Round 3 1st May 2002

EINSTEIN’S THEORY

SOME of our more discerning readers may have noticed an announcement from the Einstein Group on the eve of Eurotel’s extravagance in Prague, offering their solution to reunite the chess-world. Well, basically the announcement didn't go down too well among the other parties involved in the delicate behind-the-scenes big hush-hush meeting next week in Prague.

Many felt that by what they had done, Einstein had breached a promise not to go public on anything until after they had all smoked from the peace-pipe at the big powwow on Monday at the top secret location of the Grand Hyatt in Prague (9.30am for 10am – GK to bring the hobnobs). If anyone doesn't know how to get to the Hyatt, just follow any one of the assembled hacks that are staying behind after the tournament to get the “exclusive” of Bessel Kok waiving a piece of paper after the meeting and declaring “Peace in our time”.

Relatively speaking, Einstein's theory for doing this, so I’m led to believe from an inside source, is to give their boy Vlady a better deal if and when any agreement comes out of the meeting. This immediately came as big shock to me. I’d always been led to believe that Einstein's theory was simply E=mc²! Then again, Einstein’s theory might be an easier concept to grasp than understanding some the proposals in the other Einstein document.

But the schmoozing has already started in Prague to get some of the major players and fixers singing from the same hymn sheet – though maybe not necessarily the hymns from the same side of the sheet! Little covert meetings seem to be breaking out all over the place, cruelly interrupted by sporadic outbreaks of rapidplay chess in the playing hall. Why only yesterday I counted at least three pre-meeting meetings taking place in the VIP room (not so much decisions being made in a smoke-filled room, more like decisions being made in a smoked salmon filled room!). In one corner there was Yasser Seirawan explaining his plans for love, peace and harmony to Alexander Khalifman and Artur Jussupow, while just outside on the balcony, a similar discussion was taking place between Serge Grimaux, Vladimir Kramnik and and his manager and Dortmund organiser Carsten Hensel. Also lurking somewhere out there was Bessel Kok and another group.

And taking about Bessel, in my little tête-à-tête with him on the balcony of the Zofin Palace as we happily drunk and munched our way through the champagne and the caviar vol-au-vents (I do admit feeling a bit guilty here – a committed socialist on May Day drinking champagne and eating caviar vol-au-vents!), he explained his vision is to see the chess world being a more professional set-up much like the ATP tour after this meeting. He hopes that what will emerge is something like FIDE privatising off the World Championship and the Candidates cycle. Much like the GMA, he’s offering to set-up and help to fund the administrative office in Prague – though made it abundantly clear to me he didn’t want to be in charge of the organisation! Can you blame him after the petty squabbles of the GMA?

Bessel is very optimistic that something positive will emerge from the quagmire the chess world finds itself in. For what it is worth, and I think Bessel is right here, what needs to happen is a professional organisation being set-up with a fully-paid CEO. Being a highly-professional businessman with a wealth of experience not just in commerce but also chess, he says he’s prepared to offer his services in starting and helping to train such an organisation.

I came away from our little meeting feeling rather tipsy but very reassured about Bessel’s optimism. I suddenly began to think again after seeing a questionnaire-styled interview with Bessel in the business section of The Prague Tribune. In it, he’s asked what he likes most about himself?, to which he answers: “My optimism”. It’s then followed by another question asking what he most dislikes about himself?, and he answers: “My unjustified optimism”!

Of course, things didn’t get any better after Garry Kasparov got knocked out by big Chucky. We suddenly realised this could be trouble for the meeting: Not only is Garry pissed off, but he’s also now got time on his hands to start thinking what he’s going to do at the meeting!

Anand,V (2752) - Sokolov,I (2647) [C92]

Eurotel Trophy Prague CZE (3.2), 01.05.2002

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 Be7 6 Re1 d6 7 c3 0–0 8 h3 b5 9 Bc2 Bb7 10 d4 exd4 [A old system first played in 1906 by Carl Schlechter. Nowadays players opt to keep the tension in the Lopez.] 11 cxd4 Nb4 12 Bb3 [Simple development with Nc3 or Bf4 is also an option, however Anand likes to keep the bishop pair.] 12 ..c5 13 a3 Nc6 14 Nc3 Nxd4 15 Nxd4 cxd4 16 Qxd4 Nd7 [The vulnerability of d6 is Sokolov's only weakness, which Anand ruthlessly exploits.] 17 Nd5 Nc5 18 Ba2 Bxd5 19 Qxd5 Rc8 20 Bf4 Ne6 21 Bg3 Rc2 22 Rab1 [ 22 b4 Bh4! 23 Qd3 Rb2 24 Qc3 Bxg3 25 Qxb2 Be5 simplifies things for black as in the ending, white's a3 will be weak.] 22 ..Qb6 23 Qd1 Nd4 24 Bb3! Rcc8

25 Bd5 [Anand's strategy has worked: by not creating weaknesses, he has now forced back the black forces and has two superb bishops to work with.] 25 ..Bf6 26 Bf4 [With a big threat of Be3] 26 ..Qc7 27 Qd2 Be5 28 Be3 Qc2 29 Red1 Qxd2 30 Rxd2 Ne6 31 Rbd1 Nc5 32 b3 Rfe8 33 Rc2 g6 34 Rdc1 Rb8 35 b4 Nd3 36 Rd1 Nf4 37 Bxf4 Bxf4 38 Rc7 [ 38 Rc6! threatening g3 and f4 to win the all-important d-pawn would have won quicker.]] 38 ..Rf8 39 g3 Be5 40 Ra7 h5 41 Rxa6 h4! [Black's only hope of staying in the game.] 42 gxh4 Kg7 43 Rd3 f5 44 Rf3 fxe4 45 Bxe4 Rxf3 46 Bxf3 Rf8 47 Kg2 Rf4 48 h5 gxh5 49 Bxh5 Kf6 50 Be2 Bd4 51 f3 Ke5 52 Ra5 Rf7 53 Rxb5+ Kf4 54 h4 Ra7 55 Ra5 Rg7+ [ 55 ..Rxa5? 56 bxa5 wins with passed pawns on either wing.] 56 Rg5 Rxg5+ 57 hxg5 Kxg5 58 Kg3 Be5+ 59 Kf2 Bd4+ 60 Ke1 [ 60 Kf1 Kf4 61 a4 Bc3 62 b5 Ba5 ties all of white's pawns up.] 60 ..Bb2 61 a4 Bc3+ 62 Kd1 Bxb4 63 Kc2 Kf6? [So near yet so far! Black should be safe after 63 ..d5! The reason being is that the combination of the dark-squared bishop and the pawn on d5 prevents Anand's king from advancing up the board as in the game.] 64 Kb3 Bd2 65 Kc4 Ke6 66 Kb5 Kd7 67 Bc4 Kc7 68 Bd5 Be3 69 a5 Bd2 70 a6 Be3 71 f4 Kb8 72 f5 Bd4 73 Kc6 Ka7 74 Bc4 Be5 75 Bd3 Kb8 76 Kd7 1–0

Morozevich,A (2718) - Karpov,A (2690) [C42]

Eurotel Trophy Prague CZE (3.1), 01.05.2002

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Be7 7 0–0 Nc6 8 Re1 Bg4 9 c3 f5 10 Nbd2 0–0 11 Qb3 [ 11 Qc2 Bd6 12 b4 a6 13 a4 Nxd2 14 Nxd2 Qh4 15 g3 Qh5 16 f3 Bh3 17 Bb2 f4 18 g4 Bxg4 19 fxg4 Qxg4+ 20 Kh1 f3 21 Rg1 Qh3 22 Nf1 Rae8 23 Qf2 Rf6 24 Ng3 Rh6 25 Bf1 Qh4 26 Bc1 Rf6 27 Bd2 Kh8 28 Re1 Rxe1 29 Bxe1 Ne7 30 Bd3 Qh3 31 Bd2 h6 32 Re1 Kg8 33 Re3 Qg4 34 c4 Qxd4 35 Bc3 Qxc3 36 Bh7+ Kxh7 37 Rxc3 Bxb4 38 Rxf3 Rxf3 39 Qxf3 dxc4 40 Qe4+ 1–0 Reshetnikov,E-Fedorov,A/St Petersburg 2000/CBM 76 (40). ] 11 ..Na5 [11 ..Kh8 is the other critical line. This line (11...Na5) has a good reputation theoretically speaking.] 12 Qc2 Nc6 13 b4 a6 14 a4 Bd6N 15 Ba3 Rf6 16 b5 Nxd2 17 Qxd2 Bxf3 18 bxc6 Rg6 19 g3 bxc6 20 Bxd6 [ Morozevich improves over his game last month against Shirov at the Amber Tournament: 20 Bxf5 Rf6 21 Qd3 Bxa3 22 Rxa3 Qf8 23 Bxh7+ Kh8 24 Ra2 Qf7 25 Re3 Rf8 26 Qb1 g6 27 Rxf3 Rxf3 28 Bxg6 Qf6 29 Qc2 Qe6 30 Qb1 Qf6 31 Qc2 Qe6 32 Qb1 c5 33 dxc5 Qf6 34 Qc2 Qe6 35 Qb1 Qf6 36 Qc2 Qe6 ½–½ Morozevich,A-Shirov,A/Monaco MNC 2002/TWIC 385. ] 20 ..cxd6 21 Bxf5 Rf6 22 Qd3 g6 23 Qxf3 Rxf5 24 Qe2! [Not only taking command of the e-file, but more importantly eyeing the a6-weakness. I would presume this is what Morozevich had noted after his game with Shirov.] 24 ..Rf7 25 a5 Kg7 26 Reb1 Rb8 27 Qxa6 Qf6 28 Qf1 [ 28 Rxb8? Qxf2+ 29 Kh1 Qf3+ 30 Kg1 Qe3+ 31 Kh1 Rf2! is winning for Black.] 28 ..Rxb1 29 Rxb1 c5 30 a6 cxd4 31 Rb7 dxc3 32 Rxf7+ [ 32 a7! wins quickly] 32 ..Kxf7 33 a7 Qd8

34 Qb1? [ 34 Qb5! c2 35 Qxd5+ Kg7 36 Qb7+ Kh6 37 Qc6 Qa5 38 Qxc2 Qxa7 39 Qd2+ Kg7 40 Qxd6 with good winning chances.] 34 ..c2! [Karpov finds an escape route.] 35 Qb7+ [ 35 Qxc2 Qa5 36 Qc6 Qxa7 37 Qxd5+ Ke7=] 35 ..Ke6 {The tables are now well and truly turned: Black's winning now! 36 Qc6 Qa5 37 a8Q Qxa8 38 Qxa8 c1Q+ 39 Kg2 Qc7 40 h4 Qf7 41 f4 h5 42 Kf3 Qe7 43 Qc8+ Kf7 44 Kf2 Qe6 45 Qb7+ Kf6 46 Qb2+ Kf5 47 Qb6 [Both players had just over a minute each by this stage, so they can be forgiven for missing the best moves: 47 Qc2+! Qe4 48 Qc8+ Kf6 49 Qf8+=] 47 ..Kg4 48 Qd4 Qe4 49 Qd1+ Kf5 50 Qb3 Qd4+ 51 Kf3 Qc4 52 Qb8 Qf1+ 53 Ke3 Kg4 54 Qxd6 Qe1+ 55 Kd4 Qe4+ 56 Kc5 Qf5 57 Qe7 Kxg3 58 Qe1+ Kxf4 59 Qg1 Qe4 60 Qg5+ Kf3 61 Qf6+ Ke2 62 Qb2+ Ke3 63 Qf6 d4 64 Qg5+ Ke2 65 Kb4 d3+ 66 Kc3 Qf5 67 Qg2+ Ke3 68 Qg3+ Ke2 69 Qg2+ [With around 20 seconds each on the clock, the technique is superb - especially for someone who will celebrate his 51st birthday later this month: Karpov!] 69 ..Qf2 70 Qe4+ Qe3 71 Qg2+ Ke1 72 Qh1+ Kf2 73 Qh2+ Kf3 74 Qh3+ Kf4 75 Qh2+ Kg4 76 Qg2+ Kxh4 77 Qxg6 Qf3 78 Qd6 Kh3 79 Qe6+ Kg2 80 Qg6+ Kf1 81 Qg5 Kf2 82 Qh4+ Kg2 83 Qg5+ Kh3 84 Qg6 h4 85 Qg1 Qe2 86 Qh1+ Kg3 87 Qg1+ Qg2 88 Qe3+ Qf3 89 Qg1+ Kh3 90 Qg5 Qg3 91 Qf5+ Kh2 92 Kd2 h3 93 Qe6 Kg2 94 Qe4+ Qf3 95 Qg6+ Kf1 96 Qd6 h2 97 Qxh2 Qe2+ 0–1

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.