| TWIC Theory Service and Korchnoi book
promotion and Kasparov news. |
|
| FIDE World Cup - 27th
November 18th December 2005 in Khanty Mansyisk, Russia. Round 2 day 1
results |
|
| Watch part of the
Jonathan Rowson Lecture on his book Chess for Zebras. |
|
| World Juniors. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
regains the title he won in 2003 with a round to spare. Elisabeth Paehtz took
the girls title. |
|
| Man-Machine Events.
Bilbao with Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov and Khalifman. They played Junior, Fritz
and Hydra. Machines won a 8-4. Also Deep Junior vs Almira Skripchenko
Exhibition. |
|
| Igor Ivanov 1947-2005 by John
Donaldson |
|
| FIDE and World
Championship Politics. Georgios Makropoulos, FIDE Deputy President replies to
Carsten Hensel on Topalov - Kramnik match. |
|
| World Team Championship in Beer Sheva.
Russia took the title by half a point after defeating China by the necessary
3.5-0.5 margin in the final round. Games and results available. |
|
| Gibtelecom Chess Festival Promotional
Event with Shirov and Speelman on Monday 24th October 2005. |
|
Latest John Watson Review:
Review #70 Lives and Games, Part 2 - 5th May
2005.
Previous: Review #69 Lives and
Games, Part 1
Past
Reviews
John Watson's
"Chess Strategy
in Action" has won the ChessCafe Book-of-the-Year, it is the followup to
his award winning "Secrets of Modern Chess
Strategy". In addition he has released a new version of his classic:
"Play the French
3rd Edition" |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
TWIC Theory Service and Korchnoi book
promotion
TWIC Theory is an electronic
monthly magazine with high quality articles delivered in ChessBase, PGN or PDF
format. You can still get the back issues. Latest issues: GM Mikhalevski on The
Grunfeld Exchange Variation 8 Rb1. Details:
http://www.chesscenter.com/twictheory/
 |
| |
|
|
| |
FIDE World Chess Cup
Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra Alexander
Filipenko make first black move at board Alexandr Sibriaev vs Vassily Ivanchuk
on Monday Nov 27, 2005. (Photo © Kristianus Liem)
The FIDE
World Chess Cup takes place 26th November - 18th December 2005 in Khanty
Mansyisk, Russia.
Games in PGN Rd1+Rd2 Day
1
Official site: http://www.worldchesscup2005.com/
Round 2 Results Day 1
Round 1 Results (corrected) |
| |
|
|
| |
Rowson Lecture at the London Chess
Centre
Jonathan Rowson
Video excerpts from Lecture by
Jonathan Rowson
Jonathan Rowson visited the London Chess Centre
Thursday 3rd November 2005. to sign copies of his new book: Chess for Zebras
and to give a lecture illustrating some of the themes.
Order from the London
Chess Centre or in the US
chess4less.com
Watch the introduction by Malcolm Pein
http://www.chesscenter.com/rowson/rowson%20intro.wmv
(8.5 Meg - 7 mins 39 secs) and the first part of the lecture:
http://www.chesscenter.com/rowson/rowson%201.wmv
(24.6 Meg 22 mins 11 secs)
Details:
http://www.chess.co.uk/jonrowson2005.html |
| |
|
() |
| |
World Juniors
The World Junior
Championships took place in Istanbul 9th-22nd November 2005. Shakhriyar
Mamedyarov regains the title he won in 2003 with a round to spare. Elisabeth
Paehtz took the girls title.
Games in PGN Boys
and Games in PGN Girls
Official site:
http://www.tsf.org.tr/worldchess/
Leading
Final Round 13 Standings:
1 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2674 AZE
10½ 2783
2 GM Berkes Ferenc 2596 HUN 9½ 2646
3 GM
Alekseev Evgeny 2632 RUS 9 2571
4 GM Gashimov Vugar 2608 AZE 9 2622
5
GM Smeets Jan 2531 NED 8½ 2626
6 Li Chao(B) 2305 CHN 8½ 2613
7 GM Stellwagen Daniel 2561 NED 8½ 2580
8 GM Nyback Tomi 2563
FIN 8½ 2577
9 GM Wang Yue 2585 CHN 8½ 2576
10 IM
Magalashvili Davit 2448 GEO 8½ 2557
11 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2606
POL 8 2595
12 GM L'ami Erwin 2541 NED 8 2593
13 GM Wang Hao 2519 CHN
8 2560
14 IM Kharitonov Alexandr 2545 RUS 8 2529
15 GM Tomashevsky
Evgeny 2564 RUS 8 2522
16 GM Kurnosov Igor 2523 RUS 8 2426
17 IM
Sengupta Deep 2400 IND 8 2436
18 FM Glud Jacob Vang 2349 DEN 7½
2525
19 IM Sanikidze Tornike 2411 GEO 7½ 2489
20 GM Predojevic
Borki 2558 BIH 7½ 2483
21 Karakehajov Kalin 2396 BUL 7½ 2428
22 IM Khairullin Ildar 2537 RUS 7½ 2419
23 IM Zhigalko Sergei
2490 BLR 7½ 2468
24 IM Mamedov Nidjat 2517 AZE 7½ 2467
25 IM Esen Baris 2384 TUR 7½ 2414
26 IM Laznicka Viktor 2517 CZE
7½ 2439
27 FM Kuderinov Kirill 2432 KAZ 7½ 2382
28
Macak Stefan 2319 SVK 7½ 2379
29 FM Sulashvili Malkhaz 2386 GEO
7½ 2374
92 players
Leading Girls Final Round 13
Standings:
1 IM Paehtz Elisabeth 2408 GER 10 2521
2 WGM Gu
Xiaobing 2330 CHN 9½ 2493
3 WIM Kadziolka Beata 2352 POL 9 2459
4 WIM Mamedjarova Turkan 2223 AZE 9 2403
5 WGM Harika Dronavalli 2392
IND 9 2434
6 WGM Pogonina Natalija 2401 RUS 8½ 2429
7 IM
Dzagnidze Nana 2443 GEO 8½ 2424
8 IM Vasilevich Irina 2389 RUS
8½ 2412
9 WGM Melia Salome 2318 GEO 8½ 2382
10
Khotenashvili Bela 2288 GEO 8 2397
11 WFM Motoc Alina 2313 ROM 8 2387
12 WIM Zhang Jilin 2334 CHN 8 2314
13 WFM Szczepkowska Karina 2278 POL 8
2285
14 WGM Tania Sachdev 2379 IND 7½ 2363
15 WGM Ushenina
Anna 2409 UKR 7½ 2348
16 WIM Andriasian Siranush 2263 ARM 7½
2330
17 WGM Zawadzka Jolanta 2381 POL 7½ 2332
18 WIM
Pourkashiyan Atousa 2271 IRI 7½ 2303
19 WIM Guseva Marina 2363 RUS
7½ 2308
20 WGM Mongontuul Bathuyag 2408 MGL 7½ 2286
21
WGM Khukhashvili Sopiko 2362 GEO 7½ 2253
22 WIM Muhren Bianca 2260
NED 7½ 2246
68 players |
| |
|
|
| |
Man - Machine Events
II Festival
Internacional de Ajedrez Villa de Bilbao took place 19th-23rd November 2005.
Man-Machine event. Players: Ruslan Ponomariov, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and
Alexander Khalifman. Junior, Fritz and Hydra. Time rate 2 hours for the first
40 moves and an extra hour to finish the game. Machines won a 8-4.
Games in PGN
Final Round 4 Standings: 1.
HYDRA 3.0; 2. JUNIOR 3.0; 3. FRITZ 2.0; 4. Kasimdzhanov, Rustam g UZB 2670 1.5;
5. Ponomariov, Ruslan g UKR 2704 1.5; 6. Khalifman, Alexander g RUS 2653 1.0
Official site: http://www.ajedrezbilbao.com
Deep
Junior will play Almira Skripchenko in an exhibition game. in the resort of
Madonna di Campiglio, Italy November 30th 2005 14:00 local in the Golf
Hotel.
Official Site: http://www.intetain.org |
| |
|
|
| |
Igor Ivanov 1947-2005
Igor Ivanov. Photo © John B.
Henderson
Igor Ivanov 1947-2005
Igor passed away on
November 17th 2005 in St. George, Utah. The following tribute was written a
month ago for ChessBase magazine and will appear with photographs of Igor and
160 of his best games. Igor played somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 games
in his career. Unfortunately he was not a good record keeper and most of them
are not available. If you played Igor and the game is not in Mega 2005 I would
be very grateful if you could send me a copy at imwjd@aol.com.
A
funeral will be held for Igor in St. George on November 29 and there will be a
tribute to him at the St. George Chess Club the evening of December 16. A
tournament will be held in his honor the following day. Contact Alan Crooks at
alan@stgeorgechess.com for more information.
Grand Master Igor
Ivanov by John Donaldson
Igor Ivanov was born in St. Petersburg
(formerly Leningrad) on January 8, 1947. At age 5 his mother taught him to play
chess and it was not long before he could beat her. Igor's first book was one
on chess and even at a very young age he could remember his games. By age 8
Igor was an accomplished player, attending the chess palace daily where he was
singled out as one of the most promising young talents, but this potential was
to lay dormant for some time. Igor's mother wished him to be a concert pianist
and asked her son to emphasize his musical abilities rather than play chess. It
was only when she died when he was 14 and left an orphan that he started to
play again. His music talent (piano and cello) earned him special privileges
and his own room in the orphanage but it was chess that he loved more. At 18 he
matriculated at the University of Leningrad, but soon gave up the study of
mathematics to pursue a career as a chess professional.
Initially Igor
had a job as the manager of an army chess club in Leningrad. The work was fine
but did not allow him much time to play so when he was offered a position as a
professional player in Tajikistan he quickly accepted. Igor stayed there only a
year before moving to Uzbekistan where he played first board for the republic
in the annual Spartakiad. It was in such a competition that he first came to
the attention of the entire chess world when he beat reigning World Champion
Anatoly Karpov in 1979. Soviet players had become familiar with Igor's name
years earlier, but particularly in 1978 and 1979. Playing throughout the Soviet
empire Igor not only won several important competitions but did it in such a
dominating fashion that he couldn't help but be noticed: 1st in the Zaitsev
Memorial in Vladivostock in 1978, 1st at Yaroslavl 1979 and again first at the
Tashli Tailiev Memorial in Ashkhabad at the end of 1979. His score in the
latter was 12 from 13 (!), three points ahead of second place finisher
Kakageldyev. Regrettably few of the games from these events are preserved. You
can find some here and there in Shakhmaty Bulletin, Shakhmaty Riga, Shakhmaty v
SSR and lesser known Soviet chess journals, but never complete bulletins for
the events, the game scores of which were likely lost long ago.
The
victory over Karpov earned Igor his first trip abroad to play in the Capablanca
Memorial in Cuba in 1980. The return trip home to the Soviet Union made a
refueling stop in Gander, Newfoundland, where Igor asked for and was granted
political asylum by the Canadian government. This move had, as one might
expect, profound changes on Igor's life. An increase in personal freedom was
balanced by a lack of economic security. As a professional player in the Soviet
Union Igor did quite well, but such an occupation barely existed in North
America in 1980, especially in Canada. Igor also had to adapt as a chess
player. Playing in Swiss System events over a weekend with two or three games a
day is not quite the same thing as a 16 player round robin that lasts three
weeks. Nor is having to score almost 100 percent to win a prize.
Igor
settled in Montreal and quickly picked up French and English. He and the
rapidly improving Kevin Spraggett would dominate Canadian chess over much of
the next decade. Igor won the Closed Championship of his newly adopted country
four times in five tries from 1981 to 1987. In 1985 he tied for first place in
both Canadian Open and Canadian Closed Chess Championships at Edmonton,
Alberta, while playing his games simultaneously! Igor played for Canada in the
1984 and 1988 Olympiads and represented the nation in the 1982 Interzonal in
Toluca, Mexico. This event was to prove to be a heartbreaker for Igor, though
he didn't know it at the time. Scoring 7.5 from 13 he was fourth on tiebreak,
but the GM norm - good for the title in an Interzonal - was 7.8. Certainly the
way Igor was playing he probably thought the title was just around the corner,
but it would be 24 years before he would become a GM. One can't help but wonder
how that title might have made his life easier with more invitations and better
conditions.
Canada is a very nice country, and one that has produced
some good chess players (Yanofsky, Anderson, Suttles, Biyiasas, Spraggett,
Lesiege, Charbonneau and Bluvstein) but it is not a promising place to be a
professional. It is no accident than former Candidate Kevin Spraggett lives in
Europe nor that Igor moved to the United States. There is no pot of gold for
professional chess players in the USA but if you are willing to travel there is
always someplace holding an event with a first prize of $300 on up. Chess
players from around the world are familiar with the World and National Opens,
massive events often with over 1000 players participating and five figures for
first place. Such tournaments are few and far between and the competition is
such that no one can be certain to win. To survive as a professional in North
America on a diet of just playing requires one find smaller events where the
chances of winning are highly likely. Igor hit this trail in earnest in the
1980s and by 1997 he had won 9 of the US Chess Federation's Grand Prix series.
This yearly competition, where points are awarded each event on the basis of
the amount of prize money available ($300 first might equal six points, saw
Igor reach close to 500 points in a single year. This does not equal many
weekends off! At the end of the year Igor would often have to make long
journeys to play in small events to secure his victory in the Grand Prix. One
time he traveled back and forth to Atlanta from Los Angeles (roundtrip close to
6,000 miles or 10,000 kilometers) in less than a week by bus!
Igor
started to play less frequently in the late 1990s turning his attention to
coaching. He had worked in the past as a second for Viktor Kortchnoi in the
1981 World Championship, but he was most successful in his job at the Shelby
School in Arizona, where he coached them to two national championships. More
recently Igor relocated first to Central and then St. George, Utah. He is the
Grandmaster-in-Residence (he got the GM title in 2005 for norms that he made in
the early 1990s and was unaware of) at the St. George Chess School and lives in
the the mountains of southern Utah with his wife Elizabeth, a retired teacher.
He teaches chess, runs a chess camp every summer, give piano recitals at the
St. George Tabernacle , takes care of Petruska and Sasha (two very spoiled
cats) and is an avid gardener and reader. Igor is much liked by the many chess
players that appreciate his excellent sense of humor, kindness towards animals
and love of life. The author of this piece is confident that Igor and his games
will be remembered for a long time. |
| |
|
|
| |
FIDE and World Championship Politics
A
press release suggests the Topalov has withdrawn from negotiations with Kramnik
for a match next year. It blames FIDE who so far has not commented.
Kramnik Vs. Topalov: Proposal declined 14th November
2005.
Georgios Makropoulos, FIDE Deputy President replies:
Kramnik - Topalov. FIDE Reply to UEP press release
Thursday, 17 Nov 2005
Kramnik's Manager
Carsten Hensel replied in a letter to chessbase
Kramnik - Topalov. FIDE Reply to Carsten Hensel press
release Monday, 21st Nov 2005
FIDE Presidential Elections May
2006
It looks like Kirsan Iljumzhinov will have opposition in the
next FIDE Presidential elections in Turin in May 2006. Leo Battesti, who is the
organiser of one of the most important international chess events (the Corsican
Circuit) and is also Vice-President of the French Chess Federation, has
announced he is running. Karpov has stated he is thinking of becoming involved
in the race (http://www.marca.es/edicion/marca/ajedrez/es/desarrollo/590608.html)
and now according to ChessBase:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2736
Bessel Kok, representative of the Dutch Chess Federation; and Ali Nihat Yazici,
President of the Turkish Chess Federation have also announced their
candidature. The cynic in me believes that the sitting President will win
whatever the merits of the opposition. |
| |
|
|
| |
Gibtelecom Chess Festival Promotional Event with Shirov and
Speelman
The Gibraltar Congress takes
place 24th January - 2nd February 2006. Further details:
http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com
To
promote the event there was a special blitz match held on Monday 24th October
2005 at the RAC, Pall Mall. Grandmaster Alexei Shirov, ranked 14th in the world
was partnered by 7 year old Peter Andreev. They played Jon Speelman, partnered
by 8 year old Edmund Harding. They played a blitz speed match where the
partners played alternate moves without consultation. Both children are members
of Richmond Junior Chess Club. Tim
Bristow, CEO of Gibtelecom said today, 'Gibtelecom is pleased to be continuing
as the main sponsor of the Gibraltar Chess Festival. The Gibtelecom Masters is
now one of the strongest open tournaments in the world. This match will
demonstrate that, not only is it a serious chess festival, but there is also
something for everybody.' The time limit was five minutes each with a ten
second increment.
Moves were made in the following order: Shirov
(white), Speelman (black), Andreev (white), Harding (black) so as you play
through the moves bear in mind the two grandmasters played the odd-numbered
moves.
Game in PGN |
| |
|
|
| |
|
COMPLETED
EVENTS |
| |
| World Team
Championship |
|
| Agdestein beats Carlsen |
|
|
World Team Championship
The World Team
Championship took place 31st October (arrival) to 11th November (departure)
2005 in Beer-Sheva, Israel. Russia took the title after winning 3.5-0.5 against
China in the final round.
Games in PGN
Rd1-9
Final Round 9 Standings:
| No. |
|
Nation |
+ |
- |
= |
Pts. |
| 1 |
|
Russia |
8 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
| 2 |
|
China Men |
6 |
2 |
0 |
21.5 |
| 3 |
|
Armenia |
4 |
1 |
3 |
18.5 |
| 4 |
|
Ukraine |
4 |
3 |
1 |
17.5 |
| 5 |
|
USA |
3 |
3 |
2 |
16.5 |
| 6 |
|
Israel |
2 |
5 |
1 |
14.5 |
| 7 |
|
Georgia |
2 |
5 |
1 |
13.5 |
| 8 |
|
Cuba |
1 |
4 |
3 |
13 |
| 9 |
|
China Women |
0 |
7 |
1 |
7 |
Round 9 10th November 2005
1
Israel 1.5 - 2.5 USA
1 GM Gelfand, Boris 2717 1/2 GM Onischuk,
Alexander 2628
2 GM Smirin, Ilia 2673 1/2 GM Gulko, Boris 2589
3 GM
Roiz, Michael 2600 1/2 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2614
4 GM Erenburg, Sergey
2582 0-1 GM Ibragimov, Ildar 2605
2 Cuba 2 - 2 Armenia
3 China
Men 0.5 - 3.5 Russia
4 Georgia 1.5 - 2.5 Ukraine
Official site:
http://www.wccisrael.com |
| |
|
|
| |
Simen Agdestein beats Magnus Carlsen in a Playoff for the
Norwegian Championship
Magnus Carlsen and Simen Agdestein
played off for the Norwegian Championship title (they tied in the original
event in Sandnes, Norway July 2nd-9th 2005) November 7th-10th 2005 in Oslo.
They played two games with a full 7 hour time control, followed by tie break
games on the 9th and 10th. Agdestein finally became champion winning the 6th
playoff game after holding Carlsen with black in game 5.
Standard Time rate Games in PGN -
Rapid Games in PGN
Standard Time Rate
Games
Gm1 Agdestein, Simen - Carlsen, Magnus 1-0 40 E32 Nimzo Indian
4.Qc2
Gm2 Carlsen, Magnus - Agdestein, Simen 1-0 32 C80 Ruy Lopez Open
Rapid Games: Final Result Agdestein 3.5 - Carlsen
2.5
9th November 2005
Gm1 Carlsen, Magnus - Agdestein,
Simen 1-0 78 B17 Caro Kann
Gm2 Agdestein, Simen - Carlsen, Magnus 1-0 69
E15 Queens Indian
Gm3 Agdestein, Simen - Carlsen, Magnus 1/2 80 E15 Queens
Indian
Gm4 Carlsen, Magnus - Agdestein, Simen 1/2 41 B17 Caro Kann
10th November 2005
Gm5 Carlsen, Magnus - Agdestein, Simen 1/2
35 C09 French Tarrasch
Gm6 Agdestein, Simen - Carlsen, Magnus 1-0 49 E15
Queens Indian
Rapid playoffs Wednesday and Thursday. Time control for
the rapid games is 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment.
Live site:
http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/sjakk/
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
FUTURE
EVENTS |
| |
| Wijk aan Zee and
Linares |
|
| US Championship |
|
|
| |
Corus Wijk aan Zee and Linares 2006
The
field for the Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee has been finalised. The event
takes place January 13th-29th 2006.
Players: 1 (2) Viswanathan Anand IND
2788 2 (3) Veselin Topalov BUL 2782 3 (4) Peter Leko HUN 2751 4 (5) Vassily
Ivanchuk UKR 2748 5 (7) Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2739 6 (9) Etienne Bacrot FRA 2725
7 (10) Levon Aronian ARM 2724 8 (12) Michael Adams ENG 2718 9 (13) Boris
Gelfand ISR 2717 10 (20) Sergey Tiviakov NED 2700 11 (21) Ivan Sokolov NED 2696
12 (23) Gata Kamsky USA 2690 13 (44) Sergey Karjakin UKR 2658 14 (55) Loek van
Wely NED 2648. October world ranking in brackets.
Official site:http://www.coruschess.com/
Limited
information on the Linares tournament this year. I understand it may be a split
event between Linares in Spain and an as yet unannounced place in Mexico
thought to be Morelia, which is halfway between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Approximate dates for Linares 12th Feb - 12th March 3rd 2006. Possible lineup:
Veselin Topalov (not yet confirmed), Peter Leko, Vassily Ivanchuk, Peter
Svidler, Etienne Bacrot, Paco Vallejo and two more possibly including
Viswanathan Anand. 8 players. All news yet to be officially confirmed. |
| |
|
|
| |
US Championship
The U.S. Chess Championship
returns to San Diego from March 1st-12th, 2006 (note the new dates) and will be
held at its new permanent home at NTC Promenade.
The tournament will
feature a 64-player field, composed of 19 seeded players (as determined by the
October 2005 U.S.C.F Rating List), 43 tournament qualifiers (two of which being
online) and 2 wild cards selected by the AF4C. The top seeded players are: 1
Gregory Kaidanov; 2 Gata Kamsky; 3 Alexander Onischuk; 4 Boris Gulko 5 Ildar
Ibraigimov; 6 Alexander Shabalov; 7 Varuzhan Akobian; and 8 Igor Novikov. In
the women's: 1 Susan Polgar; 2 Anna Zatonskih; 3 Irina Krush; 4 Camilla
Baginskaite; 5 Tatev Abrahamyan; and 6 Jennifer Shahade.
Full
details:http://www.uschesschampionship.com |
| |
|
|
| |
| All material © Mark Crowther |
|
