Archive for August, 2009

Whenever Sheela Raja Ram looks out of her office window in Gaborone she sees students playing chess during class breaks. This made the Botswana managing director of the Indian technology company NIIT decide to bring over the their spokesperson on a goodwill tour. Vishy Anand received a warm welcome, especially since he is the first World Champion to visit the country.

Sometimes it is soothing to see even top players err in
calculation. But that is cold comfort when you are faced with
your own failures over the board. We mortals can only try to minimize them. Steve Goldberg from
chesscafe.com has
reviewed Danny King’s new DVD “Calculation” and found it a very well suited tool for
this purpose.
Buy
Powerplay 10 now or read more.

The fully-annotated version of my 8th round STCC win over chessforlove has been uploaded.

replay
PGN (includes yesterday’s Singh-Pilosof)

Haim Pilosof clinched 1st place in the WCL section & a spot in the Finals with another error-free victory over JP Singh. That result, in turn, gave me a clear 2nd place finish.

The semi-finals wrap-up next week.

MANGION CLINCHES

Ian Mangion won 2 games to extend his lead to 3 points & clinched 1st place when David Pawlowski upset 11-0 Mark Kernighan.

I beat Mikhail Kruglyak’s Slav to run my unbeaten streak to 10 (+7-0=3) & move to within a half-point of 2nd.

Greg Tomkovich lost to Don Carrelli but is still within range of the 3rd spot.

Max Sherer, Joe Renna & Pat Mazzillo collected wins on the lower boards.

The event concludes next week.

Results

• Mann 0-1 Mangion
• Mangion 1-0 Wojcio
• Pawlowski 1-0 Kernighan
• Moldovan 1-0 Kruglyak
• Tomkovich 0-1 Carrelli
• Cole 0-1 Sherer
• Renna 1-0 Sturniolo
• Mazzillo 1-0 Shiffman

Standings

• 1. Mangion 14.0
• 2. Kernighan 11.0
• 3. Moldovan 10.5
• 4. Tomkovich 9.0
• 5. Carrelli 7.0
• = 6. Sherer, Mann 5.0
• 8. Renna 4.5
• 9. Pawlowski 4.0
• 10. Mazzillo 3.5
• 11. Shiffman 3.0
• = 12. Sturniolo, Cole 2.5
• = 14. Lewis, Wojcio, Agress, Sokolosky 2.0
• 18. McAuliffe 1.5
• 19. Zhu 1.0
• = 20. Hart, Kruglyak, Balint, Castillo, Ruales 0.0

Java replay
PGN
Crosstable

29-year-old Iranian GM Morteza Mahjoob spent months preparing for the record attempt, which until then stood at 360 simultaneous games, set earlier this year by Bulgarian GM Kiril Georgiev. Mahjoob broke it by taking on 500 opponents and scoring 397 wins, 90 draws, 13 loses (= 88.4%). The effort lasted over 18 hours and was closely followed by the Iranian TV. Big illustrated report with videos.

The Editor of Chess
Notes reverts to the curious subject of missed mates, focusing on instances where chess authors have overlooked a mate in one move. There is, for example, the
case of the hapless writer who blundered immediately after mentioning an identical
oversight by someone else. And what about the suggestion that even Alekhine missed a mate in one?

They played each other in five big World Championship matches, most famously in 1984, when their first encounter was abandoned after 48 games without a final decision. Now to mark the 25th anniversary Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov will play a 12-game match – four rapid and eight blitz games – from 21 to 24 September, 2009, in Valencia, Spain. Details and statistics.

It has been a good few weeks for the middle-aged. At the Staunton Memorial 44-year old Nigel Short top-scored, despite being the oldest player in the event. In Canada the oldest player, IM Jean Hebert, won the national championship – 31 years after winning it as the youngest. And in Amsterdam the experienced players continue to dominate. Report by Steve Giddins, pictures by John Nunn.

The 2009 New Jersey State Chess Championship celebrates its 63rd year on Memorial Day weekend, September 5 – 7, 2009 at the Somerset Ramada Inn, 60 Cottontail Lane, Somerset NJ (Exit 12 off I-287). It looks like it will be a very competitive event, thanks in part to the low entry fee for former champions. According to Ken Thomas’s website, advance entries include former NJ champs IM Dean Ippolito (2001 & 2002), FM Tommy Bartell (2004, 2005, & 2007), IM Mikhail Zlotnikov (1994 & 2007), FM Steve Stoyko (1973, 1983, and 1988), and Steve Pozarek (1979). As always, I will be dropping by to see old friends and browse Fred Wilson’s book table. I am also curious to meet one participant, Max Zavanelli, who is probably the world’s best known practitioner of the Urusov Gambit (whereas I may be the Urusov’s most devoted analyst). Advanced entries are still accepted through September 1st by mail and September 4th online.

The 2009 New Jersey State Chess Championship celebrates its 63rd year on Labor Day weekend, September 5 – 7, 2009 at the Somerset Ramada Inn, 60 Cottontail Lane, Somerset NJ (Exit 12 off I-287). It looks like it will be a very competitive event, thanks in part to the low entry fee for former champions. According to Ken Thomas’s website, advance entries include former NJ champs IM Dean Ippolito (2001 & 2002), FM Tommy Bartell (2004, 2005, & 2007), IM Mikhail Zlotnikov (1994 & 2007), FM Steve Stoyko (1973, 1983, and 1988), and Steve Pozarek (1979). As always, I will be dropping by to see old friends and browse Fred Wilson’s book table. I am also curious to meet one participant, Max Zavanelli, who is probably the world’s best known practitioner of the Urusov Gambit (whereas I may be the Urusov’s most devoted analyst). Advanced entries are still accepted through September 1st by mail and September 4th online.

8 minutes ago I beat 1958-rated chessforlove & his King’s Indian with the Insanity Variation (!!) to at least temporarily regain a share of 1st place :

[Event "STC Championship sf"]
[Site "World Chess Live"]
[Date "2009.08.28"]
[Round "8"]
[White "jpmoldovan"]
[Black "chessforlove"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1868"]
[BlackElo "1958"]
[Opening "King's Indian: Insanity Variation"]
[ECO "E73"]
[NIC "KI.27"]
[Time "20:06:16"]
[TimeControl "3600+30"]
1. c4 {1:00:22} Nf6 {1:00:28} 2. Nc3 {1:00:42} g6 {1:00:54} 3. e4 {1:00:53} d6 {1:01:21} 4. d4 {1:00:58} Bg7 {1:01:46} 5. Be2 {1:01:18} O-O {1:02:10} 6. Be3 {1:01:29} Na6 {1:01:37} 7. g4 {1:01:28} h6 $146 {1:01:42} 8. f3 {1:00:34} c5 {1:01:53} 9. d5 {1:00:39} Qa5 {1:01:00} 10. Qd2 {1:00:43} Kh7 {1:01:20} 11. h4 {0:59:05} e6 {0:59:56} 12. g5 {0:51:50} Nh5 {0:59:13} 13. gxh6 {0:50:18} Bh8 {0:58:23} 14. Nh3 {0:48:55} f6 {0:55:16} 15. dxe6 {0:39:12} Bxe6 {0:54:40} 16. Qxd6 {0:37:59} Bf7 {0:52:30} 17. O-O-O {0:37:32} Rad8 {0:52:09} 18. Qh2 {0:37:18} Nb4 {0:49:23} 19. Kb1 {0:36:43} Nc6 {0:43:47} 20. f4 {0:32:12} Nd4 {0:43:25} 21. Bd3 {0:28:12} Qb4 {0:42:13} 22. Qf2 {0:26:32} Bxc4 {0:40:33} 23. Bxc4 {0:26:12} Qxc4 {0:40:59} 24. f5 {0:25:39} Rg8 {0:31:52} 25. Rhg1 {0:25:08} Qf7 {0:25:53} 26. fxg6+ {0:19:50} Rxg6 {0:26:15} 27. Ng5+ $1 {0:19:40} Rxg5 {0:26:16} 28. hxg5 {0:20:05} Rg8 {0:23:46} 29. Bxd4 {0:17:44} cxd4 {0:24:05} 30. Rxd4 {0:16:49} f5 {0:23:37} 31. Rd6 {0:09:10} {Black resigns} 1-0

I’ll post annotations to the game later this weekend for now, you can the replay or download it from the STC site.

The chess board is 1200 x 1200 feet in size, with squares measuring 150 feet and pieces 30 to 60 feet in size. The best place to view the action is from the Kyffhäuser Monument in Thuringia, Germany, from an elevation of 1500 feet. The opponents are IM Elisabeth Pähtz, Germany’s top female player, and an Internet community that votes every morning at 10 a.m. on their move. You can join in.

The recently improved “Reference” function of ChessBase Light 2009 is useful for more than just work on the opening. It is a powerful tool to use to prepare for a specific opponent. You can access and evaluate the relevant games quickly and simply, e.g. with a click of the mouse in the player index. This is vitally important for tournament and correspondence players. Take a look…

This event is not just about the hundred or so players who compete for the $30,000 prize money. It gives the participants an opportunity to get a feel for the Arabian culture, to meet the people and see their way of life. Fortunately we have a diligent reporter with a good camera and a great eye for visuals, who sent us this massive pictorial report. Impressions by Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh.

The Berlin Defence keeps on going and going and going. Many players avoid it,
but those who accept the challenge find themselves, after only nine moves, in
a position from which it is extremely difficult to win the game. Yet, GM Vugar
Gashimov of Azerbaijan won the said endgame twice in the 10th Poikovsky tournament,
one of the top events you will finde in
the latest CBM 131 – and here is one of the two games with his own
annotations, which you can replay on our JavaScript board: Gashimov
– Naiditsch.

The Mercosur Cup in Argentina is unusual since it is one of the few remaining chess tournaments where a computer is allowed to compete. Not a full quad or oct monster, but the handheld Pocket PC. Last year Pocket Fritz 3 won comfortably, and this year it was Pocket Fritz 4 based on the new Hiarcs 13.0 engine. You don’t want to know what the program did in Buenos Aires.
Or do you?

Originally from Georgia, GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant has lived in Scotland for the past thirteen years. The second seed took sole first place in the Baltic Queen Tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia, with 6.0/9 points and a 2558 performance. Second was another migrant player: IM Ekaterina Atalik, originally from Russia, now living in and playing for Turkey. Pictorial report with interview.

Fritz 11’s “Spy” function is sometimes misunderstood and often underutilized by amateur players for whom the feature is intended. Learn more about “Spy” – a sort of “mega Threat” function, which is always switched on, in the newest ChessBase Workshop.

Annotated versions of my win vs. Kruglyak & draw vs. Tomkovich have been uploaded to the 11th round replay page & zipped PGN.

With one tournament still left Levon Aronian is already the winner of the 2008/2009 FIDE Grand Prix. The Armenian GM has collected a total of 500 points from two GP victories and his second place in Jermuk. Since nobody else can catch him – the best three of four tournaments are used – the final Grand Prix, still to be announced, will not change the status of the winner. Rules, points and tables.

Remember Ripley? A recent announcement tells us that there will be an official World Chess Championship match, starting on December 1st in Las Vegas. No, Anand is not part of it, nor is Topalov, Kamsky, Kasparov, Kramnik or any of the usual crowd. You are going to have to click through to our news page to find out who is playing who. We bring you the official press release.

The fact that mating motifs can be decisive even in an ending was
demonstrated by Cheparinov in his first round game in Jermuk. With a clever
deployment of his passed pawn on the h-file, he forced Jakovenko’s king to the edge of the board, where it was unable to escape its fate.

Endgame analysis of Cheparinov-Jakovenko

Endgame DVDs by GM Karsten Müller

Recently Sergey Karjakin, once the youngest GM in chess history, and WIM Kateryana Dolzhikova, student of English linguistics, were married. After a brief honeymoon in the Crimea the two rushed to Jermuk, where Sergey played in the Fifth FIDE Grand Prix. Press officer Lilit Mkrtchian spoke to the pair about marriage, plans, chess and general interests. Interviews.

One was hit by a bug – the biological kind –, the other by an as
yet unexplained passion for cricket. But Hikaru Nakamura managed to win a brilliancy
in spite of two emergency trips to the bathroom during the game. And Peter Svidler
has regained all his normal determination after England had won the Ashes and
he could concentrate on chess. Report by Steve Giddins, pictures by John Nunn.