Round 10 6th March 2002

DON’T DRINK THE WATER

IT’S a tough job, but someone has to do it. Mayor of Linares, that is. Not writing these reports - that’s much easier. I just sit in front of a blank screen on the trusty old laptop and wait for the beads of blood to appearing on my forehead.

But spare a thought for Mayor Juan Fernandez, the man who recently led the mercy-mission to Moscow after the little spat with Ruslan Ponomariov after his will-he-won’t-he appearance. He was determined to go to (just about) any lengths to make sure Linares got the best possible field.

The formidable Fernandez also knows how to schmooze the chess press writing about Linares. Unlike most politicians, it doesn’t take an army of spin doctors - we come much more cheaply than that! He invited us all out for a free meal and free drinks (did I mention ALL the free drinks?). Of course, there’s no such thing as a free meal where a politician is concerned. Mind you, there’s no such thing as a cheap free meal where a journalist is concerned. We have our scruples, you know. And if you don’t like them, we can always find some more.

We were all there - the good, the great and also yours truly. Rent-A-Crowd as far as the freebies go: Leontxo Garcia from El Pais; Angel Assensio from the top Spanish agency EFE (who keeps on reminding us how important he is as he writes for 200 newspapers); Arvind Aaron from The Hindu; Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam from New In Chess; Aviv Friedman from ICC; Rob "Accident Waiting To Happen" Huntingdon from Associated Press; John Henderson from TWIC, ChessBase, The Scotsman et al. - I didn’t really, but it was a shame to see all that free food and free drink going to waste (did I mention ALL the free drink?).

The main reason for the freebie on the Mayor was to use this fine body of men as a sounding board for next year’s tournament - the twenty-fifth anniversary of Linares. Better still, next year also coincides with the end of Fernandez’ four-year term of office - that means a big farewell bash with more free drink (did I mention ALL the free drink?)

For some reason the next morning I wasn’t feeling all that well - I had a head that felt as if it had been hit repeatedly with a baseball bat, and with Barry Bonds on the other end of it at that. My mouth tasted like the bottom of a hamsters cage. It surely couldn’t have had anything to do with all that free beer, sangría, champagne or cognac so kindly distributed at the expense of the Linares taxpayer, could it? Certainly not! I vaguely remember a funny taste coming from the mineral water at the start of the feast - that has to be the culprit.

I also vaguely remember some chess news disseminating from the feast. It was a good job there was a fellow journalist at the meeting who didn’t touch the mineral water - he was able to "jog" my memory.

People like Leontxo Garcia have been lobbing hard in the last few years for Linares to be turned into a Chess Festival of some sorts to attract more ordinary punters in much the same style as Wijk aan Zee. This year, there has been some improvements when, for the first time, the organisers ran the Anibal Open in conjunction with Kasparov & Co.

Headed by the likes of ‘Big Al’ Beliavsky and Oleg Romanishin "The Stone", the field has attracted 129-players of varying playing strengths from around the world, and has created a much welcomed buzz around Linares. And next year, apart from getting the opportunity for a glimpse of Kasparov & Co., they hope to go one better by adding a package holiday deal that’ll included chess tuitions and lectures.

So who’s in the frame for next year’s elite tournament? "An eight-player field for sure", according to Fernandez who confirmed that Kasparov, Anand and Ponomariov will all be back. According to Fernandez, an early invitation will also be heading in the general direction of Vladimir Kramnik, if he’s not too busy beating up on an 11-year old kid this time.

And, talking of kids, also looking like a likely candidate for the Linares silver anniversary is Gazza’s "Mini Me", Teimor Radjabov. Set for a return next year is also local favourite Paco Valljo Pons. The rest of the field looks likely to come from Mickey Adams, Veselin Topalov, Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexei Shirov.

Take my tip if you decide to come over to enjoy the chess delights of Linares: Don’t drink the water!

Anand,V (2757) - Kasparov,G (2838) [B90]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 e5 7 Nb3 Be6 8 f3 Nbd7 9 g4 b5 10 g5 b4 11 Ne2 Nh5 12 Qd2 a5 13 Ng3 Nxg3 14 hxg3 a4 15 Nc1 Qa5 16 Nd3 d5 17 exd5 Qxd5!N [As ever, Kasparov finds the best move to weave his way through the Najdorf minefield. 17 ..Bxd5 18 Bh3 Rd8 19 Bxd7+ Rxd7 20 Nxe5 Re7 21 0–0–0 Rxe5 22 Bf4 Re6 23 Qxd5 Qxd5 24 Rxd5 Be7 25 Kd2 f6 26 g6 h6 27 Re1 Rxe1 28 Kxe1 0–0 29 g4 Rc8 30 Kd2 Kf8 31 Be3 Ke8 32 f4 Rc6 33 f5 Rc4 34 Bd4 Bd8 35 Kd3 Rc6 36 Rb5 1–0 Ni Hua-Xu Yaping/Beijing 2001.] 18 Bg2 Qb5 19 Bh3 Bxh3 20 Rxh3 Be7 21 Rh4 f5

22 0–0–0?! [Either very brave or very dangerous. Anand commented after the game that "somehow I managed to hang in there". I know the feeling someone has when the king is stuck in middle, but maybe for now that's where it should be!: 22 Qh2 0–0–0! 23 Rxh7 (23 0–0–0? Nc5! 24 Bxc5 Bxg5+ 25 Rd2 (25 Kb1 Bxh4 26 Qxh4 Qxc5!) 25 ..e4 (25 ..b3 26 axb3 (26 Rb4? bxa2!) 26 ..axb3 27 Rb4!) 26 fxe4 b3 27 axb3 axb3 28 Qf2 Bxd2+ 29 Qxd2 (29 Kxd2? bxc2!) 29 ..bxc2) 23 ..Rhg8 24 Rh4 Rge8 with an "interesting" struggle ahead.] 22 ..b3! 23 a3 [After the game Anand thought that 23 a3 was a bad move - in view of the other lines it looks like the only move! 23 cxb3 axb3 24 a3 Rc8+ 25 Kb1 Rc2 26 Qe1 Qc6 27 Qf1 0–0 with a big plus.; 23 Kb1 bxa2+ 24 Ka1 Rb8 and a threat of ..Ba3 in the air.; 23 axb3 axb3 24 Qc3 bxc2 25 Kxc2 (25 Qxc2 Nb6!) 25 ..0–0 26 Qb3+ Qxb3+ 27 Kxb3 Rfb8+ 28 Kc2 Rc8+ 29 Kb3 h6! looks good for black.] 23 ..Rc8 24 c3 Nf8! (Anand admitted he'd totally missed the Kasparov knight retreat. Apart from getting out of the way of an possible tricks on d7, from g6 it is ideally positioned.) 25 Rh2 Ng6 26 Nb4 Rd8 27 Nd5 Kf7! 28 Qd3 Qxd3 29 Rxd3 f4 [The immediate doubling of rooks on the d-file may have offered black something to work with - but doubtful: 29 ..Rd6 30 Rhd2 Rhd8 31 c4 Rc6 32 Rc3 Ke6 33 Nxe7 Kxe7 34 Rxd8 Kxd8 35 c5=] 30 gxf4 exf4 31 Nxf4 Nxf4 32 Rxd8 Rxd8 33 Bxf4 Rd3 34 Rh3 Kg6 35 Bd2 Bd8 36 Rg3 Be7 37 Rh3 Bd8 38 Rg3 Kf5 39 Kd1 Bc7 ½–½

Adams,M (2742) - Shirov,A (2715) [B30]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 (The Rossolimo Variation: named after the Russian born GM of Greek parentage, Nick Rossolimo, who revived this old favourite of Nimzovitch's in the 1940s. The white set-up takes on all the characteristics of a Ruy Lopez.) 3 ..e6 4 0–0 Nge7 5 c3 a6 6 Ba4 b5 7 Bc2 Bb7 8 Qe2 Ng6 9 d4 cxd4 10 cxd4 Nh4 11 Nbd2 Rc8 12 Bb1N [12 d5 Ne5 13 Nd4 Bd6 14 N2b3 Nc4 ½–½ Degraeve,J-Bacrot,E/Marsailles FRA 2001/The Week in Chess 355.] 12 ..Bd6 13 a4! bxa4? [The start of what looks like a bad plan. Surely Black had to take first on f3? Mind you, it does lead to some interesting play: 13 ..Nxf3+!? 14 Nxf3 Na5 15 Nd2 (15 axb5 Nb3 16 bxa6!? may actually be possible.) 15 ..b4 (15 ..Nc4? 16 axb5 axb5 17 e5 Be7 18 Qg4!) 16 e5 Be7 17 Bd3 Qb6 18 Qg4 with chances for both sides.] 14 Rxa4 Nxf3+ 15 Nxf3 Nb4 16 Bd2 a5 17 Rd1 0–0

18 Bc3 (The ingredients are all there for a disaster in the making for Black with all of White's pieces aimed at the kingside.) 18 ..Qb6 19 Ra1 Bf4 20 Ne5! Qc7 [20 ..Bxe5 21 dxe5 Rfd8 (21 ..Bc6 22 Ra3! and black can't defend the coming onslaught.) 22 Bd4 Qc7 23 Qe3 Nc2 24 Bxc2 Qxc2 25 f3 a4 26 Bb6 Re8 27 Rd2 Qc6 28 b4 axb3 29 Qxb3 Ra8 30 Rb1 Rec8 31 Qd3 and white has a big hold on the position with d7 doomed.] 21 Qg4 Bxe5 [21 ..Bh6 22 Qh5! Qd8 23 d5! and the attack is going to rumble on with a Ng4.] 22 dxe5 Bc6 [The best that black could do now was 22 ..Nc6 23 Rd6 Ba6 24 Qd1 and white has an overwhelming position.] 23 h4 Kh8

24 Ra3! Rg8 25 h5 h6 [25 ..g6? 26 Qf4!] 26 Qf4 Rcf8 [26 ..f6 27 Rd6 and black is getting pulled apart.] 27 Bd4 Bb5 28 Rc3 Nc6 29 Bc5 Be2 30 Rd2 Bxh5 31 Rh3 [31 Rh3 Bg6 32 Rxh6+! gxh6 33 Qxh6+ Bh7 34 Qf6+ Rg7 35 Bxf8] 1–0

Ivanchuk,V (2717) - Vallejo Pons,F (2629) [B42]

1 e4 c5 (It seems strange that Paco shied away from the Berlin Defence in the second half of the tournament. He seemed to be doing alright with it, and in any case it's a solid defence where White has to accept he's slightly better and no more - Black achieving a health 44% of draws in praxis. . Now, however, by switching to the Kan/Paulsen Sicilian, he looks a little like a fish out of water.) 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 Bd3 Nf6 6 0–0 d6 7 c4 Be7 8 Nc3 0–0 9 f4 Re8 10 Kh1 Nbd7 11 Qe2 g6?! [11 ..Qc7 first to prevent any ideas of an early e5 looks much better.] 12 Bd2 Bf8 13 Rad1 Nh5 14 Nf3 b6 15 e5! Bb7 [15 ..dxe5? 16 fxe5 Bb7 17 Ne4 Qc7 18 Qe3 Nxe5 19 Nxe5 Qxe5 20 Nf6+!] 16 Ng5!

16 ..Ng7 [It's too late now to defend e5 from c7: 16 ..Qc7 17 Be4 Bxe4 18 Ncxe4 h6 19 exd6 Bxd6 20 Nxd6 Qxd6 21 Bc3 Qc7 22 Ne4] 17 Be4 Qc7 18 Qf3 Bxe4 19 Ncxe4 h6 [19 ..Qxc4 20 Rc1 Qa4 (20 ..Qd5 21 Rc7!) 21 Qh3 h5 22 Rc7 and the black position is ready to collapse.] 20 exd6 Qd8 21 Qh3 hxg5 22 fxg5 e5 [Hanging a piece to a knight fork but the black position is a totally lost cause any way: 22 ..Qb8 23 Rxf7! Kxf7 24 Qh7 Rc8 (24 ..Bxd6 25 Bc3 Be5 26 Bxe5 Qxe5 (26 ..Nxe5 27 Rf1+ Ke7 28 Qxg7+ Kd8 29 Rd1+) 27 Rxd7+) 25 Rf1+ Ke8 26 Qxg6+ Kd8 27 Rxf8+ Nxf8 28 Qxg7 Ra7 29 Qxf8+ Kd7 30 Qe7+ Kc6 31 d7 Rf8 32 Qxe6+ Kb7 33 Qd5+ Kc7 34 Nf6; 22 ..Be7 23 dxe7 Qxe7 24 Nf6+!] 23 Qxd7! [23 Qxd7 Qxd7 24 Nf6+ Kh8 25 Nxd7 Bxd6 26 Rxf7 winning.] 1–0

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.