Round 4 9th July 2002

THE TV TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGING

Hort analysing

OF course the German television is lamentable. The staple diet consists of dire imports from the US and the rest of Europe, dubbed with ham-fisted insensitivity. It can come as quite a shock to see your favourite drama serial in Germany, the characters growling and squeaking in a variety of unlikely voices you wouldn’t have dreamt up for them in a hundred years. On the bright side, it at least makes Ally McBeal a more enjoyable experience.

German continuity announcers are inhumanely silken-voiced and slick with it. They continually address you as ‘Ladies and Gentleman’ and ‘Honoured Viewers’, and the evening in your hotel room will pass with a series of chiming noises and strange pauses during which nothing happens – this is usually the more enjoyable part of their programming. News programmes and documentaries are typically German – long, painstakingly thorough, and wearyingly stuffed with politically balanced expert analysis. Thank heavens for the sanctuary of CNN and BBC World!

Hort and Pfleger

However, in-between the three soft-porn channels that allegedly run between the hours of 11.00pm and 3.00am when I’m usually annotating the games for these reports (this explains much), chess gets good coverage on German TV. WDR (or Westdeutscher Rundfunk to give it its correct title – go to their website at http://www.wdr.de and search for “Schach”) has reserved nearly 8 hours for reports (on July 7, 14, 17, 21) on the Dortmund Candidates’ tournament; hosted by those two suave, sophisticated commentators we have in playing hall, GM Dr Helmut Pfleger and the ex-candidate himself, GM Vlastimil Hort – who put everyone to shame by pointing out how Topalov missed a win in his game with Shirov [Or maybe didn't miss a win. See analysis below. MC].

The quality of their programmes is not exactly in the same league as Fritz Lang or Leni Riefenstahl, but the Dynamic Duo have their moments and have done an excellent job reporting for the station on the Dortmund tournament since 1973. Not only that, but each August WDR has hosted a special televised match that has featured the likes of Timman, Korchnoi, Anand, Leko, Adams, the Polgar Sisters and Kramnik. The series started in 1983 with Karpov playing Huebner in the first challenge, and this August 18^th, both will be returning for a special Jubilee challenge with it being the 20^th match of the series.

So, I hear you asking yourself, since Einstein TV (http://www.einstein-group.tv) are a big part of the chess set-up now, what chance of chess coverage elsewhere in the world? Unfortunately Einstein won’t be showing any coverage of Dortmund during the tournament. This isn’t bad planning on their part, it’s more to do with the time involved in planning exactly how you promote the game you have just bought into to see it in its best light.

Einstein are a multi-media and consulting enterprise with TV priorities and their TV channel can be seen in the UK (on Sky Digital channel 567), Europe, Russia and China focussing on subjects such as Science, Space Research, Technology and Education. Steve Timmins (CEO), who will soon also present Einstein in the U.S.A., says: "In chess we have discovered a new opportunity that suits our company perfectly. We are going to report world-wide on top-level chess, including Dortmund, and market this accordingly. We are also interested in linking training, education and chess. There are more than 200 million chess players in this world. We hope to reach these as well as many children and young adults with our activities."

Dr Toby Murcott

It can take up to a whole year to plan a new venture within the TV industry, and Einstein would like to do for chess what Channel Four in the UK have done to reinvigorate cricket coverage. From winning the contract from the BBC, Channel Four had nearly eighteen months to plan exactly how to change the coverage to make it more presentable. Perhaps by next year Einstein will have worked out exactly what changes will be needed to help promote the game the general public to boost the games image. However, they will have all the footage from Dortmund and Dr Toby Murcott will be looking to present a programme on the event at a later date. As I explained in the first report, Einstein are also involved in negotiations just now with the BBC for TV coverage of Kramnik’s ‘Brains in Bahrain’ showdown with Deep Fritz – a move that could lead to the BBC once again hosting chess programmes during world championship matches.

Topalov,V (2745) - Shirov,A (2697) [C99]

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0–0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Qc7 [The Chigorin Variation - a very deep, manouvering variation of the Ruy Lopez.] 12 Nbd2 cxd4 13 cxd4 Nc6 14 Nb3 a5 15 Be3 a4 16 Nbd2 Bd7 17 Rc1

17 ..Rac8 [Horses for courses - the alternative of swinging over the f8 rook to the queenside is also an old favourite - though white holds an edge whichever of the rook moves: 17 ..Rfc8 18 a3 Qb7 ( 18 ..Qb8 19 Qe2 b4 20 Nc4 b3 21 Bb1 Bd8 22 Red1 h6 23 Nxd6! Berry F.J.-Sorri K.J., corr.world ch. 1986) 19 Bb1 b4 20 Nc4 Petrosian T.-Pfleger H., Bamberg 1968; 17 ..Rfb8 18 Bd3 Qc8 19 Qe2 Rb7 20 Rc3 Rab8 21 Rec1 Qe8 22 dxe5 Nxe5 23 Nxe5 dxe5 24 Bc5 b4 25 R3c2 Be6 26 b3 Kaiumov D.-Borisenko G., Taschkent 1989] 18 Bd3 Qb8 19 Qe2 [ Two rounds earlier Chritopher Lutz opted for 19 a3 against Shirov: 19 a3 Rc7 20 Qe2 Rfc8 21 Rb1 Rb7 22 Rec1 Na5 23 Rxc8+ Bxc8 24 Rc1 Be6 25 Qf1 h6 26 dxe5 dxe5 27 Bc5 Bxc5 28 Rxc5 Nc4 29 Nxc4 bxc4 30 Bxc4 Nxe4 31 Rb5 Rxb5 32 Bxb5 Nd6 33 Bxa4 Qxb2 34 Qd1 Nf5 35 Bc2 Nd4 36 Nxd4 exd4 37 Qb1 Qxb1+ 38 Bxb1 Bc4 39 f4 Kf8 40 Kf2 Ke7 41 Ke1 Kd6 42 h4 Kc5 43 Kd2 f6 44 g3 g5 45 Bd3 Bd5 46 a4 Kb4 47 Bb5 Be4 48 Bd7 gxf4 49 gxf4 Ka5 50 Be8 1/2–1/2 Lutz,C-Shirov,A/Dortmund GER 2002.] 19 ..Nb4N [ 19 ..Rc7 20 d5 Na7 21 b4 Rb7 22 Nh2 Bd8 23 f4 exf4 24 Bxf4 Re8 25 Qf3 Bb6+ 26 Kh1 Bd4 27 g4 Rc8 28 Qg3 Rxc1 29 Rxc1 Nc8 30 Nhf3 Bb2 31 Rc2 a3 32 Nb3 Qa7 33 Kg2 Qb6 34 Qf2 Qd8 35 Nfd4 h5 36 g5 Nh7 37 Na5 Rb6 38 Nac6 Qe8 39 Nxb5 Rxb5 40 Bxb5 Qxe4+ 41 Kh2 Qf5 42 Bf1 Nxg5 43 Bxg5 Qxg5 44 b5 Bc1 45 Bg2 Be3 46 Qf3 Nb6 47 Kh1 h4 48 Re2 Bc5 49 Re7 f6 50 Qe2 Bxh3 0–1 Savanovic,A-Sokolov,I/Neum BIH 2002/TWIC 396.] 20 Bb1 Rxc1 21 Rxc1 Rc8 22 Rxc8+ Bxc8 23 Nf1 Bd7 24 Qd2 exd4! [ 24 ..Nc6 25 d5 Nd8 ( 25 ..Na7 26 Qa5!) 26 Qb4 and White has made serious inroads to exploiting the weaknesses in the Black position.] 25 Nxd4 Nc6 26 Ng3 Nxd4 27 Bxd4 Ne8! [ 27 ..b4 28 b3 and White has succeeded in fixing the Black pawn on an even weaker square. As it is, Shirov finds a way of stopping the threat of Nf5.] 28 a3 [ 28 Nf5 Bxf5 29 exf5 Bf6! 30 Bxf6 Nxf6 31 Qb4 Qc8! and Black should hold for the draw thanks to his now active queen.] 28 ..Bf6 29 Nf5 Bxd4 30 Nxd4

[Material is even, but as usual in this line of the Lopez when White plays accurately, Black has a thankless task defending the pawn weaknesses on b5 and d6. In comparison, White has no pawn weaknesses.] 30 ..Qb6 31 Qe3 Qc5 32 Bd3 Nc7 33 Kf1 Ne6 34 Nxe6 fxe6 35 e5! h6 [ 35 ..Qxe3 36 fxe3 dxe5 37 Be4! g5 38 Ke2 Kg7 39 Kd3 h6 40 Kc3 and White creeps in via b4-c5 to win the ending as Black can't defend both b5 and a4. ; 35 ..Qxe5 36 Qxe5 dxe5 37 Be4 leads to much the same.] 36 Ke2 b4 37 Qxc5 dxc5 38 Ba6 Bc6 39 f3 Kf7 40 Kd3 Bd5 41 Bb5 Kg6! [ The only move to attempt to stay in the game: 41 ..Bb3? 42 Bc4! bxa3 ( 42 ..Bd1 43 axb4 cxb4 44 Kd2! wins) 43 Bxb3 axb3 44 bxa3 c4+ 45 Kc3 Ke7 46 a4 Kd7 47 f4 g6 ( 47 ..Kc6 48 f5!) 48 g4 Kc6 49 a5 Kb5 50 f5 and White breaks through.] 42 Ke3 Bb3 [ Black has to be very careful - he could end up walking into a mating net if he tries to liquidate the pawns: 42 ..Kf5? 43 f4 Bb3 44 Bd3#!] 43 Be8+ Kg5 44 g3 h5 45 f4+ Kh6 46 Kd2 [ Black holds out well after h4: 46 h4 c4! 47 Kd2 ( 47 axb4? c3!) 47 ..c3+ 48 Kc1 cxb2+ 49 Kxb2 bxa3+ 50 Kxa3 Bd1 51 Bxa4 Bg4 52 Kb4 g6 and Black has conjured up an impregnable fortress.] 46 ..h4 [Forced - anything else is practically Zugzwang.] 47 gxh4 g6 48 Kc1?

[Up to here, Topalov has played an almost flawless Lopez - but at the crucial moment misses the win, which was pointed out to the assembled hacks in the press room by commentator and ex-candidate himself, Vlastimil Hort: 48 Bb5! Kh5 49 Kd3 Kxh4 50 Bc4 Bxc4+

( 50 ..Kxh3 51 Bxb3 axb3 52 a4 and the pawn is a runner.)

[Note from MC - FM Aviv Friedman and IM Ben Finegold suggest 50. ...bxa3 51.bxa3 Kg3 52.Bxb3 axb3 53.a4 c4+ 54.Kc3 Kf3 55.a5 Ke2 56.a6 b2 57.Kxb2 Kd2 58.a7 c3+ 59.Kb3 c2 60.a8Q c1Q draws. I can't see anything wrong with this]

51 Kxc4 bxa3 52 bxa3 Kxh3 53 Kxc5 Kg4 54 Kd6 Kxf4 ( 54 ..Kf5 55 Ke7 Kxf4 56 Kxe6 leads to the same ending.) 55 Kxe6 g5 56 Kd6 g4 57 e6 g3 58 e7 g2 59 e8Q g1Q 60 Qxa4+ with a win in x-number of moves if I'd have remembered to bring along those four endgame database CDs with Nalimov tablebases; the ones the good Burghers at ChessBase reassured me would come in handy one day - like today!] 48 ..Kh5 49 Bf7 Kxh4 50 Bxg6 Kg3 51 f5 exf5 52 Bxf5 bxa3 53 bxa3 Kf4 54 Bc2 Be6! [Secures the draw.] 55 h4 Kg4 56 Bxa4 Kxh4 57 Kc2 Kg5 58 Kc3 ½–½

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@blueyonder.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.