The Weekender

Hi!

My life, as I live mine on a daily basis, getting better after the dark days I've had.

Here's the delayed posting for The Weekender of Mr. Manny Benitez:

The Chess Plaza Weekender
Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
Vol. II No. 18

Joey now No. 1, seeks slot in World Cup ’07

GRANDMASTER Joey Antonio has regained his premier position from GM Eugene Torre in Philippine chess on the latest Fide ratings list issued by the World Chess Federation on October 1.

But the bigger news was IM Wesley So’s rise to No. 3, edging out GM mark Paragua, who slid down to No. 4 .

So’s rating rose by 15 points, from 2515 to 2531, while Paragua’s rating fell by another 11 points, from 2525 to 2514.

Meanwhile, Antonio wrote to Fide seeking permission to play in the World Cup next month amid reports that at least one of the 10 who made it from the Asian Individual Championship in Cebu had backed out.

Antonio narrowly missed it under the tiebreaking formula adopted by the tournament’s chief arbiter, IA Gene Poliarco.

Antonio was edged out by IM Enamul Hossain of Bangladesh, although in a chess-results.com posting, the top Filipino player was listed as No. 10. Even the Internet magazine The Week in Chess (TWIC), listed Antonio as No. 9, followed by Indian IM G.N. Gopal.

The biggest surprise from the latest Fide ratings list, however, was the continued omission of the names of the only Filipino qualifier—GM-candidate Darwin Laylo, who finished in a tie for third to eighth places in the Asian Individual Championship—and three others, IMs Ronald Dableo and Chito Garma and NM Oliver Barbosa.

The four had been suspended by NCFP president Propero Pichay Jr. for alleged involvement in a game-fixing scandal, which they had vehemently denied.

Behind Antonio, Torre, So and Paragua were IMs Rogelio Barcenilla, Joseph Sanchez, Oliver Dimakiling John Paul Gomez Roland Salvador and Jayson Gonzales.

On the distaff side, WNM Catherine Pereña took the No. 1 spot with 2247 and in 63rd place overall. —Marlon Bernardino

Wesley holds Israeli GM in 4th, still leads

BACOOR wonder boy Wesley So forced a draw against third-seeded Israeli GM Maxim Rodshtein to forge a four-way tie in the lead in the fourth round of the World Junior Championship in Yerevan, Armenia on Saturday (early Sunday in Manila).

Still undefeated, So (2531) had 3.5 points entering the fifth round along with GMs Rodshtein (2615), David Wei Ling Howell (2527) of England and Georg Meier (2558) of Georgia.

Seeded 14th, the Philippine junior champion won against Lithuania’s Emilis Pileckis in the first round, Polish FM Krzysztof Bulski in the second and Armenia’s Tigran Mamikonian in the third.

So will face Howell in the fifth round, his second GM opponent in the event.

Playing Black against Roshtein in the fourth round, Wesley was behind in material but had the more active pieces to force a draw via repetition of moves by his knight.

Top seed Wang Hao, 18, of China stayed half a point behind the fourth leaders, having been hel to a draw twice.

Wang remained in contention along with second seed Dutch GM Daniel Stellwell, fourth seed Czech GM Viktor Laznicka, fifth seed English GM Gawain Jones, Armenian GM Arman Pashikian, Russian GMs Ivan Popov and Dmitry Andreikin as well as Uzbek GM Dzurabek Khamrakulov.

Like Wang, several other Asian players had seen action in Mandaue City. Among them were Indian IMs G. N. Gopal and G. Rohit along with GMs Parimarjan Negi and Chakkravarthy Deepan

At the start, the games of Wesley So were not included among the live ones being posted on the official website of the Armenian Chess Federation.

It was only after his third win, against Armenian Mamikonian that the host country took notice of the Filipino wunderkind, who turns 14 on Tuesday, October 9.

• So - Pileckis
Rd. 1, Sicilian Pelikan and Sveshnikov (B33)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 12.0–0 Bxd5 13.exd5± Ne7 14.c3 Bg7 15.Qh5 e4 Equalizing 16.Bc2 Qc8 17.Rae1 0–0 18.Kh1 Ng6 19.Bb1.Re8 20.Nc2 f4 21.Nb4! Re5 22.Qd1 Qc4 23.b3 Qxc3 24.Nc6! Rg5 25.Bxe4 Kh8 26.g3 f5 27.Bc2 Rg8 28.Qd3 Qc5 29.b4 Qb6 30.Qf3 Ne5 31.Qxf4 Rh5 32.Nxe5 dxe5 33.Rxe5 Qd6? 34.Rxf5! Qxf4 35.Rxf4 Rc8 36.Bb3 Re5 37.d6 Rd8 38.Rd1 Bf8 39.d7 Re7 40.Rxf8+! Decisive, and so Black resigns. 0–1

Wesley won his next two games before being held to a draw by a higher rated grandmaster.

So is seeking his second GM norm in the World Juniors. —With contribution from Marlon Bernardino

Torre, Paragua in simul exhibition for Chay kids

FILIPINO chess icon Eugene Torre and his fellow GM Mark Paragua held two simultaneous exhibitions yesterday at the Quezon Memorial Circle Chess Plaza for the benefit of chess player/arbiter Alfredo V. Chay’s two children who were injured critically in a traffic accident last Sunday/

Actualy, eight of the country’s leading players headed by the two GMs showed up ready to help raise funds for Chessander Chay, 16, and his sister Chessandra, 13.

Both suffered broken bones when they were bit by a Starex van while they were walking with their father and several other players toward a bus stop in Malolos, Bulacan.

Attending physicians were worried that Chessandra might have to undergo neurosurgery to drain the brain of blood clots caused by a fracture in her skull.

With Torre and Paragua were IMs Ronald Bancod, Jayson Gonzales and Chito Garma, FMs Rolando Nolte and Mirabeau Maga, and IA/NM Erwin L. Carag.

GM Torre won all his games against Christian Flores, Robie Fopalan, Jonathan Ramos, Manny Benitez, Ronald Talapian, Noel Azuela, Rodolfo A. Pates, Jimuel Saber and Isasam Placido.

Paragua followed suit by beating Luc Loja, Joshua Manapsal, John Eric Margarito, Charlie Oligario, Varen Enriquez, Mervince Yanzon and Ryan Recososa.

The event was organized by Chi Nazario with the assistance of Benitez, Alfredo V. Chay and Ray Hipolito of the Chess Plaza management committee.

In her short talk, Atty. Charito Planas cited the role of chess in instilling discipline and enhancing the intelligence of youngsters.

2ND DR. JOSE P. LEVISTE SR. CHESS CUP ‘Sign up now for Ateneo joust’

REGISTRATION for the 2ND Dr. Jose P. Leviste Sr. Chess Cup to be held from October 27 to 28 at the Ateneo Grade School Cafeteria on the Ateneo de Manila University campus off Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City is now under way.

A project of the Ateneo Grade School, the Leviste Cup is open to non-masters rated 2050 and below, according to IM Idelfonso Datu, tournament director.

It will be a nine-round Swiss tournament with an active time control of 25 minutes per player.

The champion will receive P10,000, the second prizewinner P5,000 and the third P4,000. Each of them will also get a trophy.

The fourth to 10th finishers will receive P3,000, P2,000, P1,000 P800, P700, and P600, respectively.

Special category prizes will also be awarded. The top three Ateneo players will get a gold medal plus P700, P500 and P300, in that order, while the top Ateneo alumnus or alumna will take home P500.

For participating non-Ateneans, five special categories—Top Lady, Top Under 18, Top Under 16, Top Under 14 and Top Under 12—will each get P1,000 plus a medal.

Interested parties may register at the Ateneo University Athletics Office on the second floor of the Blue Eagle Gym. Thosey vying for the age-group prizes should submit a photocopy of their NSO birth certificates.

For further details, interested parties may call 4266001, local 4192 or 4193 and ask for Marlyn Franco or Rodel Cubos, or text 0922-6920503., .

The non-masters event is being held with the support of Philam Foundation and Tape, Inc., in partnership with Polistrat International, Inc., Pacific Rim Innovation and Management Exponents, Inc. (PRIMEX), Philippine Business Leaders Forum, Inc. (PBLF), and Grand Placement and General Services Corporation, and in cooperation with the Ateneo University Athletics Office.

Agagon tops 3rd leg of NCFP Exec, Prof’l Active series
By Marlon Bernardino

VETERAN campaigner Eduardo Agagon settled for a draw against fellow NM Quirino Sagario in the fifth and final round to lord it over the third leg of the NCFP Executive and Professional Active Chess Challenge last Saturday at the Greenhouse Grille on Matalino Street, Quezon City.

Agagon posted 4.0 points from three wins and two draws to claim his first title in the series, which is sponsored by lawyer Rudegelio Tacorda, president of Greenhill Properties Corporation.

Leodegario Rivera and Willy San San Juan finished in a tie for second to third places with 3.5 points apiece—Rivera by upsetting NM Stewart Manaog and San Juan, a singer-composer and recording artist, by holding your correspondent to a draw

(Bernardino, a regular contributor to The Weekender and Manila newspapers as well as radio sports commentator, is best remembered as the Filipino visitor to Australia last April who defeated Russian GM Sergei Shiperov, the top seed, at the Sydney International Open.—Editor).

As a result of the draw, your correspondent slid down to a tie for fourth to fifth places with Sammy Estimo, who had topped the first two legs of the Greenhouse Grille Saturday series, first in a tie with Doc Jenny Mayor and the second time in a tie with another veteran campaigner, Jose Aspiras.

Rounding off the top 12 winners were NMs Manaog, Sagario and Nick Nisperos in sixth, seventh and eighth places, followed by Joe Aspiras ninth, Mar Quejada 10th, Engr. Octavio Canta 11th and Isidro Erispe 12th.

Daisy Rivera and Roy Madayag of the Chess Arbiters Association of the Philippines served as arbiters in the tournament.

The Executive and Professionals Active Chess Challenge was launched last month by the NCFP wing under Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, chairman, and Samuel Estimo, executive director.

Inquiries about future events can be made by calling up Estimo at 0915-9360354.

ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP: A POST-MORTEM Pinoys lagging far behind rivals

IS Philippine chess going the way Philippine basketball has gone—into the dumpster of Asian and global sports history?

The outcome of the Asian Individual Championship, in which only one Filipino, GM-elect Darwin Laylo, was able to qualify for the 2007 World Cup while most of the others were clustered near the tail-end, speaks volumes of how the former Asian champions have become their foreign rivals’ whipping boys..

In a 72-man field, 10 of the 19 players entered by the host country in the Asian title series finished at the lower end of the table, including four international masters.

Four of the 10 sank to as low as the 60s and 70s. How come?

Only seven, headed by 7. GM-elect Laylo and 11. GM Joey Antonio, were in the upper half. Why?

The five others were 22. IM Wesley So, 26. GM Eugene Torre, 28. GM Mark Paragua, 30 IM Oliver Dimakiling and 33. Kim Steven Yap.

The 12 in the lower half were: 43. IM Ronald Bancod, 48. IM Richard Bitoon, 51. NM Anthony Makinano, 54. IM Julio Catalino Sadorra, 55. NM Hamed Nouri, 56. NM Rhobel Legaspi, 57. NM Efren Bagamasbad, 58. NM Rustum Tolentino, 61. IM Barlo Nadera, 64. NM Emmanuel Senador, 68. Voltaire Sevillano, 70. NM Mirabeau Maga.

Compared with their starting ranks based on their current Elo ratings, however, 12 Filipino players rose in their standings. The highest jump was posted by Kim Yap—44 rungs up the ladder, from No. 67 to No. 23! He was followed by his conqueror, Laylo, who leaped by 22 from No. 29 to No. 7, and Bancod, 19, from No.57 to No. 43.

The others on the positive side were Legaspi plus nine, Antonio plus eight, Makinano plus seven, Bagamasbad and Tolentino plus six each, Bitoon plus five, Dimakiling and Sevillano plus four each, and So plus three.

Those whose ranks fell were Nadera and Maga, by 11 rungs, Hamed by nine, Torre and Senador by eight each, and Paragua and Sadorra by six each,

There was a time when the Asian champion, either junior or adult, was almost always a Filipino. Over the past decade, I don’t remember a Filipino winning the Asian junior crown. Is that not sad, to say the least?

Over the years, too, as a columnist I kept harping on the lack of progress in Philippine chess development as manifested in the slow turnout of GMs. Imagine, in 33 years we have produced only seven of them, including the late Rosendo Balinas Jr!

China, which had its first GM less than 20 years ago, has 17 while India has 15, including new world champion Viswanathan Anand, who became a GM in 1988, his country’s first.

The Pinoy’s stock answer to this is, well, both countries have a large population. I agree. But what about England, which only has 56 million people? Its first GM was the late Anthony Miles in 1976. Today England has 30, including Miles and inactive grandmasters like Raymond Keene and Michael Stean.

At any rate, the fact remains that compared with our Asian neighbors, we have been slowpokes. Tiny Hong Kong already has a woman grandmaster, 15-year-old Anya Corke, daughter of university lecturers—a British father and a British-bred Asian mother.

We haven’t produced any WGM yet. And to think that there are so many colleges and universities in the country, and special schools for the gifted as well, but, sadly, no genuine chess academy!

The truth is that we ourselves are to blame for this sad state of affairs in Philippine chess. Why?

First of all, our chess leaders have been squabbling endlessly, usually over petty things involving baser emotions like greed for power and money, envy for others who shine as manifested in what we call “crab mentality,” and ethnic prejudice

Corruption has also weakened the socioeconomic structure of our development program, if there is such a program at all.

I can cite, from off the top of my head, such practices as favoritism in granting allowances from public funds or donations from the private sector to players, and an inflationary finder’s fee—imagine, 20 per cent!—of such donations that are supposed to fund our players’ trips overseas.

With this in mind, one should no longer be surprised that our players fared quite poorly in the 37th World Olympiad in Turin, Italy and the First GMA Cup in Parañaque City last year as well as in the Philippine Open in Subic and Asian Individual Championship in Cebu this year.

Unless the private sector suddenly turns philanthropic in its collective attitude towards chess, I doubt whether Butch Pichay’s fearless forecast of seeing the birth of four grandmasters this year would come true.

The problem is that many would-be philanthropists have been turned off by the shenanigans of chess promoters over the years, from the time we started sending players to the biennial World Olympiad in the mid-fifties, through the stringent martial law years up to this day when the country is saddled with enormous foreign and domestic debt and a weak peso.

This is the reason for our failure to set up a chess training academy and nurture the growth of native talents, driving many players out of the country in their search for the proverbial greener pasture.

Unlike China, which imported trainers from Russia and other East European countries so its players could make a quantum leap in this game of kings, we have not improved our training methods. Do you know why we never brought foreign trainers to this country? The answer is simple: local trainers’ fear of strong competition from the foreigners in a tiny domestic market like ours.

Against this background, one can readily see why we have been lagging far behind our Asian neighbors in a game where Filipinos used to hold sway, and thus can be in a better position to appreciate the games our players won or lost in major jousts.

The results of the Cebu-hosted Asian championship clearly shows that we have been depending for too long on our aging grandmasters, who are no longer as strong as they were a decade or two ago. This is why it was only the 27-year-old IM Laylo who played the steadiest.

Laylo started strong by beating Legaspi in an all-Filipino fight soon after the opening bell.

• R. Legaspi – D. Laylo
Rd. 1, Sicilian Defense (B40)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 If Nc3 d5! a6 3...Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 would have equalized 4.Nc3 Qc7 5.g3 If 5.d4 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Nc6! Nc6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0–0 Be7 8.h3 0–0 9.Nh2 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 d6 may favor Black Rb8 10.f4 d6 11.d3 b5 12.b3 12.Nf3 Nd7 leads to equality Nd7! 13.Ng4 Nd4 14.Kh2 14.Ne2 Bb7 equalizes Bb7 15.Be3 f5 16.exf5 Nxf5 17.Bd2 Missing 17.Bxb7!? Qxb7 18.Bf2! b4 18.Ne2 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 d5 If 19...Qc6+ 20.Kh2 20.Ne3 Rbd8 21.Qe1 21.a3 Bf6 22.Ra2 dxc4 23.Nxc4 Nb6 favors Black Nf6 [22.Nxf5 exf5 23.Kh2 Fritz suggests 23.Qc1 dxc4 Black is now way ahead 24.dxc4 Ne4 25.Rd1 Bf6 25...Rd3 26.Bc1 Rfd8 27.Rxd3 Rxd3 28.Rg1 boosts Black’s lead 26.Be3 Qe7 27.Bg1?? …Rxd1 28.Qxd1 Rd8 29.Qc1 29.Qe1 won’t save White’s game:> 29...Rd2 30.Bf2 Rb2 Rd2! 0–1

• Dinh Duc Trong – O. Dimakiling
Rd. 2, Reti Opening (A05)

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c3 b6 3.d3 d5 4.Nbd2 Nbd7 4...Bb7 would have to equality, says Fritz: 5.Qa4+ Qd7 6.Qf4 5.e4 e5 6.Qa4 a6 7.d4 exd4 Not 7...dxe4 8.Nxe5 Bb7 9.Bc4! 8.Nxd4 If 8.e5 dxc3 9.bxc3 Ng8, with equal chances dxe4 9.Qc6 Rb8 10.Nxe4 Qe7 11.f3 Bb7 12.Qxc7 Nxe4 13.fxe4 Qxe4+ 14.Be2 Bc5 15.Rf1 Rc8 Not 15...Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd4 17.Bf4 Qb4+ 18.Bd2! 16.Qf4 Nf6 17.Qxe4+ Nxe4 18.Nb3 0–0 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.Be3 Bxg2 21.Rg1 Bb7 22.Bh6 Ne6 23.Bg4 Fritz suggests 23.Be3 f5 24.Bh3 Rf6 25.Be3 b5 26.0–0–0 b4 27.Rd7 Be4 28.Bf1 bxc3 29.Bxa6 cxb2+ 30.Kxb2 Rc2+ 31.Ka1? f4! Black is now leading 32.Bd4 Nxd4 33.Rd8+ Rf8 Fritz notes that 33...Kf7 may even be better: 34.Rd7+ Ke6 35.Rxd4 Kf5! 34.Rxd4 Bg6 35.Bc4+ Kh8 36.Rf1 f3 37.Bb3 Rxh2 38.Rxf3 Re8 Of course not 38...Rxf3 because of 39.Rd8+! and it’s mate next 39.Rf1 h5 40.Rd6 Rg2 Not 40...Be4 41.Re1 Rc8 42.Be6! 41.Rh1 Kh7 42.Rd5 Rb8 43.Ra5 Rb6 44.Ra8 Rg3 45.Bg8+ Kh6 46.Bb3 Kg5 47.Ra7 Kh6 48.Ra8 Rb7 49.Ra6 Kh7 50.Be6 Rg5 51.a3 Bf7 52.Bh3? 52.Bxf7 Rxf7 53.Kb2 was playable g6 53.Rb1 Rc7 54.Kb2?? Rg3 Missing his best shot, 54...Re5! 55.Bf1 h4 55...Rb7+ would have secured the win 56.Rb6 h3

A close look at the round-by-round results shows that Laylo and Antonio were both quick to bounce back from defeat, unlike GM Torre who had to readjust his approach to the next games by just drawing quietly a couple of rounds after a loss before going all-out for another kill.

For instance, after losing in the third round, Laylo to 20-year-old Indonesian GM
Susanto Megaranto and Antonio to Indian GM-elect G.N. Gopal, our two topnotch players won their next assignments with White—Laylo against Mongolian FM Tsegmed Batchuluun and Antonio against Qatari IM Mohammed Al Sayed.

• Laylo’s 72-move win with the English Opening against Batchuluun was instructive in that it shows how to exploit to the full one’s control of an open file and why command of space coupled with a bind clamped on the opponent’s position is all-important as a strategic goal.

33.hxg5 hxg5 Fritz suggests 33...fxg5, e.g., 34.Rfh1 Rf6 34.Rfh1 Tightening his grip on the open h-file Kf8 35.Rh8 Rg7 36.R1h2 Ke7 37.Nh1 37.Ba4 Bf7 was another option Kd8 38.Nf2 If 38.b6 axb6 39.Ng3 Ke7! 38...Bf7 39.Nd1 Re7 40.Qa5+ If 40.Nb2 b6! 40...b6 41.Qd2 Be8 42.Nf2 Rc7 43.Nh1 Ke7 Fritz suggests 43...Rc8 44.Ng3! Kf8 45.Ne2 Rcd7 46.Ng1 46.a4 a6 favors White Rc7 47.Nf3 Rcd7 48.Ne1 Rdf7 49.Nc2 Bd7 50.Nb4 Bc8 51.Qe1 Bb7 52.Kf3 Ke7 53.Ke2 Ke8 54.Kd1 Rc7 54...Kd7 was better 55.a3 Rcf7 56.Kc2 56.Qh1 d5 57.cxd5 Qc3 boosts White’s lead Kf8 If 56...Kd7 57.Qh1! 57.Kb2 Ke7 Not 57...d5 58.Nxd5 Ke8 59.R2h6 Bxd5 60.cxd5!, and White is winning 58.Qh1 Kf8 If 58...d5 59.cxd5 Kd6! 59.R2h6 Qc7 60.Qh5 Missing his best shot, 60.Rg6!, e.g., 60...d5 61.Qh6 Ke8, and White wins Qe7 60...a5 offered the last hope for counterplay: 61.bxa6 Ba8 61.c5! dxc5 If 61...bxc5 62.Nc6 62.Bxf7 Qxf7 63.Nc6 Qxh5 Fritz says 63...a5 won't change the outcome of the game, e.g., 64.Rg6 a4 64.Rxh5 64.gxh5 was stronger: 64…Kf7 65.Nd8+ Ke7 66.Rg6 Rxg6 67.fxg6! Bc8 65.R5h7 Bd7 65...c4 won’t work: 66.dxc4 Bb7 67.Rh6, and White wins 66.Nxa7 Kf7 66...Rxh7 won’t do: 67.Rxh7 Ne7 68.a4, and White wins 67.a4 Ne7 Not 67...Kf8 68.a5 Bxb5 69.axb6!, and White wins 68.Rxg7+ Kxg7 69.Rd8 Bxf5 If 69...Bxb5 70.axb5, and White wins 70.exf5 Nxf5 71.a5 e4 72.dxe4 Mate cannot be averted: 72…Ne3 73.Ka2 bxa5 74.b6 Nd5 75.exd5 Kg6 76.b7 c4 77.b8Q a4 78.Rg8+ Kh7 79.Rh8+ Kg6 80.Qg8#!; if 72.axb6 Kh7 73.Rd7+ Ng7 74.b7 c4 75.b8Q Kg6 76.Qg8 c3+ 77.Kb3 exd3 78.Qxg7#! 1–0

• R. Antonio Jr (2532) – M. Al Sayed (2469)
Rd. 4, 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 e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 12...Qc7 13.Ne4 should equalize 13.c3 13.Ne4 gives Black a chance to equalize Bxd2+ 14.Nfxd2 Ngf6 Be7 14.c4 Qc7 15.d5 cxd5 16.cxd5 Qd6 17.0–0–0 Ngf6 18.Bc3 Nxd5 Fritz suggests 18...Qxd5 19.Qxd5 exd5 to restore the balance 19.Bxg7 Black cannot castle long Rg8 If 19...Qf4+ 20.Kb1 Rg8 20.Bd4 Best was 20.Bxh6, e.g., 20…Qb6 21.Be3 Nxe3 22.Qxd7+ Kf8 23.fxe3 and White would have a distinct edge Nb4 Restoring the equilibrium 21.Qb3 21.Qc4! should be tried, e.g., 21…Qf4+ 22.Rd2! Qc6+ 22.Kd2 Rd8 23.Ke1 Qb5 23...Nc2+ 24.Kf1 Nb6 25.Rd3 Nxd4 26.Nxd4 Rxg3 27.fxg3 gives Black a huge advantage 24.a3 If 24.a4 Qa6! Rc8 25.a4 Certainly not 25.axb4?? because of 25...Bxb4+ 26.Bc3 Bxc3+ 27.Qxc3 Rxc3 28.bxc3 Nc5! Qa6 26.Ne2 Rxg2 27.Kf1 Rg4 28.Qe3 Nd5 29.Qb3 Not 29.Qxh6?? Nf4 30.Nfg1 Bf8 31.Qxf4 Rxf4! Nf4 30.Qb5 Qxb5 31.axb5 Rc2 32.Nxf4 Rxf4 33.Ne1 Bc5??

A horrendous blunder, forgetting that his rook is en prise and missing his best shot, 33...Rc4! 34.Be3 Rh4 35.Rxh4 Rxh4, and Black is winning!

34.Nxc2! and White wins: 34….Bxd4 35.Rxd4! 1–0

The seventh round proved to be another major disaster for the leading Filipimo players. GMs Antonio (2532) and Torre (2531) lost to China’s Wang Hao (2626) and India’s GM Das Neelotpal (2485)

GM Paragua and IM So followed suit by losing to China’s Shen Yang (2439) and So (2516) to untitled Yap (2246).

Only IM Darwin Laylo (2486) among the key Filipino players broke the jinx by beating Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai with Black.

All the above games were featured last week.

In the lower echelons, IMs Bancod (2373) and Nadera (2402) lost to China’s GM Zhou Weiqi (2469) and FM Ahmen Samhouri (2362) of Jordan.

NMs Makinano.(2357), Senador (2180) and Maga {2361) lost to FM Goh Weiming (2388) of Singapore, Yueh Wei Po (2024) of Taipei and untitled Mongolian player Balgan Bayamardakh (2404).

Only IM Dimakiling and NM Bagamasbad won their games, but Dimakiling did it against a compatriot, Legaspi, who had also lost to IM Laylo in the opener, while Bagamasbad (2331) did it against IM Ravi Lanka (2404) of India. Both Filipinos had the black pieces.

The longest game in the round was a 107-mover between NM Rustum Tolentino (2276) and Chinese IM Wang Rui (2482).

Tolentino lost in the marathon, but not without putting up stiff resistance after he had blundered away a pawn.

He then entered into complications on the board in an endgame with rooks plus bishops with opposite colors—all of them quite mobile—until he was able to create an outside passed pawn but it was not enough because Wang had a pair of advancing center pawns.

• B. Nadera (2402) – A. Samhouri (2362)
Rd. 7, Queen’s Gambit Accepted (D23)

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.g3 e6 Covers d5 8.Bg2 Be7 9.0–0 Ne4 10.e3 Not 10.Qb3 Qb6, and Black has equalized 0–0 11.Rd1 Qa5 12.Nd2 Nxc3 13.bxc3 13.Qxc3 also gives Black a chance to equalize: 13…Qa4 14.Nb3 Rfd8! Bc2! 14.Nb3 Nb6 15.Nxa5 Nxc4 16.Rd2 Missing his best shot, 16.Nxc4! Nxd2 Better than 16...Nxa5 17.Rxc2 Nc4 18.Bf1! 17.Bxd2 Rab8 18.Rc1 Ba4 19.Rb1 Rfc8 20.e4 b5 21.h4 Bd8 22.Nb3 Bxb3 23.axb3 a5 24.Ra1 c5 25.Bf4 Bc7 26.Be3 cxd4 27.cxd4 Bb6 28.Bf1 Rc3 29.Bxb5 Rxb3 30.Bc6 Rb4 31.Kg2 Rc8 32.d5 Bxe3 33.fxe3 Rxe4 34.Kf3 exd5 35.Bxd5 Re7 36.Rxa5 g6 37.e4 Rc6?? Ruining a winning position, says Fritz, suggesting 37...h5 instead 38.Kf4 38.Bxc6 was best h5?? Missing 38...Rf6+! 39.g4 hxg4?? 39...Rf6+! was the winning move 40.Kxg4 Missing 40.Bxc6!, e.g., 40...Kg7 41.Kxg4! Rc1–+ 41.Ra3 Rf1 42.Kg3 Kg7 43.Kg2 Rf6 44.Kg3 Rc7 45.Rb3 Rc1 46.e5 Rf5 47.Re3 Rc8 47...Rc7 should be played: 48.e6 Re7 49.Rd3, and Black is winning 48.Bb3 Re8 49.e6 Kf6 50.h5? gxh5 51.Re1 51.e7 won’t work, e.g., 51...Rxe7 52.Rxe7 Kxe7, and Black still wins fxe6 52.Bc2 Rg8+ 53.Kh3 Rf3+ 54.Kh4 Rg4+ 55.Kxh5 Rg2 0–1

• R. Tolentino (2276) – Wang Rui (2482)
Rd. 7, Pirc Defense (B07)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Bc4 Ke8 7.Nf3 Bd6 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.0–0–0 a6 10.a4 h6 11.Bh4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nbd7 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Rxd5 Ke7 18.Rhd1 Rad8 19.Kd2 Bc5 20.Ke2 Rxd5 21.Bxd5 c6 22.Bb3 Bd4 23.c3 Bc5 24.Bc2 Bd6 25.Bb3 Bc5 26.Bc2 h5 27.Rg1 Kf6 28.Rd1 Ke7 29.Rg1 g6 30.Rd1 Rb8 31.Ra1 Bd6 32.Bd3 a5 33.b3 Rd8 34.Bc4 Bc5 35.Ra2 Rd6 36.Ra1 Rf6 37.Bd3 Rf4 38.Bc2 Rh4 39.Rh1 Ba3 40.Bd1 Bc5 41.Kf1 Ba3 42.Ke1 Rf4 43.Be2 Rf6 44.Kd2 Bc5 45.Rh2 Rf4 46.Ke1 Kf6 47.Rg2 Ba3 48.Kd2 Kg7 49.Bd1 Rf6 50.Be2 Kh6 51.Bd1 Rd6+ 52.Kc2 Bc5 53.Be2 Kg7 54.Bd3 Rf6 55.Be2 Kf8 56.Kd2 Ke7 57.Rh2 Kd7 58.Bd1 Kd6 59.Ke2 Ba3 60.Rh1 Kc7 61.Kd2 Rd6+ 62.Kc2 Bc5 63.Rf1 Kd7 64.Be2 Ke7 65.Kc1 Rf6 66.Kd2 Rf4 67.Ke1 Kd6 68.Rg1 Kc7 69.Rf1 Rf6 70.Kd2 Rf4 71.Ke1 b5 72.Bd1 Rf6 73.Ke2 Ba3 74.Kd2 b4 75.Be2 Kb6 76.c4 Bb2 77.Kc2 Bd4 78.c5+ Bxc5 79.Kd2 Bd4 80.Kd3 Rf4 81.Kd2 Rh4 82.Rh1 Bxf2 83.Bc4 Rf4 84.Ke2 Bd4 85.Rh2 Kc5 86.Rg2 Kd6 87.Rh2 Ke7 88.Rg2 Kf6 89.Rg3 Rh4 90.Ke1 Ke7 91.Ke2 Bc3 92.Ba6 Bb2 93.Kd2 Kd6 94.Bc4 Rf4 95.Ke2 Bd4 96.Ke1 h4 97.Rg4 Rxf3 98.Rxh4 f6 99.Kd2 Kc5 100.Rh8 Kd6 101.h4 Rf4 102.Kd3 f5 103.Rh6 Kc5 104.exf5 gxf5 105.Ke2 Rf2+ 106.Ke1 Rh2 107.h5

White resigns without waiting for Black’s reply. 0–1

MY FAVORITES Wesley’s finest in Mandaue…

ONE of the finest games won by IM Wesley So in Mandaue City was his sparkling 10th-round duel with China’s 16-year-old wonder girl, Shen Yang.

What has struck me most is its efficiency and economy of moves, climaxing in a smooth-flowing endgame that ends with a quiet queen-move, not unlike the plaintive finale of a soothing and well conducted symphony.

I have selected it as one of my favorites for two reasons besides its melodious quality as a piece of artwork: Wesley is celebrating his 14th birthday on Tuesday, October 9, and is currently taking part in the World Juniors in Yerevan.

Incidentally, I’d like to let Wesley’s fans know that there is a detailed biographical sketch of the country’s most promising young talent in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the Web.

It would not be amiss to state that Wesley’s overall performance in the Asian Individual Championship was below par and that I have just learned about the possible reason for this. The poor lad had overheard a Filipino VIP making an offensive remark to his dad in public.

Naturally upset by the incident, it took its toll on the lad who possibly regretted having entered the event in Mandaue where he started with a draw against a weak player from India, won against another Indian and then lost to the eventual champion, in the third.

It is a tribute to Wesley’s fighting spirit that he quickly recovered and won his next assignment, a fellow international master from Iran

• W. So (2516) – M. Mahjoobzardast
Rd. 4, Asian Ind Ch, Mandaue 2007
Pirc Defense, Austrian Attack (B09)

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 also favors White 13.Bxf4 Rxf4 14.Nxd6 Nd5 15.Qg3 Qf8 16.Rae1 Ne7?? Terrible, says Fritz, noting that the game is lost in any case 17.Ng5! Rxf1+ 18.Rxf1 Nf5 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.Rxf5!!

Decisive, e.g., 20…exf5 21.Qb3+! Be6 22.Qxe6+ Qf7 23.Nxf7! Rf8 24.Nh6+ Kh8 25.Qg8+!! Rxg8 26.Nf7#!; if 20…Qxf5 21.Nxf5! and just the same mate cannot be averted. 1–0

In the seventh round, however, the wonder boy from Bacoor stumbled against a teenaged rival from Cebu, Kim Steven Yap, whom he had beaten in a youth championship last year but who was in fine fighting form in home ground, so much so that he posted the highest climb among the 19 Filipinos in the championship.

Wesley had to play extra carefully in the next two rounds, settling for draws as he nursed his wounded pride. In the 10th round, however, he regained his self-confidence and the real Wesley surfaced to play a near-perfect game that even Fritz could hardly find fault with.

• W. So (2516) – Shen Yang (2439)
6th Asian Ind. Ch., Mandaue City 2007
Vienna Game (C28)

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Nge2 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0–0 Nb6 8.Bb3 Na5 9.f4 Nxb3 10.axb3 exf4 11.Nxf4 0–0 12.Qf3 c6 13.Nh5 Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Qh4 15.h3 Be6 15...f5 16.Bd2 would have equalized 16.Bf4 Not 16.Ne4 Bd5 17.Nhg3 Kh8! Nd7 Finally equalizing 17.Bg3 Qd8 18.Rae1 g6 19.Nf4 Bf5 20.Bh2 Nb6 21.Nh5 Nd7 22.Ng3 Be6 23.Nge4 Bd4 24.Bd6 Re8 25.Bf4 Nc5 26.Bg5 Fritz suggests 26.Nd6 Re7 27.b4! Qc7? 26...Qd7 would have kept Black in the game, says Fritz 27.Nxc5 Bxc5 28.Ne4 Bf8 28...Bd4 won’t save Black 29.Nf6+ Kh8 30.Re4 30.Nxe8 is dubious because of 30…Rxe8 31.Qe3 a6 Red8 30...h6 won’t work, e.g., 31.Rh4 Qe5 32.Bxh6 Bxh6 33.Rxh6+ Kg7 34.Rh7+ Kf8 35.Nd7+ Kg8 36.Nxe5 Kxh7 and Black still loses 31.Rh4 h6 31...Qh2+ won’t do any good, e.g., 32.Kxh2 Bh6 33.Rxh6 Kg7 34.Rxh7+ Kf8 35.Nh5 Ke8 36.Qf6 Kd7 37.Qe7+ Kc8 38.Qxd8#! 32.Bxh6 Bxh6 32...Bg7 won't change the outcome, e.g., 33.Bg5+ Bh6 34.Rxh6+ Kg7 35.Ne8+ Kg8 36.Qf6 Qh2+ 37.Kxh2 Rxe8 38.Qh8#! 33.Qe3!!

A beauty: mate is inevitable. 1–0

PINOY GEMS WITH A HISTORY …and his gems overseas…

THERE is no doubt that Wesley’s tournament exposure overseas has developed him as the country’s most promising young player, but has he gained enough experience?

Frankly, I doubt it. But I. strongly believe that if this wonder boy from Bacoor had received all-out support and allowed to make the rounds abroad for at least a year, he should by now be one of the strongest junior players in Asia or even the world.

It is not too late, though. Adolescence is the age when the learning process gets its biggest hormonal boost, and he is still on its upper fringes. I hope that his current stint in the World Juniors in Yerevan, Armenia will serve as the launching pad for his training tour overseas.

Making a tour was done by Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian prodigy who turns 17 next month and who is now the world’s second highest rated junior player at 2714. He was allowed to leave school for a year when he was only 12 and at 13 years and four months old had the GM title under his belt.

I believe that Wesley will still make it to the top, given his enormous talent and tremendous fighting spirit as well as his distinctive creativity on the board.

His games as an adolescent, like this miniature, which was his first-ever win at the Turin Olympiad, clearly illustrate his God-given gifts.

• P. Marie (2200) – W. So (2254)
37th Olym Turin, ITA, 2006
Sicilian Defense (B23)

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.0–0 Nge7 7.Qe1 0–0 8.a3 d5! 9.Ba2 Nd4 10.Qd1 dxe4 11.Nxe4 b6 12.d3 Bb7 13.Rb1 Qc7 14.Nfd2 If 14.Ne5 Ndc6! Rad8 15.Nc4 15.c3 should not be overlooked, says Fritz: 15...Ndf5 16.Qe2! b5 16.Ne3 c4 17.c3 17.Bd2 was stronger Ndf5! Seizing the lead 18.Ng4?? Bxe4!

Exploiting the pin on d3 to ensure the win of a piece and the game. 0–1

In the next game, Wesley upset Australian GM Ian Rogers, a leading player in Asia, in the Malaysian Open last year.

• W. So (2330) – I. Rogers (2548)
Rd. 7, 3rd DATMO, KL .August 2006
French Defense by transposition (C10)

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nc3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 6.Ne2 f6 7.Ng3 f5 8.c3 Be7 9.h4 0–0 10.Bd3 Nb8 11.Ne2 c5 12.g3 Nc6 13.0–0 13.Bg5 Qb6 14.Bxe7 Nxe7 merely keeps the balance cxd4 Fritz suggests 13...Qb6 14.cxd4 Bd7 15.Ne1 Qb6 16.Kg2 a5 16...Nxd4 should be tried, e.g., 17.Be3 Bc5 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Bxe4 Bxe5! 17.Bb1 Rf7 18.f3 Raf8 19.Bc2 h6 20.Ba4 g5 21.fxe4 fxe4 22.Rxf7 Rxf7 23.Bxc6 bxc6 24.hxg5 hxg5 25.b3 c5 26.Be3 Bb5 27.Nc3 cxd4 28.Qxd4 Stronger than 28.Bxd4 Bf1+ 29.Kg1 Bc5! Qb8 29.Nxb5 Qxb5 30.Bf2 Qe2 31.Qe3 Qb2 32.Rd1 Qxe5 33.Rc1 Qf5 Restoring the balance 34.Rc8+ Kg7 35.Nc2 e5 36.Rc7 Kg6 37.Rc6+ Bf6 Better was 37...Kg7, with equality 38.Rd6?? Best was 38.Qe2, says Fritz Rh7 39.g4 Qxg4+ 40.Qg3 Qh5 41.Kf1 d4 42.Qxe5= Qh3+ 43.Ke1 Qc3+ 44.Kd1 Rh1+ 45.Be1 Rxe1+ 46.Nxe1 Qa1+ 47.Kd2 Qc3+ 48.Kd1 Qa1+ 49.Kd2 Qxa2+??

In his desire to press his counterattack in order to shake off the threat of mate to his king, the grandmaster blunders. 49...Qc3+ could have saved the position.

50.Nc2! Black resigns because even if he sacks his queen, he still will be mated: 50…Qxc2+ 51.Kxc2 d3+ 52.Kb1 Kh6 53.Rxf6+ Kh5 54.Qh2+ Kg4 55.Qg2+ Kh4 56.Rh6#! 1–0

• W. So (2411) - A Guennoun (2122)
Rd. 6, III Calvia Open, Spain October 2006
Sicilian Defense, Pelikan and Sveshnikov (B33)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 12.0–0 Bg7 13.Qh5 f4 14.c4 b4 15.Nc2 Rb8 16.b3 a5 17.g3 Ne7 18.Nxe7 18.a3 bxa3 19.Rxa3 Nc6 gives White a clear edge Qxe7 Equalizing 19.Kh1 Qf6 20.Be2 Qg6 21.Bf3 Qxh5 22.Bxh5 Ke7 23.Rad1 Rhg8 24.Ne1 f5 25.Bf3 fxg3 26.fxg3 Rgf8 27.Nd3 fxe4 28.Bxe4 Bg4 29.Rxf8 Rxf8 Better than 29...Kxf8 30.Rf1+ Ke7 31.Bxh7! 30.Rd2 h5 31.Rf2 Rxf2 32.Nxf2 Be2 33.Kg2 Ke6 34.Bd5+ Kf5 35.Bf3 Bxf3+ 36.Kxf3 Bf8 37.h3 Be7 38.g4+ hxg4+ 39.hxg4+ Kg5 40.Ke4 Bf8 41.Kf3 Be7 42.Nd1 Bd8 43.Ne3 Bb6 44.Nf5 Bc5? 44...Bc7 would have kept Black in the game, says Fritz 45.Ng3! Black resigns in the face of certain defeat. 1–0

GAMES OF GIFTED KIDS …as well as a child’s sparklers

EVEN before he became a national master, young Wesley showed a bent of mind that seemed never satisfied with the ordinary means of achieving victory. One could sense from his games even then that he continually sought and often found the best move or series of moves that make up a combination in any given position.

The main flaw in his play then was his tendency to ignore his own weaknesses, one reason for his occasional losses. I know because I am probably the only elderly opponent he has had who outplayed him the first time we met across the board in a friendly game arranged by his father.

This was just before his surprising wins over international masters in the national championship held in Tagaytay a couple of years or so ago.

Indeed, Wesley’s rise up the local firmament of stars has been meteoric, thanks to his personal discipline and hard work at improving his play through constant study. According to his father Williamn, Wesley spends at least five hours a day studying chess and playing over games..

• I. Nyzhnyk – W. So
World Under-12 Ch., Belfort July 2005
Closed Sicilian (B23)

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.Be3 d6 5.Nge2 Bg7 6.g3 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nf6 leads to equality b5 7.Qd2 b4 8.Nd1 Rb8 9.Bg2 Nd4 10.0–0 e6 11.f4 Ne7 Black is behind in development, Fritz warns 12.g4 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 0–0 14.f5 exf5 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.Nf2? 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Qc7 favors Black Ng6 16...Bxb2!? 17.Rae1 Be5 17.exf5 Bxf5 18.Kh1 Fritz suggests 18.Rab1 Bxb2 19.Rab1 Be5 20.Ne4 Qh4 21.Bf3 Bxe4 22.Bxe4 Rbe8 23.Qg2 f5 24.Bxf5 Bxh2 24...Kh8 was more precise 25.Bg5 Qh5 Best was 25...Qg3 26.Qd5+ Kg7 27.Bxg6 Kxg6 28.Rxf8 Rxf8, with equal chances 26.Qxh2?? Qxg5!

27.Bxg6 hxg6 28.Qxd6 Kg7 29.Rxf8 Rxf8 30.Qd7+ Rf7 31.Qh3 Rf4 32.Rg1 Qd5+ 33.Rg2 Rf2 0–1

• W. So (2165) - Zhao Xue (2478)
Int’l Masters Open, Singapore .2005
Sicilian Najdorf (B93)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3² d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 0–0 10.0–0 exf4 11.Kh1 Nc5 12.Bxf4 Bg4 13.Be3 Rc8 14.Qd2 Bd7 15.b4 Nxd3 16.cxd3 d5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bg4 18...Re8 19.Bd4 should equalize19.Ne5 Bh5 20.Nc4 b5 If 20...Bf6 21.Rab1 21.Nb6 21.axb5 axb5 22.Nb6 Rc7 gives White the edge Rb8 22.a5 f6 23.Rac1 Bf7 24.Bf4 Bd6 25.Bxd6 Qxd6 26.Rc6 Qd8 27.Qf4 Re8 Fritz suggests 27...Qe7! 28.Qg3!

28…Rb7 29.d6 Be6 30.Rfc1 h5 31.Rc7 Rxc7 32.dxc7 Qd4 33.Qe1 Kf7 34.Qc3 Qxc3 35.Rxc3 Bc8 36.Rc1 Rh8 37.Re1 38.h3 f5 39.d4! 1–0

• W. So (2254) – F. El Taher (2468)
Rd. 4, 8th Dubai Open, UAE.2006
Vienna Game (C26)

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.Nc3 d6 5.f4?! Dubious. Fritz suggests 5.Na4 Ng4! 6.f5 Better was 6.fxe5 Nf2 7.Qh5! h5 6...Nf2 was better 7.Nh3 Restoring the equilibrium Ne3 7...c6 8.Qf3 equalizes 8.Bxe3 Bxe3 9.Qf3 Bc5 9...Bh6 may be tried 10.Qg3± Rg8? 11.Rf1 11.Ng5 was stronger c6? 12.Bxf7+!
12...Kxf7 13.Qg6+ Kf8 14.f6 gxf6 15.Rxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qxf6+ Ke8 17.Ng5 Rf8 18.Qg6+ Kd8 19.Na4 Bf2+ 20.Kd2 Ke7 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Nh7! If 22…Rf4 23.g3! 1–0

CHESS MAGIC
Tal awed by his own gem
THERE is one game that the great Mikhail Tal won but which he himself refused to analyze because he felt he could not do justice to it, according to journalist Ignacio “Iggy” Dee, a former player with the University of Sto. Tomas team.

“I did not want to give a faulty analysis, and to work through the end is, I'm afraid, hardly possible," Dee quoted Tal as saying.
The game was won by Tal in the seventh round of an international tournament held in Zurich, Switzerland in 1959 against 23-year-old 1958 Swiss champion Dieter Keller, who finished 12th in that event, with Tal in first place.
Keller had beaten Bobby Fischer with Black in the third round, and finished the 16-round event in 12th place with 6.0 points from five wins, two draws and nine losses.
Tal and Fischer drew their game, with the American ending up in third place, behind the Latvian wizard and Svetozar Gligorich of Yugoslavia.
At the time, Keller was a Swiss master but two years later he received the international master title. He represented Switzerland as top-board player of its national team at the Olympiad three times.
For good measure, Dee has run the game through Fritz’s digital scrutiny to find out what the computer program would say, after putting in comments from Jan Timman as published in his New in Chess magazine.
• M. Tal (LAT) – D. Keller (SUI)
Int’l Tournament, Zurich 1959
Semi-Slav, Botvinnik System (D44)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 c6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.a4 Qb6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Be2 a6 10.0–0 Bb7 Black is behind in development, says Fritz 11.d5 If 11.Qc1 Rg8. with equality cxd5 12.exd5 b4 13.a5 Qc7 14.dxe6 Timman gave this move two exclamation points, but Fritz takes a different view, saying that 14.Na4! (the same view of GM Wolfgang Unzicker, tor which the Dutch analyst added that the game could continue 14…exd5 15.Nb6 Bc5: “It is an open question what is more important, White’s chances based on Black’s disorganized K-side pawn structure, or the black bishop pair,” he writes) is noteworthy 14...Nd7 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Nd4 bxc3 14...fxe6?! 15.Na4 Nd7 16.Nd4 lads to equality, says Fritz 15.Nd4 Rg8 In reply to Clarke’s suggested 15…cxb2 16.Qa4 Nc6 17 exf7 Qxf7 18. Nc6 Ba1=Q 19.Ra1, Timman says 19…Qd5 should stop White’s attack 16.Qa4+? Fritz and Timman agree that 16.exf7+! is best, e.g., 16…Kxf7 17.Bh5+ Rg6 (here Timman recommends 17…Kg8 18 Qg4) 18.bxc3 Kd8 Frits notes that this gives Black overwhelming advantage 17.g3 Bd5 18.Rfd1 Not 18.Rad1 Kc8 19.Qe8+ Kb7 20.bxc3!, says Fritz Kc8?? “It is incredible how long the pawn tension is maintained,” says Timman. Fritz condemns 18…Kc8??, saying that Black is ruining his position. The machine and recommending instead 18...cxb2 19.Rab1 Bd6 20.exf7 Qxf7! 19.bxc3 19.Qe8+ Kb7 20.bxc3 gives White a clear edge, Fritz notes 19...Bc5 20.e7 If 20.Bxc4 fxe6 21.Bxd5 exd5!, says Fritz Nc6 “All through the game, Keler is aiming for centralization. He refuses to be swayed by the white e-pawn and forces the white knight to commit himself,” says Timman. Fritz suggests 20...Bxe7!? 21.Nf5 Be6 22.Nxe7+ Qxe7 23.Bxc4 Ra7! 21.Bg4+ Fritz assesses the position as well-balanced Kb7 22.Nb5? Fritz criticizes this move and recommends 22.Rab1+! as “a viable alternative”: 22...Ka7 23.Nb3, with equal chances Qe5 Fritz lauds this move and analyzes this line, 22...axb5 23.Qxb5+ Bb6 24.axb6 Qxe7 25.Ra7+ Rxa7 26.bxa7+ Ka8 27.Qxd5, as giving White a huge advantage 23.Re1 Be4 Not 23...Qg5, says Fritz, because of 24.Red1 (24...Qxg4 25.Rxd5 Bxe7 26.Rb1 boosts White’s lead; 24...Bxe7 25.Rab1 Rad8 26.Rxd5 Qxd5 27.Nd4+ Kc7 28.Bf3+-; 24...Nxe7?? is impossible because of the following mating combination 25.Nd6+ Kb8 26.Rab1+ Bb6 27.Rxb6+ Ka7 28.Qd7+ Bb7 29.Qxb7#!) 24.Rab1 The position is again well balanced, Fritz notes Rxg4 Fritz warns that 24...axb5?? would allow a snap mate in three: 25.Qxb5+ Kc7 26.Qb7+ Kd6 27.Qd7#! 25.Rxe4 “Theme: Double Attack,” says Fritz Qxe4 A deflection [25...Rxe4 26.Nd4 A double attack] 26.Nd6+ A double attack Kc7 27.Nxe4 Rxe4 28.Qd1 Fritz suggests 28.Kf1, with equality Re5?? Timman gives 28…Re7 29. Qd5 Ba7 30.Qc4 Rd7, with roughly equal play, or 28..Ne7 29 Qh5 f5 30.Qh7 Rd8 31.Qf7 Rd3 32.Kg2 Re3 3.h4 Rc2 34.Rf1 “and this razor-sharp position will in all probability end in a draw.”. Fritz also condemns the move as ruining a clearly superior position, but suggests 28...Bxe7 was necessary, e.g., 29.Qd5 Re5 30.Qxc4 Rxa5 31.Qxf7 h5! 29.Rb7+!!

After 29.Rb7+!!
A convincing end, says Fritz.
29...Kxb7 Theme: Deflection from d7 30.Qd7+ Kb8 31.e8=Q+ Rxe8 32.Qxe8+ Kb7 Fritz condemns 32...Kc7 as no good, but asks: what else? 33.Qxa8 Nxa5 34.Qxa6 Bb6, and White would be winning 33.Qd7+ Kb8 34.Qxc6 1-0.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN MEXICO: A POST MORTEM
Experience & talent over youth
ONLY one conclusion can be drawn from the results of the just-concluded World Championship held in Mexico City: experience along with that God-given gift we call talent prevailed over youth and its spirit of adventure, originality and creativity.

Consider these:
• The oldest participants landed at the top—Viswanathan Anand of India, who turns 38 on December 12, captured the crown and Boris Gelfand of Israel, 39, finished in third place, while the third oldest, defending champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, 32, took the second slot.
• The youngest and lowest rated among the contestants landed at the bottom of the heap—Alexander Grischuk of Russia, who is 24 years old and has a rating of 2726.
• Gelfand (2733) had clearly risen above himself, finishing ahead of four higher rated and younger rivals—28-year-old Peter Leko (2751) of Hungary, 31-year-old Peter Svidler (2735) and 30-year-old Alexander Morozevich (2758), both of Russia, and 25-year-old Levon Aronian (2750) of Armenia, who took the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh slots, respectively.
It cannot be said that the Russians had colluded with each other because they neither gave nor asked for any quarters whenever they came face to face with each other across the board.
.It is also to the credit of the past champion that he was able to overcome the odds by winning brilliantly in the 14th and final round, besting his young Armenian rival.
• V. Kramnik (2769) – L. Aronian (2750)
Rd. 14, Queen’s Indian Defense (E15)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0–0 12.0–0 Rc8 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 b5 15.Re1 bxc4 16.Bf1 Nb6 17.Rb1 Nd5 18.Ba1 Bb4 19.Nc5 Bxe1 20.Qxe1 cxb3 21.Nxa6 bxa2 22.Rb2 Nc7 23.Rxa2 Nxa6 24.Rxa6 Qd7 25.Qc3 f6 26.Qc5 Rf7 27.Bc3 Qb7 28.Qc4 Qd7 29.Bg2 Kh8 Not 29...Qb7 because of 30.Bxc6 Kh8 31.d5 Qb1+ 32.Kg2 exd5 33.Qxd5!, and White surges ahead 30.Bxc6 Qb7 31.Kg2 31.Bxb7?! is dubious, says Fritz: 31…Rxc4 32.Rxa7 g5, and White’s lead diminishes h6 Better than 31...Re7 32.Qa4 Qb1 33.Rxa7 Rxa7 34.Qxa7, and White is way ahead 32.d5 Fritz points out that 32.Bxb7 is clearly weaker: 32...Rxc4 33.Be4 f5 Qb8 33.dxe6 Re7 34.Bb4 Rec7 35.e7!

After 35.e7!
Black resigns under terrible pressure, completely paralyzed by the enemy, whose intrepid pawn is knocking on its doors. 1–0
• P. Svidler (2735) – A. Grischuk (2726)
Rd. 14, Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Ne5 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Nbc6 13.Nd5 e6 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Ne3 Qa5+ 16.c3 Nf3+ 17.Qxf3 Bxc3+! 18.Kd1 If 18.bxc3+ Q5xc3 Qa4+?? 18...Bxb2 was better but not enough, e.g., 19.Qe4 Bxa1 20.Qxe6+ Ne7 21.Bxd6 Qa4+ 22.Nc2 19.Nc2?? 19.Kc1 would have secured the point: 19...Be5 20.Bc4! Bxb2 20.Rc1 Bxc1 21.Qf6 Black cannot castle queen side, Fritz notes. The text is better than 21.Kxc1 Qxc2+ 22.Kxc2 Nd4+ 23.Kd2 Nxf3+ 24.gxf3 e5! Kd7 22.Kxc1 Qxa2 23.Bd3 Rac8 Fritz says 23...Ne7!? should be considered 24.Rd1 d5 25.Bf5!

After 25.Bf5!
A pretty picture.
25...Rhe8 If 25...exf5 26.Qfxf5 26.Qf7+ Kd8 27.Re1 Better than 27.Bxe6 .Rxe6 28.Qxe6 Qxc2+ 29.Kxc2 Nd4+ 30.Kb2 Nxe6 31.Rxd5+ Ke7 Qa3+ 28.Nxa3 Ne5+ 29.Kd2 Nxf7 30.Bxe6 Rc6? 31.Bxf7 Rxe1 32.Kxe1 b5 33.Kd2 b4 34.Nc2 b3 35.Nd4 Rb6 36.Kc1 a5 37.Bxd5 a4 38.Be5 b2+ 39.Kb1 a3 If Ke7 41.Nc2! 40.Ba2 40.Bc4 was more decisive, e.g., 40...Kd7 41.Nc2 Kc6 Rb7 41.Bd6 Rd7 42.Nb5! The clincher: 42…h5 43.Kc2. 1–0
Turn to page 13.

Anand treated to victory dinner in Mexico


CHAMP Anand addresses
his audience at dinner in colorful closing ceremony.
—Chessbase News photos Anand mobbed
by Mexican fans
CHANTING “Anand, Anand, Anand,” scores of fans mobbed the new world champion when he emerged from the tournament hall and walked toward a restaurant nearby for a victory dinner hosted by the Mexican organizers last Sunday night.
A huge crowd gathered in front of the Hacienda Los Morales Restaurant in downtown Mexico City to honor their idol, who had just swept through the World Championship undefeated.
Anand-Leko draw
From page 12
The game in Mexico that clinched the crown for.Anand:
• V. Anand – P. Leko
Rd 14, Ruy Lopez (C89)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.Re1 Bd6 13.d3 Bf5 14.Nd2

THE Magnificent Eight join in the singing of the anthem before dinner. From left, front row, are Peter Svidler, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich and Boris Gelfand. In back row are, same order, Levon Aronian, Alexander Grischuk, Peter Leko, and Vishy Anand. GUESTS were serenaded by the Mariochis, a popular Mexican band.
WIM Arianne Caoili (left) and Aruna, the wife of Anand. chat in a balcony while waiting for their men after their victory dinner at the restaurant.
Nf4 15.Ne4 Nxd3 16.Bg5 Not 16.Qxd3 because of 16...Bxh2! Qd7 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.Bc2 Qg6 19.Bxd3 Bxd3 Not 19...Qxg5 20.Re5 g6 21.Bxf5 gxf5 22.Qf3 20.Be3 ½–½

BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (1)
Dodong Romero (part 2)
This is part 2 of our campaign to have the National Master titled bestowed upon Jose “Dodong” Romero of Bais, Negros Oriental.
LAST Friday we wrote about his chess-playing career in the Philippines, which was short, but very eventful. In 1971 the late USCF Executive Director Col. Ed Edmondson extended Dodong an invitation to take part in the 1971 U.S. Open Chess Championship in Ventura, California. That was the turning point of his life that led to his re-joining then-girlfriend Cynthia. They married in the US and have lived there ever since, as of now struggling to put their third child through college.

Now it is 2007 and in the meantime Dodong has acquired the USCF Master title, but still the Philippine National Master title eludes him.
I remember my favorite Jet Li movie “Fist of Legend,” where he faced the grandmaster of the Kokuryo clan, Yasuaki Kurata, in a one-on-one battle. After a fierce contest which ended in a draw, the Japanese praised Jet Li on his fine technique, but warned that there is a Japanese general called the “killing machine” who is quite adept in unarmed combat and might prove a tough opponent.
On hearing this, Jet Li’s girlfriend remarked that Kurata is known as the No. 1 martial artist in Japan, so how could anyone be better? The reply was that a martial artist isn’t measured by skill in killing other people, but in his culture. Kung Fu’s purpose, after all, is not to defeat the opponent (as Kurata dryly commented, for that end the gun is the most efficient means), but for personal development.
Dodong Romero’s star shone brilliantly but quickly in Philippine chess, but to view him purely as a player will not do justice to this man. When we talk about “chessmen” most of us only think of players – not so. There are still books to write, problems/studies to be composed, tournaments to organize and direct, and many, many more.
Dodong has frequently returned to the Philippines to organize a Dr. Jose Romero Memorial Chess Open in memory of his father, a medical doctor. His goal is to give tournament exposure to the many young chess players of his hometown. No frills, no politics, just a well-organized event.
When it comes to traveling to the United States, Dodong has become the informal US host for all Filipino chessplayers who pass through Los Angeles. How many Pinoys have experienced his extreme hospitality – often he would pick up the players in the airport and bring them to his home to stay for a few nights while they get their bearings in a foreign land. How many recent arrivals to the US has he fed and supported?
Our traveling grandmasters and international masters (including Torre, Antonio, Paragua) have all been beneficiaries of Dodong’s generosity. He even organizes simultaneous exhibitions in LA so that our players can earn a few additional bucks for expenses. He would also put together informal chess blitz events for Filipino chessplayers in LA for them to get to know each other.
He acknowledges that chess has brought a lot more good things for him than bad. The bad is that he wasted so much time & money in college to burden my parents to the brink of bankruptcy but were it not for this game:
a) he would not have met his wife whom he met through a friend, Vic Baula who was a member of the MIT Chess club. Vic’s girlfriend was Cynthia's classmate in PWU nursing school.
b) He may not have obtained a two-week visa to represent the country in the 1971 US Open.
c) He may not have met such a wonderful person, a chess playing executive, during a tournament, who owned a chemical coatings company and offered Dodong his first real job in the United States as a chemist. This was the break that he needed – later on he was to undergo additional studies which results in him becoming a registered Nuclear Engineer (!)
Now, already 62 years of age, he can look back to a full life, having achieved no mean success in terms of raising his family, also in the exercise of his profession. But it is chess that is his love. We all would like to think that we have contributed to the cause of Philippine chess, but how many of us can claim to Dodong’s credentials, that not only did he shine in playing, but also in chess organization and hospitality to Filipino chess players who find themselves in a foreign land.
It is not only him who deserves the honor of the National Master title, but he would also do honor to the title too, for he passes all requirements with flying colors, as a man, organizer, host, and most of all, a human being.
Turn to page 15.

How Dodong beat the famous Christiansen
From page 14
Before we close let us look at another of his chess games, against GM Larry Christiansen.
Christiansen is now a famous GM who has represented the United States in many international competitions. During the period 1972–1975 he totally dominated US junior chess, winning the US Junior title in 1973, 1974 (with Peter Winston) and 1975, and also the National High School Championships in 1971–1973.
In the late summer of 1973, he played in the World Junior Championships in Teesside, England and finished in a tie for third with Michael Stean and Slavoljub Marjanovic behind runner-up Tony Miles and champion Alexander Beliavsky.He was probably quite confident of winning the American Open in 1973 too, but somehow a certain untitled Fillipino managed to spoil his party.
Christiansen,Larry (2555) - Romero,Jose (2064) [A07]
American Open (2), 22.11.1973
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.b3 Bf5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.Bb2 e6 6.0–0 Be7 7.d3 0–0 8.Nbd2 a5 9.a3 c5 10.Ne5 h6 11.a4 Qc7 12.e4 Bh7 13.exd5 exd5 14.Re1 Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Qf3 Bg6 17.h3 Nh7 18.h4 Bf6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Qe3 Qd6 21.Qe7 Qxe7 22.Rxe7 Rfe8 23.Rae1 Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Re8 25.Rxe8+ Nxe8 26.Bh3!
All the major pieces have been exchanged off but the game is not automatically drawn. White has the advantage in a better pawn structure and piece placement. The text threatens to win a pawn with Bd7 as well as to cut off Black's bishop with f2-f4-f5.
26...f5 27.Nf3 Nd6 28.d4 c4 29.Ne5 cxb3 30.cxb3 Be8 31.Nd3
White is definitely better now, as he is creating a passed pawn on the queenside.
31...Kf7 32.b4 axb4 33.Nxb4 Ke7 34.Kf1 Kd8 35.Nd3 Bd7 36.Ke2 Kc7 37.Nc5 Bc8 38.Kd2 Ne4+ 39.Nxe4± dxe4 40.Kc3?!
White starts losing the thread. Here and in the next few moves he should play 40.h5.
40...Kb6 41.Kb4 g5!
Dodong equalizes. Black can generate threats on the kingside to counter White's on the queenside.
42.hxg5 hxg5 43.Bg2 Be6 44.a5+ Kc7

After 44...Kc7
Now the game starts getting interesting.
45.g4 Bd5!
Unexpected.
46.Bh3
[46.gxf5? e3! wins Larry's bishop]
46...f4 47.Bf1? Be6
And just like that Dodong is winning.
48.Bh3 Bc8 49.Bg2 f3 50.Bf1
To his horror Christiansen realizes that he has to lose the g-pawn. If 50.Bh3 e3! wins. Here is what will happen: 51.fxe3 (51.Kc3 Bxg4! 52.Bxg4 exf2 53.Bh3 g4 54.Bf1 g3 etc) 51...f2 52.Kc3 Bxg4 53.Bf1 Bf3 followed by the g-pawn marching all the way down the board.
50...Bxg4 51.Kc3 e3!
Nicely played
52.fxe3 Bf5 53.e4 Bxe4 54.Kd2 g4 55.Ke3 g3 56.Bh3 Kb7 57.Bg4 Bd5 58.a6+
[58.Bxf3 g2!]
58...Ka7
Nothing wrong with taking the pawn, of course.
59.Bc8 f2 60.Bh3 Be6! 0–1
Christiansen resigns. He had no stomach for [60...Be6 61.Bf1 (61.Bg2 Bc4) 61...Bc8 62.Kf3 Bxa6.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Monday, October 1, 2007.
=================================Poland’s Bartel tops
Isle of Man tourney POLISH star Mateusz Bartel has topped the Isle of Man Monarch Assurance Tournament that drew a total of 86 masters.
It was one of the closest contests seen in years, with 86 players from all over Europe competing.
Bartel (2609) won on tiebreak in a six-man pack that finished with 6.5 points each from nine rounds.
The five others, in the order of the prizes they won, were Zaher Efimenko of Ukraine (2624), Vitali Golod of Israel (2589), Mikhail Koballa of Russia (2634), Michael Roiz of Israel (2630) and Yuri Yakovich of Russia (2597).
Ukraine’s GM Alexander Areschenko (2645) headed a nine-man batch with 6.0 points each

BOBBY ANG’S BUSINESSWORLD COLUMN, CHESS PIECE (2)
Anand world champion again
World Chess Championship
Mexico City, Mexico
13-30 September 2007
Final Standings
1 GM Viswanathan Anand (India) 2792, 9.0/14
2 GM Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 2769, 8.0/14
3 GM Boris Gelfand (Israel) 2733, 8.0/14
4 GM Peter Leko (Hungary) 2751, 7.0/14
5 GM Peter Svidler (Russia) 2735, 6.5/14
6 GM Alexander Morozevich (Russia) 2758, 6.0/14
7 GM Levon Aronian (Armenia) 2750, 6.0/14
8 GM Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 2726, 5.5/14
Average elo: 2751 <=> Category: 21
Time control: 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves in one hour, followed by 15 minutes plus 30 seconds for all the remaining moves (40/2h, 20/1h, 15m+30sec/all).
AS shown above, this tournament had an ELO average of 2751.75 for category-21 and is the strongest world championship ever. The last world title tournament in San Luis was "only" category 20 (ave 2738), and the original match tournament held in The Hague and Moscow, won by Mihail Botvinnik, in 1948 had a recalculated average of 2698.2 (category 18).

The three oldest players (Anand 37, Kramnik 32, Gelfand 39) finished in the first three places, while the two youngest players (Aronian 25 and Grischuk 24), both tipped to be dark horses, finished in the cellar.
Viswanathan Anand of India won the double-round World Chess Championship in Mexico and crowned himself World Champion. He did this in dominating fashion - the only one to finish undefeated, he took the lead in round 2 (tied with Kramnik), nosing ahead to become the solo front-runner in round 5 and holding it all the way to the last, 14th, round. This world title goes along very nicely with his status as the world's highest-ranked player based on the FIDE rating list.
Anand was "in the zone" for the entire duration of the tournament and the only times he appeared in danger of losing was with Black ag World Champion Anand
ainst Kramnik and Grischuk, in both cases he had to salvage draws in two difficult rook endings a pawn down.
Anand now has a lucrative match lined-up next year against former champion Vladimir Kramnik. This will be a 12-game match to played between May and September 2008 - precise date and venue to be confirmed by FIDE.
You know what? If this match takes place and Anand beats Kramnik, then the Indian would have already won the world title in all the possible formats - FIDE Knock-Out (New Delhi/Teheran 2000), Tournament (Mexico 2007), and Match. This, together with all the titles he has previously won, like the Rapid Chess Champion, Blitz Chess Champion, plus his habit of taking part and successes in almost all the elite tournaments for the past decade really marks him out as among the greatest players of our generation.
Anand picked the Moscow Variation as his main Black weapon against 1.d4. Considering that White could meet the line with the Anti-Moscow Gambit, which is a highly tactical line with refutations to specific variations coming up every now and then, one might second-guess Anand's decision. But for the spectators it was a welcome choice as it led to exciting games. Contrast this against Kramnik's decision to pin his hopes on retaining his title on the dull Petroff.
Anand scored 1 win and 2 draws out of his 3 Anti-Moscows. Here is his second-round victory over Aronian which enabled the Indian to go into the lead.
Turn to page 17

Anand introduces novel move vs Aronian

From page 16
• Aronian,Levon (2750) - Anand,Viswanathan (2792) [D43]
World Championship Mexico City (2), 14.09.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6
This is the Moscow Variation. White can take on f6 and content himself with a small lead in development and space advantage. However, if he is someone like Aronian who likes "crooked" positions and plays to win with White he can continue as in the game.
6.Bh4
The Anti-Moscow Gambit. Contrary to the Botvinnik System (5...dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5), this offers a real gambit since Black can hold on to the pawn with 6.dxc4 7.e4 g5. Since the turn of the century the Anti-Moscow has graduated from being an obscure sideline into the main arena of combat.
6...dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5
The tabiya (battle formation) of the Anti-Moscow. White has several choices, the most popular by far being 9.Be2. Also frequently seen is 9.e5 and 9.h4. Aronian plays something less common.
9.Ne5 h5!
The correct reaction, forcing White to either play 10.h4 or 10.f3, both of which have weaknesses.
10.h4 g4 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0–0 Nbd7 13.Qc2 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg7 15.Rad1 0–0 16.Bg3!?
Joel Benjamin expressed a bit of puzzlement with this retreat, since, according to him, most players would prefer their bishop on e5 where it will soon exchange itself for its counterpart on g7. Yes, that sounds logical, but the test of experience shows that after the bishop exchange on g7 the weakness of white's h4 becomes more pronounced. Here are some examples: 16.f3 Nh7! 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.fxg4 Qxh4 19.gxh5 Ng5 20.Qd2 (20.Bf3? f5! 21.d5?! fxe4 22.dxe6 exf3 23.e7 Rf6 24.Rd8 Nh3+! winning. Halkias,S-Asrian,K/ Ohrid 2001 0–1 (38)) 20...Nh3+ 21.gxh3 Qg3+ 22.Kh1 Qxh3+ draw. Van Wely,L-Lautier,J/ Monte Carlo 2000.
16...Nd7 17.f3 c5!?
Anand's novelty. Previously 17...Qb6 followed by ...c7-c5 was considered best. Anand's idea is to keep his queen on the h4-d8 diagonal. In this game the plan is completely successful.
18.dxc5
The thematic reply to 17...c5 is 18.d5 but in this position Black has the strong 18...Be5! when White is at a loss for a good reply. 19.Bxe5?! (After 19.f4 Bd4+ the black dark-squared bishop is much more active than his direct rival.) 19...Nxe5 20.f4? Qxh4! with decisive attack. Nor can White play 18.Nxb5 cxd4 19.Nxd4 (19.Bxc4 Qb6 20.Bd3 gxf3 21.gxf3 e5) 19...Qb6 because now he is in trouble. For example 20.Bf2 g3! 21.Be3 Qd8! Black's queen is going to penetrate the kingside.
18...Qe7 19.Kh1 a6 20.a4 Bc6
White does not have a shred of an advantage. With Black threatening to go up a pawn to go along with his strong position Aronian realizes that desperate measures are necessary.
21.Nd5!? exd5 22.exd5

After 22.exd5
22...Be5!
Probably overlooked by White.
23.f4
Forced, but now both of White's bishops have limited scope.
23...Bg7 24.dxc6 Nxc5 25.Rd5
How does Black defend his h-pawn?
25...Ne4 26.Be1
[26.Rxh5?? Nxg3+]
26...Qe6 27.Rxh5?
[27.axb5 Qxd5 28.Bxc4 Qf5 29.Bd3 still gives some chances]
27...f5!
The winning move. White's rook is trapped and has to give itself up for the bishop.
28.Kh2 Rac8 29.Bb4 Rfe8 30.axb5 axb5 31.Re1 Qf7! 32.Rg5 Nxg5 33.fxg5 Rxc6 34.Bf1 Rxe1 35.Bxe1 Re6 36.Bc3 Qc7+ 37.g3 Re3 38.Qg2 Bxc3 39.bxc3 f4 40.Qa8+ Kg7 41.Qa6 fxg3+ 0–1
Black's next move is 42...Qf7, a crusher.
Reader comments and/or suggestions are urgently solicited. Email address is bangcpa@gmail.com.
This column was first published in BusinessWorld on Friday, October 5, 2007.

FROM MY SWIVEL CHAIR
Time to clean up rating list

BEFORE everything else, I’d like to emphasize it is not The Weekender’s intention impugn the integrity of Fide’s quarterly ratings list or of the people involved in its preparation and issuance.
The only overriding consideration for this criticism is the desire to see a clean and honest ratings list that projects a true picture of Philippine chess as manifested in the current levels of strength of its players.
In the first place, the list of active players is a misnomer. There are numerous names of players who have been inactive for the past decades but are still carried by it. I see no justification for this except to fill the quota of 100 active players.
It is not necessary to name these “ghost” players but I’d like to cite those who have left Philippine shores and have not played here or abroad for at least a decade like IM Renato Naranja. Thirty years of absence is a long enough stretch of time for one’s name to be dropped from the rolls.
Incidentally, what is the chief criterion in point of time for considering a player as “inactive?”
In the second place, which makes the subject quite topical, it is now public knowledge that names of players who ought to be there, like GM-elect Darwin Laylo, the solitary Filipino qualifier for the 2007 World Cup to be held in Russia next month, have been omitted.
If Laylo was allowed to play in the Asian championship, then his name and rating must be at least restored in the Fide rolls.
The excuse that there was no material time to include the results of the Asian contest in the October 1 listing is baloney, considering the number of games included in the calculations.
Where for instance did GM Eugene Torre play those 11 games when he had not taken part in any tournament from July to September except the Asian Individual Championship in Mandaue? How about IM Julio Catalino Sadorra’s 11 games?
The Weekender urges the NCFP to work for the rectification of these errors. There is absolutely no justification for GM-elect Laylo, IMs Ronald Dableo and Chito Garma and NM Oliver Barbosa to be excluded from the list after their names had been cleared by the federation.
Fide has no business denying them the honor of being listed as bona fide players after their home federation had reinstated them.
The sooner a rectified rating list is issued, the better it is for everyone concerned, especially the honor of Philippine chess.
By the way, Fide should review its October listing because several names are missing.
I have noticed, for instance, that the name of Boris Gelfand, who finished in third place in Mexico City, is omitted from the overall listing. Also missing is Israel’s representative to the World Juniors in Yerevan—GM Maxim Rodshtein, the opponent of IM Wesley So in the fourth round.
Is Israel blacklisted by Fide?
—0—
IT warms the heart to witness the help being extended by the local chess community to the family of fellow chess player Alfredo V. Chay after two of his three children were seriously injured in a traffic accident in Malolos City Sunday night.
Such show of support is reassuring to all chess lovers.
================================= Problem corner
‘My Echo and Me’

White mates in three.
Composed by the Maestro, Engr. Joselito P. Marcos of Cabanatuan City and Lae, Papua New Guinea.
Submit your answer to Alfredo V. Chay at theQMC Chess Plaza or email it to manny_b@pacific.net.ph.
Solution to last week’s puzzle, “Bulaga!”: 1.Na6+! Ka5 If 1...Kxa6 2.Ra8#!; if 1...Kc4 2.Kd6#! 2.Kb7#!
Congratulations to Jose “Dodong” Romero Jr. of California, USA! How about the rest of you, guys? Come on in, the water’s fine!

Chess quote
“Chess is 99 per cent tactics.”
—Richard Teichmann

The Weekender

Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon City
Manuel O. Benitez
Editor & Publisher
Alfredo V. Chay
Circulation Manager
Published every weekend
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Sorry guys, need to go!