|
Don't mention yogurt...
|
The Cold War rivals Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi face each other over the board again at the 4th Pivdenny Bank Chess Cup which begins tomorrow at National Academy of Law in Odessa, Ukraine. The tournament will be Rapid Chess and the veterans are in a tough field which includes two of the highest rated players in the world today.
Karpov and Korchnoi contested three matches for the world title. The first, in 1974, was in effect a title contest as Fischer soon abdicated. The second two took place after Korchnoi defected from the USSR in 1977 and had become a non-person, scarcely ever mentioned or even referred to in the official media in the USSR. The match at Baguio City in 1978 became notorious for the shenanigans off the board including the famous accusation from Korchnoi’s camp that Karpov was receiving messages in his yoghurt during the game. The Russians sent parapsychologist Dr Zukhar to stare at Korchnoi from the front row of the audience and Korchnoi took to wearing reflective glasses. The first match was very close, but Karpov won the decisive 29th game. The match at Merano in 1981 was more comfortable for Karpov who at 57, is 20 years Korchnoi’s junior.
The full line up is: Boris Gelfand (2723, Israel), Ruslan Ponomariov (2719, Ukraine) Anatoly Karpov (2655, Russia) Pavel Tregubov (2629, Russia) Viktor Korchnoi (2598, Switzerland) Yuri Drozdovskij (2581, Ukraine) Valery Beim (2523, Austria) Mikhail Golubev (2474, Ukraine). Each player will face the other with both colours. The time limit is fast with 10 minutes on the clock and an extra five seconds added each move. Bank Pivdenny is the largest bank in southern Ukraine and one of the main sponsors of the Association of Chess Players or ACP.
V Kortchnoi – A Karpov
|
|
Going for Spanish gold
|
The 21st edition of the "Magistral Ciudad de Leon" starts today in the Spanish city which has a magnificent chess tradition. The Rapid Chess tournament will see the world champion Vishy Anand taking on the man of the moment Vasily Ivanchuk plus Spain’s two leading players Alexei Shirov and Francisco Vallejo Pons.
At the recent Dos Hermanas tournament which was also a rapid Chess knockout, Vallejo eliminated Shirov before losing to Veselin Topalov.
An eight game match between former world title finalist Peter Leko and prodigy Magnus Carlsen is already underway at the Hungarian resort of Miskolc which stages a match for the Hungarian number one each year. Leko drew with Michael Adams 4-4 in 2005, defeated Anatoly Karpov in 2006 and was defeated by Vladimir Kramnik in 2007.
A Morozevich – S Movsesian
Bosna Sarajevo (3
|
|
Coming out fighting
|
The British Land UK Chess Challenge is at its second stage with 39 Megafinals either completed or shortly to take place across the UK. Founder and organizer International Michael Basman has again attracted a huge number of children to the event with over 73,000 children, close to a record for the competition taking part in over 2000 schools.
All children who scored 4/6 or better in their graded section at the Megafinal qualify for the Giga Finals which are zoned north and south and take place at Wellington College and Manchester in July. The very best from Gigafinal go forward to the Terrafinal in August.
The winners of each age group win a big cash prize and the overall winner will earn ?2000.
Alexander Morozevich is top seed at this year’s Bosna Sarajevo tournament and is living up to his billing with his usual brand of creative and fighting chess. After four of the ten rounds Morozevich leads with 3/4. Here is one of his victories.
The game soon reaches positions similar to those from the Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 followed by Ne2 and Morozevich makes every effort to dismantle White’s centre and avoids committing his king. When he finally castles White is already lost.
B Predojevic – A Morozevich
|
|
Ukrainian Upstages His Hosts in Capturing Title in Bulgaria
|
Vassily Ivanchuk stole the spotlight at the M-Tel Masters, tournaments which have been showcases for Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria’s top player, who has taken first each time.
|
|
Leonard Barden. May 24, 2008
|
Sofia's double-round M-Tel Masters manages to be one of the strongest events of the year despite a virtual boycott by the top Russians since Vladimir Kramnik was accused by the Bulgarians of cheating in the 2006 world title match. In the latest M-Tel, which ended this week, the hometown favourite Veselin Topalov was eclipsed by Ukraine's Vasily Ivanchuk, who began with 5/5 and won easing up.
Earlier Topalov scored this crushing win. Bu's rare 9...Ne4 reflects recent white successes with the normal Bg6 10 Nh4, but after 10 Ne5!? Black ducked the untested gambit Nxc3 11 Bxc3 Bxc3 12 Ra3 Bb4 12 e4 Bxa3 13 Bxa3 Bg6 14 Bxf8 Kxf8. His actual choice gave White an easy edge, though 22...exf4 and 23...N or Bf8 are likely improvements. As played, Topa's quiet manoeuvre Nc1-d3-f4xg6 gained the bishop pair and 24 f5! opened up the defences. Then he finished with 31 Rf2, planning Bxf2+ 32 Kf1! mating.
V Topalov v Bu Xiangzhi
|
|
Defeat with a smile
|
Vladimir Kramnik defeated Czech number one David Navara 5.5-2.5 in a Rapid Chess match to capture the CEZ trophy at Prague last week. The fourteenth world champion is mainly playing Rapid Chess prior to his title contest against defending champion Vishy Anand in October although he is expected to play the Classical Chess tournament at Dortmund.
Navara was pummeled on the first day but after that he got a few winning positions and eventually, in the final game on day four he converted one. Navara expertly converts the advantages of a queenside pawn majority and control of the open file.
He advances his pawns supported by his king and once he makes a passed pawn the game is won. Kramnik tries to counter by advancing his kingside pawns but in doing so he makes them weak.
D Navara – V Kramnik
|
|
Najer nets the prize
|
Chess in the Caucasus is thriving as more and more big money tournaments appear in Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following the Fide Grand Prix event where Michael Adams competed, Nigel Short finished in joint second place at the President’s Cup, a very strong Open tournament also held at Baku, the birthplace of Garry Kasparov.
The tournament was won by the Russian GM Evgeny Najer who is something of an Open tournament specialist. At 2627, just outside the world’s top100 he is hugely under rated.
Michael Adams is in action in Yerevan later this month in a Rapid Chess tournament with a prize fund of $262,000 US. The favourite will be the local hero Levon Aronian who defeated Vladimir Kramnik in a Rapid Chess contest also in Yerevan last year. The full line up is:
|
|
Goalkeeper on the attack
|
The MTel Masters ended in triumph for Vasily Ivanchuk who scored his sixth victory in the final round to reach an unbeaten 8/10 and dash the lingering hopes of Veselin Topalov who finished 1.5 point behind. Topalov's analytical assistant Ivan Cheparinov went for the win with the white pieces against Ivanchuk in the last round but was well beaten.
Nigel Short once famously said that he never bothered preparing for Ivanchuk because: 'he can play anything' and so it proved. The Ukrainian chess genius chose the Sicilian Paulsen and when confronted with a dangerous looking novelty he reflected briefly and then refuted it. The Cheparinov’s queenside was soon full of holes and his king had nowhere to hide.
Ivanchuk started with five straight wins but had his customary attack of nerves in the second half of the event and drew four in a row before his lat round victory. 'Chuky' joked that because he played in goal during the traditional football match played on the rest day, he had developed a goalkeeper’s mindset: "I am thinking only of defence" he said. However, in the final game, when forced to fight he showed again what a great player he is.
|
|
Bu... there's a surprise
|
Veselin Topalov can still make it four first prizes in a row at the MTel Masters but after a shock defeat at the hands of Bu Xianhgzhi in the penultimate round he must defeat Teimour Radjabov and hope that his analytical assistant and fellow Bulgarian Ivan Cheparinov can inflict a first defeat on Vasily Ivanchuk
Topalov has won every MTel event in his home city of Sofia since its inception. In recent years he has made many magnificent comebacks. However, after winning for the fifth time in round eight he went astray against Bu who had yet to win a game but took the chances he was offered.
Vasily Ivanchuk started with five straight wins but has looked increasingly tentative and has drawn his last four. The Ukrainian played in goal during the traditional football match on the rest day and tongue in cheek, he suggested that since then he has carried on in goal during his games, thinking only of defence.
|
|
Brooklyn Public School Is a Big Winner at National Championships
|
 At the elementary school national championships in Pittsburgh last weekend, Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn won the section for players in kindergarten through the sixth grade.
|
|
Guildford ADC prolong their monopoly
|
The Premier League may have only four realistic contenders, but the UK chess league is way ahead of that in uncompetitiveness. For the second year in succession Guildford-ADC won the national title, with Guildford reserves runner-up.
Why the monopoly? ADC is Assessment & Development Consultants, a local human resources firm directed by international master Nigel Povah, which bankrolled a grandmaster squad of a calibre that no other team could match.
Lower down the league, a veteran squad finished fifth while the women's team Pride and Prejudice's rise continued with promotion to the top flight.
In a rare Guildford loss on the final weekend, GM Jonathan Parker, one of several top English players who abandoned full-time chess for the City, showed he retains his strength by this polished two-bishop win over England's youngest GM.
J Parker v D Howell
|
|
Nearly topped by Topalov
|
Vasily Ivanchuk conceded his first half point in the sixth round of the MTel Masters in Sofia. Ivanchuk was held to a draw by Teimour Radjabov and saw his lead cut to one point as Veselin Topalov defeated an out of sorts Levon Aronian.
Ivanchuk’s performance has been remarkable but Topalov, who has won all three M-Tel tournaments staged in his home city is also in fine form and his tournament rating performance so far is over 2900. Ivanchuk’s is over 3100. to put that in context, Vishy Anand, the world number one is rated 2803. Garry Kasparov’s highest ever rating achieved in 2000 was 2849.
Bu Xiangzhi lost again, he and Aronian are now well adrift of the field.
|
|
Turmoil at the top
|
The English Chess Federation is in meltdown after the resignation of the Chief Executive and three key directors. The four, all members of the ECF Executive Board stood down after they felt unable to implement a business plan for the coming year.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph the outgoing Chief Executive Martin Regan blamed the obstructive behaviour of the ECF President Gerry Walsh and called for his resignation. International Director Peter Sowray, Junior Director Claire Summerscale and Non Executive Director Mike Truran also resigned.
There is no doubt that since the four were elected in October 2006 the decline of English Chess was halted and there was cause for great optimism. However the hasty appointments of what are described on the ECF website as 'familiar faces' makes for depressing reading.
There was one scrap of good news, the new Director of Congress Chess is Stewart Reuben who has written the book on his subject and has run successful tournaments in the UK and abroad for more than thirty years. Mr Reuben's first act was to reinstate some start money for the leading players at the forthcoming British Championships. This may be enough to prevent it being hopelessly unrepresentative.
There was a rest day at the MTel Masters in Sofia.
Scores: 1 Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 5/5; 2 Topalov (Bulgaria) 3.5; 3-4 Cheparinov (Bulgaria), Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 2; 5 Aronian (Armenia) 1.5; 6 Bu (China) 1 .
|
|
Boohoo for Bu
|
Another stirring victory for Vasily Ivanchuk gave him a clean sweep over his five opponents at the MTel Masters in Sofia. The Ukrainian chess genius is heading for for the record books as his run of wins over such highly rated opposition is reminiscent of Bobby Fischer or Garry Kasparov at their best. Ivanchuk's fifth victim was Levon Aronian whose form this year has been imperious with victories at Corus Wijk aan Zee and Amber.
Ivanchuk's victory was his third with the black pieces and he now faces the same five opponents again in the second half of the tournament emboldened by the prospect of three more games with white and two with black. Ivanchuk's lack of what he calls himself: " psychological stability" is legendary so at the half way stage the question is will we see another spectactular collapse or will 'Chuky' march into the record books?
|
|
Ivanchuk at the double
|
Vasily Ivanchuk did the double over the Bulgarians and sent his tournament rating performance to stratospheric heights with a fourth straight win at the M-Tel Masters at Sofia. Ivanchuk defeated Ivan Cheparinov with clever defensive play, enticing his opponent forward but somehow managing to keep his own king safe. There were chances for both sides but in a very complicated position Cheparinov erred.
Cheparinov has scored many brilliant wins with the King’s Indian Defence but despite launching an attack with nearly all his pieces he could not break through and when queens were exchanged material loss was unavoidable. Ivanchuk is now 1.5 points ahead of Veselin Topalov as the other two fourth round games were drawn without much incident.
V Ivanchuk - I Cheparinov
4th M-Tel Masters (4) Sofia
|
|
Ivanchuk's demolition
|
Vasily Ivanchuk is spoiling the party at Sofia as he raced to 3/3 with some sparkling play. Ivanchuk defeated local hero Veselin Topalov with black in the second round and had reduced the position of the Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi to ruins after only nine moves in Saturday's third game.
The tournament is a six player double round all play all and is part of a new Grand Slam which involves Wijk aan Zee and a new event to be held in Bilbao. There are also plans to hold a new event in Seattle with a $750,000 prize fund.
V Ivanchuk - Bu Xiangzhi
4th M-Tel Masters (3) Sofia
English Opening v Slav
|
|
Two New Contenders Emerge for World Championship Slot
|
Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan and Wang Yue of China, were the only two competitors who did not lose a game at the FIDE Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan.
|
|
Leonard Barden. May 10, 2008
|
Last week's European championships in Plovdiv were qualifiers for the remunerative World Cup and women's world championship, so grandmasters turned out in force. Gawain Jones and Peter Wells, who represented England in the men's event, are two of our strongest GMs yet both were seeded outside the top 150 and had to work hard to score about 50%. The Netherlands' Soviet-born Sergei Tiviakov won the title.
The women's championship was a better story. Jovanka Houska, England's only female professional, played a bold and positive tournament and narrowly failed to qualify; her game below shows how to use a space advantage to create a winning attack on the king.
A significant UK international success may come in September when the EEC championship is staged in Liverpool. England's top pair, Michael Adams and Nigel Short, will compete and the entry conditions mean that many of the East Europeans who dominated the leading places in Plovdiv will be ineligible.
online chess
J Houska v M Tsiganova
|
|
Great bungle, Bulgaria
|
The Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov officially opened the fourth edition of the international M-Tel Masters at Sofia’s Central Military Club. For the first time there are two Bulgarians playing as Veselin Topalov’s trainer Ivan Cheparinov is also in the six man field and to celebrate this, Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank announced a 40,000 pound bonus for either of them should they capture first prize.
The lure of an extra 1000,000 Bulgarian Lev certainly seemed to spur the pair on although they are two of the most uncompromising players in the world today. Topalov defeated Levon Aronian of Armenia with black to avenge a few recent reverses while Cheparinov outplayed Bu Xiangzhi of China.
Vassily Ivanchuk played an outstanding game, sacrificing the exchange in the endgame against Teimour Radjabov. Ivanchuk’s position looked impregnable and a draw was the likely result but Radjabov immediately returned the material and embarked on a misguided winning attempt which he later described as ‘completely ridiculous’. He was soon worse and his resistance ended in a king and pawn endgame.
The players are housed in a 10-ton glass “aquarium” that isolates them from the noise in the playing hall and any possible kind of outside interference.
|
|
An elegant finish
|
Battle intensified in the penultimate round of the Fide Grand Prix in Baku with five decisive game and two very hard fought draws. There was another defeat for Michael Adams at the hands of the 17 year old Magnus Carlsen ranked world number 5.
It was a most impressive game by Carlsen who calmly gave up rook for bishop in a queenless middlegame, won back the material and then exploited the advantage of the bishop pair in the endgame.
Going into the final round the relatively unknown Azerbaijani Vugar Gashimov shares the lead with Wang Yue of China. Gashimov defeated Alexander Grischuk, nicknamed ‘The Gambler’ for his prowess at Poker and his risky style of play. Choosing this dangerous line against the Ruy Lopez was one risk too many.
V Gashimov – A Grischuk
FIDE GP (12) Baku
|
|
Tiviakov reigns supreme
|
Sergey Tiviakov emerged from the pack with a last round victory and took the title of European Individual Champion at the expense of former champion Emil Sutovsky in Plovdiv Bulgaria.
Sutovsky had played out five peaceful draws in succession but came up against an opponent who was in supreme form with the white pieces. Tiviakov employed his favourite 2.c3 against the Sicilian Defence, won a pawn and steadily converted his advantage to finish ahead of the field on 8.5/11. The winner scored 5.5/6 with white and took the 15,000 Euro (?12,000) first prize.
The final day at Plovdiv sees speed chess tie breakers for the players on 7.5 to decide who gains entry to next year’s World Cup knockout. Peter Wells and Gawain Jones finished on 5.5 and 6 respectively.
Here is the finish to Tiviakov’s only win with black. He has emerged with a winning advantage in this endgame. Although material is equal White’s queenside pawns are very weak while the black rook controls the open file and his king is nearer the centre. White’s bishop is also badly placed.
|
|
Frenchwoman Wins Attention at an Event Dominated by Men
|
Many women, when given a choice, prefer to compete in tournaments segregated by sex. Not so for Marie Sebag of France.
|
|
Leonard Barden. May 3 2008
|
Fide's Grand Prix circuit, six tournaments spread over 19 months, is a new project to encourage more host nations.
Russia's Alex Grischuk led after nine rounds of the launch event at Baku, which is live on the internet today.
Shak Mamedyarov is a top ten grandmaster and playing in his home city. The Azeri came up with a home-brewed plan (7 Re1! then 12 Nd3! with ideas of Nf4-h5 in some lines) so Black was always on the defensive. The pressure told with 28...Qb6? (Be7 is only slightly worse) and then Magnus Carlsen missed the tactic 31 Bxa5! At the end White wins nicely after Kh7 38 Qxa8 Rxa8 39 Rf7 Rd8 40 Rxd7 Rxd7 41 Nxf8+.
|
|
Wells digs deep
|
The lure of qualifying places in the lucrative 2009 World Cup only served to encourage the leaders to protect their scores at the European Individual Championship taking place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Emil Sutovsky of Israel and Pavel Tregubov of Russia who are both former winners of the event drew with each other in round 8 and share the lead on 7/9 with five other players.
Peter Wells and Gawain Jones both have 5/9 and excellent rating performances as they have faced strong opposition. Wells defeated GM Alexander Huzman of Israel in the game below but then spoilt a good position against Tomas Markowski of Poland in the ninth round and lost.
A Huzman – P Wells
IX EICC (8) Plovdiv
Queen’s Gambit
|
|
Queen's Indian pickle
|
Former champion Emil Sutovsky of Israel leads the European Individual Championship on tie break after seven rounds. Sutovsky has 6/7 level with Pavel Tregubov of Russia and Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia the winner of the Wijk aan Zee B Group.
Gawain Jones has 4/7 and five of his opponents have bee rated around 2600. Peter Wells also has 4/7.
The players have the same high rating but Black’s eccentric interpretation of the Queen’s Indian lands him trouble very quickly. 14…Bf8 was necessary.
M Roiz (2659) – B Savchenko (2569)
|
|
Dragon breathes fire
|
Over the weekend the following game from the European Individual Championships caught my eye. It was a well played attack by the former Russian champion but what surprised me was Black’s choice of opening; the Moscow Variation of the Sicilian Dragon. The line was analysed by Tony Miles and the American master Erik Moscow. Both Miles and Jonathan Mestel enjoyed great success with it.
The line is thought to be discredited nowadays although I have always wondered whether it might still be playable as Kasparov employed it against Anand at their world title match at the top of the World Trade Centre in 1995. This makes me suspect their may be undiscovered resources for Black. If Kasparov’s played it, it’s probably good.
A Motylev – P Carlsson
|
|
Still in the balance
|
There was only one decisive game in the fifth round of the FIDE/Global Chess Grand Prix at Baku as Wang Yue outplayed the former prodigy Sergei Karjakin from a completely level endgame. I suspect the game would have ended much earlier in a draw were it not for the rule forbidding draw offers that is in force.
Wang shares the lead with Alexander Grischuk who drew with Michael Adams. Adams held the draw with black quite comfortably and after may exchanges there was no play left and the players were allowed to conclude.
In the Queen's Indian the battle often revolves around the e4 square. Black seeks to prevent White from advancing a third pawn in the centre before playing either c7-c5, d7-d5 or Nf6-e4 and f7-f5. Mamedyarov avoids the normal move Nb1–c3 which means that the Ne4 plan only exposes the knight to a possible pin on the g2-b7 diagonal.
S Mamedyarov – M Carlsen
|
|
Award Helps Young Players to Compete, and Pay the Bills
|
To make a living at chess, top players have to live off their tournament winnings or income from teaching or coaching. For up-and-coming players, an alternative is to win a Samford Fellowship. For up-and-coming players, an alternative is to win a Samford Fellowship.
|
|
Bring on the pawns
|
Long technical endgames were the order of the day in the third round of the Grand Prix tournament at Baku as three players successfully exploited the advantage of an extra pawn. When all the remaining pawns are on the same side of the board the game will often be drawn but it was not the case this time.
Michael Adams lost a queen and pawn endgame against Sergey Karjakin. Alexander Grischuk took the lead, reaching 2.5/3 by overcoming David Navara with rook, knight and three pawns against rook, bishop and two pawns.
English GMs Gawain Jones and Peter Wells both won their first round games and then drew with highly rated opponents in the second round of the European Individual Championship underway at Plovdiv in Bulgaria. The 322 player field includes over 70 rated over 2,600. It looks like the majority of players ranked between 30 and 150 are competing.
The first prize is 15,000 Euro but more importantly there are starting berths in the 2009 World Cup KO at stake.
This game has a bit of the ‘from the opening into the pub’ about it but it’s an amusing miniature nonetheless. If 23.Kb4?? a5 mate would end the game even quicker.
|
|
English master stroke
|
Michael Adams has made a great start to the Grand Prix tournament at Baku. In round one Adams drew solidly as Black against Teimour Radjabov whose Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation achieved no advantage. Adams even got the edge but had to accede to perpetual check in a queen and pawn endgame.
In round two Adams defeated Ivan Cheparinov, the Grandmaster whose disgraceful behaviour led him to be defaulted in his game at Wijk aan Zee against Nigel Short when he refused to shake hands. The game was replayed and Short won, Adams made it an English double over the Bulgarian.
Adams shares the lead with Gata Kamsky who finished this round one game nicely.
Kamsky
|