion in Tagaytay, beating higher-rated rivals like Milagrosa, Maga, Donguines and Senador, and holding to draws three IMs but losing to two others (Bancod and Bitoon) and a fellow NM, Nava.

Arlan started quietly, holding the three IMs—Nadera, So and Gonzales—to draws in succession.

In the fourth, he caught Milagrosa by surprise with judicious positional play, sending the Marketplace star to skid row.

• A. Cabe (2299) – A. Milagrosa (2232)
Rd. 4, Sicilian Defense (B27)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.exd5 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nxd5 8.Bc4 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Qb3 0–0 11.0–0 Nc6 12.Be2 Be6 13.Qa3 Bd5 14.Rd1 Rfc8 15.Bg5 e6 16.Rac1 a6 17.Nd2 b5 18.Nb3 Bf8 19.Qb2 Na5 20.Nc5 Qc6 21.Bf1 e5 22.Qe2 Re8 23.Qg4 f6 24.Bh4 Ra7 Better than 24...Bxa2 25.Ra1 f5 26.Qg3! 25.a4 f5 26.axb5 axb5 27.Qg3 Nc4 28.Ra1 Rea8 28...Rxa1 was best, e.g., 29.Rxa1 Nd2! 29.Rxa7 Rxa7 30.Bxc4 bxc4 31.Qxe5 Bd6 Not 31...Bxc5 32.dxc5 Ra8 33.f3! 32.Qf6 Rf7 33.Qg5 Be7 34.Qf4 Bd6 35.Qd2 Qc7 36.h3 f4 Fritz suggests 36...Bf4: 37.Qe2 g5! 37.f3 Qc8 If 37...Qc6 38.Qe2, with equal chances 38.Re1 38.Ne4 Qc6 39.Nxd6 was also playable to obtain the edge Qf5 39.Re8+ Kg7 39...Rf8 may be tried, e.g., 40.Re2 g5 with equality 40.Qe1 g5 41.Bf2 41.Ne6+ Bxe6 42.Rxe6 may be better 41...Qc2?? Releasing the pressure, says Fritz, which recommended instead 41...h5 42.h4 g4 43.Ne6+ Kf6 44.Ng5, with equality 42.Ne4 Bxe4 Fritz suggests 42...Rb7 to restore equality 43.Qxe4 Qxc3??

A horrendous blunder! Black resigns without waiting for White’s 44.Bxd4+!, skewering Black’s greedy queen. 1–0
After this fine win, Arlan faltered and lost with Black to higher-rated NM Roderick Nava, a former age-group champion, in the fifth round.
Cabe quickly recovered, however, and surprisingly carved two straight wins against NM Maga and FM Donguines in the sixth and seventh rounds.
In the eighth and ninth, our hero stumbled yet again, losing to IMs Bancod and Bitoon, but recovered in the 10th to win against NM Senador with Black, before drawing with Nolte in the 11th.



• A. Cabe (2299) – F. Donguines (2380)
Rd. 7, King’s Indian, Saemisch-Panno (E84)

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 If 3.Nf3 d6 d6 Black has equalized 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.f3 a6 6.Be3 0–0 7.Qd2 Nc6 8.Nge2 Rb8 9.Bh6 e5 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.d5 Ne7 12.g4 h5 13.g5 Ne8 Better was 13...Nd7 14.Bg2, with equal chances 14.f4 c5 15.0–0–0 Bd7 16.Ng3 If 16.Qe3 exf4 17.Nxf4 h4 Keeping it balanced 17.f5 17.Nge2 b5 leads to a balanced position gxf5 Fritz suggests 17...f6 as a viable alternative 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Nh5+ Kg6 20.Nf6 Rh8 Better was 20...Nxf6 21.gxf6 Kxf6 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.Bh3 Neg7 23.Rdf1 Rh5? 24.Ne4 Qa4 25.Qd3!! Black resigns. If 25…Qxa2 26.Nxd6! Qa1+ 27.Kc2 Qa3+ 28.Kb1 and wins!. 1–0

IM Nadera was not in top form in Tagaytay as shown in his loss to So in the eighth round. Two weeks later, however, he exploded in the Dato Arthur Tan Open in Malaysia, finishing as the top Filipino player along with Singapore-based IM Julio Catalino Sadorra.

Nadera’s best effort here was his fine win with White against Alex Milagrosa in the 10th round.

37.Nxa5 Rxc3 38.Rxc3 Nxa5 39.Rxc8 Qxc8 40.Qxa5 Qc2 41.Kf1 Qc1+ 42.Qe1 Qb2 43.Qd1 Kh7 44.Qd3 Qa1+ 45.Bd1 Qc1 46.Ke1 Qb2? 47.Qb3 Qd4 48.Be2 Bd7? 49.Qc4 Qb2 50.Kf2 Qa3 51.Bd1 Qb2+ 52.Bc2 Qc1 53.Bd3 Qh1?? 54.Bf1 Qh2+ 55.Bg2 Qf4 56.Qc3 Be8 57.Qe3 Qh2 58.b6! 1–0

IM So began the Tagaytay finals auspiciously by beating NM Roderick Nava in the opener, but was held to a draw in the next round by NM Cabe before scoring his second win, against.FM Donguines, in the third.

But in the fourth round, So stumbled with Black against IM Bancod (see Bobby Ang’s column in
The Weekender of September 9 for a detailed analysis).

After his loss, Wesley drew twice, with IM Bitoon and NM Senador, before scoring three wins in a row—against NM Nolte, IM Nadera and NM Naga in the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds.

The whiz kid from Bacoor then slowed down again, settling for draws in the penultimate 10th against IM Gonzales and in the 11th and final round against NM Alex Milagrosa.

• W. So (2516) – R. Nava (2329)
Rd. 1, Sicilian Najdorf (B93)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 0–0 10.0–0 Nc5 11.Kh1 exf4 12.Bxf4 Bg4 13.Qe1 Rc8 14.Qg3 Bh5 15.Nd4 Bg6 16.Nf5 Nh5 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Qg5 Qe6 19.Rae1 Nxf4 20.Qxf4 Rfe8 21.Qd2 Qd7 If 21...Qe5 22.Qf2! 22.a5 Qc6 23.Rf4 Nd7 24.Nd5! Ne5! 25.Rf2 f6 26.Ref1 Kh8 27.Qf4 Bf7 28.Nxf6 gxf6 29.Qxf6+ Kg8 30.Qg5+ Bg6 31.h4 Rc7 Safer was 31...Rf8 32.h5! Rg7 33.hxg6 Rxg6 If 33...hxg6 34.g3! 34.Qf5 34.Qh4 Ng4 35.Rf4 was also playable Qc7 35.Be2 Qg7 36.Kg1 Kh8 37.Bh5 Best was 37.Qf8+! Rxf8 38.Rxf8+ Qg8 39.Rxg8+ Kxg8 40.c3!, with a clear advantage Ng4?? 38.Qf8+! 38...Rxf8 39.Rxf8+ Qxf8 40.Rxf8+ Kg7 41.Rf4 Ne5 42.Bxg6 hxg6 43.b4! 1–0

Three of Wesley’s other wins with White are equally instructive—the first exhibits startling tactical shots based on the pin and the knight-fork, the second demonstrates the correct timing of offensive moves for maximum efficacy and efficiency, and the third shows utmost economy of moves.

• W. So (2516) – F. Donguines (2380)
Rd. 3, Caro-Kann (B15)

1.e4 g6 2.d4 c6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 d5 5.e5 h5 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 e6 9.Be3 Nd7 10.Bd3 h4 11.0–0 Ne7 12.Ne2 Bf8 13.b3 Nf5 14.Bf2 Qa5 15.a3 b5 16.c4 Rb8 17.cxb5 cxb5 18.a4 bxa4 19.Rxa4 Qb6 20.Rfa1 Rb7 21.Nc3 Qc6? Better but still inadequate was 21...Bb4 22.Rc4 Startling but logical because the pawn at d5 is pinned against the queen: 22…dxc4? 23.Qxc5! 22...Qb6 23.Rc8+ Ke7 24.Qxd5!? Fritz prefers the quiet but less elegant 24.Qg4 Bg7 25.Rxh8 Bxh8 26.Bxf5 gxf5 27.Qf3 Ke8 28.d5 29.dxe6 Nxe5 30.fxe5 Bxe5 31.Qc6+! If 31…Kf8 32.Bc5+ 1–0

• W. So (2516) – R. Nolte (2396)
Rd. 7, Sicilian Najdorf (B93)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 Qc7 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 g6 9.Bd3 Bg7 10.0–0 0–0 11.Qe1 e6 12.Kh1 Nc5 13.Bd2 b6 14.b4 Nxd3 15.cxd3 Bb7 16.Rc1 Qd8 17.Qh4 Nh5 18.Qxd8 Rfxd8 19.Be3 Rdc8 20.Ne2 Bc6 21.b5 axb5 22.Nfd4! Timing is the name of the game!
22…Bd7 23.Nxb5 Rxc1 24.Rxc1Rxa4 25.Nxd6 Ra2 26.Ng3 b5 27.e5 b4 28.Nge4 Re2 29.Bd2 b3 30.Rb1 f5 31.exf6 Nxf6 32.Rxb3 Nxe4? 33.Rb8+! Bf8 34.Nxe4 Kf7 35.Rb7 Ke8 36.Rb8+?? Missing 36.Kg1! Kf7 37.Rb7 Ke8 38.Kg1 Bh6 39.Nf6+ Ke7 40.Bc3 e5 41.Bxe5! 1–0

• W. So (2516) – M. Maga (2368)
Rd. 9, Pirc Defense, Austrian Attack (B09)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Bd3 Na6 7.0–0 c5 8.d5 Bg4 9.Bc4 Nc7 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Rb8 12.a4 a6 13.a5 e6 14.dxe6 Nxe6 15.f5 Nd4 16.Qf2 Qe8 Missing 16...gxf5 17.fxg6! hxg6 18.Qh4 Nh7 19.Rf2 Ne6 20.Nd5 g5 21.Qg4 Bd4 22.Be3 Bxb2 23.Raf1 Be5 24.h4 Kh8 25.hxg5 Bg7 26.Qh4 Qd8 27.Nf6 Bxf6 28.Rxf6! The killing blow: 28…Qe7 29.e5 dxe5 30.Bd3! 1–0

Thus, after earning 7.5 points (five wins, one loss and five draws), Wesley rushed back home to Bacoor to prepare for his flight the next day from the former Clark Air Base to Singapore where his team would capture the bronze and he the gold as the best player at the World Youth (Under 16) Olympiad.

PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Laylo likely to soar again

FANS of IM Darwin Laylo are delighted that the former national open champion is back in harness after a six-month suspension for his alleged involvement in the game-fixing scandal that rocked Philippine chess early this year.

The Weekender hopes that unwelcome echoes from that scandal will fade away and that lessons learned from this sad episode will have a positive effect on local tournament practices.

Without passing judgment on any player, let it just be said that cheating has no place in this game of kings, or in any other sport or competition of any kind for that matter.

Be that as it may, The Weekender welcomes Laylo back and urges the powers that be to restore his name and rating in the next Fide quarterly listing.

Last April, Laylo ranked No. 8 in the country with Elo 2486. Since his name has been removed from Fide’s July 2007 roster, his name and rating should be restored immediately and representations made by the NCFP with the world governing body to that effect.
It is to be hoped that Fide will accede to the NCFP’s request in the same way that it “corrected“ its July 2007 rating list as regards the pecking order of Filipino grandmasters, specifically the ratings of Joey Antonio and Eugene Torre.

A precedent has been set. Let Fide and the NCFP follow it.

With his reinstatement as a member of good standing, IM Laylo should show everyone that he deserves this second chance. He certainly has got what it takes to be a champion and let that be his goal. Indeed, it is likely he will rise again in rating and standing among his peers.

It is to be hoped, too, that he spent the past six months in serious study. In this light, his suspension may be a blessing in disguise because now, his eagerness to play again and prove his worth should propel him to greater heights of artistry.

• Li Ying,P (2159) - D Laylo (2406) [C01]
Rd. 1, 37th Olympiad, Turin ITA 2006
French, Exchange Variation (C01)

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.d4 If 4.dxe6 Bxe6 5.Nf3 Qe7 exd5! 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bc4 Be6 8.Bb5 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Qd5 10.Bf1 0–0–0 11.Nf3 White should quickly conclude development, says Fritz. Qa5 12.Bd2 Not 12.Qd3 Bf5 13.Qc4 Be4! Re8! 13.Be2 Bc4 14.Ng1 Ba3 14...Bd6 15.Kf1 Qa6 16.Rb1 may favor White] 15.Kf1! Qa6 16.Bxc4 Qxc4+ 17.Ne2 f5 18.Be3 f4 19.Bxf4³ Rhf8 20.Bg3? Re6 20...Rf7 was stronger: 21.Qd2 Rfe7 22.Re1 Nxd4 23.cxd4! 21.Qd2 21.d5 was better: 21…Rd8 22.dxe6 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Qxa2 24.Bf4! Rfe8 22.Re1 Nxd4! A startling sacrifice that launches a mating combination five moves deep. 23.cxd4 If 23.Qxd4 Rxe2! Bb4 24.Qc1 24.Qb2 offered the only chance for some counterplay Rxe2! White resigns as mate can’t be averted. 0–1

• A. Savickas (2300) – D. Laylo (2406)
Rd. 5. 37th Olympiad, Turin ITA 2006

Scandinavian Defense (B01)

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxd5 4.d4 Bf5 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 e6 7.0–0 Nc6 8.c4 Nf6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Be3 0–0 11.Rfd1 a6 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.Ne5 Qe8 14.Qf3 Na5 15.Rac1 Nd7 16.b3 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Nc6 18.Qe4 Ba3 Equalizing 19.Rc2 Rd8 20.Rxd8 Qxd8 21.h4 Bb4 22.h5 Bxc3 Seizing the lead 23.Rxc3 Qd1+ 24.Kh2 Qxh5+ 25.Kg1 Qd1+ 26.Kh2 Rd8 27.g4 Qa1 28.Rd3 Rxd3 29.Qxd3 Qxe5+ 30.Kh3 Qd6 31.Qe4 h6 32.Bf4 e5 33.Be3 Qe6 34.Kg3 a5 35.f3 b6 36.Kg2 Qd6 37.Kf2 Nb4 38.Qa8+ Kh7 39.Qc8 Nd3+ 40.Ke2 g6 41.Qe8 Kg7 42.Kf1 42.Qa8 would lead to a position favorable to Black Qf6 43.Ke2 Nf4+ 44.Bxf4 Qxf4 44...exf4 seems even better, says Fritz 45.Qe7 c5 46.Qc7 Qf6 47.Qd7 Qe6 48.Qb7 e4 48...h5 might be quicker 49.Ke3 exf3+ 50.Kxf3 g5 51.Kg3 Kg6 51...Qe1+ was more decisivez 52.Qa8 f5 53.gxf5+ Kxf5 54.Qf3+ Kg6 55.Qd3+ Kg7 56.Qd8 Qe5+ 57.Kg2 Qe4+ 58.Kh3 Qf5+ 59.Kg2 Qg4+ 60.Kh2 Qe2+ 61.Kg3 Qe6 Better than 61...Qxa2, e.g., 62.Qe7+ Kg6 63.Qe6+ Kh7 64.Qd7+ Kh8 65.Qd8+ Kg7 66.Qe7+ Kg8 67.Qe8+ Kg7 68.Qe7+! 62.Qc7+ Kg6 63.Qd8 h5 64.Qd3+ Kh6 65.Qd8 h4+ 66.Kh2 Kh5 67.Kg2 Qe2+ 68.Kh1 Qf3+ Missing a mating line: 68...Kg4 69.Qh8 Qf1+ 70.Kh2 Qf2+ 71.Kh1 h3 72.Qb2 Qxb2 73.a3 Qg2#! 69.Kh2 Qf2+ 70.Kh1 Kg4 71.a4 Kg3 72.Qd6+ Qf4! Forcing the exchange of queens to clear the way for Black’s victory because of his two connected passed pawns, e.g., 73.Qd3+ Qf3+! 0-1.

GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Where have all the princes gone?

WHERE have all the world junior champions, supposedly the crown princes of the game, gone? Of the eight titans currently contending for the global throne in Mexico City, only two have worn the world junior crown—Viswanathan Anand of India in 1987 and Levon Aronian of Armenia in 2002.

The six others—reigning world champion Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich, Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk of Russia, Peter Leko of Hungary and Boris Gelfand of Israel—never wore the junior crown.

Kramnik, however, was world under-18 champion in 1992, the same year he won the gold as first reserve of Russia at the Manila Olympiad.

I remember Grischuk was also an age-group champion in the mid-nineties, but I can’t exactly recall at what age although I remember that the event was held in Singapore.

Gelfand, like Vassily Ivanchuk, were outraced by Joel Lautier of France in Adelaide, Australia in 1988. Lautier himself has never reached the Candidates’ Matches since then and neither has he been a serious contender for the men’s world crown before and after Fide adopted the knockout format.

Svidler has been Russian national champion four times, but has not been a major contender for the world crown.

Neither has Leko.. A holder of the world record as the youngest GM in 1994, Leko has not been a junior champion although he devoted his childhood to mastering the game, and studied only at home under private tutors, in the same way the Polgar sisters mastered chess and studied under their parents.

He, however, was the challenger to Kramnik’s classical crown in Brissago, Switzerland in 2005.

The case of Morozevich, considered by many to be the most brilliant but also erratic among the eight, is discussed in the next pages.

Etienne Bacrot of France, who held the youngest GM record in 1997, failed to pass muster in the Candidates’ Matches earlier this year.

• Alexander Grischuk - Etienne Bacrot
World Under 10 Ch., Duisburg, Germany 1992
Scandinavian Defense (B01)

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bg4 7.h3 Qh5 7...Bh5 8.Bb5 Nd5 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 should equalize 8.Bf4 0–0–0 9.0–0 Fritz suggests 9.Qd2 Bxf3! 10.Bxf3 Qh4 10...Qf5 11.Be3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 leads to equality 11.Bxc6 Qxf4 12.Bf3 Not 12.Ne2 Qh4 13.Bb5 g5! Rxd4 13.Qe2 c6 14.Rad1 Rxd1 15.Rxd1 Qc7 16.b4 e6 17.b5 Bb4 18.Ne4 Nd5? Safer was 18...Nxe419.Bxe4 c5, with equal chances 19.bxc6 bxc6 20.a3 20.Rb1 Qa5 21.Qc4 gives White a clear edge Be7 21.Rb1 Qa5 22.c4 Nb6 22...Nf4 23.Qe3 Ng6 24.c5 favors White 23.c5! White stays in the lead Nd5.Qb2 Qb5 25.Qc2 Qa5 26.a4 f5 27.Qb2 fxe4? 28.Qb7+ Kd8 29.Bg4 Rf8?? 30.Bxe6 Qc7 31.Qa8+!

The end: 31…Qb8 32.Qxb8#! 1–0




• Alexander Grischuk - Etienne Bacrot [C42]
World U10 Champ., Bratislava 1993
Petroff Defense (C42)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 Bg4 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0–0 Be7 8.c4 0–0 9.Nc3 c6 10.h3 Bh5 11.Bf4 d5 12.c5 b6 13.g4 Bg6 14.b4 a5 15.Bxg6 hxg6 15...fxg6 16.Na4 Nfd7 17.Bxb8 Rxb8 18.a3 would have equalized, says Fritz 16.Na4 16.a3! was best Nbd7 The best 17.a3 Ne4 18.Ne5 Nxe5 Better than 18...bxc5 19.Nxc6 Qe8 20.bxc5, and White gets a clear advantage 19.Bxe5 b5 20.Nb6 Ra7 21.a4 axb4 22.axb5 Rxa1 23.Qxa1 cxb5 24.Qa7 24.Qa2 Re8 25.Nxd5 Bf8 would restore the equilibrium Nd2 24...Bf6 may be tried 25.c6 Freeing his game and restoring equality Bd6 26.c7?? Throwing away the advantage, says Fritz. It suggests 26.Rd1, e.g., 26...Ne4 27.Rd3, with equal chances Bxc7 But Black misses his best shot, 26...Qxc7!: 27.Qxc7 Bxc7, with a huge advantage 27.Bxc7 Qe7 If 27...Qh4 28.Rd1 Ne4! 28.Rd1? 28.Nxd5 was better Qe2! 29.Qa1 b3 30.Rxd2 Qxd2 31.Qb1 b2 White resigns..0–1

MY FAVORITES
Morozevich, an enigmatic artist…

RUSSIAN titan Alexander Morozevich is one grandmaster who rejects the notion that chess is his profession, one reason perhaps for his sharply fluctuating results and Elo standing among his peers. And yet critics agree he is a very brilliant player!

In fact, one critic describes this gifted Russian as “perhaps the most unpredictable player among the best ones of the world.”

“In the World Chess Championship (in Mexico City) we will have the opportunity to enjoy his games, which are full of combinations and tactical subtleties. If he is in good form, he will be one of the contenders to the title,” he adds.

As another critic has posted in his blog, Morozevich “is perhaps the most entertaining player in the world: completely unsound openings leading to wild middle games make him a favourite with chess amateurs and fellow professionals alike.”

Indeed, he.is capable of capturing the first prize or ending up last in any given tournament. But his rejection of chess as a profession projects an enigmatic personality as an artist, one who simply does not know what he wants in life.

Is it because he would rather do something else than creating artistic works on the board? I wonder because he is not known to be engaged in any other productive activity, as, say, soccer or in a more mundane world, writing or any other field that gives vent to his creative energy.

Born in Moscow on July 18, 1977, he went through the usual training in the defunct Soviet Union and first caught the attention of fans in 1994 when, at the age of 17, he topped the Lloyds Bank Tournament in London with an incredible score of 9.5 points out of 10 games.
But in 1997, if I remember correctly, he failed to land among the top players in the World Junior Championship won by Tal Shaked of the United States. Where is Shaked now compared with the great Morozevich?
• Alexander Morozevich - Viswanathan Anand
Rd. 2, Moscow Invitational, RUS 1995
King’s Gambit Accepted (C13)

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bb3 d5 6.exd5 cxd5 7.d4 Bb4 8.Nf3 0–0 9.0–0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qc7 11.Qe1 Nc6 12.Qh4 Ne7 13.Bxf4 Qxc3 14.Bd2 14.Bg5 Nf5 15.Qf4 Ne4 16.Bxd5 Nxg5 17.Nxg5 Nxd4 18.Bxf7+ would have given White a clear advantage Qc7! 15.Ne5 Nf5 16.Qf4 Be6 17.Bb4 17.Ng4 must be considered, says Fritz: 17...Ne8 18.Bxd5 Qxf4 19.Rxf4 Bxd5 20.Rxf5! Rfc8 18.g4 Nd6 19.Rae1 Nfe4 20.c4 Not 20.Bxd6 Nxd6 21.Nd3 Nb5! dxc4 21.Bc2 Nf6 Better was 21...Qb6! 22.Bxd6 Nxd6 22.g5 Equalizing Nh5 23.Qf3 g6 24.Nxg6!

Storming the Bastille with the cavalry in the lead.

24...hxg6 If 24...fxg6 25.Rxe6 25.Bxg6! fxg6 26.Rxe6 Qf7 27.Qd5 Not 27.Rxd6 because of Qxf3 28.Rxf3 Rc6 29.Rxc6 bxc6,with White’s lead reduced Nf5 27...Ng7 offers the last chance to resist the inevitable, says Fritz: 28.Rxf7 Nxf7, with counterplay but White still has a huge lead 28.Rxf5! The end and the rest is history::28.Rxf5 xf5 29.g6 Qxe6 30.Qxe6+ Kg7 31.Qf7+ Kh6 32.h4! 1–0

• J. Polgar (2658) – A. Morozevich (2748)
Rd 3, Corus, Wijk aan Zee, NED 2000
Clasical French (C1)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 If 5...Nxe4 6.Bxd8 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 a6 8.g3 b5 9.Bg2 Bb7 10.Qe2 Nd7 11.0–0 0–0 11...f5 may be tried, e.g., 12.Ned2 c5! 12.Rad1 Bd5 13.Rfe1 Kh8 14.Nfd2 c6 15.c4 bxc4 16.Nxc4 a5 17.Nc3 Re8 18.Ne3 f5 19.Nc4 Qb8 20.Na4 Not 20.b3 Bb4 21.Rc1 Rg8! Qb4 21.b3 Bf6 22.Qc2 Rg8 23.Qc1 Rg4 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.dxe5 Be7 26.Rd3 Rag8 27.Red1 f4 28.Qc3 fxg3 29.hxg3 Better than 29.Rxg3 Bh4! h5 30.Bxd5 cxd5 31.Rf3 Kg7 32.Qc7 Fritz suggests 32.Kf1! h4 33.Kg2?? 33.Qa7 was better hxg3 Black is way ahead 34.fxg3 34.Qc3 Qe4 35.Qe3 gxf2+ 36.Kxf2 Qh7 favors Black Qe4 35.Qc3 Qe2+ 36.Kh3 Rg5!! Black resigns in the face of mate in three: 37.Qd4 Rh8+ 38.Qh4 Rxh4+ 39.gxh4 Qg2#! 0–1

CHESS MAGIC
…who takes great risks with élan

WHATEVER his failings may be in this game of kings, there is no shade of a doubt that Russian superstar Alexander Morozevich is a very brilliant combinative player who pulls tigers off his hat, at great risk at times but always with élan.

In truth as I see it, his big handicap is his tendency to try to find a brilliant combination where there is absolutely none to conjure.

Once a player overextends himself in his quest for a sparkling performance, he is doomed to fail. Even Fischer, Kasparov and every other great had their comeuppance when doing so.

The problem with chess as an art is that it is performed by two adversaries, unlike other performing arts like dance or music wherein the two or more participants are partners.
In ballet, for instance, the great Russian dancers Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky had to perform in perfect synchronization and grace flowing along with the rhythm of the music to create a great visual and audio form of art onstage wherever they went.

The same is true in music. When the three greatest living tenors—Luciano Pavarotti, Domingo Placido and Jose Carerras—decided to do concerts together in Europe just a few years before Pavarotti’s death earlier this month, they had to sing in unison, seeing to it that no note was off-key, no bars belted out of time.

Not so in this mind-boggling royal game we call chess. When the brilliant Judit Polgar and equally brilliant Morozevich, for instance, came face to face as featured in the previous article, they met as adversaries bent on outwitting each other

• A. Morozevich (2732) – V. Bologan (2665)
Rd. 2, Russia Team Championship Sochi.2004
Caro-Kann, Advance Variation (B12)

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bf4 Ne7 6.Qd3 b6 7.Nge2 Ba6 8.Qe3 0–0 9.0–0–0 c5 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Qxc3 Better than 11.bxc3 Nbc6! Bxe2 Not 11...Nd7 12.dxc5 Rc8 13.c6 Nxc6 14.exd5! 12.Bxe2 c4 13.h4 b5 14.Qe1 Nbc6 15.h5 Qd7 15...dxe4 16.fxe4 Nxd4 17.Kb1 would have equalized 16.g4 f6 17.Bf1 17.g5 would let Black equalized: 17…Nxd4 18.Rxd4 e5! Rad8 17...Nxd4 favors White: 18.Rxd4 e5 19.Rd2 exf4 20.exd5 Nxd5 21.Qe4! 18.Bh3 dxe4 19.fxe4 Nxd4 20.g5 f5 21.Kb1 21.h6 may be tried, e.g., 21...g6 22.Be5! Qc6! 22.h6 fxe4 Why not 22...g6?, says Fritz 23.Qc3 e3 24.Rxd4 Qxh1+ 25.Ka2 Qxh3 26.Rxd8 gxh6 27.gxh6 Qg4 Mate is in the air 28.Qh8+!!

Sheer magic, stunning and decisive: 28…Kxh8 29.Rxf8+ Ng8 30.Be5+ Qg7 31.hxg7#! 1–0

Not even a Korchnoi or a Topalov could fend off a Morozevich on the rampage.

• A. Morozevich (2758) – V. Korchnoi (2601)
Rd. 2, 36th Olympiad, Calvia.2004
Ruy Lopez (C77)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nd5 Ng4 9.0–0 Na5 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bd2 Nxb3 12.axb3 c6?? Better was 12...0–0: 13.Ba5! Forcing Black to resign: 13.Ba5 Qxa5 14.Rxa5 cxd5 15.exd5! 1–0

• Veselin Topalov (2757) - Alexander Morozevich (2741)
Rd. 7, 14th Amber Rapid, Monaco 2005
Albin Counter Gambit (D08)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 Nge7 6.b4 Ng6 7.Bb2 a5 8.b5 Ncxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.e3 Be6 11.Bxd4 Nxc4 12.Qc2 Nd6 13.Bd3 Qg5 Equalizing 14.f4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qh5 16.Nc3 That c7 pawn is still full of venom: 15.Qxc7?? Rc8! Nf5 17.0–0 0–0–0 17...Rc8 is playable 18.Ba7 Qg4 Not 18...Rxd3 19.Qxd3 Nd6 20.Qc2! 19.Ne4 Rd7 20.Rfd1 Qf3 21.Ng5 Nxe3! 22.Nxf3 Nxc2 23.Bxc2 b6 24.Ne5 Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Bxa3 26.f5 Ba2 27.Ra1 27.Nc6! Re8 28.Kg2! Bc5+ Restoring the balance 28.Kf1 Re8 29.Re1? Missing his best shot, 29.Rxa2 f6 29...Bd4 would have clinched the point 30.Nd3 Rxe1+ 31.Kxe1 Bd6 32.Nc1 Bd5 33.Bb3 Be4 34.Bxb6 cxb6 35.Be6+ Kc7 36.Ke2 If Be5 37.Nd3 Kd6 38.Ke3 Bd5! White Resigns 0-1.


BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE
GM Norm for Rolly


27th Chess International Festival Conca della Presolana
Bratto, Italy
23-31 August 2007

Final Top Standings

1-2 GM Vladimir Burmakin RUS 2581, GM Miso Cebalo CRO 2533, 7.0/9
3-8 GM Vladimir Epishin RUS 2587, IM Rolly Martinez PHI 2428,
GM Sergei Tiviakov NED 2648, IM Sebastian Siebrecht GER 2431, IM Jacob Aagaard SCO 2467, 6.5/9

9-20 GM Liuben Spassov BUL 2388, FM Yakup Erturan TUR 2389, GM Igor Khenkin GER 2602, IM Fabio Bruno ITA 2443, GM Csaba Horvath HUN 2558, GM Oleg Romanishin UKR 2546, IM Llambi Qqendro ALB 2386, GM Igor Efimov ITA 2426, IM Luca Shytaj ITA 2451, GM Gyula Sax HUN 2522, FM Daniiyyl Dvirnyy ITA 2365, IM Federico Manca, ITA 2417, 6.0/9

Total of 120 participants

Four players achieved the GM norm. Rolly Martinez of the Philippines, Jacob Aagaard (formerly Denmark but now representing Scotland), Sebastian Siebrect of Germany and Turkey’s FM Erturn Yakup.

I will let Rolly Martinez tell his story:

In July 2004 I left the Philippines with Mark Paragua and Roland Salvador to join Joseph Sanchez in the European chess circuit. Yves Rañola joined us shortly after. That was 3 years ago and I was getting impatient – both Joseph and Roland have GM norms while I had nothing.

The closest I got was in the Genova Open last year, when my score of 7.0/9 was enough to tie for first with Roland ahead of a lot of GMs and IMs. Roland got a GM norm, but there was none for me, since through the luck of the pairing I was only paired against two GMs (minimum requirement for a norm is three).
Anyway, this time in Bratto things went my way – I faced 4 GMs (Epishin, Godena, Burmakin, Tiviakov), defeating two (Godena, Tiviakov) and losing two. Amongst the International Masters I managed to beat the strong German Hoffmann and draw with Fabio Bruno.

This is probably my best game from Bratto.

Hoffmann,Michael (2481) - Martinez,Rolly (2428) [B67]
27 Conca della Presolana Bratto (6), 28.08.2007
[IM Rolly Martinez]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0
Two years ago in Genova the Dominican Republic's IM Ramon Mateo tried to surprise me with 8.f4. Fortunately, I had played over all the games of the Short vs Kasparov World Championship Match in 1993 and remembered the position. The game continued 8...Bd7 9.0–0–0 h6 10.Bh4 g5 (forcing White to take on g5 with f pawn, which makes possible the occupation of e5 square with the

knight) 11.fxg5 Ng4! This is from the 2nd game of the Short-Kasparov match. Black equalizes easily. IM Mateo vs Martinez 0–1 Genova 2005.

8...Bd7
Playing the bishop to d7 is more accurate than 8...Be7 because then White can capture on f6, as Black doesn't have the option of ...Bh6 anymore. After 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.f4 takes control over the e5 square, and, at the same time, prepares to attack Black's pawn construction with f4-f5.

9.f3 Be7 10.Kb1 Rc8 11.Nxc6 Bxc6
An idea that has been tried is 11...Rxc6 12.h4 Bc8 making way for his knight to go to d7. However, White has a strong regrouping with 13.Ne2 bringing his knight to either d4 or g3. After 13...h6 14.Be3 d5 15.e5 Nd7 16.Nd4 Rc7 17.f4 White has a strong position. Beshukov,S (2463)-Aseev,K (2577)/ Elista 2001 1–0 (37).

12.Bd3 b5
I thought for a long time trying to decide between the text and 12...Qc7 which aims to push his d-pawn. After the game I analyzed the position some more and concluded that the latter is indeed stronger. A possible continuation would be 13.Ne2 0–0 14.g4 d5! 15.exd5 (15.e5 Ne4! (of course not 15...Qxe5?? which loses the queen to 16.Bf4) ) 15...Bxd5 16.Rhf1 Rfd8 and Black has a good game. White cannot play the "obvious" 17.Nf4? because of 17...Bxf3 18.Rxf3 (18.Bxf6 Bxd1 19.Bxe7 Bxc2+ 20.Qxc2 Qxe7 21.Qg2 Black has the edge) 18...Ne4! winning.

13.h4 0–0 14.Ne2 a5 15.Nd4 b4 16.g4
Hoffmann should have chopped off the bishop, which is soon to render heroic duties. The position is equal after 16.Nxc6 Rxc6 17.Bb5 Rb6 18.Ba4 Nd7 19.Be3 Nc5.

16...Nd7 17.Be3 Nc5 18.h5 Ba4 19.Rc1 Bd7 20.f4?!
A loss of time. 20.g5! is more logical and stronger.

20...a4 21.g5 a3
In such positions 21...b3 is usually stronger. But 22.cxb3 axb3 23.Nxb3 Nxb3 24.axb3 and I couldn't find a way to continue his attack, while white is poised to assault his king on the other side of the board.

22.b3 Qa5 23.g6 Nxd3 24.gxh7+ Kh8 25.cxd3 Bf6 26.h6 g6 27.Ne2
Made with the intention of recapturing on c1 with the knight and thus provide extra support to the weak d3-pawn. If 27.Nf3 then 27...Rxc1+ 28.Rxc1 (28.Qxc1 Rc8 results in an even more favorable version for Black, as white's rook is better placed on g1 than on h1) 28...Rc8 29.Rg1 Rc3 30.Ng5 Bb5 31.Nxf7+ Kxh7 32.e5 (32.Ng5+? Bxg5 33.fxg5 Bxd3+ 34.Ka1 Qe5 game over) 32...Bxd3+ 33.Ka1 dxe5 White's king is caught in a deadly net.

27...Kxh7 28.Bd4 e5 29.fxe5 Bxe5 30.Rhf1 Be6 31.Bxe5 Qxe5 32.Nf4 Rxc1+
Black can already play 32...g5! 33.Rxc8 Rxc8 34.Nxe6 fxe6 35.Rf2 Black can liquidate to a won rook ending with 35...Qb2+ 36.Qxb2 axb2 37.Kxb2 Kxh6 38.Rf6+ Kh5 39.Rxe6 g4 40.Re7 Rg8 41.Rh7+ Kg5 42.Rh1 Kf4 43.Rg1 g3 44.a3 bxa3+ 45.Kxa3 Ke3 etc...

33.Rxc1
White has to constantly watch out for the potential ...Bxb3! strike. For example here if he had played 33.Qxc1 then 33...Bxb3! Black goes into the lead 34.axb3 a2+ 35.Kc2 Rc8+ the end.

33...g5!
I was strongly tempted to go for 33...Bxb3 but it seems that 34.axb3 (34.Nxg6? fxg6 35.axb3 Qd4 wins) 34...a2+ 35.Qxa2 Qxf4 is not yet a clear win.

34.Ne2 Rc8 35.Rf1 Ra8
Apparently planning ...Bxb3 followed by the push of a pawn, but as of now this is actually only a mirage, as 36...Bxb3 is answered by 37.Rf5. However, Hoffmann was worried with the various threats and decides to eliminate the possibility of the sacrifice once and for all.

36.Nc1
Hoffmann's pieces are too uncoordinated to seriously threaten the g-pawn. For example if 36.Rg1 then 36...g4 37.Nc1 (37.Nf4? Bxb3! 38.axb3 a2+) 37...Rg8 Black's king is safe enough behind white's pawn.

36...g4 37.Re1 g3!
Forward, march!

38.d4 Qf6 39.Qxb4
Hoffmann probably knew that no good can come from this move, but probably just wants to be material ahead in exchange for his miserable position.

39...g2 40.Qd2 Rg8 41.Rg1 Qf1 42.Qe3 Rg4 43.d5 Bd7 44.Qa7 Bb5 45.Qd4 Bd3+
Time to bring the curtain down.

46.Qxd3 Qxg1 47.e5+ Kh8
White cannot stop my plan of exchanging queen for knight followed by queening my pawn. 0–1
The cold-blooded march of the g-pawn pleased me very much.

Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, September 21, 2007.

Poland’s Monika tops women’s int’l tourney in Baku POLISH

GM Monika Socko, a mother of three, outraced former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria to capture the diadem in the Women’s International Tournament held in Baku.

Socko finished the nine-round Swiss with 7.0 points, just half a point ahead of Stefanova, who drew her last game with top seed Pia Cramling of Sweden while Socko outplayed 18-year-old WIM Nargiz Umudova of host country Azerbaijan.

Lela Jarakhisvili of Georgia took the third prize, followed by Cramling.

Monika’s finest short game was her win with White against Umudova’s compatriot, veteran WGM Firuza VElikhanli in a lively Sicilian duel of wits.

• M. Socko – F. Velikhanli
Sicilian Defense (B31)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nd7 8.Be3 e5 9.Qd2 h6 10.g4 Qe7 11.0–0–0 Nf8 12.Ng1 Ne6 13.Nge2 Nd4 14.Rdf1 Nf3 15.Qd1 b6 16.Ng3 Qf6 17.Kb1 Bd7 18.Nce2 0–0–0 19.c3 Be6 20.Nc1 c4 21.Qa4 Kb7 22.Rd1 h5 23.dxc4 hxg4 24.Nd3 Bf8 25.c5 b5 26.Qa5 Rxh3 27.Nb4 Bd7 28.Qa6+ Kb8 29.Rxd7 Rxh1+ 30.Nxh1 Rxd7 31.Nxc6+ Kc7 32.Qxa7+ 1–0

2007 ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN MANDAUE CITY
Antonio, Torre kick off with a bang…
CONTRARY to newspaper reports, most of the 19 Filipino participants began their quest for a place in the Asian Individual Championship with a whimper, except for GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Mark Paragua, as well as IM Darwin Laylo, who all kicked off with a bang by winning their first assignments.

But it was not for long even for the Lucky Four, their winning form, that is. No. 1 GM Torre, at 56 still the No. 1 player in the country 33 years after earning his GM spurs, was the first to fall.

This was in the second round to G.N. Gopal, an 18-year-old (a little less than a third of Torre’s age!) GM from the southern Indian state of Kerala with a rating of 2480, 56 points lower than Torre’s 2536.

Paragua also faltered a bit in the second round, being held to a draw in a marathon 74 moves by a 20-year-old Fide master from Mongolia, Tsegmed Batchuluun (2415).

No. 2 Antonio was lucky, beating 20-year-old Indian GM Chakravarthy Deepan, who ranks No. 12 in his country, in a 78-move marathon arising from a Giuoco Piano.

Meanwhile, IM Wesley So, the country’s 13-year-old boy wonder, started falteringly, being held to a draw by India’s national under-17 champion from Andhra Pradesh, M.R. Lalith Babu in the first round.

In the second round, the Philippines’ No. 4 player and hottest sensation seemed to find his stride and carved out a 56-move win with White against another Indian, 45-year-old veteran IM Lanka Ravi (2404), who ranks No. 47 in his country.

When the third round came, however, it was an almost complete disaster for the Filipinos as GMs Antonio and Paragua and IMs So and Darwin Laylo, who had won his first two games, all lost to their foreign rivals.

Antonio lost with Black to the young Indian star and Torre’s nemesis, G.N. Gopal,. Paragua with White to China’s candidate master Li Chao, So with Black to No. 4 Chinese GM Zhang Pengxiang, and Laylo with Black to 20-year-old Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto.

No. 1 Torre, still reeling from his second-round loss, managed to eke out a draw with White against 19-year-old Indian IM Arun Prasad, No. 23 in his country.

Actually, only five Filipinos scored wins in the first round. They were Torre with White against Iranian FM Homayoon Toufighi, Antonio with Black against FM Goh Weiming of Singapore, Paragua with White against FM Ahmad Samhouri of Jordan, IM Laylo with Black against compatriot, NM Rohbel Legaspi, and Kim Steven Yap, who trounced IM Enamul Hossain of Bangladesh.

Those who lost were Legaspi, IM Ronald Bancod to China’s Li Chao, IM Oliver Dimakiling to IM N.M. Hussain of Bangladesh, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra to Indonesian GM Megaranto, NM Emanuel Senador to 14-year-old Indian GM Negi Parimarjan, NM Hamed Nouri to Indian GM Chanda Sandipan, NM Efren Bagamasbad to Iranian GM Amir Bagheri, NM Rustum Tolentino to Indian GM Das Neelotpal, NM Mirabeau Maga to GM Yu Shaoteng of China, and untitled Voltaire Sevillano to Indian GM Chakhravarthy Deepan.

Filipinos who held their ground for draws were IMs So against Lalith, Barlo Nadera against Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai, and Richard Bitoon against Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ahn Dung, along with NM Anthony Makinano against FM Sayed Javad Alavi of Iran.
The Weekender received two databases containing the games from the first two rounds but, unfortunately, the first-round database got corrupted during transmission.

Anyway, according to published newspaper reports, Torre set the pace with the white pieces by forcing Iranian FM Toufighi to resign after only 26 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined.

Paragua who arrived in Cebu at the 11th hour soon followed suit, winning after 43 moves against FM Samhouri of Jordan. Next came the win of Antonio over FM Goh of Singapore, who resigned on the 51st turn of a King’s Indian Defense.

The former child prodigy who became the country’s first super GM had cut short his tour of the US East Coast to take part in the Asian title series that forms part of the World Championship cycle under the auspices of the World Chess Federation (Fide)

IM Laylo, who was playing his first tournament since the end of his six-month suspension for alleged involvement in the so-called networking scandal, easily outfought with Black his compatriot, NM Rohbel Legaspi in the only all-Filipino duel in the opener.

The host country’s participants in the Asian Individual Championship in Cebu were still reeling from the blow received by No. 1 player, GM Torre, in the second round when a worse disaster struck in the third, setting back the rankings of most of the 17 Filipino participants.

All the four leading Filipinos—GMs Antonio and Paragua and IMs So and Laylo—lost their games in that round, putting them only in the third bracket of 2.0-pointers..

After the third round, the highest scorer on tiebreak was IM Laylo in 13th place, IM Bitoon in 16th, Cebu’s pride, Kim Steven Yap, in 17th and Antonio in 20th.

Bitoon joined the 2.0-pointers group by scoring his first win in the third canto, along with NM Nouri and Yap, who upset GM Nugyen Ahn Dung of Vietnam.

IM So, who is hoping to earn his second GM norm in the event, slid down to No. 34 with 1.5, along with GM Paragua in 40th, Nouri in 41st, Torre in 42nd, and Sevillano in 44th.

At the head of the field of 72 players was the conqueror of Torre and Antonio, India’s G. N. Gopal, with 18-year-old Chinese GM Wang Hao and 20-year-old Indonesian GM Megaranto in second and third places. All three had a perfect 3.0 points each.

After three rounds, three Filipinos remained in the cellar with no points earned so far—IMs Ronald Bancod and off-form Julio Catalino Sadorra and NM Mirabeau Maga.

The Weekender has received game-scores from Pat Lee of the NCFP, but the database for the first round was corrupted during transmission,. Luckily the second-round database was intact.

• D. Laylo – C. Sandipan
Rd. 2, Semi-Slav Defense (D45)

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0–0 8.Be2 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.e4 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Qxe4 Qe7 13.Bd3 13.Bg5 Nf6 14.Qe3 c5 allows Black to equalize f5 14.Qe2 c5 15.Re1 Rae8 16.Bg5 Qf7 17.Ne5 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nb8 19.f4 Nc6 20.Qf2 Ne7 20...Nd4 21.Re3 should equalize 21.Rad1 Rd8 22.Be2 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Nc6 24.Rd6! Getting a good grip on the open file and the center.
24…Rc8 25.Bd1 Nd4 26.Qg3 Be4 27.h4 Kh8 27...b5 would have restored the balance: 28.cxb5 Bc2 29.Qe1 Bxd1 30.Qxd1 28.h5 Bc2 Fritz suggests 28...h6 29.Bh4 b5! 29.Rxd4 cxd4 30.Bxc2 h6 31.Bh4 Qxh5 32.Be7 Re8 33.Bd6 g5 34.fxg5 hxg5 35.Qh3 Qxh3 36.gxh3 Kg7 37.b4 Rh8 38.Kg2 g4 38...Rc8! was better but White would still lead, says Fritz: 39.c5 bxc5 40.bxc5 Rc6 39.hxg4 fxg4 40.c5 bxc5 41.bxc5 Rh3 42.Bd1 Ra3 43.c6 Better than 43.Bxg4 Kf7 44.c6 Rxa2+ 45.Kf3 Rh2 Rxa2+ 44.Kg3 Ra1 45.c7 Rc1 46.Kxg4! The killing blow: 46…Kf7 47.Kf4! 1–0

• G. Gopal – E. Torre
Pirc Defense (B07)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 e5 8.dxe5 8.0–0 Qc7 should give White a clear advantage, says Fritz dxe5 9.h3 Bg7 10.0–0 0–0 11.Ne2 Qe7 12.Ng3 Nc5 13.b4 Nxd3 14.cxd3 Nd7 15.a4 bxa4 16.Rxa4 a6 17.Rc1 Bb7 18.Qa2 Rfe8 19.Nd2 Rac8 20.Nb3 Bf8 Putting pressure on the isolani 21.Nf1 Qd6 22.Rc3 Qc7 23.Nc5 Nxc5 24.Bxc5 Bh6 25.Ne3 Bxe3 26.Bxe3 Rcd8 27.Ra5 Qd6 28.Rac5 Rd7 29.Qd2 Re6 30.f3 Qc7 31.Qe2 g5 32.Qf2 32.Bxg5 Rg6 33.Be3 f6 gives White overwhelming advantage Qd8 33.Qg3 f6 34.f4 exf4 35.Bxf4 Kf7 36.Bc1 Red6 37.Rf5 Rxd3 37...h6! was best to reduce White’s lead: 38.Bb2 Kg8 38.Rxd3 White surges ahead Rxd3 39.Qxg5 Qd4+ 40.Kh2 Bc8 41.Qh5+ Ke7 42.Qxh7+ Kd8 43.Rg5 43.Qh8+ might be quicker: 43...Kc7 44.Rxf6!, winning Be6?? Better but inadequate was 43...Bd7, e.g., 44.Rg8+ Kc7 45.Bf4+ Kb6 46.Rb8+ Ka7 44.Qh8+ Ke7 45.e5!

The cynosure of Pinoy eyes is IM So, who will be 14 next month and is hoping to earn his second GM norm in this event.

If he improves his performance in the next rounds , he has a good chance of facing India’s Parimarjan Negi, who captured the GM title last year when he was only 13 years old, the youngest Asian lad to become a grandmaster.

Negi has already beaten one Filipino master, Olympiad veteran Senador, in the first round.

Another Indian,. Gopal, who is the first GM from Kerala, earned the title in the recent zonal held in Dhaka.

FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Training must be the prime goal

THE WEEKENDER will stand four-square behind the plan of NCFP boss Prospero Pichay to bid for next year’s 38th Olympiad to be hosted by Cebu again.

This is, however, based on the premise that priority must be given by the NCFP from now on to the proper training not only of our players but also of the staff that will handle all the aspects of hosting a big international event like the Olympiad, from the arbiters down to the stewards and technical personnel.

I remember that Fide honorary president Florencio Campomanes once showed how tournaments should be managed when he showcased the 2002 National Championship in the heart of Makati’s business district.

It was yet the best tournament I had ever witnessed hereabouts, better than subsequent tournaments where he had a hand in the preparations such as those held in Tagaytay like the Asian Cities of 2004.

The results so far of the Asian Individual Championship—masters with zero scores after three rounds—leave much to be desired. All our leading players have been shown up as now performing too far below international standards.

Also below standard are the services provided by the host government for the media.

I understand there have been no daily bulletins of the games and the latest news of happenings within the new, imposing Cebu International Convention Center.

One cannot find the games in any of the websites, although I must admit that the posting of the results is a vast improvement on previous events like the Philippine Open last April.

But the worst part of the event as far as Filipino fans are concerned has been the below-par performance of our players, some of whom are now on their intellectual plateau or may even be skidding downhill.

After all, time is no respecter of native talent. Neither is a young, well-trained and properly primed gladiator awed by the reputation or rating of his adversary.

One case in point is that of 18-year-old G.N. Gopal of India, the reigning state champion of Kerala and silver medalist in last year’s Commonwealth Championship, the annual event that features the best fighters in the former colonies of the British Empire.

Although a freshly minted GM, Gopal (2480) outplayed GMs Eugene Torre and Joey Antonio in the second and third rounds. To think that they are our strongest players with ratings of 2536 and 2532! Was Gopal awed by Asia’s first GM? Certainly not!

I am afraid the squabbling and petty credit-grabbing and never-ending factional infighting, just because everybody wants to have a piece of the action and a slice of the power-and-money pie, along with the cheating scandal in Philippine chess—all this has taken its toll on our players’ psyche and, as a result, on their ability to compete effectively.

On the other hand, the training programs instituted by our neighbors across Asia, from China and India to Vietnam and other Asean members, are now paying dividends. The outcome of the Asian Championship will certainly reflect the true state of affairs of chess in this country.
I see no point in hosting an event where our players will again be humiliated by much younger but better-trained foreign players.

The Weekender
Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon City
Manuel O. Benitez
Editor & Publisher
Alfredo V. Chay
Circulation Manager
Published every weekend
NOT FOR SALE!

Thanks to Mr. Manny Benitez for the files and from Patrick Lee of NCFP. Enjoy these games!

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Mahjoobzardast, Morteza"]
[Black "Ni, Hua"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C07"]
[PlyCount "137"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8.
Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. Bb5 Bc5 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7 14.
Nb3 Bb6 15. Rd1+ Ke7 16. Bd2 Rhc8 17. c3 a5 18. a4 Ng4 19. Be1 Ne5 20. Kf1 g5
21. h3 h5 22. Ke2 f6 23. Nc1 Nc4 24. Nd3 e5 25. b3 Nd6 26. Nb2 Ke6 27. Rd3 Bc5
28. f3 Ra6 29. Rb1 Rac6 30. Nd1 Nf5 31. Rb2 Ne7 32. Bd2 Nd5 33. g3 h4 34. c4
Ne7 35. g4 Ng6 36. Rc2 Bd4 37. Nc3 b6 38. Nb5 Rd8 39. Be3 Rcc8 40. Rcd2 Bxe3
41. Rxd8 Rxd8 42. Rxd8 Bc5 43. Nc7+ Ke7 44. Rb8 Nf4+ 45. Kf1 Nxh3 46. Nd5+ Ke6
47. Rc8 Bd4 48. Rc6+ Kf7 49. Rxf6+ Kg7 50. Rf5 Kh6 51. Rf6+ Kg7 52. Rf5 Kh6 53.
Kg2 Nf2 54. Nf6 Kg6 55. Ne4 Nxe4 56. fxe4 Bc3 57. Rf8 Kg7 58. Rf3 Bd4 59. Kf1
Kg6 60. Ke2 Bc5 61. Kf1 Bd4 62. Rf5 Bc3 63. c5 bxc5 64. Rf3 Bd4 65. Ke2 c4 66.
bxc4 Bc5 67. Kf1 Bb4 68. Rf5 Bd6 69. Kg2 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Rohit, G."]
[Black "Wang, Hao"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C13"]
[PlyCount "112"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Nf3 f5 8.
Nc3 a6 9. g3 b5 10. Bg2 Bb7 11. Qe2 b4 12. Na4 Qd5 13. Nh4 Qb5 14. c4 bxc3 15.
Nxc3 Qxe2+ 16. Kxe2 Nc6 17. d5 Nd4+ 18. Kd3 Bf6 19. Rad1 Rb8 20. Ke3 Nc2+ 21.
Kd2 Nb4 22. a3 Nxd5 23. Nxd5 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Rhe1+ Kd7 26. b4 a5 27.
Nxf5 axb4 28. axb4 Rxb4 29. Ke2 c6 30. Kf3 Ra8 31. Nh6 Bg5 32. Nf5 Ra3+ 33. Kg2
Rb2 34. h4 Raa2 35. Rf1 Bd8 36. Rd3 Rd2 37. Rf3 c5 38. Nh6 f6 39. Rb1 Rdb2 40.
Rd1 d4 41. Rf5 Rc2 42. Rd5+ Kc8 43. Ng4 Bb6 44. Rf5 c4 45. Rxf6 Kb7 46. Ne5
Rab2 47. h5 h6 48. Nf7 c3 49. Nxh6 Rxf2+ 50. Rxf2 Rxf2+ 51. Kxf2 c2 52. Ke1
Ba5+ 53. Ke2 d3+ 54. Rxd3 c1=Q 55. Nf5 Qc2+ 56. Ke3 Bb6+ 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.4"]
[White "Ghaemmaghami, Ehsan"]
[Black "Zhou, Weiqi"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A33"]
[WhiteElo "2610"]
[BlackElo "2469"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. a3 Bc5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. e4
O-O 9. Be2 b6 10. Be3 Ba6 11. f4 Rc8 12. O-O d6 13. Bf2 Na5 14. Nxa5 bxa5 15.
b3 Rc7 16. Bf3 Nd7 17. a4 Nc5 18. Ra2 Nxb3 19. Nb5 Nc5 20. Nxc7 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.5"]
[White "Al Sayed, Mohammed"]
[Black "Ganguly, Surya Shekhar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. c3 e5 6. Be2 a5 7. O-O Be7 8. Re1
O-O 9. a4 Re8 10. h3 h6 11. Bf1 Bc5 12. exd5 Qxd5 13. Nb3 Ba7 14. Nfd2 Be6 15.
Nc4 Rad8 16. Be3 Bxe3 17. Rxe3 b6 18. Nbd2 Bf5 19. Qe2 Qe6 20. Qf3 Nd5 21. Ree1
Qg6 22. d4 e4 23. Qg3 Qxg3 24. fxg3 e3 25. Nf3 f6 26. Be2 g5 27. Nh2 Re7 28.
Bf3 Be4 29. Bxe4 Rxe4 30. Ng4 e2 31. Kf2 Rde8 32. Nxh6+ Kh7 33. Ng4 Kg7 34.
Rac1 f5 35. Nge5 Nxe5 36. Nxe5 f4 37. g4 Re3 38. Rxe2 Rg3 39. Rg1 Ne3 40. Nc4
Nxc4 41. Rxe8 Nxb2 42. Re7+ Kf6 43. Rxc7 Nd3+ 44. Ke2 Re3+ 45. Kd2 Nf2 46. Rc6+
Ke7 47. d5 Kd7 48. c4 Ne4+ 49. Kc2 Rc3+ 50. Kb2 Rg3 51. Re6 Nc5 52. Re2 Nxa4+
53. Kc1 Nc3 54. Rf2 f3 55. Re1 fxg2 56. Rg1 Rxh3 57. Rgxg2 Ne4 58. Rf7+ Kd6 59.
Rb7 Rc3+ 60. Rc2 Rb3 61. Rb8 a4 62. Rg8 a3 63. Rg6+ Kd7 64. Rh2 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.6"]
[White "Adianto, Utut"]
[Black "Arun, Prasad"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D11"]
[PlyCount "178"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. a4 a5 6. Nc3 g6 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Bb5+
Nbd7 9. O-O Bg7 10. b3 O-O 11. Ba3 Nb6 12. Ne5 Bf5 13. Rc1 Nc8 14. f3 Nd6 15.
Be2 Be6 16. Qd2 Bh6 17. g4 Nfe8 18. h3 f6 19. Nd3 Nc7 20. f4 Bf7 21. Bf3 Rb8
22. Qg2 Nc8 23. Rc2 b5 24. axb5 Nxb5 25. Nxb5 Rxb5 26. Nc5 Re8 27. g5 Bg7 28.
Bg4 f5 29. Be2 Rb6 30. Bd3 Nd6 31. Rfc1 Ne4 32. Rb1 Qa8 33. Qf1 Ng3 34. Qc1 Ne4
35. Na4 Rb7 36. Rc6 Qb8 37. Nc5 Nxc5 38. Bxc5 Rxb3 39. Rb6 Rxb1 40. Qxb1 Qa8
41. Ba6 a4 42. Qb5 a3 43. Bxa3 Bf8 44. Bc5 Rd8 45. Rb7 Re8 46. Qb6 Qd8 47. Rc7
Qa8 48. Ra7 Qd8 49. Qb5 Qb8 50. Rb7 Qa8 51. Kg2 h6 52. h4 hxg5 53. hxg5 Qd8 54.
Kf2 Qa8 55. Qc6 Rb8 56. Ke2 Rxb7 57. Qxb7 Qd8 58. Qb6 Qd7 59. Kd2 Qe6 60. Bd3
Be8 61. Qb7 Kf7 62. Bc2 Bc6 63. Qa7 Bg7 64. Bd3 Bf8 65. Qc7 Be8 66. Qb7 Bc6 67.
Qb8 Be8 68. Qc7 Ba4 69. Qa5 Bd7 70. Qa6 Qxa6 71. Bxa6 e6 72. Kc3 Be7 73. Bxe7
Kxe7 74. Kb4 Kd6 75. Ka5 Kc7 76. Be2 Be8 77. Ka6 Bd7 78. Ka7 Be8 79. Ka6 Bd7
80. Ka5 Be8 81. Bd3 Bd7 82. Ba6 Be8 83. Kb4 Bd7 84. Kc5 Ba4 85. Be2 Bd7 86. Bf3
Bc6 87. Bh1 Ba8 88. Bg2 Bb7 89. Bf1 Bc6 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.7"]
[White "Alexey, Kim"]
[Black "Xu, Jun"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B60"]
[PlyCount "38"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8.
Bxf6 gxf6 9. Qd2 a6 10. O-O-O Bd7 11. f4 O-O-O 12. Be2 h5 13. Rhf1 Kb8 14. Kb1
Be7 15. Rf3 Rdg8 16. Bf1 Rc8 17. Rh3 Na5 18. Be2 Nxb3 19. cxb3 h4 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.8"]
[White "Zhou, Jianchao"]
[Black "Girinath, P.d.s"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A96"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O a5 7. Nc3 d6 8. Qc2
Nc6 9. e4 fxe4 10. Nxe4 e5 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Be3 Qe8 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Nd2 Kh8
15. Ne4 Qg6 16. Qb3 Nd4 17. Bxd4 exd4 18. Rad1 Rd8 19. Rfe1 Bg4 20. Bf3 a4 21.
Qa3 Bf5 22. Nxf6 Qxf6 23. Bxb7 Rab8 24. Be4 Rf8 25. Bxf5 Qxf5 26. Rd2 Qa5 27.
Ree2 c5 28. Qd3 Rbe8 29. f4 Qd8 30. h4 Qd7 31. Kg2 Qb7+ 32. Kh2 Qd7 33. Qf3 h6
34. Kg2 Qf5 35. b3 axb3 36. axb3 Qb1 37. Rb2 Qf5 38. Kf2 Qh3 39. Qg2 Qg4 40.
Qf3 Qh3 41. Qd5 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.9"]
[White "Shen, Yang"]
[Black "Al-Modiahki, Mohamad"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E97"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5
Ne7 9. Nd2 a5 10. a3 Bd7 11. b3 c6 12. Bb2 Bh6 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. Bd3 Nh5 15.
Nd5 f5 16. exf5 Nxf5 17. g3 Bxd5 18. cxd5 Nh4 19. Ne4 Qd7 20. gxh4 Qh3 21. Ng5
Qxh4 22. Ne6 Bf4 23. Nxf4 Nxf4 24. Kh1 Nh3 25. f3 Nf2+ 26. Rxf2 Qxf2 27. Be2
Rac8 28. Qd3 Rf5 29. Rf1 Qh4 30. Qd2 Rcf8 31. Rg1 Rxf3 32. Bxf3 Rxf3 33. Qc2
Rf2 34. Qc8+ Kg7 35. Qd7+ Kg8 36. Qe8+ Kg7 37. Qd7+ Kg8 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.10"]
[White "Sandipan, Chanda"]
[Black "Nouri, Hamed"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C02"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Be7 4. c3 c5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 Bd7 7. O-O cxd4 8. cxd4
Qb6 9. Nc3 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Re1 a6 12. Qf3 Nh6 13. h3 Bc6 14. Bxh6 gxh6
15. Rad1 Qb4 16. Re2 Qh4 17. Ne4 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Rc8 19. Rc1 Bxe4 20. Rxc8+ Kd7
21. Rxe4 Qxe4 22. Qxe4 Kxc8 23. Qf4 Rf8 24. Qxh6 f6 25. Qxh7 Kd7 26. exf6 Rxf6
27. g4 Ke8 28. g5 Rf7 29. Qg8+ Bf8 30. g6 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.11"]
[White "Khader, Sami"]
[Black "Zhao, Jun"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Bf4 O-O
8. Qd2 Nd7 9. O-O-O Nc5 10. Nd4 Ne6 11. Be3 Nxd4 12. cxd4 c6 13. Bd3 Be6 14.
Kb1 b5 15. h4 Re8 16. h5 Bd5 17. Rh3 Qd7 18. Rg3 Bh4 19. Rh3 Be7 20. Bh6 Bf8
21. Rg3 Kh8 22. Bg5 h6 23. Bh4 Be4 24. Be2 d5 25. Bg4 Bf5 26. Qf4 Bxg4 27. Qxg4
Qxg4 28. Rxg4 Re2 29. Rf4 Kg8 30. Rf3 Rae8 31. Bg3 R8e4 32. a3 Re6 33. Rfd3 Be7
34. R1d2 Re1+ 35. Rd1 R1e2 36. R1d2 Rxd2 37. Rxd2 Re1+ 38. Ka2 Rh1 39. Re2 Bf6
40. Re8+ Kh7 41. Be5 Bxe5 42. Rxe5 Rh2 43. a4 bxa4 44. Rf5 Rxg2 45. Rxf7 Rg5
46. Ka3 Rxh5 47. Kb4 Kg6 48. Rc7 Rf5 49. Rxc6+ Rf6 50. Rc5 Rxf2 51. Rc3 Kf5 52.
Rc7 Rg2 53. c3 h5 54. Kc5 h4 55. Kxd5 h3 56. Rf7+ Kg6 57. Rf3 h2 58. Rh3 Rg5+
59. Ke6 Rh5 60. Rg3+ Kh7 61. Kf7 Rf5+ 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.12"]
[White "Megaranto, Susanto"]
[Black "Sadorra, Julio"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B86"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Nbd7 8.
Bg5 Qa5 9. Qd2 Be7 10. f3 Nc5 11. h4 Bd7 12. g4 b5 13. Rd1 h5 14. gxh5 Rxh5 15.
Rg1 Qb6 16. Nce2 g6 17. c3 e5 18. Nc2 Nxb3 19. axb3 Be6 20. b4 d5 21. Qe3 Qc7
22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. exd5 Bxh4+ 24. Ng3 Bd7 25. Nd4 O-O-O 26. Nb3 Be8 27. Nc5 Rd6
28. Kf1 Bxg3 29. Rxg3 Rh1+ 30. Rg1 Rxg1+ 31. Kxg1 Rf6 32. Ne4 Qb6 33. Qc5+
Qxc5+ 34. bxc5 Rxf3 35. Ra1 b4 36. Rxa6 bxc3 37. bxc3 Bd7 38. c6 Bf5 39. Nd6+
Kb8 40. c4 Rc3 41. Nxf5 gxf5 42. Rb6+ Kc8 43. d6 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.13"]
[White "Batchuluun, Tsegmed"]
[Black "Li, Shilong"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E94"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Be3
c6 9. d5 c5 10. Ne1 Ne8 11. Nd3 f5 12. f4 b6 13. Qd2 Qe7 14. Bf3 g5 15. fxg5 f4
16. Bf2 Qxg5 17. b4 Ndf6 18. a4 a5 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Rab1 Ng4 21. Rb6 Bf6 22.
Rfb1 Be7 23. Nxc5 Ne3 24. Rb8 Rxb8 25. Rxb8 Ng7 26. Ne6 Bxe6 27. Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.
dxe6 Nxe6 29. Nb5 Qg6 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.14"]
[White "Le, Quang Liem"]
[Black "Ardeshi, Mehrdad"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D12"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3
Qc7 9. g4 Bd6 10. g5 Nfd7 11. cxd5 exd5 12. f4 Nb6 13. Be2 Qe7 14. Rg1 f5 15.
gxf6 Qxf6 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. a4 Qe7 18. Bd2 Bb4 19. a5 Nc8 20. O-O-O Rxh2 21.
Nxd5 Bxd2+ 22. Rxd2 Qf7 23. Nc7+ 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.15"]
[White "Ravi, Lanka"]
[Black "Morabadiadi, Elshan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D11"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Qc2 g6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Bg7 8. Nc3
O-O 9. O-O Na6 10. Rd1 Rc8 11. Bd2 c5 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Bc3 cxd4
15. Nxd4 Nc5 16. Qf1 Qe4 17. Nb5 a6 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Nc3 Qc2 20. Qe2 Qxe2 21.
Nxe2 Rfd8 22. Kf1 Nd3 23. Rd2 Nb4 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. a3 Nd3 26. Rd1 Rd6 27. b4
f5 28. Nc3 Kf7 29. Ke2 Ne5 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.16"]
[White "Dao, Thien Hai"]
[Black "Nadera, Barlo"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 b6 7. b3 Bb7 8. Bb2
Rc8 9. Bd3 Be7 10. O-O h6 11. Rad1 O-O 12. Qe2 Re8 13. Ne5 c5 14. f4 cxd4 15.
exd4 Bb4 16. Nb1 dxc4 17. bxc4 Nf8 18. Nd2 Rc7 19. Ndf3 Qa8 20. a3 Bd6 21. Rde1
Rd8 22. Nh4 Re8 23. f5 Qd8 24. Rd1 Be7 25. fxe6 Nxe6 26. Nxf7 Nxd4 27. Qf2 Kxf7
28. Bg6+ Kg8 29. Bxd4 Rd7 30. Bxe8 Qxe8 31. Nf5 Ne4 32. Nxe7+ Rxe7 33. Qf4 Ng5
34. Rd2 Rf7 35. Qe5 Re7 36. Qf5 Rf7 37. Qd3 Rd7 38. Qe3 Qg6 39. Re2 Kh7 40. Bb2
Rd3 41. Qe7 Nh3+ 42. Kh1 Qxg2+ 43. Rxg2 Nf2+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.17"]
[White "Bitoon, Richard"]
[Black "Nguyen, Anh Dung"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A28"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Be7 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 O-O 8.
Be2 Re8 9. O-O Bd6 10. Bf3 Be5 11. Qd3 d6 12. Bd2 Rb8 13. h3 Be6 14. Rfd1 Qd7
15. Be1 Bf5 16. Qe2 Bxc3 17. Bxc3 Ne4 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.18"]
[White "Torre, Eugenio"]
[Black "Toufighi, Homayoon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E12"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. c4 O-O 6. Nc3 b6 7. Be2 dxc4 8. Bxc4
Bb7 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Qe2 Ne4 11. Nxe4 Bxe4 12. Bf4 Bd6 13. Bxd6 cxd6 14. Rac1
Rc8 15. Nd2 Ba8 16. Bd3 Qh4 17. g3 Qg5 18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Nxe4 Qd5 20. Nc3 Qb7
21. Rc2 b5 22. Rfc1 a6 23. Ne4 Rxc2 24. Qxc2 Nb8 25. Nxd6 Qd5 26. Nc8 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.19"]
[White "Goh, Weiming"]
[Black "Antonio, Rogelio Jr"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A42"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c6 2. c4 d6 3. d4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Be2 Qa5 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Re8 9. g4 e5 10. d5 h5 11. g5 Nfd7 12. a3 Qc7 13. Rd1 Bf8 14. h4 a5 15. Nh3 Na6
16. Nf2 Nac5 17. Qc2 a4 18. Nd3 Nxd3+ 19. Bxd3 Qa5 20. Qd2 Nc5 21. Bc2 Nb3 22.
Bxb3 axb3 23. Ne2 Qa6 24. Qb4 cxd5 25. cxd5 Bd7 26. Nc3 Be7 27. Qxb3 Bd8 28.
Rc1 Ba5 29. Kf2 Rec8 30. Qc2 Rc4 31. Qe2 Rac8 32. Rhd1 R8c7 33. Kf1 Bxc3 34.
bxc3 Bb5 35. Kg2 Rxe4 36. c4 Rexc4 37. Rxc4 Bxc4 38. Qb2 b5 39. Qb4 Rd7 40. Bc1
Qb7 41. a4 Bxd5 42. Kf2 Bxf3 43. Rxd6 Bg4 44. Rxd7 Qf3+ 45. Kg1 Bxd7 46. Qa3
Qg4+ 47. Kf1 bxa4 48. Qc5 Qf3+ 49. Ke1 Bg4 50. Qe3 Qxe3+ 51. Bxe3 f5 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.20"]
[White "Negi, Parimarjan"]
[Black "Senador, Emmanuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B35"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8.
Bb3 a5 9. O-O d6 10. Ndb5 Ng4 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. h3 Nf6 14. Be3 Nb8 15.
a4 Bc6 16. e5 Ne8 17. exd6 Nxd6 18. Nxd6 exd6 19. Qd2 Qh4 20. Qxd6 Qh5 21. Nd5
Ra6 22. Nf4 Qh4 23. Nxg6 Qe4 24. Ne7+ Kh8 25. Nxc6 Rxc6 26. Qd3 Qh4 27. c3 Na6
28. Qf5 Qe7 29. Rad1 Nc5 30. Bc2 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.21"]
[White "Bancod, Ronald"]
[Black "Li, Chao"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D03"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c3 Bg7 4. Bg5 d5 5. Nbd2 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. Be2 Qb6 8. Qb3
Nc6 9. O-O Bf5 10. dxc5 Qxc5 11. Nd4 Bc8 12. Bf3 e5 13. Qb5 Qd6 14. N4b3 e4 15.
Bf4 Qd8 16. Be2 a6 17. Qc5 Bd7 18. Qd6 Rc8 19. Nc5 Na5 20. Nxd7 Qxd7 21. Qxd7
Nxd7 22. Nb3 Nc4 23. Bxc4 dxc4 24. Rfd1 Nb6 25. Na5 Na4 26. Rab1 b5 27. Bd6
Rfd8 28. Kf1 Bxc3 29. bxc3 Nxc3 30. Be5 Nxd1 31. Ke1 Rd5 32. Ba1 b4 33. Rxb4
Rxa5 34. a4 Nxf2 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.22"]
[White "Paragua, Mark"]
[Black "Samhouri, Ahmad"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C22"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8
8. Qg3 Rxe4 9. a3 Bd6 10. f4 Re8 11. Bd3 Bf8 12. Nf3 d6 13. h3 Ne7 14. Rhe1 Nf5
15. Rxe8 Qxe8 16. Qf2 d5 17. Re1 Qd8 18. g4 Nd6 19. Qh4 Be6 20. Ng5 h6 21. Nxe6
fxe6 22. Rxe6 Nfe4 23. Qxd8 Rxd8 24. Nxe4 Nxe4 25. Bxe4 dxe4 26. Rxe4 Kf7 27.
Kd1 Bd6 28. Ke2 g6 29. Bc3 h5 30. Kf3 hxg4+ 31. hxg4 Be7 32. Rd4 Bd6 33. Rd1
Rf8 34. Ke4 Ke6 35. Rf1 Re8 36. Rh1 Kd7+ 37. Be5 g5 38. Kd5 gxf4 39. Rh7+ Kc8
40. Bxd6 cxd6 41. Rf7 Re2 42. Rxf4 Rd2+ 43. Rd4 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.23"]
[White "Maga, Mirabeau"]
[Black "Yu, Shaoteng"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A46"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c3 b6 4. Bg5 Bb7 5. Nbd2 h6 6. Bh4 d6 7. e3 Nbd7 8. a4
a6 9. Qc2 g5 10. Bg3 Nh5 11. Bc4 Qe7 12. b4 Bg7 13. h3 Nxg3 14. fxg3 h5 15. h4
g4 16. Ng5 d5 17. Bd3 Bh6 18. Nxf7 Kxf7 19. Bg6+ Kg8 20. Bxh5 Nf6 21. Bxg4 Nxg4
22. Qg6+ Qg7 23. Qxe6+ Kh7 24. Nf3 Rhe8 25. Ng5+ Qxg5 26. Qxe8 Qxe3+ 27. Qxe3
Nxe3 28. Ra2 Re8 29. Kf2 Ng4+ 30. Kf1 Re3 31. Re2 Rxc3 32. Re7+ Kg6 33. Ke2 Bc8
34. Rf1 Bf5 35. Rf3 Rc4 36. Ke1 Bf8 37. h5+ Kf6 38. Rxf5+ Kxe7 39. Rg5 Nf6 40.
Kf1 Ne4 41. Re5+ Kf6 42. g4 Bd6 43. Rf5+ Kg7 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.24"]
[White "Kunte, Abhijit"]
[Black "Dinh, Duc Trong"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E69"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nf3 c6 5. O-O Nd7 6. c4 Ngf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. e4
Qc7 9. Be3 e5 10. h3 exd4 11. Nxd4 a6 12. Qc2 Re8 13. Rfe1 Rb8 14. a4 b6 15.
Rad1 Bb7 16. g4 Ne5 17. b3 c5 18. Nde2 Nc6 19. Qd2 Na5 20. Qc2 Bc6 21. Bf4 Bf8
22. Ng3 b5 23. axb5 axb5 24. cxb5 Bxb5 25. e5 dxe5 26. Bg5 c4 27. bxc4 Bxc4 28.
Bxf6 Bb3 29. Qd2 Bxd1 30. Nf5 h6 31. Nxh6+ Kh7 32. Nf5 Kg8 33. Nd5 Qc2 34. Qg5
Rb2 35. Qh4 Qxf2+ 36. Qxf2 Rxf2 37. Kxf2 Bc5+ 38. Nfe3 Bb3 39. Rc1 Nc4 40. Ke2
Nxe3 41. Nxe3 Bb4 42. Rc7 Rb8 43. Bd5 g5 44. Rb7 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.25"]
[White "Lalith, Babu M. R"]
[Black "So, Wesley"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A39"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bg7 7. Bg2 O-O 8.
O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 10. Qd3 a6 11. Bf4 Bf5 12. Qd2 Qd7 13. Rac1 Bh3 14. b3 Bxg2
15. Kxg2 b5 16. cxb5 axb5 17. Rfd1 Rfc8 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. Rxc8+ Qxc8 20. Qxd5
Rxa2 21. Qxb5 h5 22. h4 Qe6 23. Be3 Qe4+ 24. Kg1 Bf6 25. Rc1 Kg7 26. Qc4 Qf5
27. b4 Rb2 28. Bd4 Rd2 29. Bxf6+ Qxf6 30. Rc2 Rd4 31. Qc3 Rd1+ 32. Kg2 Qxc3 33.
Rxc3 Rb1 34. Rc7 Kf6 35. Rb7 d5 36. b5 Ke6 37. b6 Kd6 38. Rb8 e5 39. Rd8+ Ke6
40. Re8+ Kd6 41. Rd8+ Ke6 42. Re8+ Kf6 43. Rb8 Kf5 44. b7 d4 45. Kf3 Rb3+ 46.
Kg2 Ke4 47. f3+ Kf5 48. Kf2 Rb1 49. Kg2 Rb2 50. Kf2 Kf6 51. Kf1 Ke7 52. Ke1
1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.26"]
[White "Dimakiling, Oliver"]
[Black "Hussein, N.A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D00"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. Bg5 c5 3. dxc5 Nc6 4. c3 h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Nf6 7. Nd2 a5 8. e3
Bg7 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. Ngf3 Nh5 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be5 f6 13. Nd4 g4 14. Bg3 O-O 15.
e4 dxe4 16. Qb3+ Kh7 17. O-O-O a4 18. Qc4 Qc8 19. f4 f5 20. Nf1 Rb8 21. Qxa4 e5
22. fxe5 f4 23. Bh4 Bxe5 24. Nd2 Bxd4 25. Qxd4 Bf5 26. b3 Qa6 27. Kb2 e3 28.
Nc4 Ng7 29. Qxf4 e2 30. Rd6 Ne6 31. Rxe6 Bxe6 32. Qe4+ Bf5 33. Qxe2 Rbe8 34.
Qd2 Re4 35. Ne3 Ra8 36. a4 Rxa4 37. bxa4 Qxa4 38. Qd6 Qa3# 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.27"]
[White "Bagamasbad, Efren"]
[Black "Bagheri, Amir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A17"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 d5 6. Qb3 Nc6 7. a3 Bxc3 8.
Qxc3 d4 9. Qc2 e5 10. d3 a5 11. b3 h6 12. O-O Bf5 13. Nd2 Qd7 14. Re1 Rfe8 15.
Ne4 Bxe4 16. dxe4 Red8 17. Qd3 Qd6 18. Rb1 Nd7 19. Qd2 Nb6 20. Qd3 Nd7 21. Rd1
Nc5 22. Qc2 a4 23. b4 Nb3 24. Rd3 Qe6 25. Bb2 Ne7 26. Rf1 c5 27. f4 b5 28. cxb5
c4 29. Rdf3 Rac8 30. Kh1 f6 31. fxe5 fxe5 32. Rf5 Nxf5 33. exf5 Qf6 34. Bb7 Rc7
35. Be4 Kh8 36. Rf3 d3 37. exd3 c3 38. Bc1 Nd4 39. Qg2 Nxf3 40. Qxf3 c2 41. Qf2
Rd4 42. h4 Qd6 43. Kg2 Rc3 44. Qd2 Rdxd3 45. Bxd3 Qxd3 46. Qxd3 Rxd3 47. b6 Rd6
48. Kf3 Rxb6 49. Ke4 Rd6 50. b5 Rd1 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.28"]
[White "Alavi, Seyed Javad"]
[Black "Makinano, Anthony"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C54"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Nf3 d6 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O Bb6 7. Nbd2 Nc6 8. Bb3
Nd7 9. Nc4 Nc5 10. Bc2 Bg4 11. a4 Ne6 12. a5 Bc5 13. b4 Bxb4 14. cxb4 Ncd4 15.
Nxd4 Bxd1 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Rxd1 a6 18. Bb3 Qf6 19. Ra2 Rad8 20. Ne3 c6 21. Re2
d5 22. exd5 exd5 23. Bb2 Qd6 24. Nc2 Rde8 25. Rde1 Rf5 26. f4 Rxf4 27. Bxe5
Rxe5 28. Rxe5 Rf8 29. R5e2 Qg6 30. Re3 Qf6 31. h3 h5 32. d4 Qf2+ 33. Kh1 Qd2
34. R3e2 Qc3 35. Re3 Qd2 36. R3e2 Qc3 37. Ba4 h4 38. Rd1 Qc4 39. Rde1 Qa2 40.
Ra1 Qc4 41. Re3 Rf1+ 42. Rxf1 Qxf1+ 43. Kh2 Qb1 44. Rf3 g6 45. Re3 Kf7 46. Bb3
Qb2 47. Rd3 Qb1 48. Rf3+ Kg8 49. Re3 Qc1 1/2-1/2

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.29"]
[White "Legaspi, Rhobel"]
[Black "Laylo, Darwin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B40"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 a6 4. Nc3 Qc7 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. h3
O-O 9. Nh2 Rb8 10. f4 d6 11. d3 b5 12. b3 Nd7 13. Ng4 Nd4 14. Kh2 Bb7 15. Be3
f5 16. exf5 Nxf5 17. Bd2 b4 18. Ne2 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 d5 20. Ne3 Rbd8 21. Qe1 Nf6
22. Nxf5 exf5 23. Kh2 dxc4 24. dxc4 Ne4 25. Rd1 Bf6 26. Be3 Qe7 27. Bg1 Rxd1
28. Qxd1 Rd8 29. Qc1 Rd2 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.30"]
[White "Neelotpal, Das"]
[Black "Tolentino, Rustum"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B48"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. Bd3 b5 7. Qe2 Bb7 8. O-O
Nf6 9. Kh1 Nc6 10. Be3 Be7 11. f4 d6 12. Nf3 Nb4 13. Bd4 O-O 14. Rac1 Rac8 15.
Qe1 Qd8 16. Qg3 Nxd3 17. cxd3 Ne8 18. a3 Bf6 19. Qf2 Be7 20. Qg3 Bf6 21. Qf2
Be7 22. Qe3 Nf6 23. Rc2 Nd7 24. b4 Rc6 25. Rfc1 Qc7 26. Nd5 exd5 27. Rxc6 Bxc6
28. exd5 Nf6 29. dxc6 Bd8 30. Nd2 Re8 31. Qg3 h6 32. Ne4 Nh5 33. Qg4 g6 34. f5
Kh7 35. fxg6+ fxg6 36. Bb6 Qxb6 37. c7 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.31"]
[White "Yap, Kin Steven"]
[Black "Hossain, Enamul"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B40"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3 d3 5. Bxd3 d6 6. O-O a6 7. Qe2 Nd7 8. Rd1
Ngf6 9. Bf4 Qc7 10. Nbd2 Nh5 11. Be3 g6 12. a4 Be7 13. a5 O-O 14. Nc4 Re8 15.
Bc2 Rf8 16. Rd2 Nhf6 17. Bf4 e5 18. Bg5 b5 19. axb6 Nxb6 20. Nxd6 Bxd6 21. Bxf6
Nc4 22. Rad1 Nxd2 23. Qxd2 Be7 24. Bxe5 Qb6 25. Qh6 f6 26. Ng5 Rf7 27. Nxf7
fxe5 28. Ng5 Bxg5 29. Qxg5 Bb7 30. b4 Re8 31. Bb3+ 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.32"]
[White "Tu, Hoang Thong"]
[Black "Russell, Mka"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D70"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nbd2 g6 5. e3 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O Nbd7 8. b4
a5 9. b5 c5 10. Bb2 Re8 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. Rc1 Bf5 13. Nb3 Na4 14. Be5 dxc4 15.
Rxc4 Nb6 16. Rd4 Qc8 17. Qa1 a4 18. Nbd2 Qe6 19. Nc4 h6 20. h3 g5 21. Rfd1 Rec8
22. Nd6 exd6 23. Rxd6 Qe7 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Rxf6 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.33"]
[White "Bayarmandakh, Balgan"]
[Black "Wang, Rui"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D45"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bd3 Bd6 8.
O-O O-O 9. b3 Re8 10. Bb2 Nf8 11. h3 Ng6 12. Qc2 Qe7 13. Nd2 Bc7 14. Rac1 Bd7
15. f4 Nh4 16. e4 dxe4 17. Ncxe4 Ng6 18. f5 Nf4 19. d5 Nxe4 20. f6 Qc5+ 21.
Qxc5 Nxc5 22. Bc2 Ncd3 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.34"]
[White "Filippov, Anton"]
[Black "Fancy, Stuart"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B45"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 Bb4 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8.
Nxc3 Qa5 9. Bd3 d5 10. O-O dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 O-O 13. Qd3 f5 14. Bxc6
bxc6 15. b4 Qd5 16. Qc3 f4 17. Bb2 Qg5 18. f3 c5 19. bxc5 Rf5 20. Rad1 Rxc5 21.
Rd8+ Kf7 22. Qd3 Rxc2 23. Qxc2 Qxd8 24. Rd1 Qb6+ 25. Bd4 Qa5 26. Qxh7 e5 27.
Qh5+ Kf6 28. Bf2 Bf5 29. Rd6+ Ke7 30. Rc6 Be6 31. Bc5+ Kf6 32. Qh4+ Kf7 33.
Qe7+ Kg6 34. Qxe6+ 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.35"]
[White "Yueh, Wei Po"]
[Black "Gopal, G. N."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D87"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8.
Ne2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 Bd7 11. Rb1 a6 12. Qd2 b5 13. Bd3 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qa5
15. Rfd1 Rac8 16. f4 e6 17. e5 Qxd2 18. Bxd2 Rfd8 19. Rbc1 Bf8 20. Kf2 Nb4 21.
Bxb4 Bxb4 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Rc1 Rxc1 24. Nxc1 Bd2 25. Ne2 Bc6 26. g3 Bd5 27.
Bb1 a5 28. Ng1 Bc4 29. Nf3 Bc1 30. Ke1 b4 31. Nd2 Bxd2+ 32. Kxd2 a4 33. Kc2 a3
34. h3 h5 35. h4 Kf8 36. Kc1 Ke7 37. Kc2 Kd7 38. Kc1 Kc7 39. Kc2 Kb6 40. Kc1
Bd5 41. Kd2 b3 42. axb3 Bxb3 0-1

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.36"]
[White "Deepan, Chakkravarthy"]
[Black "Sevellano, Voltaire"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C10"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 Nxe4 7. Bxe4 Nf6
8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Qe2 Qd6 11. O-O-O c6 12. Rhe1 Bd7 13. Kb1 Kf8 14.
g4 Re8 15. Qd2 h6 16. h4 Bc8 17. c4 c5 18. Qc2 cxd4 19. Nxd4 Qf4 20. f3 h5 21.
Ne2 Qh2 22. Rh1 Qf2 23. Rdf1 Qe3 24. a3 Rd8 25. Nc3 Rd2 26. Qc1 Bc5 27. Re1 Qf2
28. Ref1 Qe3 29. Re1 Qf2 30. Bc2 f5 31. gxf5 exf5 32. Ref1 Qg2 33. Nd5 Qe2 34.
Rd1 Rxd1 35. Rxd1 Qxc4 36. Qg5 Be6 37. b3 Qe2 38. Qf6 1-0

[Event "VI ASIAN INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Zhang, Pengxiang"]
[Black "Wen, Yang"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B47"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2007.09.19"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. f4 a6 7. Nxc6 Qxc6 8.
Bd3 b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. Qe2 Bc5 11. Be3 Ne7 12. Bxc5 Qxc5 13. e5 d6 14. O-O-O dxe5
15. Ne4 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Rd8 17. fxe5 Ng6 18. Rhe1 O-O 19. Qe3 Rd5 20. Qxc5 Rxc5
21. b4 Rxe5 22. Bxg6 Rxe1 23. Bxh7+ Kxh7 24. Rxe1 Rc8 25. Kb2 Kg6 26. a4 Kf6
27. Ra1 Rb8 28. c4 bxc4 29. Kc3 Rc8 30. Rf1+ Ke7 31. Rf4 g5 32. Rxc4 Rh8 33. h3
Kd6 34. Rd4+ Kc6 35. Kc4 Rb8 36. Rd3 f5 37. Rg3 Rg8 38. b5+ axb5+ 39. axb5+ Kd6
40. Rd3+ Ke5 41. b6 Kf4 42. b7 e5 43. Rb3 Rb8 44. Kd5 Rd8+ 45. Ke6 Re8+ 46. Kd6
Rb8 47. Rf3+ Ke4 48. Kc7 Rg8 49. b8=Q Rxb8 50. Kxb8 f4 51. Kc7 Kd5 52. Ra3 1-0

Whew! Awesome!