Here it is:
The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, 13 April 2008 Quezon Memorial Circle,
Quezon City Vol. II No. 44
Hail, Wesley!
BACOOR Wonder Boy Wesley So has done it, becoming the youngest champion of
the Dubai International Open in its 10-year history and the youngest of any major
global competition ever—at exactly 14 years, six months and five days old!
And So (2540), the world’s youngest grandmaster, did it with aplomb Monday.
First, he won five games in a row. Exhausted, the Philippines’ No. 1 grandmaster lost to a highly experienced Georgian grandmaster, Merab Gagunashvili (2553), who at 23 is at the plenitude of his powers over the chessboard. To ensure his place in history and for a share of the US$45,000 (over P2 million)prize bonanza, Wesley wisely threw all he had in the seventh round against a 25-year-old GM, India’s Abhijeet Gupta.
And Wesley won!
Then, the country’s finest-ever prodigy in this game of kings took a gamble, drawing his last two games against two tough grandmasters— 26-year-old Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (2604) of Iran and 19-year-old Li Chao (2581) of China— both of them, like Wesley himself, early leaders.
Lady Luck smiled at Wesley, who eased outhis closest rival, his nemesis Gagunashvili, by a mere 0.5 in tiebreak points! Thus did GM Wesley So, 14, make history (see also earlier report and games on pages 4- 6).
So posted a phenomenal performance rating of 2706 and earned 26 Elo points, according to the chairman and president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Prospero Pichay Jr.
Pichay revealed this at the debut of 18- year-old Je-Ann Abalos, daughter of NCFP
executive director Willy Abalos at the Peach Blossom on North Avenue in Quezon City Tuesday night. A report posted on the official website said Pichay had called up GM So to congratulate him.
With his win, Wesley who is being accompanied by his father William on his trip
abroad earned US$6,000 (roughly equivalent to a little over P270,000 at the
current rate of exchange).
Actually, six other Filipinos competed in the same event, which attracted 132 players.
One of them was IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2455), a 21-year-old Filipino studying in Singapore who, along with Dubai-based Jobannie Tabada (2057), finished with 5.0 points each.
According to NCFP director Red Dumuk, IM Sadorra had just taken his final exams at the University of Singapore and was not fully focused on his games in Dubai.
Sadorra and So are close friends who often spar in practice games whenever they
are together.
They and William So stayed in an apartment of a Filipino overseas worker in Dubai,
courtesy of the Filipino Chess Players League in the United Arab Emirates. The FCPL members are regular readers of The Weekender.
The three other Filipinos who took part in the open event were FM Antonio Molina, Ernesto M. Yap and NM Robert Arellano. Molina and Yap had 4.5 points and Arellano 3.5. As can be readily seen, the wunderkind from Bacoor was the only Filipino to land among the top 10. So, Gagunashvili, Ghaem and Li Chao received US$4,500 each as their
share of the pooled first , second, third and fourth prizes, while GM Gupta, Ukrainian GM Yuri Drovsdovskij, Indian IM R.R. Laxman, Ukrainian GM Valeriy Neverov, Georgian GM David Aritunian and Azerbaijani GMs Rasul Ihrahimov, Gadir Gaseinov and Sarhan Guliev received US$1,687 each.
In an interview with Gulf News, Wesley said he hoped he would become a model for other Filipino players. He said his father taught him the moves when he was seven years old and that he spends at least six hours a day studying chess.
Ochoa, Docena top juniors
JUNIOR players Karl Victor Ochoa and Jedera Docena are the country’s prince and
princess of chess. The two topped the just-concluded National Junior (Under 20) Championship for boys and girls held from April 9 to 15 at Kaban ng Hiyas in Mandaluyong’s City Hall Complex at the rotunda of Boni Avenue .
Ochoa dominated the event so much so that he was able to amass 9.5 points. A full point behind was his first runner-up, James Paulo Florendo. Docena also made it to the top alone, ending up with 7.5 points.
Just half a point behind her in a tie for second and third were Christy Lamiel Bernales and John Jodilyn Fronda.
Ochoa who was last year’s Under-16 champion has consistently topped his age group and campaigned successfully in the United States. Docena represented the country in the Doha (Qatar) Asian Games last year.
Six of the boys were tied at 8.0 points each for the third to eighth places. They were, in the order of their tiebreak, John Ranel Morazo, James Bulicatin, Vic Neil Villanueva, Kim Steven Yap, Loren Brigham Laceste, and Alcon John Datu.
Six others had 7.5 each to tie for eighth to 14th. The two who made it to the top 10 were Ivan Gil Biag and Marco Polo Rosete. In the girls’ division, Rulp Ylem Jose and Akiko Charmaine Suede tied for fourth and fifth. They had 6.5 each.
In sixth to ninth places with 6.0 each were Marie Angeli Dimakiling, Rohini Dasi Vergara, Cherry Ann Mejia, and Judith Pineda. Seven others led by Jenny Rose Palomo tied for the 10th to 16th places.
With Abalos as tournament director, IA Elias Lao acted as chief arbiter with the assistance of FAs Ilann Perez, Patrick Lee and Butch Villavieja.
BARANGAY BONANZA IN MAKATI CITY
Join Bangkal Non-Masters!
A TOTAL of P36,000 in cash prizes awaits winners of the Barangay Bangkal Non-Masters Active Chess Tournament to be held at the Bangkal Community Complex on General Lim Street in Makati City on April 26-27, two weekends from now. According to a flyer received by The Weekender, it will be a seven-round
Swiss with a time control of 30 minutes per player per game.
The champion will receive a whopping P10,000 cash prize; the first runner-up P7,000; second runner-up P5,000; third runner-up P3,000; fourth runner-up P2,000; and fifth runner-up P1,000.
Special category prizes are also at stake. The Top Bangkal Player will receive P2,000 and six others P1,000 each.
These are the Top Senior (aged 50 years and older), Top Junior (20 years and younger), Top Kiddie I (14 years and younger), Top Kiddie II (10 years and younger), Top Lady, and Top Unrated.
Barangay Bangkal residents may sign up for free but outsiders will have to fork out P250 each.
The chess festival is a project of the Barangay Bangkal Sangguniang Kabataan headed by SK chairman Virgilio “Rovir” Hilario III with the cooperation of barangay chairman Fermin T. Eusebio.
It has the support of Makati SK president Dennis Hechanova and CAAP honorary chairman Daniel “Boy” Francisco.
The Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines will manage the tournament. For details, interested parties may contact SK Chairman Hilario or Mayeth Arrizabal at 994-1926,
Kagawad “Saki” at 0906-2999648, Boy Francisco at 0918-4873785, Rey Calitoy at 0917-5380022, Ferdie Reyes at 0918-4873785, Gatz Luz at 0922-6373365, Milo Samaniego at 713- 6811, or Alfredo Chay at 0919-4512384.
De la Cruz wins Borjal Rapid Open, Nazario top kiddie
NON-MASTER Noel de la Cruz captured the P6,000 top prize in the Art Borjal Rapid Open held at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City Tuesday.
The P3,000 second prize went to Ryan Dungca and the P2,000 third prize to Roel Abelgas.
All three winners received medals. Outstanding junior player Haridas Pascua, who won the recent Mayor Alfredo Lim Rapid, went home P1,000 richer in fourth place and Michael Mallari P500 in fifth. Pascua also took the top 16-year-old and younger, Marco Polo Rosete the 18-year-old and Shercila Cua the top female awards. Each received P500 plus a certificate, In the Kiddies Division, Marc Christian Nazario ran off with the P3,000 first prize, followed by Clifford Cobsilen Jr with the second prize of P1,500 and Kevin Sicat with P1,000 as third prize.
Paulo Bersamina settled for fourth with P700 and Jeth Romy Morado fifth with P500.
Jeth Romy also won an extra P500 for being the top 10-year-old and younger while Jeniellyn Lou Saldo got the top female award with P500. Both received medals. The foundation seeks to perpetuate the memory of Art Borjal, a journalist who represented the disabled as a congressman and served for many years as president of the defunct Philippine Chess Federation, precursor of the NCFP.
10TH DUBAI OPEN
Wesley So, 14, on the rampage
AS this is being written, the Philippines’ No. 1 GM, Bacoor wunderkind Wesley So (2540), has been on the rampage at the 10th Dubai International Open with an
impressive five straight wins, a loss and then a win and a draw.
There is no doubt that this 14-year-old wunderkind from Bacoor, Cavite is out to rewrite record books in the pursuit of his dream to become a super GM.
From the way things are turning out, Wesley may yet fulfill his dream much earlier than expected. On his way back from the Middle East, he will stop by Jakarta to play a match against
Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto.
Of course, he may have a lot to learn yet as borne out in his sixth round game when, having Black,
he was outplayed in mid-game skirmishes by Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili (2553).
In an effort to grab the initiative, Black started marching his pawns forward on both flanks
and at the center to give his pieces greater mobility. On the other hand, White held fast with his forces lurking behind the frontlines and his pawn chains intact and out of reach by enemy fire.
Here is the game:
M. Gagunashvili (2553) – W.
So (2540)
Rd 6, 10th Dubai Open, 2008
Queen’s Indian (E15)
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nf3 b6
4.g3Ba6
5.Nbd2 Bb4
6.Qc2 Bb7
7.Bg2 Be4
8.Qb3 Bxd2+
9.Bxd2 0–0
10.0–0 d6
11.Rfd1 Nbd7
12.Rac1 Qe7
13.Qa3 a5
14.Be1 c5
15.Nh4 15.dxc5 would allow Black to equalize, e.g., 15…bxc516.Bd2 Rfb8! Bxg2
16.Nxg2 Rac8
17.Ne3 Rfe8
18.Rd3 d5
19.cxd5 exd5
20.dxc5 Nxc5
21.Rdd1 Qe6
22.Bc3 Ng4
23.Bd4 h5 23...Nxe3!? deserves consideration, says Fritz: 24.Qxe3 Qg4, and Black has
equalized
24.Ng2 g5
25.h3 Ne5
26.h4 gxh4
27.Nxh4 Ng6
28.Nxg6 fxg6
29.Qe3 Qxe3
30.Bxe3 Red8
31.Rd4 Kf7
32.Rcd1 Ke6
33.f3 Prophylaxis Rd7
34.Kf2 Na6?!
35.Rf4!? Setting the stage for a sweeping attack on Black’s weak points b5
36.Bd4! Rf7 Otherwise the king could be checked by the enemy rook from f6
37.Rxf7 Kxf7
38.Bb6! Attacking the a5 pawn and at the same time a discovered attack on the d5 isolani.
38…Ke6 To protect his isolani on d6
39.Bxa5 White is now ahead by one pawn plus the position and the initiative b4
40.Bb6 Rc2
41.Rb1 Rc6
42.Bd4 Nc7 42...Rc4 43.Ke3 gives White the edge
43.a4 Kd6
44.Ke3 Ne6
45.Bf6 Rc2
46.Rd1 46.a5 Rc6 47.Ra1 Nc5 gives White a clear advantage Nc5
47.a5 Kc6
48.Be7 b3
49.Rd2 Rc4
50.Bxc5 Kxc5
51.Rd3 d4+
52.Kf2 Rb4 53.f4 Kc4 53...Ra4 54.Rxb3 Rxa5 55.Rb8 would favor White
54.Kf3! White now has a huge advantage Rb8
55.Rd1 Ra8
56.Ra1 Fighting for the initiative Ra6
57.Ra3 Kb4 Fritz suggests 57...Ra7, but White would keep the advantage
58.Ke4 Kc5
59.Kd3 Kd5
60.Ra4 Kc5
61.Rc4+ Kb5
62.Rxd4 Rc6
63.Rd5+ Kb4
64.a6 Rxa6
65.Rd4+ Kc5
66.Kc3 Ra1
67.Rd3 g5
68.fxg5 Ra4
69.Kxb3 Threatening mate via Kxa4 Rg4
70.Kc3 Rxg5
71.b4+ Kc6
72.e4 Rg8 72...Rg4 73.Re3 Kb5 74.Kb3 would only help White
73.Kd4 73.e5 keeps an even firmer grip Kb5 73...Rg4 74.Rc3+ Kb5 75.Rc5+ Kxb4 76.Rxh5 Rxg3
77.Rh1 would boost White’s lead
74.e5 Kc6 If 74...Kxb4 75.e6 Rd8+ 76.Ke4, and wins
75.Ke4! Black resigns. If 75…Kb5 76.Rd5+ Kc4 77.e6. Fritz notes that 75.e6!? seems even better: 75...Kd6 76.Re3 Ke7! 1–0
Fans of Wesley were naturally disappointed that after winning his first five games, their idol had
lost his sixth. Perhaps, if he had a second, he could have prepared better and studied the style of play of the 25-
year-old GM from Tbilisi. Gagunashvili, as his game against Wesley shows, is a fine positional player who could engage anyone in a tactical duel.
The website chessgames.com shows many of the Georgian’s games and a good second could have suggested which opening system Wesley should use to have better chances of winning. Indeed, a little knowledge of one’s prospective adversary at the board could help a player prepare and prime himself well.
Fortunately for us all, Wesley was not badly affected by his first loss as his subsequent games
would show. This means the emergence of a new GM So.
That Wesley has developed the ability to bounce back after a major defeat is no longer in doubt. He proved this in Dubai when he crushed Indian GM Abhijeet Gupta in the seventh round, playing swiftly, accurately and aggressively as though he had not suffered a setback in the sixth. In previous tournaments, Wesley would just draw his games after a loss and continue coasting along until he felt he had regained his strength. In Dubai, it was not just the fact that he had won the next game but the way he won it that impressed me most: mercilessly and with all the skill he could muster over the board, to wit:
W. So (2540) – A. Gupta (2521)
Rd 7, Ruy Lopez (C60)
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 Nge7
4.c3 d5
5.Nxe5 dxe4
6.Qe2 Be6
7.Nxc6 bxc6
8.Ba6 Qd5
9.0–0 Ng6
10.d3 10.Re1 Bd6 could have gaineda clear advantage, says Fritz exd3
11.Bxd3 0–0–0??
A gross blunder, Fritz notes, saying that 11...Rd8 could have saved the game: 12.Rd1 Bc5!
12.Rd1 Kb8
13.Bc2 Qxd1+
14.Bxd1 Not 14.Qxd1?! Rxd1+ 15.Bxd1 Bc5, and Black would have restored the balance Bc5
15.Be3 Rhe8
16.Nd2 Stronger than 16.Bxc5 Bc4! 17.Qxe8 Rxe8 Bb6
17.Bb3 Bd5
18.Bxd5 Rxd5 18...cxd5 wouldn’t improve anything, e.g., 19.Nf1, and White would still be way ahead
19.Nc4 f5
20.Rd1 f4
21.Rxd5 cxd5
22.Nxb6 axb6
23.Qb5 Re5
24.Bd2 Nh4 Neither would 24...Kb7 serve the purpose, e.g., 25.Qd7!
25.Kf1 g5 25...Ng6 wouldn't get the bull off the ice, Fritz notes, citing 26.Qd7 Rh5 27.Qxg7!
26.Qd7 f3 26...h6 cannot undo what has already been done, says Fritz: 27.Bxf4! gxf4 28.Qd8+ Kb7 29.Qxh4!
27.g3 Not 27.Qxh7 fxg2+ 28.Kg1 Re2 29.Qg8+ Ka7!, and Black has equalized Re2 If 27...Ng2 28.c4 dxc4 29.Qd8+ Kb730.Qf6!
28.Qxd5! It’s all over, and Black resigns: if 28…Ng6 29.Bxg5! 28.Qd8+ seems even better, adds Fritz, trotting out
28...Ka7 29.Qxc7+ Ka6 30.Qc8+ Ka7 31.Qd7+ Kb8 32.Qd6+! 1–0
Incidentally, I used the adverb mercilessly within the context only of chess. It is my belief that
a player must be ruthless at the board if he is to be successful in making chess his career for a
lifetime. This does not mean that he has to be merciless as a person. It simply means that he must be of strong character and cultivate a kind of “killer instinct” as a player, not as a person.
Chess is after all a game of war.
A warrior cannot afford to be kind and generous in the battlefield. On the other hand, “Kill or be killed” is the end-all of war on a personal level. In psychological terms, one can give vent to one’s killer instinct vicariously in chess. In a sense, chess provides an outlet for one’s negative instincts.
Vicarious killing of pieces and pawns on the board can therefore be therapeutic . In other words, it cleanses a player of his aggressive tendencies and gives him satisfaction from “slaying” the enemy—on a purely symbolic level. Now back to Dubai. With the plum within sight because of his crucial win over the Indian GM, Wesley wisely chose to coast along in the eighth round.
E. Ghaem Maghami (2604) – W. So (2540)
Rd 8, Symmetrical English (A33)
1.c4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 e6
6.a3 If 6.Ndb5Bb4! Be7
7.e4 0–0
8.Nf3 b6 If 8$...Qa5 9.Bd3
9.Be2 Bb7
10.0–0 Qc7
11.Bg5 Rad8
12.Rc1 Qb8
13.Re1 d6
14.Bf1 Ne5
15.Nd4 Ng6
16.h4 16.Bd3 Nd7 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 gives Black the opportunity to hold White at bay h6!? Trying to drive away the enemy bishop, which has become a thorn on Black’s side.
17.h5!? Offense is the best defense Ne5
18.Bf4 Rfe8
19.Bg3 Rc8
20.b3 Qa8! Here White accepted Black’soffer of a draw. ½–½
Quite a number of lively and sparkling games, many of them “short and sweet,” came out of the 10th Dubai Open as does happen in Swiss tournaments where highly rated masters are often paired against lower rated and less-experienced players. Reigning world junior
champion Ahmed Adly, whom Wesley trounced in the fourth round as featured in the Extra
Edition last Friday, produced the shortest minigem—ironically in the third round. And his victim was no pushover, his fellow GM from India, R.B. Ramesh, a former British champion.
A. Adly (2578) – R.B. Ramesh (2472)
Rd 3, King’s Indian Fianchetto,
Panno Variation (E63)
1.Nf3 Nf6
2.g3 g6
3.Bg2 Bg7
4.c4 0–0
5.d4 d6
6.0–0 Nc6
7.Nc3 a6
8.Re1 Rb8
9.Rb1 e5
10.d5 Ne7
11.e4 c6
12.c5 cxd5
13.cxd6 Qxd6
14.Nxe5 Be6 14...Qxe5 15.Bf4 favors White, Fritz notes
15.Bf4! Qd8
16.exd5 Nexd5
17.Nxd5 Nxd5? 17...Bxd5was more exact but it would also favor White: 18.Bxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxd5 Nxd5
18.Nxf7! Black resigns in the face of allout invasion: 18…Bxf7 19.Bxb8 Qxb8 20.Bxd5! 1–0
Top seed Gadir Guseinov of Azerbaijan produced the second shortest minigem—and he did it against a much lower-rated player right in the first round!
G. Guseinov (2625) – C. Natarajan (2241)
Rd 1, French Defense (C10)
1.e4 e6
2.Nc3 d5
3.Nf3 dxe4
4.Nxe4 Be7
5.d4 Nf6
6.Nxf6+ Bxf6
7.c3 b6
8.Bb5+ Bd7
9.Bd3 Bc6
10.0–0 Nd7
11.Bf4 Qc8
12.Qe2 a6
13.Ne5 Bxe5
14.dxe5 Nf8
15.Rfd1 Ng6
16.Bg5 Qb7? 16...0–0 was best, says Fritz
17.Bxa6!! 17...Qa7 Not 17…Rxa6 18.Rd8#!
18.Bb5 Qb7
19.Qe4! Sheer magic! 1–0
In the same wise, Chinese GM Li Chao also produced a 30-move sparkler in the opener.
Stefan Schmid (2206) – Li Chao (2581)
Rd 1, Fianchetto Gruenfeld (D77)
1.Nf3 Nf6
2.d4 g6
3.g3 Bg7
4.Bg2 d5
5.0–0 0–0
6.c4 dxc4
7.Ne5 Ne8
8.Na3 c5
9.Naxc4 cxd4
10.Bf4 Na6
11.Rc1 Nc5
12.Nd3 Ne6
13.Be5 f6
14.Bf4 Nxf4
15.Nxf4 e5
16.Nd3 Qe7
17.Qa4 Bg4
18.Rfe1 Bh6
19.f4 Kh8
20.Nb6 Rd8!
21.Nd5 Qf7
22.e4 dxe3
23.Nxe3 Be6
24.Nc5 Bc8
25.Rcd1 Ng7
26.Nd5 26.Rxd8!? Rxd8 27.fxe5 leads to equality b6
27.Nb3 Bg4 Best was 27...Be6 28.Nc3 Rxd1 29.Rxd1 Nf5!
28.fxe5? Bxd1
29.exf6 Rxd5
30.Re7 Qxf6! Black resigns. 0–1
Indian GM Parimarjan Negi, who is just a few months older than Wesley, also carved a gem of
a game.
Parimarjan Negi (2514) – CJ Arvind (2292)
Rd 1, Sicilian Richter-Rauzer (B60)
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Nc6
6.Bg5 Bd7
7.Be2 Qa5
8.Bxf6 gxf6
9.0–0 Nxd4
10.Qxd4 Rc8
11.a4 Qc5
12.Qd2 a6
13.Bd3 e6 13...Bg7 14.Ra3 would have equalized
14.Kh1 h5
15.f4 h4
16.h3 Rg8
17.Qe1 Bc6
18.f5 Qe5
19.Qxh4 d5 Fritz suggests 19...Be7!?
20.fxe6 Bd6?
21.exf7+ Kxf7
22.Rxf6+! 22…Qxf6
23.Rf1 Qxf1+
24.Bxf1 Bf8 Black resigns without waiting for White’s next move: 25.Qh5+ Ke7 26.exd5! 1–0
MOSCOW’S GLOBAL REACH
Chinese stars play for Russian teams
FOR the first time ever, three Chinese and one Indian are playing for three of the 12 Russian squads in the Russian Team Championship held from April 1 to 14 in Dagomys, Sochi.
Traditionally, the Russian teams recruit foreign players but most of them come from
Europe and a few from America. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, the only
Asians known to play for Russian teams have come from the former Soviet republics in Central Asia like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The Chinese stars are Ni Hua (2703) who plays on fourth board for the Economist –
SGSEU I team from Saratov, Wang Hao (2684) for +64 Moscow and Bu Xiangzhi (2708) for Shatar Metropole from Burvatia. The lone Indian player, Penteala Harikrishna (2670) is with Wang on the +64 Moscow team. All three Asians are super grandmasters.
Of the four Asians, Ni Hua appeared to be in the best form. Ni Hua’s team, Economist- SGSEU I, followed Ural. Led by Evgeny Alekseev (2711), the other players are Evgeny Tomashevsky (2646), Pavel Eljanov (2692), Michael Roiz 2659), Alex Moiseenko (2650), Alexander Galkin, and 18-year-old Russian GM Ildar Khairullin (2554). Ni Hua appeared to be in fine form as shown by his games.
Ni Hua (2703) – I. Lysyj (2595)
Rd 3, Russ Team Ch, Dagomys,
Sochi 2008
French Tarrasch (C07)
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 c5
4.Ngf3 cxd4
5.Nxd4 Nf6
6.exd5 Qxd5
7.Nb5 Na6
8.Be2 8.Qe2 Be7 letsBlack equalize Bd7
9.c4 Qxg2
10.Bf3 Qh3
11.Bxb7 Trapping the enemy king in the center Nb4
12.Ne4 12.Nc7+!? should be considered, says Fritz: 12...Kd8 13.Nxa8 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nf4+ 15.Ke1 Nd3+ 16.Ke2
Nf4+ 17.Ke1 Nd3+!, with equalchances Nd3+
13.Ke2 Nxe4
14.Bxe4 14.Bxa8 Nexf2 15.Qf1 Qh5+ 16.Kd2 Bxb5 17.cxb5 Qxb5 gives Black overwhelming advantage Nxc1+
15.Rxc1 Rb8
16.b3 16.Qd4 Qg4+ 17.Kf1 f5 leads to equality Bc5 Best was 16...Bxb5!?, e.g., 17.cxb5 Qh5+18.Kf1 Qxb5+ 19.Rc4 Rc8!
17.Nc7+ Ke7
18.Na6 Rb6
19.Nxc5 Qh5+
20.f3 Qxc5
21.Qg1 Qe5
22.Qg3 Qxg3
23.hxg3 f5
24.Bd3 a5
25.f4 Bc6
26.Rhe1 h5
27.Kd2 Kf7
28.Re5 h4
29.gxh4 Rxh4
30.Rce1 Bg2
31.c5 Rc6
32.Bb5 Rc7
33.Rxe6 Be4
34.Bc4 Kf8
35.Ke3 Rxc5
36.Rd1 Rh3+
37.Kf2 Rc8
38.Rd7 Re8
39.Rb6 Rf3+
40.Kg1 Rg3+
41.Kh2 Rg2+
42.Kh3 Rc2
43.Rf7+ Kg8
44.Rg6!
Black resigns. 1–0
It was Wang Hao, however, who made the greatest impact with his win over world No. 18 Alexander Grischuk.
Wang Hao (2684) – A. Grischuk (2716)
Rd 6, Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack (C89)
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 a6
4.Ba4 Nf6
5.0–0 Be7
6.Re1 b5
7.Bb3 0–0
8.c3 d5
9.exd5 Nxd5
10.Nxe5 Nxe5
11.Rxe5 c6
12.d4 Bd6
13.Re1 Qh4
14.g3 Qh3
15.Be3 Bg4
16.Qd3 Rae8
17.Nd2 Re6
18.a4 Qh5
19.axb5 axb5
20.Qf1 Bh3 Equalizing
21.Bd1 Qf5
22.Qe2 c5
23.Nf3 Worse is 23.Qxb5 cxd4 24.cxd4 Nxe3 25.Qxf5 Nxf5, and Black surges ahead Bf4
24.Qd2 Nxe3
25.fxe3 Bh6
26.Qf2 Rfe8
27.Bc2 Qh5
28.e4 Rf6
29.Bd1 g6 Best is 29...Bg4!, and Black can hope to survive: 30.Rf1 Bh3!
30.e5! Rf5
31.Qe2 cxd4
32.cxd4 Not32.Qxb5?! Rxf3 33.Qxe8+ Kg7 Rd8
33.Qe4 Qg4
34.Qxg4 Bxg4
35.Nh4 Rg5
36.Bxg4 Rxg4
37.Nf3! Black resigns. If 37…Bf8 38.Rad1! 1–0
After the penultimate 10th round, the Ural team from Yekaterinburg led with 16 match points, followed
by Economist SGSEU I with 13.5, and Finek Gazprom from Saint Petersburg, with 13. Ural, which has clinched the title with a round to spare, is led by the former top junior player, GM Teimour Radjabov (2751).
With Radjabov are Alexei Shirov (2755) of Spain, former US champion Gata Kamsky (2732), Alexander
Grischuk (2711), Vladimir Malakhov (2689), Vladimir Akopian (2700), Alexey Dreev (2633), and Alexander Motylev (2644). Except for Akopian who is from Moldova, the lower-board players are all Russians.
World title candidate Gata Kamsky, 34, of the leading Ural team and the venerable Viktor Korchnoi, who will be 79 on July 23, of the Southern Ural Team from Chelyabinsk came face to face across the board, with the younger player winning
their duel of wits. Both are former Soviet players who defected to the West at the height of the Cold War—Korchnoi, a Russian Jew, who settled down in Switzerland in the mid-70s, and Kamsky, a Ukrainian Tatar from Siberia, who settled down in the United States in the eighties.
Korchnoi became Anatoly Karpov’s challenger twice, in 1978 in Baguio City and in 1980 in Merano, Italy. Kamsky, who became US champion in 1992 and won last year’s Fide World Cup, will be facing Veselin Topalov to play a match to determine who will face the winner of the match between champion Viswanathan Anand and ex-champion Vladimir Kramnik in October.
Here is how Kamsky outclassed Korchnoi.
G. Kamsky (2726) – V. Korchnoi (2598)
Rd 8, Open Ruy Lopez (C83)
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 a6
4.Ba4 Nf6
5.0–0 Nxe4
6.d4 6.Re1!? Nc5 7.Bxc6! is also playable b5 Equalizing
7.Bb3 d5
8.dxe5 Be6
9.Nbd2 Be7
10.c3 0–0
11.Re1 Nc5
12.Nd4 Qd7 Not 12...Nxb3? 13.Nxc6 Nxa1 14.Nxd8 Raxd8 15.Nf3, and White surges ahead
13.Bc2 Bg4
14.f3 Bh5
15.Bf5 Ne6
16.N2b3 Ncxd4
17.cxd4 a5
18.Be3 a4
19.Nc1 Bg6
20.Bh3 20.Bxg6 gives Black a chance to equalize, e.g., 20…fxg6 21.Nd3 b4 a3!
21.b3 Bb4
22.Bd2 Qe7
23.Bxe6 fxe6
24.Ne2 c5
25.Bxb4 cxb4
26.Qd2 Rac8
27.Rac1 h6
28.Red1 Qg5 Fritz suggests 28...Bf5!
29.Qxg5± hxg5
30.Rc5 Rfd8
31.Kf2 Be8
32.Ke3 Rxc5
33.dxc5 d4+
34.Nxd4 Rd5
35.Rc1 Rxe5+
36.Kd3 Bg6+
37.Kd2 Rd5
38.Ke3 e5
39.Nxb5 Kf7
40.Na7 Bf5
41.g4 Be6
42.Nc6! There’s no way Black can stop 43.Nxb4. 1–0
Bu Xiangzhi also had good games right from the start.
Bu Xiangzhi (2708) – V. Zvjaginsev (2674)
Rd 1, King’s Indian, Saemisch (E83)
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6
3.Nc3 Bg7
4.e4 d6
5.f3 0–0
6.Nge2 a6
7.Be3 Nc6
8.Qd2 Bd7
9.h4 h5
10.Bh6 e5
11.0–0–0 b5
12.Nd5 Re8 Not 12...Bxh6 13.Qxh6 bxc4 14.g4!
13.g4 13.Nxf6+!? would allow White to play on hxg4
14.h5 gxf3 15.Qg5 Nxd5 16.Qxg7#!
15.hxg6 Better than 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Nxf6 Qxf6! fxg6 Not 15...fxe2 16.Bxe2 Nxd4 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Bxg7 Nxe2+
19.Qxe2, and White is way ahead
16.Nec3 Nxd4 Best was 16...Nh517.cxb5 Nxd4!
17.Bxg7 Kxg7
18.Nxf6 Qxf6
19.Nd5 Qf8
20.Qh6+ Kf7
21.Qg5 Threatening mate via Qf6 Qg7
22.Rxd4! Slaying a defender.
22...exd4
23.Qf4+ Bf5
24.exf5 g5
25.Qg4 25.Qxf3 g4 26.Qf4 Rh8 was playable Re1+ Best is 25...Qe5 26.Qh5+ Kf8 27.Qxf3 and White has
a distinct advantage
26.Kd2+- Rae8
27.Qh5+! 1–0
India’s Harikrishna also had a fine win.
P. Harikrishna (2679) – A. Shomoev (2559)
Rd 8, Torre, London and Colle Systems (A48)
1.d4 Nf6
2.Nf3 g6
3.Bg5 Bg7
4.Nbd2 d6
5.e4 0–0
6.c3 c5
7.dxc5 dxc5
8.Bc4 Nc6
9.Qe2 Qc7
10.0–0 h6
11.Bh4 Nh5
12.Qe3 Na5
13.Bd3 c4 13...g5 14.Bg3 Nxg315.fxg3 would have equalized
14.Bc2 e5
15.Rfd1 Be6
16.Nf1 b5
17.Ng3 Nxg3
18.Bxg3 Rfb8
19.h3 Nb7
20.Rd2 Nc5 Missing 20...Rd8 21.Rxd8+ Nxd8 22.Rd1, with equality
21.Rad1² a5
22.Nxe5 Bxe5
23.f4 Bg7
24.f5± Be5
25.Rd6 Bxg3
26.Qxg3 Qe7
27.fxe6± Nxe6
28.e5 Ra7
29.Be4 Qg5
30.Qxg5 Nxg5
31.Bd5 Kg7
32.h4 Nh7
33.e6 Nf6 Fritz suggests 33…fxe6!
34.exf7 Nxd5
35.R1xd5 Rxf7
36.Ra6 b4
37.Rdd6 bxc3 Missing37...g5!
38.Rxg6+!
38…Kf8
39.bxc3 Rb1+
40.Kh2 Rc1
41.Rxa5 Rxc3
42.Ra8+ Ke7
43.Rxh6 Rc1
44.a4 c3
45.Ra7+ Kf8
46.Rxf7+ Kxf7
47.Rc6 Ke7
48.a5 Kd7
49.Rc4 Kd6
50.a6 Kd5 50...c2 would help White tremendously
51.Rc8 51.Rc8 Ra152.Rxc3 Rxa6 53.g4+-; 51.Ra4 and the result of the game is clear: White will win 51...Re1 52.a7+. 1– 0
DUTCH CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCA 2008
Dutch GMs in tight race for title
AT least five Dutch grandmasters have been in a game of musical chairs since Day One of their race for the national crown, held in Hilversum, The Netherlands.
The five who have been replacing each other as leaders are GMs Daniel Stellwagen (2621), Jan Smeets (2578), Friso Nijboer (2558), Erwin L’Ami (2600), and Sipke Ernst (2559). The race has been so tight that changes in the overall leadership have happened in
almost every round. In the sixth, for instance, Ernst was the overall leader but in the
seventh, Stellwagen and Smeets were in a tie for first to second slots with 5.0 each.
Nijboer, L’Ami and Ernst tied for third to fifth half a point behind, in that order on tiebreak.
The Netherlands has a rich chess tradition, having produced the fifth world champion, Dr. Max Euwe, who was also renowned as a mathematician, and Jan Timman, who once was
groomed as a candidate for the world throne. Here is how Nijboer, the defending national
champion, outwitted Smeets in the second round.
F. Nijboer (2558) – J. Smeets (2578)
Rd 2, Dutch Nat’l Champ,Hilversum 2008
Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 Secures e5 3.d4Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 Covers b5 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0–0 10.0–0–0 Nbd7 11.g4 Qc7 11...b5 12.g5 b4 13.gxf6 bxc3 14.Qxc3 Nxf6 15.Rg1 leads to equality 12.g5² Nh5 13.Kb1 b5 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Nb6 16.Na5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Qxa5 18.c4 Fritz suggests 18.Bd3!? to keep the balance Rab8 19.Bd3 Qb4 20.cxb5 axb5 21.h4 g6 22.Rc1 Kg7 23.Rc7 Bd8 24.a3 Nf4 25.Qa2 25.axb4?? overlooking...25...Nxd5 26.Rd7 Nxe3 27.Rxd6 Be7 Qa4 25...Ra8 26.Rb7 Qa5 27.Bxf4 exf4 is playable 26.Bc2 26.Ra7!? Nxd3 27.Rxa4 bxa4 28.b4 should get the edge Qa8 26...Qa6!? 27.Ra7 Qc6 ought to have been played 27.Be4 Restoring equality d5 Not 27...Qa6 28.Rc6 Bb6 29.Rxd6! 28.Ra7 Qc6 29.Bxf4 exf4
30.Bxd5 Qe8 31.Qb3 Bb6?? 31...b4 offers the best chance: 32.axb4 Rc8! 32.Qc3+! Surging ahead Kg8 33.h5 Qe3 33...b434.axb4 Qe3 35.Rxf7 Rxf736.Bxf7+ Kf8 37.Qh8+ Kxf738.hxg6+ Ke6 39.Qf6+ Kd540.Qf7+ Ke5 would boost White’s lead 34.Rxf7! After 34.Rxf7! Demolition of pawn structure. 34...Rxf7 35.Bxf7+ Kxf7 35...Kf8 36.Qh8+ Kxf7 37.hxg6+ Ke6 38.Qxb8 hxg6 39.Qc8+ Kd6 40.Rd1+ Bd4 41.Qd8+ Ke542.Qf6+ Kd5 43.Qxg6 Qe5 would also help White 36.hxg6+ Ke6 37.Re1 hxg6 38.Rxe3+ fxe3 39.Qf6+ Kd5 39...Kd7 does not help much, e.g., 40.Qxg6 Bc7 41.Qf5+ Kc6 42.Qe6+ Kb7 43.g6! 40.Qxg6 Bd4 41.Qe4+ Kc5 42.b4+ Black resigns in the face of certain loss, e.g., 42…Kb6 43.Qxd4+ Ka6 44.Qxe3! 1–0
And here is how tournament leader Stellwagen outclassed a lower-rated player in the sixth round.
D. Stellwagen (2621) – R. Janssen (2504)
Rd 6, Ruy Lopez, Chigorin Defense (C97)
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 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Nf1 Rad8 15.Qe2 c4 16.Ne3 g6 17.b4 Nb7 18.a4 Bc6 19.Ng4 Nxg4 20.hxg4 Rd7 21.axb5 Bxb5 22.Be3 22.g5 Rb8 gives Black a chance to equalize Nd8 22...Bxb4!? looks like a viable alternative: 23.Nxe5 Bxc3 24.Nxd7 Bxd7 25.Rxa6 Bxg4 26.Qxg4 Bxe1, with equality 23.Red1! Rxd1+
24.Rxd1 Ne6 25.Rd5 f6 26.g5 Nxg5 27.Nxg5 fxg5 28.Qg4 Bc6 28...Rf7! should be tried, says Fritz 29.Qe6+
Rf7 30.Qxe5 Qb7 30...Qc8!? 31.Ra5 g4 was better 31.Bd4! Rf6?? After 31…Rf6?? The fatal error. Safer was 31...Bf6 32.Rd8+ Kg7! 32.Rd6! The rest is history: 32…Qc7 33.Rxf6 Qxe5 34.Bxe5 Bxf6 35.Bxf6. 1–0
MAKING CHESS A SPECTATOR SPORT
Kramnik beats GM, IM in clock simul
FORMER world champion Vladimir Kramnik outplayed Dutch GM Jan Werle and French IM Marie Sebag in a clock simultaneous exhibition earlier this week in a soundproof, glass-walled room in Enschede, The Netherlands. Werle, a 24-year-old law student from Groningen, The Netherlands, surrendered on the 38th turn
of an Open Catalan while Sebag, 22, a former Under- 16 girls’ world champion, lasted longer.
The Dutch grandmaster considers chess only as a hobby despite his high title and rating and Sebag is a former contender for the world title. The venue is a prototype of the future “Chess Arena” where challenger Kramnik and defending world champion Viswanathan Anand will match
wits in total silence at Germany’s university city of Bonn in October this year, according to a posting on the ChessBase News. Anand and Kramnik will be completely isolated from the spectators who can see them play but cannot be seen by them through the one-way glass walls of the room that is designed like a boxing ring, complete with ropes around the playing desk.
The Chess Arena is equipped with the latest technology and will be seen on television and
heard on radio around the world via six cameras installed around the room. DGT, the Dutch company whose name means Digital Games Technology, is developing new audio-video systems expected to make chess a popular spectator sport when the Anand-Kramnik world title fight is televised for global viewing.
V. Kramnik (2788) – J. Werle (2581)
DGT Clock Simul, Enschede,NED 2008
Open Catalan (E05)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Ra7 11.a3 Be4 12.Qc1 Nc6 13.e3 Qa8 14.Qd1 Nd5 15.Qe2 e5 16.Re1 Not 16.Nxe5 Bxg2 17.Nxc6 Bxf1 18.Nxe7+ Nxe7 19.Qxf1 Nd5! exd4 17.exd4 f5 18.Nc3 Nxc3 19.Bxc3 Bf6 20.d5 The equalizing 20.Rad1 is noteworthy, says Fritz Bxc3 21.bxc3 Nd8 22.Rad1 Bxd5 23.Ng5 c6 24.Bxd5+ cxd5 25.Qd3 h6 25...Rd7 26.Re5 h6 27.Nf3! would boost
White’s lead 26.Nf3 f4 27.Nh4 fxg3 28.hxg3 Nf7 29.Nf5 Ng5 Fritz suggests the equalizing 29...Kh8!?
should be considered 30.Ne7+ Rxe7 31.Rxe7 Nf3+ 31...Rxf2!? 32.Kxf2 Qf8+ 33.Kg2 Qxe7 34.Qxd5+ Kh7
35.Qd3+ Kg8 gives White a clear edge 32.Kf1 d4?? An oversight in a lost position. 32...Nh2+ was better:33.Ke1 Qc8 34.Qxd5+ Kh8 33.Qg6 33.cxd4?! is clearly worse, says Fritz: 33...Nh2+ 34.Ke2 Qg2 Nh2+ 34.Ke1 Nf3+ 35.Ke2 Ng1+ 36.Kf1 Not 36.Rxg1?? Qf3+ 37.Kd2 Qxf2+ 38.Kd1 Qf3+ 39.Kc1 Qxc3+ 40.Kd1 Qf3+ 41.Kd2 Qf2+ 42.Re2 Qxg1, and Black surges on Rxf2+ 37.Kxf2 Nh3+ 37...Qf8+ 38.Kxg1 Qxe7 39.Rxd4 Qe1+ 40.Kg2 Qe2+
41.Kh3 Qf1+ 42.Kh4 Qf8 also givesWhite overwhelming advantage 38.Ke1! Black resigns. If 38…Qf8 39.Re8
Qxe8+ 40.Qxe8+ Kh7 41.Qe4+ Kh8 42.Rxd4 Kg8 43.Qg6 Kf8 44.Re4 Nf4 45.Re8#! 1–0
Ms Sebag put up stiffer resistance but succumbed as well after 49 moves.
V. Kramnik (2788) – M.Sebag (2521)
DGT Clock Simul, Enschede,NED 2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.a4 dxc4 5.Nc3 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0–0 0–0 9.Qe2 Bg6 10.Ne5 Nbd7
11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Rd1 Qa5 13.Qc2 c5 14.Na2 cxd4 15.Nxb4 Qxb4 16.Rxd4 Rac8 16...Qe1+ 17.Bf1 would have equalized 17.Qe2! Qb6 18.a5 Qc7 19.a6 e5 20.axb7 exd4 21.bxc8=Q Rxc8 Not 21...Qxc8? 22.exd4 Re8 23.Be3! 22.b3 Nb6 23.exd4 Nxc4 24.bxc4 Qxc425.Qxc4 Rxc4 26.Be3 Rc7 27.Ra5 Rd7 28.Kf1 Nd5 29.Ke2 f6 30.Kd3
Kf7 31.h3 Ke6 32.Ra6+ Nb6 33.g4 g5 34.f4 gxf4 35.Bxf4 Kf7 36.h4 g5 Best was 36...Ke7! 37.hxg5 Nd5 38.Bd6 fxg5 39.Ke4 Nc3+ 40.Ke5 Nb5 41.Bc5 Rd8 42.Ra5 Rb8 42...a6 could be tried 43.d5 Rb7 44.d6 Ke8 45.Ke6 Kd8 46.Be3 46.Bxa7 makes it even easier forWhiteKe8 47.Bc5 47.Bf2 and White can already relax Kd8 48.Bxa7!! After 48.Bxa7!! 48...Nxa7 49.Rxg5 Black resigns, sensing mate in the air. 1–0
PINAY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
‘Sheer joy to behold’
ONE of the country’s most reliable chess amazons is Sheerie Joy Lomibao, a comely veteran of at least two World Olympiads—the 36th in Calvia, Spain in 2004 and the 37th in Turin, Italy in 2006.
Ranked No. 69 with an Elo rating of 2185 on the April 1, 2008 Fide ratings list, the 29-year-old Woman Fide Master (WFM) can be relied upon to deliver the points when she is in fine form.
What she lacks, however, is the constancy as well as the consistency needed for complete mastery of the game. This shows her heart may not be wholly in the game. When she is in the mood, she plays quite well as borne out by her having won the national crown and played in two
Olympiads, but when she is not in the mood, it appears that no force on earth can make her play.
When she does focus on chess, however, she is a sheer joy to behold as there are times she can be a picture of concentration at the board. Sheerie Joy certainly has the talent. All she has to do is to get genuinely interested in this game of kings and queens.
Sheerie Joy Lomibao (2089) – Zulaikha Siti (2162)
Rd 3, 36th Olympiad, Calvia 2004
Vienna Game (C28)
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.f4 d6 6.f5 Na5 7.Bg5 c6 8.Qf3 b5 9.Bb3 Bb7
10.g4 10.Nge2 could let Black equalize Nxb3 11.axb3 Qb6 12.Nge2 Nd7 13.h4 h6 14.Bd2
0–0–0 15.Nd1 b4 16.Ne3 d5 17.0–0–0 a5 18.Ng3 a4 Fritz suggests 18...Qa7! 19.bxa4 Bxe3 20.Qxe3 d4 21.Qe1 b3 22.Ba5 Qc5 Threat: …Qxc2#! 23.Rh2 Rhe8? 24.Kb1 Missing 24.Bxd8!? Kxd8 25.g5! Nf6 25.cxb3 Nxg4 26.Rc2 Qe7 27.Rdc1 Kd7 28.b4 Missing 28.Bxd8!, e.g., 28...Rxd8 29.Nf1! Rb8 29.Rc5 Rec8 30.b5 30.Nf1!?
could be tried Qxh4 Black has equalized 31.Bb6 Qg5?? 31...Qh2 would have kept the balance 32.Ba7 Ra8 33.Qa5 Qd8?? 34.bxc6+ Bxc6 35.Qa6 Rxa7 36.Qxa7+ Rc7 37.Qb6 Qa8 38.a5 Rc8 39.b4 Qb7 40.Rxc6! Lethal: if 40…Qxb6 41.Rxb6Rxc1+ 42.Kxc1! 1–0
Sheerie Joy posted this win with Black two years later at the Olympiad in Turin.
Gundula Heinatz (2277) –Sheerie Joy Lomibao
Rd 3, 37th Chess Olympiad,Turin 2006
Queen’s Pawn Opening (D02)
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 Bg4 4.Bg2 Qd7 5.h3 Bf5 6.c3 f6 7.b4 a6 8.Bf4 g5 9.Be3 Nh6 10.Qc1 Nf7 11.Nbd2 h6 12.Nb3 b6 13.a4 Bg7 14.a5 14...0–0 15.h4 e6 16.0–0 16.hxg5 lets Black equalize, e. g., 16…fxg5 17.Nh2 Qd8! Nd6 17.hxg5 hxg5 18.Nfd2 b5 18...Bg6 19.f3 should level the game 19.Nc5 Qe8 20.f3 Kf7 21.Kf2 Fritz suggests 21.Bf2! Rh8 21...Ke7 22.Ke1 would have equalized 22.Rh1 Rxh1 23.Qxh1 Qe7 24.Qc1 Nd8 25.Qb2 c6 26.Rh1 Kg8 Missing the equalizer: 26...Ke8 27.Ke1 27.Qc1 N8f7 28.Kg1 e5 29.Qf1 Bg6 30.Bh3 f5 31.Ndb3 Nc4 32.Bc1 exd4 33.Nxd4 Re8 34.Nce6 Bf6 Not 34...Qd6 35.Nxg7 Qxg3+ 36.Bg2 Kxg7 37.Nxc6! 35.Kf2 Bxd4+! 36.Nxd4 Ne3 37.Qe1 g4 Fritz suggests37...c5!?! 38.Nxc6 Qe6 39.Nd4 Qe7 40.Bg2 Nxg2 41.Kxg2 gxf3+ 42.Nxf3 Fritz prefers
42.Kxf3! Qe4+ 43.Kf2! Qxe2+! Equalizng. 43.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 44.Kh3 Bh5 45.Nd4 Bg4+! 46.Kh4 Re8 47.Rf1 Nd6 48.Kg5 Ne4+ 49.Kh6?? Rf8 50.Bg5 Rf7! White resigns. 0–1
MY FAVORITES
India’s Ganguly makes it big time
FINALLY, after about two years in the doldrums, Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly has made it to the big league with his convincing victory at the Sydney International Open, one of the major events in Asia and the Pacific, two weeks ago.
Ganguly could have become a superstar much earlier had he continued his rise in the Indian firmament of chess stars. One possibility is his loss of self-confidence because he has
been overshadowed by younger rivals like former Asian champion Krishnan Sasikiran and world
youth champion Penteala Harikrishna. With the entry of Negi Parimarjan as one of the world’s
youngest to earn the GM title , the Indian Hall of Chess Heroes seems overcrowded, indeed.
H. Nakamura (2710) – S.S. Ganguly (2432)
Rd 1, FIDE World Cup 2005
Two Knights Game (C55)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 .exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.0–0 Bc5 10.f3 Ng5 11.f4 Ne4 12.Be3 Qb8 13.Qc1 Bxd4 14.Bxd4 c5 15.Bf2 Bb5 16.Rd1 Nxf2 17.Kxf2 Bc6 18.Nd2 Qb6 19.c4 d4 20.Qc2 0–0 21.f5 Rad8 22.Rf1 Ba8 23.Kg1 d3! 24.Qc3 Rd4! Great positional play 25.Rf2 Re8 26.Re1 Qh6 27.Qa3
Qg5 28.g3 h5 29.Qxc5 h4!! A well-calculated sacrifice that turns the tide. 30.Qxd4 hxg3! 31.Kf1 31.Qxd3??
could lead to self-mate gxf2 32.Qxf2 Qg4 33.f6 gxf6 34.Re3 Not 34.exf6?? because of 34...Qh3+ 35.Kg1 Rxe1+
36.Nf1 d2 37.b3 Rxf1+ 38.Qxf1 Qe3+ 39.Qf2 d1=Q#! Qd1+ 35.Qe1 Qxe1+ 36.Kxe1 fxe5 37.Rxd3 f5 38.Rd7 Not 38.Ra3 f4 39.Rxa7 e4 40.Rxc7 e3! e4 39.Nb3 39.Rxc7!? must be considered, e.g., 39...e3 40.Nf1 f4! 40.Nd4 e3 41.Nf5 Kh8 42.Nh4 Kg8 42...f3 would boost White’s lead, e.g., 43.Ng6+ Kg8 44.Re7 Rxe7 45.Nxe7+ Kf7 46.Nf5!
43.Ng6 43.Nf5!? is noteworthy f3! 44.Re7 Rxe7 45.Nxe7+ Kf7 46.Nf5 e2! 47.Nd4 Kf6 48.Nb5 Ke5 49.Nxc7 Be4 50.Nb5 Bd3 51.b3 Ke4 52.Nc7?? Bxc4! White resigns: if 53.bxc4 Kd3! 0–1
Here is the Indian wizard’s win last year that started him on the road back to his quest for superstardom.
A. Volokitin (2645) – S.S. Ganguly (2571)
Rd 1, 6th Aeroflot Festival, Moscow 2007
French Defense (C18)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5! Striking at the enemy’s pawn chain 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 Fritz suggests 7...0–0 to equalize 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 Not 12.cxd4?! because of 12…Nxd4 13.Ra2 Nxe2 14.Bxe2 Rxg2, with equality dxc3 13.Qxc3 0–0–0 14.Rb1 Nf5 15.Rg1 d4 16.Qd3 Na5
17.g4 17.Nxd4 would only keep the balance, e.g., 17…Ba4 18.Rb4 Nxd4 19.Rxd4 Nb3 Ba4 18.c3 Bc2 19.Qxc2 d3 20.Qa2 Qc5 21.Rg2 21.gxf5 dxe2 22.Qxe2 Rxg1 also leads to equality Ne3 22.Ng3 Rxg4 22...Nxg2+ would only aid the enemy: 23.Bxg2 Rxg4 24.Ne4 Qg1+ 25.Bf1! 23.Rf2 Nac4 24.Qb3 b6 25.Qa4 Nc2+ 26.Rxc2 dxc2 27.Qxc2 Ne3 27...Rxg3!? 28.hxg3Nxa3, with equality 28.Qe4 Rd1+ 29.Ke2 Nd5 30.Bd2 30.Kxd1 Nxc3+ 31.Ke1 Nxe4 32.Nxe4 Qc2 allows Black to sprint away Rxb1 31.Qxb1 Rxf4! Breaking up the pawn shield and targeting the isolani on c3.32.Qd3 Not 32.Bxf4 because of …Nxc3+! Rf2+ 33.Kd1 33.Ke1! was more precise Qxa3 34.Qa6+ Qxa6 35.Bxa6+ Kb8 36.h4 Rh2 37.h5 Rh3 38.Be1 Nf4 39.Be2 39.Bf1 Rh2 should keep the balance Nxe2
40.Kxe2 a5 41.Kf3 41.Kd3 b5 42.c4 b4 favors Black a4 42.Kg4 Rh2 43.c4 a3 Threatening …Rc2
44.Kg5 Missing 44.Bc3! Rc2 45.Ba1 Rxc4+ 46.Kg5! a2 45.Bc3 Rg2 46.Kg4 Rc2 47.Ba1 Rxc4+
48.Kg5 Rc1 49.Bb2 Rg1 50.Kf4 Kc7 51.h6 a1=Q 51...Rg2! 52.Ba1 was also playable 52.Bxa1 Rxa1
53.h7 Ra8 54.Kg5 Kc6 55.Ne4 Rh8 56.Kh6 Kd5 57.Nd6 Rxh7+ 58.Kxh7 Kxe5 59.Nxf7+ Kd5 60.Kg6 b5 61.Ng5 b4 62.Nf3 e5 63.Kf5 e4 64.Ng5 e3 65.Kf4 e2 66.Nf3 b3! White resigns. 0–1
GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Ganguly, the ‘Kid from Calcutta’
ALTHOUGH my memory is a bit wobbly now, I still remember reading with
fascination the exploits on the board of the “Kid from Calcutta,” the old name of
India’s most congested city now known as Kolkata.
A genuine child prodigy, Surya Shekhar was discovered in the late eighties and the first time I came across his name was in the Chessmate magazine edited and published by IM
Manuel Aaron, Asia’s second international master whom I met in the 1984 Asian Cities Championship in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
If I remember correctly, Ganguly won an age-group crown in Spain with Macmac Paragua as his closest rival. Although he won the national title several times, Ganguly could never get out of
the lengthening shadow cast by Viswanathan Anand, who even then ranked No. 2, next only to
Garry Kasparov, and today ranks No. 1 in the world.
Then came two younger Indian prodigies—Krishnan Sasikiran and Penteala Harikrishna, and as their presence grew, Ganguly’s dwindled. Psychologically, he could not win the national title
anymore. At any rate, he proved to be one of the greatest child prodigies India has produced, as his games would show.
A Mas Hafizulhelmi – S.S. Ganguly
World Youth Ch, Mamaia,Romania 1991
Two Knights Game (C59)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4
10.Ng1 Fritz says 10.Ne5!? is aninteresting alternative Bc5 Equalizing 11.d3 11.Kf1 0–0 should equalize Qb6 11...Qd412.Be3 Qxb2 13.Nd2 Bxe3 14.fxe3 would help White 12.c3 12.Nc3 Bxf2+ 13.Kf1 e3 is playable Bxf2+! 13.Kf1 exd3 14.Bxd3 0–0 15.Qf3 15.b4 Bxg1 16.Qc2 gives Black a huge advantage Bxg1 Black is now a mile ahead 16.Rxg1 Re8 16...Rd8 was better, e.g, 17.Be2 Bg4
18.Qxg4 Nxg4 19.Bxg4 Nc4! 17.Qg3?? White crumbles under pressure 17.Na3 Ba6 18.c4! Ba6
18.c4 Nxc4 19.Bxh6 Ne3+ Missing a mating line: 19...Ng420.Qe3 Ncxe3+ 21.Ke2 Qxb2+ 22.Nd2 Nf5+ 23.Kf3 Nxh2+ 24.Kf2 Qd4+ 25.Be3 Qxe3#! 20.Bxe3 Rxe3 21.Qxe3 Qxe3 22.Bxa6 Qc1+ Missing 22...Ng4 23.b4 Nxh2#! 23.Kf2 Qxb2+ 23...Ng4+ was still the best reply: 24.Ke2 Re8+ 25.Kf3 Qe3+ 26.Kxg4 Re4+ 27.Kf5 Qf4#! 24.Nd2 Qxd2+ 25.Kf3 Re8 26.g3 Re3+ Missing a mate in two: 26...g5 27.h4 g4#! 27.Kf4 Nh5+ Quicker was 27...Qd4+ 28.Kf5Re5#! 28.Kg4 Qd7+ 29.Kxh5 29...Nf4! was the knock-out blow: 30.gxf4 Rh3+ 31.Kg5 f6+ 32.Kg6 Rh6#! Qf5+ 29...Qh3+ was better: 30.Kg5 Re5+ 31.Kf4Qf5#! 30.Kh4 Re4+ 30...g5+ would have mated more quickly:
31.Kh5 Re4 32.h4 Qg6#! 31.g4 g5+ 32.Kh3 Qh7+ 33.Kg3 Qh4+ 34.Kf3 Rf4+ 35.Ke3 Qxh2 Again
missing a mating line 35...Qf2+ 36.Kd3 Rd4+ 37.Kc3 Qd2+ 38.Kb3 Rb4+ 39.Ka3 Qc3#! 36.Kd3 Rf3+ Finally the blinders are removed 37.Kd4 Qf4+ 38.Kc5 Rc3+ 39.Bc4 Rxc4#! White’s king is mated near the center of the board, far from its original square! 0–1
And here is another win by the Indian star:
S.S. Ganguly – A Jankovioc
Rd 2, World U12 Ch, Szeged1994
Vienna Game (C28)
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bb4 5.a3 Ba5 6.Nge2 h6 7.0– 0 Bb6 8.h3 0–0 9.Kh1 Na5 10.Ba2 d6 11.f4 Nc6 12.f5 Nd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd4 14.Qf3 c6 15.g4 Nh7 16.Qg3 Kh8 17.h4 f6 18.Kg2 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Qa5 20.g5!
After 20.g5! Fritz describes this as “the thematic attack.” 20...Qxc3?? Missing 20...d521.Bd2 Re8 21.gxh6 Black resigns: 21.gxh6 Rg8 22.Bxg8! 1–0
CHESS MAGIC
Garry’s Immortal Games
WHENEVER I need to write for this series, what immediately comes to mind is the former world champion and, to many fans, the strongest and greatest player of all time. Whether you like it or not, his style is the most spellbinding in modern times.
Normally, I tie up this series with My Favorites. Unfortunately, however, the games of Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly, the subject of the previous page, do not come up to standard as magical gems. This being my last issue of The Weekender, I decided to look for what may be considered as Garry Kasparov’s most magical games. I hope these two gems will satisfy my readers. Here are the games that may be called Kasparov’s immortal games as chosen by one connoisseur.
G. Kasparov (2812) – Veselin Topalov (2700)
Rd 4, Hoogovens A, Wijk aan Zee 1999
Pirc Defense (B07)
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb7 9...b4 10.Nd1 would have equalized 10.a3 e5 11.0–0–0 Qe7 12.Kb1 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.g4 a5, with equality a6 12...a5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Na2 equalizes 13.Nc1 13.dxe5 would give Black a chance to equalize, e.g., 13…Nxe5 14.Qd2 Nc4 0–0–0 13...exd4 14.Rxd4 c5 15.Rd2 would have equalized 14.Nb3 exd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Rd1 Nb6 17.g3 Kb8 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Bh3 d5 20.Qf4+ Ka7 21.Rhe1 d4 22.Nd5 22.Ne2!? is noteworthy, says Fritz Nbxd5 Not 22...Bxd5?? 23.exd5 Qd6 24.Nc6+ Ka8 25.Re7 Qxe7 26.Nxe7 Nbxd5 27.Nxd5 Nxd5 28.Qxf7, and White surges ahead 23.exd5 threatening Rxe7#! Qd6 24.Rxd4 cxd4 24...Kb6!? may be tried, e.g.,25.b4 Qxf4 (Not 25...cxd4?? 26.Qxd4+ Kc7
27.Qa7+ Bb7 28.Qxb7#!) 26.Rxf4 Nxd5 27.Rxf7 cxb4 28.axb4 Nxb4 25.Re7+ Restoring the balance Kb6 26.Qxd4+ Kxa5 27.b4+ Ka4 28.Qc3 Qxd5 Not 28...Bxd5?? 29.Kb2 Qe6 30.Rxe6 Bxe6 31.Qb3+ Bxb3 32.cxb3#! 29.Ra7 Yet another mating threat Bb7 30.Rxb7 Qc4 Not 30...Qxb7 31.Qb3!, again threatening mate 31.Qxf6 And still another
threat! Kxa3? 31...Rd1+ should keep Black in the game: 32.Kb2 Ra8 32.Qxa6+! White is definitely winning Kxb4 Now it’s Black’s turn to pose a mating threat via …Rd1 33.c3+! Kxc3 If 33...Qxc3+ 34.Qaxb5!, a classical mating theme, Fritz notes 34.Qa1+ Kd2 34...Kb4 35.Qb2+ Kc5 36.Rc7+ Kd5 37.Rxc4 bxc4 38.Qb7+ Kd4 39.Qb6+ Kd5
boosts White’s lead 35.Qb2+ Kd1?? A blunder that loses the initiative. 35...Ke1 36.Re7+ Kd1 also helps
White 36.Bf1 Rd2 37.Rd7 Rxd7 38.Bxc4 bxc4 39.Qxh8 Rd3 40.Qa8 Not 40.Qxh7?? because of 40...c3 41.Ka2 c2!, and Black wins c3 41.Qa4+ Ke1 42.f4 f5 Black resigns realizing he has no more viable moves: 42...Rd243.Qa5 Rxh2 44.Qxc3+ Kf2 45.Kc2. Another way is via 43.Kc1 Rd2 44.Qa7! 1–0
What was unique about Kasparov was that he could produce gems in official events in which the title was at stake as well as in tournaments with fat cash prizes.
Anatoly Karpov – G. Kasparov
Rd 16, World Ch, Moscow 1985
Sicilian Taimanov (B44)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 4...Nf6 5.Bd3 should equalize 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 d5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Be2 11.Bc4 b5 12.Bb3 Bg4 equalizes Bc5 11...Nfxd5 12.0–0 isthe equalizer 12.0–0 If 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qa4+ Bd7 14.Qxb4 Qb6 15.Qxb6 Bxb6, and White has the edge 0–0 12...Nbxd5!? 13.Nab1 0–0 would have equalized 13.Bf3 Bf5 14.Bg5 Re8 15.Qd2 b5 16.Rad1 If 16.Qf4 Bg6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 Nd3 17.Nab1
17.d6 would only allow Black to level the game h6 18.Bh4 b4 19.Na4 Bd6 20.Bg3 20.Qc2 Rc8 21.Nac3 bxc3
22.Nxc3 Rc4 would let Black surge ahead Rc8 21.b3 g5 Not 21...a5 22.Nb2 Nxb2 23.Qxb2 Bxg3 24.fxg3!22.Bxd6 Fritz prefers 22.h4 Qxd6 23.g3 Nd7 23...Re5 24.Nb2 Nxb2 25.Qxb2 should keep the balance 24.Bg2 It’s now an even game Qf6 25.a3 a5 26.axb4 axb4 27.Qa2 Bg6 28.d6 28.h3 Qd4 keeps the balance g4 29.Qd2 Kg7 30.f3 Qxd6 31.fxg4 Qd4+ 32.Kh1 Nf6 33.Rf4? 33.h3 Re334.Rf4 gives Black the edge Ne4 34.Qxd3 Nf2+ 35.Rxf2 Bxd3 36.Rfd2 Qe3 37.Rxd3 Rc1 38.Nb2 Qf2 39.Nd2 Rxd1+ 40.Nxd1 Re1+! Mate is just around the corner: 41.Nf1 Rxf1+ 42.Bxf1 Qxf1#! 0–1
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
The Budapest (2)
THE Budapest Gambit was developed by Hungarian masters in the Budapest
coffeehouses at the end of the 19th century. Its practitioners included Geza Maroczy, Gyula Breyer, Szigmond Barasz, Istvan Abonyi, and Jozsef Balogh. They called it the “Budapest Defense of the Queen’s Gambit” or, in short, the “Budapest Gambit”.
The Budapest’s official introduction to the international chess arena came in April 1918 in Berlin. Berlin 1918 1 Vidmar, Milan Sr 4.5/6 2 Schlechter, Carl 3.5/6 3 Mieses, Jacques 3.0/6
4 Rubinstein, Akiba 1.0/6 Russian Chess Trainer Dmitrij Oleinikov wrote a very good CD on the Budapest Gambit, available from Chessbase. With special permission from the author, I will relate to you his story. After initial successes at a local level, there arose the question: what would the best players say, what would the reaction of the famous "Deutsche Schachzeitung" be
like? Its chief-editor, world pretender Karl Schlechter, took note of the novelty from Budapest. Moreover, he published an optimistic analysis of the Gambit. But the chess world did not believe in the new opening just yet. At the top tournaments of the beginning of the 20th century, White used 1.d4 in 70% of the games and slowly but surely went to win. For example, Akiba Rubinstein, the master of positional play and one of the strongest chess players of his times, had nearly perfect results with 1.d4 in the decade 1907-1917. He won 62 games with 1.d4 and lost only 9 (40 draws). And of all players, Rubinstein, "the supreme priest of chess religion", as Savielly Tartakover defined him, had to test the Budapest Gambit at highest level in April of 1918 in Berlin. There were four participants in the two-rounds tournament: A. Rubinstein, K. Schlechter, chess romantic J. Mieses and the world's strongest amateur, Milan Vidmar. It was Vidmar who had to face Rubinstein's "White magic" in the first round. "What should I play as
Black against Rubinstein?" he asked his friend just before a game. And the friend's name was Abonyi, one of the inventors of the Budapest Gambit! Of course he answered: "Play our defense!" and demonstrated the key lines. Clocks were started and surely enough Rubinstein's
first move was 1.d4!
Rubinstein, Akiba – Vidmar, Milan [A52]
Berlin (3), 22.04.1918[Dimitrij Oleinikov unless otherwise specified]
Notes below have been slightly abridged due to space constraints:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Qe7
More precise is 6...Bxc3+7.bxc Qe7 8.Qd5 with the same position. White had an additional opportunity 7.Qb3.
7.Qd5
White's plan of holding an extra pawn is completed. Vidmar has no more pieces to
attack e5. There is not the best decision to follow Breyer plan with b7-b6 and Bb7 in this
position, because white has a possibility to push knight g4 away. After 7...b6 8.h3! Nh6
9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.Rc1! leads to a better game for White.
7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3
This is a critical opening position since 1918 till nowadays. It remains as one of the "key-positions" of the Budapest for 80 years! White holds an extra pawn. But pay attention to the cost of that! Two
pairs of double pawns, weak "a" and "c" pawns; weak queenside where black pieces can invade;king in the center and at least two tempo for castling (Black is ready for a castle). White queen in the center will be attacked by black , therefore White will lose more time. That is "compensation". But Vidmar has to find how to use his turn to move for immediately creating threats and counterplay.
8...Qa3 9.Rc1
After 9.Qd2 Qa5 Black attacks both e5 and c3 weak pawns, and White has not Qd5. White has only some traps:10.Rb1 a6! (10...Ngxe511.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rb5 winning a piece) 11.e3 Ngxe5 12.Nxe5Nxe5 Material equality restored, but weak White pawns "a" and "c" remain. After 0–0, d6, b6 and possibleBe6 Black will play against these weak pawns without serious danger to lose.
9...f6!? 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Qd2d6
Not only defending c7, but preparing Bf5. In that kind of position it is very important for Black to control over a point e4and a diagonal h7-b1.
12.Nd4
Obvious and often played inthe club tournaments and speed chess 12.e3? is much more worse, because of 12...Bf5 Bogolubov indicated, that idea Ne4 gives black a better game already.
12...0–0 13.e3
At last Rubinstein began to prepare a castle. But it is the13th move and it is a mistake!
13...Nxd4! 14.cxd4 Ne4 15.Qc2 Qa5+ 16.Ke2
And now what? Not onlyRubinstein, but Fritz 5.32 too marked position as better forWhite. But...
16...Rxf4! 17.exf4 Bf5 18.Qb2 Re8 19.Kf3
Shall the king escape?
19...Nd2+
NO! Actually, 19...h5 was better, because of 20.h3 (20.g3 Ng5+ 21.fxg5 (21.Kg2 Bh3+ 22.Kg1 Nf3#) 21...Be4+ 22.Kf4Qf5+ 23.Ke3 Bb1+ 24.Kd2 Qxf2+ 25.Kc3 Re3+ 26.Bd3Rxd3+ 27.Kb4 Qxb2+ 28.Ka5 Ra3#) 20...h4 21.Rd1 Ng5+!22.fxg5 Be4+ 23.Kf4 (23.Kg4 Qf5+ 24.Kxh4 Qf4+ 25.g4 Kf7 with mate) 23...Qf5+ 24.Ke3Qxg5+ 25.f4 Bxg2+ 26.Kd3Qg3+ 27.Kc2 Bxh1 wins.
20.Kg3 Ne4+ 21.Kh4
[21.Kf3 h5! Look at the commentary to move 19]
21...Re6 22.Be2 Rh6+ 23.Bh5 Rxh5+ 24.Kxh5 Bg6+[24...Bg6+ 25.Kg4 Qh5#] 0–1
Vidmar's brilliant win inspired him so much that he beat Rubinstein also in the 2nd
round (with White, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4!) and took the first place! Poor "supreme priest"
Rubinstein lost his magical weapon 1.d4 as both Mieses and Schlechter played the Budapest Gambit against him! The great Akiba Rubinstein only scored half a point out of
three and came last in the tournament. The Budapest had received a perfect advertisement! Schlechter's book "The Budapest Defense to the Queen's Gambit" was published soon after the
tournament in Berlin, and his analyses promised the gambit a brilliant future.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com. This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, April 7, 2008
Storm over Kamsky-Topalov match in Lviv, Ukraine
THE Bulgarian Chess Federation is said to have lodged a strong protest against Fide’s decision to stage the US$750,000 Kamsky-Topalov match later this year in Lviv, Ukraine,
according to ChessBase News over the weekend. Fide announced its choice shortly after extending the deadline for bids for hosting the event to April 23. Apparently, Lviv made a
US$750,000 bid for the match and it was accepted by Fide as the highest offer. Why former world champion Veselin Topalov’s federation had objected to Fide’s decision was not known.
It could be due to the fact that ex-US champion Gata Kamsky, a former Soviet prodigy, is a Siberian-born ethnic Tatar whose parents originally came from Ukraine. Kamsky, however, is an American citizen and has never lived in Ukraine, which used to be part of the Soviet Union as a socialist republic situated by the Black Sea.
Most likely, the Kamsky-Topalov match, if it pushes through, will be held in October to synchronize it with the match between reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand of India against his predecessor, exchampion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia.
The winners of the two matches will face each other next year for the world title.
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
Nolte gets GM norm
3rd Kolkata Open Grand Master Chess Tournament 2008
March 23-April 2, 2008
Gorky Sadan, Kolkata, India
Final Top Standings (10 Rounds)
1-2 GM Viktor Laznicka CZE 2595, GM Krishnan Sasikiran IND 2677, 8.5/10
3 GM Shukhrat Safin UZB 2493, 7.5/10
4-10 GM Chanda Sandipan IND 2593, GM Ziaur Rahman BAN 2492, GM Humpy Koneru IND
2612, Rolando Nolte PHI 2412, GM Alberto David LUX 2557, IM Prasad Arun IND 2423,
IM Jayaram Ashwin IND 2478, 7.0/10
11-22 GM Nguyen Anh Dung VIE 2525, GM Ahmed Adly EGY 2551, GM Tejas Bakre IND
2459, IM Roy Saptarshi IND 2404, GM RB Ramesh IND 2473, GM Dibyendu Barua IND
2491, GM Smbat Lputian ARM 2616, IM Kidambi Sundararajan IND 2442, GM Al-Rakib
Abdulla BAN 2506, GM Das Neelotpal IND 2486, Krishnan Murali IND 2363, IM Jha
Sriram IND 2457, 6.5/10
Total of 114 players
GM norms achieved: Rolando Nolte PHI, Prasad Arun IND
IM norms achieved: Oliver Barbosa PHI, Arghyadip Das IN D, Dhopade Swapnil IND, and MS
Thejkumar IND
THE Philippines’ Rolando Nolte earned his first GM norm with a 4-win 6-draw
performance in the 2008 Kolkata Open. Already in his early 40s, Nolte was just there to try and improve his rating, but he took his chances when they came and was undefeated in the tournament. He faced seven International Grandmasters, defeating two (Lputian and Abdulla) and drawing with five (Neelotpal, Dobrov, Ramesh, Safin, and Sandipan). He drew with IM Enamul Hossain and defeated two untitleds to round off his total score of 7 out of 10. “Nolts” has an interesting story. He was a strong junior who developed a close friendship with Joey Antonio, later on to become the Philippines’ third International Grandmaster. This was in the late 80s, when they were both just considered “promising”. The two of them sparred everyday and became so strong
that by 1990 Joey Antonio did something that no Fillipino chesser had achieved before him – he ended GM Eugene Torre’s 20-year reign as Philippine champion.
The Antonio-Nolte collaboration was not one-sided – practising every day with probably the greatest attacking player in the history of Philippine chess (although Wesley So is on his way to disputing this title) developed Nolte’s tactical skill to a very high level, enough to qualify him for the national team
to the 1992 Chess Olympiad. In 1994, Rolando Nolte made a quantum leap in his career by winning the prestigious 279-player Far East Bank Open. Eugene Torre and Mascarinas were absent, but all the other top Filipino chessers were present. This was a tremendous achievement and, as far as Nolts was concerned, the highest point of his career. He then semi -retired from chess, got married, settled down in Baguio and used the Far East bank prize money to purchase a Toyota Tamaraw which he converted to a taxi. His chess career was put on hold
while he concentrated on his family. Everything was fine and OK until one day a few years ago his wife died under tragic circumstances.
This completely uprooted Nolte and caused him to sell off his assets in Baguio and relocated back to Manila to resume his professional chess career. As the reader may have noticed Nolte is making steady inroads up the chess ladder and is on his way to re-entering the country’s Top 10 list. I am really happy with his GM norm for he is one truly nice person who deserves better.
It is time to show you his best game from Kolkata. Nolte reminds me of IM Rolly Martinez in this regard – he likes to provoke the opponent into complications and then hit back with a counterattack. The following victory over GM Smbat Lputian is typical. By the way, allow me to make a few comments about GM Lputian. The Armenian GM is no ordinary GM – he was among the top Soviet GMs in the eighties and participated in several USSR Championships, rubbing elbows with the likes of Kasparov, Karpov, Petrosian, etc. He is also the trainer of the world champion Armenian Olympiad team and a renowned expert in the French Defence.
Nolte, Rolando (2412) - Lputian, Smbat G (2616) [C04]
3rd Kolkata Open (6),29.03.2008
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6
This is an idea popularized by the Argentinian player Carlos Guimard in the 1940s. It is not so popular, but the Armenian players, especially Vaganian, play it a lot. Contrary to the usual plan andthe traditional design of attack of the base of the chains of pawns by c7-c5, in this line Black will attack the head of the pawn chain by ...Nc6 and ...f7-f6.
4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7 6.Bb5
Not as common as 6.Nb3 or 6.Be2, but Black has to be alert to get a good position.
6...a6
Would you believe that one of the main lines here is for Black to play 6...a5 followed by ...Na7 and ...c7-c5?
7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.Nb3 c5 9.Bg5
While I was looking at this position it occurred to me that 9.Na5 was a tricky line, threatening Nc6 which wins the black queen. Then I noticed 9...c6! which makes the white knight look ridiculous on a5, since 10.Nxc6 Qb6 traps the knight. Then it occurred tome that White can allow this, since he has another wicked knight move: 11.Ng5! with the idea of 11...Qxc6 12.Qh5 g6 13.Qf3 and a very strong attack. On the 11th move instead of taking the knight Black can insert 11...h6, but then there comes 12.Nxe6! with a strong attack. To analyze all of that is beyond the scope of this article, but I have never seen anyone mention these possibilities
before – chess is so beautiful!
9...Be7 10.h4!?
A new move. Usual is 10.Na5 but 10...Nb8 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 and Black is fine.
10...h6 11.Be3 cxd4 12.Qxd4 c5 13.Qg4 g6
White must open up the position.
14.c4!?
Nolte wants e4 for his knight.
14...d4 15.Bf4 Bb7 16.Nbd2
Qc7 17.0–0–0
Most people would have castled kingside, but I did say Nolte likes to provoke his opponents, right?
17...Bc6 18.Kb1 Rb8 19.Ka1 Qb7 20.Rb1 Bd8 21.Rhd1 Ba5 22.Ne1 Bxd2 23.Rxd2 a5 24.Qg3 a4 25.Rc1 Qa8 26.f3 Kf8 27.Nd3 Kg7 28.Qf2 Rb3 29.Rcc2
Of course not 29.axb3?? axb3+ 30.Kb1 Qa2#
29...Rhb8 30.Nc1 R3b6 31.Nd3 R8b7 32.Rd1 Ra7 33.Qd2
Now watch the counterattack kick in.
33...h5 34.Bh6+ Kh7 35.Bg5 Qf8 36.Qf4 Qg7 37.g4 Rb3 38.Re2 Rb8 39.Rg1 Rg8 40.Reg2 Raa8 41.Be7
The top players like to do this. Of course he has seen that 41.gxh4 wins, but Black cannot improve his position anyway so Nolte to’s and fro’s for a while and gives Lputian a chance to blunder.
41...f5??
Which he promptly does. Don't fret – Black was lost anyway.
42.exf6 e5 43.Nxe5 1-0 Final position.
Reader comments/suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com. This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, April 11. 2008.
FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
A letter I treasure
I HAVE just received a letter from Judge Rosendo Bandal Jr. of the Negros Oriental Regional Trial court. To young players who may not have heard of him, I must say that he belongs to one of the most illustrious chess-playing families in the country, one that antedates the famous Torre family in local chess.
All I know about them is what Bobby Ang has written in his column, Chess Piece, and I
can sum it up by describing the Bandals who originally came from Samar as a family of
champions.
Rosendo Jr., a former national chess champion and the most popular chess columnist during his time, presides at a sala of the Negros Oriental RTC in Dumaguete but has not totally abandoned
chess. He has been a regular reader of The Weekender and I have published a few of them. Here is his latest letter, which I believe reflects the sentiment of most readers who were shocked by my disclosure that I was shutting down my newsletter for good.
Dear Manny,
I pretty well understand the reason for your retiring from your journalism endeavors. I
know it would be extremely difficult to find someone else with your commitment and devotion to chess and your altruism. Your leaving will surely create a void since nobody at the moment has your expertise in the field of journalism who would dedicate so much time and effort unselfishly in chess promotion. I'm sure you will always be remembered as the best and greatest chess enthusiast who has contributed immensely to the propagation of chess through your incisive writings and sharing of significant news tidbits. You are a rare phenomenon. I congratulate and salute you. May your tribe increase. I greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity in sharing your sterling talent.
Again, my profound thanks.
Ros
Thanks, Judge. Quite a moving letter that leaves me speechless, I must say. I can only hope that somebody more competent than I will follow in my footsteps .
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WESLEY SO’s victory in Dubai has been the talk of the town and for the first time even the broadcast media, particularly ABS-CBN, reported the news. I hope it presages a boom that will
attract the best and brightest youngsters in the land to this fascinating mind game.
NCFP director and legal counsel Ed Legaspi and I talked to Butch Pichay about my proposal for the establishment of a National Chess Academy. The NCFP boss said he was all for it but that he had to take care first of the membership of the federation. What gives? Will there be a shakeup in the
grassroots?
Inton Cup moves on
THE Ariel Inton Cup Barangay Tournament moves on next weekend to the Project 6 barangay’s covered court. It is open to all non-masters from Quezon City and will serve as qualifier for next month’s championship to be held at the Entertainment Plaza Food Gallery of SM North Edsa. The five top finishers in next weekend’s competition will compete with barangay teams from the other districts. District II has Novaliches Proper, Balon Bato, Culiat, Commonwealth, and Bagong Siangan. District III will field Quirino 2-B
“A” and “B,” Quirino 3-A, Quirino 2-B, Socorro, and Marilga, while District IV will have Mariana, Old Capitol Site, Santol, Tatalon, and Doña Aurora. —M. Bernardino
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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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