Here's The Weekender from Mr. Manny Benitez with a banner story on 2 Pinoy players bing banned for life. My guess is as good as yours guys but my gut-feel tells me I know who they are. Tsk tsk! I really hope am wrong, dead wrong. Anyways, hereis the Weekender:
The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 34
CLEANING UP PHILCHESS: NCFP lowers boom on game-fixing
Two leading players banned for life, says Pichay
THE National Chess Federation of the Philippines has lowered the boom on game-fixing by suspending “for life” all players caught cheating in tournaments.
Without naming names, NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr. has barred at least two leading players from all NCFP tournaments for alleged game-fixing at the Third Pichay Cup held early last month at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque City.
He said the two would never be allowed to sign up for any tournament organized or sanctioned by the national governing body of chess. NCFP represents the World Chess Federation in the country. Pichay is also the deputy president of the Asean Chess Confederation.
Meanwhile, Pichay and another NCFP leader, Rep. Matias Defensor of Quezon City, pledged to promote unity and harmony within the ranks of the local chess community. The two are opposing parties in a lawsuit initiated by lawyer Samuel Estimo with a Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
Pichay, a former congressman for the lone district of Surigao del Sur, made the revelation in a talk at the victory bash held last Wednesday in honor of the country’s newest grandmaster, Jayson Gonzales, 36, of Camarines Norte and Quezon City.
“I will suspend anybody, even a grandmaster, caught cheating,” he told his audience consisting mostly of players and patrons of the game.
“You cannot learn the game and improve your play by fixing games,” he stressed, adding that “you will improve only by playing against strong players in tournaments.”
On the positive side, Pichay emphasized that the NCFP under his stewardship would give local players greater opportunities to play against “strong grandmasters” from China, India, Vietnam and other Asian countries by organizing more and more international tournaments here.
He explained that this was more practical than sending local players to compete in tournaments abroad.
The chess czar said his ultimate goal is to enable Philippine chess to regain its past glory.
“We used to be No. 1 in Asia. In fact, in the seventies Filipino players went to China to help promote chess and beat all the players there. During the First President GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) Cup, Filipino players could not beat the Chinese,” Pichay said.
“But in the Second GMA Cup and Third Pichay Cup, they found out they could beat even the top Chinese players,” he recalled.
Pichay emphasized that other countries could never take away from the Philippines the honor of having produced Asia’s first international master (Rodolfo Tan Cardoso in 1957) and first grandmaster (Eugenio Torre in 1974).
He also pointed out that even the reigning world champion, Viswanathan Anand of India, “learned the fundamentals of chess as a child growing up in the Philippines” in the 1970s
Pichay and Defensor told The Weekender that they would work together to promote the game and produce “super grandmasters.” However, Defensor was later quoted as saying that “as a lawyer,” he would wait for the court’s decision on the legality of the NCFP board election.
Under Pichay’s presidency, the NCFP has produced three new grandmasters within four months—Darwin Laylo in the Asian Individual Championship held in Cebu last September, 14-year-old Wesley So in the Third Pichay Cup last month and Gonzales in the Asean Masters Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia this month.
“Play to become a super GM,” he told both Gonzales and Torre who, he said, will be sent to play throughout the Asean Masters Circuit along with Paragua and So (the latter two were not at Jayson’s party).
He, however, told Gonzales to leave his job as coach and trainer and concentrate instead on playing chess. As head coach, Gonzales has developed both the men’s and woman’s teams of his alma mater, Far Eastern University, to win the UAAP championships twice in a row, the UniGames in Bacolod City and the World Varsity Team Championship held recently in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the official website of the Aeroflot Open in Moscow has confirmed the participation of GM Paragua and IM Julio Catalino Sadorra in Section A2. It was not known why the name of GM-elect So was not included. Pichay had earlier mentioned Paragua and So as the country’s representatives there.
Before Pichay took over, the Philippines produced only six grandmasters in over 30 years—Torre in 1974, Rosendo Balinas Jr. in 1976, Rogelio Antonio Jr. in 1993, Buenaventura Villamayor in 2003, Nelson Mariano Jr. in 2004 and Mark Paragua in 2005.
Balinas died in 1998. This means that the Philippines today has eight active grandmasters, three of whom (Laylo, So and Gonzales) are still waiting for the official award of the title by the World Chess Federation, better known by the acronym Fide, taken from its former French name, Federation Internationale des Echecs.
Laylo and So have already attained the minimum Elo rating required, 2500, but Gonzales still has to play further to raise his current rating.
Pichay and Defensor, however, want the current crop to reach the status of super GMs by boosting their ratings to at least 2600 and strive to be one of the world’s top 100 players.
The minimum rating of the 100th player in Fide’s January 1 listing is 2627. Quite a tall order now for Filipino masters, most of whom are in the 2300s and a few in the 2400s.
All the top 10 players in the world have ratings above 2700. In fact there are now 24of them, led by world champion Anand and past champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. The two rivals are scheduled to clash for the throne in October in Bonn, Germany.
My thanks to reader John Manahan for the Aeroflot news item.
Filipino League in UAE holds its 1st open of the year
THE Filipino Chess Players League in the United Arab Emirates held its first open tournament last Friday at the Reef Mall in Dera, UAE, FCPL secretary general Emmanuel Marbella reports.
“This event is part of FCPL’s series and massive tournament drive which (is) aimed at presenting FCPL’s new lease of life and its commitment to deliver more and better services for this year!” according to an announcement of the tournament.
It was a seven-round Swiss tournament with each player given 15 minutes to finish the game.
The first prize was US$100 plus trophy, second was $50 and third $25. Consolation prizes were also awarded to those who finished in fourth to 10th places.
Francis Aldeguer and Willy Laceste served as tournament coordinators.
Members of the league get their copies of The Weekender from Marbella.
The Weekender hopes to publish the results of the February 1 rapid chess tournament in Dubai next Sunday.
CHESS IN THE GRASSROOTS
Baguio City to host non-masters joust
THE Second City Camp Proper Chess Championship takes place next weekend, February 9-10, in Baguio City.
Cash prizes totaling nearly P30,000 are at stake in the two-division tournament.
In the non-masters division, the champion will receive P10,000, first runner-up P5,000 and second runner-up P3,000, third runner-up P2,000 and fourth runner-up P1,000.
Those who finish in sixth to eighth will get P500 each.
The seven-round Swiss tournament is open to all untitled players, rated or unrated.
Time control is 45 minutes for the game to finish.
In the kiddies division, the champion will receive P1,500, the first runner-up P1,000 and second runner-up P800.
Those who finish in fourth to fifth places will get P500 each.
The top junior, top lady and top senior in the special categories will each receive P1,000.
Jun Laberino is organizing the event in close cooperation with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) of City Camp Proper, Brgy. Captain Aurora G. Abellera, SK chairman Fatima Dacumos and Committee Sports chairman Isabelito Angara.
The registration fee is P250 each for the non-masters’ division and P100 for the kiddies.
Interested parties may call up or text Jun Laberino at.0927-938-8861.
Baguio City has been the site of global chess events like the 1978 Karpov-Korchnoi title fight and the 1987 World Juniors where Viswanathan Anand won. —Marlon Bernardino
Pinero tops UPLB Rapid Chess Championship
ARNEL PINERO defeated Rodolfo Panopio in the seventh and final round to top the Fourth UPLB Rapid Chess Tournament held at the Student Union Bldg. of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, last Sunday.
Pinero received the first prize of P5,000 and a trophy. Tied for second to fourth places were Nathaniel Cruz of Sta. Rosa, former Philippine Christian University stalwart John Perseus Orozco and top Calamba player Ireneo Gonzales. They equally divided the total cash prizes amounting to P6,000.
Rounding off the top 10 were Panopio, Michael Concio, Raffy Oliveros, Philip Cadiao, Generoso Salmorion and Rico Belecina.
Adjudged category winners were Christian Nanola (top kiddie-male), Alexis Anne Osena (top kiddie-female), Mark Tanamor (top junior), Irene Rivera (top lady), and Wilfredo Bituin (top senior).
Organized by the UPLB Chess Club and Laguna Chess Association, the event attracted 89Laguna players.—Marlon Bernardino.
Be active! Join Frisco Chess Club tournament today
THERE will be fun galore today, Sunday, at the Barangay Damayan Hall in San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, courtesy of the Frisco Chess Club under its president, Xandit Pabillore.
The club is holding an active chess tournament—30 minutes per game per player—with P3,000 cash going to the champion, P2,000 to the first runner-up and P1,000 to the second runner-up. Each winner will also get a trophy.
Registration fee is only P150 each for adults or kiddies.
The Barangay Damayan Hall is located at the corner of H. Francisco and Zamora Streets in San Francisco del Monte.
For inquiries, interested parties may call up Mr. Pabillore at 376-5278 or 0927-2269286, or National Arbiter Alfredo Chay at 0919-4512384.
Next Sunday there will also be a tournament—the Councilor Janet “Babes” Malaya Cup—at the covered court at Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City under the auspices of the Bagong Silangan Chess Association.
The champion will receive P3,000, first runner-up P2,000 and second runner-up P1,000.The registration fee is only P100 each.
Yesterday a non-masters tournament was also held by the Barangay Don Bosco Chess Club on the fourth floor of Perez Bldg. on Doña Soledad corner Australia Street at Better Living Subdivision in Parañaque City.
REPRINTED FROM ‘TIME’ MAGAZINE
A great rival’s view of Bobby Fischer
By Garry Kasparov
IT is hard to say exactly when I first heard the name Bobby Fischer, but it was quite early in my life. When he was battling Boris Spassky for the world title in 1972, I was a 9-year-old club player in my native Baku in the Soviet Union. I followed the games avidly. The newspapers had extensive daily coverage of the match, although that waned as it became clear the Soviet champion was headed for defeat. Fischer's My 60 Memorable Games was one of my first chess books. (It had been translated into Russian and sold in the USSR with no respect for copyright or royalties, infuriating its author.)
As I improved during the 1970s, my coach, Alexander Nikitin, made charts to track my progress and to set goals for me. A rating above 2500 was grand master; 2600 meant membership in the Top 10; 2700 was world-champion territory. And even above that was Bobby Fischer, at the very top with 2785. I became world champion in 1985, but true to Nikitin's vision, I had an even loftier goal; it took me four full years to surpass Fischer's rating record.
It was Fischer's attitude on and off the board that infused his play with unrivaled power. Before Fischer, no one was ready to fight to the death in every game. No one was willing to work around the clock to push chess to a new level. But Fischer was, and he became the detonator of an avalanche of new chess ideas, a revolutionary whose revolution is still in progress.
At Fischer's peak, even his adversaries had to admire his game. At the hallowed Moscow Central Chess Club, top Soviet players gathered to analyze Fischer's crushing 1971 match defeat of one of their colleagues, Mark Taimanov. Someone suggested that Taimanov could have gained the upper hand with a queen move, to which David Bronstein, a world-championship challenger in 1951, replied: "Ah, but we don't know what Fischer would have done."
Not long afterward, the grim Soviet sports authorities dragged in Taimanov and his peers to discuss Taimanov's inability to defeat the American. How had he failed? Was he not a worthy representative of the state? Spassky finally spoke up: "When we all lose to Fischer, will we be interrogated here as well?"
By World War II, the once strong U.S. chess tradition had largely faded. There was little chess culture, few schools to nurture and train young talent. So for an American player to reach world-championship level in the 1950s required an obsessive degree of personal dedication. Fischer's triumph over the Soviet chess machine, culminating in his 1972 victory over Spassky in Reykjavík, Iceland, demanded even more.
Fischer declined to defend his title in 1975, and by forfeit, it passed back into the embrace of the Soviets, in the person of Anatoly Karpov. According to all accounts, Fischer had descended into isolation and anger after winning that final match game against Spassky. Fischer didn't play again until a brief and disturbing reappearance in 1992, after which his genius never again touched a piece in public. Having conquered the chess Olympus, he was unable to find a new target for his power and passion.
I am often asked if I ever met or played Bobby Fischer. The answer is no, I never had that opportunity. But even though he saw me as a member of the evil chess establishment that he felt had robbed and cheated him, I am sorry I never had a chance to thank him personally for what he did for our sport.
Much has already been written about Fischer's disappearance and apparent mental instability. Some are quick to place the blame on chess itself for his decline, which would be a foolish blunder. Pushing too hard in any endeavor brings great risk. I prefer to remember his global achievements instead of his inner tragedies. It is with justice that Fischer spent his final days in Iceland, the place of his greatest triumph. There he was always loved and seen in the best possible way: as a chess player.
Time’s footnote to this article: Kasparov, author of How Life Imitates Chess, was the world's top-ranked player from 1985 until he retired from the game in 2005.
The Weekender thanks journalist Ignacio Dee for this contribution.
CORUS SUPER STARS AND GAMES
Two teens shine in Wijk aan Zee
THIS year’s Corus Super Tournament, the prestigious privately organized global chess event, has been the most exciting since I first covered it for my weekly column via the Internet nearly two decades ago, when it was called the Hoogovens.
Corus Super 2008 in the world-renowned Dutch resort of Wijk aan Zee not only produced two teenaged champions, it also had the biggest number of brilliancies won by some of the world’s greatest players. I aim to reproduce such precious gems here.
The two prodigies are the world’s hottest sensations, the magnificent 17-year-old Norwegian champion, Magnus Carlsen, and the fabulous 15-year-old Italian champion, Fabiano Caruana.
Carlsen was Armenian superstar Levon Aronian’s co-champion in Group A and Caruana the solo champion in Group B.
If my memory serves me well, this was the first such tournament that saw the top favorite lose right in the opening round—reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand of India—to the world’s former top junior player, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan.
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the Net, Anand holds the record of having the longest winning streak—70 games! This was from 1998 to 2004. He is also the only one to have won the Corus title five times.
Corus, or Hoogovens as it was called before 1999 when the latter merged with British Steel to form the Corus multinational corporation, has also seen almost all world champions participate in its main event, or Group A.
Whether Corus will continue next year, nobody knows except the owners and executives of the Indian corporate giant, Tata Steel, which has just acquired the multinational firm (source: Wikipedia).
Here are the best games won in Corus Super 2008 by Carlsen and Caruana, who is also an American citizen, having been born in Miami, Florida.
V. Kramnik (2799) – M. Carlsen (2733)
Rd 12, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Symmetrical English, Double Fianchetto/Hedgehog (A30)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.g3 b6 4...Nc6 5.Bg2 would have equalized 5.Bg2² Bb7 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Rd1 a6 10.Ng5 10.b3 Nc6 11.Qe3 Qc7 could help Black Bxg2 Black has equalized 11.Kxg2 Nc6 12.Qf4 0-0 13.Nce4 Ne8 14.b3 Ra7 15.Bb2 Rd7 16.Rac1 Nc7 17.Nf3 f5 18.Nc3 g5 19.Qd2 19.Qe3!? may be tried, says Fritz g4! 20.Ne1 Bg5 21.e3 Rff7 22.Kg1 Ne8 23.Ne2 Nf6 24.Nf4 Qe8 25.Qc3 Rg7 26.b4 Ne4 27.Qb3 Rge7 28.Qa4 Not 28.f3 gxf3 29.Nxf3 Qa8, and Black equalizes Ne5 29.Qxa6 Fritz suggests 29.Bxe5, e.g., 29...dxe5 30.Nfd3, with equal chances Ra7 30.Qb5 Qxb5 31.cxb5 Rxa2 32.Rc8+ Kf7 33.Nfd3 Bf6 34.Nxe5+ dxe5 35.Rc2 Rea7 36.Kg2 Ng5 37.Rd6 e4 38.Bxf6 Kxf6 39.Kf1 Ra1 40.Ke2 Rb1 41.Rd1 Rxb4 42.Ng2 Rxb5 43.Nf4 Rc5 44.Rb2 b5 45.Kf1 Rac7 46.Rbb1 Rb7 47.Rb4 Rc4 48.Rb2 b4 49.Rdb1 Nf3 50.Kg2 Rd7 51.h3 e5 52.Ne2 Rd2! 53.hxg4 53.Rxd2 won’t improve anything fxg4 53...Rxb2! was more decisive: 54.Rxb2 Ne1+!, and wins 54.Rxd2 Nxd2 55.Rb2 Nf3 56.Kf1 b3! 57.Kg2 Rc2 The end: 58.Rxc2 bxc2. 0-1
F. Nijboer (2578) – F. Caruana (2598)
Rd 12, Corus C, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Sicilian Defense (B54)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 d6 6.Be2 b5 7.Bf3 If 7.a3 Bb7 Bb7 8.e5 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 d5 10.Qg3 Ne7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.f4 g6 13...Qc5 14.0-0-0 Nc6 15.Nce2 was the equalizing line 14.0-0-0 14.a4 would also let Black equalize, e.g., 14…b4 15.Nce2 Qc7! Nd7 Equalizing 15.h4 h5 16.f5 gxf5 17.Nxf5 Qc5 18.Nxd5 18.Nd6+ is worthy of consideration, says Fritz: 18...Bxd6 19.exd6! exd5 Better than 18...exf5 19.e6! fxe6 20.Qg6+ Kd8 21.Nf6!, and White surges ahead 19.e6! fxe6. 20.Qg6+ Kd8 21.Nd4 21.Qxe6 Rc8 22.c3 was playable Kc8 Missing the much stronger 21...Rh6! 22.Nxe6 Restoring the equilibrium Bh6+ 23.Kb1 Qc6 24.Qf5 Zeroing in on the isolani on d5 Ra7 25.Rxd5 Re8 26.Nc5 26.Nd4 would lead to equality: 26…Qf6 27.Qxh5 Bf8! The best 27.b4 Not 27.Nxd7 Rxd7 28.Rxd7 Qxd7 29.Qxh5 Qe6! Qf6 28.Qxh5 Rd8 29.Ne4 Qc6 30.a3 Rc7 31.Rc1 Kb8 32.Qd1 Not 32.Qf5 Be7 33.Ng5 Rf8! Rdc8 Missing 32...Re8!? 33.Qd3 Ne5! 33.Nd6 Nb6 34.Rd3 Bxd6 35.Rxd6 Qb7 36.c3? 36.Qf3 was best, says Fritz Nc4! 37.Rd4 Qxg2! 0-1
The only world champions who did not get to play in Wijk aan Zee, a coastal resort in the province of Northern Holland, were Vassily Smyslov of Russia and, of all people, James Robert Fischer, regarded as the greatest player in chess history.
After losing to Radjabov in the first round, Anand had to pull himself together and played cautiously for five rounds, drawing his games in succession before going for the kill.
First to fall victim to the world champ was Hungary’s wonder woman Judit Polgar, who lost despite playing White in the seventh.
World champion Veselin Topalov was next, losing with Black to the Indian wizard, just before the Bulgarian unleashed his secret weapon against his 2006 conqueror and successor, Russian megastar Vladmir Kramnik.
Anand then had two draws in a row, against Israeli superstar Boris Gelfand in the ninth and Hungarian prodigy Peter Leko in the 10th, before downing Carlsen with Black in the fateful 11th.
With his place among the leaders assured, Anand then coasted along for two draws in the final rounds to clinch the third prize.
Carlsen on the other hand recovered quickly from his loss to Anand and outplayed Kramnik with Black in the 12th round to bounce back to the joint lead after drawing his final game with another junior titan, Radjabov.
The Norwegian caught up with Aronian when the Armenian failed to make any headway and sued for peace against Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and Ms Polgar in the last two rounds.
Here is how Anand outplayed Carlsen:
M. Carlsen (2733) – V. Anand (2799)
Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (11), 25.01.2008
Sicilian Scheveningen (B85)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.a4 7.0-0 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 could favor Black 7...Nc6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Re8 12.Bf3 Rb8 13.Qd2 Bf8 14.Qf2 Bd7 15.g4 e5 Equalizing 16.Nf5 exf4 17.Bxf4 Be6 18.Rad1 Fritz notes the growing pressure on the d6 pawn Ne5 19.Bxe5 dxe5 20.g5 Nd7 21.Nd5 A classical outpost, says Fritz Qc6 22.Bg2 22.b3 b5 23.axb5 axb5 leads to equality Qc5 If 22...Rbc8 23.c3! 23.Qh4 23.Qxc5 Nxc5 24.a5 b5 could help Black Qxc2 Keeping the balance 24.Rc1 24.a5!? is worthy of consideration—Fritz Qxa4 25.b3 Qa5 Missing his best shot, 25...Qxb3!, e.g., 26.Rc3 Bxd5! 26.Rc3! g6 27.Rh3 If 27.Nfe3 Bc5! h5! 28.Bf3 Bxd5 Missing 28...Qb5!?, e.g., 29.Bg2 Qe2 30.Nh6+ Bxh6 31.gxh6 Kh7! 29.exd5! Bg7 30.Bxh5? A mistake. Best was 30.Nd6!? and White hangs on gxf5! Black is now way ahead 31.Bxf7+ Kxf7 32.g6+ Kg8 32...Kxg6+ could be tried 33.Qh7+? Another misstep. Best was 33.Rxf5 Qxd5+ 34.Rhf3 Qd1+ 35.Rf1 Qxf1+ 36.Rxf1, but Black would still be ahead Kf8 34.Rxf5+ Ke7 35.Qxg7+ Kd6 36.Rf7 Qxd5+ 37.Kg1 Rbd8 38.Rh7 Qd4+ 39.Kg2 Qg4+ 40.Kh1 Rg8 41.Rf6+ 41.Rxd7+ wouldn’t be of much help: 41...Qxd7 42.Qf6+ Qe6, and Black forges ahead Kc7 Fritz suggests 41...Kc5! as the most decisive: 42.Qe7+ Kb5 43.Rh4 Qd1+ 44.Kg2 Qe2+ 45.Kg1 Qe1+! 42.Qe7 Qe4+! The lethal blow and White resigns: 43.Kg1 Rxg6+ 44.Rxg6 Qxg6+ 45.Kf2 Kc8! 0-1
As analyzed by Fritz, Anand had a close call in this game and could have lost had his opponent, who is about half his age, found the right continuation on at least two occasions in the mid-game hostilities.
Even the diagram itself shows that Carlsen fought hard and well to try to upset the world champion, but still lacked the experience to be a real threat.
It will be recalled that the Norwegian sensation, then not yet 16, finished second also to Anand in the Morelia (Mexico)-Linares (Spain) Super GM Tournament in February and March last year.
Here’s another gem of a game, a crisp win by Topalov as White against Gelfand in the fifth round.
V. Topalov (2780) – B. Gelfand (2737)
Rd 5, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Petroff Defense (C42)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bg4 10.Re1 0-0 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 cxd6 13.Re3 Qd7 14.h3 Bh5 15.Qd2 Rae8 16.Nh4 Rxe3 17.Qxe3 Not 17.fxe3 Ne7, and Black equalizes Qe6 17...Bg6 18.Nxg6 fxg6 19.Re1 favors White 18.Nf5 White gets a clear advantage Rd8 19.Qg5 19.Re1 Qxe3 20.Nxe3 Ne7 gives White the edge Bg6 The best 20.Ne3 Be4 21.Re1 h6 22.Qh4 Qg6 23.Be2 Bxc2 Not 23...Re8 24.Bg4 Rf8 25.f3 Bxc2 26.Bd7! 24.Bh5 Better than 24.Nxc2 Qxc2 25.Qg3 Re8! Qe4 25.Qg3 Bd3 26.f3 Qe7?? The losing moment. 26...Qh7 was the saving resource. 27.Ng4! Qg5 28.f4! 1-0
China’s youngest woman grandmaster (WGM), 13-year-old Hou Yifan, did not win any prize in Group B, but she had the distinction of beating GM Nigel Short, England’s foremost prodigy who finished second to Garry Kasparov in the World Junior Championship.
Hou did it in a sparkling minigem with White, forcing the British icon to surrender on the 23rd turn of a Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense variation.
It was only in Group B that experience prevailed over youth in that the top three were all veteran campaigners, namely, GMs Sergei Movsesian of Slovakia, 29, Nigel Short of England, 42, and Etienne Bacrot of France, who turned 25 on January 22.
Bacrot was the one who eliminated Filipino GM Darwin Laylo from the World Cup finals last November. He has been a grandmaster since March 1997—at the age of 14 years and two months!
Short is England’s foremost prodigy, having beaten then-Soviet GM Viktor Korchnoi at the age of 11 when the visiting superstar held a simultaneous exhibition in London.
He also won the silver in the same World Juniors where Garry Kasparov emerged the champion.
Hou, the youngest in the group, finished in a tie for seventh to 10th and landed the ninth berth on tiebreaks.
Hou Yifan (2527) – N. Short (2645)
Rd 3, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense (C67)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.Qe2 Nd6 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.dxe5 Nb7 9.c4 0-0 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Rd1 Bf8 12.Bg5 f6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3 d6 15.Ne4 Bg4 15...fxe5 and Black can hope to live, says Fritz: 16.Nfxg5 h6 16.exf6 White spurts ahead Bh5 16...Qd7 favors White, e.g., 17.Qd3 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 17.Qe3 Better was 17.Qd3!? Bg6 18.Nfxg5 and White is way ahead Bh6 18.Ne5 Rxe5 19.Bxe5 Bxd1 20.Rxd1 Qe8 21.Bc3 Nd8 Fritz suggests 21...Qg6 22.f7+! Qxf7 If 22...Nxf7+ 23.Nf6 23.Nf6+! It’s all over: if 23…Kf8 24.Re1! 1-0
Young Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov, who later figured in a handshake row with Short, also shone in Group B with a sparkling gem of a game.
I. Cheparinov (2713) – I. Nepomniachtchi (2600) [D43]
Corus B Wijk aan Zee NED (4), 15.01.2008
Semi-Slav (D43)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Ne5 Bb4 Fritz suggests 9...Bg7! 10.Be2 10.Qf3!? is worth looking at for a drawing position, says Fritz Nxe4 11.0-0 Bxc3 Not the dubious 11...Nxc3, e.g., 12.bxc3 Bxc3 13.Nxf7 Kxf7 14.Bh5+ Kg8 15.Qf3! 12.bxc3 Nxc3 13.Qc2 Nxe2+ Stronger than 13...Qxd4 14.Rfd1 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2, when White would have the edge 14.Qxe2 h5 Not 14...Qxd4 15.Rad1 Qc5 16.Qf3 and White would have a clear advantage 15.f4 f5 16.fxg5 Qxg5 16...h4!? may be tried, e.g., 17.Be1 Qxg5! 17.Rae1 h4 18.Nf3 Qg4 19.Qe5 0-0?! 20.Nxh4 Rf7 20...Qg7!? is better: 21.Qe3 Qf6!, with even chances 21.Qd6 White now is clearly ahead Nd7 Fritz suggests 21...Bd7!, and White has the edge 22.Rxe6 White surges ahead Nf8 23.Re8 c3 24.Ng6 24.Be5 keeps an even firmer grip, says Fritz: 24...Qg5 25.Nf3, and White is way ahead Be6? 24...Bb7 is a bit better but it still gives White the lead: 25.Rxa8 Bxa8 26.Ne5 25.Ne7+ 25.Rxa8 might be more decisive, e.g., 25...Qxg6 26.Re1! Rxe7 26.Rxa8 Qg5? 27.Qd8 Qg7 28.Be5 Qf7 29.Bd6! The clincher, and Black resigns. 1-0
Group B champ Movsesian is actually an Armenian who lives in Slovakia and plays under the Slovakian flag.
Here is his best effort in Wijk aan Zee:
S. Movsesian (2677) – M. Krasenkow (2636)
Rd 3, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Giuoco Piano (C54)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Bb6 7.Bb3 Ne7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nc4 Be6 10.Bg5 Ng6 11.Nh4 Qd7 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Qh5 Kh8 Not 13...Nf4 because of 14.Qh6! 14.Ne3 Rg8 15.Kh1 Nxh4 16.Qxh4 Rg6 17.Rad1 Rag8 18.d4 Qe7 19.Rd2 c6 20.Bc2 Qf8 21.f4 Rh6 22.Qf2 a6 23.a4 exf4 24.Qxf4 Ba7 25.d5 Bd7 26.Nf5 Bxf5 27.exf5 Qg7 28.Be4 Re8 29.dxc6 Bb8 30.c7 Bxc7 31.Bxb7 Bb8 32.Bd5 Rh5 33.Rd3 Re5 34.Re3 Rg5 35.Rxe5 fxe5 36.Qb4 Qf8 37.f6 Ba7 38.Qb7 Be3 39.Bxf7 39.Qe7 was more decisive: Re4 40.Qe7 Qa8 41.Bd5! Black resigns. 1-0
Two-time world title challenger Viktor Korchnoi of Switzerland led in the first half of the six-round honorary section of four senior players.
But the former Soviet veteran faded away in the last two rounds, losing with White to Ljubomir Ljubomivic, 58, of Serbia in the fifth and with Black to former Dutch champion Jan Timman, 57, in the sixth.
In the end, Ljubojevic won the event with 4.0 points from three wins, two draws and one loss, while Timman and Korchnoi tied for second to third with 3.0 each from two wins, two draws and two losses.
Hungary’s 70-year-old Lajos Portisch, the co-champion of Filipino GM Eugene Torre in the 1982 Interzonal in Toluca, Mexico, occupied the last post with 2.0 from one win, two draws and two losses.
Korchnoi, who will be 77 on March 23, is the oldest grandmaster still active on the international circuit. He was holding his own well enough against Ljubojevic when he made a big blunder in the endgame.
V. Korchnoi (2605) – L. Ljubojevic (2543)
Rd 5, Corus Seniors, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Semi-Slav, Meran System (D48)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0–0 a6 10.a4 Be7 10...b4 11.Ne4 should equalize 11.e4 b4 12.e5 bxc3 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.bxc3 c5 15.Rb1 Qc8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.dxc5 0–0 19.Nd2 Ra7 20.Qh5 Rd8 21.Qe2 Qxc5 22.Ne4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxc3 Fritz suggests 23...g6! 24.Qh7 White forges ahead Kf8 25.Bxa6 Ke7 25...Rxa6 leads to mate in 13 moves, Fritz warns: 26.Rb7 Rd7 27.Rxd7 Ke8 28.Rb7 Qc5 29.Qg8+ Qf8 30.Rb8+ Bd8 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Qxf8+ Kc7 33.Qe7+ Kc6 34.Rc1+ Kd5 35.Qc5+ Ke4 36.f3+ Kd3 37.Qc3+ Ke2 38.Re1#! 26.Rbc1 Qa5 26...Qd2!? eould have given Black the lead: 27.Qe4 Qd4 28.Qxd4 Bxd4! 27.Bb5 “The threat is graver than the execution Rc7 28.Rcd1 Rc5 29.Qe4 Rdd5 29...Rf5 would have restored equality: 30.Rxd8 Qxd8 31.Be2 30.g3 h5 31.Rd3 31.Rxd5 Rxd5 32.Rb1 Kf8 benefits Black Rxd3 32.Qxd3 Be5 32...Kf8 would have restored the balance: 33.Qd6+ Be7 34.Qd7 33.Qd7+ Kf6 34.Rd1 Qa8 35.h4 g6 36.Qd8+ Qxd8 37.Rxd8 Rc3 38.Rd7 Bc7 39.Kf1 Rc2 40.Bd3 Rc3 41.Ke2 Bb6 42.Rd6 Rb3 43.Bc2 Rb2 44.Rc6 Ke7 45.f3 Kd7 46.Rc3 f5 47.f4 e5 48.fxe5 Bd4 49.Rb3?? The losing moment. 49.Rc4 would have saved the game 49...Bxe5 50.Kf3 Rxc2+! 49...Rxc2+ 50.Kd3 Rb2 51.e6+ Kxe6 52.Rxb2 Bxb2. 0–1
Ljubojevic played the above game with great self-confidence because he had just won a very complicated and sharp game with Black against Timman. Here is what could be the most exciting game of the entire event.
J. Timman (2561) – L. Ljubojevic (2543)
Corus Seniors, Wijk aan Zee 2008
Semi-Slav (D43)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0–0 Nbd7 Black is behind in development, Fritz comments 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxf7?! Dubious. Fritz suggests 12.b3 to keep the balance Kxf7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Ne4 Ke7 15.Nd6 Qb6 16.Bg4 Raf8 17.Qc2 Rhg8 Better than 17...Qxd4 18.Qg6 Qxg4 19.Qxg7+ Kd8 20.Nxb7+ Kc8 21.Nd6+ Kc7 22.Rad1 18.a4? If 18.Rad1 a6! Ba8 18...Qxd4 is more exact: 19.Bh5 Bxe5 20.Bxe5 Nxe5, and Black is ahead 19.Rfe1? Nc7?? A blunder, handing over the advantage to White 19...Qxd4 might be quicker: 20.Re4 Nb4!, and Black surges on 20.d5? 20.Bh5 is best cxd5 21.axb5 a5 21...Qd4 makes it even easier for Black, e.g., 22.b6 Qxb6!, and Black is winning 22.b3? cxb3 23.Qh7 23.Qd2 Nxb5 24.Nxb5 Qxb5 25.Rxa5 Qb6 also helps Black d4 23...Nxb5!? keeps an even firmer grip, Fritz notes: 24.Bh5 Nxd6 25.exd6+ Kd8 26.Bf7 Bxa1! 24.Bh5 Nxb5 25.Nf7 b2 Not 25...Rxf7 because of 26.Qxg8!. attacking both the rook on f7 and the bishop on a8 26.Rab1 Nc3 26...Rxf7?? would be a horrible blunder, e.g., 27.Qxg8 Rf8 28.Qxg7+ Kd8 29.Rxb2!, and White has a winning advantage 27.Nxh6 Rh8 More decisive was 27...Nxb1 28.Nxg8+ Kd8 29.Qxb1 Rxg8!, and Black wins 28.Qxg7+ Kd8 29.Nf7+ Kc7 30.Nxh8? Yet another error. Best was 30.Rxb2 Qxb2 31.Nxh8 Nxb1 31.Ng6 Rd8 32.h4 Not 32.Rxb1?? Qc6 33.f3 Qc1+ 34.Be1 Qxb1! Nd2 33.hxg5 b1=Q 34.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 35.Kh2 Nf1+ 36.Kh3 Ne3! A clearance sacrifice for the queen to penetrate White’s defenses. 37.fxe3 Qh1+! 38.Kg4 Qxg2 Better was 38...Bxg2! 39.Nh4 Bh3+ 40.Kf4 Qg1! 39.Qf7 dxe3 Also playable was 39...d3 40.Qf2 d2 41.Qxg2 Bxg2 40.Nh4 Qe4+ 41.Qf4 a4 42.Bf7 Nc5! White quits as Black controls everything. 0–1
Thus ended what could be the most exciting Corus Super Tournament ever. Will Tata Steel continue this very entertaining chess event?
2008 ASEAN MASTERS CIRCUIT
Macmac on a comeback
ONE good thing that the inaugural Asean Masters Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia has brought about is the big boost it gave to Mark Paragua’s comeback bid to his former lofty status as the country’s first super grandmaster.
Paragua not only topped Group B in Tarakan, he also produced sparkling gems and finished the event unscathed.
But of course the best thing that came out of Tarakan was the emergence of Jayson Gonzales as the country’s ninth grandmaster (these include the late Rosendo Balinas Jr.), since Eugenio Torre, then 20, became the first Asian to capture the coveted but elusive title.
Tarakan also produced an international master’s result for Rolando Nolte, who needs only one more to take the title.
Although Christy Lamiel Bernales weakened in the closing rounds, she also came out as one of the country’s most outstanding female warriors, one who is not awed by the title or reputation of any foe.
All that the 14-year-old girl from Nueva Ecija and Quezon City needs is a little more seasoning and she can easily take the place of WIM Arianne Caoili, who has moved on to greener pastures in the homeland of her mother Down Under.
This early, The Weekender would like to nominate Christy Lamiel as a member of the national women’s team bound for the 38th World Olympiad in the picturesque and historically and culturally rich German city of Dresden in November.
The following game that she won in Tarakan shows why she deserves to be on the team.
C.L. Bernales (1933) – V. Chan Wei Yi (1876)
Rd 2, Closed Sicilian (B23)
1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.Ne2 e6 7...a6 8.Bd3 would have equalized 8.0–0 Not 8.c3 a6 9.Qa4 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qh3 and Black equalizes Qb6 9.Bd3 Ne7 10.Kh1 d5 11.e5 0–0 12.b3 f6 13.Ba3 Not 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Qe1 Bd7m and Black restores the balance Rf7 14.Qe1 14.c3 dxc3 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.dxc3 Bd7 also equalizes Nc6 Not 14...fxe5 15.fxe5 Rxf1+ 16.Qxf1!, and White soars 15.Qh4 fxe5 16.fxe5 Nxe5 17.Rxf7 Nxf7 17...Kxf7?? would be a horrible blunder: 18.Qe7+ Kg8 19.Qe8+ Bf8 20.Qxf8#! 18.Rf1 e5?? 18...Ne5 was the saving resource 19.Rxf7! Leaving no more doubts, says Fritz. 19...Be6 Of course not 19...Kxf7 because of 20.Qe7+! Kg8 21.Qe8+ Bf8 22.Qxf8#! 20.Re7 20.Rxg7+ seems even better: 20...Kxg7 21.Qe7+ Bf7 22.Qxe5+ Qf6! e4? 21.Nf4 Bf7 22.Rxf7! Kxf7 23.Qe7+ 23.Nxd5 was the most precise, e.g., 23...exd3 24.Qe7+ Kg8 25.Nxb6 axb6 26.Qxb7! Kg8 24.Ne6 Bh6 25.Bc5 Better was 25.g4 Qa5 26.Bb4 exd3 27.Bxa5!, and wins Qc6 26.Nd8 Qxc5 27.Qxc5 Rxd8 28.Be2 Bxd2 29.Qxd4 Bh6 30.Qxa7 Rd7 31.Qc5 Rd8 32.Qc7 Bg5 33.Qxb7 Bf6 34.a4 Bd4 35.a5 Be5 36.a6 36.Qe7 was more precise: 36...Bc7 37.Qxc7! Bb8 37.b4 e3 38.b5 38.Qe7! was the most decisive 38...Rf8 39.Bf3 Rxf3 40.gxf3!, and wins d4 39.Qe7 39.Bc4+ also led to mate: 39…Kh8 40.Qe7 h5 41.Qxd8+ Kh7 42.Qg8+ Kh6 43.Bd3 Kg5 44.Qxg6+ Kh4 45.g3+ Bxg3 46.Qxg3#! Rd6 40.Bc4+! Black resigns to avoid a mate in three: 40.Bc4+ Re6 41.Bxe6+ Kh8 42.Qf8#! 1–0
Most of GM Paragua’s games showed his strategic and tactical prowess. Here is one shining example of a game he won with Black against an Indonesian player.
Sugent Praytino (2312) – M. Paragua (2521)
Rd 6, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Ragozin Defense (D39)
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.e4 c5 6...Nxe4 7.Bxd8 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxd4 Nc6 9...Qxd4 10.Nxd4 Ke7 11.a3 would have equalized 10.Qxf6 gxf6 11.Rc1 Ke7 12.0–0 Rd8 13.a3 Bd6 14.g3 Bd7 15.Nb5 Be5 16.Rc2 a6 17.Nc3 17.Nxe5? fails because of 17...Nxe5 18.Nc7 Rac8, and Black surges ahead Nd4 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Ne2 Ba7! Getting out of reach by the enemy while keeping an eye on f2. 20.Kg2 Ba4 21.b3 Bc6 22.f3 Rd6 23.b4 23.Rc3 gives Black a chance to restore equality Ba4 24.Rb2 Rc8 25.Ba2 25.Bb3!? Bxb3 26.Rxb3 should give White a big advantage Rd3! 26.Rc1 Rxc1 27.Nxc1 Rxa3 28.Bb3 Be3 29.Bxa4 Bxc1 30.Rc2 Rxa4 31.Rxc1 Rxb4 32.Rc7+ White resigns as he realizes he is way behind in material. 0–1
From his games, in which he sometimes lost to lower-rated and -titled players, I believe that my good friend Jayson was not exactly in top form when he achieved his third and final GM result in the remote Indonesian city of Tarakan last month.
Indeed he could not even hold his countryman, GM Paragua, to a draw with White when they met in the fourth round (see page 2 of extra edition of January 13).
One of his finest efforts—and in his career there have been numerous instances of such flashes of brilliance—in the Asean Masters is his win with White against a fellow IM from Indonesia in the sixth round.
What impressed me most was the unexpected ending with a queen-sacrifice similar in many ways to Bobby Fischer’s style of making unexpected moves.
J. Gonzales (2455) – S. Sitanggang (2410)
Rd 6, King’s Indian, Classical (E91)
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 Secures e5 3.d4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 0-0 6.Be2 Na6 7.0-0 e5 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.dxe5 h6 11.Bc1 dxe5 12.h3 Nf6 13.Be3 b6 14.Nd2 Bb7 15.Qb1 c6 16.b4 Nc7 16...Nd7 17.Nf3 would benefit White 17.c5 White now has the edge b5 18.a4 a6 19.Nb3 Ne6 20.Rd1 Qb8 21.Ra2 Rd8 22.Rad2 Rxd2 23.Rxd2 Qc7 24.Bf3 Re8 25.Be2 25.Na5 Bc8 favors Black Nf4 If 25...Ra8 26.Qc2 26.Bf1 Bf8 27.f3 Rb8 28.Qa1 N6h5 29.Kh2 Bc8 30.axb5 axb5 31.Qd1 If 31.Ra2 Ne6! Be6 31...Ra8 32.g3 Ne6 33.Bg2 would have equalized 32.Na5 Not 32.g3 Bxb3 33.Qxb3 Ne6 Nf6 33.g3 N4h5 34.Be2 Qc8 34...Ne8 35.Qc1 would have restored the balance 35.Bf1 Kh7 35...Qc7 36.Ne2 equalizes 36.Ne2 Ng7 37.Bg2 Qe8 Fritz wants 37...Ra8! examined closely 38.f4 Bc4 38...Ra8 39.fxe5 Nd7 40.Nxc6 Nxc5 41.Ned4 gives White a clear advantage 39.Nc3 39.fxe5 was stronger, e.g., 39…Bxe2 40.Qxe2! and White surges on Ngh5 40.f5 Qc8 41.Qf3 Qc7 41...Be7 42.Rb2 gives White the edge 42.h4 Fritz prefers 42.fxg6+!, e.g., 42…fxg6 43.g4! Be7 43.Bh3 Rg8? Fritz suggests 43...Ng7! 44.fxg6+ 44.Nxc4 was stronger, e.g., 44…g5 45.hxg5 hxg5 46.Nxe5 Qxe5, and White surges ahead fxg6? 44...Rxg6 was better: 45.Nxc4 Rxg3 46.Qf5+ Kg7 47.Bxh6+ Kxh6 48.Nxe5 Rxc3 45.g4 Rf8 46.gxh5 Nxh5 47.Qxf8! A surprise shot that instantly wins the game, and Black resigns: 47…Bxf8? 48.Rd7+! , and White would have a piece advantage. 1-0
Nolte’s best effort was his win with Black against Indonesia’s veteran GM Ardiyansah, the same player that GM Paragua had also beaten.
H. Ardiyansah (2409) – R. Nolte (2412)
Rd 9, Sicilian Scheveningen (B84)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0–0 Qc7 8.Be3 b5 9.a3 Bb7 Black is behind in development, Fritz notes 10.f3 Be7 11.Qe1 0–0 12.Rd1 If 12.Qg3 Nbd7 Nbd7 13.Qf2 Rac8 14.Rd2 Ne5 15.Rfd1 Nc4 16.Bxc4 Qxc4 17.Nb3 Qc7 18.Ne2 d5 19.exd5 Nxd5 Better than 19...exd5 20.Bf4 Qd7 21.Ng3! 20.Kh1 h6 21.c3 Nxe3 22.Qxe3 Bd5 23.Nbd4 Bg5 24.f4 Bf6 25.Ng3 g6 26.Nf3 Bg7 27.Ne5 Better than 27.Rxd5 exd5 28.Rxd5 Rcd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8 Rfd8 28.Re1 h5 28...Bc4 29.Ne4 would have equalized 29.h3 Not 29.Ne2 Qe7, and Black equalizes Bb7 30.Ree2 Rxd2 31.Rxd2 Rd8 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8 33.Qe2 33.Qd4!? is worth looking at, says Fritz: 33...Qxd4 34.cxd4! Qh4! White resigns: 34.Qf2 Bxe5 35.fxe5 Qxh3+ 36.Kg1 Qg4! 0–1
Nolte capped his performance in Tarakan with a win against IM Sitanggang in the final round.
S. Sitanggang (2410) – R. Nolte (2412)
Rd 11, King’s Indian, Smyslov System (E61)
1.c4 Ng8 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 0–0 5.e3 c6 6.d4 d6 7.Ne2 Nd7 8.0–0 e5 9.b3 Re8 10.h3 h6 11.Qc2 exd4 12.Nxd4 Nc5 13.Bb2 Qe7 14.Rd1 a5 15.a3 Bd7 16.Kh2 h5 17.b4 axb4 18.axb4 Ne4 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 20.Ra1 d5 21.c5 Be5 22.Kg1 Bg7 23.Re1 23.Nf3 Nxg3 24.Rxa8 Rxa8 25.Bxg7 Nxf1 gives Black a chance to equalize Ng5 23...b6 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Qc3 should equalize 24.h4 Restoring the balance Nh7 If 24...Ne4 25.Nf3, with equality 25.Nb3 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Ra1 Rxa1+ 27.Bxa1 Nf6 leads to equality Bf5 26.Qd2 Nf6 27.Bd4 Be4 28.Rxa8 Rxa8 29.Bh3 Ng4 30.Bxg4 hxg4 Black seizes the initiative 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.Qd1 32.Qb2+ f6 33.Nd2 Rh8 34.Nxe4 Qxe4 equalizes Bf3! 33.Qd4+ f6 34.Qf4 g5 35.Qf5 35.Qd6!? is an interesting idea: 35...Qxd6 36.cxd6! gxh4 36.Nd4 hxg3 37.fxg3 Qe5! White resigns in the face of a mating threat: 38.Qf4 Qxf4 39.exf4 Be4! 0–1
SPARKLING SHOWDOWN ON ‘THE ROCK’
Nakamura mates Bu in GibTel playoff
FORMER United States champion Hikaru Nakamura checkmated Chinese superstar Bu Xiangzhi in their second playoff game to win the star-studded GibTel Open held
in the British-occupied island fortress of Gibraltar from January 22 to 31.
The two rivals finished the nine-round, star-studded Swiss tournament with 8.0 points each, necessitating the best-of-three playoff that Nakamura won 2-0.
Seven other grandmasters who finished half a point behind shared the third to ninth prizes of the cash-rich open sponsored by Gibraltar Telecom. It attracted 203 players from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
The seven runners-up were Alexander Areschenko of Ukraine, Viktor Bologan of Moldova, Zahar Efemenko of Ukraine, G.N. Gopal of India, Mikhail Gurevich of Turkey, and Ni Hua and Wang Hao of China.
GM Varushan Akobian took the 10th slot. He heads the next batch of 10 grandmasters with 7.0 each. At the bottom of the 10 is China’s No.1 player, Wang Yue.
Gibraltar, popularly known as “The Rock,” stands guard off the Spanish coast over the narrow isthmus that connects the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea.
Nakamura, 20, who captured the US crown at the age of 17, needed only two games to win the playoff, 2-0.
Bu, 22, held the record as the world’s youngest grandmaster in 1999 at the age of 13 years, 10 months and 13 days.
Bu Xiangzhi (2691) – H. Nakamura (2670)
Rd 2, Playoff, 6th GibTel Masters, Gibraltar ’08
Queen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation (D36)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Qc2 Nf6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Nc3 Be7 8.e3 0-0 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0-0 Nf8 11.Rae1 Ne4 12.Bxe7 Not 12.Nxe4? dxe4 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe4 Qxe4 15.Qxe4 Rxe4, and Black is way ahead Qxe7 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Nd2 f5 15.f3 exf3 16.Nxf3 Be6 17.e4 fxe4 18.Rxe4 Rad8 19.Rfe1 Qf6 20.Re5 Ng6 21.Ne4 Qf8 22.Neg5 Bf7? 22...Bd5 was best: 23.Re6 Bxf3 24.Nxf3 Rxe6 25.Rxe6, and the game is level 23.Nxf7 Fritz suggests 23.Qe4!, and White leads Qxf7 24.Ng5 Rxe5 25.Nxf7 Instead of 25.dxe5 Qxa2 26.Qe2 Qa5! Rxe1+ 26.Kf2 Rde8 27.Ne5 Cutting off the rooks from each other Nxe5 28.Kxe1 Nf3+ 29.Kf2 Nxd4 30.Qa4 Rf8+ 31.Ke3 Nf5+ 32.Ke4 a6 33.Ke5 33.Qd1! would have wrested the lead Ne3 Restoring the balance 34.Kd6 Nd5 Better than 34...Nxg2 35.Qb3+ Rf7 36.Qh3!, when White gets the edge 35.Qe4 g6 36.g4 g5 37.Qe6+ Kg7 38.Kc5 h6 39.a3 Rf7 40.b4 Re7 41.Qc8 Rc7 42.Qd8 Rf7 43.Qd6 Re7 43...Kh7!? should be investigated more closely for equality, says Fritz 44.a4 Rf7 45.Qe5+ Kh7 Not 45...Rf6 46.b5 Nf4 47.Kc4 axb5+ 48.axb5! 46.h4 Best was 46.b5!?, e.g., 46…axb5 47.axb5, and White has the edge gxh4 Restoring the balance 47.Qh5 Kg7 The equalizing 47...Rg7! is a viable option, says Fritz 48.g5! White seizes the initiative hxg5 49.Qxg5+ Kf8 50.Qxh4 Ke8 51.Qh8+ Possibly better was 51.b5 axb5 52.axb5 Kd7 53.Qg4+ Kc7 54.b6+ Kd8 55.Qg5+, with a clear advantage Kd7 52.a5 52.b5 Rf5 may be better for White Ke6 Fritz suggests 52...Rf4, with equal chances 53.Qe8+ Re7 54.Qg6+ Nf6 55.Kb6 Rd7 56.Ka7 Re7 57.Kb8 Rd7 58.Kc8 Re7 59.Qh6 Kf7 60.Qf4 Ke6 61.Qe3+ Kf7 62.Qh6 Ke6 63.Qg6 Rf7 64.Qd3 Re7 65.Qh3+ Kf7 66.Kd8 Re8+ Fritz prefers 66...Re4! 67.Kc7 Re7+ 68.Kd6?? Simply horrible! A self-mate, overlooking what Fritz describes as “an easy win” via:68.Kb6! Can you see the mate? Ne4#! 0-1
I wonder whether Bu will ever get over this horrendous mistake, made under time pressure.
Stevic wins Croatian national crown, Zelcic second
GRANDMASTER Hrvoje Stevic has captured the Croatian National Championshiop, leading a field of 15 finalists, all of them virtually unknown internationally.
Stevic (2531) garnered 8.0 points from 14 games for a performance rating of 2663, while his first runner-up, GM Robert Zelcic (2587), finished a full point behind the champion.
The two were followed by four others who tied for third to sixth places with 6.5 points apiece. They were GMs Bojan Kurajica (2556), Kronuslav Hulak (2552), Alojsije Jankovic (2541), and Zoran Jovanovic (2521).
Most of them—11 in all—are full-fledged grandmasters. The 14-round, all-play-all tournament was held from January 16 to 29 in the city of Split.
PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY
Macmac & Wesley tandem
ONE very good move that chess czar Butch Pichay has made is to let Grandmasters Mark Paragua and Wesley So to compete in next month’s Areflot Open, one of the most prestigious events in Moscow.
There is no doubt that these two outstanding prodigies are the best of the current crop of young players and both need greater exposure abroad. The only way for the Philippines to catch up with its more powerful neighbors like China and India is to let its best players gain international experience.
The Weekender stands four-square behind Pichay’s two-pronged plan: firstly, hosting international open tournaments in Manila in order to give local players a chance to compete with strong rivals from overseas, and, secondly, sending the best and brightest of the lot abroad.
For both courses of action to be effective, however, exposure to foreign competition must be backed up by intensive training here. This is where, as proposed by Bobby Ang in his column last week, a training school for local players must be established.
In any event, both Paragua and So are the best choices. Both have performed well in recent events, locally and internationally. Both are very talented and well-grounded in theory. And both are certainly capable of raising their ratings further so as to be on a par with their foreign rivals.
Let their games, both played in the inaugural Asean Masters Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia, speak on their behalf—Paragua vs an Indonesian GM and So vs an Indonesian IM..
M. Paragua (2521) – H. Ardiyansah (2409)
Rd 8, Asean Masters, Tarakan.2008
Sicilian Taimanov (B49)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qc7 4...d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Be3 could favor Black 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0-0 a6 8.Be3 Bb4 Black is behind in development, Fritz notes. 9.Na4 Rb8 9...0-0 10.Bd3 would have equalized 10.c4 Not 10.a3 Be7 11.Nc3 0-0! Bd6 Fritz suggests 10...Nxe4, e.g., 11.Nc2 Be7, with equal chances 11.f4 Nxe4 12.Bf3 Nf6? 12...Bxf4!? may be tried, e.g., 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Nxc6 bxc6! 13.Nf5 exf5 14.Bb6 Qxb6+ 15.Nxb6 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Bxb6 17.Re1+ 17.Qd6 Kd8 was playable Kd8 18.b4 Bc7 19.b5 Na5? Weak. Better but inadequate was19...axb5 20.cxb5 Re8 21.bxc6 bxc6 22.Rxe8+ Kxe8 23.Qe2+! 20.b6! Decisive. Black may resign now. 20...Bxb6 Mere momentum as this deflects his guard d6 21.Qd6! Black surrenders facing a ferocious attack: 21…Ba7 22.Qe7+ Kc7 23.Qe5+ d6 24.Qxa5+ Bb6 25.Re7+ Bd7 26.Qxf5! 1-0
Wesley So (2526) – Nasib Ginting (2393)
Rd. 8, Asean Masters, Tarakan.2008
Sicilian Richter-Rauzer (B65)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 0–0 10.f4 Qa5 11.h4 Not 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 b5! Rd8 12.Qe3 h6 13.Be2! White’s bishop on g5 seems en prise, but it cannot be taken..Bd7 13...hxg5? would be a blunder: 14.hxg5 Nh715.Qh3!, and mate cannot be stopped 14.Qg3 Kh8 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Ng8 17.Qf4 Be8 18.Bd3 f6 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.g4 e5 22.Qf1 Bc6 23.g5 Ng8 24.Rg1 e4 25.gxh6 Nxh6 26.Qg2 Nf5 27.Bxe4 Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 Ne3 29.Qg6 Bxe4 30.Nxe4 Rc8 31.c3 Nxd1 32.Ng5 Rxc3+ 33.Kb1 Rc1+ 34.Kxc1 Qc5+ 35.Kb1 Nc3+ 36.bxc3 Qb5+ 37.Ka1 1–0
MY FAVORITES
Fischer’s iron will to win
WHAT distinguished Robert James Fischer from the other players of his time was his total dedication to chess, backed by his indomitable will power and ability to concentrate on his game to the exclusion of almost everything else.
This trait of his showed in the scores he obtained from tournaments and matches, like the 6-0 he gave to world title candidates Mark Taimanov of the Soviet Union and Bent Larsen of Denmark as well as the 6.5-2.5 drubbing to Tigran Petrosian, a former world champion, all within the year 1971.
Even his incredible recovery from a 0-2 score in his world title match against Boris Spassky in 1972, and then winning with an extraordinary 12.5-8.5 total, demonstrated beyond doubt his iron will to win.
But of course he had his failings just like any other human being. For instance, against Petrosian, his second-round loss was due to his violation of the basic principle that one should not launch an attack without first tucking one’s king to safety.
T. Petrosian (2640) – R.J. Fischer (2760)
Rd 2, Candidates Match, Buenos Aires 1971
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Rc1 Ne4 8.cxd5 Nxc3 9.Qd2 Qxa2 10.bxc3 Qa5 11.Bc4 Nd7 12.Ne2 Ne5 13.Ba2 Bf5 14.Bxe5 Bxe5 15.Nd4 Qxc5 16.Nxf5 gxf5 17.0–0 Qa5 18.Qc2 f4 19.c4 fxe3 20.c5 Qd2 21.Qa4+ Kf8 22.Rcd1 Qe2 23.d6 Qh5 24.f4 e2 25.fxe5 exd1Q 26.Rxd1 Qxe5 27.Rf1 f6 28.Qb3 Kg7 29.Qf7+ Kh6 30.dxe7 f5 31.Rxf5 Qd4+ 32.Kh1 Black resigns as he cannot escape mate. 1–0
After this momentary carelessness or even recklessness, Fischer got a good grip on himself and proceeded to destroy the ex-champion’s ego by holding him to three draws in a row and posting four straight wins thereafter. Whew!
Here is their seventh game, a sparkling Sicilian duel that Garry Kasparov, in his book My Great Predecessors (Part IV), praised Fischer for his splendid performance.
Take note of how Fischer makes it all look so easy applying fundamental rules like occupying strong squares, synchronizing the movement of his pieces and pawns for utmost mobility, keeping up the pressure on the center, controlling open files and later the seventh rank with his rooks, etc.
R.J. Fischer (2760) – T. Petrosian (2640)
Rd 7, Buenos Aires 1971
Sicilian Kan (B42)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.0-0 d5 8.c4 Nf6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.exd5 exd5 Fritz suggests 10...Nxd5. e.g., 11.Nd2 Bb7, with equal chances 11.Nc3 White now has the edge Be7 12.Qa4+ Qd7 12...Bd7 13.Qd4 Be6 14.Re1 benefits White 13.Re1 13.Bb5 was playable, e.g., 13…axb5 14.Qxa8!, with a clear advantage Qxa4 14.Nxa4 Be6 15.Be3 0-0 16.Bc5 Rfe8 17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.b4 Kf8 19.Nc5! Bc8 20.f3 Rea7 21.Re5 Bd7 22.Nxd7+ Rxd7 23.Rc1 Rd6 24.Rc7 Nd7 25.Re2 g6 26.Kf2 h5 27.f4 h4 28.Kf3 f5 If 28...d4 29.g3 29.Ke3 29.g4 may be tried, e.g., 29…hxg3 30.hxg3 a5 d4+ 30.Kd2 Nb6 Fritz suggests 30...Kf7 31.Ree7!! White is now winning. 31…Nd5 32.Rf7+ Ke8 33.Rb7 Nxf4?? This causes even greater problems. 33...Rb8 was better but White would still be ahead: 34.Ra7 Nf6 34.Bc4! Black surrenders. If 34…Ne6 35.Rbe7+ Kd8 36.Bxe6! 1-0
GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS
‘Please! This is a chess game!’
BOBBY FISCHER is known to have once said that at 13, the age of adolescence, “I suddenly became good” at chess.
All of us, male and female, go through that stage of development—physical and psychological but, sadly for most of us, not in chess—when a boy’s voice starts to deepen and his eyes start roving and his hair suddenly grows in areas where there was no hair before while a girl’s hips start to broaden and her breasts begin to swell.
This is the age, soon after the onset of puberty, when hormones from the pituitary gland flood the body aimed at triggering the development of distinctive male or female features.
All this is Mother Nature’s way of preparing youngsters for adulthood in either gender.
In Fischer’s case, because he was so focused on chess, he “suddenly became good” at it. Eventually he dropped out of Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he used to date the future world-famous singer and actress, Barbra Streisand. Why? Because he wanted to devote all his time to the game!
In short, Nature took its usual course, but most likely synthesized his mind for chess and possibly chess alone. That made him a chess genius (IQ: 180).
His games at 13, like his famous “Game of the Century” with Black vs Donald Byrne as featured in last week’s regular edition, showed that he had become not only good but actually the best in the game.
The following game was the first selected by Frank Brady in his Profile of a Prodigy: The Life and Games of Bobby Fischer, David McKay Company, Inc., New York, New York.
R.J. Fischer – Atillo di Camillo
Washington, D.C. 1956
Ruy Lopez, Archngelsk and Moller Defenses (C78)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5 6.Bb3 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.d3 Be7 10.Nbd2 0–0 11.Re1 Qd7 12.Nf1 Na5 13.Bc2 h6 14.g4 If 14.Ng3 Bg6! Bg6 Black has equalized 15.Ng3 Nh7 16.Nf5 Nb7 16...Bg5 17.Nxg5 Nxg5 18.d4 would have kept the balance 17.d4 exd4 18.cxd4 Nd8 19.Nxe7+ Qxe7= 20.d5 c5 21.Bf4 Nb7 22.Bg3 Rfe8 23.a4 Qf6 24.axb5 axb5 25.Kg2 Ng5 26.Nxg5 hxg5 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.e5 Bxc2 28...dxe5 29.Rxe5 Nd6 30.Bxg6 Qxg6 31.Qc1! could help White 29.Qxc2 Not 29.exf6 Bxd1 30.Rxd1 gxf6! dxe5 30.Bxe5 If 30.Rxe5 c4! Qd8 31.d6! c4 32.Qe4 Nc5 33.Qc6 33.Qd5!? should be considered, says Fritz Nd3 34.Re3 Rc8 Fritz warns against 34...Nxe5??: 35.Rxe5 Rc8 36.Re8+ Qxe8 37.d7 Qxd7 38.Qxd7! 35.Qb7 Not 35.Qxb5?? Rc5 36.Qb7 Nxe5! Rb8 36.Qd5 Nb4 Not 36...Nxe5?? 37.Rxe5 Qb6 38.d7! 37.Qc5 Nd3 38.Qd4 Rb6?? Fritz suggests 38...Qd7 for equality 39.d7! Rb7 40.Bc7!! 40…Nf4+ Mere momentum. Not 40...Rxc7 because of 41.Re8+!, winning the queen 41.Kf1 1–0
R.J. Fischer – P.P. Lapiken
US Open 1956
Reti Opening, New York/Capablanca (A07)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.0-0 e6 5.d3 c6 6.Nbd2 Na6 7.a3 Nc5 8.c4 b5 8...Ncd7 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.h3 would have equalized 9.Nd4 Qd7 Not 9...bxc4 10.dxc4 Qd7 11.N2f3! 10.Nxf5 exf5 11.Nb3 h6 11...dxc4 12.Nxc5 Bxc5 13.Bg5! favors White 12.Be3 Ne6 13.Nd4 g6 14.Qb3 Rb8? 14...Nc5 was better:15.Qc2 bxc4 16.dxc4 Nce4 15.Nxc6! The unexpected shot.15…Qxc6 16.cxd5 Nc5? 16...Qd7 also leads to a big boost for White: 17.Qc3 Bg7 18.dxe6 Qxe6 19.Bxa7 Rd8 17.Qc3 17.dxc6?! is clearly weaker Qd6 17...Qb6 cannot undo what has already been done 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 18...Qd8 does not improve anything 19.Qe5+ Kd7 20.d6, and White surges on 19.Qxf6! Black resigns. 1-0
Brady recalls seeing Bobby for the first time in January 1956 during the Greater New York Open at the Churchill Chess and Bridge Club. He said Bobby “was playing blitz chess between rounds with a boy slightly older than himself. One elderly kibitzer was continually interrupting with advice and comments. Bobby finally spun around and said, ‘Please! This is a chess game!’ The man … was silenced.”
CHESS MAGIC
‘Mastery of the Unexpected’
IN my view, the artist in Bobby Fischer last surfaced in the 11th round of his 1992 return match with Boris Spassky in the dying country that was Yugoslavia—the match that caused all his woes with his homeland but was also the source of the modest wealth that sustained him over the last 15 and a half years of his life in exile.
It was, in other words, his swan song, his final communion with his Muse.
The game is my top favorite because of its magical quality of mind over matter. It could be that it was a prepared variation, but up to what point, we never would know.
I am more inclined to believe, however, that Bobby saw the possibilities that led to the series of dazzling fireworks over the board as the game unfolded, considering how inventive he was in his play throughout his career.
It is the one game that shows his absolute “mastery of the unexpected.”
It must be stressed that Fischer relied mainly on his ability to find powerful moves over the board that could compel his opponent to resort to awkward or even unnatural moves to avoid a loss early on. Here it’s the knights that led White’s assault.
R.J. Fischer (2785) – B. Spassky (2560)
Rd 11, St Stefan/Belgrade 1992
Sicilian Defense (B31)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 4...dxc6 5.d3 would have equalized 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Re1 e5 7.b4 If 7.c3 Ne7 cxb4 Equalizing 8.a3 c5 8...bxa3 9.Nxa3 d6 10.d4 would have kept the balance 9.axb4 cxb4 10.d4 exd4 11.Bb2 d6 12.Nxd4 Qd7 12...Ne7 13.Nc6 Nxc6 14.Bxg7was playable 13.Nd2 Bb7 14.Nc4 Nh6 15.Nf5! Pure magic. Black loses immediately if he takes the knight, which mounts pressure on the d6 isolani. 15…Bxb2 16.Ncxd6+! Kf8 17.Nxh6 f6 17...Bxa1? leads to nothing. 18.Qxa1 Rg8 19.Qd4 gives White overwhelming advantage 18.Ndf7! Not 18.Nxb7?! Qxb7 19.Ra5 Re8! Qxd1 19.Raxd1 Ke7 20.Nxh8 Rxh8 21.Nf5+! Another beauty as the knight goes back to its favorite landing berth... 21…gxf5 22.exf5+ Be5 23.f4! The point Rc8 24.fxe5 Rxc2 25.e6 Bc6 26.Rc1 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Kd6 27...Be4 28.Rc7+ Kd8 29.Rc4 Bxf5 30.Rxb4 benefits White 28.Rd1+ Ke5 29.e7 a5 30.Rc1 Bd7 31.Rc5+ 31.Re1+ Kd5 gives White a big boost Kd4 31...Kd6 favors White: 32.Rxa5 Kxe7 33.Kf2! 32.Rxa5 b3 33.Ra7 Be8 34.Rb7 Kc3 35.Kf2 b2 36.Ke3?! Missing 36.Rb8!, e.g., 36…Bf7 37.Ke2 Bh5+ 38.g4! Bf7 Not 36...Kc2 37.g4 b1=Q 38.Rxb1 Kxb1 39.Kd4! 37.g4 Kc2 38.Kd4 b1=Q 38...h5 doesn't change anything anymore: 39.gxh5 Bxh5 40.Kc5! 39.Rxb1 Kxb1 40.Kc5 Kc2 41.Kd6! Black resigns in the face of defeat: 41.Kd6 Kd3 42.Kd7! 1-0
Here the unexpected takes place at the very tail end.
R.J. Fischer – J. Bolbochan
Stockholm Interzonal 1962
Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 Nc6 7.g4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 e5 9.Qd3 Be7 10.g5 Nd7 11.Be3 Nc5 12.Qd2 Be6 13.0-0-0 0-0 14.f3 Rc8 15.Kb1 Nd7 16.h4 b5 17.Bh3 Bxh3 18.Rxh3 Nb6 19.Bxb6 Qxb6 20.Nd5 Qd8 21.f4 exf4 22.Qxf4 Qd7 23.Qf5 Rcd8 24.Ra3 Qa7 25.Rc3 g6 26.Qg4 Qd7 27.Qf3 Qe6 28.Rc7 Rde8 29.Nf4 Qe5 30.Rd5 Qh8 31.a3 h6 32.gxh6 Qxh6 33.h5 Bg5 34.hxg6 fxg6 35.Qb3 Rxf4?? Better but inadequate was 35...Kh8+ 36.Re5+ Kf8 37.Rxe8+! Black resigns with checkmate in the air: 37…Kxe8 38.Qe6+ Kf8 39.Qc8+ Bd8 40.Qxd8#! 1-0
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
Fischer Nuggets (2)
BOBBY FISCHER was no doubt one of the world’s greatest chess geniuses, but how was he as a man?
As TWIC webmaster Mark Crowther remarks, you cannot ignore the dark side of Fischer: his hatred of Jews despite both of his parents being Jewish, his hatred of the United States (“I want to see the United States wiped out”) despite being its proud representative for many years, his contempt for modern chess (Kasparov-Karpov matches being fixed move by move), his contempt for chess (let’s change the rules), and finally his contempt for his own play by not competing since winning the title apart from the brief 1992 comeback. These are all black marks against his name.
Well, yes, he indeed had a dark side.
When Bobby Fischer won the world championship in 1972 he expected his name to be on everybody’s lips, people to build castles for him, and the whole world to bow in awe and reverence. Then he found out that fame is fleeting, and that the “what have you done for me lately” attitude applied to him as well. And the bitterness started, especially when he started running out of money.
There were many parasites who tried to make money off his name, but his reaction was all too drastic – he turned against everyone, even those who were trying to help him.
This writer was his webmaster for several years but at some point in time, when I was organizing the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), the workload got too heavy and I had to stop doing anything for him temporarily. Instead of saying “thank you for all you have done for me,” our dear Bobby responded by calling me a “CIA rat working for the Jews” in a one-hour rant over public radio. You can still listen to this – go to his website at http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/ and listen to interview no. 16.
You see, Fischer thinks of himself as some sort of god, and therefore all of us mere mortals are honored if given a chance to help him. He does not offer any payment, nor reimbursement, nor any thanks. And you are not allowed to tell anyone about your contacts with him, pictures are prohibited, and interviews are allowed but only to talk about Jews – nothing about chess. And soon, if you should offend him in any way, he would attack you viciously, both in public and private.
He owes very much to the Filipinos. We don’t have to say anything about his friendship with Eugene Torre, which is well known. How about Hon. Florencio Campomanes? Do you know the behind-the-scenes help that Campo gave him? I would even go so far as to say that without Campo, Fischer would never have become world champion.
Have you ever heard of the Los Angeles Pinoys Dodong Romero and Rene Villacorte (there are many others but I forget their names, apologies in advance)? Whenever Bobby was in the Los Angeles area after he became world champion they would take care of hosting him, bringing him around and feeding him. All of this was done gratis.
Among the top players his best friend was the Yugoslav GM Svetozar Gligoric. They had a falling out shortly after his 1992 match against Spassky. One day in 1999 when I was in Eugene Torre’s place in Baguio working with him, a phone call came – it was Bobby and they discussed this game:
R.J. Fischer, - B. Larsen [B89]
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal Palma de Mallorca, 1970
(This game was the only one Fischer lost in the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal. His score was the massive 18.5/23 (15 win 7 draws and 1 loss) which put him 3.5 points ahead of second-placers Larsen, Geller and Huebner.)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.Be3 0–0 9.Qe2 a6 10.0–0–0 Qc7 11.g4 Nd7!?
Without a doubt this was home preparation, especially since Larsen had only used up two minutes for all his moves up to now - he moves away the knight without waiting for it to be attacked..
12.h4?
Edmar Mednis in How to Beat Bobby Fischer wrote that White had two better tries, either 12.g5 or 12.f4. Now, don't believe for a moment that Mednis really knew how to beat Fischer - in nine games played he had drawn once,
lost seven times and won once, and that because Fischer over-extended in trying to win a drawn game. We will have more to say in the next game.
12...Nc5 13.g5 b5 14.f3 Bd7 15.Qg2 b4 16.Nce2 Nxb3+ 17.axb3 a5 18.g6 fxg6 19.h5 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 g5 21.Bxg5 Bxg5+ 22.Qxg5 h6! 23.Qg4
[23.Qe7? Rf7 24.Nxe6 Qc8 loses a piece]
23...Rf7 24.Rhg1
[24.Nxe6 Qc8 25.Rxd6 Re7 26.Rxd7 Qxd7 27.Nc5 Qxg4 28.fxg4 Rc8 wins]
24...a4! 25.bxa4 e5! 26.Ne6 Qc4 27.b3 Qxe6 28.Qxe6 Bxe6 29.Rxd6 Re8 30.Rb6 Rxf3 31.Rxb4 Rc8 32.Kb2 Rf2 33.Rc1 Bf7 34.a5 Ra8 35.Rb5 Bxh5 36.Rxe5 Be2 37.Rc5 h5 38.e5 Bf3 39.Kc3 h4 40.Kd3 Re2 41.Rf1 Rd8+ 42.Kc3 Be4 43.Kb4 Rb8+ 44.Ka3 h3 45.e6 Bxc2 46.b4 Re3+ 47.Kb2 Bd3 48.Ra1 Ba6 49.Rc6 Rxb4+ 50.Kc2 Bb7 51.Rc3 Re2+ 52.Kd1 Rg2 0–1
The year after this game Velimirovic won an impressive brilliancy-prize winning game:
Velimirovic, Dragoljub - Bukal, Vladimir Sr [B89]
Yugoslavia Skender Vakuf, 1971
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qe2 a6 9.0–0–0 Qc7 10.Bb3 0–0 11.g4 Nd7
After 11...Nd7
The same position as in the previous game. According to Fischer, he had analyzed this position for hours with Gligoric, and had shown the Yugoslav what he thought to be the best move for White. Gligoric had then revealed it to his teammate Velimirovic, who soon had an opportunity to play it ...
12.Nf5!
A tremendous shot, threatening 13.Nxe7+ Nxe7 14.Qd2 Ne5 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6 Nxg4 17.Bc5 and White is dominating the board.
12...exf5 13.Nd5 Qd8 14.gxf5 Na5
[14...Nf6 15.Bb6 Qd7 16.Rhg1 with Rd1–d3-g3 coming up does not look too appetizing]
15.Nxe7+
Later on the English attacking master John Nunn demonstrated another way of continuing the attack: 15.Rhg1! Nxb3+ 16.axb3 Kh8 17.Bd4 f6
a) 17...Nf6? 18.Rxg7! Kxg7 19.Qg4+ Kh8 20.Nxe7 Qxe7 21.Rg1 forces mate;
b) 17...Bf6 18.Nxf6 gxf6 (18...Nxf6 19.Rxg7!) 19.Qh5 Rg8 20.Qh6 Black cannot hold; 18.Rg3 b5 19.Rdg1 followed by Nf4 and Qh5 wins. Nunn - Simm, England 1977.
15...Qxe7 16.Bd5 Kh8 17.Rhg1 Nf6
Laying a cunning trap - if now 18.Bd4 then 18...Bxf5!
18.Qf3! Nxd5 19.Rxd5
[19.Rxg7? does not work: 19...Kxg7 20.Rg1+ Kh8 21.Qg4 Qf6! 22.exd5 Nc4! and it is Black who wins]
19...Nc4 20.f6! Qxf6 21.Qxf6 gxf6 22.Bd4 Ne5 23.f4 Nd7 24.Rxd6 Rg8 25.Rd1 Re8 26.f5 Rxe4 27.Rg1
Threatening Rxd7.
27...h5 28.Rg5! Rg4?
The losing move. Best was 28...Kh7 29.Bxf6 Nxf6 30.Rxf6 Re7 31.Rd6 Re8 32.Rxh5+ Kg7 33.Rg5+ Kf8 34.f6 White has at least a draw.
29.Rxf6!
Quite a shock, but it is the death blow:
a) 29...Rxg5 30.Rh6+ Kg8 31.Rh8#;
b) 29...Kh7 30.Rxh5+ Kg8 31.Rh8+! Kxh8 32.Rh6+ Kg8 33.Rh8#;
c) 29...Rxd4 30.Rh6#;
d) 29...Nxf6 30.Bxf6+ Kh7 31.Rxh5+ Kg8 32.Rh8#.
29...Rg1+ 30.Kd2 Rg2+ 31.Ke3 1–0
Well, now it can be told. Velimirovic’s novelty on the 12th move was Fischer’s idea which Gligoric “stole” from him. I don’t quite buy it but I guess when you are mad at an active player it is quite easy to find fault with him.
I have asked my very good friend Rod Suaco to write something about life with Bobby. For several months in 2000 and many other short trips after that Rod was his gracious host and got to know him very well. Let’s wait for Rod’s article – he might even talk about Fischer’s wife and son.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, January 28, 2008.
BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
Jayson Gonzales
GM Tournament “B”
ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit
1st Leg
East Kalimantan, Indonesia
January 2008
1 GM Mark Paragua PHI 2521, 9.0/11
2-3 IM Ashot Nadanian ARM 2431, IM Jayson Goznales PHI 2455, 7.5/11
4 FM Rolando Nolte PHI 2412, 7.0/11
5-6 FM Syarif Mahmud INA 2344, Sugeng Praytino INA 2312, 6.5/11
7-8 Oliver Barbosa PHI 2410, IM Salor Sitanggang INA 2410, 5.0/11
9 GM Cerdas Barus INA 2479, 4.5/11
10 GM Haji Ardiansyah INA 2409, 4.0/11
11 FM Mok Tze Meng MAL 2346, 3.0/11
12 WFM Irine Kharisma Sukandar INA 2266, 0.5/11
IM Jayson Gonzales had a faltering end, losing to the Armenian IM Ashot Nadanian in the penultimate round, but it was no big matter as he nevertheless got his third and final GM norm to complete the norm requirements. Now all he has to do is bring his rating up from its current 2455 to 2500 and he will automatically be registered as a full International Grandmaster.
FIDE rules provide that anyone who achieves a title norm in the first 9 rounds of a tournament (9 rounds is the minimum for title purposes) can disregard the remaining games in the tournament. Jayson had 6 wins, 2 draws and a loss for 7/9 against a field which included 3 international grandmasters for a performance rating of 2616. A performance of 2600 is enough for the GM norm, so Jayson qualified.
Jayson is one player I was really rooting for. He comes from the bumper crop of strong juniors we had in the early 80s which included Bong Villamayor, Enrico Sevillano and Rogelio Barcenilla.
This batch was also the biggest waste in our chess history. We had a great organization, big pool of promising players from all over the country, and an established machinery for bringing the best out to the top.
And then what happened? Well, Hon. Florencio Campomanes got elected as President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), he left for Switzerland to take up the reins, and the Philippines’ chess program collapsed.
Jayson was among our best young players but never became junior champion. Around the time he was still a “sabbadista” and did not play chess on Saturdays. During the Junior Championship Finals he won all the games he played but that was not enough – you see two rounds were scheduled on Saturday, and he had to default. Sadly, 7/9 was only good for second place.
But we hear sob stories all the time – what is it about Jayson Gonzales that I like so much? Well, he makes things happen. Unlike many of our titled players who just sit around and wait for hand-outs, Jayson set up his own sign-making business in Quezon City. He would then work for 10 months in a year and then use his earnings to finance a trip to the States where he can play in a series of tournaments. In 1998 he scored his first major success by winning the Southern California Championship.
In 2001 he qualified for the Philippine Grand Finals where he finished 4th, immediately behind our three GMs (1st Eugene Torre, 2nd Joey Antonio, 3rd Bong Villamayor). This event was some sort of turning point in Jayson’s career for, after this, everyone started regarding him as among the country’s top 10 players.
By the way, not everyone remembers that several years back the Philippine Chess Society sponsored an annual Blitz Championship among our top players. Interestingly enough, the player most often regarded as our top blitzer, GM Joey Antonio, has never won it.
In the first edition (1999) Nelson Mariano won all of the marbles, exhibiting great handspeed and a cool demeanor even in the most hair-raising time scrambles.
The 2000 edition was played as a KO match tournament similar to the FIDE World Cup series. There was a lot of exciting chess played and the finalists were Mark Paragua and GM Joey. Take note that this was eight years ago and Mark was not yet even a national master. The pivotal game was a K+R+B vs K+R endgame where Mark had the extra bishop. Everyone knows that this endgame is theoretically drawn but in practice it is not so easy to hold. Showing great prowess and blitzing out his moves, Mark managed to checkmate GM Joey and win the championship.
The 2001 and last edition saw another surprise winner, and it was Jayson Gonzales. I regret having lost the crosstables already, but it is probably still to be found in the old files of the Philippine Chess Society.
To illustrate Jayson Gonzales’ style, I present what in my opinion is his best game, a nice victory in the 1998 Southern California Championship over GM Tal Shaked, at that time the world junior champion and the rising star of US chess.
Shaked, T. (2490) - Gonzales, J. (2345) [A31]
Southern California Open Los Angeles, 1998
1.c4
So much for preparation. Shaked usually plays 1.e4 with White and it was this move that Gonzales prepared against.
1...c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 b6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bb7 6.f3 e6 7.e4
Against English symmetrical systems, Jayson usually likes to fianchetto both of his bishops. This is no longer feasible now as, instead of g3 and Bg2 White has pushed his e4 pawn forward. The end result of this shadow-boxing is that now we are in the Maroczy Bind of the Sicilian Defense.
7...d6 8.Be2 a6 9.0–0 Nbd7 10.Be3 Be7 11.a4
Jayson had never seen this move before. He was expecting 11.Qd2 -- 12.Rac1 -- 13.Rfd1 -- 14.Bf1 -- 15.Qf2 pointing at the b6-pawn, and at the same time there is some pressure on the d-file.
11...0–0 12.a5 Qc7 13.Nb3 Rfe8 14.Qd2 Rab8 15.Rfc1 bxa5 16.Nxa5 Ba8
White will be advancing his b-pawn to solidify his grip on the position. Black realizes that he has been outplayed in the opening and so he takes stock -- before going for the d6-d5 break he has to move his queen, since it is in the wrong file. There is a rook on c1 staring at her highness, and it is also vulnerable to a possible knight hop to d5 after the d6-d5 break.
17.Na2 Rbc8 18.b4 Qb8 19.Rab1
After 19.Rab1
19...d5!
Now is the time!
20.c5
[20.exd5 Bd6! signals a king-side assault. Sudden tactics like this are exactly what Jayson specializes in. 21.h3 exd5 22.c5 Bh2+ 23.Kh1 Nh5! with the idea of ...Ng3+ followed by ...Nf1+]
20...dxe4 21.Bxa6 exf3! 22.Bxc8 Rxc8 23.c6 Ne5 24.c7?!
[24.b5 is more accurate, although after 24...Nfg4 25.g3 (25.Bf4? Qb6+ 26.Kf1 Rd8 Black wins.) 25...h6 carries the deadly threat of ...Nxe3 followed by ...Bg5]
24...Rxc7 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Rc1 Qb8 27.Qc3
Looks like Black is in a bad way, right?
27...Qb5!
Wrong! As if to snub White's mating attempts on the back rank Jayson mobilizes his queen to generate his own mating threats. His queen is trying to get to e2.
28.Qc8+ Bf8 29.Bc5
[29.Qxa8 doesn't work either: 29...Qe2 30.Bf2 Nfg4 31.Qa7 Nd3 likewise wins for Black]
29...Nfd7 30.Bxf8 Nxf8 31.Nc3 Qd3 32.Qc5 Qd2
There is no more defense to Black's threat of mate on g2 and material gain on c1. 0–1
So Jayson is on target to be our 9th International Grandmaster after (1) Eugene Torre, (2) Rosendo Balinas Jr, (3) Rogelio Antonio Jr, (4) Bong Villamayor, (5) Nelson Mariano II, (6) Mark Paragua, (7) Darwin Laylo Jr, and (8) Wesley So. Let us all wish him the best of luck.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, February 1, 2008.
FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Cleaning up the game
AS the publication that initiated the call for reforms in Philippine chess on Day One of its existence, The Weekender should welcome the move taken by chess czar Butch Pichay to suspend for life two leading players who he said have been found to be “recidivists.”
We beg to disagree, however. While we support the move to clean up the game, we deplore the harshness of the penalty that effectively deprives fans of the opportunity to see their idols play—forever.
Justice must always be tempered with compassion. In most civilized countries, the rule of “Strike three and you are out” prevails. Giving a fellow human being a second or a third chance has always been part of the rules of life.
Even in politics, we give those who lose in an election a chance the second time around. It does not mean that if you lose in one senatorial election, you will have no chance to win in the next. It never works that way.
So should it be in any sport—or any competition, for that matter. As far as I know, there has only been one inquiry held on game-fixing and the resulting penalty was then meted out. How come these two players have been judged as recidivists?
Harshness—or tyranny with which it is usually associated—has no place in sport, however noble the motive may be.
—0—
THE Weekender endorses the plan of chess czar Butch Pichay to let leading players like Mark Paragua, Eugene Torre, Jayson Gonzales, and Wesley So play throughout the Asean Masters to give them a chance to win the jackpot at the end of the inaugural circuit.
Performance must be the only basis for selecting players for any competition to ensure fairness and a high morale of the participants.
The surest way of demoralizing players is to practice favoritism. This is why there should always be transparency in the selection of those who will represent the country abroad.
The selection must also be done early enough. This is why there is a need for holding the national championship early this year.
If we do both—selecting players on their merits and selecting them early enough for better training—our chances of beating the opposition will be higher.
A well-trained team with high morale is a sure winner.
—0—
I HAVE been wondering why no Filipino lawyer has come forward to take up the cudgels for Bobby Fischer’s only child, Justine.
While a legal battle is shaping up over Fischer’s estate between his kinsfolk and his Japanese widow, nothing has been heard about Justine.
And why is the local press silent about all this?
Chess quote
“Chess is life.” —Bobby Fischer
The Weekender
Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon City
Manuel O. Benitez
Editor & Publisher
Alfredo V. Chay
Circulation Manager
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That's all for now!
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