News here and there about Philippine chess...
ASEAN MASTER CHESS CIRCUIT: MIXED RESULTS IN THE DELAYED
FIRST-ROUND GAMES
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO
Individual Standings after round 5 including the delayed first-round games: (Single round-robin format/ three division)
Group A
4 points— Z. Zhong (Singapore); 3— W. So (RP), N. Situru (Indonesia), M. Hafizulhemi (Malaysia), Tirto (Indonesia); 2.5 points—E. Torre (RP), H. Nouri (RP), C. Purnama (Indonesia), N. Ginting (Indonesia), S. Megaranto (Indonesia); 1—C. Kosashi (Indonesia); 0.5—B. Nadera (RP).
Group B
4.5 points—M. Paragua (RP); 3.5 points— J. Gonzales (RP), R. Nolte (RP); 3— S. Sitanggang (Indonesia), A. Nadanian (Armenia), S. Mahmud (Indonesia), 2.5— O. Barbosa (RP), C. Barus (Indonesia); 2— H. Ardiansyah (Indonesia); 1.5— S. Prayitno (Indonesia); 0.5—I.Sukandar (Indonesia), T.M. Mk (Malaysia)
WIM
5 points—I. Sadikin (Indonesia); 4—E. Handoko (Indonesia), 3.5—C . Bernales (RP), G. Chua (Singapore); 3— E. Lindiawati (Indonesia); 2.5—B.Mendoza (RP), T.M. Hung (Vietnam); 2— J. Tay (Singapore), T. Handayani (Indonesia); 1—N. Verdiana (Indonesia), V. Chan (Singapore); 0—D. Citra (Indonesia)
THE FILIPINOS posted contrasting results in the delayed first-round games played late Sunday in the on-going first ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia.
Filipino GM Mark Paragua, who early posted four straight win settled for a draw with compatriot FM Oliver Barbosa while WNM Christy Lamiel Bernales suffered her first lost to countryman Woman International Master Beverly Mendoza.
The 23-year-old Paragua, remain on top with 4.5 points in GM (Grandmaster) B event while Bernales was stuck at 3.5 points but still at no.3 position in Women International Master (WIM) section. Bernales, daughter of a former taxi driver from Nueva Ecija, is now two points shy to of clinching the WFM title according to National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr.
According to electronic mail "weekender report", each group has 12 players. Groups A and B have three grandmasters each while Group C has only one grandmaster (Edhi Handiki, whom Bernales had thrashed in the fourth round) and four other titled players.
In other results in the (Grandmaster) B event, 2004 Mallorca World Chess Olympiad country's top scorer IM Jayson Gonzales, who is bidding his third and final GM norm, split the point with FM Rolando Nolte. The duo (Gonzales and Nolte) notch identical 3.5 points apiece and was tied at second to third placers.
Meanwhile, GM Wesley So closed in on early leader top seed GM Zhang Zhong (2617) of Singapore when the Filipino prodigy trounced his compatriot, FM Hamed Nouri, in the delayed first-round games.
The 14-year-old Bacoor wunderkind now has 3.0 points, the same output of Indon IMs Nathaniel Situru and Tirto and Malaysian IM Mas Hafizulhelmi entering the sixth round, as against Zhong's 4.0. The former Chinese champion and currently chess teacher in Singapore only drew his first-round game versus another Indon GM Susanto Megaranto.
Eugene Torre, Asia's First Grandmaster trounced IM Barlo Nadera to raise his total 2.5 points. Nadera, prodigy of NM Bombi Aznar, who hails from Mandaue, Cebu remains at the cellar dweller with 0.5 points. MARLON BERNARDINO.
Extra!!! The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, 13 January 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Special Edition
FIRST WIN FOR WONDER BOY IN TARAKAN
So trips Megaranto as Mark, Christy surge ahead
By Marlon Bernardino
BACOOR WONDER BOY Wesley So (2521) stunned Indonesian superstar Susanto Megaranto (2563) in the fifth round to score his first win in the Asean Masters Circuit even as Mark Paragua and Christy Bernales surged ahead with straight wins to keep Filipino hopes alive for a golden harvest in Tarakan.
The 14-year-old Filipino grandmaster-elect, who started with two draws and a loss, played solidly but wittily in defeating Indonesia’s strongest player in Group A (GM category).
But it was GM Paragua who created the biggest sensation by posting his fourth straight win, against WIM Irine Sukandar of Indonesia, to keep a perfect score after four games in Group B (also a GM category).
In Group C (WIM category), 14-year-old WNM Christy Lamiel Bernales closed in on leader IM Irwanto Sadikin of Indonesia with her second straight win—against Indonesia’s Tri Handayani—to boost her score to 3.5 from three draws and a win.
Both Paragua and Bernales have remained undefeated after four games.
=================================
FLASH!
WESLEY SO closed in on early leader Zhang Zhong when the Filipino prodigy trounced his compatriot, NM Hamd Nouri, in the delayed first-round games played late Saturday in Tarakan.
Wesley now has 4.0 points entering the sixth round, as against Zhong’s 5.0. The former Chinese champion only drew his first-round game vs GM Megaranto.
WNM Bernales, however, lost to WIM Mendoza in their first-round game.
=================================
Three other Filipinos posted wins in the fifth round—NM Hamed Nouri in A and IM Jayson Gonzales and FM Rolando Nolte in B.
Each group has 12 players. Groups A and B have three grandmasters each while Group C has only one grandmaster (Edhi Handiki, whom Christy Bernales had thrashed in the fourth round) and four other titled players.
The sad news was that Filipino icon Eugene Torre, Asia’s first grandmaster, suffered his first loss in the fifth round—with Black to IM Nasib Ginting of the host country.
Other Filipinos who lost in the fifth round were IM Barlo Nadera in Group A (with Black to Indonesian IM Tirto), NM Oliver Barbosa in Group B (also with Black to Indonesian GM Cerdas Barus) and WIM Beverly Mendoza in Group C (with White to FM Graham Chua of Singapore).
The standings after the fifth round:
Group A—1. GM Zhang Zhong (SIN), 4.5; 2-4. IM Nathaniel Situru (INA), IM Mas. Hafizulhelmi (Mas) and IM Tirto (INA), 3.0; 5-7. NM Hamed Nouri (PHI), FM T.C. Purnama (INA) and IM Nasito Ginting, 2,5; 8-9 IM Wesley So (PHI) and GM S. Megaranto (INA), 2.0; 10-11. GM Eugenio Torre (PHI) and FM Cecep Kosashi (INA), 1.5; and 12. IM Barlo Nadera (PHI), 0.5.
Group B—1. GM Mark Paragua (PHI), 4.0; 2-6. IM Salor Sitanggang (INA), IM Ashot Nadanian (ARM), FM Syarif Mahmud (INA), IM Jayson Gonzales (PHI) and FM Rolando Nolte (PHI) 3.0; 7. GM Cerdas Barus (INA), 2.5; 8-9. GM H. Ardiyansah (INA) and NM Oliver Barbosa (PHI), 2.0; 10. Sugeng Prayitno (INA), 1.5; and 11-12. WIM Irine Sukandar (INA) and Mok Tze-Meng (MAS), 0.5.
Group C—1-2. IM Irwanto Sadikin (INA) and GM Edhi Sandoko (INA), 4.0; 3-4. Christy Lamiel Bernales (PHI) and FM Graham Chua Xing-Jian (SIN), 3.5; 5. NM Levi Indiawati (INA), 3.0; 6. Nguyen Thi Moi Hung (VIE), 2.5; 7-8. Jeslin Tai Li-Jin (SIN) and NM Tri Handayani (INA), 2.0; 9. WIM Beverly Mendoza (PHI), 1.5; 10-11. WNM Narasa Verdiana (INA) and WFM Victoria Chan Wei-Yi (SIN), 1.0; and 12. WNM Citra Dewi (INA), 0.5.
W. So (2526) – S. Megaranto (2563)
Rd 5, Alekhine Defense, Four Pawns Attack (B03)
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 exd6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Nge2 Bg4 9.Be3 Qd7 10.0-0 Nb4 11.b3 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 d5 13.c5 Nc8 14.Ng3 Bh4 14...0-0 15.Rae1 would have equalized, says Fritz 15.f3 Be6 16.Nh5 0-0 17.Qd2 Bd8 18.Rae1 f6 19.Re2 Bf7 20.Nf4 If 20.Ng3 Re8 Ne7 Equalizing 21.Rfe1 Nc6 21...Re8 22.a3 should keep the balance 22.Bf2! Be7 23.b4 a6 24.a4 Rfe8 25.b5 axb5 26.axb5 Na5 27.Ncxd5 Bxd5 28.Nxd5 Qxd5 29.Rxe7 Rxe7 30.Rxe7 Nb3 31.Qc3 Ra1+ 32.Re1 Rxe1+ 33.Qxe1 Kf7 34.Qc3 Ke6 34...Qe6 35.b6 c6 36.h3 would give White the edge 35.h4 h5 35...Kf7 would boost White’s lead: 36.Qe3 c6 37.b6! 36.Be3 36.Qe3+ was stronger Kd7 36...Kf7 should reduce White’s lead 37.Qc2 f5 38.Qc3 g6 Better was 38...f4, cutting down White’s advantage 39.Bf2 Qe6? 40.Bg3 Missing the more decisive 40.c6+!Qd5 41.Be5 c6 42.bxc6+ Also playable was 42.Qb4 Kxc6 43.Qb4 Nc1?? The final mistake..
44.Qb6+ Kd7 45.Qxg6! 1-0
M. Paragua (2521) – I.K. Sukandar (2266)
Rd 5, Queen’s Indian Defense (E12)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Qc2 6.e3 Ne4 7.Nxe4 Bxe4 favors Black 0-0 6...h6 may help White: 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.e4! 7.e3 d5 7...h6 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Be2 would have equalized 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.0-0 Re8 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 Equalizing 12.Ne5 12.Rac1 c6 keeps the balance a6 13.g4 g6 14.f4 Bd6 14...c5 leads to equality 15.g5 Bxe5 16.fxe5 Ng4 Restoring the balance 17.Rf4 Nxe3 18.Qf2 Qxg5+ 19.Kh1 Nc4 20.Rxf7 Rf8 20...Nxe5!? was best 21.Rf1 Qh6 22.Bxc4 dxc4+ 23.d5 b5? 24.Qf3+- b4 25.Ne4 Bxd5 26.Rxf8+! It’s all over: 27.Nf6+ Kh8 28.Qxd5! 1-0
SURPRISE SWEEP OF THE MASTERS
‘MJ’ Turqueza, 15, wins NCFP Execs
A 15-YEAR-OLD schoolboy pulled off the biggest surprise in last Saturday’s NCFP Executives and Professionals rapid chess tournament when he emerged overall champion with a phenomenal score of 10 points from 11 games.
Mari Joseph “MJ” Turqueza, son of lawyer Gene Turqueza, made a clean sweep despite the presence of seven national masters and other leading players at the Greenhouse Grille on Matalino Street in Diliman, Quezon City..
The elder Turqueza is the incumbent president of the Quezon Memorial Circle Plaza Chess Club in Quezon City
For good measure, MJ (White) defeated NM Efren Bagamasbad in 50 moves of a Nimzo-Indian duel in the 11th and final round to claim the first prize and championship trophy.
NM Stewart Manaoag finished in second place with 8.5 followed by NMs Bagamasbad and Randy Segurra, 8.0, NM Almario Marlon Bernardino, 7.0, and NM Wilfredo Neri, 6.0.
In seventh place was Dr. Jenny Mayor with 4.5 points, followed by Leodegario Ricaña, 4.0, NMs Samuel Estimo and Mario Rebano, 3.5, Dr. Johnny Corales, 3.0, and Emil Cabagay, nil On his way to the title, he shot down five national masters—Manaoag, Segura, Neri, Rebano and Bagamasbad, in that order.
Only Estimo and Bernardino among the national masters escaped with draws against MJ, a sophomore at Diliman Preparatory School.—Marlon Bernardino
The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, 13 January 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 31
FILIPINOS ARRIVE ONE DAY LATE
Bernales downs GM, Paragua scores 3/3!
HERE is the latest pecking order in Philippine chess. All the International Masters from No. 6 to 12 have either one or two GM norms and so, given the opportunity, the self-imposed goal of 5 GMs next year by NCFP President Pichay is attainable.
Some readers have asked me why I, by habit, always remove the name of IM Rogelio Barcenilla from the top Filipino list. Indeed, at 2503 he would have appeared at no. 6, but by policy I do not include in the list players who have lived abroad for many years, have their whole families there, have no intention of coming back to the Philippines or of representing the country in international team competition. This is the same reason why we have not listed IM Enrico Sevillano and IM Angelo Young, who anyway a year or so ago have transferred their affiliation to the US Chess Federation.
A surprise entrant is Dino Ballecer at no. 14 – this former college standout gained almost 60 rating points from his unbelievable performance in the 2nd President GM Arroyo Cup, where he defeated Li Ruofan, IM Ronald Bancod, Oliver Barbosa and IM Barlo Nadera aside from drawing with Eugene Torre, IM Jayson Gonzales, and Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai. And Dino is not yet even a National Master.
Ballecer,Dino - Nadera,Barlo A (2477) [C00]
2nd PGMA Cup Duty Free Fiesta Mall (9.4), 28.11.2007
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0–0 Qc7 8.Re1 b6 9.c3 Bb7 10.a3 a5 11.exd5 exd5 12.Nf1 0–0 13.Bf4 Qd8 14.d4 h6 15.h4 Re8 16.Ne5 Bf8 17.Qd3 c4 18.Qc2 a4 19.Rad1 b5 20.Nh2 Qb6 21.Nhg4 Nxg4 22.Nxg4 Ne7 23.Ne5 Rad8 24.g4 Qf6 25.Bg3 Bc8 26.Re3 Qb6 27.Rde1 f6 28.Ng6 Kf7 29.Nxf8 Kxf8 30.Qh7 Qb7 31.Bh3 Kf7 32.Bf4 Kf8 33.Bxh6 gxh6 34.Re6 1–0
I hear that there will be a 12-game match between GMs Torre and Antonio in the summer of 2008, with Quezon City majority floor leader and fourth district councilor Ariel Inton as one of the prime movers.
Do you guys remember that back in 1998 there was the first 12-game Torre vs Antonio match sponsored by the Land Bank of the Philippines with Toto Ferrer from the Active Chess Center for Asia as the Project Manager? The organizers left no stone unturned to come up with a high-quality show:
1. Match was held in the auditorium of the Land Bank branch in Buendia. A separate room was made available for the press, managed by Bong Villamayor, and even hired Idel Datu as official analyst so as to be able to guide the press people in the status of the game.
2. Both players were billeted together with their seconds in 5-star hotel accommodations and had the services of rented limousines to ferry them back and forth between the playing area and their living quarters.
3. There was a bulletin published every day featuring the games plus analysis prepared by Joseph Sanchez and yours truly.
4. They even arranged for former World Champion Anatoly Karpov to grace the occasion.
By Marlon Bernardino
TEN Filipino players arrived one day late and missed the first round of the inaugural Asean Masters Circuit Tuesday, but this did not prevent two of them—14-year-old WNM Christy Lamiel Bernales and 23-year-old GM Mark Paragua—from creating a sensation in Tarakan City, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Bernales (Elo 1933), of Nueva Ecija and Quezon City, became the Philippines’ brightest hope in Tarakan when she defeated Indonesian GM Edhi Handoko (2437) in the fourth round in Group C (WIM category) while Paragua (2521) posted a perfect score of three wins from three games in Group B (GM category).
Top favorites Wesley So and Eugene Torre did not fare too well in Group A (GM category).
GM So, the 14-year-old wonder boy from Bacoor, Cavite, posted two draws and a loss while Torre, 56, Asia’s first grandmaster, had three draws from three games (see earlier report with games on pages 4 and 5).
The 10 Filipino players arrived one day late because of a flight snafu on their way to Tarakan in East Kalimantan, Indonesia’s half of the island of Borneo off the Philippines and Malaysia. It was learned that a Sunday flight had been aborted and they had to wait for the next flight two or three days later.
It was indicated in the results sent to The Weekender through journalist Ignacio Dee by tournament official Kristianus Liem that the Filipinos, who were paired against each other, would be able to play their first-round games during a break in the 11-round Asean Masters.
The tournament began last Tuesday, January 8, and will end on January 20, a Sunday.
Still to be played in the first round are Torre vs IM Barlo Nadera and So vs NM Hamed Nouri in Group A; IM Jayson Gonzales vs FM Rolando Nolte and Paragua vs NM Oliver Barbosa in Group B; and WIM Beverly Mendoza vs WNM Bernales in Group C.
Among the foreigners, still to be played in the first round is Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia vs Zhang Zhong of Singapore.
Paragua has so far made a clean sweep of his first three games in Group B, winning with Black against Armenian IM Ashot Nadanian in the second round, with White against Indonesian FM Syarif Mahmud in the third, and with Black against IM Gonzales in the fourth.
WNM Bernales has also remained undefeated. She started auspiciously with a win with White against WFM Victoria Chan of Singapore in the second round, a draw with Black against Norosa Verdiana of Indonesia in the third, and a win with White against GM Handoko in the fourth.
GM-elect So, who lost to GM Zhang in the third round, and GM Torre went after each other fiercely but the older player found a way to force a draw via repetition of moves.
Here is how Bernales outwitted the Indonesian grandmaster:
C.L. Bernales (1933) – E. Handoko (2437)
Rd 4, Scandinavian Defense (B01)
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 c6 8...Nc
6 9.d5 Ne5 10.Qb3 would help White, Fritz warns 9.Bf4 If 9.Qb3 Qc7! Bg4 10.Qb3 Bxf3 Not 10...Bxd4 11.Rad1 Bxf3 12.Bxf3, when White gets the edge 11.Bxf3 Qxd4 12.Be3 Qd8 Fritz says the equalizing 12...Qd7!? should be considered 13.c5 Cristy now has the edge Bxc3 14.bxc3 14.cxb6?! Bd4 allows Black to equalize Nd5 15.Bh6 Re8 16.Qxb7 Qd7 17.Qxd7 Nxd7 18.c4 N5f6 18...Nb4 19.a3 Nc2 20.Bxc6 Nxa1 21.Bxd7 gives White the lead 19.Bxc6 Rac8 20.Bb5 Red8 20...Rxc5 is bad for Black, e.g., 21.Rad1 Rc7 22.Rd2! 21.c6 White now has tremendous advantage Ne5 22.Rad1 Rd6 23.Rxd6 exd6 24.Rb1 Ne8 25.Ba6 Rxc6? Better but still inadequate was 25...Rd8 26.Rb8 f6 27.Bb5 Kf7 28.Rxe8! 28...Kxe8 29.f4 a6 30.Ba4 30.fxe5? is no good, says Fritz, citing 30...axb5 31.cxb5 Rc5 32.exd6 Rxb5 and the tables are turned Ke7 31.fxe5 Rxc4 32.exd6+ Good timing, I must say Kxd6 33.Bb3 Re4 34.Bg8 Ke7 35.Bd2 Not 35.Bxh7 Kf7! h5 36.Kf2 Kf8 37.Bb3 Kg7 38.Kf3 Rd4 39.Be3 Rd6 40.Ke4 g5 41.Bd5 Kg6 42.a4 Rd7 43.a5 f5+ If 43...Re7+ 44.Kd4! 44.Ke5 Re7+ 45.Be6 f4 46.Bc5 Re8 47.Kd6 g4 48.Bc4 Rd8+ If 48...Kg5 49.Bb6!, and wins 49.Kc6 Rd2 49...f3 50.gxf3 gxf3 51.Bxa6 boosts White’s lead 50.Bxa6 f3 50...Rxg2 51.Bd3+ Kg5 helps White 51.gxf3 gxf3 52.Bc4 f2 52...Kf5 won’t work: 53.a6 Rd8 54.a7! 53.a6 Rc2 54.Bd3+ Kg5 55.a7! 1-0
And here is how GM Paragua outwitted his compatriot.
J. Gonzales (2455) – M. Paragua (2521)
Rd 4, English Opening (A13)
1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 6.Qxc4 b5 6...Bd6 would have equalized, says Fritz 7.Qc2 Bb7 8.d4 8.0-0 c5 would help Black Nbd7 Equalizing 9.a4 c5 10.0-0 b4 11.Nbd2 Rc8 12.Qd3 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Be7 15.N2b3 0-0 16.Rd1 Ne5 17.Qb5 Qd5+ 18.Qxd5 Nxd5 19.Nf5 Bf6 20.Nd6 Rc6 21.Nb5 a6 22.N5d4 Rc7 23.e4 Nb6 24.f4 Nec4 25.e5 25.a5 Nc8 equalizes Bd8 26.a5 Nc8 Not 26...Nd5 because of 27.Kf3! 27.Bd2 Ne7 28.Bxb4 Ne3+ 29.Kf3 Nxd1 30.Rxd1 Re8 31.Bd6 Rb7 32.Rc1 Nf5 33.Rc8 f6 Fritz suggests 33...h5 34.Kg4 34.Ra8!? Regaining the edge fxe5 34...h5+ would benefit White: 35.Kxh5 Kf7 36.Kg4 Nxd4 37.Nxd4 f5+ 38.Kf3 Bxa5 39.Rc2! 35.fxe5 35.Bxe5 Rb4 equalizes Kf7 Restoring the equilibrium 36.Rc6 Nxd6 Best was 36...Bxa5! 37.Rxd6 Not 37.exd6? Rb4 38.d7 Rg8! Bc7 38.Rxa6 Bxe5 39.Nf3 39.Nc6 Rxb3 40.Nxe5+ Kf6 41.Nd7+ Ke7 gives Black a boost Bxb2 39...Rb4+ may be stronger 40.Nc5 40.Ng5+!? must be considered, says Fritz Rb4+! 41.Kh3 Bf6 42.Nd2 Rc8 43.Ra7+ Kg6 44.Nxe6 Rc2 45.Rd7 Kf5 46.Nf4 Rxf4! Eliminating the defender f4 47.gxf4 Rc3+ 48.Kg2 Ke6 49.Rb7 Rc2 50.Kf3 Rxd2 51.h3 Rd3+ 52.Kg4 Ra3 53.Rb6+ Kf7 54.a6 g6 55.Rb7+ Be7 56.f5 Ra4+ 56...h5+!? makes it even easier for Black: 57.Kf4 g5+ 58.Ke4 Rxa6! 57.Kf3 gxf5 58.a7 h5 59.Rc7 Ke6 60.Rb7 h4 61.Rc7 Ra3+ 62.Kg2 f4 63.Kf1 Bd6 64.Rb7 Bc5 65.Rb3 Rxa7 66.Ke2 Ra3 White topples his king, although Black missed the more decisive 66...Ra2+! 0-1
MAJOR UPSETS ROCK WIJK AAN ZEE
Anand, Topalov, Mamedyarov fall
THREE of the world’s superstars led by reigning champion Viswanathan Anand fell from the Dutch sky over Wijk aan Zee as major upsets rocked the opening rounds Saturday (early Sunday in Manila) of the four-tier Corus Super Tournament.
India’s Anand, 38, playing Black, surrendered to Teimour Radjabov, 20, of Azerbaijan on the 85th turn of a marathon duel arising from a Semi-Slav Defense against the Queen’s Gambit Declined.
The two other upset victims in the first round of the main event were former world champion Veselin Topalov and two-time world junior champion Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan.
Both succumbed to younger rivals—Topalov, 32, to Armenian superstar Levon Aronian, 25, and Mamedyarov, 22, to 17-year-old Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen, the world’s strongest junior player, vice Radjabov who will be 21 this year.
IN THE GRASSROOTS
Reyes brothers riding high again!
IT looks like the year 2008 will see more of the teenaged Reyes brothers—14-year-old Narquinden (Arden) and 15-year-old Narquingel (Archie)—romping off with the top prizes in local tournaments for non-masters.
Nobody will be surprised if they both make it to the top of their respective age groups in this year’s youth championships being lined up by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
The year just ended saw Arden top the Under-16 Championship held on Rizal Day, December 30, by the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines (CAAP) at Ramon Magsaysay High School in Cubao, Quezon City.
Arden also captured the Christmas Season offering of the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza Club on December 27, barely two weeks after his elder brother, Archie, topped the Marikina Youth Championship.
In the CAAP competition, Archie finished in sixth place. In fact, every time one of the two wins the top prize, his brother would never be too far behind.
What made Arden’s victory at Magsaysay High doubly significant was that his first runner-up was no less than last year’s national Under-12 champion, Jan Emanuel Garcia, regarded as one of the most promising prodigies in the country today.
Arden finished the seven-round tournament with an extraordinarily high 6.5, a mere half point ahead of Jan Emmanuel.
Behind them in a tie for third to fourth places with 5.5 each were Sherwin Tiu and Nathaniel Gravillo.
Jan Nigel Galan, another outstanding youngster, took the fifth prize, winning on tiebreak over three others—Archie Reyes, Kristian Paulo Cristobal, Jude Emil Fronda, and Jayson Mercado..
Jan Jodilyn Fronda, also an outstanding teenaged girl, took the Top Lady Player honors, while Jose Carlo Castro took the Top Unrated Player and Aufernee Bonifacio the Top Under-10 Player.
The CAAP Youth Championship attracted 49 players from Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Most of them were students who took advantage of the two-week Christmas school holiday.
The CAAP holds monthly tournaments.
NCFP to hold board election on Jan 19 in Tagaytay
THERE is only one national chess federation and it will hold its board election on January 19 at the Tagaytay City Convention Center, NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. has announced.
In a posting on the official NCFP website, Pichay denied reports published in Manila newspapers that a supposed breakaway faction was set to hold its own election at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City on February 2.
“Let it be known that the NCFP election will be held as scheduled on January 19 at the Tagaytay Convention Center,” said Pichay in a telephone interview as quoted in the NCFP posting.
“As far as I am concerned, there is no other NCFP election but the one approved by the NCFP Board during our meeting at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque last month,” he added.
He said there would be a full line-up of candidates to be presented to voting member clubs.
Both NCFP board members Go Teng Kok, who is a former president, and “Doc” Jenny Mayor were quoted as saying that they were in full support of Pichay in Tagaytay. The two had been mentioned in published press releases as being identified with the breakaway faction.
Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino is the NCFP secretary-general.
Phil Artists’ tourney at QMC
IT’S all systems go for the Philippine Artists’ tournament to be held next Saturday, January 19, at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza in Quezon City.
It is open to all chess-playing artists and chess players dabbling in the arts.
AFTER LATE ARRIVAL AT TARANAK, INDONESIA
Paragua, 4 others draw first blood
GRANDMASTER Mark Paragua and four other Filipino players drew first blood in the inaugural Asean Masters Circuit being held in the Indonesian island city of Taranak, East Kalimantan (southern Borneo).
The four were International Master Jayson Gonzales, Fide Master Rolando Nolte, National Master Hamed Nouri, and untitled 14-year-old Cristy Lamiel Bernales.
However, apparently the Philippine contingent arrived late for the tournament—the first of four legs initiated this year by the Asean Chess Confederation—because their first games were all in the second round.
It was not known whether the 10 Filipinos were declared to have lost by default—that is, if it was their fault for being late—or were to play their first games during a day off because the circumstances behind their tardiness were beyond their control.
The Tarakan leg was scheduled to get under way last Tuesday, January 8, and will end on January 20, a Sunday. From Indonesia, the Asean Masters Circuit will move on to Vietnam.
The games were furnished in an email sent by Kristianus Liem of the Indonesian Chess Federation to The Weekender through journalist Ignacio “Iggy” Dee.
Top favorites Wesley So and Eugene Torre drew their first games—against FM Cecep Kosasih and GM Susanto Megaranto, both of Indonesia, respectively.
Other Filipinos who drew their first games were IM Barlo Nadera, Woman IM Beverly Mendoza, and NM Oliver Barbosa.
Paragua led the Filipinos with a scintillating win with Black against IM Ashot Nadanian of Indonesia, followed by IM Gonzales vs Indonesian WIM Irene Sukandar, FM Nolte vs FM Mok Tze Men of Malaysia, Nouri vs IM Nasib Ginting of Indonesia, and Bernalez vs WFM Victoria Chan of Singapore.
In the third round, Paragua and GM-candidate Gonzales struck again, winning against Indonesia’s FM Syarif Mahmud and Sugeng Prayitno.
So, Nadera, Nouri, and Mendoza bowed down to GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore, GM Megaranto, and FM Tirta Chandra Purnama while Torre, Barbosa, Nolte, and Bernales drew against IMs Tirto and Salor Sitanggang, WIM Sukandar, and untitled Norasa Verdiana, all of Indonesia.
After three rounds, GM Paragua and IM Gonzales led the Filipinos with 2.0 points from two games, followed by FM Nolte and Bernales with 1.5 each, GM Torre, and NMs Nouri and Barbosa with 1.0 each, and So, Nadera, and Mendoza with 0.5 each.
Both Paragua and Gonzales played with vigor and accuracy in their first two games.
A. Nadanian (2431) – M. Paragua (2521)
Rd 2, Sicilian Defense (B20)
1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 d6 3.g3 If 3.Nbc3 e5! Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.c3 e5 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nxd4 9.Be3 Nxe2+ 10.Qxe2 Ne7 11.Rd1 Nc6 12.Qd3 Targeting d6 Nd4 13.Nd2 13.Nc3 0-0 enables Black to equalize 0-0 13...Bg4 14.f3 Be6 15.Bxd4 exd4 16.Nb3 would have equalized 14.Bxd4 exd4 15.Nb3 Qb6 16.Rd2 a5 17.Nxd4 a4 18.Rad1 Bg4 19.Bf3 Bd7 20.Qa3 Be5 21.Ne2 Increasing the pressure on the isolated pawn on d6, Fritz notes Bc6 22.Nf4 Better was 22.Rxd6 Bxd6 23.Rxd6 Rad8 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 Qc5 23.Qxc5 dxc5 24.Nd5 Rfe8 25.Nb6 Ra6 26.Nd7 Bxd7 27.Rxd7 Rb6 28.Be2 Rxb2 29.Bc4 Rf8 30.Rxf7?? Weak. Best was 30.R7d2 a3 31.Kf1! Rxf7!
NCFP president Prospero Pichay is pinning his hopes on the country’s newest GM, 14-year-old Wesley So, who earned his third and final norm at the Pichay Cup International Open in Parañaque City.
So is the youngest GM in the world and the seventh youngest person ever to win the title IM Gonzales was the country’s 11th-hour entry as he manifested his intention to seek actively his third and final GM result.
His win with White against Indonesia’s WIM Sukandar shows his determination to make good his promise to capture the elusive GM title. He mounted his campaign in the GMA Cup last November but found himself in poor form.
In Tarakan, he seemed to have regained his old fighting form.
J. Gonzales (2455) – I.K. Sukandar (2266)
Rd 2, English Opening vs King’s Indian (A25)
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Bc5 6.e3 d6 7.Ne2 Bf5 8.d4 exd4 9.exd4 Bb6 10.Bg5 Not 10.Nxb6?! axb6 11.0-0 0-0, and Black has equalized Ba5+ 11.Nec3 0-0 12.0-0 Re8 13.Qd2 Bg6 14.Rfe1 Re6 15.Bh3 Re4 16.Nxf6+ 16.Bxf6 was more precise, e.g., 16…Bxc3 17.Qxc3 and White has a huge advantage gxf6 17.Be3 Re8 18.a3 Bxc3 19.Qxc3 d5 20.c5 Ne7 21.Bf4 Be4 22.Re2 Bf5 23.Bg2 23.Rxe7 was playable, e.g., 23…Bxh3 24.Rxc7 Re7 25.Rxe7! Be6 24.Qb4 Rb8 25.Qa5 Nc6 26.Qd2 Qd7 27.Rae1 Ne7 28.h3 b6 29.cxb6 Rxb6 30.g4 Reb8 31.b4 Ra6 32.Re3 Ng6 33.Bg3 f5 34.Rc3 Rc8 35.Rec1 fxg4 36.h4 36.Qd3 was stronger: 36…Rb6 37.Rxc7 Rxc7 38.Rxc7 Qd8 39.hxg4!, and White surges ahead Qd8 37.b5 Ra4 38.h5 Nh4 39.Rxc7 Best was 39.Bxc7! Rxc7 40.Rxc7 Rxa3 41.h6! Rxc7 40.Bxc7 Qe7 41.Be5 Rxa3 41...Rc4 should be tried to reduce White’s lead, e.g, 42.Rxc4 dxc4 42.Qh6 Nf5 43.Qf4 Qh4 44.Bxd5 h6? Weak, but there’s nothing better: 44...Bxd5 45.Rc8#! 45.Bg2 45.Bxe6 seems even better, says Fritz, citing 45...fxe6 46.Qe4! Qxh5?? 46.d5 Bd7 47.Bb2 Rc3 48.Qb8+ Kh7 49.Qh8+ Missing his best shot, 49.Bxc3! f6 50.Qxa7! Kg6 50.Qg8+! It’s all over: 50…Ng7 51.Rxc3! 1-0
It was FM Nolte, however, who has produced the finest game yet among the Filipinos.
R. Nolte (2412) – Mok Tze Meng (2346)
Rd 2, Caro-Kann Defense (B15)
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 Covers b5 4.Nf3 d5 5.h3 Nh6 6.Bf4 f6 7.exd5 cxd5 8.Nb5 Na6 9.c4 0-0 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Nc3 Qf5 12.Bh2 Rd8 13.Bc4+ Kh8 14.0-0 e5 15.Re1 Nb4 16.Ne4 b5 17.Bxb5 Bb7 18.a3 18.g4 Qe6 19.Qa4 Bf8 gives White the edge Bxe4 Not 18...exd4 19.Nxd4 Qd5 20.axb4! 19.Nh4 Qc8 20.Rxe4 Qc2 21.Re2 Rxd4 22.Qxd4! 22...exd4 23.Rxc2 Nxc2 24.Rd1 d3 25.Bxd3 Nd4 26.Bxg6! hxg6 27.Rxd4 Rc8 28.g4! Rc2? 28...g5 was better but White would still be ahead, e.g., 29.Nf3 f5 29.Nxg6+ Kh7 30.Nf4 Rxb2 30...Rc7 does not help much, says Fritz 31.Rd7! The clincher: 31…Kg8 32.Rxa7! 1-0
After a disappointing performance in the GMA and Pichay Cups, NM Nouri appears to be slowly regaining his “giant-killing” ways by outplaying an Indonesian IM, but stumbled again when up against a GM in the next round.
H. Nouri (2404) – Nasib Ginting (2393)
Rd 2, Closed Sicilian (B23)
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.0-0 e6 7.f5 exf5 8.Qe1 Nge7 9.d3 h6 10.Bd2 Ne5 10...0-0 will favor White11.Qh4 Kh7 12.Rae1 11.Nxe5 dxe5 If 11...Bxe5 12.Bf4, with equality 12.exf5 If 12.Qf2 b6! Nxf5 Equalizing 13.Ne4 0-0 14.Qf2 b6 15.b4 Bb7 16.bxc5 bxc5 17.Rab1 Bc6 18.Bc3 Rc8 19.Ba6 Rb8 20.Qxc5 Rxb1 21.Rxb1 Nd4 22.Kh1 22.Bb7!? looks like a viable alternative, says Fritz: 22…Bxe4 23.dxe4 Nxc2 24.Bd5 with equal chances Qa8 23.Rf1? Fritz suggests 23.Qe7! f5 Black surges on 24.Bb4 Rd8 Missing 24...Kh7 25.Rf2 Ne6! 25.Qe7? Best but inadequate was 25.c3 Ne2 26.d4 Nxd4 27.cxd4 Bxe4 28.d5 Kh8 25...fxe4!? seems even better 26.Qf7 fxe4 27.Qxg6 Rd7 27...e3!? and Black can already relax, says Fritz 28.Bc4 e3??
Ruining a winning position: 28...Bd5 29.Bxd5 Qxd5! 29.Rf8+! Qxf8 30.Bxf8 1-0
Our thanks to John Manahan for helping us get the results.
LIVING UP TO A LEGEND IN ARMENIAN TITLE SERIES
Tigran Petrosian takes early lead
ARMENIAN Grandmaster Tigran L. Petrosian is determined to live up to his namesake, the legendary world champion from the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
After two rounds, Petrosian grabbed the solo lead with a perfect score of 2.0 points in the Armenian National Championships.
The 24-man field of participants does not include Armenian superstar Levon Aronian, who is competing in the main event of the prestigious Corus International Tournament, which kicked off Saturday in the Dutch resort of Wijk aan Zee (early Sunday in Manila).
Petrosian started auspiciously in Yerevan with a win with White against GM Ashot Anastasian in the opener and with Black against IM Levon Babujian in the second round.
Half a point behind the solo leader were GMs Ara and Artashes Minosian, Zaven Andrasian, Karen Asrian, and Fide Master Samvel Ter-Sahakyan. They had 1.5 points each in a tie for the second to sixth places.
With one point from two draws each were GMs Smbat Lputian and Arman Pashikian. Lputian, who like the Minosian brothers, is a veteran international campaigner.
GM Arsen Yegiazaran was in ninth place with a half point.
Trailing behind were three still-scoreless participants—GMs Anastasian and Tigran Nalbandian along with IM Babujian.
T.L. Petrosian (2606) – A. Anastasian (2562)
Rd. 1, Sicilian Kan (B43)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 b5 6.g3 6.Bd3 b4 7.Nce2 Bb7 could favor Black Bb7 Equalizing 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.0–0 Nge7 9.Nb3 Na5 10.Nc5 Nec6 11.Nxb7 Nxb7 12.e5 Rc8 13.Re1 Be7 If 13...Nba5 14.b3 14.Qg4 Kf8 14...Bf8 15.Bg5 Qc7 16.Bf4 could help White 15.h4 15.Bf4 h5 16.Qe2 h4 would likely boost Black h5 16.Qd1 d5 17.exd6 Nxd6 18.Bf4 18.a4 b4 19.Na2 a5 favors Black g6 Missing 18...Nc4 19.Qb1 and the balance is restored 19.Bxc6 Rxc6 20.Qf3 Qc8 21.Be5 Rg8 22.Qf4 Nc4 23.Qh6+ Ke8 24.Qh7 Rf8 25.Bg7 Nxb2 26.Ne4 Nc4 27.Bxf8 Bxf8 28.Ng5 Qc7 29.Nxe6 29.Rad1 is stronger, e.g., 29…e5 30.Nxf7 Qxf7 31.Rd8+ Kxd8 32.Qxf7!, and White surges ahead fxe6 Reducing White’s lead 30.Rxe6+! 30...Kd8 Not 30...Rxe6+ because of 31.Qxc7! 31.Rd1+ Rd6 32.Rdxd6+ Nxd6 33.Qg8 Kd7 34.Rxg6 Qd8 35.Qe6+ Kc7 36.Rg5 Nc4? Better but inadequate was 36...Qd7 37.Qxd7+ Kxd7 38.Rxh5 Ne4, and White would still have the edge 37.Qxa6 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 Qf3 38...Qd4 won't change anything anymore: 39.Rf5 Be7 40.Qxb5!, winning 39.Qa7+ Kd8 40.Rxb5 Bd6 41.Rg5 Qf6 42.Rg8+ Bf8 43.Qb8+ Ke7 44.Qc7+ Ke8 45.Qc8+! Clinching the point: 45…Ke7 46.Qxc4 Qxf2+ 47.Kh3 Qf5+ 48.Kg2! 1–0
L. Babujian (2439) – T.L. Petrosian (2606)
Rd 2, King’s Indian, Classical Variation (E91)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.Be2 Bg4 7.0-0 Nfd7 8.Ne1 Bxe2 9.Nxe2 Nc6 10.Be3 e5 11.d5 Ne7 12.Nd3 f5 The thematic attack, notes Fritz 13.f3 c5 14.b4 If 14.Qb3 Qc7! cxb4 Black has equalized 15.Nxb4 Rc8 16.Qb3 Nc5 16...Qc7 would help White: 17.Nd3 fxe4 18.fxe4 Qxc4 19.Rxf8+ Bxf8 20.Qxc4 Rxc4 21.Nf2! 17.Bxc5 Rxc5 18.Nd3 Rc7 19.c5 The typical lever Nc8 20.cxd6 Nxd6 21.Nc3 Rc4 22.Rac1 22.Rab1!? is an interesting idea, Fritz notes Qa5!
23.f4? Fritz says 23.exf5 was much better: 23...Bh6 24.Nxe5! fxe4 Seizing the initiative and the lead 24.Nxe4 24.Nxe5 favors Black, e.g., 24…Bxe5 25.fxe5 Qc5+ 26.Kh1 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Rxc3! Rxe4 25.fxe5 Rxf1+ 26.Rxf1 Bxe5 27.Qc2 Qc3 27...Bd4+ might be quicker 28.Qb1 28.Qxc3 won’t work, e.g., 28...Bxc3 29.Nf4, and Black is way ahead Qd4+ 29.Kh1 Rh4 30.h3 White now is running out of good moves Nf5 White resigns in the face of certain defeat: 31.Rxf5 gxf5!, although Black missed the much stronger 30...Ne4! 0-1
WITH 16 STARS IN ODESSA KNOCKOUT SERIES
Radjabov captures ACP Rapid Cup
SIXTEEN of the world’s brightest stars entered the ACP Rapid Cup knockout series held from January 4 to 7 in Odessa under the auspices of Ukraine’s Pivdenny Bank, with young Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan emerging as the best of the lot.
Seven of the combatants were from Russia—Peter Svidler (2763), Dmitry Jakovenko (2720), Alexander Grischuk (2711), Ernesto Inarkiev (2681), Anatoly Karpov (2655), Evgeny Najer (2634), and Boris Savchenko (2589), while Ukraine had four, namely, Vassily Ivanchuk (2751), Sergey Karjakin (2732), Pavel Eljanov (2692), and Yuri Drozdovsky (2574).
Alexei Shirov (2755) represented Spain, Boris Gelfand (2737) Israel, Teimour Radjabov (2735) Azerbaijan, Judit Polgar (2707) Hungary, and Alexander Shabalov (2522) of the United States of America.
Only Shabalov, Savchenko, and Drozdovsky did not belong to the superstar category on the basis of their latest Elo ratings.
At stake in the five-stage series were prizes totaling US$136,000.
As in most of the other major tournaments where youth and experience clashed, youth prevailed in the clutches.
On his way to the top, Radjabov who until the last quarter of 2007 was the world’s highest rated junior player, first disposed of Drozdovski in the preliminaries, Ivanchuk in the quarterfinals, Jakovenko in the semifinals, and Grischuk in the finals.
The Azeri GM was also the only one during the entire event to pull off a checkmate—on Drosdovski in their third game in the preliminaries. Here is how he did it with Black:
Drozdovskij,Y (2574) - Radjabov,T (2735) [D79]
Rd 1.2, Fianchetto Gruenfeld, Symmetrical (D79)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 c6 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.Bg2 0-0 8.Ne5 e6 9.0-0 Nfd7 10.f4 Nc6 11.Kh1 Nb6 12.b3 f6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Ba3 Rf7 15.Rc1 Ba6 16.Rf2 f5 17.e3 Bf8 18.Bxf8 Qxf8 19.Rfc2 Rc8 20.Ne2 Rfc7 21.Ng1 c5 22.dxc5 Rxc5 23.Nf3 Qd6 24.Nd4 Kf7 25.h3 Nd7 26.g4 Nf6 27.gxf5 exf5 28.Nf3 Ne4 29.Ne5+ The knight dominates the center Ke7 30.Bxe4 dxe4 31.Qxd6+ Kxd6 32.Rd2+ Ke6 33.Rcd1 Bb5 34.Kg2 Rc2 35.Kg3 Missing his best shot, 35.a4!?, and White hangs on 35...Be8 36.Nc4 Rxd2+ 37.Rxd2 (37.Nxd2? Rd8-+) 37...Bxa4 38.Nd6! Rxd2-+ 36.Rxd2 Rc3 37.a4 Rxe3+ 38.Kh4? 38.Kg2 Bd3 39.h4 is better but not enough Be8? Missing his winning shot, 38...Bf1!, e.g., 39.Rh2 h6! 39.Rd8 Ke7 40.Ra8 Rxb3 41.Rxa7+ Kd6 42.Ra8 Bc6 43.Ra6 Rc3 44.a5 h6 45.Nf7+ Kc5 46.Ra7? Best was 46.Ne5 Bb5 47.Rxg6! e3! Seizing the moment 47.Kg3?? The fatal mistake: 47.Re7 offered the only chance to get some counterplay Rc1 48.Ne5 Rg1+ 49.Kh4 e2 50.Re7 50.Nd3+ would only delay the inevitable: 50...Kc4 51.Rd7 Bxd7 52.a6 Kxd3 53.a7 e1Q# e1Q#!
There are no if’s or but’s about mate! 0-1
Grischuk kayoed Karpov in the first stage but only after a playoff. The former world champion held the distinction of being the only one to hold on in the first round until he got eliminated in the playoff—in their second blitz duel, when he lost on time after only 18 moves!
A. Karpov (2655) – A. Grischuk (2711)
Rd 1.4, Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e6 Safety first 7.Be3 b5 8.Qd2 If 8.a3 Bb7 Nbd7 9.g4 h6 Prophylaxis, a la Nimzowitsch 10.h4 b4 11.Na4 11.Nce2 d5 12.Bg2 dxe4!, and Black is ahead d5 12.Rg1 dxe4 13.0-0-0 Qa5 14.b3 exf3 15.Nxf3 Bb7 16.Bg2 Nd5 17.Bd4 Nc5 17...Bc6 18.Ne5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 leads to White’s advantage 18.Nxc5 Bxc5 At this point the flag of White’s clock fell. At any rate, Black is leading, e.g., 19.Bxc5 Qxc5, etc. 0-1
The Russian finalist then disposed of his compatriot, four-time national champion Svidler, in the second-round quarterfinals and another youthful rival, Karjakin, in the semifinals.
It took Grischuk four games before he could subdue Karjakin, who also posted one win against him in the playoff.
Here is how Grischuk resolved the issue with Black in their fourth and final game.
S. Karjakin (2732) – A. Grischuk (2711)
Rd. 3.5, Ruy Lopez, Deferred Steinitz (C73)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 4...Bc5 5.0-0 equalizes 5.Bxc6+ bxc6 6.d4 f6 7.Be3 Ne7 8.c4 Ng6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Qa4 Bd7 12.c5 Kh8 13.Rad1 Qe8 13...Bg4 would give White a big boost, e.g., 14.cxd6 Bxd6 15.dxe5 fxe5 16.Nd2 (If 16.Qxc6 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nh4!, and Black surges ahead) Bxd1 17.Rxd1! 14.h3 d5 15.dxe5 Fritz suggests 15.Qa5, and White hangs on fxe5 Black seizes the initiative and the lead 16.Ne2 16.exd5 cxd5 17.Qa3 Rxf3 18.Nxd5 Bxh3 19.Qb4 favors Black d4 Missing 16...Rxf3!, e.g., 17.gxf3 Nh4 18.Ng3 Bxh3 19.exd5 Nxf3+ 20.Kh1 Bxf1 21.Qe4 cxd5 22.Qxf3!, and Black is way ahead 17.Bd2? Better but not enough was 17.Nxe5 dxe3 18.Nxd7 Rxf2 19.Rxf2 exf2+ 20.Kxf2! Rxf3! Breaching Black’s defenses. 17...Bxc5?! would be bad: 18.Qc2 Be7 19.Kh2!
18.gxf3 Nh4 19.Qa3?? White has lost his nerve... understandable when you consider his position, says Fritz, e.g., 19.Ng3 Bxh3 20.Qb3 Qd7! Bxh3 19...Bxc5 nails it down, Fritz notes: 20.Qxc5 Qe6 21.Nf4 exf4 22.Qf5 Nxf5 23.exf5 Qxf5, and Black surges on 20.Kh2 Bg2 Missing the winning move, 20...Bxf1! 21.Rxf1 Qh5! 21.Ng3 Qd7 22.Nf5 Nxf5 23.Kxg2 Nh4+ 24.Kh2 Rf8 25.f4 Qg4 26.Qg3 Qh5 Best was 26...Qe2!? 27.b4 exf4 28.Bxf4 Qxe4! 27.f3 Nxf3+ Black is on the verge of victory 28.Kg2 Nh4+ 29.Kg1 Bxc5 30.Rc1 Ba7 31.fxe5?? 31.Qh3 Qe2 32.Qxh4 was the correct line d3+ 32.Kh2 Nf5+ Best was 32...Rxf1!, and it becomes clear that Black will call all the shots 33.Qh3 Restoring the equilibrium Qe2+ 34.Kh1?? 34.Qg2 should bring relief: 34...Qh5+ 35.Qh3 Qe2+ 36.Qg2 Qh5+ 37.Qh3, with equal chances Qxe4+ 34...Ng3+ seems even better, says Fritz: 35.Qxg3 Rxf1+ 36.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 37.Kh2 Qe2+ 38.Qg2 Bf2!, and Black forges ahead 35.Rf3 Ng3+! 36.Qxg3 Rxf3 37.Re1 Rf1+ White resigns as mate is next: 38.Kh2 Qh1#! 0-1
Grischuk, however, found out in the finals that he could not stand up to Radjabov’s youthful vigor on the board.
Here is how the Azeri superstar demolished the Russian’s Caro-Kann Defense in their second game:
T. Radjabov (2735) – A. Grischuk (2711)
Rd 4.3, Caro-Kann Exchange/Panov-Botvinnik Attack (B13)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nf3 g6 8.0-0 Bg7 9.Re1 0-0 10.Bg5 Bf5 11.Bxf5 gxf5 12.Qc1 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Na3 a6 may favor Black Ne4 Equalizing 13.Bf4 Qd7 14.Nbd2 Kh8 14...f6 15.Qc2 keeps the balance 15.Nf1 Rg8 16.Ng3 Nxg3 Fritz suggests 16...f6!? as a viable alternative: 17.Qd1 e5, with equality 17.Bxg3 Bf6 18.b4 Rg6 19.b5 Na5 20.Ne5 If 20.Be5 Nc4 21.Bxf6+ Rxf6 Bxe5 Keeping the equilibrium 21.Bxe5+ f6 22.Bf4 22.Bg3 Nc4 retains equality Nc4! 23.Qc2 23.Qd1 Re8 24.b6 axb6 favors Black Rag8 23...Re8 24.b6 axb6 25.Qe2 would help White 24.g3 Nd6 If 24...Re8 25.Re2! 25.a4 Ne4 26.c4 Ng5 Best was 26...e6, e.g., 27.cxd5 Qxd5 28.Rac1, and the balance stays 27.Kg2! Ne6 28.Qxf5 Nxf4+ 29.Qxf4 dxc4 30.Qe4 R6g7 30...e6 31.Qxe6 Qxd4 32.Rad1 gives White a clear advantage 31.Rac1 Rc8 32.Rc3 a6 33.bxa6 bxa6 34.Qe6 Qb7+ 35.Kg1 35.Kh2 could be a bit stronger Qc7? Black starts flip-flopping. Best was 35...Rc6!?, e.g., 36.Qe2 Qc8, although White would still be ahead 36.Rec1 If 36.Qxa6 Rgg8! Rcg8 37.Qxc4 37.Re3 Rc8 should boost White’s lead Qd7 38.Kg2 Rg6 39.Re3 f5 40.Rf3 Qd6 Fritz suggests 40...Rd8!?, but White would still be ahead 41.Qc5 Qd7 42.Qe5+ R6g7 43.Rc7 Qxa4 44.Rxe7 Qc6 Good moves are now hard to find 45.Rxg7 Rxg7 46.d5 Qd7 46...Qc7 offers the last chance for counterplay, but it won’t alter the course of events: 47.Qxf5 a5 and White is still ahead 47.Rxf5 47.Rc3 was the winning shot: 47...Qb7 48.Kh2 h6 and White surges on Kg8 48.Qb8+! Black surrenders as mate is just a step away: 48…Qd8 49.Qxd8#! 1-0
WORLD’S OLDEST TOURNAMENT
83rd Hastings ends in 3-way tie
THE world’s oldest chess tournament, the 83rd Hastings International Congress, has ended in a three-way tie among three European grandmasters who garnered 7.5 points each after 10 rounds in the historic Hastings beach resort in southwestern England.
The pooled first to third prizes were divided equally among Vadim Malakhatko (2596) of Belgium, Nidjat Mamedov (2565) of Azerbaijan, and Valeriy Neverov (2558) of Ukraine.
Six other grandmasters finished just half a point each behind the leaders. They were Falko Bindrich ((2512) of Germany, Glenn Flear (2493), Gawain Jones (2567) and Nicholas Pert (2539) of England, Bogdan Lalic (2500) of Croatia, and Milos Pavlovic (2536) of Slovenia.
Nine others led by GM Boris Chatalbashev (2581) of Bulgaria had 6.5 points each to land the 10th to 18th slots.
The International Congress was held from December 28, 2007 to January 6, 2008, with 103 players competing in the main event.
The tradition started in 1925 to commemorate the famous 1895 Hastings Tournament which saw all the world’s leading players, headed by world champion Emanuel Lasker and his predecessor, Wilhelm Steinitz, taking part.
The top prize, however, went surprisingly to the lone American entry, Harry Nelson Pillsbury.
Here is the famous game won by Pillsbury against Isidor Arthur Gunsberg, a Hungarian-English player, in the last round:
H.N.Pillsbury – I.A. Gunsberg
Final round, Int’l Tmt, Hastings, ENG 1895
Gruenfeld (D94)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 g6 [3...Bf5 4.Qb3 Qc7 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bb5+ Nd7 7.Nc3=] 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bd3 0–0 7.Ne5 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nd5 9.f4 Be6 10.Qb3 b5 11.Bxd5 Bxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Qxd5 cxd5 14.Nd3 Nd7 15.Bd2 Rfc8 16.Ke2 e6 17.Rhc1 Bf8 18.Rxc8 Rxc8 19.Rc1 Rxc1 20.Bxc1 Bd6 21.Bd2 Kf8 22.Bb4 Ke7 23.Bc5 a6 23...a5 24.g4 would have equalized 24.b4 f6 25.g4 Bxc5 26.bxc5 Nb8 27.f5 g5 27...Nc6 28.Nf4 g5 29.Nxe6 Kd7 would give White tremendous advantage 28.Nb4 White now is clearly ahead a5 29.c6 Kd6 30.fxe6 Nxc6 31.Nxc6 Kxc6 32.e4 dxe4 33.d5+!! A powerful punch that White found over the board as he fought to revive his game. At the start, Pillsbury had thought he needed only a draw to win the first prize, but found out before this move that one of his rivals was winning his last game and could catch up with him if he merely halved the point. 33...Kd6 If 33...Kxd5+ 34.e7! 34.Ke3 b4 35.Kxe4 a4 36.Kd4 h5 36...Ke7 offers the last hope: 37.Kc4 b3 38.axb3 a3, White still leads 37.gxh5 a3 38.Kc4 f5 39.h6 f4 40.h7! Black resigns with mate in the air, e.g., 40…f3 41.h8=Q f2 42.Qb8+ Ke7 43.Qa7+ Kd6 44.Kd4 f1Q 45.Qd7#! 1–0
In the 2007-08 tournament, one of the most exciting and amusing endings was won by Ukrainian GM Neverov, one of the top three winners.
V. Neverov (2558) – S. Satyapragyan (2404)
Rd 3, Premier Hastings, ENG 2007
Nimzo-Indian, Rubinstein (E46)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Nge2 Re8 6.a3 Bf8 7.g3 7.e4 e5 gives Black a chance to equalize d5 8.Bg2 c6 9.b3 dxc4 10.bxc4 e5 11.d5 11.dxe5 Qxd1+ 12.Nxd1 Rxe5 leads to equality e4 12.0-0 cxd5 13.Nxd5 Bg4 14.Ra2 Nbd7 15.h3 Be6 16.Nef4 Bxd5 17.Nxd5 Nc5 18.Rd2 Nxd5 19.Rxd5 Qb6 20.Qd4 If 20.f3 Qe6, with equal chances Nb3 Not 20...Rac8 21.Bb2! 21.Qc3 Nxc1 22.Rxc1 Rac8 22...Qe6 23.Rcd1 would have equalized 23.a4 White plans c5 23.Re5 Qd6 24.Rxe4 Rxe4 25.Bxe4 b5 equalizes Qc6 24.Qa1 g6 25.a5 Qa6 26.Qa4 Re6 26...f5 leads to equality: 27.Rd7 Red8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Qb5 27.c5 b6 28.c6! bxa5 If 28...Rc7 29.Kh2 29.Bf1 Missing 29.Rxa5!?, e.g., 29…Qb6 30.Ra6!, and White surges on Qb6 30.Rb5 Qd8 31.Rb7 Qe8 Not 31...Qd5 32.Rd7 Qe5 33.c7! 32.Rc2 Bb4 33.Rxa7 33.Bb5!? a6 34.Bxa6 would have given White a clear edge Rcxc6 33...Rexc6?? would be bad because of 34.Bb5 Rxc2 35.Bxe8! 34.Bc4 Rf6?? 34...Rc5 would have reduced White’s lead: 35.Qxe8+ Rxe8 36.Bxf7+ Kf8 37.Rxc5 Bxc5 38.Rxa5 Kxf7 39.Rxc5 Ke6, with the edge 35.Rxf7! Demolition of pawn structure, and Black resigns. 1-0
Belgian GM Malakhatko, a 30-year-old former Ukrainan player who migrated to Belgium, started with a loss, but recovered soon enough to top the field with 7.5 points from six wins, three draws and one loss in the 10-round Swiss tournament.
In fact, among the top three, he had the best performance. After losing to a virtual unknown, he got a good grip on himself and posted an amazing streak of four straight wins before holding leading English GM Mark Hebden to a draw with Black in the sixth round.
A gutsy fighter, he won again in the seventh round, drew his eighth game, won the penultimate ninth, and drew his final game.
When he started on December 28, he only had 2596. But when he won a share of the top three prizes, he fittingly had a rating of 2603 based on the new list issued by Fide on New Year’s Day.
Here is his win with White in the penultimate ninth, against the Benko Gambit launched by Black.
V. Malakhatko,V (2603) – M. Pavlovic (2536)
Rd 9, Benko/Volga Gambit (A58)
1.c4 Nf6 2.d4 c5 3.d5 b5 3...d6!? should equalize, says Fritz 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.g3 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.Rb1 0–0 11.0–0 Qa5 12.Bd2 Rfb8 13.Qc2 Qc7 14.b3 Nb6 15.Nh4 Bb7 16.e4 Ba6 17.Rfe1 Ng4 18.h3 Ne5 19.Re3 Nbd7? 19...h6 was better but White would stay ahead, e.g., 20.f4 Ned7 21.Ne2! 20.a4 20.f4 g5 21.Nf5 Ng6 22.Nxg7 gxf4 23.gxf4 Kxg7 would give White a big boost Bd3? 20...Qa7 is best 21.Rxd3 White takes a big leap forward Nxd3 22.Nb5 22.Qxd3 c4 23.bxc4 Ne5 24.Rxb8+ Qxb8 was also playable Qc8? 22...Rxb5 could have cut White’s lead, e.g., 23.axb5 N3e5 23.Qxd3!
23…c4 24.Qxc4 Qxc4 25.bxc4 Rxa4 26.Bf1 Nc5 27.Re1 Ra1 28.Rxa1 Bxa1 29.f3 Ra8 30.Be3 Ra2 31.Bxc5 dxc5 32.f4 Bb2 33.e5 f6 34.exf6 exf6 35.Be2 Kf8 36.Nf3 Ke7 37.Kf2 Kd7 37...Bc1 does not improve anything, says Fritz, trotting out this line: 38.Ne1 Bd2 39.Nd3! 38.Ne1 Black resigns,realizing that if he answers with 38…Ba3 39.Nc3! quickly wins. 1–0
Meanwhile, GM Mamedov had a fascinating win with Black in the fourth round.
E. Gurbanzade (2179) – N. Mamedov (2565)
Rd 4, Sicilian Richter-Rauzer (B63)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Qb6 8.0–0–0 a6 9.Be2 Qxd4 10.Qxd4 Nxd4 11.Rxd4 Bd7 12.Rhd1 Bc6 13.f4 Be7 14.Bf3 h6 15.Bh4 g5 16.fxg5 Nd7 17.Bg3 The pressure on d6 grows hxg5 18.Nd5 18.h3 gives Black a chance to equalize, e.g., 18…Ne5 19.Be2 Rd8! Bxd5 19.exd5 e5 20.Rb4 f5 21.Rxb7 Fritz suggests 21.h3 as an interesting alternative e4! 22.Be2 f4 23.Bf2 Rxh2 24.Rg1 Ne5 25.Rb4 e3 Don't underestimate that pawn, Fritz warns 26.Be1 Kf7 27.Kd1 Rah8 28.Bxa6? 28.Ra4!, and White hangs on Ra8 Black seizes the lead 29.Ra4 29.Bf1 Rxa2 30.Ke2 Kg6 would give Black a boost f3 30.gxf3 e2+!! The winning stroke. 31.Kc1 Rxa6! 32.Rxa6 Nxf3 33.Rg3 Nxe1 34.Re3 Nxc2! 0–1
As a bonus, here is a fascinating miniature gem of a game.
S. Abu Sufian (2361) – J. Mansson (2161)
Rd 4, Sicilian Najdorf (B96)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qc7 8.Qf3 b5 9.f5 b4 10.Ncb5! The start of a series of sacrifices and other beautiful moves.
10…axb5 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Qxf6 Qe7 14.Qxh8 Qh4+ 15.Kd1! Qxe4 16.Bxb5+ Bd7 17.Rf1! Threatening back-rank mate Qg4+ 18.Be2! Qg7 19.Bh5+! Ke7 20.Rf7+! Qxf7 21.Bxf7 Kxf7 22.Ke2! 1–0
Sheer magic, indeed!
DO YOU REALLY NEED BOTH ROOKS?
Two famous games say no
JOURNALIST Ignacio “Iggy” Dee has contributed two famous games showing that rooks can be expendable under certain circumstances. In other words, one of these two heavy weapons can be sacrificed on the altar of victory.
As every player knows, two rooks are considered to be more powerful than a queen is, and this can be shown in mathematical terms: a queen is equivalent to 9.0 points while each rook is valued at 5.0. Therefore, two rooks are equal to 10 points, or one point higher than a queen’s value.
This is the basis for the principle in chess that rooks must be doubled along a file or a rank to maximize their force.
Another principle calls for the rooks to control open or half-open files. A further third is for a player to let his rook or, better still, both his rooks control his seventh—or his opponent’s second—rank.
Finally, a fourth calls for a rook to be behind its advancing pawn in the endgame.
All these principles emphasize the importance of rooks as the most effective offensive weapon, next only to the queen.
In swapping off pieces, it is said that, depending on the position, a bishop or a knight may be sacrificed for one rook since these minor pieces are valued at only 3.0 points apiece.
Basically, one point in this scale of values is equivalent roughly to one pawn (on its original square, that is, since the pawn increases in value as it advances forward to its queening square—colorfully and naughtily described by Nimzowitsch as a pawn’s inherent “lust to expand”).
Leonid Yudasin (2538) - Joel Benjamin (2563)
HB Global Chess Challenge, Minneapolis USA 2005
Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.Nd2 e6 9.Ngf3 Bxf3 10.Nxf3 Better than 10.gxf3 Bd6 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Qxb7 Rb8!, when Black surges on Bd6 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rae1 Nd7 14.Qc2 g6 15.Re3 Qf4 16.Rfe1 Rab8 17.Qe2 Rfc8 18.h3 Rc7 19.Nh2 Ne7 20.Ng4 Kg7 21.Rf3 Qg5 22.Bb5 Nc6?? Black has his weakest point, f7, exposed. So…
23.Rxf7+!! Kxf7 24.Qxe6+ Kg7 25.Qd6? Missing his best shot, 25.Bxc6!, e.g., 25...bxc6 26.Qd6! Qd8 The best 26.Bxc6 Rxc6 26...bxc6?? would benefit White: 27.Re7+ Kh8 28.Nf6!, and White forges ahead 27.Qe7+ Kh8 28.Qf7 Rc7 28...Nb6 29.Re7 Qg8 30.Qf4 would have equalized 29.Re7 Qg8 30.Qf4 Qf8 31.Rf7 Qg8 32.Nh6 Qd8 33.Qe3 Rbc8 34.Re7 Qf8 35.Nf7+ Kg8 36.Qe6 Rc6 Not 36...Nf6 because of 37.Nd6+ Kh8 38.Nxc8 Rxc8 39.Rf7!, and White surges ahead 37.Nd6+ Missing 37.Qxd7!?, and White can already relax, Fritz notes: R6c7 38.Nh6+ Qxh6 39.Qxd5+ Kh8 40.Qe5+ Kg8 41.Qe6+ Kh8 42.Qf6+ Kg8 43.Rxc7 Qc1+ 44.Kh2 Rxc7 45.Qd8+ Kf7 46.Qxc7+ Ke6 47.Qe5+! and White is leagues ahead Kh8 38.Rxd7! Black resigns in the face of certain defeat. 1-0
● Wolfgang Uhlmann - Bent Larsen
1/4 Las Palmas, 1971
Semi-Slav, Meran (D47)
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.d4 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.Nxc5 Bxc5 13.dxc5 Qa5 14.Qe2 14.0–0 Nxc5 15.Bc2 Rd8 is better Nxc5 15.Bb5+ Kf8 16.0–0 h6 16...Nb3 17.Rb1 Qxa2 18.Be3 would have equalized 17.Be3 Nxe3 18.fxe3 Kg8 19.Rac1 Ne4 20.Bc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6 Qxa2 22.Qc2 Ng5 22...Qd5!?² should be examined more closely, says Fritz 23.Nd4 White now has the edge Qd5 24.Rc5 Qd8? 25.Rc7 25.h4 and White can already relax: 25...b3 26.Qf2 Kh7 27.hxg5 Qxg5 b3 25...Qd5 26.h4 Qxe5 27.hxg5 Qxe3+ 28.Qf2 Qxf2+ 29.Rxf2 gives White a big boost 26.Qc6 26.Nxb3 seems even better: 26...Qd5 27.h4 Qxe5 28.hxg5 Qxe3+ 29.Qf2, and White is way ahead Qd5 27.h4 Qxe5?! A dubious move condemned by Fritz. Strangely enough, this proves to be a turning point—for Black! 27...Qxc6 could favor White, Fritz notes, citing 28.Nxc6 Ne4 29.Rfxf7!
28.Qxa8+ Kh7 29.Qxa7 Qxe3+ 30.Kh2 Rd8 Fritz notes that 30...Qe5+ would help White, e.g., 31.Kh1 Rd8 32.hxg5 Rxd4 33.Rcxf7 Rh4+ 34.Kg1 Qh2+ 35.Kf2 Rf4+ 36.Rxf4 Qxf4+ 37.Kg1! 31.Nf3 Missing his best shot, 31.Nc6! Qe4 32.Qf2!, and White is winning Qf4+! Seizing the lead 32.Kg1 Nxf3+ 33.Rxf3 Rd1+ 34.Kf2 Qxh4+ 35.g3 Qh2+ 36.Ke3 Qd2+ 37.Ke4 Qd5+ 37...Re1+ leads to mate: 38.Re3 Qd5+ 39.Kf4 Qf5#! 38.Ke3 Not 38.Kf4 Rd4+ 39.Ke3 Rd3+ 40.Kf2 Qxf3+ 41.Kg1 Rd1+ 42.Kh2 Rh1#! Rd3+! Black resigns in the face of a mating attack: 39.Kf2 Qxf3+ 40.Kg1 Rd1+ 41.Kh2 Rh1#; 38...Re1+ 39.Kf2 Qd2#! 0–1
PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Wesley’s ‘walk in park’ to GM title
AS reported in The Weekender of December 16, 2007, Wesley So “followed a very safe route and cautious style to capture his third and final norm and the title” in the Third Prospero Pichay Jr. Cup International Open held early last month.
In short, it was like “taking a walk in the park”—a safe stroll that precluded any misstep as had happened in the First and Second PGMA Cups and the Philippine Open in Subic as well as in the Asian Individual Championship in Cebu.
In those four events, Wesley stumbled at crucial turns, usually toward the endgame, often at times when he felt a GM result was within his grasp.
Learning from his mistakes, Wesley forced himself to develop self-restraint by reining in his youthful exuberance, and not to look for “brilliancies” but to focus on safety-first measures in the Pichay Cup. In the process, he developed a liking for short, quick draws.
Along the way, he has matured steadily and now plays like the grandmaster that he truly is.
At the Asean Masters in Tarakan, with the GM title in the bag, Wesley who is competing in Group A is expected to fall back anew on his trademark sharp tactical plays.
Srdjan Sale (2453) - Wesley So (2254)
Rd. 3.9, 8th Dubai Open, UAE 2006
Irregular Opening (A00)
1.g3 c5 2.Bg2 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e4 e6 6.d3 Nge7 7.c3 0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.a4 Ba6 10.Na3 Rc8 10...d5 11.e5 would have equalized 11.Re1 d6 12.Be3 e5 13.Nc4 Qc7 14.Qb3 Rcd8 15.Rad1 h6 16.Bc1 Kh7 17.Ne3 exf4 18.gxf4 f5 19.exf5 19.Nd5 Qd7 allows Black to equalize Nxf5 20.Nxf5 Rxf5 21.Nh4 Rf6 22.Qc2 Ne7 23.Qe2 Nf5 24.Nxf5 Rxf5 25.Be4 Rf6 26.Qg2 Bc8 27.Re3 Be6 28.Rg3 Qf7 29.Re1 Re8 30.Bd2 d5 31.Bf3 Qd7 32.b3 Bf7 33.Re5 Rd6 34.Rxe8 34.Bg4 Qc6 35.Rxe8 would give Black a big boost Qxe8 35.f5 Qe5 36.Bg4! d4! 37.c4 gxf5 38.Bxf5+! Qxf5! Black accepts the challenge 39.Rxg7+ Kh8 40.Rg3 Rg6 Not 40...Rf6 41.Qe2! 41.Qa8+ Not 41.b4 Rf6 42.h3 Qe5!, and the balance is restored Kh7! 42.Qxa7?? The losing moment. 42.Qf8! offered the best chance to White.42...Rf6! White resigns in disgust with himself. At any right, Black is decidedly winning, e.g., 43.Kh1 Qf1+ 44.Rg1 Qf3+ 45.Rg2 Rg6 46.Qxf7+ Qxf7 47.Rxg6 Qxg6! 0-1
Here is a beautiful minigem of a game that Wesley won in Cebu despite being off-form at that time.
Wesley So (2516) – M. Mahjoobzardast (2479)
Rd 4.9, Asian Individual Ch 2007
Pirc Defence, Austrian Attack
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Na6 7.0-0 c5 8.d5 Nc7 9.Qe1 e6 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.e5 Nfd5 Not 11...Nh5 12.f5 gxf5 13.Bg5! 12.Ne4 Nxf4 12...Ne8 13.Bb5 gives White the edge 13.Bxf4 White now has tremendous advantage Rxf4 14.Nxd6 Nd5 15.Qg3 Qf8 16.Rae1 16.Nxc8?! allows Black to equalize: 16…Rxc8 17.b3 Ne3! Ne7?? This simply worsens the situation. Best was 16...Bd7! 17.Ng5! Rxf1+ 17...Rf5 helps White, e.g., 18.Bc4 Bxe5 19.Rxe5 Rxf1+ 20.Bxf1 Nd5 21.Nxc8!, and White surges ahead 18.Rxf1 Nf5 18...Qxf1+ won't improve anything: 19.Kxf1 h6 20.Qf3!, and White is winning 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.Rxf5!! If 20…exf5 21.Qb3+!, and a smothered mate follows. 1-0
In the Pichay Cup Open, Wesley began a quiet game that he just as quietly forced to end with another beautiful sacrifice of the exchange. To think that only two pawns had been swapped by either side!
W. So (2531) – R. Legaspi (2334)
3rd Pichay Cup Open, Parañaque 2007
Sicilian Kan (B42)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.0–0 d6 7.c4 Be7 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Kh1 Nc6 10.Be3 Bd7 11.f4 Qb8 12.Qe2 Re8 13.Nf3 h6 Not 13...Qc7 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5, and White leads 14.Rad1 Qc7 15.e5 Ng4 16.Bc1 h5 16...dxe5 was better, e.g., 17.fxe5 Bb4! 17.Bb1 dxe5 18.fxe5! The clincher: 18…Rad8 19.h3 Ncxe5 20.Nxe5 Qxe5 21.hxg4 Qxe2 22.Nxe2 hxg4 23.Bc2! 1–0
MY FAVORITES
Karjakin comes of age
SIX years after becoming the world’s youngest grandmaster ever, Ukrainian GM Sergey Karjakin has come of age—at 18!
Now the second strongest junior (under-20) player in the world, the Ukrainian prodigy is proving his record-making feat at the age of 12 in 2002 was no fluke. He still holds the record and it looks like it will stay in the books for a long time.
Karjakin and Norway’s Wonder Boy Magnus Carlsen, 17, now the No. 1 junior, proved they are potential world champions when they reached the semifinals of last November’s World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
This week, Karjakin proved beyond doubt that he can beat at will almost any of the leading players 10 to 20 years older than he is.
In the Association of Chess Professionals’ knockout series among 12 of the world’s strongest players in the Black Sea resort of Odessa, the Ukrainian disposed of Hungarian Wonder Woman Judit Polgar, 30, by a phenomenal 2-0 score in the first stage.
Polgar herself was one of the world’s amazing child prodigies, winning the individual Olympic gold at the age of 11. She became the world’s first female overall national champion and as such broke the 30-year-old record of Bobby Fischer as the youngest person to become a GM in 1991.
In the second stage, world No. 14 Karjakin (Elo 2732), knocked out former world-title candidate Boris Gelfand of Israel, who ranks No. 11 in the world with 2737.
In the semifinals, Karjakin lost to Alexander Grischuk (2711), who in turn lost to Teimour Radjabov (2735) in the finals. Teimour, the former top junior player for years, is now 21
S. Karjakin (2732) – J. Polgar (2707)
Rd. 1.2, Sicilian Defense, O’Kelly Variation (B28)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c3 If 3.Nc3 e6 e6 3...d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 would have equalized 4.d4² d5 5.e5 Nc6 6.Be2 Bd7 7.0–0 Rc8 8.a3 c4 9.Ng5 Na5 10.Be3 Nb3 11.Ra2 Ne7 12.f4 12.Bh5!? is worthy of consideration, says Fritz, e.g., 12...g6 13.Bg4, with equal chances Nf5 13.Bf2 Be7 14.Nf3 h5 If 14...Ba4 15.Qe1! 15.Nbd2 Ba4 16.Qe1 Kd7 17.Nxb3 Bxb3 18.Ra1 Qb6 19.g3 19.Nd2 Ba4 leads to equality Nh6 If 19...Kc7 20.Nd2! 20.Qd2 20.Nd2 is worth looking at, says Fritz h4 21.Ne1 21.Nxh4 deserves consideration: 21...Bxh4 22.gxh4! hxg3! 22.hxg3 Rcg8 23.g4 g5 23...Kc8 24.Bg3 could favor White 24.f5 Nxf5 24...exf5 should be tried, e.g., 25.gxf5 g4! 25.gxf5! exf5 26.Bg3 Qe6 27.Rf2 f4 28.Bh2 Rh4 28...f3 could boomerang: 29.Rxf3 g4 30.Rg3! 29.Rg2 Rgh8 30.Nf3 Rh3?? This gives White new chances, says Fritz, which suggests 30...Rg4! instead to bring relief 31.Nxg5! 31…f3 Not 31...Bxg5 because of 32.Bg4 Qxg4 33.Rxg4 Rxh2 34.Qxh2 Rxh2 35.Kxh2!, and White forges ahead 32.Nxe6 fxg2 33.Nc5+ Kc6 33...Ke8 won't improve anything: 34.Nxb3 Rxh2 35.Qf4! 34.Qf4 Bc2 35.Qxf7 Bxc5 36.Qe6+ Best was 36.dxc5! R3h6 37.Bf3! Kc7 37.dxc5 R3h6, and Black resigns without waiting for White’s next move. 1–0
Gelfand put up stiffer resistance but just the same could not dislodge his much younger rival.
S. Karjakin (2732) – B. Gelfand (2737)
Rd 2.3, French Defense (C10)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0-0 Ngf6 8.Ng3 Be7 9.Qe2 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Better than 10.gxf3 c5 11.Be3 cxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc5 13.Bxc5 Nxc5 14.Bb5+ Ncd7! c6 11.Re1 0-0 12.c3 Re8 13.Bf4 Qa5 14.a3 Bf8 15.Rad1 e5 16.Be3 Rad8 17.Bb1 Qd5 18.Ne4 exd4 19.Bxd4 Nxe4 20.Bxe4 Qg5 Fritz suggests 20...Qb3 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Qh3+ Kg8 24.Qxd7 Qd2?? This gives White new chances. Better was 24...Rd8 25.Qxb7 c5 26.Qxa7 cxd4 27.cxd4 Bc5 25.Be3 White now has a clear advantage. Not 25.Rxd2?? because of 25...Re1#! Qe2 26.h3 Re6 27.Qd2 27.Bxa7?! is dubious: 27…Qxb2 28.a4 Qxc3 29.Qxb7 Qa5 Qxd2 28.Rxd2 a6? 29.Rd7 Re7 30.Rd8 Re5 30...f6 31.Bc5 Rf7 32.Rb8 would give White a big boost 31.b4 Rd5 Not 31...g5 because of 32.Rb8!, with White having a huge advantage 32.Rc8!? Black resigns in the face of likely defeat: 32…g5 33.Bc5 Rxc5 34.bxc5, and White is winning. Fritz points out, however, that 32.Rb8! would have given White a firmer grip after 32…g5. 1-0
GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
Karjakin, model for all youngsters
ATTENTION, parents: Sergey Karjakin can be the model for your son or daughter who may have the makings of a grandmaster and/or a world champion.
Consider these:
● Sergey became a grandmaster in 2002 at the age of 12 years and seven months old. Today, five years later, he still holds the record as the youngest person ever to earn the coveted title.
● He has been world under-12 champion and many times boy champion of his native Ukraine, where he was born on January 12, 1990 (yes, yesterday was his 18th birthday).
● He was only 12 years old and a very fresh grandmaster when he served as a second to another Ukrainian prodigy, Ruslan Ponomariov, when the latter fought Ukrainian icon Vassily Ivanchuk for the world crown in February 2002. Ruslan won and became the youngest-ever world champion—at 18!
● Last November, Sergey reached the semifinals of the World Cup held in the Siberian winter resort of Khanty-Mansiysk, the same prestigious event in which two-time National Open champion and the Philippines’ newly minted GM Darwin Laylo competed, the first Filipino ever to do so.
● Last week, Sergey reached the third stage of the ACP knockout series by beating two of the world’s best players—Judit Polgar of Hungary, regarded as the strongest female player in chess history, and former world- title candidate Boris Gelfand of Israel, who is currently rated No. 11 in the world.
Let’s now take a look at his games as a gifted kid.
S. Karjakin – S. Baraniuk
Ukrainian U-12 Ch, Simferopol 2000
Sicilian Defense (B40)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Fritz suggests 5.Nd2 a6 5...Bb4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 would have equalized 6.Bd3 Best was 6.e5!? Ng8 7.Bf4, with a distinct advantage Nc6 7.Be3 e5 8.Nb3 8.Nde2 gives Black a chance to equalize 8…d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 d6 8...d5! was more precise, e.g., 9.Bg5 d4 10.Bxf6 gxf6, with equal chances 9.0-0 Be7 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nb8 12.c4 f5 13.c5 13.f4 0-0 gives White the lead 0-0 14.f4 e4 15.Bc4 Kh8 16.Qd2 dxc5 17.Bxc5 Bxc5+ 18.Nxc5 b6 19.Nb3 b5 20.Be2 Bb7 21.Rfd1 Intending d6 Qb6+ 21...Nd7 22.d6 should equalize 22.Qd4 Qxd4+ 23.Nxd4 If 23.Rxd4 Nd7 Nd7 Not 23...Bxd5 24.Nxb5 axb5 25.Rxd5! 24.Rac1 Nb6 24...Bxd5!? could be tried, e.g., 25.Nxb5 Bxa2, with equal chances 25.d6 White now has the edge Nd5 26.Ne6 White surges ahead Rfe8 27.d7 27.Nc7 was also playable, e.g., 27…Nxc7 28.Rxc7 and White is way ahead Rxe6 28.Rxd5!
An unpleasant surprise, Fritz notes.
28...Rd8 If 28...Bxd5 29.Rc8 29.Rc7 Rb6 29...Bxd5 offers the last chance for counterplay: 30.Rc8 Rd6 31.Rxd8+ 30.Re5 Rg8 31.Re8 Rd6 32.Rxg8+ More decisive was 32.Rxb7 g6 33.Rbb8!, and wins Kxg8 33.Rc8+! It’s all over: 33…Kf7 34.d8=Q Rxd8 35.Rxd8! 1-0
Even as a child, Sergey was adept at both colors. Here is a gem of a game he won with Black—at 11!
L. Lenic (2092) – S. Karjakin (2338)
U-14 Boys, European Youth, Halkidiki GRE 2001
Sicilian Scheveningen/Najdorf (B87)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Qf3 Qb6 10.0–0–0 10.Rd1 gives Black a chance to equalize, e.g., 10…b4 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Ba4+ Kf8! 0–0 11.h4 Nbd7 12.h5 h6 13.Be3 Qb7 14.Qg3 Kh8 Better than 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Qxe4 16.Bxh6, and White has the edge 15.Bxe6 Fritz suggests 15.f3! fxe6 16.Nxe6 Rg8 17.Nf4 Ne5 17...Nxe4? 18.Nxe4 Qxe4 19.Rd4 Qxf4 20.Bxf4 gives White a boost 18.Ng6+ Kh7 19.f4 19.Nd5 was better, e.g., 19…Nxd5 20.Nxe5 dxe5 (Not 20...Nxe3?? because of 21.Qg6+ Kh8 22.Nf7#!) 21.Qg6+ Kh8 22.Rxd5 Nc4 Best was 19...Neg4 20.Bd4 b4 21.Bxf6 Nxf6! 20.Bd4 Restoring the equilibrium b4? Better was 20...Bd8 21.Qd3 Re8 21.Bxf6?? Throwing away a nice position, Fritz notes, suggesting instead 21.Nd5 Bd8 22.Qd3 Nxb2 23.Bxb2, and White surges on Bxf6! 22.Nd5 Bxb2+ 23.Kb1 Be6 24.Qd3 Rac8 25.Nge7 Na3+ 26.Kxb2 Rxc2+ 27.Qxc2? Nxc2 28.Kxc2 Re8 29.Ng6 Bxd5 29...Qc6+ makes it even easier for Black: 30.Kb1 Qc4! 30.exd5 Re2+ 31.Kb3 Qc7! Black resigns as mate is in the air. 0–1
CHESS MAGIC
Just kids’ stuff
AS can be gleaned from the previous article, Sergey Karjakin could already play like a grandmaster at the age of 10, two years before he became a full-fledged GM.
His is what we call a natural talent, a God-given gift given to him at the moment of conception, which in terms of biology and parapsychology bolsters my favorite theory of racial memory. This in turn is anchored on the notion that memory can be inherited through the genes.
In other words, like Morphy, Capablanca, and many other geniuses in chess history, Sergey belongs to that eternal tribe of immortals—a phenomenon that has neither a beginning nor an end.
“For men may come and men may go, /But I go on forever,” as the British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson puts it in his Song of the Brook.
I suspect that playing magical chess is, to Sergey and his ilk, just that—a game. It’s just kids’ stuff. “Everyone can do it—if he knows how.” Or something to that effect, as the saying goes.
S. Karjakin (2338) – B. Itkis (2455)
Int’l Tmt, Nikolaev, UKR 2001
Classical Caro-Kann (B19)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.0–0–0 e6 14.Ne4 Be7 15.g3 15.Nxf6+ helps Black equalize: 15…Nxf6 16.Ne5 Bd6! 0–0–0 16.Bf4 Qa5 17.Kb1 Qf5 Stronger than 17...Nxh5 18.Bd6 Bf8 19.b4, with White having the edge 18.Nxf6 Qxd3 Not 18...Qxf6 19.Qc3 Nb6 20.Qa5! 19.Rxd3 Bxf6 20.g4 Nb6 21.Ne5 Bxe5 22.Bxe5 f6 22...Rhg8 23.Rhd1 would have restored the balance 23.Bg3 Rd5 24.Re1 Rhd8 25.Red1 f5 26.f3 fxg4 27.fxg4 Rg5 27...Rg8!? could be tried, e.g., 28.Bf4 Rf8! 28.Bh4 Clearly, White has the edge Rxg4 29.Bxd8 Kxd8 30.Re3 Nd5 31.Rxe6 Nf6 32.c3 Nxh5 Fritz suggests 32...Rg5!? 33.d5! c5 34.d6 Nf4? 34...Nf6 may be better but not enough, e.g.,35.Re7 b6 and White is still way ahead 35.Re4 Kd7 36.Re7+ Kd8 37.d7!!
In the next game, the 11-year-old prodigy is outplayed by his rival, which goes to show that wizardry can work either way and that if you are good at it, you can by the same token lose more readily than if you had a cut-and-dried style.
S. Karjakin (2388) – A. Korobov (2467)
2nd Governor's Cup Kramatorsk, UKR 2001
Sicilian, Sozin Attack (B88)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.f4 If 9.Bd3 d5 Bd7 Missing 9...d5!? 10.Bb5 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4! 10.Bb3 Qc7 11.Ndb5 Qb8 12.a4 a6 13.Na3 If 13.Nd4 Na5! Na5 14.Ba2 14.Nc4!? may be tried, e.g., 14...Nxc4 15.Bxc4, with equality b5! 15.b4 Nc6 16.axb5 axb5 17.Naxb5 Nxb4 18.Nd4 18.Bc4 Rxa1 19.Qxa1 Bxb5 20.Nxb5 Rc8 gives Black tremendous advantage Nxa2 19.Nxa2 Nxe4 20.Qf3 20.Qd3!? d5 21.Nc3 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 favors Black d5 21.c4? 21.Rab1 Qc8 22.Nb4 Bf6 gives Black the game Ra3 22.Qe2 Bc5 23.cxd5 Qa7 23...Bb5! and Black can already relax: 24.Qxb5 Bxd4 25.Qxb8 Bxe3+ 26.Kh1 Rxb8! 24.Rfd1 Ra8! White resigns. 1-0
The third game shows Sergey, already a grandmaster at 12, at his most effective role as a chess magician, making every move count and choosing his target, be it a piece, a pawn, a square, or a cluster of pieces and pawns, as carefully and judiciously as possible.
S. Karjakin (2523) – O. A. Kulicov (2397)
Int’l Tmt, Sudak UKR .2002
Sicilian Defense (B31)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0–0 Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Re1 0–0 7.h3 Ne8 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nc7 10.Ba4 d5 11.e5 b5 12.Bb3 a5 13.Nc3 Ba6 14.Be3 Qd7 15.Qd2 a4 16.Bc2 f5 16...Na5 17.Nxa4 bxa4 18.Qxa5 favors White 17.Ne2 Ne6 18.Rac1 Rfc8 19.h4 Nf8 19...b4 should be tried 20.h5 e6 20...b4 21.Nf4 Bc4 22.b3 axb3 23.axb3 could benefit White 21.h6 Bh8 22.Nf4 Qe7 23.Nd3 Nd7 24.Bb1 Bb7 25.Nc5 Na5 25...Nxc5!? was best: 26.Rxc5 Qd7 26.Bg5 Qe8 27.Nxb7 Nxb7 28.Bd3 Nb6 29.Qb4! Black resigns, finding himself in virtual Zugswang! 1–0
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
New Ratings
Philippines’ Top 15 Players
January 2008 Rating List
1 GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. 2529
2 GM Wesley So 2526
3 GM Mark Paragua 2521
4 GM Eugenio Torre 2519
5 GM Darwin Laylo 2508
6 IM Joseph Sanchez 2492
7 IM Oliver Dimakiling 2484
8 IM John Paul Gomez 2469
9 IM Roland Salvador 2462
10 IM Jayson Gonzales 2455
11 IM Ronald Dableo 2452
12 IM Rolly Martinez 2447
13 GM Nelson Mariano 2447
14 Dino Ballecer 2434
15 GM Bong Villamayor 2425
HERE is the latest pecking order in Philippine chess. All the International Masters from No. 6 to 12 have either one or two GM norms and so, given the opportunity, the self-imposed goal of 5 GMs next year by NCFP President Pichay is attainable.
Some readers have asked me why I, by habit, always remove the name of IM Rogelio Barcenilla from the top Filipino list. Indeed, at 2503 he would have appeared at no. 6, but by policy I do not include in the list players who have lived abroad for many years, have their whole families there, have no intention of coming back to the Philippines or of representing the country in international team competition. This is the same reason why we have not listed IM Enrico Sevillano and IM Angelo Young, who anyway a year or so ago have transferred their affiliation to the US Chess Federation.
A surprise entrant is Dino Ballecer at no. 14 – this former college standout gained almost 60 rating points from his unbelievable performance in the 2nd President GM Arroyo Cup, where he defeated Li Ruofan, IM Ronald Bancod, Oliver Barbosa and IM Barlo Nadera aside from drawing with Eugene Torre, IM Jayson Gonzales, and Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai. And Dino is not yet even a National Master.
Ballecer,Dino - Nadera,Barlo A (2477) [C00]
2nd PGMA Cup Duty Free Fiesta Mall (9.4), 28.11.2007
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0–0 Qc7 8.Re1 b6 9.c3 Bb7 10.a3 a5 11.exd5 exd5 12.Nf1 0–0 13.Bf4 Qd8 14.d4 h6 15.h4 Re8 16.Ne5 Bf8 17.Qd3 c4 18.Qc2 a4 19.Rad1 b5 20.Nh2 Qb6 21.Nhg4 Nxg4 22.Nxg4 Ne7 23.Ne5 Rad8 24.g4 Qf6 25.Bg3 Bc8 26.Re3 Qb6 27.Rde1 f6 28.Ng6 Kf7 29.Nxf8 Kxf8 30.Qh7 Qb7 31.Bh3 Kf7 32.Bf4 Kf8 33.Bxh6 gxh6 34.Re6 1–0
I hear that there will be a 12-game match between GMs Torre and Antonio in the summer of 2008, with Quezon City majority floor leader and fourth district councilor Ariel Inton as one of the prime movers.
Do you guys remember that back in 1998 there was the first 12-game Torre vs Antonio match sponsored by the Land Bank of the Philippines with Toto Ferrer from the Active Chess Center for Asia as the Project Manager? The organizers left no stone unturned to come up with a high-quality show:
1. Match was held in the auditorium of the Land Bank branch in Buendia. A separate room was made available for the press, managed by Bong Villamayor, and even hired Idel Datu as official analyst so as to be able to guide the press people in the status of the game.
2. Both players were billeted together with their seconds in 5-star hotel accommodations and had the services of rented limousines to ferry them back and forth between the playing area and their living quarters.
3. There was a bulletin published every day featuring the games plus analysis prepared by Joseph Sanchez and yours truly.
4. They even arranged for former World Champion Anatoly Karpov to grace the occasion.
What was the result of the match? Well, it became apparent that Eugene was terribly out of form – after a fighting draw in game 1 he blundered very badly in the second game to go one-down.
Antonio,Rogelio Jr (2520) - Torre,Eugenio (2560) [C78]
Manila m (2), 17.02.1998
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Bc5
In 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad Eugene brilliantly defeated the Colombian GM Alonso Zapata in this line, which some people call the Classical Defence of the Ruy Lopez. IM Gary Lane wrote a well-received openings book on "The Ruy Lopez for the Tournament Player", and he calls Gulko, Winants and Eugene Torre as Chief Innovators of this line.
Lately it is only Katerina Lahno of the Ukraine who plays this line with any regularity among the top players, but she is a woman, and who follows women's openings anyway?
6.c3 b5
The player of the black pieces might think that it would be a good idea to retreat his c5-bishop so as to decrease its vulnerability to a later d2-d4, but in fact there is no time for that and White can play 6...Ba7 7.d4! Nxe4 8.Re1 f5 9.Nbd2 Nxd2 (9...0–0 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Rxe4 White has a strong position) 10.Nxd2 e4 11.Nxe4! 0–0 (11...fxe4 12.Rxe4+ Kf8 13.Qf3+ Kg8 14.Bb3+ d5 15.Bxd5+ Qxd5 16.Re8#) 12.Bg5 Ne7 13.Ng3 Rf7 14.Qe2 Kf8 15.Nxf5 1–0 Stahlmann-Muller/ corr 1936.
7.Bb3 d6 8.d4 Bb6 9.h3 Bb7 10.Re1 0–0 11.a4 Na5?! 12.Bc2 c5
Black can also go for pressure against the e4-point via: 12...exd4 13.cxd4 Re8 14.Nbd2 b4 15.b3 although even here White has a tiny space and central advantage.
13.d5 c4 14.Na3 Qd7 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Rxe3 Rfb8 17.Nd2
Preparing b2-b4
17...Bc8 18.b4 cxb3 19.Nxb3 Nxb3 20.Bxb3 Qc7 21.Nc2 a5 22.axb5 Rxb5 23.Ba4 Rc5 24.Na3 Ba6 25.Bc6 Rb8 26.Rb1 Rb6 27.Qc2 g6 28.Ree1 Rbxc6 29.dxc6 Qxc6 30.Qb2 Kg7
He could have tried 30...Nxe4!? 31.Qb6 Qxb6 32.Rxb6 Bd3 33.c4 d5 with chances for both sides, but I recall that Eugene was already in a bit of time trouble hereabouts.
31.Qb8 Nd7
[31...Rxc3 does not win a pawn. White's reply would be 32.Rb6 Qc5 33.Qxd6 Qxd6 34.Rxd6 Bb7 35.Nb1 Rc2 36.f3 and White would still be justified in playing for a win]
32.Qd8 Bd3 33.Rbd1 Rxc3 34.Nb1 Bxb1 35.Rxb1 a4 36.Rbd1 a3?
[36...Rc5 followed by ...d6-d5 would have eliminated his only remaining weakness]
37.Qe7 a2 38.Kh2
38...Qc5?? 39.Qxd7 1–0
After this came 10 straight draws, and the match ended 6.5-5.5 in favor of GM Antonio. There were some murmurs of sponsor disenchantment with the fighting content of the games, because Land Bank never wanted to have anything to do with supporting chess matches again.
I hope this time we find the players in a better fighting mood.
By the way, did you know that in 1999 there was a secret training match between the same two GMs in preparation for GM Joey’s stint in the FIDE World Championships? The final score was a draw 6-6, but the games were real hammer-and-tongs affairs. I promised to keep a lid on the match for five years, but that vow of silence has long expired. Do you want to know more about it? Well, just keep reading “Chess Piece”.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, January 7, 2008.
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
Torre vs Antonio
IN 1998 GMs Eugene Torre and Joey Antonio played a 12-game match which ended with a score of 5.5-6.5 in favor of the latter. GM Joey won once and there were 11 draws. There was some criticism about the lack of fight in the match, some of them coming from the sponsors.
What the general public did not know was that the two protagonists played another 12-game match in July 1999 as part of the training of GM Joey for the Las Vegas World Championship, which started on July 25, 1999. It was held at the President’s Tower in Timog Avenue, under the sponsorship of Sportsman Jerry Acuzar. The match was not open to the public, but some games were played in a mini-auditorium in that building, where officers and employees of Mr. Acuzar’s companies were allowed to watch.
I remember the events very vividly – we enplaned for Las Vegas on July 21, and the night before, on the 20th, my eldest son was born. Eugene and myself were the seconds of Joey, and in the middle of the last minute preparations I asked to be excused so that I can be with my wife. Hon. Florencio Campomanes then angrily accosted me with the immortal words: “Where are you going? What do you intend to do in the hospital? Are you a doctor?”
Unforgettable Campo.
The match ended in a final score of 6-6, but there was not a single short draw and it was a hammer-and-tongs affair, with four wins each and four draws. I actually think that Eugene Torre was a bigger beneficiary of that match – he had been in semi-retirement for a few years and this rust allowed GM Joey to get an early lead, but towards the end Torre was unstoppable and leveled the match with two powerful wins.
Also, to be fair to Eugene: that was a training match, so the openings were stipulated beforehand, and of course GM Joey was the one who chose the positions from where the game would start.
Antonio, Rogelio Jr. - Torre, Eugenio [C48]
Antonio vs Torre training m Quezon City (2), 08.07.1999
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Ba4 Bc5
This was the agreed-upon starting position.
6.Nxe5
Readers should familiarize themselves with the following trap: 6.0–0 0–0 7.Nxe5? If White wants to take the e5-pawn he should do so before castling. Now Black has a refutation in place: 7...d6
1) 8.Nd3?! Bg4! wins immediately. Let's follow through to the end ... 9.Qe1 (9.f3 Nxf3+ 10.Kh1 Nxh2) 9...Nf3+!! 10.gxf3 Bxf3 11.Nxc5 Ng4 12.d3 Qh4 13.Bf4 Qh3 0–1 Carraro,D-Zuriel,S/ Villa Martelli 2002.
2) 8.Nf3 is the lesser of the two evils, but White gets doubled pawns on the f-file. 8...Bg4 9.d3 Nd7 10.Bxd7 Qxd7 11.Be3 Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bh5 13.Kg2? (13.Nd5 followed by Nf4 is much better) 13...f5 14.e5 f4 15.Bxc5 dxc5 16.Qe2 Rae8 17.Rae1 Re6 18.h3 Bg6 19.Kh2 Bf5 the White king cannot survive this. Liublinsky,V-Lilienthal,A/ Moscow 1945 0–1 (31).
6...0–0 7.Nd3
There is another pitfall here. If 7.Nf3? d5! is strong, 8.Nxd4 Bxd4 9.e5 Ng4 10.0–0 Qh4 wins. Here is how it will end: 11.h3 Nxf2 12.Rxf2 Qxf2+ 13.Kh2 Bg4! 14.hxg4 (14.Qxg4 Bxe5+ 15.Kh1 Qf1# mate; 14.Qh1 Bxe5# mate) 14...Qh4# 0–1 Nebel-Hallman/ corr 1946.
7...Bb6 8.e5 Ne8 9.Nd5
Threatens Black's dangerous bishop on b6 and gets out of the way of his c-pawn which wants to go to c3.
9...d6 10.Ne3
Definitely stronger than 10.c3 Qh4 11.Ne3 Qe4 which was good for Black in Tylor-Milner-Barry, Hastings 1938/39
10...c6
In game 10 of the match, Eugene tried another move and won quickly: 10...dxe5 11.Nxe5 Qg5 White has to be careful here:
1) Not 12.Nf3? Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Bxe3! which wins material. If white recaptures with the d-pawn then ...Qa5+, if he takes with the f-pawn the move ...Qh4+ wins the a4-bishop just as well.
2) 12.Nd7?! Bxd7 13.Bxd7 f5 14.c3 f4 15.cxd4 fxe3 16.dxe3 Qxg2 with a strong attack. Franzoni,G-Godena,M/ Manila Olym 1992]
3) GM Joey’s move is best: 12.N5c4! f5 13.c3 (I was very interested to see in the Moscow world championship that GM Alexander Motylev prepared this line against Alexei Shirov. Here he unveiled the powerful 13.h4! and got a serious advantage in both of his White games. Shirov couldn't equalize and the conclusion was that Black did not have sufficient compensation for his pawn deficit) 13...f4! 14.cxd4 fxe3 15.Nxe3 Bxd4 16.0–0 Bh3 17.Qe2 Nd6 18.Bd1 Rf5 19.f4 Rxf4 20.Rxf4 Qxf4 21.gxh3 White wins a piece but Black's pressure is very strong. 21...Rf8 22.Bc2 Nf5 23.Bxf5? Rxf5 24.Kh1? GM Joey thought he was winning but he obviously overlooked the following Black sequence. 24...Bxe3 25.dxe3 (25.Qxe3?? Qf1+ 26.Qg1 Qf3+ 27.Qg2 Qd1+ 28.Qg1 Rf1) 25...Qe4+ 26.Kg1 Rg5+ 27.Kf2 Rg2+ 28.Kf1 Rxe2 29.Kxe2 Qg2+ 30.Kd3 Qxh3 0–1 Antonio, R-Torre, E/ Antonio vs Torre training mla 1999.
11.0–0 Bc7 12.f4
[12.c3 was previously considered best, but this assessment was severely deflated during the Short vs Speelman candidates match. Speelman continued 12...Ne6! 13.f4 dxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxf4! and equalized easily]
12...dxe5 13.Nxe5 b5
After the game, GM Joey told me that he was hoping Eugene would play 13...f6 here, for he intended 14.c3! fxe5 15.fxe5 Ne6 16.d4 with a strong central pawnroller. However analyzing the line afterwards, it appears to be unsound. Instead of retreating the knight Black could give back the piece advantageously with 15... 15...Rxf1+ 16.Qxf1 Be6! 17.cxd4 Qxd4 18.Bb3 Qxe5 19.Bxe6+ Qxe6 and White has to struggle for a draw.
14.Bb3 Bxe5 15.fxe5 Qg5 16.c3 Nxb3 17.axb3 Qxe5
Material parity has been restored, but that does not mean the position is equal. White has the better pawn structure and Black lacks good squares for his pieces. Actually my initial impression was that Eugene would hold this position easily, but to my surprise GM Joey played very well and pushed him against the ropes.
By the way, we were training for the FIDE World Championship, so we used the official time control of 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds added starting move 1. This translates to 2 hours for 40 moves, then 1 hour for the next 20, then play to finish with 20 minutes for every additional 10 moves. Quite a comfortable pace - conducive to really fighting chess.
At this point in the game White had 1 hour 13 minutes left, while Black slightly less: 1 hour and 5 minutes.
18.Qf3 Qd6 19.Nf5 Bxf5 20.Qxf5 a5
Over the last three moves, Eugene was really thinking it out, taking more than 40 minutes figuring out the nuances - he left himself with 23 minutes for the remaining 20 moves before the first time control.
21.d4 Nf6 22.Bg5 Nd5 23.Bd2 a4 24.bxa4 Rxa4 25.Rxa4 bxa4 26.Ra1 Nb6 27.Qc5 Qxc5 28.dxc5 Nd7 29.Rxa4 Nxc5 30.Rc4 Nb3 31.Be3 c5 32.Ra4
Of course 32.Bxc5?? loses to 32...Rc8.
32...f6 33.Kf2 Rc8 34.g4 Rc7 35.Kf3 c4 36.h4
Time remaining: White 54 minutes; Black, 2 minutes!
36...h6 37.h5 Kf7 38.Bf4 Rc8 39.Ra7+ Kg8 40.Be3 Kf8
Eugene makes the time control with 18 seconds to spare, but in the meantime GM Joey had managed to put his rook on the 7th rank and was winning.
41.Ke4 Re8+ 42.Kf4 Re7
White's threat is 43.Rc7 Na5 44.Bc5+ Kg8 45.Bb6 and the pawn will fall.
43.Ra8+ Kf7 44.Rc8 g5+
Pawn cannot be saved: 44...Na5 45.Bc5 Rd7 46.Bb6.
45.hxg6+ Kxg6 46.Rxc4 h5 47.Rb4 Na1 48.gxh5+ Kxh5 49.Rb6 Nc2 50.Bf2 Kg6 51.c4
Game is over.
51...Ne1 52.Rd6 Ng2+ 53.Kf3 Ne1+ 54.Kg3 Nc2 55.Kf4 Kf7 56.Rb6 Re2 57.Kf3 Re8 58.Rb7+ Kg6 59.c5 Ne1+ 60.Bxe1 Rxe1 61.c6 Rc1 62.c7 Kf5 63.b4 1–0
Reader comments and/or suggestions is urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, January 11, 2008.
FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Moment of truth—or just hype?
ON Saturday, January 19, the NCFP will hold its board election at the Tagaytay City Convention Center, about two hours’ drive by car from Quezon City. Two weeks after that, another group from the same NCFP that claims to have majority of the board members, will hold a similar election—in Quezon City.
Now, which is which? Or is it really just a numbers game?
I find it amusing, however, that the Manila press has swallowed this yarn, hook, line and sinker.
Where in the world can you find a supposed breakaway faction announcing to all and sundry that it is doing just that—breaking away?
In a power struggle, one is not supposed to telegraph his plan or plot. What gives, man?
In the meantime, there has been a tug-of-war between the two camps for the votes of two members, both of whom have denied being with “the other camp.”
Everything now hinges on whether the election set for January 19 will have the number that it says it has.
If it has a quorum, then the supposed breakaway election set for February 2 won’t come to pass. Otherwise, we better be prepared for a long court battle that will become a numbers game.
Either way, everybody will be the loser. Particularly the reputation of Philippine chess and the support it needs from corporate Philippines.
That is what is at stake. The self-centered and self-promoting “kingmakers” within the federation should be condemned for their pettiness and myopic vision that might drive would-be patrons and sponsors away.
—0—
IT looks like the Antonio-Torre match will push through. If it reawakens public interest in the royal game, well and good. Both protagonists deserve our support.
It should not be the end in itself, however. It should be followed up by a series of matches or even a match-tournament between the young grandmasters and the older, more experienced ones.
Even Antonio himself admits that the most logical match should be between the two highest rated players—between himself and 14-year-old GM Wesley So.
This is also well and good. After all, chess development and promotion should focus more on the young rising stars than on the old fading ones, whose role should more and more involve instruction, not active competition.
The torch must be passed.
—0—
THE Weekender is an electronic newsletter that is being read by chess players not only here but also in Europe, America, the Middle East, and Australasia.
Except for one Sunday, December 23, 2007, when a virus shut it down, The Weekender has come out regularly since June 10, 2006.
The Weekender is meant to be the voice of chess players. Let your opinions be heard!
My thanks to Regin Raymund Dais for his editorial help.
Chess quote
“Chess is everything—art, science, and sport.”
—Anatoly Karpov
Chess quote
“Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.”
—Indian proverb
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