2nd Asian Indoor Games

Hi there!

The Asian 2nd Indoor Games just ended and here's The Weekender of Mr. Manny Benitez to talk about it and more:

The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2007 Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City Vol. II No. 22

CHINA, INDIA DOMINATE MACAU A.I.G.
RP team fails to bag medals in 3 events

IN what could be its worst performance yet in Asian competitions, the Philippine team came back home from the Asian Indoor Games in Macau virtually empty-handed as the medals were cornered by China, India, Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan and Qatar, among other leading countries.

Overall, however, the Philippines had six medals—one gold, two silver and three bronze--but it was not known whether these came from chess.
China had a total of 102 medals, 52 of them gold.

The highest standing—fourth—that the national team obtained was in the Rapid event, which was the first to take place.

The highest honor that a Filipino player won was in the performance percentage—Chardine Cheradee Camacho, who had 100 per cent, but it was because she played only two games.

Actually, the biggest individual achievement was that of WNM Catherine Pereña when she upset the world’s strongest 20-year-old female player, Indian GM Humpy Koneru in the Rapid event, as reported last week.
Like Polgar, Koneru prefers to play in mixed tournaments.

In Rapid, the Philippines finished in fourth place, one rung above that of China. India won the gold, Vietnam the silver and Iran the bronze.

In Blitz, the Philippine team took the sixth slot, behind China, India, Kazakstan Vietnam and Malaysia, in that order.

In Standard, the team ended up in the seventh rung, behind China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.

In the Best Rapid Players according to points category, .WNM Catherine Pereña got the highest slot—10th—among Filipino players...
NM Rolando Nolte was 26th, Sherily Cua 33rd, GM Joey Antonio 35th and IM Wesley So, 44th.

In Standard, WFM Sheerie Joy Lomibao was 35th, IM So 36th, IM Ronald Bancod 49th, Camacho 54th and GM Antonio, who drew his lone game, 77th.

In Men’s Blitz, GM Antonio landed the sixth place. Abolve him were GMs Krishnan Sasikiran of India, Murtas Kazhgaleyev of Kazakshtan, Bu Xiangzhi of China, Moradiabadi Elshan of Iran and Ngueyn Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam.

They all played nine games each.

In the women’s blitz, Sherily Cua took the ninth place.

GM Koneru, former women’s world champion Zhu Chen of Qatar and WGM Zhao Xue of China won the gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively..
But it was Pereña who caught the attention of the viewing public in Macau when she stunned GM Koneru in the rapid event.

The Indian amazon is ranked next only to Judit Polgar in strength.
Koneru is currently the highest rated among U20 girls in the world. She has been age-group champion three times and world under-20 champion two or three years ago.

Pereña caught Koneru by surprise in a Classical Queen’s Indian encounter in the second round of the Rapid event.

Thanks to journalist Ignacio Dee and NM and IA Erwin Carag, The Weekender was able to get the score of their game.




CHANCE OF A LIFETIME
Laylo paired vs Bacrot in World Cup

TWO-TIME Philippine Open champion Darwin Laylo will face Etienne Bacrot of France in the first round of the 2007 World Cup which gets under way in the Russian city of Khanty-Mansysk on November 24.

Although his current rating of 2508 is 187 Elo points lower than his French rival’s 2695, IM Laylo has good prospects of upsetting GM Bacrot, who is said to have shifted his focus from chess to big-time poker in casinos.

This is why the 24-year-old famous French prodigy has not won any major tournament lately.

Bacrot, however, was a famous child prodigy, having been one of the world’s youngest to become a grandmaster, at the age of 14 years and two months in 1997.

Laylo, 27, won his GM spurs in the Asian Individual Championship held last September at the Cebu International Cinvention Center in Mandaue City, the only Filipino to land a berth in the World Cup, having finished in seventh place.

He had battled the new Asian champion, Zhang Pengxiang, to a draw in the 11th and final round to clinch his lofty standing.

The top seed for the World Cup is World No. 2 Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, who has an Elo rating of 2787 and who recently beat Peter Leko in a rapid match.

Two-time world junior champion Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaikan (2752) is the second eed.

The World Cup champion will challenge former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria while ex-champion Vladimir Kramnik will challenge reigning champion Viswanathan Anand of India.

Kramnik has served notice that he is determined to win back the crown, telling the media that he only “lent” it to the Indian champion.

• C. Pereña PHI– H. Koneru IND
Rd. 2, Queen’s Indian Defenbse (E14)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 Be7 5.Nc3 0–0 6.Bd3 b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Qe2 Fritz notes 8that .cxd5 could be better, e.g., 8…exd5 9.Bd2 c5! c5 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.b3 If 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b3 a6 Rc8 11.Bb2 Qc7 12.Rac1 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 was also playable Qb8 12...cxd4 13.Nb5 Qb8 14.Nbxd4 equalizes 13.Ne5 Fritz suggests 13.cxd5: 13…Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.e4 cxd4 14.exd4 dxc4 15.bxc4 Rfe8 16.f4 Nf8 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 f6 19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Nf3 If 20.Nd3 Rc6, with equality Bd6 21.g3 Rc7 22.Nd2 Be7 23.Ne4 Qa6 24.a3 Rec8 Not 24...Bxa3 25.Ra1 Qxc4 26.Qxc4 Rxc4 27.Bxa3 25.Nd2 Qa4 25...Bxa3? fails because of 26.Ra1 26.Kf2 f5 27.Qd3 Bf6 28.Rc2 Ng6 29.Re1 Qd7 30.Qe3 Kf7 31.Rec1 Ne7 32.Nf3 Kg8 33.Qe2 Nc6 33...b5 34.cxb5 Rxc2 35.Rxc2 Rxc2 36.Qxc2 Qxb5 37.Ne5 favors White 34.Qd3 34.d5 may be tried, says Fritz: 34...exd5 35.cxd5 Qxd5 36.Bxf6 gxf6 37.Nh4 Na5 5.Nd2 Nb7 36.Qe3 Nd6 37.a4 a5 At this point both players stopped recording their moves as closing time drew near. 1–0

Koneru was able to avenge her loss by beating Pereña in the Standard (called Classical in postings at the official website) the following day.

Two Filipino girls, Cheradee Camacho and Jane Erlane Salvador, were also named at the top of the list of Best Players in the Performance percentage category for posting 100 per cent performance rating. The two, however, played two games e each.
Salvador, however, played for Macau.

The Filipino players on the national team were GM Antonio, IMs So and Bancod, NM Nolte, WNM Pereña, WFM Lomibao, WNM Cua and Camacho.
NCFP vice president Romeo Sarratubia headed the delegation.

DR. JOSE LEVISTE SR. CUP AT ATENEO DE MANILA
Arguelles nails P10,000 top prize

BATANGAS ace Efren Arguelles romped off with the P10,000 first prize and championship trophy in the Dr. Jose P. Leviste Sr. Cup non-masters tournament held last weekend at the Ateneo Grade School Cafeteria.
The event drew 274 players, many of them students.

IM Idelfonso Datu served as tournament director with IA Elias Lao as chief arbiter assisted by Alex Dinoy.

Ateneo chess team alumni chairman Joey Leviste Jr. sponsored the event backed by Philam Foundation, TAPE Inc and the Ateneo Grade School Cafeteria under general manager Pidiong Cruz

Polistrat International, Inc., Pacific Rim Innovation and Management Exponents, Inc., Philippine Business Leaders Forum, Inc., and Grand Placement and General Services Corp. also pitched in.

Champion Arguelles, on leave as caretaker of the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza, scored a perfect 9.0 points out of nine games.

Asean age-group gold medalist Haridas Pascua, 14, took the P6,000 second prize plus trophy with 8.0.

Three others—Garry Binas Garcia, Esmael Abas and Luke Farre—tied for the third to fourth prizes with 7.5 points each. The trio shared the third, fourth and fifth prizes totaling P15,000 at P5,000 each.

Eight others led by national under-12 champion Jan Emmanuel Garcia shared the sixth to ninth prizes totaling P6,000 at P750 each. They scored 7.0 points each.
With Garcia were Chester Brian Guerrero, Jimson Bitoon, Verth Alora, Ricardo Jimenez, Harrison Maamo, Rolando Yutuc and Jonathan Bayron.
Arguelles clinched the plum in a final-round win with White against Guerrero. It took the champion 42 moves to slay the Sicilian Dragon, Accelerated variation, put up by Guerrero.

In a duel between two of the country’s outstanding child prodigies, under-14 champion Pascua (White) subdued the Pirc defense erected by under-12 champion Jan Garcia in 68 moves on the second board.

On the third board, Abas, playing Black, took only 38 moves to humble Yutuc, who had essayed a Torre Attack, while Garry Garcia, also playing Black, employed the Sicilian Dragon to down Elizer Sanchez on the fourth board.
Playing White, Farre forced the surrender of Nixon Curiosoon the 58th turn of a Queen’s Gambit.

Special prizes of P1,000 each went to Top Under 18 Marco Polo Rosete, Top Under 16 Narquingel Reyes, Top Under 14 Paul Alcon of MCU, Top Under 12 John Alcon of UE and Top Under 12 Paul Evangelista. Each youngster also received a medal.

Top Lady Mikee Suede also received a special prize of P1,000 plus a medal.
Mrs. Portia Sto. Domingo (left, foreground) and national under-12 champion Jan Emmanuel Garcia play the ceremonial moves opening the tournament along with Ateneo University Athletics director Richard Palau (right, foreground) and player Jose Ricardo. Looking on at left is Mrs. Sto. Domingo’s son. She is the Philam Foundation vice president for Corporate Planning and Comunication.
Joey Leviste Jr. is shown watching the games.

The Top Ateneo Alumnus award of P500 plus a medal went to Leonard Reyes III, while the Top Ateneo Player prize of P700 plus medal went to high school stuident Gabriel Layugan, the second prize of P500 plus medal to college student Eduardo Macabulos and the third prize of P300 plus medal to high school student Emmanuel Jonathan Plan.
Guest speakers at the closing ceremony were Mirant president and CEO Joey Leviste Jr., Jose Capistrano Jr., marketing director for the University Athletics Office of Ateneo de Manila, Ding Amparo, in behalf of Quezon City Councilor Ariel Inton, and Dr. Jenny Mayor, NCFP director.

FIFTH RENO WESTERN STATES OPEN
Sevillano ties for first with six GMs

ENRICO SEVILLANO has done it again! This was the good news relayed to The Weekender by readers Jose Romero Jr. and Hugo Villanueva from California.
Sevillano was the only international master as well as the only Asian to tie for first to seventh places with six grandmasters in the Reno Western States Open held at Nevada’s capital city recently. The seven chess gladiators had 4.5 points each.

The plum, however, went to GM Gregory Serper, who won it in a playoff.
Serper’s runners-up were GMs Ildar Ibragimov, Sergey Kudrin, Alexander Ivanov, Alex Yermolinsky and Melikset Khachiyan and IM Sevillano.

California-based Sevillano, who is currently rated 2582 by the US Chess Federation, finished the six-round event undefeated with three wins and three draws.

A native Cebuano, Sevillano won the Asian junior crown in 1986, took part in the Manila Olympiad of 1992 and soon after that migrated to the United States.

This year he has scored a number of big wins like the Lina Grumette Memorial Classic last May and the Southern California State Championship last July when he defended his crown, which he first won last year

Sevillano also performed well enough in the US Championship, the first and only Filipino ever to qualify for America’s premier event.

In fact, he has the best track record among Filipino players in America, having landed major prizes in almost every tournament he has entered there.

He, however, did not enter the Western Pacific Open held in Los Angeles the other weekend, October 20-21. Asked why, he said he felt exhausted after the grueling grind at the Reno Open in Nevada. .

Two other young Filipino masters, Jake and Joel Banawa, who used to play in major California events have mysteriously withdrawn from the American chess scene.
The Weekender has been trying to contact them but neither one has answered email messages from the editor.

In the absence of Sevillano and the Banawa brothers, GM Khachiyan easily captured the first prize at the Western Pacific Open. In second place was Julian Landaw who trailed half a point behind him.

Tied for third to sixth places were IM Timothy Taylor, Alexander Kretchetov, Christian Tanaka and He Tianyi.

Khatchiyan has been dominating the Southern California scene along with IM Sevillano over the past few years.

One of Sevillano’s finest efforts in Reno, Nevada was his win with Black against American IM Joshua Friedel.

• J. Friedel,- E. Sevillano
Rd 4, Western States Open, Reno 2007
Sicilian Defense (B30)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 h6 6.Nd2 Nf6 7.Nf1 a6 8.a4 Nb4 9.Ne3 d6 10.0–0 Be6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Ne2 0–0 13.f4 Nc6 14.c3 Qd7 15.Nc4 Rae8 16.a5 Bd8 17.Qb3 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 dxe5 favors Black Kh7 Not 17...exf4 18.Bxf4 d5 19.Ne5 Nxe5 20.Bxe5 dxe4 21.d4! 18.h3 Nh5 Black equalizes 19.Be3 exf4 20.Nxf4 Nxf4 20...Ng3 21.Rfe1 leads to equality 21.Rxf4 21.Bxf4 accomplishes nothing, e.g., 22.Nb6 Bxb6 23.Qxb6 e5 d5 21...Bg5 22.Rxf8 Bxe3+ 23.Nxe3 Rxf8 24.Qb6 keeps the balance 22.Nb6 Qd6 22...Qc7 23.Rxf8 Rxf8 24.Bxc5 gives White a distinct advantage 23.Nc8 Not 23.exd5 Rxf4 24.Bxf4 Qxf4 25.dxc6 Bc7!, and Black surges ahead Qc7 24.Rxf8 24.exd5 Nxa5 25.Rxa5 Qxa5 favors Black Rxf8 25.Bxc5 Instead of 25.exd5 Ne5 26.Qc2 Qxc8 27.Bxc5 Rf5, which gives Black a big lead Rf6 26.Nd6 Better than 26.exd5 exd5 27.Nb6 Nxa5 28.Qxd5 Nb3! Nxa5 27.Qa3 Rg6 28.e5 Fritz suggests 28.Rf1 as a viable alternative Nc6μ 29.Re1 29.Qb3 should be tried, e.g., 29…Nxe5 30.d4 Bh4 30.Bf2 Bxf2+! 31.Kxf2 Qe7 32.Qc5 Nxe5!!
32…Nxe5!!

A decisive sacrifice.

33.Rxe5 Qf6+! 34.Rf5 exf5 35.Nxb7 35.Qxd5 wosn't improve anything: 35...Qxd6 36.Qxd6 Rxd6! Qe5 36.Kg1 Qe1+ 37.Kh2 Qg3+! The persuader, and Black resigns. If 38.Kg1 Qxg2#! 0–1 4

NORTH AMERICAN FIDE INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
IM Young takes off with a win

FILIPINO expatriate Angelo Young got off with a bang in the sixth North American FIDE Invitational Tournament in Chicago with a fine win over American Fide Master Todd Andrews in the opening round, reader John Manahan reports.

After five rounds, the Filipino international master was among the leaders with 2.5 points in a tie for third to sixth places with FMs Andrews, Mehmed Pasalic and Igor Tayganov.

On Friday (Saturday in Manila), IM Young was scheduled to face the unbeaten 13-year-old Italian-American prodigy, Ray “Florida Hurricane” Robson, who was IM Angelo Young in action in solo second place with 3.5 points.

Young who is one of 10 players invited to the Fide-sanctioned event has had one win, one loss and three draws.

Another Italian-American, IM David Vigorito, was in solo lead with 4.5 points from four wins and one draw.

IM Stephen Muhammed, FM Albert Chow and Dale Haessel were in seventh to ninth places with 2.0 points followed by cellar-dwelling WIM Ludmila Mokriak, with 1.0 point.
Young migrated to the US in the early 1990s.

NCFP Region X head Rey Urbiztundo and Ms. Rowena de Guzman of Fianchetto Realty shake hands after doing the ceremonial moves opening the sixth leg of the NCFP Executives Chess tournament last Saturday. Looking on, among others, are IM Rudy Cardoso, GM Eugene Torre, NCFP executive director lawyer Sammy Estimo and chess-playing executives.

Corrales tops 6th leg of NCFP
Exec & Prof Chess Challenge

THE sixth leg of the NCFP Executives and Professionals Challenge saw seven players led by Dr. Johnny Corrales qualify for the Grand Finals in the new year. With him were Ricky Navalta, Rey Urbiztondo, Ceferino Bautista, Fundador Binahon Jr,, Lazaro Niduaza and Emil Cabagay.

The seventh leg will be held on Saturday, November 10 at the Greenhouse Grille at 31 Matalino Street , Bgy. Central in Quezon City,

US-made Rybka rides

high in Dutch Open WORLD computer chess champion Rybka once again demonstrated its superiority over other machines with artificial intelligence with a resounding win in the Dutch Open held last weekend in Leiden, The Netherlands.
Rybka, designed by American programmers, finished the nine-round event with 8.0 points, 1.5 ahead of its two closest rivals, Hiarcs and Diep.

Hiarcs took the second prize on tiebreak over Diep, Jeroen reported in The Week in Chess.

Deep Junior was in solo fourth with 6.0, followed by Spike, The King and Crash Test

Dummy, in fifth to seventh with 5.0 each.

In eighth to 10th places were Xinix, Hermann Isichess MMX, with 4.0 apiece.
Zzzzzz, GI-ANT, Joker and Tzjezz brought up the rear with 3.5, 3.0, 2.5 and nil, respectively.

A total of 14 computer chess programs joined the open event.

Borjal tournament on November 11

THE Art Borjal Festival for non-masters will be held on November 11 at the lower ground floor of SM Manila. The Weekender apologizes for the typographical error which made it appear that it was to be held on November 1.

ARCO DI TRENTO INT’L FESTIVAL
Salvador, Vuelban among top 10

FILIPINO International Master Roland Salvador and Fide Master Virgilio Vuelban won their respective ninth and final games to land among the top 10 in the 87-player Arco di Trento International Open in Italy last Sunday (early Monday in Manila).

Both failed, however, to earn grandmaster norms.

Each had 6.5 points, with Salvador taking the third place and Vuelban the eighth after finishing in a tie with four others. In short, Salvador topped his batch and Vuelban took the last slot among the six 6.5-pointers.
Apparently the two Filipinos were the only Asians among the 87 players who flocked to the Italian city of Arco di Trento from all over Europe.

Salvador and Vuelban were just half a point behind the four winners—champion GM Jacob Aagard of Scotland, untitled Bulgarian Tervel Seafimov, Australian IM Alexander Wohl and Russian GM Igor Naumkin

Aagard won on tiebreak as he and his runners-up had 7.0 points each.
As reported last week, it was the third time for Salvador to narrowly miss getting the GM title. He already has two GM norms and needs only one to become a full-fledged GM.

Salvador went to Europe over a year ago in quest of the grandmaster’s title a year ago along with IMs Rolly Martinez and Yves Rañola.
Rañola came back home last year and is now teaching chess to Singaporean youngsters in the prosperous, Chinese-dominated Southeast Asian city state on the doorsteps of Malaysia. .

Salvador is now based in Milan together with Martinez, who is currently the highest rated blitz player in Italy. He has vowed to come back home already a grandmaster.
Vuelban resides in Rome where he is said to be a consultant for the Philippine Embassy. He launched his quest for the GM title earlier this year after topping a tournament in a Roman suburb.

Another Filipino who is campaigning for a GM title is France-based IM Joseph Sanchez, whose wife works as a nurse in Paris..

In Arco di Trento, Salvador and Vuelban started strong. Salvador scored five straight wins from day one, drew his sixth game and then lost twice in a row to the eventual champion and runner-up.

• G. Weiland (1980) – R. Salvador (2455)
Rd. 1, Queen’s Indian Defense (E15)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 Nf6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.0–0 c5 8.cxd5 Bxd5 9.Re1 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 Bc5 12.N2f3 Ne4 13.b4 Bxb4 Fritz says 13...Bxd4 14.Qxd4 Ndf6 would have equalized 14.Nc6± Qf6 15.Bg5?? Fritz suggests 15.Nxb4 Qxa1 16.Qc2, and White leads Nxg5 16.Nxb4 Ne4 17.Qd3 Nec5 18.Qd6 Qe7 19.Rad1 Qxd6 20.Rxd6 Ne4 21.Rc6 Ke7 22.Rd1 Rhc8 23.Nd4 a5 24.Nd3 Rxc6 25.Nxc6+ Ke8 26.f3 Nec5 26...Nc3 27.Rd2, and Black would be far ahead 27.Nde5 Rc8 Missing 27...Nxe5! 28.Nxe5 b5! 28.Na7 Ra8 Better than 28...Nxe5, says Fritz, e.g., 29.Nxc8 Ned7 30.h3, and White has the edge 29.Nb5 Fritz suggests 29.Nac6!, with equality Ke7! 30.Nc6+ Kf8 31.e4 f6 32.Rd6 e5 33.Nc7 Rc8 34.Nd5 Kf7 35.Na7 Rb8 36.Nc6 Re8 37.Nc7 Rc8 38.Nb5 Rh8 39.h4 Nb8 40.Nxb8 If 40.Nca7 Kg6, with equality Rxb8³ 41.Rc6 Ne6 42.Nd6+ Ke7 43.Nc4 43.Rc8! was better, e.g., 43…Rxc8 44.Nxc8+ Kd7 45.Nxb6+ Kc6 46.Nd5, with equal chances b5 44.Nxa5? 44.Ne3 should keep White in the game Ra8! 45.Nb7 Rxa2+ 46.Kh3 h5 47.Nc5? The fatal error Nd4!

After 47…Nd4!

Threatening 48…Nxf3!, followed by 48…Rh2#!
Apparently White failed to take note of the mating threat.
48.Rb6 Mere momentum, and White resigns without waiting for the mating attack. 0–1

Vuelban in seesaw mode, fails to face GMs

FM Vuelban failed to meet any of the grandmasters along the way to his eighth place because he allowed himself to follow the seesaw, up-and-down pattern that a Swiss open event offers to players.

• V. Vuelban (2395) – D. Blasco (1965)
Rd. 1, Modern Defense (B06)

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3 a6 5.Be3 Nd7 6.a4 b6 Not 6...Ngf6 because of 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3! 7.Bd3 7.Bc4 was better e6 8.Qd2 h6 9.0–0 Ne7 10.Ne2 Bb7 11.Ng3 Nf6 12.h3 g5 13.e5 Nfd5 13...dxe5 should achieve equality 14.Nh5± Kf8 15.c4 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Bxf3 17.Rxf3 dxe5 18.Raf1 f5 19.g4 Qd7?? 20.gxf5 exf5 21.Bxf5 Nxf5 22.Rxf5+ Kg8 23.Nxg7 Qxg7 24.Qg2 Rd8 25.Rxe5 Missing the winning stroke, 25.Qc6! Kh7 26.Qe4+!

After 26.Qe4+!

Black resigns in the face of the certain loss of his queen, e.g. 26…Kg8 27.Re7! 1–0
He did not follow the seesaw pattern right away because he won his second game with Black, also against a much lower rated Italian candidate-master.

• G. Panican (2104) – V. Vuelban (2399)
Rd. 2, Sicilian, Sozin Attack (B88)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 a6 8.Be3 Qc7 9.a4 Be7 10.0–0 0–0 11.Kh1 Bd7 12.f4 Rac8 13.f5 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Ng4 15.Bd2 Bf6 16.Qd3 Ne5 17.Qe2 Nc4 18.fxe6 fxe6 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Qd3 Qxd3 21.cxd3 Bxc3 22.Bxc3 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Bxa4 24.d4 Bc2 25.e5 dxe5 26.dxe5 Rc4 27.Rf2 Be4 28.Rd2 Bc6 29.Kg1 Kf7 30.g3 Ra4 31.Kf2 b5 32.Rd4 Ra2 33.Ke3 a5 34.h4 b4 35.Rf4+ Ke8 36.Bd4 a4 37.Bc5 Rxb2 38.Bxb4 a3 39.Rf8+ Kd7 40.Rf7+ Kc8 41.Bc3 Rb3 42.Kd4 a2 43.Ra7 Bd5 44.Kd3 Kb8 45.Ra5 h5 46.Kc2 Rb1 47.Bd4 Rb4 48.Kc3 Rb3+ 49.Kc2 Rxg3 50.Ra7 Rg4 51.Be3 Rxh4 52.Ra3 Re4 53.Ba7+ Kb7 54.Be3 h4 55.Kb2 h3

After 56.Bc5

56.Bc5 Re2+ 57.Kc3 Re3+!, and Black resigns because Black is certain to have a new queen: 58.Bxe3 h2! 59.Ra7+ Kc6 60.Ra6+ Kb5 61.Rxa2 Bxa2, and White can’t stop 62…h1=Q! 0–1

In the third round, however, Vuelban fell into the seesaw pattern even though his opponent was much lower rated than he.

• V. Vuelban (2399) – J. Ager (2188)
Rd. 3, King’s Indian Defense (E71)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 0–0 6.Bg5 Qe8 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5 a5 9.Nge2 Na6 10.g4 c6 11.Ng3 cxd5 12.cxd5 Nc5 13.Be2 Bd7 14.a4 Qc8 15.Ra3 Kh8 16.h4 Nxg4 17.Be7 Re8 18.Bxd6 h5 19.Nb5 Na6 20.Rc3 Qd8 21.Bc7 Qe7 22.d6 Qf8 23.Bxa5 f5 24.Bxg4 fxg4 25.Bb6 Rec8 26.Be3 Bf6 27.Qd5 Bc6 28.Qe6 Re8 29.Qb3 Red8 30.Bg5 Kg7 30...Bxb5 should equalize: 31.axb5 Nb8 32.Bxf6+ Qxf6 33.0–0 31.Be3 Rd7 Fritz suggests 31...Kh8,with equality 32.Nc7 32.Rd3! was the saving move Nxc7³ 33.dxc7 Rxc7 34.Bb6 Rd7μ 35.a5 Qd6 36.0–0 Bxh4 37.Bc5 Qf6 38.Rd3 Rxd3 39.Qxd3 Rxa5 40.b4 Ra8 41.b5 Rd8 42.Qc4 Be8 43.Be3 Rd7 44.b6 Rf7 45.Qe2 Bc6 46.Rc1 Qe6 47.Rc5 Be7 48.Ra5 Kh7 49.Qb2 Bf6 50.Qc2 Rd7 51.Rc5 Qd6 52.Nf1 Qe6?? 53.Nd2?? Be7 54.Rc4 g3 55.fxg3 Qh3 56.Bf2…

After 56.Bf2

Now follows an instructive way to get to the enemy king.

56…h4 57.gxh4 Qg4+ 58.Kf1 Bb5 59.Ke1 Bb4!! 60.Be3 Not 60.Rxb4 Qe2#! Qf3 61.Bg5 Bxd2+ 62.Bxd2 Qh1+! Black resigns in the face of an unavoidable mate. 0–1

This erratic pattern continued as Vuelban won his fourth game, drew the fifth, lost the sixth and winning the rest of his games.

He never could get out of the 2100s as his opponents, an d the highest-rated rival that he faced was just a little over 2200.

I wonder how he would fare in a round-robin tournament of 12 players, three of whom are GMs, four IMs and the rest Fide, national ord candidate mastrers.

Roland needs second in quest for GM title

In most of his tournaments in Europe, Salvador who earned his IM title last year has definitely shown he deserves his Elo 2455 by consistently beating players with lower ratings. He has yet to prove, however, that he has attained grandmaster strength by boosting his rating to 2500.

The problem with Salvador’s current game plan is that he has no choice but to enter open tournaments, Playing in a foreign country, he has not yet attained a stature that will make tournament organizers invite him to closed events where the round-robin system is usually played.

In open tournaments, a GM aspirant has to beat every player he meets across the board in order to have a chance to face a grandmaster.

This means that by the time he is paired against a GM, he has already played a number of lower-rated players. Having competed at a lower level, he must perforce raise his own play by several notches so as to be on a par with his GM foe, who is usually rated above the mid-2500 level—at least 100 Elo points above him.
Once he has attained that level and perhaps won a tournament or two of comparable strength, invitations will start coming to him. Tournament organizers love a fighter of high caliber.

Above all, he must have a second—either FM Vuelban or IM Rolly Martinez. When it is their turn to compete, he can serve as the second to either one or even both. It is axiomatic that having someone helping you prepare for the next round counts a lot in chess competitions.

In Trento, Salvador managed to hold the first strong player he met, IM Aagard (2535) of Scotland, to a draw in the sixth round.

This should have prepared him for his next duel, against a 42-year-old Russian GM who was just 30 points higher than his own rating and lower than that of IM Aagard.

• I. Naumkin (2486) – R. Salvador (2456)
Rd. 7, Blumenfeld Gambit (E10)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5 5.Bg5 exd5 6.cxd5 d6 7.e4 a6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6= 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Be2 0–0 11.0–0 Nd7 12.Qc2 Qg6 13.a4 b4 14.Nd1 Bf6 15.Ne3 Ne5 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Rae1 Qh6 18.f4 8.Ndc4 Nxc4 19.Nxc4 Ra7 favors Black Ng6 19.g3 Bd4' 20.Bf3 Bh3 20...Ne5 was playable, says Fritz: 21.Kh1 Bh3 22.Ng2 Bxe3 23.Nf5 Qg5 Bxe5 23.Nc4 Bxf1 24.Nxe3 Bh3! 21.Bg2 f5 22.Kh1 fxe4 23.Nxe4 b3 Fritz suggests 23...Bxg2+ 24.Nxg2 Ne7! 24.Qd3 Bxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Nh4+ 25...Qh5! and Black has air to breath, notes Fritz 26.gxh4 Qg6+ 27.Kf3 Qh5+ [28.Kg3 Qg6+ 29.Ng4 Kh8 30.f5 Qf7 31.Ng5 Qxd5 31...Qg8! offered the last chance for counterplay 32.f6 g6 33.Re7 Rxe7 34.fxe7 Be5+ 35.Nxe5 Qxe5+ 36.Kh3 Kg8 37.Qc4+ d5 38.Qxc5 Re8 39.Rf8+ Kg7 40.Rxe8!

After 40.Rxe8!

Decisive. Black resigns in the face of a likely mate. 1–0

• Dittmar,Peter (2318) - Salvador,Roland (2456)
Rd. 9, Torre, London and Colle Systems (A46)

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.d4 e6 5.c3 c5 6.0–0 Be7 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4 Be7 9.a4 bxa4 10.Qxa4 0–0 11.Nbd2 d5 12.Nb3 Ne4 13.Bb2 Nd7 14.Na5 Nb6 15.Qb3 Qc7 16.Rfc1 Ba6 17.Qd1 17.Nd4 must be considered, says Fritz: 17...Nd6 18.b5, with equality Nc4 18.Nxc4 Bxc4 Not 18...Qxc4 19.Ne5 Qxe2 20.Qxe2 Bxe2 21.Re1! 19.Ra5 f5 20.Rca1 a6 20...f4 was stronger, e.g., 21.Bh3 fxg3 22.hxg3 Nxg3 23.fxg3 Qxg3+ 21.Nd4 e5 22.Ne6 Qb6 23.Bxe4 fxe4 24.Nxf8 Rxf8 25.e3 d4 26.cxd4 26.exd4 was better, e.g., 26…exd4 27.Qxd4 Qxd4 28.cxd4 Bxb4 29.Re5! Qf6 27.f4 27.dxe5 Qxf2+ 28.Kh1 Be2 favors Black exf3 28.Kf2 Qh6 29.Qg1? e4?? More precise was 29...Bxb4 30.R5a3 exd4 31.Bxd4 Rd8!, and Black surges ahead 30.Re5 Bxb4 31.Rxe4 Rb8 32.Rh4 Qc6?? 33.Qb1 Restoring the equilibrium h6 34.Qc2 Be7 35.Rh5 Bd5 36.Rc1 Qxc2+ 37.Rxc2 Be4 38.Rd2 Bb4 39.Bc1?? 39.Rd1 was the the rescuing straw Bxd2 40.Bxd2 Rb2 41.Ke1 f2+!

After 41…f2+!

An unpleasant surprise, Fritz notes.

42.Kxf2 Rxd2+ 43.Ke1 Rd3 44.Ke2 Rb3 45.Re5 If 45.Kd2 Rb2+ 46.Kc3 Re2! Rb2+ 46.Ke1 Bb7 47.d5 Rb5 47...Kf8!? seems even better 48.h4? Bc8! It’s all over and Black resigns: 49.Re8+ Kf7 50.Rxc8 Rxd5 51.Rc7+ Kf6 52.Rc6+ Kf5 53.Rxa6 Kg4! In fact, Frit adds, 48...Bxd5 was stronger and the rest would be a matter of technique: 49.Re7 Rb1+ 50.Kd2 Rg1! 0–1

Both enter new Swiss Open in Rome hotel

Still in hot pursuit of the elusive GM norms, IM Salvador and FM Vuelban decided to enter a new tournament in Rome, the City of Seven Hills, without even having enough rest in between the two events, reader John Manahan found out while surfing the Web.

In fact, before leaving for the Hotel Petra, sponsor of the Swiss Open event, Vuelban was lucky enough to win the fourth prize in the Arco di Trento Open blitz competition, held soon after the main event ended.

After two rounds the two Filipino adventurers remained unbeaten and found themselves in a batch of participants tied for the sixth to 15th places with 1.5 points each. Among them was Hungarian GM Csaba Horvath.

The five players in the lead with 2.0 each were GM Oleg Korneev of Russia, Italian FM Michelange Scalcione, GM Vladimir Burmakin, also of Russia, GM Miroljub Lazic of Serbia and another Italian, FM David Isonzo.

The event drew 44 players, mostly from across Italy and a few from Eastern Europe.

Most were Italian candidate masters seeking their first title.

IM Salvador and FM Vuelban were the only participants from Asia.

• S. Palermo (2071) – R. Salvador,R (2456) [B30]
Rd. 2, Sicilian Pelikan and Sveshnikov Variations (B33) 9

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7 11.c3 f5 12.Bd3 Ne7 13.Nxe7 Qxe7 14.Qh5 d5 If 14...Qf6 15.Nc2 15.exf5 Fritz prefers 15.exd5, e.g., 15...e4 16.0–0 e4 16.0–0 Be5 16...b4 was better, e.g., 17.Nc4 Rb8 17.Rae1 Bb7 The tempting 17...exd3 will lead to severe problems:18.f4 0–0 19.fxe5, and White surges ahead 18.f3 0–0–0 19.f6 Qe6 Better than 19...Qxf6 20.fxe4 Qd6 21.exd5, when White would have a distinct advantage 20.fxe4 dxe4 21.Bc2 If 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Rxe4 Bxh2+ 23.Kxh2 Qxe4 24.Qc5+ Kb7! Rd2 22.Re2 Not 22.Bb3 Qd6 23.Nc2 Kb8! Rhd8! Black restores the balance 23.Nb1 23.Ref2 Rxf2 24.Rxf2 Bc7 keeps the equilibrium Rxe2 Missing his best short, 23...Bxh2+!, e.g., 24.Kh1 Rxe2! 24.Qxe2 Bc7 25.Bb3?? A fatal blunder. 25.Qh5 would have kept the balance Qe5! Black now has a huge advantage 26.g3 Bb6+ 27.Kg2 e3+ 28.Kh3 Be4 29.Bxf7 29.Qg4+ offered the only chance for some counterplay: 29...Rd7 30.Bd1 Bxb1 31.Qh5 Qxh5+
32.Bxh5 Bd3!

After 29…Bd3!

The final nail, and White topples his king to signify surrender: 30.Bh5 Kc7! 0–1
FM Vuelban won brilliantly, forcing his adversary’s resignation with a powerful sacrifice.

• Barlocco,C (2134) - Vuelban,V (2399) [E90]
Rd. 1, King’s Indian Defense, Smyslov System (B61)

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.Bf4 0–0 6.e3 c6 7.Be2 a6 8.a4 a5 9.0–0 Na6 9...Nh5 10.Bg5 would have equalized 10.Ne1 Nd7 11.Bg3 f5 12.Bh4 Qe8 13.f3 e5 14.Nc2 Nb4 15.Bf2 Qe7 16.Na2 Nxc2 17.Qxc2 f4 18.dxe5 Fritz says “18.Qd2 has some apparent merit,” but gave no specifics fxe3! Not 18...dxe5 because of 19.e4, with equality; 18...Nxe5?! 19.exf4 Rxf4 20.Rae1 also leads to equality, Fritz notes 19.Bxe3 Qxe5 20.Bc1 Fritz suggests 20.Bf2! Nc5! Black makes a quantum leap 21.Nc3 Bf5 22.Qd1 Rae8 23.Re1? The final mistake. Safer but inadequate was 23.Bg5 Nd3!!

After 23…Nd3!!

Two exclamation points supplied by Fritz to emphasize its decisiveness: 23...Nd3

24.Bxd3 Qxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Kf2 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Bxd3! 0–1

RAPID MATCH IN UKRAINE
Ivanchuk edges out Leko

WORLD No. 2 Vassily Ivanchuk, fighting on home turf, edged out world No. 7 Peter Leko of Hungary in their Rapid Chess Match in Mukachevo, Ukraine last weekend.
Ivanchuk 38, and Leko, 28, had battled to a 6-6 tie in their 12-round duel of wits but the Ukrainian superstar won their blitz playoff, 1.5-0.5.

Long shunted out of the limelight because of his rather weak nervous system, Ivanchuk had a phenomenal run of tournament victories over the past year to such an extent that he rose sharply in the world rankings.

Many regard the Ukrainian icon as an authentic genius, complete with his personal eccentricities.

As the late globetrotting grandmaster-lecturer Eduard Gufeld once described him, “Ivanchuk is not like us!”

Gufeld told a seminar I attended in Hong Kong that Ivanchuk would often stare at the ceiling while contemplating his next move in actual play.

Once after losing in a 1990s tournament that was part of the world championship cycle, Ivanchuk rushed out of the tournament hall and “screamed like a banshee!” the British Chess Magazine reported.

Apparently, he has overcome his nervousness and steadied himself during tournaments as clearly shown in the long streak of tournament victories that he has established during the past year.

It was his nerves that prevented him from making a good fight for the 1987-world junior crown in Baguio City where he was outplayed by his old rival, Viswanathan Anand of India, who went on to win the championship.

Ivanchuk made another bid for the crown the following year in Adelaide, Australia, but again he faltered because of his nerves. With him among the losers was Boris Gelfand, then of the Soviet Union and now an Israeli icon.

The 1988 junior crown went to a 16-year-old French lad, Joel Lautier, whose mother is Japanese.

In his Ukraine rapid match vs Leko, Ivanchuk drew first blood.

• V. Ivanchuk (2787) – P. Leko (2755)
Rd. 2, Scotch Game (C45)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Be2 Qxf3 8.Bxf3 Ne7 9.Nc3 0–0 10.0–0 d6 11.Rd1 a5 12.Na4 Ba7 13.c4 Ng6 14.c5 dxc5 Fritz suggests 14...Ne5 15.Be3 c4 16.Bxa7 Rxa7 17.Be2 Rb7 18.Rac1 Rb4 19.Rxc4 Be6 20.Rxb4 axb4 21.b3 Ra8 22.g3 f5 22...h6! may be stronger 23.Rd4 White is now way ahead fxe4 24.Rxe4 Bd5 25.Rxb4 Kf7 26.Rb7 Ke6 27.Rxc7 Ne7 28.Bg4+ Kf6 29.h4 Ng6 30.f4 Nf8 31.Kf2 h6 31...Ng6 32.Rc8 Ra7 33.Nc3 favors White 32.Nc3 Ra6 33.Ke3 g5 Not 33...Ng6 34.a4, and White surges ahead 34.fxg5+ hxg5 35.h5 Be6 If 35...Ra8 36.b4! 36.Bf3 Bd7 37.Ne4+ Ke7 38.Nc5!

After 38.Nc5!

Black resigns in the face of certain defeat: 38…Rxa2 39.Nxd7! Fritz, however, notes that 38.a4 was even better, e.g., 38...Ra5 39.Rb7! 1–0

• V. Ivanchuk (2787) – P. Leko (2755)
Rd. 6, Sicilian Defense (B31)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.Nbd2 Nf6 7.a4 Nd7 8.h3 0–0 9.a5 e5 9...Qc7 10.Qe2 should equalize 10.Nc4 Qe7 11.0–0 Rd8 12.Bd2 Nf8 13.Rb1 f6 14.b4 Be6 15.Ne3 b6 Fritz says 15...cxb4 would have equalized: 16.Rxb4 Qc7! 16.axb6 axb6 17.bxc5 bxc5 Not 17...Qxc5?? 18.Bb4 Qb5 19.Bxf8!, and White is way ahead 18.Rb6 Qd7 19.Qb1 Bf7 20.Rb7 Qc8 21.Ng4 Ne6 22.Bh6 Rd7 23.Rb6 Rda7 24.Qb2 Ra2 26.Qd2 Bh8 27.Rfb1 R3a6 27...Nd4 could be tried, says Fritz 28.Be3 Bg7 29.Nh6+ Bxh6 30.Bxh6 Rxb6 31.Rxb6 Qc7 32.Rb1 Qe7 33.Qc3 g5 34.Rb6 Nd8 35.h4 g4 36.Nh2 Be6 37.Be3 c4 38.dxc4 Kf7 39.Nf1 Ra3 40.Rb3 Ra4 41.Nd2 Nb7 42.Rb6 Qd7 43.c5 Kg6 44.Kh2 Nd8 45.Qd3 Qxd3 46.cxd3 Ra3 47.d4 g3+ 48. exd4 49.Bxd4 Rd3 50.Be3 Bd7 50...Kh5 51.Kf1 Bg4 52.Rb3 Rxb3 53.Nxb3 Kxh4 54.f3 gives White the edge 51.Rb8 gxf2+ 52.Kxf2 Ne6 52...Bg4 may be safer 53.Nc4 Rc3 If 53...h5 54.Nb6!, with overwhelming advantage 54.Nb6 Rc2+ 55.Kf3!

After 55.Kf3

Black surrenders as he has no counterplay, e.g., 55…Nxc5 56.Bxc5 Rac5 57 Nxd7! 1–0

TWO EX-WORLD CHAMPIONS KAYOED
Nakamura rules Corsica Masters

FORMER United States champion Hikaru Nakamura knocked out former world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the final round to take charge of the star-studded Corsica Masters held from last Sunday to Tuesday in Bastia, on the famous French island off the Riviera in the Mediterranean.

It was the Japanese-American’s second major victory abroad in the space of just a week, having captured the top prize in the Casino Barcelona Invitational held in the Spanish city from October 28 to 30.

Nakamura who turns 20 on December 9 won the US national crown at the age of 17 in 2004. Since then he has been rising from strength to strength. He displayed fine form in both the Casino Barcelona and the Corsica Masters.

The new “King of Corsica” proved lucky in the pairings because his path did not cross that of another former world champion, Anatoly Karpov of Russia.
Before facing Kasimdzhanov in the final, Nakamura had disposed of GMs Victor Mikhalevski of Israel, Van Wely of The Netherlands, Hichem Hamdouchi of Mauritius and Vadim Milov of Switzerland.

Karpov had earlier beaten his compatriot, GM Evgeny Bareev in the quarterfinals but got knocked out by Latvian GM Daniel Fridman.
Kasimdzhanov reached the finals by knocking out Georgian GM Mikheil Mchedishvili.
Nakamura started with the wrong foot, losing in his first game against Mikhalevski but taking his revenge with Black in a thrilling duel of wits in their second encounter.

• V. Mikhalevski (2584) – H. Nakamura (2648)
Rd. 1.2, Benko/Volga Gambit (A57)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 g6 8.e4 Bg7 9.Be2 0–0 10.0–0 Rb8 11.Nd2 Nxb6 12.a4 Nfd7 13.Kh1 Kh8 14.a5 Na8 Aiming for Nb6-a8-c7-b5-d4, says Fritz 15.Nc4 Nc7 16.Na4 Nb5 17.Nab6 Nd4 18.Bd3 Bb7 19.Bg5 Nf6 20.Rb1 e6 21.Ne3 h6 22.Bh4 g5 23.Bg3 Nxe4 24.Bxe4 f5 25.Bd3 f4 26.Qh5 Qe8 26...fxe3 27.dxe6 Qe8 28.Qxe8 Rbxe8 29.fxe3 Nxe6 30.Bxd6 Rxf1+ 31.Rxf1 Bxb2 32.Rf7 gives White the lead 27.Bg6± Qe7 28.Ng4 fxg3 29.Nxh6 Bxh6 29...Bxd5?? would be a horrible blunder: 30.Nf7+! Kg8 31.Qh7#! 30.Qxh6+ Kg8 31.dxe6 Nxe6 32.fxg3 32.hxg3? would give Black the chance to restore the balance: 32…Qg7 33.Qxg7+ Kxg7 Nd4 Fritz suggests 32...Rbd8 33.Bd3 d5 34.Rfe1 34.Rbe1 was better, e.g., 34…Qg7 35.Qd6 Rxf1+ 36.Rxf1 Rf8 37.Nxd5 Rxf1+ 38.Bxf1 Bxd5 39.Qxd5+ Kh8 40.Qxc5 Qf6 41.Bxa6 Qxa6 42.Qxd4+ Kh7, and White would have tremendous advantage Qg7 35.Qxg7+ 35.Qd6 Rbd8 36.Qxc5 Rf7 was playable Kxg7 36.Nd7 c4 37.Re7+ Kh8 38.Nxb8 38.Nxf8 might be quicker: 38...cxd3 39.Nd7! cxd3?? Worsening his position 38...Rxb8 was better but it wouldn’t save the game: 39.Bg6 Nc6 40.Rh7+ Kg8, and White would still be winning 39.Rxb7 d2 40.Re7 Missing the winning 40.Nxa6!, e.g., 40...Nc6 41.b4! Rc8 41.Rf1?? Forfeiting the win Rc1! Suddenly turning the tables on White.42.Re8+ Kg7 43.Re7+ Kg6 44.Ref7 d1Q 45.R7f6+ Kh5 46.g4+ Kxg4 47.h3+ Kg3!

After 47…Kg3!

Cornering the enemy king, figuratively and literally, and White can do nothing to prevent mate. 0–1

Here is the game that gave him the plum, a fine win against the former world champion from Uzbekistan.

• R. Kasimdzhanov (2690) – H. Nakamura (2648)
Rd. 1 Playoff, Semk-Slav Defense (D45)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.e4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Nxd2 c5 11...0–0 12.0–0–0 should equalize 12.dxc5 Qa5 Better than 12...Nxc5 13.Qe5 Nd7 14.Qxg7, which gives White a clear advantage 13.a3 Qxc5 14.b4 Qe7 15.Bd3 a5 16.Rb1 axb4 17.axb4 Nf6 18.Qe3 0–0 19.0–0 Rd8 20.Nf3 Qc7 21.Ne5 b6 22.Rfd1 Bb7 23.Bf1 Best was 23.Ra1, says Fritz Be4 24.Nd3 Ra3 24...Qxc4! may be betfer 26.Qf4 26.f3Bxd3 27.Rxd3 Rcxd3 28.Bxd3 would equalize Qxf4 27.Nxf4 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 g5 29.Nh3 g4 30.Nf4 Kg7 31.h3 h5 32.hxg4 hxg4 33.Rd6 e5 34.Ne2 Rxc4 35.Rxb6 Bd3 36.Ng3 36.f3 is another option Rc1μ 37.Rd6 e4 38.Nf5+ Kg6 39.Ne3 If 39.Ng3 Kg5 g3 40.fxg3? Bxf1 41.Kf2 Bd3 42.Nd5 Kg5 0–1 11

PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Pereña’s sparklers in Turin ’06

HER stunning upset of the world’s strongest 20-year-old female player, GM Humpy Koneru of India, in rapid chess at the ongoing Asian Indoor Games in Macau was not
WNM Catherine Pereña’s first gem of a game with a touch of history.
Catherine was barely out of her adolescence in the early part of the New Millennium when she and other youngsters represented the country for the first time in the World Youth (Age Group) Championships in Crete, Greece in 2002.

It was only last year, however, that she really made history when she led the national women’s team to the 37th World Olympiad in Turin.
One thing notable in her play is her good grasp of opening theory, showing that she is at home in both colors and in symmetrical or asymmetrical opening systems, either as the first mover or second mover in both 1.e4 and 1.d4.

This, plus an aggressive but flexible style of play backed by a good eye for combination, paid off in the Macau Asian Indoor Games where Pereña distinguished herself as the first Filipino female player ever to face and outplay GM Koneru, a four-time world youth champion (under 10, under 14 and under 20) who today ranks as the second strongest amazon, next only to Judit Polgar of Hungary.
Let Catherine’s sparkling games in the Turn Olympiad last year speak on her behalf, with the first one showing clearly her strength in the opening wherein she gives her opponent no chance to equalize..

• (1) Catherine Perena - Monika Tsiganova (2267) [E54]
Rd. 12, Nimzo-Indian, Rubinstein Line (E54)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0–0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 10.Qd3 h6 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Be3 Bd6 13.a3 b6 14.Rad1 Bb7 15.d5 Na5 Fritz suggests 15...Ne5: 16.Nxe5 Bxe5! 16.Ba2 White now dominates the game exd5 17.b4 d4 18.Qxd4 Bxf3 19.gxf3 Nb7 20.Bd5 20.Nb5 seems even better, says Fritz Qe7 21.Bxb7 Be5 22.Qe4 Rab8 23.Bc6 f5 24.Qc4+ Kh8 25.f4 Qh4 26.Ne2 Rbc8 27.b5 Rf6 This early White now has a commanding lead 28.Kh1 Bb8 29.Rg1 a6 Strong moves are now difficult to find for Black, e.g., 29...Rff830.Bd4 Qe7 31.Qc3!, and White surges ahead 30.a4 axb5 31.axb5 Bd6 32.Qd5 32.Bxb6 might be quicker Rd8 33.Qf3 Rb8 34.Bd4 Re6 35.Be3 Kh7?? Under pressure, Black blunders, hastening her demise 36.Rd5 White misses her best shot, 36.Nd4! g6 37.Bd7 Rxe3 38.fxe3 Bc5 39.Qg2 39.Bxf5 was more decisive Qf6 40.Re5 Ng7 41.Nc3 Rd8 42.Qc6 Qf7 43.Be6 Qf8 44.Bd7 Fritz prefers.44.Rxg6! Qf7 45.Nd5 h5 46.Be6 Qf8 47.Bxf5!
After 47.Bxf5!

The sharpest move, breaching Black’s defense line. From hereon, Black faces a mating attack..

47...Rd6 Not 47...Nxf5 because of 48.Qxg6+! 48.Bxg6+ Kh6 49.Qb7 Rxg6 50.Rxg6+ Kxg6 51.Rg5+ Kh6 52.Qc6+ Bd6 53.e4 Kh7 54.e5 Bc5 55.Qg6+ Kh8 56.Qh6+ Kg8 57.Nf6+ Kf7 58.Qg6+ Ke6 59.f5+! Black resigns, sensing that mate was not too far away, e.g., 59…Kxe5 60.Nd7+ Kf4 61.Nxf8 Bxf8 62.f6 Bc5 63.fxg7 Ke3 64.Rg3+ Kd4 65.Rd3+ Kc4 66.g8Q+ Kxb5 67.Q6e8+ Ka5 68.Qa2+ Kb4 69.Qea4#! 1–0

• E Shabanaj (2140) – C. Pereña
Rd. 10, Slav Defense, Exchange Variation (D13)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 e6 6.e3 Bb4+ 7.Nbd2 0–0 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0–0 h6 10.Rc1 Bd7 Fritz recommends 10...Nh5!: 11.Bg3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Bd6, and Black would have equalized 11.a3 Be7 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ne8 14.Bb1 Rc8 15.Qb3 Qb6 Not 15...a6 16.Nf3! 16.Qd3 16.Qxb6 may be tried, e.g., 16…axb6 17.Rxc8 Bxc8 18.Nf3 f5! 17.exf6 17.Rxc8 Bxc8 18.g4 Qxb2 19.gxf5 exf5 20.Qxd5+ Kh8 may likely favor Black Nxf6 Restoring the balance 18.Bxh6 Rf7 18...Rxc1 was the saving resource: 19.Rxc1 Qxb2! 19.Rxc8+ Bxc8 20.Qc2 Bd7 21.Bg5 e5 22.Nf3 Qe6 23.Qc7 Bd6 24.Qxb7 White now leads e4 25.Nd4 Qg4 26.Bxf6 Qh5 27.f4 Missing the winning shot, 27.Bh4! exf3 28.Nxf3 Bg4 29.Qa8+ Rf8 30.Qxa7 Rxf6 31.Nh4?? A grievous error that relinquishes the lead; 31.Rf2 was best, e.g., 31…Bxf3 32.gxf3 Rxf3 33.Rxf3 Qxf3 34.Qd4, and White is still ahead Bxh2+!!

After 31…Bxh2+!!

A sacrifice to breach White’s fortification and deflect the enemy king away from its rook.

32.Kxh2 Rxf1 33.Qb8+ Rf8 34.Qg3 g5 35.Ba2 gxh4 35...Be6 might be quicker 36.Qd6 Rf5 37.e4 Re5 38.Bxd5+ Kg7 39.Qc7+ Kf6 40.Qd8+ Kg7 41.Qc7+ Kh8 42.Qd8+ Re8 43.Qf6+ Kh7 44.a4? 44.b4! was the move Qe5+ 45.Qxe5 Rxe5 46.a5 Be6 47.a6 Bxd5 48.exd5 Rxd5 49.b4 Rd1 50.b5 Ra1 51.Kh3 Ra5 52.Kxh4 Rxb5! 0–1 12

GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Caruana guns for Italian crown

FOUR months after he formally acquired his Grandmaster title, 15-year-old Fabiano Caruana will compete in the 67th Italian Championship, scheduled to get under way on November 4 at the four-star Park Hotel San Michele in Martina Franca.
The gifted Italian-American will face 11 rivals, namely, GMs Michele Godena and Carlo Garcia-Palermo; IMs Sabino Brunello Fabio Bruno, Giulio Borgo, Roberto Mogranzini, Federico Manca and Daniel Centin; FMs Daniele Genocchio and Denis Rombaldoni, and Alessandro Bonafede.

In his latest adventure, Caruana finished third in the Roca di Papa tournament, which was won by former US champion Gata Kamsky as reported in last week’s Weekender.
Caruana holds dual nationality—that is, American, because he was born in Miami and grew up in New York, and Italian, because his parents came from Italy and they now reside in their ancestral homeland).

Unlike most of the other “youngest grandmasters of the world,” Fabiano was already well known before he got the GM title last July, two weeks before he turned 15.

As mentioned in The Weekender two weeks ago, the youngest Italian and American GM won the gold plus the Fide Master title in the Pan American Youth Championships held in Argentina in 2001, when he was only nine years old.

The next year, at the age of 10, he became America’s youngest child prodigy to beat a grandmaster, the late Polish-American GM Alexander Wojtkiewicz.
Born in Miami, Florida on July 30, 1992, Fabiano cut his teeth in chess at a club in Brooklyn, in the same neighborhood of Chicago-born Bobby Fischer grew up nearly half a century earlier.

His parents took him to the club because they could not cope with his hyperactive behavior at home, telling the club manager that their six-year-old son “just cannot sit still.”

Luckily for the chess world, he took to chess, to use a shopworn phrase, like duck to water.

• F. Caruana - Robert Hess
Rd. 8, PanAm Youth Ch., Mendoza 2001
Two Knights Game (C57)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4 5...Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 should equalize 6.c3 b5 7.cxd4 7.Bf1 was best, e.g., 7…Nxd5 8.cxd4 Qxg5 9.Bxb5+ Kd8 10.0–0 bxc4 8.dxe5 Qxd5 9.exf6 Qxg5 10.Qe2+ Be6 Equalizing 11.Qe4 Rb8 12.0–0 Qxf6 13.Qc6+ Kd8 14.Nc3 Bd6 15.g3 Fritz suggests 15.Ne4 h5 16.h4 Qd4 17.Qe4 17.Qf3 may be tried Qf6 17...Qxe4 was better 18.d3 Qe5 19.dxc4 Qxe4 20.Nxe4 Bxc4 20...Be5 21.Rb1 should equalize 21.Nxd6 cxd6 22.Rd1 Kc7 22...Kd7 should be tried 23.Bf4 Rhd8?? 24.Rac1! The beginning of the end. Rxb2 25.Rxc4+ Kb7 26.Rxd6 Re8 27.Rd7+ Ka6 28.Rcc7 Ree2 29.Rxa7+ Kb6 30.Rdb7+ Kc6 31.Rxb2 Rxb2 1–0

Here is how Fabiano beat the then reigning US champion who competed later in the First GMA Cup.

• V. Onischuk (2388) – F. Caruana (2421)
Rd. 10, 4th Young Stars of the World, Kirishi 2006
French Defense (C18)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0–0 8.Bd3 Nbc6 9.Nf3 f5 10.exf6 Rxf6 11.Bg5 11.Qh5 h6 should restore the balance e5! 12.Qg3 Rxf3!
After 12…Rxf3!

An early speculative sacrifice of the exchange that proves to be correct.
13.gxf3 c4 14.Be2 Qa5 Not 14...exd4 15.Bf6 Qf8 16.Bxd4! 15.Bxe7 15.0–0 may be safer Qxc3+! Launching an all-out assault 16.Kf1 Qxa1+ The point 17.Kg2 Qxd4 18.Bf6 g6 19.Rd1 Qc5 20.f4 Bf5 21.fxe5 Bxc2 22.Bg4?? Better but not enough was 22.Qh3 Ne7 23.Qe6+ Kf8 24.Re1 Bxd1 Ensuring the point 23.Be6+ Kf8 24.Qh4 Bh5 25.Qf4 Ke8 26.Qh6 Nd4 26...Qxa3 was more decisive 27.Bh3 Qxa3 28.Qxh7 Qf3+ 29.Kg1 Ne2+! Ensuring the mate: 30.Kf1 Qh1#! 0–1

MY FAVORITES
Spielmann, Master of Attack…

RUDOLF SPIELMANN is one all-time great whose games deserve serious study by young players wishing to master the art of attack.

Spielmann (1883-1942) was an Austrian-born Jew who spent most of his life in Germany, a country he had to flee to escape the Holocaust during the reign of Hitler and after the outbreak of World War II.

A true-blue Romantic in his style of play at a time when positional principles espoused by the first world champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, and refined by hypermodern advocate Aaron Nimzowitsch were in vogue, Spielmann was born not ahead of his time but actually much later than the romantic era.

It was in this context that hypermodern arch priest Richard Reti described Spielmann as “the new romantic … (who) seeks the salvation of chess in a return to the style of the old masters…”

This is why Spielmann never had a chance to become world champion although he was regarded as one of the top 10 players in the world in the late 1920s, at the height of the popularity of hypermodern chess.

Like his idols, Adolf Anderssen and Paul Murphy, Spielmann had a penchant for open games where his imagination could roam freely. Such was his ferocity on the 64-square board that Savielly Tartakower dubbed him “the last Knight of the King’s Gambit.”

It is for this reason that his games could be very interesting to beginners, particularly those who love to attack. After all, chess being a war in miniature, attack forms the very essence of the game.

His attacking prowess enabled him to win many matches. Among those he had beaten in one-on-one matches were Tartakower, Reti, Nimzowitsch, Efim Bogoljubow and Dr. Max Euwe, who went on to become world champion.
In this regard, Spielmann had a much better match record than another favorite of mine who also was an attacking master, long-reigning US champion Frank Marshall.

• R. Spielmann – A. Flamberg
Mannheim 1914
Vienna Game (C29)

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Qe2 Nc5 Fritz suggests 6...Nxc3 7.dxc3 Nd7, with equality 7.d4 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qxd4 10.Be3 Qxe5 11.0–0–0 c6 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Rxd5.Qe6 14.Bc4 Qe4?? Rushing towards own doom 14...Ncd7 15.Re1 Nc6 favors White 15.Bxc5! 1–0

• R. Spielmann – M. Elyashov
Munich 1903
King’s Gambit Accepted (C39)

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7!? Kxf7 7.Bc4+ 7.Qxg4 was better, e.g., 7….Nf6 8.Qxf4! d5 Black surges ahead 8.Bxd5+ Kg7 9.d4 Qf6 9...Nf6 was more accurate, e.g., 10.Bxf4 Bd6 11.Bxb7 Bxf4 12.Bxa8 Bg3+! 10.e5 Qg6 11.h5 Qf5 12.Nc3 Bb4 13.0–0 13.Rf1 Qxh5 14.Rxf4 Qh1+ 15.Ke2 Qxd1+ 16.Kxd1 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Nc6 leads to equality f3 14.Ne4 Qxh5 15.Ng3 Qh4 16.Rxf3!? gxf3 17.Qxf3!. Menacing the exposed king Nf6 18.exf6+ Kf8 19.Bf4 Na6 20.Qe4! Qg4 21.Bxb7 Bxb7? 22.Bxh6+!

After 22.Bxh6+!!

The killing blow.

22...Rxh6 23.Qxg4 Rh7 24.Qg6 Rf7 25.c3 Bd6 26.Nf5 Be4 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Qg5+ Kf8 29.Nh6! 1–0

• G. Schories – R. Spielmann

Scheveningen, NED 1905
Open Ruy Lopez (C82)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.a4 b4 11.Qe2 0–0 12.Bc2 f5 12...Bf5 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 should equalize 13.exf6 Qxf6 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 Bb3 16.c4 Qd6 17.Nbd2 Fritz suggests 17.Re1! Qd7 18.Be3 Rae8 18.Qb1? 18.Qg4 looks better: 18…Bc2 19.b3! Nd4! Black surges on 19.Ne4? Nxf3+ 20.gxf3 Qg6+ 21.Kh1 Rxf3 22.Re1 Rxf2! A pinning theme 23.Bg5 Qh5 24.Nf6+ gxf6 25.Rxe8+ Kf7!!

After 25…Kf7!!

Nimbly sidestepping the attack without losing sight of h2 and e3 for his queen, while at the same time attacking White’s rook on e8! 0–1 14

CHESS MAGIC
…and the Open Game

BECAUSE of his mastery of the attacking style of play, Rudolf Spielmann produced a number of magical gems during his colorful career as one of the world’s leading players in the early part of the 20th century.

Most were the end-product of what is called an “Open Game,” where pawns are not locked and where the pieces can move around with agility and, in the case of the victor, with great precision.

Like Frank Marshall, then the American champion across the Atlantic, Spielmann was a consummate tactician in pursuing an attack over the board, often ending it with a brilliant checkmate.

Marshall was not his model, however. They were the great German headmaster, Adolf Anderssen, and the Russian giant, Mikhail Chigorin.

He publicly admitted that he relied on his intuition more than actually making calculations while at play, possibly the most crucial factor for many of his losses in tournaments.

In match play, however, very few could hold a candle to the Austrian-born Jewish genius who made it a habit to look for the hidden combination that strikes at the heart of any game.

As Richard Reti put it in his book, Masters of the Chess Board, Spielmann “brought to his undertaking every necessary gift: not only great imagination and a talent for combinations, but also unusual resourcefulness in complicated situations, in which he felt perfectly at home, probably owing to the fact that he learned the game as a boy.”

It was Reti’s thesis that future champions must learn chess at a tender age so that the game can be absorbed completely into one’s system, just like learning the three R’s (Reading, ’Riting and ’Rithmetic) in prep, kinder and grade school.
Emphasizing the greatness of Spielmann as master of the attack despite his failure to become champion of the world, Reti wrote: “The past is dead, but in the history of chess Spielmann will have a place of honor as the last upholder of the romantic tradition.”

Reti did not foresee, in this regard, the coming of such modern attacking players as Tal, Fischer and Kasparov, in chronological order, not the order of greatness,

• R. Spielmann – O. Duras
Sheveningen, NED 1905
French Defense (C15)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd3 dxe4 Equalizing 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bd3 c5 7.a3 Ba5 8.dxc5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Ne2 Bd7 11.0–0 Qxc5 12.a4 Bc6 13.Ba3 Qg5 14.f3 Nd5 15.Ng3 Qe3+ 16.Rf2 Nxc3 17.Qf1 Kd8 17...Qd4 may be tried, says Fritz 18.Bb2 Nd5 19.Rd1 Nd7 20.Be4 Qb6 21.Bd4 Qa5 22.c4 N5b6 23.Qd3 Kc8 24.Rb2 Missing his best shot, 24.Bxc6!, e.g., 24…bxc6 25.Ne4! Ne5 25.Qe2 Nexc4 25...Rd8 is interesting, according to Fritz 26.Rc2 Qb4 27.Rdc1 Na3?? A blunder in a bad position. Best was 27...Na5 28.Bxg7 Rd8, but White would still be way ahea 28.Rxc6+! bxc6 29.Rxc6+ Kd7 30.Bc5 30.Bxb6! was more decisive, says Fritz: 30...Rac8 31.Qd1+! Qc4 31.Qd2+ Nd5 32.Rd6+ Ke8 33.Bxa3 Rd8 34.Nf5!

After 34.Nf5!

The end, and the rest is history..
34...Qc7 35.Nxg7+ Kf8 36.Rxd8+ Kxg7 37.Qg5#! 1–0

• R. Spielmann - A. Rubinstein
Carlsbad 1911
Four Knights Games (C49)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.0–0 0–0 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Qe7 9.Re1 Nd8 10.d4 Ne6 11.Bc1 c6 12.Bf1 Rd8 13.g3 Qc7 14.Nh4 d5 15.f4 15.exd5 allows Black to equalize: 15...Rxd5 16.Bc4 Rd8 17.Bxe6 Bxe6! exf4 16.e5 Ne4 17.gxf4 f5 18.exf6 Nxf6 18...Nxf4! should be tried 19.Qf3 Ne6! 19.f5 Nf8 20.Qf3 Qf7 21.Bd3 Bd7 22.Bf4 Re8 23.Be5 c5 24.Kh1 24.Bxf6 was more precise, e.g., 24…gxf6 25.Ng2! c4 Restoring the balance 25.Be2 Bc6 26.Qf4 N8d7 27.Bf3 Re7 28.Re2 Rf8 28...Kh8 should do the trick

29.Rg1 Qe8 30.Reg2 Rff7 31.Qh6 Kf8??
After 31…Kf8??

32.Ng6+!! hxg6 33.Qh8+ Ng8 34.Bd6! Qd8 35.Rxg6 Ndf6 36.Rxf6! Slaying the guard Rxf6 37.Rxg7 Ke8 38.Rxg8+ Rf8 39.Rxf8+ Kd7 40.Rxd8#! 1–0


BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
Philidor Position

LAST Friday I wrote about the tough loss suffered by IM Wesley So to his co-leader GM Ahmed Adly in the World Junior Championship. It was in the dreaded KRB vs KR ending, which is theoretically a draw except for some cases when the weaker side has a king stuck in the 8th rank, the so-called Philidor position. I thought we should write a little more about this piece of theory.

François-André Danican Philidor (September 7, 1726 - August 31, 1795) was a French chess player and composer who was considered the unofficial world chess champion of his day. In 1749, Philidor published his famous book Analyse du jeu des Échecs. It was such a classic that by 1871, it had gone through about 70 editions, and had been translated into English, German and Italian. In the book he analyzed nine different types of game openings and included analyses of several chess endgames, three of which are regarded as “Philidor” positions.

The most famous position referred to an important chess endgame which illustrates a drawing technique when the defender has a king and rook versus a king, rook, and pawn. Basically, it espoused that the weaker side should maintain his rook on the third rank and then, when the enemy pawn has reached the 6th rank, the defending side should move his rook to the 8th rank to check the opposing king.

Another position that he studied in 1777 (and is also called Philidor's Position) involves how to win with a queen versus a rook. You think that is easy? In the 2001 Moscow World Championship, a player of the caliber of Peter Svidler could not win with queen against Boris Gelfand’s rook within the prescribed 50 moves.
The third position studied by and named after Philidor is in the ending of a rook and bishop vs a rook. This endgame is usually drawn, but Philidor proved that if the stronger side has a king on the 6th rank and the weaker side’s king is poorly placed, then a win is possible.

Rook endings are notoriously difficult, and RB vs R even more so. The Dutch player and writer Tim Krabbe has compiled a list of the top ten longest games of all time:

Nikolic vs Arsovic ½ Belgrade 1989, 269 moves
Chekhov vs Stavrinov ½ Riga 1988, 209 moves
Wegner vs Johnsen ½ Gausdal 1991, 200 moves
Meiers vs Rausis ½ Riga 1989, 200 moves
Murey vs Rausis ½ Paris 1995, 196 moves
Martinovsky vs Jansa ½ Gausdal 1987, 194 moves
Stepak vs Mashian 1-0 Israel Ch 1980, 193 moves
Asfora vs Calcado 1-0 Bebedouro 1991, 192 moves
Pilnik vs Czerniak ½ Mar del Plata 1951, 191 moves
Seirawan vs Xu Jun ½ Thessaloniko olym 1988, 191 moves

Most of the textbooks give Pilnik vs Czerniak as the longest game, but that record is obviously dated, and now it is about to drop out of the top 10.

Actually, I know of another game, Beverly Mendoza vs Paula Castillo during the 1999 Philippine Women’s Championship, which lasted 225 moves, with the former finally managing to mate Paula with KBN vs bare King. Paula kept playing on and protested after the game why it was not declared drawn since by move 160 Beverly had already overstepped the 50-move limit. The answer to her was that all she had to do was claim the draw, which she neglected to do.

Another one was the blitz game between GM Tigran L. Petrosian vs IM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun, which was a 227-move draw. It was the final game of the tournament, where Sammour-Hasbun had to hold the draw with K+N vs the Armenian’s K+R to get bragging rights to the title of ICC blitz champion.

But why do I drag out this statistic? It is because, due to a FIDE rule several years ago which allowed you up to 100-moves to try and win this endgame, the dreaded KRB vs KR endgame accounted for six out of the top ten, including the 269-mover game of Nikolic.

The Cochrane Defense and Philidor Way

To draw KRB vs KR, the weaker side should have knowledge of the “Cochrane Defence”, which maintains K and R in the second rank. Here is an example:

Norri,Joose (2430) - Atalik,Suat (2555) [E94]
EU-chT (Men) Pula (5), 1997

The Cochrane Defense
White's defence is to keep his king and rook on the second rank, one square apart. Let us see what happens.

87.Rd2 Rh5 88.Rc2 Rh2+ 89.Kd1 Rh1+ 90.Ke2 Rh2+ 91.Kd1 Rh3 92.Ke2 Bc3
A nice winning try.

93.Kd1 Rh1+
Isn't Black winning after 93...Kd3 ? No, the key defensive idea of the Cochrane, or the 2nd rank defense, is that White can play 94.Rd2+! Bxd2 stalemate.

94.Ke2 Kd4 95.Kf3 Rf1+ 96.Rf2 Ra1 97.Kg4 Ra8 98.Rg2 ½–½

Now let us look at what position you need in order to win:

The Philidor Position
This is known as the Philidor position from the 18th century, 1749 to be exact. White can win by the following general guidelines (this should not be taken to mean that it is easy):

Step 1. Take over the 7th rank.

Step 2. The best position of the rook is on the 2nd rank, the reason being that when the time comes to check the white king, the checking square is black, meaning the white bishop cannot prevent the check.
Step 3. White rook alternates from b7 and f7 until the enemy king and rook can no longer defend.

Let us watch Philidor demonstrate how this is done.

1.Rf8+! Re8 2.Rf7
Step 1. Now the threat is Ra7, which forces immediate resignation.

2...Re2!

The best move. Alternatives lose quickly:
a)
2...Kc8 3.Ra7 Rd8+ 4.Kc6 Kb8 5.Rb7+ Ka8 6.Rb1 Ka7 7.Kc7;
b)
2...Rh8 3.Ra7 Rh6+ 4.Be6 he has to give up the rook now;
c)
2...Re3 3.Rd7+ Ke8 (3...Kc8 4.Ra7) 4.Rb7 Kf8 5.Rf7+ Ke8 6.Rf4! Rd3 (6...Rg3 7.Bc6+ Kd8 8.Rf8#) 7.Rg4 again, winning the rook
3.Rh7
Step 2, the threat of a backrank mate forces Black to leave the 2nd rank.

3...Re1
If the rook goes to e3 then the winning line given above applies: 3...Re3 4.Rd7+ Ke8 (4...Kc8 5.Ra7) 5.Ra7 Kf8 6.Rf7+ Ke8 7.Rf4 … ¥c6+ 7...Kd8 (7...Rd3 8.Rg4) 8.Be4! (the point – Black has no check along the d-file) 8...Ke8 9.Bc6+
4.Rb7
Step 3.
4...Rc1
If 4...Kc8 then 5.Rb2 Rd1 6.Rh2 Kb8 7.Ra2 followed by mate on a8 if Black does not give up his rook.
5.Bb3!

See? No check on d1.

5...Rc3
If 5...Kc8 then 6.Rb4 Kd8 7.Rh4 Re1 (7...Kc8 8.Bd5) 8.Ba4 (there is no saving check along the d-file again) 8...Kc8 9.Bc6 Rd1+ 10.Bd5 Kb8 11.Ra4+-
6.Be6 Rd3+ 7.Bd5 Rc3 8.Rd7+ Kc8
[ 8...Ke8 9.Rg7]
9.Rh7 Kb8 10.Rb7+ Kc8 11.Rb4 Kd8 12.Bc4! Kc8 13.Be6+ Mate in two. 1–0

Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.

This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, October 29, 2007.

WIM Epstein scores a perfect 4/4 to capture Greater Boston

AMERICAN Woman International Master Esther Epstein ran off with the plum with a perfect 4.0 points from four games in the 74th Greater Boston Open held at the
Kennedy Senior Center in Natick, Massachusetts, USA.

In second place was US Master Christopher Williams of Brighton, followed by USCF-rated expert Derek Slater of Medfield. Both had lost to WIM Epstein in the last two rounds.

The event, which was sponsored by the Massachusetts Chess Association, drew 48 players in three sections, according to The Week in Chess. 17


BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD, CHESS PIECE (2)
Talent is not enough

IN the just-concluded World Junior Championship which Wesley led in the first half but collapsed in the second, I have read many armchair grandmasters complaining about Wesley's disappointing tournament. I have also seen some “analysis” suggesting that Wesley cleans up against the 2100-2300, but is having difficulty beating the 2400s and 2500s.

May I say this: SUSMARIOSEP! Give him a break, he is only 14 years old playing against internationalists many years his senior. The rating list is designed so that the higher your rating gets the stronger a player you are. Of course it is harder to beat the 2400s than the 2100s.

Does anyone realize that Wesley is already the strongest 14-year old in the world today? Here is the top 10 according to the latest FIDE Rating List:

1 IM Wesley So PHI 2531
2 GM Parimarjan Negi IND 2514
3 WG Hou Yifan CHN 2502
4 IM Yaroslav Zherebukh UKR 2450
5 SP Sethuraman IND 2427
6 IM Sanan Sjugirov RUS 2422
7 FM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan ARM 2389
8 FM Ilya Nyzhnyk UKR 2377
9 Nils Grandelius SWE 2377
10 FM Oliver Mihok HUN 2371

This is not to say that Wesley does not have to study anymore and everything will come of its own accord. On the contrary, the Philippines has had its share of child prodigies – in talent we are not inferior to anybody in the world.
Does anyone remember that in November 1998, at Disneyland, Paris, there was held the World Rapid Chess Championship for Kids? There were separate events for boys and girls, and there were two categories in each: 10-12 yrs old and 13-14 yrs old.

The Philippines scored a spectacular success by winning in two categories: Mark Paragua in the boys 13-14 section, and Arianne Caoili in the girls 10-12. Considering that they were ranged against the best kids worldwide, this feat is really something. Think about it: there were four section world championships up for grabs, a Hungarian won (Hera in the boys 10-12), a Russian won (Kosteniuk in the girls 13-14), and the other two trophies went to tiny little insignificant Philippines. Cool!!!!

But talent is not enough, as everybody knows. As you get older you have to put in the hard work to make the jump from “promising player” to world class grandmaster. Arianne Caoili, for example, never realized this. Later on she was to concentrate on her dancing and modeling, and the promise was never fulfilled. She is now better known as the girlfriend of GM Levon Aronian than as a strong player in her own right.
But what do you mean hard work? This is a tough question to answer, but I believe one way of looking at it, coming from a systems nerd like myself, is that you have to fill in the database with more data.

Dr. Philip Ross, a New York chess expert, wrote an article in the Scientific American called “The Expert Mind”. In oversimplified form he maintains that expertise in chess is primarily a matter of accessing "chunks" of data from long-term memory and using them in working memory.

This is more a matter of pattern recognition that in calculating more moves than a weaker player. We remember mating patterns, for example the “Greek Gift Sacrifice” against the castled king with Bxh7+ followed by Qh5+ and Ng5. Or the smothered mate trick of sacrificing your queen on g8 and mating with the knight on f7.

This pattern recognition is not only confined to mating attacks. There are techniques to be mastered in the endgame, in the middlegame you have to know what kind of endings to play for, whether in such and such a position you should strive to exchange pieces, or if winning chances are better if you exchange pawns. Attaining all this input requires hard work. And it is here that our talents more often than not fail.

Game shows Wesley’s tactical wizardry


Wesley So is extremely talented, now is the time for all of us to support him, encourage him, and help him make that big step. Here is a game he played in the Selection Tournament for the national squad going to the Macau Indoor Games. Look at it – and marvel at his tactical wizardry.

Nadera,Barlo (2402) - So,Wesley (2516) [E32]
Selection Tournament (Men) Tagaytay City (8), 02.08.2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0

This is known as the flexible approach, as Black does not give White anything to attack and also waits for White to commit himself before deciding on how to lay out his pieces.

5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6

The Vitolinsh Gambit with 6...b5!? has its adherents, but lately Kasimdzhanov showed a good way to meet it: 7.cxb5 c6 8.Qd3! d5 (8...cxb5 9.e4 White has the two bishops and a solid center) 9.Bg5 cxb5 10.Nf3 a5 11.e3 Ba6 12.b4 This is Kasimdzhanov's idea. The bishop is locked in a cage created by his own pawns on b5, d5, e6. Kasimdzhanov,R (2672)-Naiditsch,A (2676)/ Fuegen 2006 1–0 (30).

7.Bg5 Bb7 8.f3

This is the modern line, which has displayed 8.e3 in popularity. 8.e3 After the text Black has three main options: 8...d6, 8...c5, or the one that Wesley chooses, 8...h6 with ...d5.

8...h6 9.Bh4 d5 10.cxd5

The main line is 10.e3 , but it has recently received a huge blow when Gurevich (as White) lost two crucial games with it against Peter Leko in the Elista Candidates' matches. However, the text move is known to be OK for Black and in fact the second player statistically has a plus score with it in the international tournament circuit. And that is saying a lot.

10...exd5 11.Bxf6?!

Barlo goes after the pawn grab, which is perhaps not so advisable considering the tactical genius sitting opposite him across the board. The most with the better theoretical reputation is 11.e3.

11...Qxf6 12.Qxc7 Ba6 13.Qe5

Better than going to c3, which the German GM Luther has shown to be bad: 13.Qc3 Rc8

14.Qd2 Nc6 15.e3 Bxf1 16.Kxf1 Na5 17.Qd3 Nc4 18.b3 Qf5! 19.Ke2 Nxe3 20.Qxf5 Nxf5 21.Kd3 Re8 22.g4 Nh4 23.Nh3 Ng2 24.Rag1 Re3+ 25.Kd2 Rxb3 0–1 Sjoberg,M (2360)-Luther,T (2470)/ Borsodtavho 1991.

13...Qc6

Putting the queen on g6 is also possible, but I prefer Wesley's choice, since on c6 it protects the e8-square and so ...Re8 becomes an additional threat.

14.Qe3 Qc2 15.Qd2 Rc8 16.Nh3!

Good defence. Nadera declines to exchange queens, since after 16.Qxc2 Rxc2 apart from having a bad position he has to give back the pawn. Are we sure it cannot be saved? Let us see ... 17.b4 Nc6 18.e3 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Re8 20.Re1 b5 Black is threatening ...Rc3 and the pawns fall. If White plays 21.Nh3 then 21...Nxd4 22.Nf4 (22.exd4?? Rxe1+ 23.Kxe1 Rc1+) 22...Ra2 23.Nxd5 Nc2 24.Re2 Ra1+ 25.Kf2 Rxh1 26.Rxc2 Ra1 black wins.

16...Qa4 17.Nf4 Rc2 18.Qd1?
18.Qb4 is better]
18...Nc6 19.Nxd5?

After this White is lost. The only way to resist is 19.Rc1 although his position remains uncomfortable after 19...Rxc1 20.Qxc1 Nxd4 21.Nxd5 Qa5+ 22.Nc3 Rd8.
19...Nxd4 20.Nc3

After 20.Nc3

20...Nxf3+!! 21.Kf2
[21.exf3 Re8+; 21.gxf3 Qh4# mate]
21...Qd4+ 22.Qxd4 Nxd4 23.Rd1 Nb3 24.Nd5 Bb7 25.Ne3 Rxb2 26.h4 Nd2 27.Rh3
[27.Ke1 Ne4 28.Ra1 Rc8 White is powerless to prevent Black's infiltration]
27...Ba6 28.Re1 Re8 29.h5 Re4 30.Rg3 Re5 31.Rh3 Rb3 32.a4 Ne4+ 0-1

Barlo resigns without waiting for 33.Kg1 Ng5.

Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.

This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, November 2, 2007.



LONGEST RAPID ENDGAME
Rook & bishop vs rook

A MARATHON game lasting for 237 moves, 183 of them in the endgame, highlighted the four-player tournament featuring the world’s oldest active GM, two of the most glamorous international stars and France’s popular GM Laurent Fressinet.
Fressinet grabbed the plum by downing Russian glamour girl WGM Alexandra Kosteniuk in the playoff, but not without being beaten in a marathon that violated the 50-move endgame rule.

Trailing behind them were Swiss GM Korchnoi and France’s attractive new mother, WGM Almira Skripchenko, formerly of Moldova and ex-wife of 1988 world junior champion Joel Lautier.

The marathon duel took place at the picturesque Chateau de Villandry.

• Laurent Fressinet – Alexandra Kosteniuk

Rd. 2 Playoff, Sicilian, Moscow Variation (B51)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6 4.0–0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Ba4 b5 8.Bc2 e5 9.h3 Be7 10.d4 0–0 11.d5 Na5 12.Nbd2 g6 13.b4 Nb7 14.a4 Qc7 15.Nf1 Nh5 Missing the equalizer: 15...cxb4 16.Bh6 Ng7 17.Ng3 f6 18.Qd2 Rfc8 19.Ra2 a5 20.Rea1 axb4 21.cxb4 bxa4 22.Bxa4 Bxa4 23.Rxa4 Rxa4 24.Rxa4 cxb4 25.Rxb4 Nc5 26.Be3 Qd7 27.Rc4 Rb8 28.Bxc5 dxc5 29.Nf1 Ne8 30.Qc2 Qb5 31.N3d2 Qb2 32.Qa4 Kf7 33.Rc2 Qb4 33...Rb4 34.Rxb2 Rxa4 35.Rc2 should equalize 34.Qd7 Nd6 35.Ne3 Kf8 36.Kh2 Rd8 36...Nxe4? fails because of 37.Nxe4 Qxe4 38.d6! 37.Qg4 Qd4 38.Nec4 Fritz suggests 38.Nb3, e.g., 38...Qxe4 39.Nxc5 Qxg4 40.hxg4, with equal chances f5 39.Qe2 Nxe4 40.Nxe4 Qxe4 41.Qxe4 fxe4 With both queens gone, the two sides mow seek to destroy all the remaining pawns 42.Rd2 Bg5 43.Rd1 Rb8 44.Kg1 Rb4 45.Nxe5 c4 46.Nc6 Rb2 47.Nd4 c3 48.Re1 c2 49.Nxc2 Rxc2 Black is now ahead as White’s isolani is doomed 50.Rxe4 Rd2 51.g3 Be7 52.Rf4+ Kg7 53.Kg2 Bc5 54.h4 Rxd5
After 54…Rxd5

The endgame begins in earnest.

55.Rc4 Kf6 56.Rc2 Kf5 57.Ra2 Bb4 58.Rb2 Bc3 59.Rc2 Rd3 60.Kf1 Bd4 61.Kg2 Rb3 62.Rc7 h6 63.Rf7+ Ke6 64.Rf4 Bb6 65.Rf8 If 65.f3 Bc5! Rb2 66.Rf3 g5 67.hxg5 hxg5 68.Rf8 Bc5 69.Rf3 Ra2 70.Kg1 70.g4 wouldn’t help much, says Fritz 71.Kg2 Ke5 Missing the winning move, 71...Ra4! 72.Kh3μ Ra4 73.Kg2?? 73.Rf7 was the only viable move Ra2 73...g4 might be quicker 74.Rf7 74.g4 won’t do Ke4 74...g4!, and wins 75.Rf3 Bd4 76.Rf8 Kd3 77.Rf5?? Ke4 77...Rxf2+ was the strongest 78.Rxg5 Rxf2+ 79.Kh3 Rf8 80.Rg4+ Ke3 81.Rf4 Rg8 82.Rg4 Bg7 83.Kg2 Kd3 84.Rg6 Ke4 85.Rg5 Kd4 86.Kg1 Kd3 87.Kg2 Ke4 88.Rg4+ Kf5 89.Rf4+ Kg5 90.Kf3 Ra8 91.Rg4+ Kf6 92.Rf4+ Ke6 93.Kg2 Be5 94.Rf3 Rh8 95.Kg1 Kd5 96.Kg2 Ke4 97.Rb3 Rc8 98.Kh3 Rc2 99.Kg4 Rg2 100.Ra3 Rg1 101.Rb3 Bd6 102.Rc3 Kd4 103.Rb3 Bc5 104.Rf3 Bb4 105.Rf4+ Kc3 106.Rf3+ Kd2 107.Kf5 Ke2 108.Rb3 Bd2 109.Ke4 Ra1 110.Kf5 Be3 111.Kg4 111…Ra5+ 112.Ke4 Bg5 equalizes Ra4+ 112.Kh3 Ra7 113.Rb5 Rf7 114.Kg4 Rg7+ 115.Kh3 Bf2 116.Rb3 Kf1 117.Rb1+ Be1 118.Rb3 Rh7+ Fritz suggests 118...Ke2! 119.Kg4! Restoring the balance Kg2 120.Kf4 Rf7+ 121.Ke4 Bxg3 122.Rb2+ Kh3 123.Rb3 Kg4 124.Kd5 Bf4 125.Ke6 Rf8 126.Rb1 Re8+ 127.Kd7 Re5 128.Rd1 Kf5 129.Kc6 Re2 130.Rd8 Rc2+ 131.Kb5 Ke6 132.Rd4 Bd6 133.Rc4 Rb2+ 134.Kc6 Rb8 135.Rh4 Rc8+ 136.Kb7 Rc1 137.Kb6 Bf8 138.Kb5 Rc5+ 139.Kb6 Rc1 139...Rc3 140.Kb5 140.Kb5 Bd6 141.Rc4 Ra1 142.Kc6 Be5 143.Rc2 Ra8 144.Rc4 Rd8 145.Rc5 Bd4 146.Rc4 Rd6+ 147.Kc7 Rd7+ 148.Kc6 Be5 149.Rc5 Rd6+ 150.Kb5 Rd8 151.Kc6 Bd4 152.Rc4 Ke5 153.Kc7 Rh8 154.Kc6 Rh6+ 155.Kb7 Kd5 156.Rc7 Rb6+ 157.Kc8 Be5 158.Rb7 Rh6 159.Kd7 Bd6 160.Rb5+ Bc5 161.Rb7 Re6 162.Rc7 Bb6 163.Rb7 Rh6 164.Kc8 Ba5 165.Kd7 Kc5 166.Kc8 Rd6 167.Rd7 Rg6 168.Rb7 Bd2 169.Kd7 Bf4 170.Kc8 Kd5 171.Kd7 Rg7+ 172.Kc8 Rg1 173.Kd7 Bd6 174.Rb5+ Bc5 175.Rb7 Rd1 176.Kc8 Ke6 177.Kc7 Rc1 178.Kc6 Bd6+ 179.Kb5 Kd5 180.Rb6 Bc5 181.Rb7 Kd6 182.Ka6 Ra1+ 183.Kb5 Kd5 184.Rd7+ Bd6 185.Rb7 Rh1 186.Rb6 Bc7 187.Rb7 Rc1 188.Ka6 Kd6 189.Kb5 Rb1+ 190.Ka6 Ra1+ 191.Kb5 Bb8 192.Kb6 Bc7+ 193.Kb5 Ra5+ 194.Kb4 Rh5 195.Kc4 Kc6 196.Rb3 Rh4+ 197.Kd3 Ba5 198.Rb8 Kc5 199.Rg8 Rd4+ 200.Ke3 Bd2+ 201.Kf3 Rd7 202.Rg4 Kd5 203.Ke2 Ke5 204.Kf3 Bh6 205.Ra4 Rd5 206.Rh4 Bg5 207.Ra4 Rd3+ 208.Ke2 Re3+ 209.Kf2 Rb3 210.Ke2 Be3 211.Ra8 Bd4 212.Re8+ Kf4 Black activates its king 213.Kd2 Be5 214.Kc2 Rc3+ 215.Kd2 215.Kb2 should be tried Rc7 216.Kd3 Rd7+ 217.Kc4 Ke4 218.Kb5 Kd5 219.Rc8 Rb7+ 220.Ka6 Rb1 221.Rc2 Bd6 222.Rc8 Bc5 223.Rd8+ Kc4 224.Rc8 Rb2 225.Rc6 Kd5 226.Rc8 Rb6+ 227.Ka7 Kd6 228.Rb8 Rb1+ 229.Ka8 Ra1+ 230.Kb7 Ra7+ 231.Kc8 Rh7 232.Rb1 Kc6 233.Rd1 Be3 234.Kd8 B235.Kc8 Ra7 236.Kb8 Ra2 237.Rc1 Rh2!

After 237…Rh2!

White resigns as there is no defense against 237...Rh8#! 0–1

My thanks to John Manahan.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE UNDER WAY
Karpov, Polgar lose in opener

TWO celebrated grandmasters, Anatoly Karpov of Russia and Judit Polgar of Hungary, lost in the opening round of the Tournament of Champions being held in Vitoria-Gasteiz in Northern Spain.

Karpov, 56, lost to Topalov, 33, in a battle of former world champions, while Polgar, 31, could not take the measure of another former world champion, Ruslan Ponomariov, 24, of Ukraine.

Ironically, both losers had the white pieces.

The scheduled first-round bout between yet another world champion, Rustam Kasimdhzhanov of Uzbekistan, and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania was postponed to give more time to the Romanian grandlaster.

Nisipeanu was a last-minute replacement for former world champion Alexander Khalifman of Russia, who fell ill on the eve of his departure for Spain.
Nisipeanu and Polgar are not former world champions, unlike Karpov, Topalov, Ponomariov and Kasimdzhanov.

Judit, however, is universally recognized as the strongest female player ever while Nisipeanu is an up-and-coming superstar who has been largely successful in winning major prizes in international tournaments.

The Champions League is actually a fund-raising event intended to help one of the poorest places in the Congo. It includes a fashion show by famous designers and their models as well as a musical concert by the Moscow Orchestra.

All proceeds from this sideshow will go to Mbuji-Mayl, one of the poorest places in Africa.

The complete title of the event is “Chess Champions League – Playing for a Better World,” according to The Week in Chess posting.

The first round was played on Friday (Saturday in Manila) and the 10th and final round on Wednesday next week, November 14.

• A. Karpov (2670) – V. Topalov (2769)
Rd. 1,Nimzo-Indian Defense (E16)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 dxc4 7.Qxc4 b6 8.Nf3 0–0 9.Bg5 Ba6 10.Qc2 c5 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.Rd1 12.Qxc5!was stronger: 12…h6 13.Rd1, and White has the edge Qa5+ Equalizing 13.Bd2 Qb6 14.Bc3 Nbd7 15.e4 Fritz prefers 15.Ng5 Rfd8 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4! Bxf1 16.Kxf1 Qb7 Not 16...Rfd8 17.Kg1, when White improves his position 17.Re1 Preparing e5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.h4 Kh8 gives Black the chance to equalize Ne8 18.h4 Nd6 19.Rh3 Nb5 20.Rg3 f6 21.e5 f5 22.Ng5 Rfe8 23.Qe2 Nf8 24.h5 h6 25.Nh3 Nc7 26.Qc4 Nd5 27.Bd2 Kh7 28.b3 Qf7 29.Qe2 Rab8 30.Rc1 Nd7 31.a4 31.Nf4 is worthy of consideration, says Fritz Rb7 Restoring the equilibrium 32.Nf4 Nxf4 33.Bxf4 Reb8 34.Rcc3 Rb4 35.Bd2 Rh4 36.Kg1 Rbb4 37.f4 Re4 Not 37...Qxh5 38.Qxh5 Rxh5 39.Rgd3, and White clearly has the edge 38.Qf3 Rxh5 38...Qxh5 39.Qxh5 Rxh5 40.Rgd3 favors White 39.Re3 Rd4 39...Rxe3 40.Bxe3 g5 41.Qf2 should equalize 40.Rd3 40.Bc3 should be tried, e.g., 40…Re4 41.Rxe4 fxe4 42.Qxe4+ Rf5 43.a5! Rxd3 If 40...Rh4 41.a5 41.Qxd3 Nb6 42.Qd6 Nd5 43.Rd3 Fritz suggests 43.Qd8 to restore the balance Nb4 Best was 43...Rh4 44.Rf3 Qg6! 44.Bxb4 cxb4 45.Qxb4 Rh4 46.Rh3 Not 46.g3 Rh3 47.Qd2 Qb7! Rg4 Not 46...Rxh3 47.gxh3 Qc7 48.Qc4! 47.Qd2 a5 48.Qf2 48.Qxa5 was better: 48…Rxf4 49.Kh2 Re4, with equal chances Qc7 White resigns, not realizing he could fight for a draw. 0–1

• Ju Polgar (2708) – R. Ponomariov (2705)
Rd. 1, Ruy Lopez, Archangelsk and Moller Defenses (C78)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.a4 Rb8 8...Bg4 was better: 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4, with equality 9.d4 Bb6 10.Be3 0–0 11.Nbd2 Bg4 12.Qc2 Re8 13.axb5 axb5 14.Rfe1 Bh5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.h3 Bxe3 17.Rxe3 Ra8 18.Rd1 Qb8 19.Bd5 Qb6 20.b4 Rad8 21.Ba2 Na7 22.Nf1 Rxd1 23.Qxd1 Bg6 24.Ng3 Nc8 25.Nf5 If 25.Nh4 Nd6 Bxf5 26.exf5 e4 27.Nd4 Nd6 28.g4] c5 29.bxc5 Qxc5 30.Nb3 If 30.Bb3 h6 Qe5 31.Qd4 Fritz suggests 31.Nd4 Nd5 31...h5 may be tried: 32.Qxe5 Rxe5 33.Nd4 hxg4 34.hxg4 Nxg4, with Black way ahead 32.Re2 Nxc3 33.Rc2 e3 33...b4 34.Qxe5 Rxe5 35.Nd4 is also good for Black 34.Qxe5 Rxe5 35.fxe3 Rxe3 36.Nc5 Kf8 37.Kg2 Ke7 38.Bb3 h5 39.gxh5 Nxf5 40.Rd2 Nd6 41.Rd3 Rxd3 42.Nxd3 Nf5 43.Nb4 Nd4 44.Nd5+ Nxd5 45.Bxd5 b4!

Black resigns because she has to give up her bishop to stop that black pawn..0–1

FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR

RP team a big letdown in Macau
NO excuses, please.

It’s about time we faced the reality of the Philippines’ standing in Asian chess. The results of the national team’s performance in the Asian Indoor Games in Macau point up only one thing: the mediocrity of Filipino masters compared with their Asian rivals.

The writing on the wall is clear and let’s not have any illusion about having blazed new trails in this cerebral game half a century ago. We were the best then, but we are probably the worst now within the context of progress since then.
Consider these results:

• Our players as a team did not win any medals. Except for WNM Catherine Pereña’s stunning upset of Indian GM Humpy Koneru in rapid chess and the fact that Cheradee Camacho scored a perfect 2.0 wins in two games)to be named the Best Player in Standard chess percentage-wise..

• Individually, I did not read anything on the official website saying that a Filipino player of either gender had won any medal in any event. In Standard, GM Joey Antonio stood at No. 19

• In Blitz, WNM Pereña scored the highest at 5.0 to take the 10th slot., Wesley the 13th , GM Joey the 19th, NM Rolando Nolte the 21st, and WNM Sherily Cua the 38th.

• Speaking of medals, our team was nowhere to be found among the top five in Standard, Rapid or Blitz.

• In Team Standard rankings, the Philippines was No. 7, behind China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kazakshtan and Indonesia.

• In Standard chess, our highest scorers were No. 35 Sherrie Joy Lomibao and No. 36. IM Wesley So. Each had 3.0, with IM Ronald Bancod in 49th, Cheradee Camacho in 58th and GM Antonio in 78th.because he played only once and it ended in a draw.
points. Lomibao got a higher ranking because her score came from five games while So had six games.

• The highest scorers in Standard overall were GM Ni Hua and WGM Hou Yifan, 13. They had 5.5 each from six games.

Oh yes, if it’s any consolation at all to local fans, there was another Filipino who won honors in Macau as “Best Standard Player” percentage-wise. Like Chardine Cheradee Camaccho, Jane Enerlan Salvador posted 100 per cent from two games. But then, she was on the Macau team!

To make matters worse, there was scant coverage by both print and broadcast. My favorite newspaper never mentioned it.

Unless the NCFP reunites and do a lot of spadework, Philippine chess will continue to deteriorate. One day we may wake up to find chess a thing of the past.
Was it all due to bad luck in Macau? Poor officiating? Lousy food? No pocket money? No nothing?

No excuses, please.



=================================The Weekender

Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon City
Manuel O. Benitez
Editor & Publisher
Alfredo V. Chay
Circulation Manager

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Published every weekend
NOT FOR SALE!

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Wesley So, the Strongest 14 year old player in the world. No we can give the word so a different meaning... Take this one: "How was your performance? "Well, it was So and So!" Hahahahah! A So and So performance is a world standard performance!.