Chess News for week ending June 11

The Jack Rabbit Chess Report



for the week ending June 11

Contents:

Thread One: A quiet week
Thread Two: How the US men won the Broze in Torino
Thread Three: Other games from recent events


Artwork from the website of Julia Beyer (Germany)

It is a quiet time in the international chess circuit from last Sunday, when the 37th Olympiad ended in Torino, until the end of July when the Dortmund Spakassiad begins.

San Marino Open

Vadim Milov of Switzerland (originally Ukraine) and Var Akobian of the United States (originally Armenia) tied with 7½ points out of 9 for first place in the Open Tournament held this last week in San Marino, an independent nation in northeastern Italy. Milov was awarded first prize on a tiebreaking formula.

Mereb Gagunashvili of Georgia finished in third palce with 7 points while the highest rated player in the field, Sergei Tiviakov of Holland (originally Russia) finished tied for fourth with seven other players at 6½ points.

One hundred forty-eight players participated.

Leon Rapid Tournament

Viswanathan Anand of India defeated FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria today in the the final match of a knock out rapid tournament held in Leon, Spain.

Anand won the match by winning the first game and drawing the next three. The time limits of each game in Leon was twenty minutes for the entire game plus increments of 10 seconds per move.

Also participating in the event were Cuban grandmaster Lázaro Bruzón and Paco Vallejo of Spain.

Grandmaster Tournament in Hockenheim, Germany

International Master Rainer Buhmann of Germany won a minor grandmaster tournament held in the German town of Hockenheim with 6 points out of 9.

The victory appears to be enough for Buhmann to earn the rank of International Grandmaster.

As reported last week, the US men's team won the Bronze Medal at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Torino, Italy, when the favored Russian team collapsed in the late rounds. The Russians lost 3-1 to Israel in the last round, which looked like it would give the Israeli team the Bronze. However, the American team crushed Norway 3½-½ to edge out the Israelis for the Bronze.

The Russians entered the last round in control of third place

One of the problems for the Russians in Torino was the lack of consistency on the lower boards. The last round was no exception. With classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik being given the last round off, Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk drew on the top two boards, but Alexander Morozevich and Evgeny Bareeev each lost on boards 3 and 4.

For the Americans, who looked like they were out of the running for a medal as play started in the last, only the top board game, between Gata Kamsky and 15-year-old Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, resulted in a draw; the Americans won the other three games.



Victor Mikalevski

Victor Mikhalevski (Israel) vs. Evgeny Bareev (Russia)
Chess Olympiad, Round 13/Board 4
Torino, May 2006

Queen's Gambit: Slav Defense

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4

One of the features of the delayed acceptance of the "gambit" in the Slav Defense for Black is that it can turn the Queen's Gambit into a real gambit. Black is threatening to hold the Pawn with 5. -- b5, therefore White must make this move in order to regain it. This contrasts with the normal Queen's Gambit Accepted (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4), where White has no trouble regaining the Pawn and where any attempt to Black to keep the Pawn only results in trouble; the observation is the Queen's "Gambit" is the only opening gambit that cannot be refuted by accepting it and, therefore, is not really a gambit at all. On the other hand, White can play the Slav as a gambit by omitting 5. a4 and playing instead 5. Ne5, 5. e3 or the violent 5. e4, to any of which Black would reply 5. -- b5.

5. -- Bf5 6. Ne5

The more usual way for White to regain the Pawn is 6. e3 e6 7.Bxc4.

6. -- Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. Qd2!?

This is the unusual move. The "book" move here is either 8. g3 or 8. Qe1. The text seems to have a disadvantage over the latter move in that it blocks the development of the Queen's Bishop.

8. -- g6 9. f3 e5 10. e4 exd4 11. Ne2 Be6 12. Nxd4 Bxc4 13. Bxc4 Ne5 14. Be2 O-O-O?!

It seems preferable to play 15. -- Bg7 followed by 16. -- o-o and then to prepare for expansion of the Pawn majority on the Queenside.

15. Qc3 Bg7 16. Be3 Neg4?

Black apparently thinks he will get control of the long diagonal and the center files as compensation for the Knight, but the sacrifice is simply unsound. Better would be to expand space on the Kingside with 16. -- h6 or to seek to tickle White's good Bishop with 16. -- h5 followed by -- Bh6.

17. fxg4 Nxe4 18. Qc4 Rhe8 19. O-O-O Qe5 20. Rd3 Qc5

Mark Crowther for ChessCenter awards this move a querry and suggests 20. -- Nc5 as a better move.

21. Nc2 Qe5 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Qb3

It's the only move, but an obvious one. Black's attack is spent and White coasts to an easy win.

23. -- Nd2 24. Bxd2 Qxe2 25. Bg5 Rd3 26. Qb4 Qxg2

Black finally gets a second Pawn for the sacrificed piece, but everything from here is forced.

27. Re1 b6

If 27. -- a6, then 28. Re8+ Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Kc7 30. Qa5+ b6 31. Qxa7#; and if 27. -- f6, then 28. Re8+ Rd8 (Kd7 29. Qe7#) 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. Bxf6+ Bxf6 31. Qf8+ Kd7 32, Qxf6 and White continues a piece ahead.

28. Re8+ Kb7 29. Qe7+ Ka6 30. Nb4+ 1-0

After Black plays 30. -- Ka5, White forces mate with 31. Qxa7+ Kxb4 32. Qxb6+ Kc4 (Kxa4 33. Ra8#) 33. Qb5+ Kd4 34. Rd8+ Ke4 35. Qc6+ Ke5 36. Qe8#.



Var Akobian

Kjetil Lie (Norway) vs. Var Akobian (United States)
Chess Olympiad, Round 13/Board 4
Torino, June 2006

French Defense (Advance Variation)

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3

The French Advance Game is perhaps the slowest opening in chess. Up to now, White has established a Pawn chain in the center and Black has set to undermine it with 3. -- c5 -- all with Pawn moves.

4. -- Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7 6. Bd3 Rc8 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. O-O f5 9. Ng5?!

White eschews 9. exf6?! Nxf6 as assisting Black with developing his Kingside, but the text still allows Black too much leeway in the center. A better move would be 9. Bf4, maintaining the Pawn.

9. -- Nxe5!

Eliminating White's important e-Pawn.

10. Bxf5 Qf6

If 10. -- exf5? then 11. Qxd5 Qe7 12. Re1!.

11. Bc2 Ne7 12. Kh1

White signals his intention to advance the f-Pawn. He labors at doing so.

12. -- h6 13. Nh3 O-O 14. f4 N5g6 15. Nd2 e5 16. Ne4?

This is flashy, but it just doesn't work. White should try 16. fxe5 Qxe5 17. Re1 Qf6 18. Ne4.

16. -- dxe4 17. Qxd7 e3!

This gives White real problems. Black will be in the driver's seat for the rest of the game.

18. f5 Nf4 19. Nxf4 exf4 20. Rxf4 e2

The Pawn is knocking at the door. White must defend very carefully.

21. Qd2 Qe5 22. Qe1 Ng6 23. Rf3 Nh4 24. Rf4 Rce8 25. Bd2 Nxf5 26. Re4 Qxe4!

Black sacrifices the Queen for a Rook and a Bishop, but retains the initiative.

27. Bxe4 Rxe4 28. Qb1 Re5 29. Be1 Ng3+ 30. Bxg3

Black starts some mating threats. If 30. hxg3? then 30. -- Rh5 is mate.

30. -- Ref5

Threatening mate starting with 31. -- Rf1+

31. h4 Rf1+ 32. Kh2

This is better than the alternative 32. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 33. Rxf1 exf1=Q+.

32. -- Rxb1 33. Rxb1 Rd8 34. Re1 Rd2 35. b4 Be7 36. Kg1 Bf6 37. Kf2 Rxa2 38. Rxe2 Rxe2+ 39. Kxe2 Bxc3

The adventures of the e-Pawn end with Black emerging with a won ending.

40. b5 Kf7 41. Bf2 a5 42. Kd3 Bb4 43. Kc4 Ke6 44. g4 Be7 45. h5 a4 46. Bd4 Bf6

White positioned his Bishop to prevent the Pawn from coronating, but Black moves to eliminate the defense.

47. Bxf6 gxf6 48. Kb4 b6 49. Kxa4 Kd5 50. Kb4 Kd4 51. Kb3 Kc5 52. Kc3 Kxb5 53. Kd4 Kc6

Lie could have resigned here. It will take Black five moves to promote his Pawn; it will take White that many moves just to capture Black's two Kingside Pawns so that he can advance his own Pawns. Of course, if White moves to capture the b-Pawn, Black captures White's remaining Pawns and escorts his f-Pawn to the Queening square.

54. Ke4 b5 55. Kf5 b4 56. Kxf6 b3 57. 0-1

Victor Mihalevski from ChessPublishing.com
Var Akobian from New York Masters

One of the interesting stories in Torino has two parts. First, not all teams were form nations. Each division had three special international teams represented: a team from the International Blind Chess Association, another from the International Physically Handicapped Chess Association and a third from the International Silent (deaf) Chess Association.

The second part of that story is that for most of the event, the individual point leader of the women's division was Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko of Ukraine, who played top board for the IBCA. She ended the tournament with 9 points.



Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko

Suzanne Connolly (Ireland) vs. Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko (IBCA)
Chess Olympiad, Round 5/Board 1
Torino, May 2006

Spanish Sicilian Game: Moscow Variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+

The Spanish Sicilian is a popular alternative to the Open Sicilian. The Moscow Variation is one of two Spanish Sicilian, the other being the Rossolimo Variation (1. e4 c5 2. Nf6 Nc6 Bb5).

3. -- Nc6

The main line is 3. -- Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4; however, the text is seen often enough.

4. c4!?

White adopts a line that is a relative novelty. Usual here is 4. 0-0 Bd7 followed by wither 5. Re1 or 5. c3.

4. -- Bd7 5. 0-0 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bg7 8. Be3 Nf6 9. f3 0-0 10. Nc3 a6 11. Bxc6

This exchange is not forced, but White wants to maintain the Maroczy bind (the Pawns at e4 and c4) in order to make it difficult for Black to advance her b- or d-Pawns. If 11. Ba4 then 11. -- Nxd4 12. Bxd7 (not the immediate 12. Bxd4?, when 12. -- b5! 13. cxb5 axb5 14. Nxb5 Qa4 wins for Black) Qxd7 13. Bxd4 b5 14. cxb5 axb5 and Black has considerably more freedom and may begin engineering -- d5.

11. -- bxc6 12. Qd2 Rb8 13. b3 Re8!?

This is what Nimzovich called a "mysterious Rook move." The Rook is doing nothing now, but will support an advance of the e-Pawn later.

14. Kh1 Qa5 15. Rac1 Qc7 16. Nde2 c5!

Black has now staked a claim on a peice of the Center.

17. Nf4 Bc6 18. Ncd5?!

The general liquidation leaves White's Queen at d5. As every chess player knows, the Queen can be as ticklish as she is powerful.

18. -- Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Qxd5 a5!

This move immobilizes White's Queenside majority, which now comes under attack on the open b-file.

21. Rb1 Rb7 22. f4 e6!

See the notes to 13. -- Re8 and 18. Ncd5.

23. Qd3 Reb8 24. f5 Be5 25. Bf4 Bxf4 26. Rxf4 d5!

Black is better developed and opening up the center will be to her advantage.

27. Rh4?

This is move is made in the erroneous belief that there is some counterplay on the Kingside. White might get better prospects form 27. fxe6.

27. -- dxe4 28. Qxe4 exf5 29. Qe3 a4 30. Qh6 f6

A quiet move that puts an end to White's attempts at counterplay.

31. Qe3 axb3 32. axb3 Qe7 33. Qxe7

White has nothing better but to descend into an inferior Rook and Pawn ending.

33. -- Rxe7 34. Rh3 Rd8 35. Rf3 Re2 36. h4

Otherwise, the Rooks double on the d-file and threaten a back-rank mate.

36. -- Rdd2 37. Rg3 Re4

Black has completely immobilized White's entire position.

38. Rh3 Rg4 39. Rg1 h5 40. 0-1

White is in a Zugzwang. Ms. Connolly resigns.


In the end, the Gold Medal for most individual points on the top board in the women's division was won by Zhao Xue of China, who scord 10 points. She saved her best game for the last round.



Zhao Xue

Zhao Xue (China) vs. Nadezhda Azarova (Belarus)
Chess Olympiad, Round 13/Board 1
Torino, June 2006

East India Game: Queen's Indian Defense (Petrosian Variation)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3

The old main line was 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2, which is still played. Tigran Petrosian started playing this variation in tha late fifties.

5. -- d5 6. cxd5 exd5

More common is for Black to try to keep the long diagonal open with 6. -- Nxd5, when White chooses between two main lines: 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Be7 9. e4 o-o 10. Bd3 c5 11. o-o Qc8 12. Qa2 Nd7; or 7. e3 Be7 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Bd3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 c5 11. o-o Nc6 12. Qe2 o-o 13. Bb2 Rc8.

7. g3

This is the usual move; in Torino, Mark Paragua of the Philippines played 7. Bf4 in two games and lost both: to Eduardas Rozentalis (Lithuania) in round 5 and to the grand old man of chess, Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland), in round 12). Reigning Euopean Individual Champion Zdenko Kozul (Croatia) played 7. Qa4+ against Cegmed Batchuluun (Mongolia) in the last round and the game went to a lengthly draw.

7. -- Be7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O a5!?

Ms. Azarova has intorduced an apparent novelty into the game. The usual move here is 9. -- Nbd7, as played by Li Shilong against Ms. Zhao (Xiapu, June 2005), when White obtained a good position after 10. Bf4 c5 11. Ne5 (11. Qc2 Rc8 12. Rad1 Ne4 is evaluated as equal in MCO-14) Re8 12. Rc1 Nf8 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Nd3 Ne6 15. e3 Bf8 16. Be5 Ne4 in a game won by Black in 80 moves.

10. Bf4 c6

This is perhaps the most efficient way of protecting the c-Pawn. 10. -- Qd7 fails against 11. Ne5! Qe6 12. Qb3 c6 13. Rc1 Bd6 14. Qxb6; if 10. -- Na6 then 11. Rc1 Rc8 12. Qb3 c6 13. Qxb6.

11. Qc2 Nbd7 12. Rad1 b5 13. Ne5 Nb6 14. a4?!

Better would be 14. a3 in order to give the Knight an escape on a4 should Black play 14. -- b5.

14. -- bxa4?

Black would have done much better to play 14. -- b4!; for example: 15. Na2 Bd6 16. Nd3 Bxf4 17. Nxf4 Nc4. The text move effectively devastates her own Queenside.

15. Nxa4 Nxa4 16. Qxa4 Qb6 17. Rc1

And thus White brings pressure on the c-Pawn.

17. -- c5

Black certainly won't play 17. -- Qxb2? 18. Rb1!.

18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Nd3 Bb4 20. Bc7!

This move forces the win of a Pawn.

20. -- Qe6 21. Nxb4 axb4

Mission accomplished.

22. Qxb4 Ba6

The taking of the Pawn has left Black with some initiative which she will use in an attempt to regain material equality.

23. Rfe1 Rfe8

Black can't take the Pawn without pinning herself; if 23. -- Bxe2? then 24. Bf3!.

24. Bf3 Rac8 25. Qd4 Bc4 26. Bf4 Qa6 27. Be5 Rc6 28. Rc3 Rce6 29. Bxf6 Rxf6

If 29. -- gxf6 then 30. Qg4+ Kf8 31. e3 is no improvement for Black.

30. b3 Bb5 31. Qxd5 h6 32. e3 Qa5

If 32. -- Rd6 then 33. Qb7 Qxb7 34. Bxb7 Rb6 35. Rc8 Rxc8 36. Bxc8 Bd3

33. Rec1 Rd8 34. Qxd8+!

White rounds the game off with a neat Queen sacrifice.

34. -- Qxd8 35. Rc8 Qxc8 36. Rxc8+ Kh7 37. Bd5 Kg6 38. Be4+ 1-0

To 38. -- Rf5, White replies 39. Rc5, winning the Rook; to 38. -- Kg5, White continues 39. Rc5+ Kg4 and then, instead of taking the hanging Bishop, White bags bigger game with 40. f6+ Kh6 41. Rh5#.

Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko from Duetscher Blinedn- und Sehbehinderten-Schachbund
Zhao Xue from ChessBase.de