Round 11 7th March 2002

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

WE all know and love our chess superstars - many of you may have their pictures lovingly stuck upon your bedroom wall. However, how many of you would recognise their trusty bag carriers?

The term "second" comes, of course, from the good old days when gentlemen settled disputes by a duel with pistols or swords at dawn. The second would have the dangerous task of holding the coats on a frosty morning - if they were lucky, they could at least go back home with an extra coat to keep the cold out.

Even chess players have been known to settle the odd spat or two in the time-honoured fashion of a duel. Geza Maroczy apparently challenged Aaron Nimzovitch to pistols at dawn during (the rather aptly named) Bled 1931. Despite all the animosity in the chess world today, this is something that could never happen with modern day players - you would never be able to get them out of their beds at dawn!

However, in chess, the second originally only dealt with mundane administration tasks, like securing fair play, holding the stakes, and so on. Things only changed during the Lasker-Tarrasch world championship match of 1908, when Alapin and Wolf were allowed to assist only in the opening preparation. We had to wait till the Alekhine-Euwe world championship match of 1935 for the true second to come to the fore when they were allowed to also assist with adjournment analysis.

So, today, now that my hangover seems to have cleared up, I thought we’d have a look at some of the seconds in Linares - and where better to start with than that of Garry Kasparov’s second since 1995, Yuri Rafaelovich Dokhyan. In the press circles we nickname Yuri the "Defcom Man", after the guy that’s always to be found at the side of the US President with a laptop handcuffed to his wrist, containing all the nuclear launch codes. Similarly, Yuri is in command of the Kasparov laptop with - get this - some 3 Giga Bytes of raw analysis in it. Not 3 Giga Bytes of databases I hasten to add, but 3 Giga Bytes of raw analysis - enough TN’s for a nuclear strike that could wipe out the Elo list! For some reason laugh-a-minute Yuri takes after Johnny Cash by always dressing in black; though his musical tastes are rumoured to be more Modern Romantic with Spandau Ballet.

You can always find Yuri just four-steps behind Garry going anywhere that’s chess-related. He rarely visits the press room and much prefers to be in the tournament hall with a fixed stare on his masters every move. Many think that Yuri isn’t even allowed to order his own food, and his choice on the menu is dictated by Kasparov. This is utter nonsense - why only yesterday in the restaurant Kasparov’s mother, Klara, chose Yuri’s meal. The relationship between these two is definitely master and loyal retainer; or, as we wags in the press room like to joke, Dastardly and Muttley.

Next comes Anand’s second since 1994, the Georgian GM Elizbar Ubilava, otherwise know to us as "Ubi". The relation between these two is more of a father-son relationship compared to Kasparov-Dokhyan. And, unlike Dokhyan, Ubi is easily approachable and can often be found cruising the press room. When things go wrong, Ubi will take Vishy to a local park and they’ll quietly talk things through - recently Vishy and Ubi have been spending a lot of time talking in the park!

Next up is the newest member of the elite circus, Ruslan Ponomariov, who I’m sure not that long ago he was being looked after by a baby-sitter rather than a second. During his Fide match with Ivanchuk in Moscow, he turned up with Veselin Topalov. Here in Linares, the job went to Moldovian GM Viktor Bologon - who as far as I can see has been doing a good job.

Many players become seconds on the advice of others. For Vassily Ivanchuk’s second, Swedish IM Emil Hermansson, he got the job because Chucky quite liked his wallet chess-set! Both were waiting in an airport lounge after playing in the 2000 European Club Cup. Emil saw Big Chucky looking bored at the opposite end of the lounge, but didn’t know him well enough to start a conversation. Instead, he took out his trusty wallet set and started analysing his games, hoping this would lure Big Chucky over to him. Of course, it worked. It didn’t take long for Chucky to wonder over and introduced himself - then took the wallet set to show him where he had gone wrong in his games. Both soon got carried away by all the analysis, and at the end Chucky happened to mention that he quite liked the wallet set they had been using to analyse with. Exchanging email addresses, Emil mentioned that he had another wallet set at home and would like to send it on to him as a gift.

They then started corresponding with each other on a regular basis, and suddenly last year Chucky casually asked the young Swede if he would like to be his second for a few tournaments he had on the horizon. I don’t know who’s helping who, but since he was added on to Team Chucky the young Swede has now gained his first GM norm!

The young Spaniard Paco Vallejo, a former world under-18 champion, has been relying on the good services of an experienced GM, Zenon Franco, and his best friend, IM Roi Reinaldo, for his first campaign at Linares. After the first half of the tournament, unbeaten with six draws, Team Paco was the sensation of Linares and had already booked their passage for next year’s silver anniversary tournament.

However, as ever, the second week at Linares proved to be the killer with losses dampening the euphoria in the Vallejo camp. Yesterday, as Mickey Adams’ second GM John Emms pensively paced the press room, it looked as if Vallejo was going to record his first Linares victory…until fate reared her ugly head.

Vallejo,F (2629) - Adams,M (2742) [A05]

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c5 4 g3 b6 5 Bg2 Bb7 6 0–0 Be7 7 Re1 Ne4!? (A big Adams favourite, which was first played in 1980 by Alvis Vitolinsh. The move seeks to reduce the pressure on Black in a Hedgehog by exchanging off pieces.) 8 Nxe4 [8 Qc2 Nxc3 9 Qxc3 Bf6 10 Qc2 Nc6 11 a3 0–0 12 Rb1 a5 13 d3 d5 14 Bd2 Rc8 15 cxd5 Qxd5 16 Qa4 Qd6 17 Bf4 e5 18 Be3 Ne7 19 b4 cxb4 20 axb4 Nd5 21 Bd2 Nxb4 22 Bxb4 axb4 23 Qxb4 Qxb4 24 Rxb4 e4! 25 Rxb6 exf3 26 Rxb7 fxg2 27 Kxg2 Rc2 0–1 Lobron,E-Adams,M/Brussels 1992/CBM 29 ext (76). (76)] 8 ..Bxe4 9 d3 Bb7 10 e4 0–0 11 d4 cxd4 12 Nxd4 d6 [12 ..Nc6 13 b3 Nxd4 14 Qxd4 Bc5 15 Qc3 ½–½ Akopian,V-Adams,M/Dortmund GER 2000/The Week in Chess 297 (15). ] 13 b3N [13 Be3 Nd7 14 f4 a6 15 f5 e5 16 Nc2 Rc8 17 b3 Nf6 18 Bf2 b5 19 cxb5 axb5 20 Nb4 Qc7 21 g4 h6 22 h4 Qd8 23 Re3 Re8 24 g5 d5 25 Nxd5 Nxd5 26 exd5 hxg5 27 d6 Bxg2 28 dxe7 Qxd1+ 29 Rxd1 Bc6 30 Rxe5 f6 31 Rc5 Kf7 32 Rd6 Bb7 33 hxg5 fxg5 34 Rb6 Bf3 35 Rbxb5 Kxe7 36 Bd4 Kf7 37 Kf2 g4 38 a4 Red8 39 Be5 Bc6 40 Ra5 1–0 Filippov,V-Virovlansky,S/St Petersburg RUS 2000/The Week in Chess 314 (40). ] 13 ..a6 14 Be3 Nd7 15 f4 Re8 16 Bf2 Qc7 17 Rc1 Bf6 18 Qd2 Rad8

19 g4! (White usually has to be cautious when extending his position against the Hedgehog, but here White has everything covered.) 19 ..Nc5 [19 ..Bxd4 20 Bxd4 e5 21 Bf2 (21 Be3 Nc5!) 21 ..exf4 22 Qxf4 Ne5 23 Rcd1] 20 b4 g6 21 Nc2 [Taking on c5 opened the game up to Black's advantage: 21 bxc5? dxc5 22 e5 Bxg2 23 Kxg2 (23 exf6 Qb7!) 23 ..Qb7+ 24 Kg1 Be7 leaves black in control of the d-file and white with all the weak pawns.] 21 ..Nd7 22 g5 Bg7 23 Ne3 h5 [A tough decision, but perhaps better was the typical Hedgehog freeing move of: 23 ..d5!? 24 cxd5 (24 exd5 Qxf4 25 Nf1 Qxd2 26 Nxd2 exd5 27 Rxe8+ Rxe8 28 cxd5 Be5 29 Bg3 Bd4+ 30 Kh1) 24 ..Qxf4 25 Bg3 Qxg5 26 Rc7 Bc8 27 dxe6 (27 d6 Ne5) 27 ..Rxe6 28 Rxc8 Rxc8 29 Qxd7 Rd8 30 Qc7 Bd4 with a balanced game.] 24 gxh6 Bxh6 25 Ng4 Bf8 [25 ..Bg7? 26 Bh4 Ra8 27 Red1 and d6 falls - and with it the game.] 26 Bh4 Rc8 27 Bg5 [27 Bf6! Bg7 28 Bxg7 Kxg7 29 f5! Rh8 30 fxe6 fxe6 31 Rcd1 also looked good.] 27 ..a5 28 a3 axb4 29 axb4

29 ..Ba6? [29 ..f5! was black's best (only?) hope now: 30 exf5 gxf5 31 Nh6+ (31 Nf6+ Nxf6 32 Bxf6 Bg7 33 Qb2 Bxg2 34 Qxg2 Kf8!=) 31 ..Bxh6 32 Bxh6 Nf6 33 Bxb7 Qxb7 34 Rc3 Kf7 and black should be able to hold this position.] 30 f5! Bxc4 [30 ..exf5 31 exf5 Rxe1+ 32 Qxe1! and Qh4 mating is coming very quickly.] 31 f6 [Stripping the defences from the black king also won: 31 fxg6! fxg6 32 Bf6 b5 (32 ..Be7 33 e5! Nxf6 34 exf6 Bf8 35 Qg5 Qh7 (35 ..Qf7 36 Be4) 36 Rc3) 33 Qg5 Nxf6 34 Nxf6+ Kg7 (34 ..Kf7 35 Nxe8 Kxe8 36 Rf1! Qg7 37 Rxc4! bxc4 38 Qb5+ Kd8 39 e5) 35 e5 d5 (35 ..Re7 36 Be4!; 35 ..dxe5 36 Be4 Qf7 37 Rf1! Bxf1 38 Rxf1 Be7 39 Nh5+ Kg8 40 Qg4 wins.) 36 Qh4! and black can resign any time now.] 31 ..Ne5 32 Nh6+ Bxh6 33 Bxh6 b5 34 Bg7? [34 h3 Qb6+ 35 Kh1 is a clear win. 34.Rc3 Ng4 35.Rf3 d5 36.e5 Nxe5 37.Rh3 also looks to do the job also.] 34. ..Qb6+ 35 Kh1 Ng4

36 h3? [Black has no defence to the mate after white protects the second rank: 36 Rc2!! Bd3 37 Rb2 Bc2 (37 ..d5 38 Qxd3 Nf2+ 39 Rxf2 Qxf2 40 Rf1 Qh4 41 exd5 exd5 42 Bxd5; 37 ..Rc4 38 Qxd3 Nf2+ 39 Rxf2 Qxf2 40 Rf1 Qh4 41 Qxd6 and white's much better.) 38 h3 (38 Rxc2? Rxc2 39 Qxc2 Nf2+ 40 Kg1 Nh3+=) 38 ..Qf2 39 Re2! Qh4 40 Rxc2 Rxc2 41 Qxc2 Nxf6 42 Bxf6 Qxf6 43 Rf2 Qd4 44 Qd2 with an easy win.] 36 ..Qf2 37 Qg5 Be2! (The saving resource that was missed by Vallejo - Adams now has a superb Houdini-like escape from the mate on h8.) 38 hxg4 Bf3 39 Bxf3 [39 Rg1?? Rxc1 40 Qxc1 Qh4#] 39 ..Qxf3+ 40 Kh2 Qf2+ 41 Kh1 Qf3+ ½–½

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

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