The results of Philippine Age Group Chess Championship here. Below is short-list of the 1st place finishers for each category:
Boys:
Under 18: Karl Victor Ochoa with 7.5 points
Under 16: Alcon John Datu with 8 points
Under 14: John Emmanuel Garcia with 7.5 points
Under 12: John Ray Batucan with 7.5 points
Under 10: Paolo Bersamina with 6.5 points
Under 8: Daniel John Lemi with 7 points
Girls:
Under 18: Kimberly Jane Cunanan with 6 points
Under 16: Jedara DOCENA with 7 points
Under 14: Chardine Cheradee CAMACHO with 6.5 points
Under 12: Jean Karen Enriquez with 6 points
Under 10: Samantha Glo Revita with 5 points
Under 8: Danica Ablang with 6 points
And now on to The Weekender by Mr. Manny Benitez:
The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 43
All is set for Battle of Grandmasters
EVERYTHING is ready for the Battle of Grandmasters being organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, NCFP executive director Willy Abalos has announced.
The much-awaited tournament—the first of its kind under the present dispensation—is scheduled to be held from April 19 to 30 at the Manila Pavilion on UN Avenue in Ermita.
Abalos told The Weekender that 12 leading male players, including six of the country’s seven grandmasters, have each made a definite commitment to play in the tournament.
On the distaff side, he said 12 of a short list of 14 amazons have made the same commitment.
Here is the lineup for the Men’s Division: GMs Wesley So (2540), Mark Paragua (2537), Joey Antonio (2529), Eugene Torre (2519), Jayson Gonzales (2467), and Bong Villamayor (2425); IMs John Paul Gomez (2464) and Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455); FM Fernie Donguines (2362); and NMs Rolando Nolte (2420), Oliver Barbosa (2403) and Hamed Nouri (2392).
Here are the women who have pledged to join the mixed tournament: Catherine Pereña (2234), Sherily (2107) and Shercila Cua (2201), Rulp Ylem Jose (2044), Jenny Rose Paloma, Jedara Docena, Aices Salvador (1998), WIM Beverly Mendoza (2072), Chardine Cheradee Camacho (2106), Kimberly Jane Cunanan, Christy Lamiel Bernales, and Enerose Magno.
Abalos said he was also inviting Loreshyl Cuison and WFM Sheerie Joy Lomibao, but he had not heard from them.
New faces emerge from Age-Group tilt
A FEW new faces emerged from the National Age-Group Championships over the past week as some of the old favorites tumbled out in a tournament full of surprises at Kaban ng Hiyas in the Mandaluyong City Hall Complex on Boni Avenue.
Among the boys, the biggest surprise was pulled off by Under-8 national champion Daniel John Lemi, a new face from Bangued Abra, who finished with an impressive 7.0 points out of nine games—a full point clear of his closest rival, Kyle Emmanuel Ochoa.
Behind them were three others tied for third to fifth with 5.5 each—Hance Patrick de Leon, Andrew Sopungco and Danrev Garcia.
In the U10 Boys, Asean gold medalist Paulo Bersamina won the crown with 6.5, also a point ahead of his nearest rivals, Darryl Unix Samantilla and Elijah Malliam.
Behind them in a tie for fourth to fifth were Mervince Yanzon and last year’s U8B champ, John Fleer Donguines.
A new face also took the U12B plum, John Ray Batucan, who had a score of 7.5, a mere half point ahead of his first runner-up, Christian Nanola.
Then came Vince Angelo Medina, Adrian Joseph Cebido and Carl Angelo Perez, with 6.5 each.
The race for the top in the U14B group was just as tight with the champion, old favorite Jan Emmanuel Garcia, seizing the crown with 7.5 points.
Two rivals, Prince Mark Aquino and Jan Nigel Galan, both also old favorites, were a half point behind.
Both were followed by Avhix Alfonso and Marc Christian Nazario who tied for fourth to fifth.
In the U16B group, dark horse Alcon John Datu won, upsetting a few of the old favorites by posting the highest score among the age group champions: 8.0 points!
The favorites whom Datu outmaneuvered included last year’s U14B champion and Asean gold star, Haridas Pascua, who skidded down to seventh place, thereby dropping out of the race for a slot in the World Youth Championships to be held in Vietnam in August.
In second place was yet another favorite, Loren Brigham Laceste with 7.5 points.
Right behind him by just half a point were four others with 6.5 each—non-masters whiz kids Narquingden Reyes and Mari Joseph Turqueza, along with Emmanuel Plan and Joey Albert Florendo.
The toughest fights, of course, took place in the U18B group, with the young veteran of many wars, Karl Victor Ochoa, making off with the trophy by outscoring his heavyweight rivals that included Richelieu Salcedo III, Leo Daylo Jr (fresh from the Sydney International Open), Michael Joseph Pagaran, and Jerwell Andoy.
Ochoa had 7.5, a full point clear of each of the four runners-up.
Among the girls, upsets were fewer with most of the favorites emerging from their fights with flying colors..
As expected, however, the Under-8 age group produced a new face, Danica Ablang, who won the crown with 6.0 points.
There were hardly any tied scores as can be seen from the list of runners-up: Alexis Charlotte Suede, 4.5, Alexis Anne Osena, 3.5, Clarissa Faith Maliam, 3.0 and Cherry Lyn Donguines, 2.
In the U10G group, last year’s U8G champion, Samantha Glo Revita, took the crown with 5.0 points, followed by two rivals with 4.0 each—Marie Antoinette San Diego and Cyamir Jil Villanueva.
Four others had 3.0 each, but only three of them qualified on tiebreak for the round robin tournament to select the players to be sent to the World Youth Championships. They were Jellie Ann Magro, Saramae Pandy and Mytzla Mendoza.
A new face, Jean Karen Enriquez, was crowned Under-12 girl champion. She had 6.0 points, followed by Rowelyn Joy Acedo, Ma. Ysabelle Joyce Semillano and Crissa Canada with 5.0 each.
Only Under-14 champion Chardine Cheradee Camacho defended the title she wore last year having remained in the same age group. She had 6.5 points, followed by Jan Jodilyn Fronda with 5.5.
Cherry Ann Mejia, Arvie Lozano and Brena Mae Membrere, last year’s U12 champion, had 5.0 each.
Doha Asean Games veteran Jedara Docena took the U16 crown with a convincing score of 7, followed by Akiko Charmaine Suede and Nikki Capinpin with 5.0 each.
An old favorite, Kimberly Jane Cunanan, topped the U18 group with 6.0 points. Behind her by half a point were Lovelyn Medina and Ronna Reigner Senora, followed by Susan Grace Neri and Ezra Joy Templonuevo with 4.5 each.
My thanks to Patrick Lee.
FLASH BULLETIN!!!
HARIDAS PASCUA, 15, scored a perfect 7/7 to top the First Mayor Alfredo Lim Cup Rapid yesterday, reader John Manahan reports.
Favorite Raymond Salcedo ended up second with 6.5, followed by Christopher Castellano, Gary Legaspi and Jan Emmanuel Garcia
GM So, 14, now No. 1 in RP
BACOOR wunderkind Wesley So, 14, heads the April 1, 2008 Fide ratings list of 100 Filipino players.
The world’s youngest GM, who is currently competing in the Dubai Open, had Elo 2540, his highest yet.
Wesley is also the reigning national champion.
This early, he looks certain to head the Philippine team that will compete in the 38th Men’s Olympiad in Dresden, Germany in November.
Close on his heels is Mark Paragua (2537), who is campaigning in the United States.
Both aim to raise their ratings in a bid to become super grandmasters— those players rated Elo 2600 and above.
Former No. 1 GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., 46, a native of Mindoro, kept his rating of 2529. This would have gone up had the results of the recent Sydney International Open been included in the calculations.
GM Eugene Torre was No. 4 with 2519, followed by IM Joseph Sanchez (2507), GM Darwin Laylo (2496), IM Oliver Dimakiling (2479), GM Jayson Gonzales (2467, IM John Paul Gomez (2464), and IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455).
Gonzales’ title on the Fide rating list is still IM, but a more recent posting on its official website said Fide’s presidential assembly had ratified the Filipino’s new GM title.
NM Rolando Nolte’s new IM title is expected to be ratified soon, too.
DR JOSE P LEVISTE MEMORIAL
Arroyo tops inter-university joust
By Marlon Bernardino
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY star Christian Arroyo drew his seventh and final-round game to snare the crown with a total score of 6.5 points in the College Division of the 4th Dr Jose P Leviste Inter-University Chess Festival last weekend.
Playing White, the Cagayan de Oro-born varsity star opted for a peaceful ending of his match against Emmanuel Emparado of De La Salle on the 39th turn of a Queen’s Gambit Declined, confident that his score was beyond the reach of all his rivals.
Emperado readily accepted Arroyo’s offer of a draw knowing that he had a good chance of getting a share of the other prizes with his score of 5.5 points.
Arroyo went home with the P5,000 first prize plus championship trophy.
Emperado won the first runner-up trophy on tiebreak over Franz Barretto of the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Ramie Lord Guerra of Adamson University, but the three equally shared the pooled second, third and fourth prizes (P3,000, P2,000 and P1,000, respectively) at P2,000 each.
In the high school division, Ali Guya of Adamson U, Alcon John Datu of UE and Haridas Pascua shared the pooled championship and the second and third prizes (P5,000, 3,000 and P2,000, respectively), or P3,333 each.
In the grade school group, Vince Angelo Medina won the first prize of P3,000 with 6.5points and Giovanni Medina P2,000. Both also received trophies.
The pooled amount from the third, fourth and fifth prizes of P1,000, P700 and P400 was divided among Malcolm Kwok, Christian Nanola and Jerome Lumacad at P700 each.
The special category prizewinners were Dennis Gutierrez Jr (top pre-school), Dandrev Garcia (top Grade I) and Bianca Gutierrez (Top Grade II) with an identical 4.0 points each.
Ateneo de Manila hosted the two-day tournament at its Grade School Cafeteria on the campus off Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.
The annual festival was held in honor of Dr Jose P Leviste, Ateneo high school Class 1934 and Associate in Arts Class 1936 alumnus who also excelled in chess.
Tournament director was IM Idelfonso Datu.
A total of 168 students flocked to the Ateneo de Manila U campus for the tournament that drew the support of Adidas Philippines, Columbia Business School Alumni Philippines (CBSP), Quest Asia Pacific Resources, Inc (QAPRI), Treswell Investment Asia Corporation (TIAC), Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) and Travis Chua.
Sevillano wins Western Pacific Open on tiebreak
THREE Filipinos—GMs Mark Paragua and Darwin Laylo, along with IM Enrico Sevillano—tied for first place together with two American international masters at the end of the five-round main event of the Western Pacific Open held last weekend in Los Angeles, California.
But it was the veteran US campaigner, IM Enrico Sevillano, who captured the title on tiebreak, with Paragua and Laylo in third and fifth places. Sevillano, a former Asian junior champion from Cebu, is now affiliated with the US Chess Federation.
The second slot went to IM Andranik Matikozyan and the fourth to Timothy Taylor.
The five winners had 4.0 points each.
It was the first US tournament for GM Laylo, who qualified for the World Cup last November in the Russian winter resort of Khanty-Mansiysk, but was knocked out in the second game of his first-round encounter with French prodigy Etienne Bacrot.
Sevillano, who is Southern California’s state champion, defeated American Fide Master Greg Small in the final round, while Paragua outclassed Californian Michael Anthony and Laylo outwitted untitled Iranian player Pedram Atoufi.
Paragua and Laylo were the only grandmasters in the 38-player open event and Sevillano, Matikozyan and Taylor the only international masters.
My thanks to Hugo Villanueva and Takashi Kurosaki, both of Los Angeles, California.
ASEAN MASTERS IN SINGAPORE
Two ex-champions fare poorly
TWO former national age group champions did not do well in the Singapore leg of the Asean Masters Circuit, it was learned from the official website.
Enerose Magno (2169) and Chardine Cheradee Camacho (2106) landed only the ninth and 12th slots in the 12-player field.
The top prize and title went to 13-year-old Singaporean Fide Master Graham Chua Xing-Jian, then rated at Elo 2075.
Asked why the NCFP sent the two teenaged girls instead of older and stronger players, executive director Willy Abalos said it was because they wanted to give promising local female players a chance to earn Fide titles and higher ratings.
This is why the federation also sent WNMs Sherily Cua and Catherine Pereña to Australia for the Sydney International Open, he explained.
Cua became the only player to earn a norm—WIM, her first—in that event.
Abalos said WNMs Magno and Camacho were picked because of their excellent track record. Moreover, he added, Enerose did well in the National Capital Region elimination series for the national team bound for the 38th Olympiad in Dresden Germany.
Martinez lands 5th berth in Pascua Int’l Tournament
MILAN-BASED Filipino IM Rolly Martinez took the fifth place with 5.0 points in the nine-round Pascua International Tournament held from March 20 to 24 in the Italian city.
This would have been all right under ordinary circumstances, but there were only 10 participants and Martinez had the highest rating of Elo 2447.
A 22-year-old Italian Fide master, Nicholo Ronchetti (2431), took the title and the plum with 6.0 points, followed by two IMs and another Fide master with 5.5 each, ahead of IM Martinez at solo fifth with 5.0.
The three runners-up were veteran IMs Roland Berzinsh (2417) of Latvia and Gojko Laketic (2443) of Serbia along with 16-year-old FM Axel Rombaldoni (2394) of Italy.
Those who finished behind Martinez were untitled players Ivan Tomba (2301) and Luca Barillaso, FMs Michaelangelo Scalione (2431), Edoardo Vancini (2277) and Anton Gilevich (2069).
In Spain, Paris-based IM Joseph Sanchez failed to duplicate his recent feat of earning his first GM norm as he landed only the 63rd place in an international tournament topped by Cuban IM Fidel Corrales Jimenez (2509).
The Cuban won on tiebreak over GMs Alexis Cabrera (2491) of Colombia and Karen Movsziszian (2527) of Armenia. They had 7.5 points each from nine games while Sanchez had only 5.0 to head a batch of 25 players who tied for 63rd to 87th places.
IM Sanchez, who is a native of Cebu, captured the elusive GM norm after six years of campaigning in Europe.
In Chicago, Filipino IM Angelo Young tied only for the sixth to seventh places in the 9th North American Fide Invitational held from March 22 to 28.
IM Young and veteran American FM Igor Tsyganov had only 4.0 points from nine games.
German FM Mehmed Pasalic (2395) topped the tournament and won an IM norm in the process. So did his first runner-up, 16-year-old US National Master Marc Arnold (2276).
Overall, it has been a bad week for Filipino players abroad, with the exception of NM Rolando Nolte who has added another IM norm to his name and acquired his first GM norm in the recently-concluded 3rd Kolkata Open.
My thanks to reader John Manahan for both news items.
CHESS IS ALIVE AND WELL IN CANADA
Filipinos rule Toronto roost
THE senior champion of Toronto, Canada is a Filipino and so is the champion of the most active chess club in that city, home to many expatriates from the Philippines, reader Erwin Casareno reports from his adopted homeland.
Ruperto Frilles captured the senior crown in December and his reign will last for a full year.
He and Mickey Stein had an identical score of 6.0 points each from seven rounds and had to play a best-of-three match to break the tie. The Filipino won the playoff match, 2-0, on December 7, 2007.
In second place was Ben Hosiosky, who won his final-round game against Oswald Barmasch.
Casareno himself won the Scarborough Chess Club Championship early this year.
The club competition, held from January 3 to February 28, had two sections—the main round-robin event with 10 players and the rest in a 10-round Swiss for Reserves.
Casareno topped the nine-round 10-player Section A tournament.
Section A comprised the eight top-rated players of the club plus the first and second prizewinners in the 2006-07 SCC Championship Reserves section.
This year’s top 10 consisted of one master (Bryan Lamb), four experts (junior girl Yuan Yuanling, John Hall, Alex Ferreira, and Erwin Casareno) and five A players (Rick Garel, Randy Moysoski, Yibing Fan, Bob Armstrong, and Josh Sherman).
Armstrong and Sherman were the first and second prizewinners in the previous year’s competition and therefore came from last year’s Reserves section.
Casareno topped the 10-player field in the main event with 7.0 points from nine games, followed by Bryan Lamb and John Hall who tied for second to third places with 6.5 each. Here is how the Filipino (White) outplayed the club’s junior girl expert.
E. Casareno - Yuan Yuanling
Toronto SSC Ch, Canada 2008
Sicilian Dragon, Yugoslav Attack (B76)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0–0 9.g4 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Not 10.Qxd4? Nxg4! 11.Qd3 Nxe3 12.Qxe3 Be6, and Black is way ahead Be6 11.0–0–0 Qa5 12.a3 Rfc8 13.h4 Rab8 14.h5 b5 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Qg5 Qc7 16...Rb7!? must be considered, says Fritz 17.e5 Not 17.Bxb5?! Qa5 18.Qe3 Rxb5 19.Nxb5 Qxb5, and Black has equalized dxe5 18.Bxe5 Qc6 18...Qb6 19.Bxb8 Rxb8 20.Qf4 would help White 19.Bxb8 Rxb8 20.Qf4 Not 20.Nxb5?! Qxf3 21.Qe5 Qb7!, equalizing Qb6 21.Bd3 Rc8 22.Rde1 Rc6 23.Qb4 Qc7 24.Nxb5 24.Bxb5 would let Black equalize Qb7 Not 24...Qb8 25.Qxe7 Rb6 26.c3! 25.Qd4 Nd5 25...Rc8 26.Rxe6 fxe6 27.Qe3 would boost White’s lead 26.Qxa7 Qc8 27.Qa4 Rb6 28.Qe4 Qb8 28...Rxb5 would be good for White, e.g., 29.Bxb5 Bxb2+ 30.Kxb2 Qc3+ 31.Kc1 Qxa3+ 32.Kd2 Qa5+ 33.c3 Nxc3 34.Qd3 Nxb5+ 35.Ke3 Qa7+ 36.Kf4 Qc7+ 37.Kg5 29.a4 Nf4 30.Bc4 Bf6 31.Bxe6 Nxe6 32.Qc4 Qe8 33.b3 Rc6 34.Qe4 Nc5 35.Qe3 Ne6 36.f4 Qb8 37.g5 Bg7 38.Rh4 Qc8 39.Re2 Rc5 39...Qd8 is no salvation: 40.Reh2 Nf8 41.f5! 40.Reh2 f5 40...f6 won't improve anything: 41.Nd4 Nxd4 42.Qxd4! 41.Re2 Kf7 42.Rh7 Kg8 43.Rh1 43.Qxe6+ seems even better, says Fritz: 43...Qxe6 44.Rxg7+ Kxg7 45.Rxe6 Kf7, and White zooms ahead Kf7 44.Rhe1 Nf8 44...Be5 hardly improves anything: 45.fxe5 Qh8 46.Nd4! 45.Qxe7+ Kg8 46.Nd6 Qc6 46...Qd7 desperation 47.Qxd7 Nxd7 and White still wins 47.Qf7+ Kh8 48.Rh2+ Nh7 49.Re8+!
Black resigns in the face of a total encirclement of his king 49…Qxe8 50.Qxe8+ Bf8 51.Qxf8#! 1–0
I was pleasantly surprised to get Casareno’s email last weekend because I myself was not aware I had readers in Toronto, Canada.
2008 SYDNEY INT’L OPEN
Indian superstar shines Down Under
INDIAN superstar Surya Shekhar Ganguly of India, a five-time national champion, has finally emerged from the shadows of his own making to sparkle bright and clear in Australian skies over the past month.
Apparently, the former child prodigy from Kolkata who had been in the doldrums since 2006 has done a lot of homework and actual tournament practice lately since being outshone in India by his rivals. On the latest Fide lists, GM Ganguly has made a quantum leap in his Elo ratings—from 2579 in the first quarter of this year to 2614 in the second quarter.
Today, Ganguly is safely ensconced as No. 4 among the top 100 Indian players, next only to world No. 1 and reigning champ Viswanathan Anand (2803) and his two closest local rivals, Pentala Harikrishna and Krishnan Sasikiran, both of them rated at 2679.
There is no doubt that among the men the Indians, not the Chinese, rule the roost in Asia. As for the women, the Chinese have no equal.
I must say that it is more than coincidence that China and India are the most populous countries in the world.
In Australia, Ganguly not only captured the plum in the Sydney International Open in New South Wales, he also had earlier finished in a tie for the second to eighth prizes at the Doeberl Cup in Canberra, the federal capital.
In the Sydney Open, the Indian wizard started with a bang, winning brilliantly his first two games against lower-rated opponents. From then on it was virtually easy pickings for him.
S. S. Ganguly (2579) – G. McNamara (2084)
Rd 1, Sydney Int’l Open 2008
Sicilian Scheveningen (B84)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0–0 Be7. 8.f4 Nbd7 9.Kh1 Qc7 10.Bf3 0–0 11.a4 Rb8 12.Qe1 Re8 13.g4 Nf8 14.g5 N6d7 15.Qg3 b6 16.f5 Ne5 17.Bg2 Bd8 18.f6 g6 If 18...Nfg6 19.Nde2 19.Nde2 Nfd7 20.Qh4 Kh8 21.Rf4 Qc5?? Leading to a quick end. Safer, says Fritz, is 21...h5, although White stays in the lead 22.Qh6! Nxf6 23.gxf6 Not the dubious 23.Rxf6?! Ng4 24.Qh4 Bxf6 25.Qxg4 Be5! Bxf6 24.Rxf6 Ng4 24...Kg8 won't improve anything, Fritz notes 25.Qh4 Nxf6 25...Qh5 offers the last hope: 26.Qxh5 gxh5 27.Rxf7 Rg8, but it won’t alter the outcome 26.Qxf6+ Kg8 27.Nd5!
Blocking the pathway of the enemy king to the h-file. Fritz trots out one possible continuation: 27…Qf2 28.Qxf2 exd5 29.Qf6 Re6 30.Qd8+ Re8 31.Qxe8+ Kg7 32.Bh6+ Kxh6 33.Qf8+ Kg5 34.h4+ Kf6 35.Nc3 Bb7 36.Nxd5+ Bxd5 37.Rf1+ Ke5 38.Qg7+ Ke6 39.Qxf7+ Ke5 40.Qxd5#! 1–0
In the second round, Ganguly had Black against a 2243 player, but the result was the same as he poured it on with precision.
V. Kivsovic (2243) – S. S. Ganguly (2579) [B44]
Rd 2, Sicilian Taimanov (B4)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 Be7 9.Be2 b6 10.Be3 Ne5 11.Rc1 Bb7 12.f3 Rc8 13.0–0 0–0 14.Qb3 Ned7 15.Rfd1 Qc7 16.Na4 If 16.Qc2 Ne5, and Black has equalized Nc5 17.Qc2 Nfxe4 18.Nxb6? Missing 18.fxe4, e.g., 18…Bxe4, 19.Rd3! Qxb6! Black surges on 19.fxe4 Bg5! More powerful than
19...Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qxb2 21.Bxc5, and White would only have a slight edge 20.Qc3 If 20.Bxg5 Nb3! Bxe3+ 21.Qxe3 Qxb2 22.Bf3 If 22.Rxd6 Bxe4 23.Rf1 Qxa2, and Black is way ahead Bxe4!
Decisive.
23.Rxd6 If 23.Qxe4 Nxe4! Nd3! Doomsday 24.Rxa6?? Bxf3 The persuader: if 25.gxf3 Nxc1! 0–1
Singapore’s “imported” No. 1 player, China’s former national champion Zhang Zhong, was able to boost his stock and end up tied for first to fourth on the crest of his win against Filipino ace Joey Antonio, whom he spotted by 48 Elo points in the fourth round.
I hope Antonio profited from this loss and will take positive steps to raise his Elo rating during the second quarter and be the first to enjoy the perks of being a super GM as promised by NCFP chief Prospero Pichay Jr.
Incidentally, Antonio returned home directly from Sydney instead of passing by Thailand where he was supposed to compete in the Bangkok Open.
He told Weekender contributor Ignacio Dee that he felt too exhausted after his Sydney stint to continue with his plan. GM Joey has been Bangkok Open champion three times in the past.
Zhang Zhong – R. Antonio
Rd 4, Caro-Kann, Advance Variation (B12)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.0–0 h6 7.Nbd2 Nd7 8.Nb3 a6 9.Bd2 Bh7 10.Rc1 b6 11.g3 c5 12.c4 dxc4 13.Rxc4 Nd5 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.Re1 Be7 16.Bf1 0–0 17.Na5 Qb6 18.b3 Rfd8 19.a3 Prophylaxis Rac8 20.Rc1 Nb8 21.Qe2 The isolani on a6 becomes a target, notes Fritz Nc7 22.Red1 22.Bg2 Rd7, with equality Nc6 22...Bd3 is playable, e.g., 23.Qe1 Bxf1 24.Qxf1 Rxd2 25.Nxd2 Qxa5! 23.Nc4 23.Nxc6 would only help Black, e.g., 23…Qxc6 24.Ba5 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Rb8, with equal chances Qb7 23...Qxb3! is more precise, e.g., 24.Na5 Nxa5 25.Bxa5 Rxd1 26.Qxd1 Qxd1 27.Rxd1 Nd5! 24.Be3 Restoring the balance Rxd1 25.Qxd1 Rd8 If 25...Rb8 26.Ncd2! 26.Nfd2 26.Nd6!? should not be overlooked: 26...Qb8 27.b4, and White has the edge Nd5 27.f4 Be4 27...Nxe3 28.Nxe3 c4 29.b4! helps Black, Fritz assesses 28.a4 28.Bf2 Bf5 allows Black to equalize Nc7 28...Nxe3! should be tried, e.g., 29.Nxe3 Na5! 29.Nd6 Bxd6 30.exd6 Rxd6 31.Bxc5 Rd8 32.Qe1 Bd5 33.Qe3 Ne8 34.Nc4 Nb8 34...Nf6 35.Bb6 Ng4 36.Qc5 would have kept the balance 35.Nb6 Be4 36.b4 Nd7 37.Qe2?? Not a good decision, letting Black back into the game: 37.Rd1 Nef6 38.Rd6 Ndf6?? Ruining a clearly superior position, Fritz notes. Best was 37...Nxb6!, e.g., 38.Qxa6 Qxa6 39.Bxa6 Nxa4, and Black zooms ahead 38.Rd1 Missing 38.Qxa6!? Qxa6 39.Bxa6, and White has a clear advantage Rxd1 Keeping the balance 39.Qxd1 Nd5 40.Nxd5 If 40.a5 Nec7! Bxd5 40...exd5 41.b5 Nc7 42.b6! would benefit White 41.Qd3 Qd7 If 41...Nc7 42.b5 42.a5 Best was 42.Qxa6 Bc6 43.Qd3 Bxa4 44.Qxd7 Bxd7 45.b5, and White has the edge h5? Fritz suggests 42...Nc7!, with excellent chances of restoring the equilibrium 43.Qxa6! White seizes the chance to sprint ahead Bb7 43...Nf6 44.Qb5 would help White 44.Qe2 h4 Not 44...Nf6 45.a6 Bd5 46.Bg2! 45.a6 Ba8 46.g4 46.a7!? keeps an even firmer grip: 46...hxg3 47.hxg3 Nc7! Nf6 47.Qd3?? White releases the pressure, missing his best shot, 47.Bg2 Nd5 48.Qd1! e5?? But Black fails to capitalize on White’s mistake and misses his own shot: 47...Qc6! 48.h3, and the position is unclear 48.h3 48.Qxd7 seems even better: 48...Nxd7 49.fxe5 Nb8, and White is again zooming ahead Qd5?? Black has apparently lost the thread and, in the words of Fritz, is “strolling merrily down the path to disaster.” 48...Qc6 49.Kf2 Qh1 would have minimized White’s advantage 49.Bd4 49.Qxd5 makes sure everything is clear 49...Bxd5 50.Be7, and White is a mile ahead exd4! Black now has a good chance of turning the tables on White 50.Kf2
White is just pushing wood, but his options are limited: 50.g5 would be a mistake, e.g., 50...Qh1+ 51.Kf2 Ne4+ 52.Ke1 Qg1!, and Black would have a huge advantage. But then, Black doesn’t see he is winning and is also pushing wood …Qd6 Missing the winning shot: 50...Ne4+!?, e.g., 51.Kg1 Ng3 52.a7! Probably disheartened by his crucial miss, Black resigns! 1–0
Zhang began the event by winning a minigem against a lower-rated Australian.
J. Morris (2096) – Zhang Zhong (2617)
Rd 1, Sicilian Defense (B30)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.c3 Nge7 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0–0 Bd6 10.Nc3 0–0 11.Ne4 Be7 12.Ne5 Qb6 13.Nc4 Qc7 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bh4?? Best was 15.Bd2, equalizing Qf4! 16.Qa4 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 (not 16...Rxf6?! 17.g3 Qf5 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.Qa4!) 17.Bxf6 Qxf6, and Black surges on Qxe4 17.Qxc6 17.Bg3 hardly improves anything: 17...Qxd4 18.Qxc6 Nb6 19.Nxb6 Qxb6 (19...axb6 20.Qxa8 Bc5 21.Rad1 gives White the edge) 20.Qxb6 axb6 and Black surges ahead Rb8 Not 17...Qxh4?! 18.Qxa8 Qxd4 19.Qc6 and Black zooms on 18.Bg3 Bb7! White resigns: if 19.Nd2 Bxc6 20.Nxe4 Rxb2, and Black wins. 0–1
Many of the grandmasters visiting Australia were taken by surprise when they realized that the newest and youngest grandmaster Down Under performed amazingly like a veteran against one of them.
An immigrant from China where he was born in 1983, Zhao Zong-Yuan who is now an Australian citizen became the country’s youngest IM at the age of 14 and the youngest grandmaster at 21.
He earned his three GM norms one after the other within seven weeks straddling 2007 and 2008—starting with the Saturday GM in December 2007, the 7th International Chess Festival in Pontevedra, Spain soon after Christmas 2007 and finally in the GibTel Open on The Rock in early January, soon after New Year’s Day.
Among his victims in Gibraltar was former US champion Hikaru Nakamura.
GM Zhao is currently based in Sydney where he is a pharmacy student.
In the Sydney Open Zhao tied for first to fourth with GMs Ganguly, Zhang and Gawain Jones of England—a no mean feat considering the quality of the opposition and the fact that he emerged unscathed.
Zhao’s entry into the Australian scene filled a void left by the sudden retirement due to a life-threatening ailment of the country’s trailblazing GM, Ian Rogers.
Now there are two active homegrown Aussie GMs again, Zhao and the old reliable Darryl Johansen of Melbourne University.
Let his games speak for Zhao. Here is how he mauled a lower-rated player.
A. Brown (2004) – Zhao Zong-Yuan (2487)
Rd 1, Semi-Slav (D43)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 g6 9.0–0 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Bg7 11.Rc1 0–0 12.Qe2 Qe7 13.Rfd1 a6 14.a3 b6 15.e4 Bb7 16.e5 b5 16...c5 17.d5 would have equalized 17.Ba2 c5 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.b4 Nd7 20.Ne4 Rad8 20...Nxe5 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.Nc5 would help White 21.Ned2 Nb6 21...Rc8 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Bb1! would give White a boost 22.Ne4 22.Bb3 Rc8 should keep the balance Nd7 Missing 22...Rxd1+!? 23.Rxd1 Rd8! 23.Ned2 Restoring the balance Rc8 24.Bb1 Bd5 25.Qe3 Rfd8 25...Rxc1 26.Rxc1 Qd8 leads to equality 26.Qa7 26.Rxc8!? must definitely be considered, says Fritz: 26...Rxc8 27.Re1! Ra8 27.Qc7 a5 28.Rc5?? This causes further problems. Best is 28.Be4 axb4 29.axb4 Qxb4 30.Bxd5 exd5 31.Rc6 Bxf3!
The end for White: if 29.gxf3 Qg5+ 30.Kf1 Nxc5, and Black wins. 0–1
And here is how the new GM, playing White, took the measure of a super GM from Belgium.
Zhao Zong-Yuan – Vadim Malakhatko
Rd 4, Semi-Slav (D45)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 e6 6.b3 Bb4 7.Bd2 Nbd7 8.Bd3 0–0 9.0–0 Qe7 10.Qc2 e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Ne2 Bd6 Threat: …Qxh2#! 15.Ng3 Qg5 16.Bc3 Ng4 17.Be2 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.Bd3 Qh4 leads to equality h5 17...Bxg3 would help White:18.hxg3 Qh5 19.Bxg4 Bxg4 20.Qd3! 18.Rfd1 h4 19.Nf1 h3 20.g3 Not 20.gxh3?? because of 20...Nxe3+ 21.Ng3 Nxc2, and Black surges ahead Be6 21.Qd2 Rac8 22.f3 Nf6 Planning …Ng4-f6-d7-b8-c6-e5-c4 23.Rac1 Ba3 24.Bb2 Bxb2 25.Qxb2 Nd7 26.Qd4 Qe7 27.b4 Nb8 28.a3 Nc6 29.Qb6 Ne5 30.Qd4 Rxc1 31.Rxc1 Nc4 The knight dominates 32.Rc3 b5 33.Nd2 Rd8 If 33...Ra8 34.Nb1! 34.Kf2 Fritz prefers 34.Nb3!?, restoring the balance Ra8 35.Nb3 Nxa3 36.Rc5 Nc4 37.Qf4 Qd8 37...Rc8 38.Bd3 38.Nd4 Rc8 Not 38...g5 because of 39.Qc7! 39.Bd3 39.Nxe6 fxe6 40.Qg4 would only lead to equality Qe8?? Ruining his own position, Fritz notes, adding that 39...Rxc5 would be a reprieve, e.g., 40.bxc5 g5 41.Nxe6 fxe6 (41...gxf4? is tempting but does not stand up to the reality of the position) 42.Nxd8 fxe3+ 43.Ke2!, and White zooms on 40.Nxe6 fxe6?! Putting up no strong fight. Stronger but not enough to change the course of events is 40...Nb2 41.Bf5 fxe6 42.Rxc8 Qxc8 41.Bg6! The lethal blow. 41...Qxg6 42.Rxc8+ Kh7 43.Qh4+ Qh6 44.Qxh6+! Black resigns. 1–0
3RD KOLKATA OPEN
Nolte makes his mark
IN just one event, Rolando Nolte has proved to all and sundry that he deserves more than mere recognition of his status as one of the leading players in the country, the awarding of his title that has long been overdue: that of International Master.
In fact, his record-breaking feat of earning yet once again an extra IM norm in the 3rd Kolkata Open and then, a couple of rounds later a GM norm, besides beating at least one grandmaster and holding another to a draw, shows that Nolte has finally asserted himself—or, to be more precise, his chess persona.
One is tempted to regard Rolando as one of those nice guys that one supposes he would rarely meet in chess. After all, chess is supposed to be a miniature kind of war where one must be wily and terribly ruthless if need be and even ready to commit violence even if in just a vicarious way.
But in Kolkata, Rolando has demonstrated that he has a certain kind of cunning that hides behind that smile or simply vanishes from one’s malicious thoughts because of that twinkle in his eyes.
Of the three who went to that crowded Indian city, Nolte was perhaps the least expected to make a huge splash.
This is because NM Oliver Barbosa has time and again sparkled in local and foreign tournaments and IM Chito Garma is a well-known and a vastly experienced brawler who can play brilliantly at the drop of a hat on any given occasion.
But NM Rolando Nolte? Well, ah, you never can tell… Now look what he has done—amazing!
Let his games speak on his behalf.
Aware that he was playing in a foreign land, Nolte began cautiously but solidly so as to avoid any surprises and ensure at least half a point, not a zero, in every game while he tested the waters as in the following encounter he had with an Indian GM.
D. Neelotpal (2486) – R. Nolte (2412)
Rd 3, 3rd Kolkata Open, India 2008
Queen’s Pawn Opening (D02)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.b4 Bg7 5.e3 0–0 6.Be2 b6 7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.b5 Bb7 9.c4 dxc4 10.Nxc4 a6 11.a4 axb5 12.axb5 Opening the file gets White a lot of play, Fritz notes Ne4 13.0–0 Nd6 14.Nce5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ne4 16.Bd4 Nc5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Qc2 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Bxe5?? Criticized by Fritz as imprecise. It suggested instead 19...Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Bxe5, with counterplay 20.Qxc5 Missing the more decisive 20.Rxa8, e.g., 20...Qd7 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Qxc5!, and White sprints ahead Qd6 It’s Black’s turn to miss his best shot: 20...Rxa1!, and wins, e.g, 21.Rxa1 Bxa1 21.Qxd6!
A draw was agreed at this point on White’s offer. ½–½
Facing another visitor like him, Nolte was not awed by the Armenian’s GM title and decided to go for broke—and won! This ensured his GM norm.
R. Nolte (2412) – S. Lputian (2616)
Rd 6, French Tarrasch (C04)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7 6.Bb5 a6 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.Nb3 c5 Trying to unravel the pawn chain 9.Bg5 Be7 10.h4 h6 11.Be3 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.c3 a5 merely leads to equality cxd4 12.Qxd4 c5 13.Qg4 g6 14.c4 d4 15.Bf4 Bb7 16.Nbd2 Qc7 17.0–0–0 Bc6 Best is 17...Rb8 18.h5 g5 19.Bg3!, says Fritz 18.Kb1 Rb8 19.Ka1 Qb7 20.Rb1 Bd8 21.Rhd1 Ba5 22.Ne1 If 22.Qg3 Qc7! Bxd2 Fritz suggests 22...Ba4!? 23.Rxd2 Restoring the balance a5 24.Qg3 a4 25.Rc1 Qa8 26.f3 Kf8 27.Nd3 Kg7 28.Qf2 Rb3 29.Rcc2 29.axb3?? would be a horrible mistake:29...axb3+ 30.Kb1 Qa2#! Rhb8 30.Nc1 R3b6 31.Nd3 R8b7 32.Rd1 Ra7 33.Qd2 h5 34.Bh6+ Kh7 35.Bg5 Qf8 36.Qf4 Qg7 If 36...Rb3 37.g4 (not 37.axb3?? axb3+ 38.Kb1 Ra1+ 39.Kxa1 bxc2 40.Qxf7+ Qxf7!, and Black surges ahead) 37.g4 37.Be7 Nxe5 38.Bxc5 Nxd3 39.Rxd3 e5 gives White only a slight edge Rb3 38.Re2 Less advisable is 38.axb3 axb3+ 39.Kb1 bxc2+ 40.Kxc2 Ra4, and Black has equalized Rb8 39.Rg1 Rg8 40.Reg2 Raa8 41.Be7 f5?? Black crumbles. 41...a3 is better but it will also help White: 42.b3 Rae8 43.Bxc5 Nxc5 44.Nxc5 hxg4 45.Rxg4 Qf8, and White is way ahead 42.exf6 e5 42...g5 won’t improve anything: 43.Qd6 Nxf6 44.hxg5 Qxg5 45.Qxc6 43.Nxe5
After 43.Nxe5! The persuader, and Black resigns. 1–0
Do you know that Nolte was the only untitled—yes, untitled because Fide does not recognize “national master” as a title—player among the top 10 winners in the Kolkata Open?
He landed the seventh slot on tiebreak and all the six above him were grandmasters.
Below him in the top 10 were a GM, an IM and then another GM.
Of the 30 prizewinners, 17 were GMs and eight IMs.
That means there were five non-masters who won prizes—and Nolte had the highest prize—24,000 Indian rupees equivalent roughly to US$600 at the rate of exchange of 40rupees to a US dollar. Or, at the current rate of exchange of P41.70 to US$1, about P25,020. Not bad!
The next highest-paid non-master was Indian player Krishnan BT Murali, who received 6,000 rupees, compared with Nolte’s 24,000! Whew!
As everybody knows, Czech GM Viktor Laznicka (2578) won the title and the 200,000-rupee (about $5,000) first prize, with the second prize of 160,000 (about $4,000) going to India’s No. 2, GM Krishnan Sasikiran (2679) and the third prize of 120,000 rupees (about $3,000) to Uzbek GM Shukhrat Safin (2481).
Laznicka and Sasikiran had the same score of 8.5, while Safrin had 7.5.
Nolte had 7.0 points along with six others, four of them GMs and two IMs. Nolte, to repeat, had no title. Hopefully, he will get his IM title soon enough, having earned another norm in Kolkata besides his GM result.
His bid for a GM norm got a big boost with the following win against a higher-rated Indian adversary.
R. Nolte (2412) – A. Abdulla (2506)
Rd 9, Ruy Lopez, Karpov and Flohr-Zaitsev Variations (C92)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Nd7 10.d4 Bf6 11.a4 Bb7 12.Be3 Na5 13.Bc2 Nc4 14.Bc1 exd4 15.cxd4 c5 16.Qd3 g6 16...Bxd4 17.Nxd4 Nde5 18.Qd1 cxd4 19.Qxd4 should equalize 17.axb5 axb5 18.Rxa8 Bxa8 19.b3 Na5 20.Bf4 d5 21.Qxb5 Bc6 22.Qa6 dxe4 23.Ne5 Bb7 23...Nb8!? could also level the game: 24.Qe2 Qxd4 25.Nxc6 Nbxc6! 24.Qb5 Bxe5 25.dxe5 Bc6 26.Qa6 Bd5 27.Nd2 f5 Better was 27...Nc6!? 28.Nxe4 Re8, minimizing White’s advantage 28.e6 g5 29.Bh2 Rf6? 30.e7!
The end, with the threat of …exd8=Q#!, and the rest is history.
30...Qxe7 31.Qxa5 Re6 32.Nc4 f4 33.Rd1 Bc6 34.Qc7 e3 35.fxe3 fxe3 35...Rxe3 was necessary, otherwise it's curtains at once: 36.Bxf4! 36.Bd6 Qf6 37.Qxc6! 1–0
Here is how Nolte clinched his GM norm with a draw against Indian GM Chanda Sandipan, who took the fourth prize on tiebreak over six others, including Nolte himself.
R. Nolte (2412) – C. Sandipan (2593)
Rd 10, Sicilian Scheveningen (B80)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.g4 b4 9...h6 10.a3 would have equalized 10.Nce2 h6 11.0–0–0 Ne5 11...d5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nf4 would benefit White 12.Ng3 12.Qxb4!? was stronger, e.g., 12…d5 13.Qc3, and White would have the edge d5 Equalizing 13.g5 hxg5 14.Bxg5 Bb7 15.f4 Nc4 16.Qe1 Qa5 17.Kb1 Qc7 18.e5 Nh7 19.Bh4 Bc5 19...g6 20.Rg1 would have restored the balance 20.Nh5 Bxd4? 20...Rg8!? should be investigated more closely, says Fritz 21.Rxd4 21.Nxg7+!? should be tried to gain greater advantage, e.g., 21…Kf8 22.Rxd4 Kxg7 23.Rg1+ Kf8 24.Qg3!, and White zooms away g6 22.Nf6+ Nxf6 23.Bxf6 Qb6 24.Qf2 Rc8 25.Bxc4 Rxc4 26.Rxd5! Discovered attack, threatening Qxb6#! The text is more accurate than 26.Bxh8 Qxd4 27.Rf1 Qxf2 28.Rxf2 Re4! 26...Qc7 Not 26...exd5 because of 27.Qxb6! 27.Rd8+! Not 27.Bxh8?! Bxd5 28.Rd1 a5! Qxd8 28.Bxd8 Kxd8 29.Rd1+ Kc8 30.b3 Rc7 31.Rd4 a5 32.h4 32.Rc4 might be the shorter path, Fritz notes: 32...Rxc4 33.bxc4 a4, and White forges ahead Kb8 Rhc8 35.Rd2 a4 36.Kxa3 axb3 37.cxb3 Bd5 38.Rd4 38.f5!? gxf5 39.Rd3 Kb7 was playable Rb7 39.Rb4 Rc3 40.Rxb7+ Kxb7 41.Kb2 Rxb3+ 42.Kc2 Rf3 ½–½
Psychology plays a large part in chess and Filipino players wishing to compete abroad must prepare themselves well so they won’t feel lost at sea when facing opponents from a far different culture than theirs.
I know that both Barbosa and Garma had had experience playing overseas, but that’s not enough. They should at least bone up on how the mind plays tricks on oneself and how culture shock or other factors could derail one’s thinking processes. They should at least have an idea of who they would be playing against.
Barbosa started well enough as the following game would show.
O. Barbosa (2410) – A. Minhazuddin (2333)
Rd 3, Queen’s Indian (E18)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–0 Be7 6.d4 d5 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Qa4 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Ne4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Rd1 Qe8 13.Qc2 Qc6 Missing the equalizing 13...Rd8 14.Rxd8 Qxd8 15.Be3 14.Rd4 Qc5 15.Rd7 Rad8 16.Be3 Qxe5 17.Bf4 Better than 17.Rxe7 Qd6 18.Bg5 f6 19.Rxg7+ Kxg7! Qf6 18.Rxc7 Ba8 19.Be3 19.Rxa7!? may be tried, e.g., 19…Bc5 20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.Qxe4 Qxb2 22.Rb1! Rc8 Equalizing 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Rd1 Bf8 22.b3 Qe5 23.Rd7 Qa1+ 24.Rd1 24.Bf1!? Bb4 25.Rxa7 is playable Qe5 Keeping the balance 25.Bf4 Qf5 26.Be3 Qe5 27.h4 h6 28.Rd7 Bc5 Not 28...Qa5 29.Bd2 Qa6 30.Bxe4 Bxe4 31.Qxe4 Qxa2 32.Qf3! 29.Bxc5 bxc5 30.Qd2 Bc6 31.Rd8+ Rxd8 32.Qxd8+ Kh7 33.Kh2 Qf6? Fritz suggests 33...f6! 34.Qd6! e5 35.Qxc5 a6 36.Qb6 Ba8 37.Qa7!
Black resigns, for if 37…Bc6 38.Qxa6! 1–0
He started to wobble when he came face to face with an Indian GM. See how his play changes.
C. Sandipan (2593) – O. Barbosa (2410)
Rd 4, Sicilian, Russolimo or Moscow Variation (B51)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6 4.0–0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.h3 e5 7.c3 a6 8.Bf1 Be7 9.d4 0–0 10.d5 Na7 11.a4 Re8 12.a5 Bb5 13.Nbd2 Bf8 14.Nc4 Nd7 15.Be3 Qc7 16.Nfd2 b6 17.axb6 Nxb6 18.Nxb6 Qxb6 19.b4 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Nb5 21.Nc4 Qc7 22.bxc5 dxc5 23.Qd3 g6 24.f4 exf4 25.Bxf4 Qe7 26.e5 Red8 27.d6 Qe6 28.Bg5 Be7 28...Re8 29.Rf6 Qd7 also helps White 29.Bxe7 Qxe7 30.dxe7 Exploiting the pin Rxd3 31.Rad1!
Black resigns seeing that it’s a hopeless fight. If 31…Rxd1 32.Rxd1. 1–0
IM Garma, a sharp tactical player himself, never had a chance in the following game where he gets soundly thrashed by the reigning world junior champion from Egypt.
A. Adly (2551) – C. Garma (2383)
Rd. 3, Torre, London and Colle Systems (A47)
1.d4 e6 2.Nd2 c5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Ngf3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.0–0 Qc7 7.c3 Be7 8.e4 d5 9.e5 Nfd7 10.Re1 g5 Fritz suggests 10...a6!, with equality 11.Nf1 g4 12.Ng5 h5 13.Ng3 Nc6 14.Nf5 Rg8 14...exf5 15.e6 Nf8 16.Nxf7 should equalize 15.h4 15.Nxe7 Nxe7 16.Qd2 gets a clear edge for White gxh3? 15...exf5 was best: 16.e6 fxe6 17.Nxe6 Qc8 18.Bxf5 cxd4 16.Nd6+! Bxd6 17.exd6 Qxd6 18.Rxe6+!!
A powerful blow that exposes the enemy king.
18...fxe6 If 18...Qxe6+ 19.Nxe6 19.Qxh5+! Kd8 20.Nf7+! Kc7 21.Nxd6 Rxg2+ 21...Kxd6 22.Bf4+ e5 23.dxe5+ Ncxe5 24.Re1 and White is winning 22.Kf1 Rag8 23.Nb5+! Kc8 24.Qxh3 Rg1+ 25.Ke2 cxd4 26.Qxe6 dxc3 27.Qd6 Re8+ 28.Be3 Nd4+ 29.Nxd4 Rxa1 30.Ne6 Rxe6 30...Re1+ doesn't change the outcome of the game 31.Qxe6 Black resigns, seeing that mate is just around the corner: if 31…Rd1 32.Qe8+ Kc7 33.Bf4+ Kc6 34.Qe6+ Kc5 35.Qd6+ Kd4 36.Be3#! 1–0
Chess being an intellectual game, I expect players of this game of kings to be knowledgeable about subjects like psychology. There are excellent libraries in town and I find no reason for players, especially the young ones, not immersing themselves in books and thus growing up ignorant.
Chess and an ignoramus or an imbecile just doesn’t jibe as a partnership for life!
PINAY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Sherily Cua sets a record
FOR the first time, The Weekender features today an outstanding player from the gentler gender—and with a picture at that!
Readers will agree that Sherily Cua deserves this accolade, having set a Philippine-Australian record of sorts by being the only player out of 105 to win a Fide norm—WIM—in last week’s Sydney International Open at the Parramata Town Hall in the capital of New South Wales.
Indeed, Sherily is The Weekender’s candidate for the chess goddess Caissa’s Philippine Hall of Fame for Women. As described by Arniel Rosario, the popular Closet Grandmaster blogger, Sherily is one of the most promising female players from the Philippines.
She is also one of the few players from the Philippines featured in chessgames.com.
Indeed, she and her sister Shercila are two of the most promising female players in the country and I foresee them participating more actively in local and international tournaments after graduating from college.
I understand that both sisters, who play every now and then at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza with their father Ben, are scholars at the University of Sto. Tomas. I have not met Ben for sometime now and could not have this bit of information confirmed by him.
Nevertheless, the games of Sherily, who downed Serbian GM Dejan Antic in the Sydney International Open as reported in last week’s issue (pages 8 and 9 of the March 30 Weekender), can speak on her behalf more eloquently than I.
V. Gol – Sherily Cua (1954)
Rd 5, 37th Women’s Olympiad, Turin 2006
Queen’s Gambit Declined, Classical (D61)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 Be7 6.e3 0–0 7.Qc2 a6 8.0–0–0 If 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 h6! dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.h4 c5 Better was 11...b4!? 12.Na4 h6!, and Black has equalized 12.dxc5 b4? 12...Qe8 was more precise, says Fritz 13.Na4 Missing 13.Bxf6, e.g., 13…Bxf3 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.gxf3 Bxf6, and White surges ahead h6? 13...Qe8!? is the leveler 14.Nb6 14.Bxf6!? should be tried, e.g., 14…Bxf6 15.Nb6 Nxb6 16.Bh7+ Kh8 17.Rxd8 Raxd8 18.Ng5 (Not 18.cxb6?! Rc8, with equal chances) Bxg2 19.Rh2! and White is way ahead Nxb6 15.Bh7+ Nxh7 16.Rxd8 Bxd8 17.Bf4 Nd5 18.Bd6 Be7 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Ne5 Nf6 21.f3 Rfd8 22.Kb1 Rac8 23.Rc1 Nd7 Better was 23...Rd5 24.Nd3 a5 25.e4, and Black surges ahead 24.Nd3 Missing 24.Nxd7!? Rxd7 25.Qa4! a5 25.Qa4 Nc6 26.Qb5 Ba8 26...Rc7 27.Nf2 would have boosted Black’s lead 27.Nf2 Rb8 28.Qa4 b3 29.a3 Nf6 30.Rd1 Rxd1+ 31.Nxd1 Nd7 32.Qc4 Nce5 33.Qd4 Bc6 34.f4 Fritz suggests 34.Nc3!? Ng6 35.h5 Ngf8 36.e4 e5 37.fxe5 Ne6 38.Qd6 Bxe4+ 39.Kc1 Nexc5 40.Nf2 Rc8 41.Kd2 Bxg2 42.Ke3 Re8 43.Ng4 43.Nd3 does not win a prize, says Fritz: 43...Nxd3 44.Kxd3 Nxe5+ 45.Kc3 a4, and Black is winning Bh3 44.Nf2 Rxe5+ 45.Kd4 Be6 46.Kc3 46.Qxe5 won’t improve anything: 46...Nxe5 47.Kxc5 f6! Ne4+ 46...Rd5! was best, e.g., 47.Qxd5 Bxd5! 47.Nxe4 Rxe4 48.Qa6 Rc4+ 49.Kd2 Rc2+ 50.Ke3 Rxb2 51.Qa8+ 51.Qxa5 doesn't change the outcome of the game 51...Rh2 52.Kd4 b2 53.Qa8+ Nf8 Nf8 52.Qxa5 Ra2 53.Qb4 b2 54.Kf4 g6 55.hxg6 Nxg6+ 56.Ke3 Rxa3+!
The clincher—forced, true, but it compels White to give up. If 57.Qxa3 b1=Q, and wins. 0–1
It will be recalled that Cua and WNM Christine Pereña starred in the Turin Olympiad.
MY FAVORITES
Vasiukov marks a milestone, 75
FILIPINO fans aged 50 and above may not remember his name but will surely remember the relatively unknown Soviet grandmaster who made a mark in local chess history by surprisingly topping the 1974 Manila Invitational Tournament.
Surely, they will remember how he dethroned the Great Dane, Bent Larsen, and demolished Filipino titans like GM Eugene Torre and IM Rodolfo Tan Cardoso.
Well, they’ll be delighted to know that GM Evgeny Vasiukov is still alive and well in Moscow and that when he celebrated his 75th birthday last month—on March 5, to be exact—all the Russian websites were flooded with birthday greetings from well-wishers.
Even Fide president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov congratulated Vasiukov, according to the very knowledgeable journalist and regular Weekender contributor, Ignacio “Iggy” Dee.
Dee recalls, however, that he and his friends asked each other when they first saw Vasiukov at the tournament hall: “Who he?”
Albeit unknown to Filipino fans before he won the 1974 Manila Invitational, Vasiukov had been a household name in his native Moscow as a theoretician and trainer of Soviet teams.
After all, Vasiukov was also a strong player who obtained the IM title in 1958 and the GM in 1961. Before coming to Manila, he had reigned five times as Moscow champion and again in 1978.
Vasiukov was dressed in white shirt and dark pants and wore glasses during his Manila visit. He was quiet and “let his chess do the talking.”
He played “with a direct strong style,” was a “crisp attacker”, and a “resourceful defender.” That’s how Dee remembers the Russian who “bowled over local fans with fantastic wins over such greats as Larsen.”
Vasiukov “was not flashy but efficient” and “did not misplay advantageous positions,” Dee recalls, adding: “Manila 1974 was Vasiukov’s biggest win in a career dominated by training, teaching and writing—workman-like.”
E. Vasiukov – B. Larsen
Manila 1974
Sicilian Scheveningen, Keres Attack (B81)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 5...Bb4!? 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 Nxe4 would have equalized 6.g4 h6 7.h4 Nc6 8.Rg1 h5 8...d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Qe2+ Be7 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.g5 would have equalized 9.gxh5 Nxh5 10.Bg5 Qc7 11.Qd2 a6 12.0–0–0 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Bd7 14.Kb1 Rc8 15.Be2 b5 16.Rge1 Qc5 17.Qd2 Nf6 18.a3 Qc7 18...b4 19.axb4 Qxb4 20.Qd4 should equalize 19.f4 Qb7 20.e5 dxe5 21.Bf3 21.fxe5!? is best , says Fritz: 21...Nh7 22.Rf1! Qxf3 22.Bxf6! Threatening 23.Qxd7#! Qc6 23.Ne4 b4 Missing 23...exf4 24.Qxf4 Qc7, with equality 24.fxe5 bxa3 25.Re3 25.Bxg7 Bxg7 26.Nd6+ Kd8 27.Nxf7+ Ke7 28.Nxh8 would boost White’s lead Qxc2+ 26.Qxc2 a2+ 27.Kxa2 Rxc2 28.Rb3! Threat: 29.Rb8#! Rc8 29.Rb7 Bb5
A critical mass has been reached, enabling White to take decisive action. Not 29…Bc6?? Because of 30.Rc7! Rxc7? (if 30…Ra1 31 Rxc6) 31.Rd8#! 30.Bxg7! A sacrifice to deflect the enemy bishop from its sentry duty on d6 Bxg7 31.Nd6+! The point Kf8 32.Nxc8 Bxe5 33.Rd8+ Kg7 34.Rxh8 Kxh8 35.Rxf7 Bg3 36.h5 Be2 37.h6 e5 38.Nd6 Bf4 39.Re7 Bh5 39...Bxh6 40.Rxe5 Bd3 41.Rd5 40.Kb3 40.Nc4 Bxh6 41.Rxe5 Bf7 was playable Bg6 41.Nf7+ Bxf7+ 42.Rxf7 Bxh6 43.Ra7 Kg8 44.Kc4 Kf8?! Black seems to have resigned himself to defeat, Fritz notes, saying that.44...e4 was better 45.Kd5 Bc1 46.b3 Bb2 47.Rxa6 Ke7 48.Rh6 Bc3 48...Ba3 doesn't improve anything, says Fritz 49.Rc6! Black resigns. 1–0
GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Hou Yifan, 14, hottest wonder girl
CHINA’S hottest sensation at the moment is 14-year-old WGM Hou Yifan whose exploits on the board are legendary. She is to the women as Norway’s 17-year-old Magnus Carlsen is to the men.
However, unlike Magnus who at Elo 2765 is now No. 5 in the world overall, Yifan who only has 2549 is not among the world’s top 100 overall. But like Magnus who is now the world’s No. 1 junior (Under-20) player, Yifan is certainly No. 1 among the strongest Under-20 girls in the world.
Hou, who has been playing tournament after tournament overseas since late 2006, has improved immensely. As reported on page 1 of The Weekender two Sundays ago, Hou’s latest feat was topping the International Women Masters held in Ataturk, Turkey with a round to spare.
Her first major tournament victory was significant because of the presence of such top-ranked female players as former world champion Zhu Chen of Qatar and Pia Cramling of Sweden, considered to be the strongest female player in the West. Both are full-fledged grandmasters.
Zhu, a former compatriot of Hou, was off form, however, and lost to Hou and other lower-rated players.
It was a double victory for China because Hou’s compatriot, WIM Zhao Xue, finished in third place, after GM Cramling, who took the second prize. Cramling had 6.0 and Zhou 5.5
Only Hou finished the nine-round event undefeated. She had 7.0 points and achieved a performance rating of 2674.
Considering her current rating, her progress has not been exactly rapid. I say this because at the age of nine, when she won the world crown for Under-10 girls, she already had tremendous strength.
The quality of her play even then reflected her mastery, as in the following example, although a slight endgame misstep she makes leads to a draw.
Hou Yifan -- Nazi Paikidze
U10 Girls, World Youth, Halkidiki 2003
Sicilian Najdorf (B92)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0–0 Be6 9.Be3 0–0 10.Nd5 Bxd5 11.exd5 Nbd7 12.Qd3 Nc5 13.Bxc5 dxc5 14.Rad1 e4 15.Qe3 Qc7 Weaker, says Fritz, is 15...Nxd5 16.Qxe4 Nf6 17.Qxb7, and White zooms ahead 16.Nd2 Bd6 17.Nxe4 Bxh2+ 18.Kh1 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Rfe8 20.Qf3 Be5 21.b3 Qe7 22.Bd3 Rad8 23.g3 Rd6 24.Kg2 g6 25.Rfe1 Qd7 26.Qe2 Re7 27.c4 b6 28.Qd2 Rf6 29.f4 Bd4 30.Rxe7 Qxe7 31.Re1 Qd7 32.Qe2 Kg7 33.Qe7 Qg4 34.Be2 Qf5 35.d6 35.Bf3 would only let Black equalize, e.g., 35…Qc2+ 36.Qe2 Qc3! Re6 35...Qe6!? is an interesting alternative, Fritz notes 36.Bd3 Rxe7 37.dxe7 Qxd3 38.e8=Q Qc2+ 39.Qe2 Qf5 40.Qe4 Qg4? 40...Qf6 41.Qd5 was better 41.Qb7 If 41.Qd5!? Bf6 42.Re8, and White has the edge h5 42.Qe7 Not 42.Qxb6?? h4 43.Rc1 Qxg3+ 44.Kh1 Qh3#! Bf6 43.Qe2 Qd7 44.Rd1 Qc6+ 45.Rd5 Qc8 46.Rd6 Qc7 47.Rd5 If 47.Rd3 Bd4! h4 Fritz suggests 47...Qc8!? for equality 48.Qe4 hxg3 49.Kxg3 Qc8 50.Rd6 Qc7 51.Rc6! Qd8 52.Qd5 Qe7 53.Rxb6 Missing 53.Qd2!? b5 54.Rxa6! This enables Black to force a draw via perpetual check or repetition of moves Qe1 54.Kg2 Qe2+ 55.Kg3 Qe1+ 56.Kg2 Qe2+ 57.Kg3
Here the two kids agree to a draw. ½–½
In 2004, she entered the U12 boys’ world championship and managed to end up in the fifth slot.
Two years later, China allowed her to enter as many overseas events as possible, but her performance was rather mediocre. My opinion is, her handlers were trying to rush her up the ladder without considering her tender age.
Last year, however, she started doing well, especially in team matches, where she steadily gained self-confidence and strength.
CHESS MAGIC
Wizardry of the Young and the Bold
WNM SHIRLEY CUA, 19, and WGM Hou Yifan, 14, belong to the same breed of young female players—highly competitive, skillful in weaving magic over the board and having a fighting spirit that makes them quite bold in their playing styles.
It is this daring and fighting quality that distinguishes them from the run-of-the-mill type of players who play nearly perfectly but lack that extra something needed to elevate chess to an art.
Both have played games that sparkle and both are daring in their aggressiveness, especially when on the offensive.
China has invested much in Hou, letting her play overseas in team tournaments as well as in individual competitions like the International Women Masters held two weeks ago in Istanbul, Turkey.
I presume she has a manager and a chaperone wherever she goes, and she has been to many places like the Caucasus mountain region in Russia and other parts of Europe, like Turkey, Greece and Britain.
In the case of WNM Cua, she is practically on her own, traveling without a chaperone or a manager.
Anyway here are their games that show their boldness as young players out there looking for their rightful place in the scheme of things, ready to do battle in a contest of the mind anywhere, anytime and against anyone that comes their way.
Here is a sparkling example of Hou’s wizardry, one that is full of risks and daringness, against a former world champion who had been trained by the same people who may have trained her.
Chen Zhu (GM) – Yifan Hou (WGM)
International Women Masters, Istanbul 2008
Queen’s Indian Defense (E15)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Rc1 d5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bg2 Bb7 11.0–0 Nf6 12.Qc2 c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Rfd1 Nbd7 15.Bg5 Qe8 16.Nb5 Rc8 17.Qb1 h6 18.b4 Be4 19.Qb2 Bxf2+ 20.Kxf2 hxg5 21.Nd6 Rxc1 22.Qxc1 Qe7 23.Qxg5 23.Nxg5!? should be examined more closely, Fritz notes, e.g., 23...Bd5 24.Nc8 Qxb4 25.a3! Bd5 24.e4 Best was 24.Rxd5!? Nxd5 25.Qxe7 Nxe7 26.b5 would benefit Black Qxd6 25.Qh4 25.Ne1 could boomerang, e.g., 25…Qe7 26.Kg1 Bxa2 27.e5 Qxb4 28.exf6 Nxf6 29.Nc2, and Black surges on Qc7 26.exd5 Qc2+ 27.Rd2 Ne4+ 28.Ke2 Nxd2 29.Nxd2 exd5 30.Bxd5 30.Qd4 won't change anything anymore, says Fritz, citing 30...Re8+ 31.Kf2 Ne5! Nf6 Fritz suggests 30...Re8+, e.g., 31.Qe4 Rxe4+ 32.Bxe4 Qxa2 33.Ke1, with Black sprinting ahead 31.Qd4 Re8+ 32.Kf2 Ng4+!!
The winning blow, breaking all resistance, says Fritz.
33.Kf3 Not 33.Qxg4+ Qxd2! Qf5+ 33...Qf5+ 34.Kg2 Re2+ 35.Kg1 Re1+ 36.Kg2 Ne3+ 37.Qxe3 Rxe3 38.Bf3 Rd3 39.Kg1 Rxd2 40.Be2 Rxe2 41.b5 Qb1#! 0–1
And here is Cua’s gem of a game won with similar cleverness and boldness.
S. Cua (1954) – D. Quinn (1813)
Rd 4, 37th Olympiad, Turin .2006
Queen’s Gambit, Chigorin Defense
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.Be2 Nf6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.0–0 0–0 8.Bd2 dxc4 9.Bxc4 e5 10.d5 Nb4 11.e4 c6 12.dxc6 Nxc6 13.Be2 Bc5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 g5 17.Bg3 Bd4 18.Qe2 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Qa5 20.Rac1 Rfd8 21.h4 Nh7 21...Qc5 22.hxg5 hxg5 23.Rc2 should equalize 22.Bg4 Rf8 23.Bf5+ Rad8 Fritz prefers 23...Kg7!? but this also gives White the edge 24.Qh5! Threatening a mating attack Rd6 If 24...Kg7 25.Bxh7! Kxh7 26.hxg5! 25.Rfd1 25.hxg5 was more precise, 25…Nxg5 26.f4 exf4 27.Bxf4 Qc5+ 28.Kh1 Kg7 29.Bxd6 Qxd6, and White wins Rf6? 26.Rd7 26.hxg5 is still the best Qc5?? Sad, says Fritz, but how else could Black save the game? 26...Rxf5 could have trimmed down White’s lead 27.Rd5 27.hxg5 keeps an even firmer grip Qa3 28.Rcd1 Qxc3 29.Rd6 Nd4 30.Bxh7+!
The silencer: if 30…Kg7 3.R1xd4 Qa1+ 32.Kh2 Qxd4 33.Rxd4 Kxh7 34.Bxe5! 1–0
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
Youth Rampage
Aeroflot Open
Moscow, Russia
February 14-22, 2008
Final Top Standings
1 GM Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2600, 7.0/9
2-3 GM Alexander Motylev RUS 2644, GM Alexey Dreev RUS 2633, 6.5/9
4-8 GM Maxim Rodshtein GM ISR 2614, GM Andrei Volokitin UKR 2674, GM Boris Grachev RUS 2601, GM Gadir Guseinov AZE 2617, GM Farrukh Amonatov TJK 2649, 6.0/9
9-14 GM Rauf Mamedov AZE 2583, GM Viktor Bologan MDA 2663, GM Karen Asrian ARM 2621, GM Borki Predojevic BIH 2641, GM Emil Sutovsky GM ISR 2642, GM Sergei Azarov BLR 2594, 5.5/9
Total Number of Participants: 66
New names are coming to the fore with merciless regularity. Let us backtrack to 2004 – Remember Baadur Jobava? His star rose in spectacular fashion. In the European Club Cup in Rethymoon 2003 he defeated former world no. 3 Evgeny Bareev with perfect preparation. When Bareev resigned on move 34, Jobava, who was 21 at that time, was still in his preparation.
Jobava, Baadur (2596) – Bareev, Evgeny (2721) [B19]
European Club Cup Rethymnon (7), 04.10.2003
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bd2 e6 12.0–0–0 Be7 13.Qe2 0–0 14.Kb1 c5 15.d5! A powerful novelty.
15...exd5? [15...Nxd5 prevents the disaster that follows]
16.Bxh6! gxh6 17.Nf5 Re8 18.Nxh6+ Kf8 19.Ng5 Qb6 20.Qf3 Ne5 21.Qg3 Bd6 22.Nf5
Threat is Nh7+ followed by Qg7 mate. Black's ensuing play is the only way to stop it.
22...Qxb2+ 23.Kxb2 Nc4+ 24.Kb3 Bxg3 25.h6 Na5+ 26.Ka4 b5+ 27.Kxa5 Bc7+ 28.Kxb5 Rab8+ 29.Ka4 Ne4 30.Rxd5 Nc3+ 31.Ka3 Nb5+ 32.Kb2 Nd4+ 33.Kc3 Nb5+ 1–0
After the checks stop White's h-pawn will queen.
Later on in the year he did a repeat. During the 2004 Calvia Chess Olympiad he unleashed a powerful novelty on move 14 against the Russian superstar Alexander Grischuk. By the time Grischuk was dead lost Jobava had more time on his clock than at the beginning of the game.
Jobava, Baadur (2614) - Grischuk, Alexander (2704) [D17]
36th Chess Olympiad Men Calvia de Mallorca ESP (12), 27.10.2004
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 g5 12.Bxe5 Nxe5 13.Qd4 f6 14.0–0–0!?
This is Jobava's new idea, instead of first exchanging twice on e5.
14...Be7 15.Ne3 Be6 16.Qe4 Bb3 17.Rd2 0–0 18.h4 gxh4 19.Qxh4 Rf7 20.Nf5 Kh8 21.Be4 Raf8 22.f4 Nc4 23.Ng7 Rxg7 24.Bxh7 f5 25.Qh5 Bh4 26.Bxf5+ 1–0
The Calvia Olympiad also brought to the fore the name of another young star – GM Sergey Karjakin, just 14 years old but already a heavy scorer for the champion Ukrainian team. In fact, he won the board 6 prize by achieving 6.5/7 for a performance rating of 2929!
Since then we have had a flood of youthful over-achievers:
Russia’s Dmitry Jakovenko, already acknowledged as among the world’s best endgame players, who placed 2nd in the 2005 Russian Super-Final and tied for 1st in the 2006 edition.
Another Russian, Evgeny Alekseev, aside from tying for 1st with Jakovenko in the 2006 Russian Super-Final, also won the toughest Swiss tournament of the year in the 2007 Aeroflot Open.
Remember this name: Ian Nepomniachtchi
And there have been many many more: David Navara, Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Gabriel Sargissian, Teimour Radjabov, Alexander Grischuk, Hikaru Nakamura. We can even include the Chinese Wang Hao and Li Chao.
As Lev Psakhis drily observed, the time is soon coming when all the competitors to the super-tournaments will be teenagers plus, of course, Viktor Korchnoi!
Well, after the 2008 Aeroflot Open we can include another name, 17-year old GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. He is not so well known (perhaps because of the unspellable surname), but Ian has already collected quite a few trophies: European Youth Chess Championship three times—in 2000 in the U10 class and in 2001 and 2002 in the U12 class. In 2002, he also won the World Youth Chess Championship in the U12 class.
His victory in the 2008 Aeroflot qualifies Nepomniachtchi to play in the super GM tournament in Dortmund later on this year. Let us take a look at his sharp style.
Le, Quang Liem (2540) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2600) [D43]
6th Aeroflot Open 2008 Moscow, Russia (8), 21.02.2008
The Vietnamese Le Quang Liem was in the leading group of Aeroflot "A" for most of the tournament, and only this crucial loss to Nepomniachtchi pushed him down the standings. In contrast the Philippines' two representatives did not even qualify for the "A" event, and could only place in the middle of the "B" tournament. Really discouraging news.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 h5
Topalov's surprise strike of 11...Bg7 12.Nxf7!? which he used to score a great win over Vladimir Kramnik in Corus 2008 is still fresh in everybody's mind. After the game it was revealed that this novelty was discovered by Topalov's second GM Ivan Cheparinov and kept a secret for three years before getting this chance. The latest word on this line is that Black holds after 12...Kxf7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Ne4 Ke7 15.Nd6 Qb6 16.Bg4 Raf8 17.Qc2 Rhg8! (instead of Kramnik's 17...Qxd4?) 18.a4 Ba8 Timman, J (2561)—Ljubojevic, L (2543)/ Wijk aan Zee NED 2008 0–1 42.
12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Be5 Rh6 14.Qc1 Rg6 15.f3!?
This was played in the L'Ami-Cheparinov game from the Corus-B event. The game continued 15...h4 16.f4! gxf4 17Qxf4 Bh6 18.Qxh4 Bg5 19.Qf2 Rh6 20.Bf3 Qe7 21.Bg3 0–0–0 22.d5! with a White advantage. Naturally Le was not averse to repeating the whole line. Nepomniachtchi's deeper understanding of the position serves him in good stead, however.
15...Qe7 16.a4 a6 17.Qc2
If White follows the L'Ami game given in the previous note, the continuation would be 17.f4 gxf4 18.Qxf4 Bh6!
17...h4 18.f4?!
With his queen out of position this advance is not such a good idea anymore.
18...gxf4 19.Bxf4
Or 19.Rxf4 Nd7! forces the exchange of White's powerful bishop.
19...c5!
Now 20.axb5 cxd4 21.bxa6 Bc6! is good for Black.
20.d5 b4! 21.e5
No choice.
21...Nxd5 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.Rf2 b3 24.Qc1 Qb7 25.Qf1 c3!
To open the diagonal for his dark-squared bishop.
26.bxc3 c4 27.Be3 Rc8!? 28.Bh5 Rg7 29.Qe2 Kd7!?
The intention is to move his king to the relative safety of his queenside.
30.Rd1 Kc7 31.Bh6 Rxg2+! 32.Rxg2 Bxh6 33.Rf2 Qb6 34.Kf1 Kb8 35.Bf3 Be3 36.Rg2 b2?! 37.Rb1 Bc1 38.Rf2?! Rg8 39.Qd1 Bxf3 40.Qxf3 Rg5 41.Qe4 Qb7! 42.Qd4 Rg8 43.Qxh4 Qd5 44.Qd4 Qxd4 45.cxd4 c3 46.Rc2 Be3! 47.Ke2 Bxd4 48.Kd3 Bxe5 49.Re2 Rg5 50.Kc2 f6?! 51.h4 Rh5 52.Re4 Kc7 53.Rd1 Rf5 54.a5 Rf2+ 55.Kb3 Rd2 56.Rc4+ Kd6 57.Rh1 f5 58.h5 Rh2 59.Rd1+ Ke7 60.Rc6 f4 61.h6 f3 62.h7
After 62.h7
62...b1=Q+! 63.Rxb1 Rb2+! 64.Rxb2 cxb2 65.Kc2 f2 66.Rc7+ Bxc7 67.h8Q b1Q+ 68.Kxb1 f1Q+ 0–1
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published on Monday, March 31, 2008.
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
The Budapest
DURING the Melody Amber tournament GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated the “unbeatable” Vladimir Kramnik with the Budapest Gambit. Now that is a sensation, since 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 is not considered one of the sound lines that you can play against a super grandmaster.
Let’s take a look at that game first before proceeding with our story.
Kramnik, Vladimir (2799) – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2760) [A52]
Amber Rapid Nice FRA (3), 17.03.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4
There is this cousin of the Budapest, known as the Fajarowicz, which goes 3...Ne4. Many players consider it to be unsound, but even up to now it still scores its fair share of victims. Here is an attractive exhibition by the so-called "Executioner of Berlin": 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.e3 d6 6.exd6 Bxd6 7.Nbd2 Nc5 8.a3 Qf6 9.Nb3 Nxb3 10.Qxb3 Bg4 11.c5 (11.Qxb7 0–0!) 11...Bxc5 12.Qc4 Bxf3 13.gxf3 0–0–0 14.Bg2 (14.Qxc5? Qxf3 threatening the rook on h1 as well as mate on d1) 14...Ne5 15.Qb3 Nd3+ 16.Ke2 Qa6 17.Kd2 Bxe3+! 18.Kc2 (18.fxe3 Nc5+) 18...Nb4+ 0–1 Strasdas—Richter, K/Berlin 1933. It is mate after 19.axb4 Qg6+ 20.Qd3 Qxd3.
4.Nc3
This is a new idea. Previously, White's main lines were either to hold on to the extra pawn with:
(a) 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6, or
(b) 4.Bf4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Qe7 7.Qd5 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3, or
(c) 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7
Another idea is to build up a strong pawn center with Alekhine's maneuver 4.e4 Nxe5 5.f4.
Kramnik prefers not to hold the pawn nor occupy the center. He goes for an edge based on control of d5. He will later on embark on Ng1–h3-f4.
Please do not fall for:
4.f4 Bc5 5.Nh3 Nxh2 6.Rxh2 Qh4+ 7.Kd2 d5! 8.Qb3 Bxh3! 9.Qxh3 Qxf4+ 10.Kc2 Qxf1 11.Qc8+ Ke7 12.Qxh8 Qxe2+ 13.Bd2 Nc6! 14.Qxa8 Nb4+ 15.Kb3 Qxc4+ 16.Ka4 b5+ 17.Ka5 Bb6# 0–1 Helmer—Krejcik/Vienna 1917; or
4.a3 d6 5.exd6 Bxd6 6.g3 Nxf2 0–1 Warren—Selman/Corr 1930 (6...Nxf2 7.Kxf2 Bxg3+).
4...Nc6 5.e3 Ngxe5 6.a3
Kasparov played this way in the two instances when he faced the Budapest. I will show you what happened in the following notes.
6...a5
Here is the Kasparov treatment:
6...a6 7.f4 Ng6 8.g3 Bc5 9.b4 Ba7 10.Nf3 d6 11.Bg2 Be6 12.Qd3 Qd7 13.0–0 Nge7 14.Kh1 Bg4 15.Nd5 Rb8 16.Bb2 0–0 17.Ng5 f5 18.Qc3 Nxd5 19.Bxd5+ Kh8 20.Rae1 Rbe8 21.e4 Bd4 22.Bxc6 Bxc3 23.Bxd7 Bxb2 24.Bxe8 Rxe8 25.h3 White is the exchange up and about to win another pawn. The game is already resignable. Kasparov – Mercury Asset Management, London 1993;
6...Be7 7.f4 Ng6 8.g3 d6 9.Bg2 Be6 10.Nd5 Qd7 11.b4 Bg4 12.Qd3 0–0 13.Nf3 a5 14.b5 Nd8 15.Bb2 Ne6 White has a strong center but Black has enough counterplay. Kasparov-Europe Chess, Madrid 1997 1/2 (37)
7.f4
The same typical maneuver as Kasparov plays, the difference being that Garry would follow-up by fianchettoing his f1–bishop while Kramnik prefers to put it on d3.
7...Ng6
After seven moves all Black has to show for his troubles are two developed knights, one of which is not so well placed on g6. This is only a temporary situation, though, and White has to proceed vigorously to make it count.
8.Bd3 Bc5 9.Qh5 d6 10.Nf3 a4 11.Bd2 0–0 12.Ne4
There is a threat of Neg5, ...h6, Nxf7 in the air.
12...Qe8 13.0–0–0
[13.Neg5? h6 14.Nxf7 Nxf4!]
13...f5 14.Nxc5 dxc5 15.Kb1 Kramnik does a "Leko". After building up a strong position he shies away from continuing aggressively and plays safe moves. In one of those slow openings this might be OK, but with the Dynamic Budapest this one tempo might be all that Black needs to turn the tables. Take a look at how Black manages to claw back.
Don’t take a gambit lightly, study its ideas Probably better is 15.g4! Na5 (15...fxg4?? 16.Ng5) 16.Rhg1 (16.gxf5?? Nxf4 wins) 16...Nb3+ 17.Kc2 Nxd2 18.Kxd2 Ne7 with chances for both sides.
15...Nge7 16.Qh4 h6 17.Bc3 Be6 18.Rhg1 Rd8 19.Ka1?!
Was Kramnik provoking the exchange sacrifice that follows? Probably not, because it is too strong.
19...Rxd3! 20.Rxd3 Bxc4
After the rook retreats then ...Nd5 sets up a strong counter-attack. Kramnik panics.
21.Bxg7? Kxg7 22.g4 Ng6 23.gxf5 Rxf5 24.Rc3 Bf7 25.Qf2 Qe6
Overlooked by White. The threatened mate on a2 gives Black the time he needs to kick his own attack into high gear.
26.b3 axb3 27.Nh4 Rh5 28.Kb2 Qf6 29.Nxg6 Bxg6 30.e4 c4! 31.Qd2
[31.f5 is met by 31...Ne5 (threatening ...Nd3+) 32.Kb1 Kh8 and the hanging queen on f2 saves Black's bishop]
31...Qd4 32.Qxd4+ Nxd4 33.Rcg3
[33.f5 Rxh2+ 34.Kb1 Nb5 35.Rcg3 Nxa3+ 36.Ka1 b2+ 37.Ka2 b1Q+ 38.Kxa3 Qa2+]
33...Rxh2+ 34.Kb1 Kf7 35.Rxg6 c3 36.Rg7+ Ke8 37.R7g2 Rxg2 38.Rxg2 Nf3 39.Kc1 Nd2 0–1
The Budapest Gambit can be grouped together with openings like the Alekhine, Scandinavian and Chigorin where Black does not have a pawn center and counts on rapid development and piece play to keep White on his toes.
A lot of us don’t really study such openings. Having invested a lot of money in goods about opening principles and classical set-ups, we assume to have an easy time meeting those “unsound gambits” over the board. As the German Siegbert Tarrasch once said, “people use gambits to get a reputation as a dashing player at the expense of losing a game.”
I assure you that this is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. Our foremost Filipino player of the Budapest, the late Ramon Lontoc, Jr. (eight-time Philippine Champion) gives us an example:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bf4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.a3 Ncxe5 8.axb4?? Nd3#
Lontoc also tells us that he witnessed this mate executed no less than three times in various serious tournament competitions in groups of strong players.
How about the following game:
Reitz, R – Legky, Nikolay A (2465) [A52]
St Ingbert op (1), 1989
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Nc3 0–0 7.Be2 Ncxe5 8.0–0 Nxf3+ 9.Bxf3 Ne5 10.Be2 Re8 11.a3 a5 12.b3 Ra6 13.Bb2 Rh6 14.h3 d6 15.Ne4 Bxh3 16.Nxc5 Bxg2 17.Bxe5 Qh4 18.f4 Qg3 0–1
Or this one:
Laszlo, J. – Alfoldy, L. [A52]
Budapest master, 1933
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Qd4 d6 5.exd6 Bxd6 6.Nf3 0–0 7.h3 Nc6 8.Qe4 Re8 9.Qc2 Nb4 10.Qc3 Ne3 11.Na3 Nbc2+ 12.Nxc2 Bb4 0–1
Nobody is immune to the sudden tactics of the Budapest. The best way is to take a look at its ideas and understand where the attacks are coming from.
We will continue this discussion on Monday.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, April 4. 2008.
Ghaem Maghami, Iranian champion IRANIAN GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2589) has won again the national crown of his country in a tournament held in Tehran from March 16 to 27.
Ghaem Maghami, who has dominated the Iranian chess scene since he became a grandmaster a few years back, went through the event undefeated.
He finished with a score of 12, 2.5 points clear of his closest rival, FM Mohsen Sharbaf.
Ztousha Pourkashiyan won the women’s event.
Chess reached the ancient world through Persia, Iran’s former name.
FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
‘Aim high and hit the mark!’
THAT maxim—this column’s headline—used to be taught in Philippine schools, especially during the American occupation of our country in the first half of the last century.
It was popular particularly among Filipino athletes and could be the reason for our basketball team’s finishing fifth in the 1936 World Olympics in Berlin and the emergence of world-class sportsmen in the late 1940s like tennis star Felicisimo Ampon, dubbed “Mighty Mite” by the media.
In chess, this highly motivating adage could have propelled Asia’s first international master, Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, and Asia’s first grandmaster, Eugenio Torre, into prominence on the world stage in the fifties, sixties and seventies up to the early eighties.
The Weekender is reviving it as its motto in an effort to motivate players and fans alike to expect the best results from every tournament where Filipinos compete. Hopefully, constant repetition of this motto could bring out the best in our grandmasters.
I hate to say it but it seems that we as a people no longer demand the best from our representatives in foreign competitions.
Just the other day, I was surprised to hear from a responsible NCFP official the comment that a Filipino player did well enough by finishing in ninth place—ninth in a field of 12! What was worse was that the only other Filipino competitor in the same event ended up in 12th place!
Was that all right, too?
A recent newspaper report trumpeted a Filipino player’s landing the 17th or 18th place in a competition overseas.
Should we be delighted about it?
Let us demand that our players always strive to excel in any sport against any rivals, be they Chinese, American, Russian or whatever.
Aim high and hit the mark!
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Gatus champion of Tonsuya CC
VETERAN campaigner Edmundo Gatus won the plum on tiebreak in the Tonsuya Chess Club Non-Masters Rapid Chess Tournament held at the barangay’s covered court in Malabon last Sunday.
Gatus, a National Capital Region qualifier for the Dresden Olympiad Team Selection Semifinals, won the title on tiebreak over Jerry Areque, a habitué at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza.
Gatus and Areque, who had 6.0 points each, evenly shared the P5,000 grand prize.
Masbate journalist Robert Torre, another QMC Plaza habitué, and Loui Salvador of Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, finished just half a point behind the two leaders and tied for the third to fourth places.
Torre, resident expert of QMC Plaza, and Salvador split the P1,000 cash prize.
Chess quote
“Life is like a game of chess, changing with each move.”
—Chinese proverb
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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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