My thousand apologies for not blogging recently to those who has dropped by to visit. My family and I have been (and am still) on holiday in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. My son played in two local junior tournaments in Sweden, one in Malmo a(Saturday 26th) and another in Stockholm (Sunday 27th). We met an IM from Belarus Vladimir Poley(http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=13500090)) who is now based in Stockholm and visited his coaching class today (Monday afternoon Swedish time). IM Vladimir runs an interesting chess coaching class in Stockholm Central, sure to attract boys since a game of laserdome is included in the coaching fee! But seriously folks, IM Vladimir runs a really good class and he is serious about chess.
I will post a more detailed report with some photos on junior chess in Sweden when I get back to Sydney.
Earlier in the week, my son and I also visited a chess club in Copenhagen, and Dylan had a few rapid games with the adult players.
There are no more chess after today. We are off to Helsinki (Finland) and then up north to Rovaniemi (above the Artic Circle) to try to catch the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Knowing the Philidor endgame manoeuvre pays dividend
In a previous post, I wrote about the Lucena endgame manoeuvre which is absolute critical for all chess players to know and to play. The Philidor is another of those absolutely must know endgame manoeuvre/position.
To prove this, consider the following game from recent US Open where 2009 US Junior Open champion, Eric Rosen, was paired against the 2584-rated GM Jesse Kraai in Rd 3 (05.08.2009). Have look at the position after White's 56th move, Rxh5. What would you do as Black? Do you recognise the position? After White's 64th move, d6, Black moves to stage two of his plan. (Game and notes taken from Chesscafe Scholastic Column September article.) A draw against a 2584-rated GM is nothing to sneeze about but was achieved through technical knowledge of endgames.
If you don't know the Philidor endgame manoeuvre/position, then you must read this article from Chesscafe.
To prove this, consider the following game from recent US Open where 2009 US Junior Open champion, Eric Rosen, was paired against the 2584-rated GM Jesse Kraai in Rd 3 (05.08.2009). Have look at the position after White's 56th move, Rxh5. What would you do as Black? Do you recognise the position? After White's 64th move, d6, Black moves to stage two of his plan. (Game and notes taken from Chesscafe Scholastic Column September article.) A draw against a 2584-rated GM is nothing to sneeze about but was achieved through technical knowledge of endgames.
If you don't know the Philidor endgame manoeuvre/position, then you must read this article from Chesscafe.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Kasparov and Carlsen ......
The biggest news in junior chess has been the revelation that Magnus Carlsen has been training with Garry Kasparov for the last 6 months. Wow! Michael Goeller has a story with all the links to other stories on this here, which means I don't have to replicate.
Mig Greengard who is a friend of Garry has a blog and amongst the comments was a reference to a USCF story about Garry's training session with US brightest and best juniors. I thought it was a very interesting story and also provides an insight into the trainer that Garry is or might be. (There are these hilarious photos in Chessbase story of Garry in singlets!) The story is here. Read it.
Excerpts I like:
On training methods
On the different personalities (brash loud extroverts vs the quiet reserved introverts and something in between) and gender differences, and how they react in group chess training
On the appropriate openings for juniors repertoire
For the purpose of this blog, the story is also interesting as it reveals a possible way a very strong player may conduct a training session with juniors and from which juniors may benefit best. Food for thought.
And I leave with a last excerpt from Garry:
Mig Greengard who is a friend of Garry has a blog and amongst the comments was a reference to a USCF story about Garry's training session with US brightest and best juniors. I thought it was a very interesting story and also provides an insight into the trainer that Garry is or might be. (There are these hilarious photos in Chessbase story of Garry in singlets!) The story is here. Read it.
Excerpts I like:
On training methods
Kasparov frequently goes off on tangents like this during the eight hour session. The day is largely unstructured, and Kasparov’s broad aim is to share his vast experience with the kids. When I later ask him about his pedagogical approach, he is unequivocal. “I’m not a teacher ... I learned a lot from Botvinnik, and I think his method works because I’m sharing my experience. I’m teaching them how to understand the game of chess. I mean some say, ‘oh, [the class is] very short it doesn’t change anything’—no, it does, because I remember when I was a kid and I could hear an opinion of a person who represented a great authority in the game of chess for me and for others. It doesn’t guarantee tremendous progress, but it helps them, actually, with their work, with their preparation, because they know more about chess wisdom than their competitors ... It helps them to broaden their vision of the game.”
On the different personalities (brash loud extroverts vs the quiet reserved introverts and something in between) and gender differences, and how they react in group chess training
Mackenzie “Mac” Molner, the oldest participant today, is generally silent. He and the two young girls (Alisa Melekhina and Anna Matlin) give the impression that they are mainly waiting for their turn to show Kasparov their games, and are otherwise happy to passively listen.(Sam is IM Sam Shankland the joint 2008 World Youth U18 champion (3rd on tiebreak) and according to the reporter, the most vocal and extroverted during the training session.)
When I ask Kasparov about this after the session he insists that one thing he learned from Botvinnik is the importance of involving everyone in the discussion. It is not ideal that some are just watching. “I’m trying to encourage more participation, but sometimes you have to fight certain problems of the character.” Some kids are bound to be the quiet type. And yet the work should be very intense for each of them, including Kasparov himself, he says. He wants the students to learn not only from their own games, but also from the games of their fellow classmates.
In the next game Anna Matlin tries to get in a small suggestion, one of the few times the group has heard from her. Sam shoots it down at first, an unfortunate inclination, but this time Daniel comes to her aid. “Nf5, I like it.”
“Interesting,” Kasparov agrees. “Keeping the bishop alive.”
At this, a tiny hint of a satisfied smile creeps onto Anna face. But almost immediately the boys move on. A moment later Anna proffers a new idea. Again, it is initially brushed off, but then Kasparov warms up to it after all. Sam turns to Anna and whispers, “he just said your suggestion was right. I guess we should listen to you more.” This time her smile is unambiguous.
Sam can take criticism. “Once you wipe the tears away, you’re stronger and you have a better sense of the position,” he says. “I know some people who are like, ‘oh my god you said my move is bad,’ and they go cry in a corner ... but you don’t get better by someone saying, ‘all your moves are perfect,’ because, unless you win every game, all your moves are not perfect.” Not everyone is so thick-skinned, but the best learn how to recover and move on from failure, and everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time.
“[Ray] has huge potential,” said Kasparov. “He plays, I would say, mature chess, and it was a pleasure to watch this very young kid showing the lines and playing very high quality games. I could have offered criticism, but I appreciated the fact that it was a very different strength. He plays chess which already could make him a GM. So that’s why I told him, ‘don’t be too concerned about the title. You will get it soon if you keep playing the same chess.’”This is very interesting observation of Ray Robson. Since then, Ray has gone on to achieve two GM norms in less than a month apart!
On the appropriate openings for juniors repertoire
For instance, after the game analysis, Kasparov opens the room for questions. These are mostly centered around opening selection. Regarding 4. Ng5 in the Two Knight’s Defense (a.k.a. The Fried Liver Attack), Kasparov approves, although he says it’s still not properly analyzed, probably. Daniel is dubious. “This is actually okay for Black, according to Informant,” he proclaims.
“Well, what about common sense?” comes the immediate retort.
For the purpose of this blog, the story is also interesting as it reveals a possible way a very strong player may conduct a training session with juniors and from which juniors may benefit best. Food for thought.
And I leave with a last excerpt from Garry:
He hopes a few of the talented kids here will continue. “First you have to build the structure to find the talent, to encourage kids to play chess. So that’s what we have been doing here, and doing quite successfully. The next problem is how to make sure this talent stays in the game of chess, but that’s beyond our task.”
Monday, September 7, 2009
Knowing the Lucena endgame manoeuvre pays dividend
In a previous post on Topalov-Kramnik (grudge) match (rapid)(see here), it was pointed out that Kramnik utilised the Lucena endgame manoeuvre to win. Similarly, in a recent game from the KL Open, White exchanges in the endgame to reach the "fabled" Lucena position and Black resigned.
Test yourself! Do you know how to win from the position when Black resigned? If you don't, you may wish to read this article from ChessCafe.
[BTW, I have seen personally GM Dejan Antic performing a similar strategy in a rapid game at the Sydney Rapid in 2008.]
Therefore, it pays to know your endgame positions and to spend a bit of time in the transition from late-middlegame to endgame thinking about the actual endgame.
Test yourself! Do you know how to win from the position when Black resigned? If you don't, you may wish to read this article from ChessCafe.
[BTW, I have seen personally GM Dejan Antic performing a similar strategy in a rapid game at the Sydney Rapid in 2008.]
Therefore, it pays to know your endgame positions and to spend a bit of time in the transition from late-middlegame to endgame thinking about the actual endgame.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Endgame Theory_Winning with 2 Knights
It has often been said that you cannot win an endgame with a Knight against a lone King or even two Knights (unless your opponent obliges). But you can win if your opponent has an additional pawn. Here is how it is done:
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Advice for Chess Parents from US GM Joel Benjamin
US GM Joel Benjamin writes a column for the USCF Chess Life Online where he answers questions from readers (USCF members). The latest is a question from a concerned parent of an eight year old chessplayer rated USCF 1600 (probably around Elo 1400): how can we help him to improve quickly with planning and openings. Should he memorize some opening variations at this level? ...... And how much time and effort should he put into chess in order to keep himself in the top of his age group while remain healthy and also have time for other activities?
Excerpts from GM Benjamin's very sensible answer:
[......]
Read the question and answer in full here.
Excerpts from GM Benjamin's very sensible answer:
I’m interested in your term “improve quickly.” Coaching can focus on short-term goals, which is more about rapid rating increase. To me, improvement is a long-term, ongoing process, that doesn’t necessarily manifest itself in wins in the next tournament.
For instance, taking an approach of going deeply into a small set of openings your son plays, and focusing on specific variations is a short term approach that doesn’t necessarily lead to improved understanding, the key to maintaining an increased rating.
I think that understanding the ideas behind the opening moves comes first, and gradually learning particular opening variations can be worked in. I hate the term “memorizing’ openings because they should always be learned. Memorizing moves can only help if your opponent does exactly what he’s supposed to do, and won’t help for the future when they don’t. Keep in mind that every child is different; you have to take into account your son’s memory skills.
I like to expose children to the broad spectrum of chess, which involves showing them instructive games in openings they don’t play. It gets them started towards becoming more complete players. Other coaches may keep a more narrow focus which could augment immediate results, but run into problems later. I’m not going to say there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.
[......]
It seems to me that any child who puts five hours a day into chess during the school year would have little time for any other kind of life. Choose a regimen that seems right to you and your son. Have him play frequently but not too much (two or three tournaments a month should be enough). More time spent on chess can produce results, but it is only part of the story. What really counts in the ability to process what you learn and apply it to your games. As long as your son works diligently in the hours that he does devote to chess, he will have every opportunity to compete successfully with other children his age.
Read the question and answer in full here.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
19th European Youth Chess Championship 2009 in Fermo Italy
The 19th European Youth Chess Championship 2009 is currently underway in Fermo, Italy. Two rounds have been played and in the first round there were upsets in the U18 competition. The top seed, GM Lopez Ivan Salgado 2558, and 6th seed, GM Dariusz Swiercz 2492, lost their games. Other categories include Girls U18, Boys and Birls U16, U14, U12, U10.
You can follow the games live as well as replay the games and follow the results here and here and here.
You can follow the games live as well as replay the games and follow the results here and here and here.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
How to Play the KID ......
This game occured in the recent FIDE Grand Prix in Jermuk Rd 11. GM Kevin Spraggett opines: "The game is interesting because it demonstrates how to play the King's Indian Defence from both sides. The ideas are worth remembering, as this game is state of the art opening theory! ...... the highlight of the game comes with a spectacular and unexpected Rook sacrifice."
Annotations by GM Spraggett:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5
Who among us has not tried the Kings Indian Defence atleast once in their life?
7. O-O Nc6 One of the most important openings in modern chess. I have played both sides dozens of times!
8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 An important moment. Black intends to advance ...f5, and so he must move his Knight to either d7 or e8. From d7 the Knight controls the c5 square, and for this reason most theoreticians prefer this move. Retreating the Knight to e8 allows White more options to gain the initiative: 9... Ne8 10. Be3 (10. Nd3 f5 11. f4!? also has a following) 10... f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 h5 13. c5 g5 14. a4 and the Knight on e1 can be used for defence on the King side.
10. f3 f5 11. g4!? The Benko Attack
This system achieved notice when it was successfully introduced by Benko at the 1958 Interzonal tournament in Portoroz. White aims to stabilize the King's side before proceeding with his thematic pawn advance on the Queen's side. Many texts call this line the ''Benko Attack'' , in honour of Pal Benko's courageous concept.
The entire concept goes against the classical principles of the game where Lasker, Tarrasch and Steinitz taught that one should not voluntarily weaken the pawn structure on the side of the board where your opponent intends to attack. Typical of modern chess, Benko's idea requires a high degree of tactical skill and a fine sense of danger. One false step and the game can turn on you!
It rests to be proven whether Benko's idea has a future, however. Although most GMs are sceptical of it, and other lines enjoy more popularity, the line has never been refuted. I have a feeling that Benko's idea still has a lot of poison in it....
Bearing in mind what I wrote on the previous note (about the draw backs of ...Ne8), here with the Black Knight on d7 White would have to spend a tempo more to advance c5: 11. Be3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. Nd3 Nf6 14. c5 and now it is known that ... Rf7 leads to extremely complex play where the word today is that Black has good chances.
11... Kh8!? Considered the most flexible, but not the only move seen in praxis
This King move allows for either the Knight or Rook to go to g8 (useful in later variations)
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES:
A: 11... f4 is solid, but has not done well after 12. h4! a5 (12... g5 13. h5! completely blocking the King side) 13. Ng2 Nc5 14. Bd2 Kh8 15. Be1 Bd7 16. Bf2 and now that the King side is under control, White is ready to advance on the Queen side, as in Benko Pal C - Eliskases Erich G , Buenos Aires 1960
B: too passive is the immediate 11... fxg4 as after 12. fxg4 Rxf1 13. Kxf1 Nf6 14. Nd3 c5 15. Be3 Bd7 16. Kg1 Kh8 17. Kh1 Qc7 18. g5 Nfg8 none of the Black minor pieces has any real mobility. as in Portisch Lajos 2630 - Attard Wilfred 2200 , Madrid 1960 Izt
C: 11... Nf6 12. Nd3 Kh8 (12... c6 13. Be3) 13. h4 Nfg8 14. g5 c6 15. Kg2 fxe4 16. fxe4 and White is on top. Again the Black minor pieces are without play. The only way to do something involves being ready to sacrifice a piece for a few checks. as in Gipslis Aivars 2580 - Gufeld Eduard 25204 , Leningrad 1963 Ch URS
12. Nd3!? A question of taste? Also logical is the immediate 12. Be3. Sometimes the Knight can go to g2.
Curiously, Cheparinov himself, with the White pieces (!), had previously successfully tried 12. h4 Ng8 13. g5 (13. Ng2!?) 13... f4 14. Kg2 h6 15. Rh1 Rf7 16. Nd3 Bf8 17. Qg1 Kg7 18. Kf1 Be7 19. Bd2 hxg5 20. hxg5 Bxg5 21. Nb5 Bh6 22. c5 with excellent compensation for the pawn, and a clear initiative all over the board! Cheparinov,I - Stellwagen Daniel , Amsterdam 2005
12... f4!? Committal, and probably not so bad! Theory has not really worked things out here.
Black closes the King side pawns and intends to advance his g and h pawns soon enough.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES WORTH CHECKING OUT:
I would prefer the immediate 12... c5! trying to contain White's Queen side play 13. Kg2 (13. dxc6 bxc6 14. b4 a5!? is complex and not worse for Black) 13... Ng8 14. Be3 Bh6 15. Bf2 Bg5 with an interesting game and chances for both sides.
A critical alternative, but apparently not easy to handle for Black, is 12... Nf6 13. Be3 c6 14. h3 holding up the King side, and now not so promising is 14... b5 as after 15. Nb4! complications favour White, as in Pinter Jozsef - Sznapik Aleksander , Prague 1985 Zt . Black has to look for improvements here.
Finally, one last alternative to consider is 12... Ng8 13. Kh1 f4 (13... Ndf6 14. Rg1) 14. Rg1 g5 15. Bd2 h5 16. h3 Rf6 17. Rc1 Rh6 18. Kg2 Bf8 19. Be1 ( better than 19. b4 Ne7 20. c5 Ng6 21. cxd6 Bxd6 22. Nb5 Nf6 23. Nf2 Bd7 24. a4 1/2-1/2, Cheparinov I, - Fedorov A , Khanty Mansyisk 2005 Cup World FIDE ) 19... Ne7 20. Bf2 Ng6 21. Rh1 Be7 22. Nb5 and white has some chances.
Back to the game:
13. Rf2!? Apparently a new move in this position.
13. Bd2 is known, with normal play. Eljanov's idea is to bolster his King side , aided by his Rook on the second rank. Now the f1 square will be free for the Bishop to draw back if necessary, and White also has h3 (a last resort) if necessary to defend g4.
Though the move was very successful in this game (even more than you might think (!)--it turned out to be a hero) , the final verdict can only be made after many more examples.
13... Bf6 A typical manoeuvre: the King Bishop will move to h4 before continuing with a pawn advance.
Also worth considering is 13... g5 and 14… h5. The drawback would be that the Black Bishop would be less active (a debatable point), but Black would be able to play ...Kg7 and ...Rh8 with a different type of counterplay.
14. Rg2 Bh4 15. b4
White startes his Queen side advance.
15... h5 !? This looks the most precise moment to strike on the King side.
Black must play very sharply in order to counter White's ambitions. Cheparinov is a player with a well deserved reputation for skillfully exploiting his chances in double edged positions.
Procrastinating allows White many interesting tactical tries, for instance the slower 15... Ng8 16. c5 h5 17. gxh5 g5 (17... gxh5 18. Bb2 (18. Kh1)) 18. Bb2 Ndf6 allows the promising sacrifical line 19. Nb5 Bh3 (19... a6 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Nxd6 Qxd6 22. Nxe5) 20. Nxe5 dxe5 21. Bxe5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Rf7 23. Qb3 , and though White is an entire Rook down, his two bishops and dominating centre make it difficult for Black to breath.
16. g5 ! Sharp play
Ofcourse not the passive 16.h3 as Black can continue ...Bg3 and Qh4, when I am not sure what White can do! And also not good is 16. gxh5 as Black can continue directly with16... g5 followed by 17… Nf6 with threats.
Ofcourse, Eljanov did not forget about the pawn on g5! It is common in this line that White sacrifice this pawn for time: White hopes to exploit the initiative and growing threats. In essence, with all the pieces on the board the loss (temporary) of one little pawn is not going to discourage a strong grandmaster.
16... Ng8
As pointed out elsewhere, in Benko's variation it is not uncommon that Black's minor pieces do not have convenient squares to move to, so here Black resorts to some behind-the-line shuffling.
17. Kh1 Rf7 The Rook makes room for the Knight.
A typical manoeuvre. After wards Black will take the g-pawn without worrying about his own pawn on g6.
18. c5 Nf8 Slowly Black is unwinding his pieces. White needs to get some play now, as otherwise Black will soon gobble up the g-pawn for nothing.
19. Nb5!? White needs to make progress and harrass Black
An exploratory move that seeks to provoke weaknesses on the Queen side pawn structure. Should Black leave the Knight on b5 then he will have to worry about things happening on c7 or d6 or a7.
19... Bh3 Logical, and a threat. Finally.
Transposing into the game would be 19... a6 20. Na3; but do not try 19... Bxg5?! as after 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Nxd6! everything falls apart!
20. Rg1 a6 21. Na3 The Knight will come into play via c4, with great effect! From c4 the Knight touches many of Black's sensitive squares: b6, d6, e5.
There is nothing new under the sun! All of the ideas that White is incorporating in his plan have been seen hundreds of times in the past in similar positions. But what is pleasing about this game is how White is able to execute his plan with such effectiveness.
21... Bxg5 If Black does not take this pawn then none of his previous play makes any sense!
The position is very messy and complicated. White has sacrificed a pawn, but his compensation is not bad at all: after he plays natural moves like Nc4, Bb2 his pieces will exercise considerable pressure on Black's position. A sacrifice will always be looming on e5. The pressure along the g-line is a long term annoyance for the defender, also, and lends to the practical difficulties in playing the Black position.
On the otherhand, Black does not play this opening unless he is looking to win, and is willing to accept challenges and risks. Should he beat back the White initiative, then he will be a pawn up.
22. Nc4 Bf6 An important moment in the game
23. Bf1!? This is probably not the best move. I think White should try 23. Bb2! immediately, as after ... g5?! 24. cxd6 cxd6 25. Rxg5 wins anyway. The text move gives Black a chance to breathe
23... Bc8?! Black reciprocates. This unnecessary retreating move will cost Black.
Black had to try 23... Bxf1! 24. Qxf1 b5! with a complicated game.
For instance, after 25. Na5 Qd7 26. a4 Ne7 27. Bb2 Kh7 Black is still in the game, and soon might try ...g5 trying to disturb White over on the King side.
24. Bb2 g5?! The losing moment
This natural looking move costs Black the game. Ofcourse, he can be forgiven for overlooking White's brilliant next move! Or did he overlook it? At this level of play it is very unlikely that a strong GM like Cheparinov would have not considered the move; more likely he underestimated White's attack and did not spend sufficient time on the reply to realize the gravity of the situation.
Absolutely necessary, though still struggling, was 24... b5! 25. cxb6 (25. Na5 Ne7 26. Rc1 g5) 25... cxb6 26. Qd2 Kh7 (26... g5 27. Rxg5) 27. a4 (27. Qf2 b5 28. Nb6 Bh4) 27... g5 28. Qf2 Rb8 29. b5 a5 30. Ba3! and while White is clearly on top, Black is not without some hope as he still has some shots left. As it is, in the game it is all over and Black loses without any real counterplay.
25. cxd6 cxd6 26. Rxg5!! The moment for the spectators to shower the board with gold coins!
One of the prettiest moves of the whole tournament. Unfortunately for Black, the tactics are quite simple and airtight: Black is in touble.
26... Bxg5 27. Ncxe5 !
Taking with the other knight changes nothing.
27... dxe5 28. Nxe5
Cheparinov must have overlooked something elementary here. White is Rook and a Knight down, but he has an irresistible attack. Black must return material. Playing 28...Kh7 allows White to take on f7 and g5 and then play Qd4 with direct mating threats.
28... Kg7 There is nothing better! Black must give the Queen.
If instead 28... Rg7 then 29. Nf7 is curtains immediately. (maybe he overlooked this idea!?) Because of Cheparinov's weak 24th move (...g5), his game falls apart quickly. And at the highest level, barring a miracle, there are no second chances!
29. Nc6 Qf6 30. Bxf6 Bxf6 31. e5! (31.Nd4 was a strong alternative)
With forceful moves Eljanov is able to take complete control of the game, initiative and all.
31... bxc6 32. exf6 The simplification is in White's favour.
32... Nxf6?! [ More resistant, but equally useless, would be 32... Rxf6 33. dxc6 Rxc6 34. Qd5 Ne7 35. Qe5 Kf7 36. Qxf4 Bf5 and atleast the Black pieces breath.
33. dxc6 It should now be clear that the game can not be saved.
33... Be6 34. Rc1 Raa7
Black has a Rook and two Knights for the Queen (not counting pawns), which normally would be enough to put up a fight. But in the present game Black will not have time to coordinate his pieces and launch a counter attack because of White's dominance on the Queen side.
35. a4!?
This is Eljanov's trump. He will get unstoppable connected passed pawns on the Queen side.
35... Rae7 36. b5
Good enough was 36. Bxa6 Bh3 37. b5 It is now becoming clear that Black simply has no chance to get any counterplay: the connected passers on the Queen side are unstoppable.
36... axb5 37. axb5 N8d7 !?
If instead 37... Ng6 then simply 38. b6 Nh4 39. b7. Black is willing to return a piece to try to get rid of the connected passed pawns. In essence, Black has no way to put up a defence.
38. Bc4 White can win as he pleases, and he decides to do it with a minimum of mess
Good enough to win was 38. cxd7 Rxd7 39. Qa4 Bd5 40. Qxf4; Eljanov apparently felt it was not necessary to take the Knight!
38... Bxc4 39. Rxc4 Ne5 40. Rxf4 [40. Rc5 was also strong] 40... Re6 41. Qg1 Kh8 42. Qc1!
The passed pawns will eventually decide the game. In the meantime, Eljanov mops up.
42... Nxc6 43. bxc6 Rc7 Cheparinov plays out of momentum. Resigning was best.
44. Rc4 [44. Rf5 is also good] 44... Kg7 45. f4!
This pawn will help in the attack against the Black King. Since Cheparinov insists on playing on in such a lost position, Eljanov must have really enjoyed this phase of the game! It is not often that a strong GM gets a chance to such the marrow out of his opponent...
45...Kf7 46. f5 Rd6 47. h3 Ng8 48. Rc2 Ne7 49. Qg5! Rcxc6 50. Qxh5 ch Kf8 51. Qh8 Kf7 Now White has simply to bring in his Rook inorder to bring the game to a close
52. Rg2! Nxf5 53. Qh7 [1:0] Black resigns. A really nice win by Eljanov.
Annotations by GM Spraggett:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5
Who among us has not tried the Kings Indian Defence atleast once in their life?
7. O-O Nc6 One of the most important openings in modern chess. I have played both sides dozens of times!
8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 An important moment. Black intends to advance ...f5, and so he must move his Knight to either d7 or e8. From d7 the Knight controls the c5 square, and for this reason most theoreticians prefer this move. Retreating the Knight to e8 allows White more options to gain the initiative: 9... Ne8 10. Be3 (10. Nd3 f5 11. f4!? also has a following) 10... f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 h5 13. c5 g5 14. a4 and the Knight on e1 can be used for defence on the King side.
10. f3 f5 11. g4!? The Benko Attack
This system achieved notice when it was successfully introduced by Benko at the 1958 Interzonal tournament in Portoroz. White aims to stabilize the King's side before proceeding with his thematic pawn advance on the Queen's side. Many texts call this line the ''Benko Attack'' , in honour of Pal Benko's courageous concept.
The entire concept goes against the classical principles of the game where Lasker, Tarrasch and Steinitz taught that one should not voluntarily weaken the pawn structure on the side of the board where your opponent intends to attack. Typical of modern chess, Benko's idea requires a high degree of tactical skill and a fine sense of danger. One false step and the game can turn on you!
It rests to be proven whether Benko's idea has a future, however. Although most GMs are sceptical of it, and other lines enjoy more popularity, the line has never been refuted. I have a feeling that Benko's idea still has a lot of poison in it....
Bearing in mind what I wrote on the previous note (about the draw backs of ...Ne8), here with the Black Knight on d7 White would have to spend a tempo more to advance c5: 11. Be3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. Nd3 Nf6 14. c5 and now it is known that ... Rf7 leads to extremely complex play where the word today is that Black has good chances.
11... Kh8!? Considered the most flexible, but not the only move seen in praxis
This King move allows for either the Knight or Rook to go to g8 (useful in later variations)
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES:
A: 11... f4 is solid, but has not done well after 12. h4! a5 (12... g5 13. h5! completely blocking the King side) 13. Ng2 Nc5 14. Bd2 Kh8 15. Be1 Bd7 16. Bf2 and now that the King side is under control, White is ready to advance on the Queen side, as in Benko Pal C - Eliskases Erich G , Buenos Aires 1960
B: too passive is the immediate 11... fxg4 as after 12. fxg4 Rxf1 13. Kxf1 Nf6 14. Nd3 c5 15. Be3 Bd7 16. Kg1 Kh8 17. Kh1 Qc7 18. g5 Nfg8 none of the Black minor pieces has any real mobility. as in Portisch Lajos 2630 - Attard Wilfred 2200 , Madrid 1960 Izt
C: 11... Nf6 12. Nd3 Kh8 (12... c6 13. Be3) 13. h4 Nfg8 14. g5 c6 15. Kg2 fxe4 16. fxe4 and White is on top. Again the Black minor pieces are without play. The only way to do something involves being ready to sacrifice a piece for a few checks. as in Gipslis Aivars 2580 - Gufeld Eduard 25204 , Leningrad 1963 Ch URS
12. Nd3!? A question of taste? Also logical is the immediate 12. Be3. Sometimes the Knight can go to g2.
Curiously, Cheparinov himself, with the White pieces (!), had previously successfully tried 12. h4 Ng8 13. g5 (13. Ng2!?) 13... f4 14. Kg2 h6 15. Rh1 Rf7 16. Nd3 Bf8 17. Qg1 Kg7 18. Kf1 Be7 19. Bd2 hxg5 20. hxg5 Bxg5 21. Nb5 Bh6 22. c5 with excellent compensation for the pawn, and a clear initiative all over the board! Cheparinov,I - Stellwagen Daniel , Amsterdam 2005
12... f4!? Committal, and probably not so bad! Theory has not really worked things out here.
Black closes the King side pawns and intends to advance his g and h pawns soon enough.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES WORTH CHECKING OUT:
I would prefer the immediate 12... c5! trying to contain White's Queen side play 13. Kg2 (13. dxc6 bxc6 14. b4 a5!? is complex and not worse for Black) 13... Ng8 14. Be3 Bh6 15. Bf2 Bg5 with an interesting game and chances for both sides.
A critical alternative, but apparently not easy to handle for Black, is 12... Nf6 13. Be3 c6 14. h3 holding up the King side, and now not so promising is 14... b5 as after 15. Nb4! complications favour White, as in Pinter Jozsef - Sznapik Aleksander , Prague 1985 Zt . Black has to look for improvements here.
Finally, one last alternative to consider is 12... Ng8 13. Kh1 f4 (13... Ndf6 14. Rg1) 14. Rg1 g5 15. Bd2 h5 16. h3 Rf6 17. Rc1 Rh6 18. Kg2 Bf8 19. Be1 ( better than 19. b4 Ne7 20. c5 Ng6 21. cxd6 Bxd6 22. Nb5 Nf6 23. Nf2 Bd7 24. a4 1/2-1/2, Cheparinov I, - Fedorov A , Khanty Mansyisk 2005 Cup World FIDE ) 19... Ne7 20. Bf2 Ng6 21. Rh1 Be7 22. Nb5 and white has some chances.
Back to the game:
13. Rf2!? Apparently a new move in this position.
13. Bd2 is known, with normal play. Eljanov's idea is to bolster his King side , aided by his Rook on the second rank. Now the f1 square will be free for the Bishop to draw back if necessary, and White also has h3 (a last resort) if necessary to defend g4.
Though the move was very successful in this game (even more than you might think (!)--it turned out to be a hero) , the final verdict can only be made after many more examples.
13... Bf6 A typical manoeuvre: the King Bishop will move to h4 before continuing with a pawn advance.
Also worth considering is 13... g5 and 14… h5. The drawback would be that the Black Bishop would be less active (a debatable point), but Black would be able to play ...Kg7 and ...Rh8 with a different type of counterplay.
14. Rg2 Bh4 15. b4
White startes his Queen side advance.
15... h5 !? This looks the most precise moment to strike on the King side.
Black must play very sharply in order to counter White's ambitions. Cheparinov is a player with a well deserved reputation for skillfully exploiting his chances in double edged positions.
Procrastinating allows White many interesting tactical tries, for instance the slower 15... Ng8 16. c5 h5 17. gxh5 g5 (17... gxh5 18. Bb2 (18. Kh1)) 18. Bb2 Ndf6 allows the promising sacrifical line 19. Nb5 Bh3 (19... a6 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Nxd6 Qxd6 22. Nxe5) 20. Nxe5 dxe5 21. Bxe5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Rf7 23. Qb3 , and though White is an entire Rook down, his two bishops and dominating centre make it difficult for Black to breath.
16. g5 ! Sharp play
Ofcourse not the passive 16.h3 as Black can continue ...Bg3 and Qh4, when I am not sure what White can do! And also not good is 16. gxh5 as Black can continue directly with16... g5 followed by 17… Nf6 with threats.
Ofcourse, Eljanov did not forget about the pawn on g5! It is common in this line that White sacrifice this pawn for time: White hopes to exploit the initiative and growing threats. In essence, with all the pieces on the board the loss (temporary) of one little pawn is not going to discourage a strong grandmaster.
16... Ng8
As pointed out elsewhere, in Benko's variation it is not uncommon that Black's minor pieces do not have convenient squares to move to, so here Black resorts to some behind-the-line shuffling.
17. Kh1 Rf7 The Rook makes room for the Knight.
A typical manoeuvre. After wards Black will take the g-pawn without worrying about his own pawn on g6.
18. c5 Nf8 Slowly Black is unwinding his pieces. White needs to get some play now, as otherwise Black will soon gobble up the g-pawn for nothing.
19. Nb5!? White needs to make progress and harrass Black
An exploratory move that seeks to provoke weaknesses on the Queen side pawn structure. Should Black leave the Knight on b5 then he will have to worry about things happening on c7 or d6 or a7.
19... Bh3 Logical, and a threat. Finally.
Transposing into the game would be 19... a6 20. Na3; but do not try 19... Bxg5?! as after 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Nxd6! everything falls apart!
20. Rg1 a6 21. Na3 The Knight will come into play via c4, with great effect! From c4 the Knight touches many of Black's sensitive squares: b6, d6, e5.
There is nothing new under the sun! All of the ideas that White is incorporating in his plan have been seen hundreds of times in the past in similar positions. But what is pleasing about this game is how White is able to execute his plan with such effectiveness.
21... Bxg5 If Black does not take this pawn then none of his previous play makes any sense!
The position is very messy and complicated. White has sacrificed a pawn, but his compensation is not bad at all: after he plays natural moves like Nc4, Bb2 his pieces will exercise considerable pressure on Black's position. A sacrifice will always be looming on e5. The pressure along the g-line is a long term annoyance for the defender, also, and lends to the practical difficulties in playing the Black position.
On the otherhand, Black does not play this opening unless he is looking to win, and is willing to accept challenges and risks. Should he beat back the White initiative, then he will be a pawn up.
22. Nc4 Bf6 An important moment in the game
23. Bf1!? This is probably not the best move. I think White should try 23. Bb2! immediately, as after ... g5?! 24. cxd6 cxd6 25. Rxg5 wins anyway. The text move gives Black a chance to breathe
23... Bc8?! Black reciprocates. This unnecessary retreating move will cost Black.
Black had to try 23... Bxf1! 24. Qxf1 b5! with a complicated game.
For instance, after 25. Na5 Qd7 26. a4 Ne7 27. Bb2 Kh7 Black is still in the game, and soon might try ...g5 trying to disturb White over on the King side.
24. Bb2 g5?! The losing moment
This natural looking move costs Black the game. Ofcourse, he can be forgiven for overlooking White's brilliant next move! Or did he overlook it? At this level of play it is very unlikely that a strong GM like Cheparinov would have not considered the move; more likely he underestimated White's attack and did not spend sufficient time on the reply to realize the gravity of the situation.
Absolutely necessary, though still struggling, was 24... b5! 25. cxb6 (25. Na5 Ne7 26. Rc1 g5) 25... cxb6 26. Qd2 Kh7 (26... g5 27. Rxg5) 27. a4 (27. Qf2 b5 28. Nb6 Bh4) 27... g5 28. Qf2 Rb8 29. b5 a5 30. Ba3! and while White is clearly on top, Black is not without some hope as he still has some shots left. As it is, in the game it is all over and Black loses without any real counterplay.
25. cxd6 cxd6 26. Rxg5!! The moment for the spectators to shower the board with gold coins!
One of the prettiest moves of the whole tournament. Unfortunately for Black, the tactics are quite simple and airtight: Black is in touble.
26... Bxg5 27. Ncxe5 !
Taking with the other knight changes nothing.
27... dxe5 28. Nxe5
Cheparinov must have overlooked something elementary here. White is Rook and a Knight down, but he has an irresistible attack. Black must return material. Playing 28...Kh7 allows White to take on f7 and g5 and then play Qd4 with direct mating threats.
28... Kg7 There is nothing better! Black must give the Queen.
If instead 28... Rg7 then 29. Nf7 is curtains immediately. (maybe he overlooked this idea!?) Because of Cheparinov's weak 24th move (...g5), his game falls apart quickly. And at the highest level, barring a miracle, there are no second chances!
29. Nc6 Qf6 30. Bxf6 Bxf6 31. e5! (31.Nd4 was a strong alternative)
With forceful moves Eljanov is able to take complete control of the game, initiative and all.
31... bxc6 32. exf6 The simplification is in White's favour.
32... Nxf6?! [ More resistant, but equally useless, would be 32... Rxf6 33. dxc6 Rxc6 34. Qd5 Ne7 35. Qe5 Kf7 36. Qxf4 Bf5 and atleast the Black pieces breath.
33. dxc6 It should now be clear that the game can not be saved.
33... Be6 34. Rc1 Raa7
Black has a Rook and two Knights for the Queen (not counting pawns), which normally would be enough to put up a fight. But in the present game Black will not have time to coordinate his pieces and launch a counter attack because of White's dominance on the Queen side.
35. a4!?
This is Eljanov's trump. He will get unstoppable connected passed pawns on the Queen side.
35... Rae7 36. b5
Good enough was 36. Bxa6 Bh3 37. b5 It is now becoming clear that Black simply has no chance to get any counterplay: the connected passers on the Queen side are unstoppable.
36... axb5 37. axb5 N8d7 !?
If instead 37... Ng6 then simply 38. b6 Nh4 39. b7. Black is willing to return a piece to try to get rid of the connected passed pawns. In essence, Black has no way to put up a defence.
38. Bc4 White can win as he pleases, and he decides to do it with a minimum of mess
Good enough to win was 38. cxd7 Rxd7 39. Qa4 Bd5 40. Qxf4; Eljanov apparently felt it was not necessary to take the Knight!
38... Bxc4 39. Rxc4 Ne5 40. Rxf4 [40. Rc5 was also strong] 40... Re6 41. Qg1 Kh8 42. Qc1!
The passed pawns will eventually decide the game. In the meantime, Eljanov mops up.
42... Nxc6 43. bxc6 Rc7 Cheparinov plays out of momentum. Resigning was best.
44. Rc4 [44. Rf5 is also good] 44... Kg7 45. f4!
This pawn will help in the attack against the Black King. Since Cheparinov insists on playing on in such a lost position, Eljanov must have really enjoyed this phase of the game! It is not often that a strong GM gets a chance to such the marrow out of his opponent...
45...Kf7 46. f5 Rd6 47. h3 Ng8 48. Rc2 Ne7 49. Qg5! Rcxc6 50. Qxh5 ch Kf8 51. Qh8 Kf7 Now White has simply to bring in his Rook inorder to bring the game to a close
52. Rg2! Nxf5 53. Qh7 [1:0] Black resigns. A really nice win by Eljanov.
Topalov-Kramnik Grudge (rapid) game and the Lucena
As part of the the Zuerich Chess Club 200th Anniversay Jubilee, there was a Rapid tournament with a number of ex-World Chess Champions, Viswanathan Anand, Werner Hug, Anatoly Karpov, Alexander Khalifman, Vladimir Kramnik, Judit Polgar, Ruslan Ponomariov and Veselin Topalov. Kramnik won the tournament edging out Anand although both were undefeated. In Rd 4, there was the inevitable clash between Kramnik and Topalov. Kramink won. here is the game.
What is interesting is the use of well-known Lucena endgame manoeuvre even when there is an extra pawn on board. The manoeuvre begins on move 56...Rd5. ALL juniors should know how to win in a Lucena Position!!!
Here are IM Malcolm Pein's annotations:
V Topalov (2813) - V Kramnik (2759)
Champions Rapid Zurich (4)
Catalan
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c6 6.Ne5 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Qxd4 8.Bxb4 Qxe5 9.Nd2 b5 10.Bc3 Qc7 11.a4 Bb7 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Ne4 Ke7 14.Qd2 Nd7 15.axb5 cxb5 16.Qb4+ Nc5!! 17.Ra5
(Winning a piece is bad for White. If 17.Qxc5+ Qxc5 18.Nxc5 Bxg2 or 17.Nxc5 a5 18.Qa3 b4 19.Qe3 Bxg2; or 17.Nxc5 a5 18.Rxa5 Qxa5 19.Qxa5 Rxa5 20.Bxb7 b4 21.Ne4 Ra1+ 22.Kd2 Rxh1 or in this line 21.Na6 Ra2 22.0-0 Rxb2)
17...Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Rab8 19.0-0 Kf8!
(Black returns one of his extra pawns to get his king to safety)
20.Rfa1 Kg7 21.Rxa7 Qe5 22.Bf3 Rhf8 23.Re7 Nb3 24.Raa7 Nd4 25.Kg2 Nxe2 26.Rac7 Nd4 27.Rc5 Nc2 28.Rxe5 Nxb4 29.R5xe6 Nd3 30.Bh5 Nxb2
(Black's passed pawns are more potent than White's activity)
31.Rc6 Rbc8 32.Rb6 Rb8 33.Rc6 Nd3 34.f4
(34.Rcc7 Ne5 35.f4 Ng6)
34...Nb4 35.Rcc7 Nd5 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.Rxf7+ Kg8 38.Rd7 Nb6 39.Rc7 b4! 40.Bf7+ Kh8 41.Bxc4 Nxc4 42.Rxc4 b3 43.Rc1 b2 44.Rb1 Kg7 45.g4 Rb3 46.Kf2 Kg6 47.Ke1 h5!
48.gxh5+
(48.h3 Rxh3 49.gxh5+ Kxh5 50.Rxb2 Rh1+ 51.Kd2 Rh2+ 52.Kc3 Rxb2 53.Kxb2 Kg4)
48...Kxh5 49.Kd2 Rh3 50.Rh1 Kg4 51.Kc2 Kxf4 52.Kxb2 f5 53.Kc2 Ke3 54.Kd1 Kf2 55.Re1 Rd3+ 56.Kc2 Rd5!
(The standard technique to shield the king from checks once the pawn has reached the seventh rank and the king has to emerge)
57.Re8 f4 58.Rh8 f3 59.h4
(One tempo too late)
59...Kg3 60.h5 f2 61.Rg8+ Kf4 0-1
IM Pein goes on to say:
M Pasman - M Stean
Beersheba (12) 1978
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Qxd4 8.Bxb4 Qxe5 9.Na3 b5 10.f4 Qc7 11.Nxb5 cxb5 12.Bxa8 Bb7 13.Bxb7 Qxb7 14.0-0 Qb6+ 15.Kh1 Nc6 16.Bc3 Ng4 17.Qd6 Ne3 18.Rfd1
(18.Rf3 Nf5 19.Qd1 b4 20.Be1 0-0 looks good for Black but the computer points out 18.f5!! Nxf5 19.Rxf5 exf5 20.Rd1 Qb7 21.e4 fxe4 22.Bxg7 e3 23.Kg1 winning and after 18.f5 Nxf1 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Rxf1 White has a strong attack)
18...Qb7! 0-1
In view of 19.Kg1 Nd4! and mate on g2.
What is interesting is the use of well-known Lucena endgame manoeuvre even when there is an extra pawn on board. The manoeuvre begins on move 56...Rd5. ALL juniors should know how to win in a Lucena Position!!!
Here are IM Malcolm Pein's annotations:
V Topalov (2813) - V Kramnik (2759)
Champions Rapid Zurich (4)
Catalan
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c6 6.Ne5 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Qxd4 8.Bxb4 Qxe5 9.Nd2 b5 10.Bc3 Qc7 11.a4 Bb7 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Ne4 Ke7 14.Qd2 Nd7 15.axb5 cxb5 16.Qb4+ Nc5!! 17.Ra5
(Winning a piece is bad for White. If 17.Qxc5+ Qxc5 18.Nxc5 Bxg2 or 17.Nxc5 a5 18.Qa3 b4 19.Qe3 Bxg2; or 17.Nxc5 a5 18.Rxa5 Qxa5 19.Qxa5 Rxa5 20.Bxb7 b4 21.Ne4 Ra1+ 22.Kd2 Rxh1 or in this line 21.Na6 Ra2 22.0-0 Rxb2)
17...Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Rab8 19.0-0 Kf8!
(Black returns one of his extra pawns to get his king to safety)
20.Rfa1 Kg7 21.Rxa7 Qe5 22.Bf3 Rhf8 23.Re7 Nb3 24.Raa7 Nd4 25.Kg2 Nxe2 26.Rac7 Nd4 27.Rc5 Nc2 28.Rxe5 Nxb4 29.R5xe6 Nd3 30.Bh5 Nxb2
(Black's passed pawns are more potent than White's activity)
31.Rc6 Rbc8 32.Rb6 Rb8 33.Rc6 Nd3 34.f4
(34.Rcc7 Ne5 35.f4 Ng6)
34...Nb4 35.Rcc7 Nd5 36.Rxf7+ Rxf7 37.Rxf7+ Kg8 38.Rd7 Nb6 39.Rc7 b4! 40.Bf7+ Kh8 41.Bxc4 Nxc4 42.Rxc4 b3 43.Rc1 b2 44.Rb1 Kg7 45.g4 Rb3 46.Kf2 Kg6 47.Ke1 h5!
48.gxh5+
(48.h3 Rxh3 49.gxh5+ Kxh5 50.Rxb2 Rh1+ 51.Kd2 Rh2+ 52.Kc3 Rxb2 53.Kxb2 Kg4)
48...Kxh5 49.Kd2 Rh3 50.Rh1 Kg4 51.Kc2 Kxf4 52.Kxb2 f5 53.Kc2 Ke3 54.Kd1 Kf2 55.Re1 Rd3+ 56.Kc2 Rd5!
(The standard technique to shield the king from checks once the pawn has reached the seventh rank and the king has to emerge)
57.Re8 f4 58.Rh8 f3 59.h4
(One tempo too late)
59...Kg3 60.h5 f2 61.Rg8+ Kf4 0-1
IM Pein goes on to say:
Did Kramnik invent this daring line of defence? No, the credit goes to English GM Michael Stean - now retired from active play.
M Pasman - M Stean
Beersheba (12) 1978
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Qxd4 8.Bxb4 Qxe5 9.Na3 b5 10.f4 Qc7 11.Nxb5 cxb5 12.Bxa8 Bb7 13.Bxb7 Qxb7 14.0-0 Qb6+ 15.Kh1 Nc6 16.Bc3 Ng4 17.Qd6 Ne3 18.Rfd1
(18.Rf3 Nf5 19.Qd1 b4 20.Be1 0-0 looks good for Black but the computer points out 18.f5!! Nxf5 19.Rxf5 exf5 20.Rd1 Qb7 21.e4 fxe4 22.Bxg7 e3 23.Kg1 winning and after 18.f5 Nxf1 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Rxf1 White has a strong attack)
18...Qb7! 0-1
In view of 19.Kg1 Nd4! and mate on g2.
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