Poikovsky tournament by Malcolm Pein

Poikovsky Round 5

There is plenty of entertaining chess at the 9th Karpov Poikovsky tournament. Alexei Shirov played another sparkling game, Ernesto Inarkiev really shouldn’t have provoked him.

Inarkiev,E (2675) - Shirov,A (2741) [D12]
9th Karpov Poikovsky RUS (5), 12.07.2008

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg6 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.0-0 [8.Nxg6 hxg6 9.g3 keeps all options open, Whites' king can stay on e1 or go either side] 8...Ne4!? Another new and ingenious idea from the Shirov laboratory [8...Bd6 9.h3 Be4 10.f3 Bg6 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Bd2 Nh5 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Bd3 Ng3 15.Rf2 Qh4 16.e4 0-0 17.Be1 Rfe8 18.e5 Bc7 19.f4 Nf5 20.Ne2 Bb6 21.Rf1 Qe7 22.Bf2 Qb4 23.Bxf5 gxf5 24.Qc2 g6 25.g4 fxg4 26.hxg4 Rac8 27.f5 Nxe5 28.a3 Qc4 29.Qd1 Nf3+ 30.Kg2 Qxe2 31.Qxe2 Nh4+ 32.Bxh4 Rxe2+ 33.Kf3 Rce8 34.Bf6 Bc7 35.Be5 Bxe5 36.Kxe2 Bxd4+ 37.Kd3 c5 38.Rfe1 Rxe1 39.Rxe1 gxf5 40.gxf5 Bxb2 41.a4 Kg7 42.Rb1 Ba3 43.Rxb7 a5 44.Rb6 Bb4 45.Ra6 Kf8 46.f6 Kg8 47.Ra7 d4 48.Ke4 1-0 Vekshenkov,N (2432)-Sitnikov,D (2415)/Novokuznetsk RUS 2008/The Week in Chess 704] 9.g3 [9.Nxe4 Qxh4 10.Nc3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Bd6 12.g3 Qe7 is fine for Black] 9...Nd6! Black continues to tempt White to take on g6 10.b3 [10.c5 Nf5 11.Nxf5 Bxf5 with a good game] 10...Be7 11.Nxg6 [11.Ng2 Qc7 is also pleasant for Black] 11...hxg6 12.Qc2 Nf6 13.Rd1 Qc7 Shirov has tiative, he plans 0-0-0 and an attack down the h file. White takes defensive measures 14.Bf1 0-0-0 15.Bg2 Rh5 16.c5 Nf5 17.h3 Rdh8 !!

[17...Nxg3 18.fxg3 Qxg3 19.Qf2 defends] 18.e4 [18.g4? may appear to win material but Black is attacking with all his forces and sacrifices are in the air for example 18...Nxg4 (18...Rxh3 19.Bxh3 Rxh3 20.gxf5 Qh2+ 21.Kf1 Ng4 with Rxe3 or Bh4 coming also looks very strong) 19.hxg4 Qh2+ 20.Kf1 Rg5 21.f3 Ng3+ 22.Kf2 f5!] 18...dxe4 19.Bf4?! [Apparently good but chasing the black queen towards h8 is not a good idea 19.Nxe4 Nd5 20.Qd3 and if 20...Rxh3 21.Bxh3 Rxh3 22.Kg2 Rh5 23.Rh1 Rxh1 24.Kxh1 was playable] 19...Qd8 20.g4 Rxh3! 21.gxf5 [21.Bxh3 Nxd4 22.Rxd4 Qxd4 23.Rd1 Qxc5] 21...Rxc3! 22.Qxc3 Nd5 23.Qc1 gxf5 For the sacrificed rook, Shirov has a dominating knight on d5, an open h file and some orbiting space invaders on the kingside coming into land. White's rook on a1 is not even in play 24.Kf1 Rh4 25.Be5 [25.Bg3 Rh5 26.Ke2 Bg5! 27.Qc2 f4] 25...Qh8! 26.Ke1 Rg4 27.Bf1 Rg1 28.Qc4 Qh4 [Threatening 28...Ne3 White is lost] 29.Ke2 Bg5 30.Rdb1 [30.Bg3 Rxg3 31.fxg3 Qh2+ 32.Ke1 Qxg3+ 33.Ke2 Qe3# mate] 30...f4 31.Rb2 f3+ 32.Kd1 e3 33.Ke1 e2 34.Rxe2 Rxf1+! [34...Rxf1+ 35.Kxf1 Qh1# mate] 0-1

Poikovsky Round 6

When faced with his favourite weapon, the Sicilian Najdorf, Bobby Fischer countered with Bc4. Garry Kasparov also used the move and it has had a renaissance recently. On c4 the bishop is immensely powerful as it attacks f7 and if Black castles kingside the bishop’s influence extends all the way to the king on g8. Black typically plays the move e7-e6 to limit the bishop but often has to reckon with a White sacrifice on e6 that gains two pawns and access to the black king.

This year we have seen many games where Black has failed to exchange the bishop after its customary retreat to b3 and suffered the consequences. The games Naiditsch - Van Wely from Dortmund and Nisipiean-Grischuk from Aerosvit come readily to mind and there was another at the 9th Karpov Poikovsky tournament in Siberia where Alexei Shirov leads with two play.

If I was defending this kind of position I would hasten to exchange the bishop. In this ‘Wacky Race’ to deliver checkmate the lesson has to be, as the song ‘Catch the Pigeon’ from the wonderful 1970s cartoon series goes (almost) ‘Nab him, jab him, tab him, grab him, stop that bishop now!

Gashimov,V (2717) - Volokitin,And (2672) [B96]
9th Karpov Poikovsky RUS (6), 14.07.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Play reaches the 6.Bc4 lines via 6.Bg5 6...e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Bc4 [8.Qf3 is standard] 8...Qb6 [8...b5 9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.Nxe6 is dangerous] 9.Bb3 [9.Qd2 Qxb2 10.Rb1 Qa3 a la Poisoned Pawn is also possible] 9...Be7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Qf3 [11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Na4 Qc7 13.Nxc5 dxc5 14.Nxe6 Bxe6 15.Bxe6 Qe5 16.Bxf6 Qxe4+ equalises 17.Qe2 Qxe2+ 18.Kxe2 Bxf6 19.Rad1 Rd8 20.Bd5 Rd7 21.c3 Ke7 22.Be4 h6 23.Bf5 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rd8 25.Rxd8 1/2-1/2 Radjabov,T (2682)-Gelfand,B (2724)/Merida ESP 2005/The Week in Chess 566] 11...Ncxe4?! [Brave or foolhardy, Black 'wants to be shown' and he certainly is, 11...Bd7 12.0-0-0 0-0-0 13.Qh3 Nxb3+ 14.axb3 Qa5 15.Kb1 was playable. White has the edge but at least the bishop is in the box] 12.Nxe4 Qxd4 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.c3 Qb6? [14...Qe5 was essential] 15.0-0-0

15...d5 [15...0-0 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.Qg3+ Kh8 18.Nxd6] 16.fxe6! Using the latent power of the bishop on b3 16...dxe4 [16...fxe6 17.Nxf6+] 17.exf7+ Kf8 18.Qxe4 f5 [18...Qc6 19.Qe3 h5 20.Rhe1 Qc7 21.Qe4 heading for g6 and g8!] 19.Qf4 Qg6 [19...Be6 20.Qh6+ Kxf7 21.Rhe1 Bxb3 22.Qxb6] 20.Rhe1 Be6 [20...Qg4 21.Qh6+ Qg7 22.Rd8+ Bxd8 23.Re8# mate] 21.Qe5 Regaining the sacrificed piece to achieve a winning position, can you hear Mutley sniggering ? 21...Qg5+ 22.Kb1 Bxb3 23.Qxh8+ Kxf7 24.Qxh7+ Kf8 25.axb3 1-0

Winton Capital British Chess Solving Championship and Paris Championship

The deadline for entries to the 2008-2009 Winton Capital British Chess Solving Championship is approaching. Here is the Starter Problem.

White, playing up the board, is to play and force mate in two moves against any defence. You may enter by sending White's first move (the key move) to:-
Paul Valois
14 Newton Park Drive
LEEDS
LS7 4HH

Entries, post-marked no later than 31st July 2008, should be accompanied by a cheque or postal order for £3.00 made payable to British Chess Problem Society. Please indicate that you saw the Starter Problem on the TWIC website. All competitors will receive a full solution to this Starter Problem and those who get it right will also receive the postal round comprising 8 more difficult and varied problems. Those entrants who are not members of the British Chess Problem Society will also receive a recent copy of either The Problemist or The Problemist Supplement magazine. (http://www.theproblemist.org/ also http://www.bstephen.me.uk/index.html is the home of the competition)

Bogdan Lalic the Croatian GM who is resident in Sutton south London had an excellent result at the Paris Championship.

Final Standings: 1-2 Vachier-Lagrave (France) 2632 & David (Luxembourg) 2562 7/9; 3-5 Malakhatko (Belgium) 2621, Quezada (Cuba) 2567, Lalic (Croatia) 2514 6.5

My thanks to Bogdan for his notes to the following game.

Rozentalis,E (2582) - Lalic,B (2514) [C02]
ChInt Open Paris FRA (9), 06.07.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e5 Nc6 5.d4 Qb6 6.a3 Nh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 [8.Bxh6?! gxh6 9.cxd4 Rg8! with counterplay] 8...Nf5 9.Be3 [9.Bb2 is the alternative] 9...f6 [Attacking the centre, Bogdan played 9...g6 10.Bd3 Nxe3 11.fxe3 Bg7 with success earlier this year] 10.exf6 gxf6 11.Bd3 Nce7 [11...Nxe3 12.fxe3 Bh6 is also possible (12...Bd7 13.0-0 Bh6 14.Qe2 Rc8 1/2-1/2 Welz,P (2138)-Schmidt,W (2404)/Dresden GER 2008/The Week in Chess 694) ] 12.Nc3 Bg7 13.Bb5+! Kf7 14.0-0 Rf8 15.Qd3 Kg8 16.Ba4 Qd8 17.Bc2 Ng6 18.Bd2 Bd7 19.Rae1?! [Bogdan recommended instead 19.h4!? h5 20.Qe2 Nge7] 19...Rc8 20.h4 Qc7!? 21.g3 [21.g4 Nf4! 22.Bxf4 Qxc3 23.gxf5 Qxc2 24.Qxc2 Rxc2 25.fxe6 Bb5 26.Rc1 Re2! 27.Rfe1 Re8] 21...Bh6! [21...Nxg3!?] 22.Ba4! Bxd2 23.Bxd7

23...Bxe1? [A miscalculation, 23...Qxd7 24.Qxd2 Rc4 25.h5 Nge7] 24.Bxe6+ Kh8 25.Rxe1 [25.Bxc8 Bxf2+ 26.Rxf2 Qxc8 27.Nd2! Nge7 28.Nxd5 is good for White] 25...Qxc3 26.Qxf5 Rce8 27.Kg2! Qc7!? [Avoiding 27...Qxa3?? 28.Bf7!! Rxe1 29.Qxf6# mate] 28.Qxd5 Qg7 29.Re4?? [White prevents Nf4+ but the way to do this was 29.Qf5! when the d pawn is poised to advance and Black is tied up] 29...Rxe6! 30.Rg4 Qe7 31.h5 Rd8 32.Qb3 Nf8 33.Nh4 Qf7 34.Qf3 f5 35.Rf4 Rf6 36.g4 Ne6 37.Rxf5 Rxf5 38.Nxf5 Ng7 0-1