Chess World Championship bulletins

I've managed the source the daily bulletins direct from Mexico (gracias a Santiago) for the Chess World Championship.

They're very comprehensive, but you'll need to read Spanish:

Boletin 1

Boletin 2

One step forward, Two steps back

Martin Seeber writes for chess tales:

My daughter Sophie played in her last UK chess challenge competition over the weekend in Leamington Spa. She has competed every year since she was 9. This year she had qualified for the Terafinal, a champion of champions event, in which children from all ages do battle for a £2,000 prize.

Her progress in the event was very up and down. In round 1 she played an u9 boy, it was a Queen's Gambit Declined and he was swinging his feet together in excitement. The game started and in the opening he lost a pawn. It was then that he suddenly got up from his chair and announced that he had to go out for a breath of fresh air. He came back and Sophie tore away his centre pawns. Good start I thought.

She then played Philip Makepiece in round 2, he was one of the favourites. Sophie was on the black side of a Sicilian and they castled on opposite sides, when that happens its like Blitzkrieg (lightning war) as both sides rush in. Sophie pushed a pawn into c4 but as Philip had a pawn on c3 we thought it was best to advance the b pawn down to b4 so it could change with its white rival. The battle went on for nearly two hours before Sophie's king, breathless couldn't quite match Philip's. Philip's prize was to sit on board one for the next game. For Sophie a step back.

Round three a Queen's Indian and a promising position faded away. We couldn't work out what had happened. She had an attack but black defended and she didn't really want to talk about it. So we went to this bar in Coventry to have tea and she cheered up a bit. I had a stella and I cheered up a bit. Overnight we woke at 4 in the morning and we started talking about the game and then we are calling out move sequences for better attacks, suddenly white is winning with a beautiful temporary sac, that's right leave the bishop on f6 and run the h-pawn. Then she says Dad where is his other minor piece? I dunno I said. Is on f8 ? No the rooks there. You changed it off for your Knight on f3. Ah christ that means you haven't a knight for the mating attack. Forget it I said play your pieces back and across to the centre. Yes that's it, put the telly off we are going back to sleep.

Next day I had a great chat with Dominic Rabbitte's dad. He is telling me about Golf and he talks about a titanic match between Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. One's up, then its equal and so on. Finally Player downs a wonder put to win it and then he is champion and he is interviewed. Gary explain's his approach to sport. 'I seem to get luckier the more I practise.'

Sophie practices a bit but then there's the waitressing, boyfriending, A-levelling. Then she's back with a big smile. 15 moves dad, mate dad. Well done, in the back of the net Soph. That's when coach here probably made a mistake to point out that as the leading girls had all lost, she needed two more points and there was a chance of tieing for first. Dad don't go there she said.

She was playing really well. She spotted that her opponent had opened her kingside with h6-g5. Normally we all know to try and bust it open with h4. But Sophie came up with a really deep idea she would fasten down the weakness first with g4, then her knight could travel in to f5 from e2-g3. Desperate, the girl counter-attacked, rook e2 check. Sophie needs to block with her rook and the games soon over for black but she moves the king up one. 10 moves later and it all falls apart with the black rook stabbing the white king in the back.

I said Sophie never leave a rook in there like that. You wouldn't leave a rat in your house you'd get it out of there. Then I thought is this my last chess lesson with my daughter?

I stood out in the rain and looked through the windows to try to see some of her last game. She looked tired and kept playing with her hair. Maybe an hour later she had capitulated. 2/6 and we're disappointed, but what a gutsy
attempt.

Local successes at the British Championships

It's good to see some of our local North East players getting off to great starts at the British Championships:

David Eggleston began by holding Grandmaster David Howell to a draw in round 1, whilst Charlie Storey was beating a 2400+ opponent, but pride of place goes to Graeme Oswald. Graeme defeated Grandmaster Glenn Flear in a long battle in round 3, and co-leads the event with an incredibly impressive 3 out of 3. Fingers crossed that he can keep his run going.

You can follow the event (patchily) on the BCF website.

British Chess Championship

The British Chess Championships gets underway in Great Yarmouth today. Top seed is defending champion Jonathan Rowson, who at 2599 outgrades the next highest competitor by some 50 points.

Unfortunately, I won't be taking up my qualifying place this year. So, my next event is likely to be either the Isle of Man or an event in Mallorca that caught my eye on IM Georgios Souleidis's blog.

What chance the British?

I had renowned chess tactician Charlie Storey on the phone earlier, asking if I would be interested in sharing an apartment with Danny Gormally and himself at the British Championships.

Having previously decided not to play, I'd taken on an exciting Internet contract, but if Charlie can find somewhere decent to stay I might be tempted to change my mind (and work my socks off to get the contract out before the tournament starts).

I'll keep you updated.

A best game

Position after 15 Bg5!

Yesterday, I put out an appeal to find the game score for one of my best chess performances. Big thanks are due to Paul Runnacles, who not only found the score, but also an article by Grandmaster Jon Speelman about the game. I didn't know it had been covered nationally, so Paul's discovery was a real treat.

I was going to annotate the game for you, a thematic Nimzo Indian Saemisch Variation where Black tried an unusual sequence to counter White's standard plans, but instead will give Jon Speelman's analysis and a little background to the game.

It was played in the final round of the Durham Open 2000, and I had the White pieces against International Master Colin Crouch. Colin led the event, but a win would allow me to catch him. To be honest, I shouldn't have been in the running: I'd lost badly in round 1, won in 2, and had a draw with Alan Grant (a 2240 player) in round 3. Amazingly, despite my 50% score I received a full point bye in round 4 (it was a very small field) to set up the encounter with Colin Crouch. I'll let Jon Speelman pick up the story:

The decisive action took place in the last round when Coathup, who is only rated 2130, unexpectedly defeated Crouch in the game below: while Grant won against Yugoslav Dusan Zdjelar, to share the spoils.

In a Nimzo-Indian, White's mobile pawn centre gave him some advantage after a dozen moves but Crouch's 12...h5 and 13...h4 and 14...g6, while thematic, simply didn't work and after 15.Bg5! Black is very close to, if not entirely, lost.

If 15...dxe4 16.fxe4 gxf5 17.e5 Nxe5 (17...Qd5 18.Bxf6 Qxg2 19.0- 0-0 is a better try but still foul for Black) 18.Qe2! White wins a piece. 19.g4! ripped open the kingside after which the admirably calm 22.Rh5 and 23.Qxf5 removed a vital pawn.

With 25.Bg5!, Coathup got the bishop out of the way prior to advancing the f pawn. An impressively smooth and unharried performance against an opponent who is not only a grandmaster but also rated nearly 300 points more than the winner.

Grandmaster Jon Speelman, The Independent, 20 April 2000

Thanks Jon!

Roger Coathup - Colin Crouch, Durham Open 2000
1 d4 Nf6; 2 c4 e6; 3 Nc3 Bb4; 4 a3 Bxc3+; 5 bc d5; 6 cd ed; 7 e3 Nc6

An unusual move. Normally Black plays c7-c5 to pressure the White centre, but Crouch had an interesting plan in mind to swap off the light squared bishops and manouevre this knight via a5 to a strong point on c4.

8 Bd3 Bg4; 9 f3 Bh5; 10 Ne2 Bg6; 11 Ng3 Bxd3; 12 Qxd3 h5; 13 e4!

For me this was the key move in the game. Black's play, albeit at the cost of several tempi, has all been directing at stopping it. If White doesn't play e4 now, Black will follow up with h4 driving back the g3 knight, and move the c6 knight to c4 dominating White's bishop. 13 e4 needed a lot of calculation though, in particular envisaging 15 Bg5 and analysing the variations (as given by Speelman) that follow.

13 ... h4; 14 Nf5 g6; 15 Bg5! (see diagram above) gf; 16 e5 Qd7; 17 Bxf6 Rh7; 18 Kf2 Qe6; 19 g4!



19 ... hg+; 20 hg Rxh1; 21 Rxh1 Kd7; 22 Rh5 a6; 23 Qxf5 Qxf5; 24 Rxf5 b5; 25 Bg5! Ke8; 26 Rf6 Na5; 27 Rh6 Kd7; 28 Rh7 Ke6; 29 g4 Na5; 30 f4 Nxa3; 31 f5+ 1-0

This was my maiden Open Tournament first place at standard time limits.

British Championships deadline

The deadline for my entry to the British Chess Championships is drawing near and it's starting to look increasingly likely that I won't play.

The tournament is 2 weeks long in a distant seaside town (Great Yarmouth) in the height of the summer holidays; finding accommodation is proving very difficult. I'd love to play in the event, but want to be comfortable. I don't want to be cooped up in a small B&B for so long.

The ideal would be a cottage with Internet connection, but, even if one were available, the accommodation combined with the high entry fee would take the cost to take part in the tournament to over £1500 (US $3000). That's just way too much.

The Scottish Championships, 9 rounds in Edinburgh in July, looks far more enticing. Failing that, it will be the Isle of Man at the end of September and the chance to battle against some big names.

Chess in the Attic: Tilburg 1989

Starting at the age of 16 with a victory by 2 clear points in Banja Luka from a field that included Petrosian, Andersson, Adorjan and Browne, Garry Kasparov's chess career delivered a never ending string of spectacular tournament performances.

When I was in the attic last week, flicking through some old copies of the German magazine Schach Report, I came across the tournament report for his victory at Tilburg 1989:


The statistics are incredible, in this 8 player double round event Garry Kasparov only conceded 4 draws, winning the event by 3.5 points from Viktor Korchnoi. The field wasn't weak either, along with the two leaders there was Vassily Ivanchuk, Lubomir Ljubojevic, Candidates Gyula Sax, Johann Hjartarson, and Simen Agdestein, and the dangerous local Grandmaster Jeroen Piket.

The event is memorable not just for the margin of victory, nor for the destructive power of Garry Kasparov (many of the games were won in 30 moves or less), but also for the fact that this is the event that propelled Garry Kasparov past Bobby Fischer's ELO rating record of 2780.

We've already covered his superb King's Indian victory over Jeroen Piket at Tilburg, so instead let's look at his quick dismissal of Norwegian Grandmaster and sometime international footballer Simen Agdestein.

Simen Agdestein - Garry Kasparov, Tilburg 1989
1 c4 g6; 2 Nc3 c5; 3 g3 Bg7; 4 Bg2 Nc6; 5 e3 d6; 6 Nge2 Nf6; 7 0-0 0-0; 8 d3 Bd7; 9 h3 a6; 10 b3 Rb8; 11 Bb2 b5; 12 Qd2 Nb4!?; 13 Rfd1 Re8; 14 e4?! Nc6; 15 Nd5 e5; 16 Kh2 h5; 17 f4 bc; 18 dc Nd5; 19 Qd5? Nd4!; 20 Nd4 cd; 21 Qd6 h4!; 22 g4 Bf8; 23 Qa6 Re6; 24 Qa7 Ra8 0-1

Chess on Second Life

My attention was caught by a brief notice this week on Phil Dornbusch's blog about Chess on Second Life.

For those of you who don't know, I suspect most, Second Life is a virtual world on the Internet where people can live, as the name suggests, a second life. You can shop, build a house, start a business, go on holiday, and now it seems even follow chess.


I talk about Second Life when I speak to businesses about future directions for the Internet, and it usually meets with either guffaws or embarrassed faces in the audience. The potential is interesting though, there are several million members, you can make and lose money (it has it's own 'convertible' currency), some big business have a presence, and, apparently, Sweden is even going to open an embassy on the site.

The chess coverage, if my French is upto scratch, is the final of the French women's team championship and is being relayed online from a 3D reconstruction of the Palais du Luxembourg.

The French Chess Federation (FFE) has sponsorship from the BNP Paribas banking corporation. Their excellent chess website has details of the championship along with other news, and a host of excellently presented material for discovering and learning the game. How many other Federations can boast as clean an interface? All that remains is to learn how to read French!

Ein Gruß aus Dortmund

In the blogosphere: International Master Georgios Souleidis has an on-the-spot report, Ein Gruß aus Dortmund, from the Dortmund chess festival. Check out his notes to a masterly positional crush by Kramnik (Carlsen was the victim in a Catalan) and an interesting ending between Anand and Naijditsch.

Kalashnikov in Dortmund

With the Dortmund chess tournament now in full swing, it's a good opportunity to remember a startling Kalashnikov game from the 2003 event. Viktor Bologan, the outsider, was the surprise tournament winner, finishing a full point ahead of Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, but the game we are interested in was played by Teimour Radjabov.

Radjabov, only 16 at the time, had already beaten Garry Kasparov at Linares earlier in the year. At Dortmund, a queen sacrifice in the Kalashnikov added current world no.1 Anand to his list of scalps:

"In the Sveshnikov (what we in England used to call the Pelikan) Black plays 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 and then 5...e5. The Kalashnikov (with 4...e5 and 5...d6) is the Sveshnikov's even brasher younger brother. Black has a horrible pawn structure but plenty of compensatory activity.

Radjabov gave up a pawn to mobilise his centre - as he would - and then when Anand initiated tactics with 21.f4 and 22.Rf2 played the queen sacrifice followed by the gorgeous 22...Nb5! regaining a piece since if eg 23.Bxb5 Bd4++ 24.Kg3 Bf2 mate or 24.Ke2 Rf2 mate.

Anand returned a further exchange to try to get control but the centre pawns rolled. If 33.Qxe4 Rc1+ 34.Kh2 Ne3 35.Qxh4 Black has at least perpetual check with Nf1+. Anand tried to race with his b pawn but came in second." GM Jonathan Speelman, The Independent 2003

Viswanathan Anand v Teimour Radjabov, Dortmund 2003

1.e4 c5; 2.Nf3 Nc6; 3.d4 cxd4; 4.Nxd4 e5; 5.Nb5 d6; 6.c4 Be7; 7.b3 f5; 8.exf5 Bxf5; 9.Bd3 e4; 10.Be2 a6; 11.N5c3 Bf6; 12.0-0 Nge7; 13.a3 0-0; 14.Ra2 Qa5; 15.b4 Qe5; 16.Re1 b5; 17.cxb5 axb5; 18.Bxb5 Nd4; 19.Bf1 d5; 20.Rd2 Be6; 21.f4 Qxf4; 22.Rf2

23...Qxf2+; 23.Kxf2 Nb5; 24.Kg1 Nxc3; 25.Nxc3 Bxc3; 26.Bb5 Bxe1; 27.Qxe1 Nf5; 28.Bb2 Rac8; 29.Ba4 Rf7; 30.h3 h5; 31.b5 h4; 32.Be5 d4; 33.b6 e3; 34.Kh2 d3; 35.Qb4 e2; 36.Bc3 Rxc3; 37.Qxc3 Ng3; 38.b7 Rxb7; 39.Qa5 Rb8 0- 1

Active rook

I've talked previously about the value of good endgame technique. One 'rule of thumb' I gave for rook endings is that the active continuation is usually better than the passive. The following ending from round 2 at Hawick graphically illustrates that rule:


Roger Coathup - William Hulme, Hawick 2007.

Playing White, I'd given up a pawn in the opening, but received little in return. In this position (with Black to move) I was holding out some hopes of salvaging a draw after 1 ... Nc6; 2 Bb4 Nxb4; 3 ab.

Instead, Black played poorly:

1 ... Rc7?; 2 Bxa5 ba; 3 Rhc1!

And the threat of a back rank mate not only prevents Black from doubling rooks, but also forces him to concede the open file.

3 ... Rxc1; 4 Rxc1 Rb8; 5 Rc7

With an active rook and better king postion, White now has a clear advantage. Black's best try is probably 5 ... h5, stopping the mating threat and also looking to generate counterplay on the kingside by the manouevre Rb8-b2 x h2.

5 ... Kf8; 6 Kc2

Not the immediate 6 Rxa7 because of 6 ... Rb3+, followed by 7 ... Rxa3. I also avoided 6 Kc3, because of 6 ... a4! renewing the threat of ... Rb3 with gain of tempo. Kc2 also has the advantage of denying Black access squares on the b-file to activate his rook.

6 ... Ke7?!

Better is 6 ... a6 denying the White king access to the b5 square.

7 Rxa7 Rb5;

Attempts to go active now with ... Rb1, intending ... Rh1xh2, fail as White's a-pawn will advance too quickly.

8 Kc3 f6; 9 a4 Rd5; 10 Kc4 fe; 11 fe



The perfect illustration of the power of an active rook over a passive one. The rook on d5 has no moves, and Black has no good way to prevent Ra7-b7-b5 exchanging into a winning king and pawn ending.

11 ... Kd8; 12 Rb7! d6; 13 ed Rxd6; 14 Rxg7 h5; 15 Rg5 1-0


Recommended endgame reading (Amazon links):
Fundamental Chess Endings: A New One-volume Endgame Encyclopaedia for the 21st Century
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge (Cadogan Chess & Bridge Books)

You kan't play like this

My first round nightmare at Hawick: It's hard to believe the first 10 moves in this game were played in an Open!

Lindsay McGregor - Roger Coathup

1 e4 c5; 2 Nf3 e6; 3 d4 cd; 4 Nd4 a6; 5 Bc4?!

You can't play this against the Kan, well leastways you shouldn't be able to. Black will get in Qc7 with gain of tempo.

5 ... Nf6; 6 Qf3?

This now has the feel of someone playing for fool's mate!

6 ... Qc7; 7 Bb3 Nc6?!

7 ... Qe5! wins the e4 pawn for nothing.

8 Be3 Bd6; 9 Nc3 b5?!; 10 0-0-0 Rb8??

Missing White's 13th move.

11 Nc6! dc; 12 Rd6! Qd6; 13 e5 Qe7; 14 ef gf; 15 Qg3 Rb7; 16 Ne4 Rd7; 17 Bc5 1-0

I must have lost a shorter game, but I'm choosing not to remember it!

Reality check

After the success at Hartlepool, Hawick has given me a harsh chess reality check.

I played two poor games in the opening rounds, losing to a well-found combination after just handful of moves in round 1, and then swinging an endgame win in round 2, but only after having a lost position earlier in the game.

In round 3, the game appeared to be going well, and I was looking forward to crowning a strong attacking position, when I suddenly realised there was no good defence to a simple counter-threat by my opponent.

I ended up withdrawing from the tournament, something I haven't done for many years. I'll post some of the games later.

Hawick chess

I took the plunge last night and decided to enter the Hawick Chess Congress this weekend. Wish me luck!

Actually, this is a pretty brave decision: I played at Hawick once before and vowed never to go back.

That visit started with what seemed like a great idea at the time, why don't we camp and play chess. If this has ever crossed your mind, my only advice is DON'T.

Our excuse, as Darren and I rushed off to buy our tents was something about saving money on accomodation, but in truth, it was more the call of the wild:

"chess player against the elements"

I can still imagine the dream vividly: kayaking through chilly northern seas, across some remote sea loch, scaling the great mountains via a towering ridge, making a bivouac for the night, and then well fed on bacon butties (from a slaughtered wild pig of course) strolling into town to play swashbuckling chess.

It was with this 'nirvana' in mind that we drove up to Hawick on a Friday afternoon in early summer, pitched our tents between a couple of caravans on a campsite with full facilities, and armed with just ultra-lite portable stoves prepared to face the worst that nature could throw at us.

The chess started well with a win on the Friday night, but Saturday and Sunday were horrors. No sleep (roll-out mat useless), nowhere to get food (the only restaurant we could find was full), poor decision by the arbiter (he told me later he was wrong), and to cap it all no points that I can remember.

This year I won't be camping!

The tournament itself is quite strong for a 'remote' weekend swiss event. I played Steve Mannion, an International Master in round 2 on my visit, and I notice that despite last year's Open field having only 14 competitors, it included a Grandmaster (Colin McNab), 2 International Masters, and a FIDE Master.

As for Hawick, it's one of a string of towns in the Scottish Borders (rolling hills along the border with England) that grew up around the wool & textile trade. It has some impressive buildings, including the Town Hall which is the congress venue, but does have a bit of a forgotten feel.

If I can find accomodation with an Internet connection, I'll keep you updated during the tournament.

Chess fitness

I began my training régime today for the British Chess Championships, and if I'm honest, to do something about a 'lifestyle' physique that's starting to say "chess and blogging". I'll be doing some mental preparation as well, but the physical will be perhaps more important, especially as an underdog in what will be a gruelling 11-round event.

I used to be a bit of a 'jock', playing a lot of cricket and football (soccer), belting round the squash court and those sort of things. Even last year, I would think nothing of going for a 5 or 6 mile run (including with a hangover to collect a car left behind the night before). Today though, six months of inactivity hit me: at 2 miles I was struggling; I dragged myself to 3, but then had to resign.

"Kasparov showed to the world the importance of physical fitness to chess players. His training regimen included swimming, playing football and cycling. Truly, his high energy level kept him going." Hinduonnet

There are about 6 weeks until the tournament begins, I'm reckoning that's about 18 runs and a lot of sit-ups and press-ups. I can feel the lung capacity coming back already!

I once thought about Pilates as well and bought a book by Brooke Siler (she's famous for getting a number of Hollywood stars looking sleek), but so much is about correct technique and control that I think it would only really work with a good trainer alongside. So Brooke, if you fancy learning chess in exchange, give me a shout and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out.

Friday chess puzzles 10: Solutions

Last Friday, I asked you to find two elegant finishes played by Richard Réti.

In the first against Dr Max Euwe in Amsterdam in 1920:



Réti played 1 ... Bh3! either winning the White queen or forcing mate. The game continued:

2 Qxa8 Bc5+; 3 Kh1 Bxg2+; 4 Kxg2 Qg4+; 5 Kf1 Qf3+; 6 Ke1 Qf2 mate



Our second position was the conclusion to Réti's brilliancy prize winning miniature against Efim Bogojuboff at New York 1924:



Réti played 1 Be8 and Black resigned.

There is no satisfactory defence against the threat of 2 Qxf8, Even 1 ... h6 leads to immediate mate: 2 Qxf8+ Kh7; 3 Bg6+! Kxg6; 4 Qf5 mate

There were few correct solutions to the puzzles, although Brian Wood did suggest 1 ... Bf5 in the first position, which also leads to a very big advantage for Black.


The game against Bogojuboff is regarded as one of the greatest ever played, here it is in full with notes by Alekhine from the tournament book:

Richard Réti - Efim Bogoljubov, New York 1924

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6

As for the merit of this system of defence, compare the game Reti vs. Yates in the
sixth round.

3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bd6 5.O-O O-O 6.b3 Re8 7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.d4

To our way of thinking, this is the clear positional refutation of 2...e6, which, by the way, was first played by Capablanca (as Black) against Marshall and is based upon the simple circumstance that Black cannot find a method for the effective development of his Queen's Bishop.

8 ... c6 9.Nbd2

In the game referred to, Capablanca, in a wholly analogous position, played ...Ne4 and likewise obtained an advantage thereby. Of course, Reti's quieter development is also quite good.

9 ... Ne4

If the liberating move of 9...e5, recommended by Rubinstein and others, is really the best here then it furnishes the most striking proof that Black's entire arrangement of his game was faulty. For the simple continuation 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bxe5 Rxe5 14.Nc4 Re8 15.Ne3 Be6 16.Qd4, would have given White a direct attack against the isolated Queen's pawn, without permitting the opponent any chances whatsoever. Moreover, the move selected by Bogoljubow leads eventually to a double exchange of Knights, without moving the principal disadvantage of his position.

10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Ne5 f5

Obviously forced.

12.f3

The proper strategy. After Black has weakened his position in the center, White forthwith must aim to change the closed game into an open one in order to make as much as possible out of that weakness.

12. ... exf3 13.Bxf3

Not 13.exf3, because the e pawn must be utilized as a battering ram.

13. ... Qc7

Also after 13...Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bc5+ 15.Kg2 Bd7 (after the exchange of Queens, this Bishop could not get out at all) 16.e4, White would have retained a decisive advantage in position.

14.Nxd7 Bxd7 15.e4 e5

Otherwise would follow 16.e5, to be followed by a break by means of d5 or g4. After the text move, however, Black appears to have surmounted the greater part of his early difficulty and it calls for exeptionally fine play on the part of White in order to make the hidden advantages of his position count so rapidly and convincingly.

16.c5 Bf8 17.Qc2

Attacking simultaneously both of Black's center pawns.

17. ... exd4

Black's sphere of action is circumscribed; for instance, 17...fxe4 clearly would not do on account of the two-fold threat against h7 and e5, after 18.Bxe4

18.exf5 Rad8

After 18...Re5 19.Qc4+ Kh8 20.f6, among other lines, would be very strong.

19.Bh5

The initial move in an exactly calculated, decisive manouver, the end of which will worthily crown White's model play.

19. ... Re5 20.Bxd4 Rxf5

If 20...Rd5 21.Qc4 Kh8 22.Bg4, with a pawn plus and a superior position.

21.Rxf5 Bxf5 22.Qxf5 Rxd4 23.Rf1 Rd8

Or 23...Qe7 24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Bd5 Qf6 26.Qc8, etc. Black is left without any
defence.

24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Be8

A sparkling conclusion! Black resigned, for, after 25...Bxc5+, he loses at least the Bishop.
Rightfully, this game was awarded the first brilliancy
prize. 1-0

Chess in the attic: Leningrad 1963

Viktor Korchnoi was probably the favourite to win the USSR Championship at Leningrad in 1963. He was the defending champion, had performed magnificently a few months previously in Havana, and Leningrad was his home town. His strenuous schedule in 1963, and perhaps the pressure of expectation, took it's toll though, and his wins were punctuated with some morale sapping losses that finally ruled him out of the battle for first place.


Leonid Stein was a somewhat surprise winner, at the time, of the tournament. He finished ahead of not just Korchnoi, but also Spassky, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanov, Polugayevsky and other stars. Stein went on, though, to win 2 more Soviet chess championships and host of strong international tournaments. He remained in the World's top 10 until his untimely death from a heart attack in 1973 (he was just 38 years old).

The tournament book is still available on eBay at a bargain price!

In last Friday's chess puzzle, we looked at quick win by Gligoric with the Black pieces in a Najdorf Poisoned Pawn. At Leningrad 1963, it was Gipslis with White winning a miniature in the line against Korchnoi:

Aivars Gipslis - Viktor Korchnoi, USSR Ch. Leningard 1963
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4
Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6
13.e5 dxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4 Be7 16.Be2 O-O 17.Rb3 Qa4 18.c4
Kh8 19.O-O Ra7 20.Qh6 f5 21.Rg3 Bb4 22.Nf6! 1-0

Richard Réti: New York 1924

To coincide with listing Réti's Best Games of Chess on eBay, I'll talk this week about some of his finest moments.

At the famous New York International Chess Tournament 1924 Richard Réti defeated two World Champions, Capablanca and Alekhine, and won the 'first brilliancy prize' for a 25 move miniature against Bogoljuboff. Capablanca lost very few games in his career, and incredibly, his defeat against Réti was his first loss for 8 years!

This is the crucial position, after 25 moves, where Réti, playing White, found a move that sounded the death knell for Capablanca:



26 Nd4!

The game concluded:

26 ... Bxg2; 27 Kxg2 Qe5; 28 Nc4 Qc5; 29 Nc6 Rc7; 30 Ne3 Ne5; 31 R1d5 resigns

I was amazed to find that 31 R1d5 was actually a sealed move. Did they really play sessions as short as 30 moves at New York?

You can play through the games against Capablanca and Alekhine online.

Karpov in Valjevo

Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov is playing in the Gorenje chess tournament at Valjevo in Serbia. The tournament starts tomorrow, and is Karpov's first round robin event since 2003.

Bulgarian site Chessdom is covering the event in depth.