Mr. Manny Benitez, the man behind The Weekender, is slowly (and painfully!) saying goodbye to thousands of his newsletter readers. Mr. Manny, your efforts and love for chess will surely be missed!
Dear reader,
GM Wesley So’s resounding win in the fifth round to seize the solo leadership in the ongoing Dubai International Open was too tempting for me to ignore as the best material for an extra edition, hereto attached, despite my earlier decision, arrived at after long and careful thought, to shut down The Weekender after this week’s regular edition.
Yes, I plan to retire for good from chess journalism not only for health reasons but also because I believe I am no longer capable of producing a weekly publication. Besides, I have neglected writing my memoirs as an active journalist for the past half century and plan to finish my book within the year. Hopefully, too, I’d like to come up with a book or two on chess based on my serialized features like Pinoy Gems with a History. I feel that time is no longer a luxury for me because of my fading memory and I must start doing what I should have done many, many moons ago.
My last issue, dated this Sunday, may be delayed for two or three days as I plan to include the final results of the Dubai Open as well as the National Junior (Under 20) Championship for boys and girls.
It has been fun for me doing The Chess Plaza Weekender for the past nearly two years despite the tedious work under terrible time pressure. Modesty aside, I really intended to make it a model for Filipino chess journalists, having been a newspaper editor myself and a TV-radio news director, besides my training as a journalist in the UK . I also wanted to set an example by rendering a service for free out of my deep and abiding love for chess and writing. I could have gone on and on publishing The Weekender but for the ravages of time on myself.
Before closing, I’d like to thank several readers who came forward to lend me a helping hand, such as Regin Raymond Dais, who has patiently and meticulously straightened out everything that went into my newsletter. Another is John Manahan, who has helped me by volunteering every valuable bit of information that he believed would be of interest to readers.
There have been other readers who helped me from abroad, like Emmanuel Marbella in the UAE, Hugo Villanueva, Jose Romero, Takashi Kurosaki, the Banawa brothers Jake and Cholo, and IMs Enrico Sevillano of California and Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. of Arizona, along with Joe Molina of the World Bank in Washington, DC.
Special mention must be made of three journalists who went out of their way to help me, also for free: Ignacio Dee, Marlon Bernardino and Alfredo V. Chay. Without their help, The Weekender could not have made any impact on Philippine chess journalism.
I wish to thank GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Bong Villamayor for their advice now and then on many matters—Bong especially for his erudite exposition on how to further develop Philippine chess.
My thanks, too, to contributors of articles like Erwin Casareno of Toronto , Canada , Jobannie Tabada of Dubai , Syrian IM Satea al-Hasuri of Harvard University , NM Jouaquin Banawa , NM and IA Erwin Carag, and a few others whose names I cannot at the moment recall.
A big THANK YOU, too, to Engr Joselito P. Marcos for his regular contribution of weekly chess problems—for free over the past 15 years or so, from the time I was writing a chess column in the defunct TODAY up to the last issue of The Weekender.
Let’s all hope somebody will pick up where I have left off. All for the good of chess!
Fraternally yours,
MANUEL O. BENITEZ
PS
I could have sent this out earlier had there been no “brownout” this morning in our area here in Quezon City .
And here's The Weekender Extra Edition, second to the last issue:
The Chess Plaza Weekender
Friday, 11 April 2008 Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City EXTRA Vol. II 43
Wesley seizes
solo lead, 5/5
WINNING what could be his greatest game yet, 14-year-old GM Wesley So seized the solo lead with a perfect score of 5.0 points from five games at the 10th Dubai International Open in the United Arab Emirates Thursday.
The Bacoor Wonder Boy got out of well-known book lines on White’s side of the Sicilian Pelikan/Sveshnikov
early on and stormed Black’s “Bastille” with all the firepower he could muster, sacrificing pieces in the process to strip the enemy king of its defenses. When Black—Fide Master A.R. Saleh Salem of the UAE—resigned, checkmate was in the air. GM So (2540) and FM Salem (2429) were the only ones with a perfect score of 4.0 points each entering the fifth round.
Wesley had earlier disposed of four rivals, including GM Levan Pantsulaia (2617) of Georgia in the third round and in the fourth world junior champion Ahmed Adly (2578) of Egypt, his nemesis in Yerevan, Armenia last year.
Here is GM So’s “Dubai Immortal” with notes based on Fritz’s analysis:
W. So (2540) – A.R. Saleh Salem (2429)
Rd 5, 10th Dubai Open, UAE 2008
Sicilian Pelikan/Sveshnikov
(B33
)
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3² Nc6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 e5
6.Ndb5 d6
7.Bg5 a6
8.Na3 b5
9.Bxf6 gxf6
10.Nd5 f5
11.Bd3 Be6
12.0–0 Bxd5
13.exd5 Ne7
14.c3 e4
15.Bc2 Bg7
16.Qh5! If 16.Qd2 Qb6 0–0 16...Qa5 17.Nb1 would have equalized
17.Rae1 Qc8 Less advisable is 17...Nxd5 18.Qxf5 Nf6 19.Bxe4 Nxe4 20.Rxe4
18.Kh1 Rb8 19.g4 19.Nb1!? should not be overlooked, says Fritz b4 Black has equalized
20.cxb4 Bxb2! Black fights back
21.Qg5+! Leaving his knight on the lurch,
21…Ng6 22.gxf5 Bxa3 23.fxg6 fxg6 Not 23...Qxc2?? because of 24.gxh7+! Kh8 25.Qf6+ Kxh7 26.Rg1 Bxb4 27.Qg7#!
24.Bxe4 Qd8 Not 24...Bxb4?? because of 25.Bxg6! Kh8 26.Re7!, and White wins
25.Qg3 Bxb4 26.Bxg6 Bxe1 Of course not 26…hxg6 because of 27 Qxg6+ Kh8 28 Rg1, and it’s mate next whatever Black does, e.g., 28…Rg8 29 Qh5#!; if 28…Qh4 29.Qg7#!
27.Bxh7+! Kh8 Not 27...Kxh7 28.Qh3+!
28.Rxe1 Rf6?? 28...Qf6 offers the best chance: 29.Be4 Rf7!
29.Qh3! Rf4
30.Bf5+ Qh4
31.Qc3+ Rd4
32.Rd1 Fritz prefers 32.Re4!, e.g., 32...Rb1+ 33.Kg2 Qg5+ 34.Rg4 Qxg4+ 35.Bxg4! Rbb4 If 32...Qxf2 33.Qxd4+ Qxd4 34.Rxd4
33.Qc8+ Kg7
34.Rg1+! Black has had enough and resigns although there is plenty of counterplay left as trotted out by Fritz: 34.Rg1+ Rg4 35.Bxg4 Qxf2 36.Qc7+ Kh8 37.Qc3+ Qd4 38.Qc8+ Kg7 39.Qd7+ Kh6 40.Qxd6+ Kg7 41.Qe7+ Kh6 42.Qh4+ Kg7 43.Qg5+ Kf8 44.Rf1+ Qf4 45.Rxf4+ Rxf4 46.Qxf4+ Kg7 47.Qg5+ Kh7 48.Bf5+ Kh8 49.Qh6+ Kg8 50.Be6#! 1–0
Wesley had shown right from the start that he was in Dubai to win and to pursue his dream of becoming a super grandmaster.
Here is his first win with Black in a short Sicilian:
Ali Al Sulaiti (2161) - Wesley
So (2540
Rd 1, Sicilian Game (B30)
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 e6
4.Bxc6 bxc6
5.0–0 Ne7
6.b3 Ng6
7.Bb2 f6
8.d3 e5
9.Nbd2 d5
10.Ne1 Bd6 Black should quickly conclude development, Fritz notes
11.c4 d4
12.Qh5 0–0
13.g3 If 13.Qd1 Be6! f5
14.Nef3 Be7
15.h4 Qe8
16.a3 fxe4
17.dxe4 Bh3
18.Nxe5 18.Rfe1 was more precise .Nxe5
19.Qxe5 Qd7 Threatening …Bd6.
20.Kh2 Rae8
21.f3 21.f4 would still play into Black’s hands, e.g., 21…Bg4! Bxf1
22.Rxf1 Bd6
23.Qh5 Re5! The end: 23...Re5 24.Qg4 Qxg4 25.fxg4 Rxf1 26.Nxf1 Rxe4! 0–1
Against a Chinese rival, Wesley wobbled a bit but was able to rein himself in and capitalize on his opponent’s mistakes.
Wesle y So (2540) - Wu Xibin (2351)
Rd 2, Sicilian Najdorf,
Poisoned Pawn (B97)
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Bg5 e6
7.f4 Qb6
8.Qd2 Qxb2 Trapping the king in the center
9.Rb1 Qa3
10.e5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2Nd7 h6
11.Bh4 dxe5
12.fxe5 Nfd7
13.Ne4 Possibly better is 13.Be2!?
14.Rd1 Qd5
15.Qe3 Qxe5
16.Be2 Bc5
17.Bg3 Bxd4
18.Rxd4 Qa5+
19.Rd2 0–0
20.Bd6 Nc6
21.0–0? Nce5 Missing his best shot, 21...Rd8!
22.Bxf8! Nxf8
23.Nd6 Bd7 If 23...Nfd7 24.Kh1!
24.Nxb7 Leveling the game Qb4 24...Qc7 looks like a viable alternative
25.Nc5 Bb5
26.c3 Ng4
27.cxb4 Nxe3
28.Ra1 Rb8
29.Nxa6 Clearing the way for the pawn on b4 Bxa6
30.Rxa6 Nd5
31.b5 Nd7
32.Ra7 N7b6
33.Rc2 g6
34.Bf3 Kg7
35.g3 h5
36.Bg2 Nc8
37.Rd7 Ncb6
38.Ra7 Nc8
39.Ra5 Nd6
40.Bf1 Rb7
41.Rb2 Nc8
42.Bg2 Ncb6
43.Ra6 Rc7
44.Bxd5 Nxd5
45.Kf2 Rb7
46.Rc6 Kf6
47.Ke2 Nc7
48.b6! 48…Nd5
49.Kd3 Ke7
50.Kd4 Kd7
51.Kc5 Nc3
52.Rd2+ Ke8 53.Rc8+ Ke7
54.Kc6! 1–0
Here is how Wesley outclassed a Georgian GM, one of 29 there..
L. Pantsulaia (2617) – W. So (2540)
Rd 3, Queen’s Indian {E15
)
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nf3 b6
4.g3 Ba6
5.Qc2 c5 6.d5 6.Bg2 Bb7 equalizes exd5!
7.cxd5 Bb7
8.Bg2 Nxd5
9.0–0 Be7
10.Qe4 Bc6
11.Ne5 Nf6
12.Nxc6 Nxc6
13.Qa4 0–0
14.Nc3 a6
15.Bxc6 dxc6
16.Qxc6 b5
17.Bf4 Qc8
18.Qf3 Qe6
19.e4 Rad8
20.Rfe1 Rfe8
21.Rad1 Rxd1
22.Rxd1 Bf8 Mounting pressure on e4
23.e5 Nd7!
24.Qb7 Nxe5
25.Bxe5 Qxe5
26.Qxa6 b4
27.Na4 g6
28.Qc4 Qh5
29.Rf1 Qf3
30.Nb6 Rd8
31.Qc2 Bg7
32.Nc4 Bd4
33.Na5 Qa8
34.Nb3 Qxa2
35.Nxd4 cxd4
36.Rd1 d3
37.Qd2 Qc4 Missing the powerful 37...Qb3!
38.Rc1 Qe4
39.Re1 Qd4
40.h4 h5
41.Rd1 Re8
42.Qf4? 42.Kg2 was more precise, Qxb2
43.Qd6 Re2
44.Qb6 b3
45.Kg2 Qc2
46.Ra1 46.Qd8+ offers the only chance to get some counterplay, b2
47.Ra8+ Kh7
48.Rb8 b1=Q!
Black resigns 0–1
Here is how he avenged his loss at the World Juniors.
W. So – A. Adly
Rd 4, Sicilian Najdorf (B99)
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Bg5 e6
7.f4 Nbd7
8.Qf3 Be7
9.0–0–0 Qc7
10.Bd3 h6
11.Bh4 g5
12.fxg5 Ne5
13.Qe2 Nfg4
14.Nf3 Nxf3
15.Qxf3 Ne5
16.Qh5 Ng6
17.Bg3 hxg5
18.Qf3 Ne5
19.Bxe5 dxe5
20.Rdf1 Rh7
21.h4 gxh4
22.Qg4 Rh6??
23.g3 Rg6
24.Qf3 Rf6
25.Qh5 Rxf1+
26.Rxf1 hxg3
27.Qxf7+ Kd7
28.Rd1 Kc6
29.Qg6 Bh4
30.Nd5 Qd6??
31.Qe8+! Bd7
32.Qxa8 exd5
33.Bxa6 Qc7
34.Rxd5 Bg5+
35.Kb1 Qb6
36.Bb5+! Qxb5
37.Rxb5!
1–0
Seven boys, five girls lead National Jrs
SIX boys and five girls were leading in their respective divisions of the National Junior (Under 20) Championship at Kaban ng Hiyas in Mandaluyong City after the third round on Thursday Among the boys, the leaders with 3.0 points each were Karl Victor Ochoa, Alcon John Datu, Jayson Mercado, Jerad Docena, Joey Alkbert Florendo, Mohamad Sacar and Jan Nigel Ochoa.
No comments:
Post a Comment