In Memoriam: Mario Cassai (1948-2008)

On Sunday, May 25, 2008 Mario Cassai suddenly died by disease of the heart, just after winning his first-round rapid game in the 2nd Memorial Farnesi in Santa Brigida, a small village located in the district of Pontassieve, in Florence’s Province. Mario was a constant character in Florence’s night (chess) life since over thirty years, and most chess clubs – both temporary and part-time – were most honoured with his presence. Gifted with a kind sense of humour, Mario was always too much in love with Bacchus, tobacco, and Venus because his chess titles might faithfully reflect his skills. More and more often he succeeded in showing his flowering side in chess analysis. His highest result was probably the 3rd place (out of 34 players) at the 9th International Chess Festival “Città di Lucca” in 1997, ahead of strong Masters such as Pietro Mola and Stuart Wagman.

Mario Cassai – Roberto Venturelli
9th International Chess Festival “Città di Lucca”; Lucca, 1997
French Defence C10

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e6 5. e4 dxe4 6. Nxe4 Be7 7. Nxf6+ Nxf6 8. Bd3 h6 9. Bf4 0-0 10. Qd2 c5

11. Bxh6 gxh6 12. Qxh6 c4 13. Qg5+ ½ : ½.

Mario Cassai (pictured centre) in 2006.

Election Day

Un popolicchio ha eletto un peronicchio...

Enfant prodige

Llambi Qendro – Marina Brunello
26th Isle of Elba International Chess Festival; Lacona, May 10, 2008
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. cxd5 exd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 c6 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Nf3 Re8 10. 0-0 Nf8 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ne4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Nd2 f5 16. Ne2 Ng6 17. Rbc1 Be6 18. Qc3 Qf7 19. Nc4 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Re6 21. d5 cxd5 22. Qxd5 Re5 23. Qxf7+ Kxf7 24. Rc7+ Re7 25. Rfc1 Rae8 26. Ng3 Kf6 27. R7c5 Re5 28. Nh5+ Kf7 29. Nf4 b6 30. Rc7+ R8e7. Not 30. ... R5e7? on account of 31. Nd5! winning a Pawn. 31. Nxg6 hxg6 32. g4. Perhaps hoping to intimidate his young opponent, Qendro goes to stress a more or less equal position. 32. ... Rb5 33. Rxe7+ Kxe7 34. Rc2 Kf6 35. Kg2 fxg4 36. Kg3 Kf5 37. Rd2 Kg5 38. b4 axb4

39. Rb2?? Qendro makes a tragic blunder maybe due to time pressure. After 39. axb4 Rxb4 40. Rd5+ Kf6 41. Kxg4 Rb2 42. Kf4! Rxf2+ 43. Kxe4 Rb2 a draw is inevitable. 39. ... b3−+ 40. Kg2 Kf5 41. Kf1 Ke5 42. Ke2 Kd5 43. Rb1 b2 44. Kd2 Kc4 45. Kc2 Rf5 46. Rf1 b1=Q+ 47. Kxb1 Kb3 48. a4 Kxa4 49. Kc2 Kb4 50. Kd2 b5 51. Ke2 Kc3 52. Rc1+ Kb2 53. Rg1 b4 54. Rxg4 b3 55. Rxe4 Kc3 56. Re8 b2 57. Rb8 Rc5 58. Kd1 Rd5+ 59. Ke1 Ra5 0 : 1. This win allowed Marina Brunello, 13, to earn her first Woman International Master norm.

Marina Brunello. Photo: Gabriele Grasso.

Elisir di giovinezza

Il Grande Maestro ucraino Vassilij Ivanchuk – detto anche Chucky – ha dominato il IV supertorneo M-Tel a Sofia (8-18 maggio) con fischeriana autorevolezza: 8 su 10 e performance Elo di 2977! Come declamò il poeta (Nazin Hikmet): “Eccomi come un balzo / come trentadue denti senza carie”.

V. Ivanchuk (2740) – Bu Xiangzhi (2708)
Sofia, 10 maggio 2008
Inglese A11

1. Cf3 Cf6 2. c4 c6 3. Cc3 d5 4. e3 a6 5. Dc2 b5 6. b3 Ag4 7. Ce5 Ah5? Un automatismo, sulla scia di varianti consimili. Il Nero non si avvede della presenza della Donna avversaria in c2. 8. cxb5 cxb5?? Con colpevole ignavia, ma anche dopo 8. ... Dc7 9. Cxc6 Cxc6 10. bxc6 Dxc6 11. b4! (Δ b4-b5) il Bianco domina, Agamaliev – Khaghani, Tehran 2005.

9. Axb5+! Sic et simpliciter. Il Nero può abbandonare. 9. ... axb5 Il Nero non ha scelta: se infatti 9. ... Cbd7 allora 10. Cxd5!. 10. Cxb5 e6 Lungi, naturalmente, da 10. ... Ca6 11. Dc6+. 11. Cc7+ Re7 12. Cxa8 Cfd7 13. Aa3+ Rf6 14. Ab2 Cxe5 15. f4 Cbd7 16. Cc7 La posizione del Nero è commovente. 16. ... Ag6 17. Axe5+ Cxe5 18. fxe5+ Rxe5 19. Dc3+ Rf5 20. 0-0+ Oppure 20. e4+! Rxe4 (20. ... dxe4 21. 0-0+) 21. 0-0! e... matti a pioggia! 20. ... Rg5 21. a4 Rh6 22. Tf3 Af5 23. Taf1 Ad6 24. Cb5 Ab8 25. Cd4 Ae4 26. Th3+ Rg6 27. d3 Af5 28. Thf3 Ae5 29. De1 Axd4 30. Tg3+ Rh6 31. exd4 g6 32. Tgf3 Dh4 Ogni commento è superfluo. 1 : 0.

Alemanna storia, tremaglia razza

Italiani brava gente? Ahimè, non sempre e non tutti... Rileggiamoci il comunicato dell’Associazione Scacchistica Italiana del 4 dicembre 1938:

In applicazione ai recenti provvedimenti di legge per la difesa della razza, con l’approvazione della Direzione Generale dell’OND, si dispone: il licenzino dell’ASI non sarà rilasciato a: a) a persone di razza ebraica; b) a persone di nazionalità straniera, eccetto i sudditi germanici in possesso della tessera dell’OND⁽¹⁾.

O tempora, o mores!

(1) Adriano Chicco, Antonio Rosino, “Storia degli Scacchi in Italia”, Marsilio Editori, Venezia, 1990, p. 331.

Leche frita

Manuel Pérez Candelario – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
2nd Ruy López International Chess Festival; Mérida, April 11, 2008
Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Qb6 12. Nb3 b4 13. Nb1. Another continuation is 13. Na4 Qc7 14. Nd4 Be7 15. Qh3 Nc5? (15. ... 0-0-0∞) 16. Nxc5 dxc5 17. Nxe6! fxe6 18. Bc4! Rd8 19. Qxe6 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Rf8 21. Bxf6 Rxf6 22. Qg8+ Bf8 23. g3! Bc8 24. e5 Rb6 25. Qxh7 Be6 26. Qg6+ Qf7 27. Qe4 Qc7 28. h4 Bxc4 29. Qxc4 Qc6 30. b3 g6 31. Qe2 Qe6 32. h5 Rb7 33. Qe4 Rg7 34. hxg6 Qxg6 35. f5 1 : 0 Spassky – Tukmakov, 41st USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1973.
13. ... a5. 13. ... Be7 14. N1d2 Qc7 15. Qh3 e5 16. Nc4 0-0 17. Nba5 Bc8 18. Qg3 seems to favour White, Shirov – Karjakin, 2nd Chess World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007, match game 1.
14. N1d2 Be7 15. Nc4 Qc7 16. Qg3 a4 17. Nd4 Ba6 18. Bxf6 Nxf6

19. Nb5!? Bxb5 20. Nxd6+ Bxd6 21. Bxb5+ Kf8 22. e5

22. ... a3? Black pushed the wrong Pawn, thereby giving up any chance of counterattack. Correct was 22. ... b3! 23. axb3 axb3 24. Qxb3 Be7 25. exf6 Qxf4+ (alternatively 25. ... gxf6!? 26. Qc4 Qa5 gives Black good compensation for the Pawn) 26. Qe3 Ra1+ 27. Kd2 Qb4+ 28. Qc3 Rxd1+ 29. Rxd1 Qf4+ 30. Qe3 Qb4+ 31. Kc1 Bxf6 with dynamic equilibrium — as White has nothing better than to offer an exchange of Queens.
23. exd6 axb2+ 24. Kb1 Qc5

25. Qg5! Rc8. Not 25. ... Nd5? on account of 26. Rxd5! Qxd5 (if 26. ... exd5?? then 27. Qe7+ Kg8 28. Qe8+ followed by mate) 27. Qxd5 exd5 28. d7 g6 29. Re8+ Kg7 30. Kxb2+− with a deadly zugzwang.
26. Ba4 h6 27. Qxc5 Rxc5 28. Kxb2+− g5 29. Re5 Rc8 30. f5 exf5 31. Rxf5 Kg7 32. Rdf1 Ne4 33. Rxf7+ Kg6 34. d7 Rcd8 35. Bc6 Nd2 36. R1f6+ Kh5 37. Kc1 Nc4 38. Bf3+ Kh4 39. Re6 1 : 0.

© 1977 Bobby Fischer

In 1977, he [Fischer] also, experimentally, played against a high-caliber Greenblatt Computer Chess program in Los Angeles, winning all three games in superb style^(*).

MacHack – R. J. Fischer Los Angeles, 1977 Siciliana B92

1. e4 c5 2. Cf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Cxd4 Cf6 5. Cc3 a6 6. Ae2 e5 7. Cb3 Ae7 8. Ae3 0-0 9. Dd3 Ae6 10. 0-0 Cbd7 11. Cd5 L’alternativa è 11. a4 Tc8 12. a5 Dc7 13. Tfc1 Tfe8 14. Cd5 Dc6 15. Af3 Axd5 16. exd5 Dc4 17. Dd2 Dh4 18. Dd1 e4 19. Ae2 Ce5 20. h3 ½ : ½, Balashov – Sigurjonsson, Reykjavik 1984. 11. ... Tc8 12. Cxe7+ Se 12. Tfd1 allora 12. ... Te8 onde rispondere a 13. Cxe7+ Dxe7 14. Dxd6 con 14. ... Dxd6 15. Txd6 Txc2. 12. ... Dxe7 13. f3 Previene sia Ae6-c4 che Cf6-g4, ma indebolisce le case scure al Re circostanti. 13. ... d5 Trionfo della strategia del Nero. 14. Cd2 Era probabilmente più consona 14. exd5 Cxd5 15. c3. 14. ... Db4 15. Cb3 dxe4 16. Dd1 MacHack auspica un mistico compenso per il Pedone... 16. ... Cd5! 17. Aa7 Vieppiù compromettente. 17. ... b6 18. c3 Lungi, naturalmente, da 18. Axa6?? Ta8 (o 18. ... Tc7). 18. ... De7 19. fxe4 Ce3 20. Dd3 Cxf1 21. Dxa6 Ce3 22. Axb6 Dg5 23. g3 Ta8 24. Aa7 Oppure 24. Db5 Tfb8. 24. ... h5 L’alternativa “cibernetica” è Tf8-b8-b6 con pronta esecuzione dell’Aa7. Fischer propende invece per un attacco “biologico” contro il Re. 25. Db7 h4 26. Rf2 hxg3+ 27. hxg3 f5 28. exf5 Txf5+ 29. Re1 Taf8 30. Rd2 Cc4++ 31. Rc2 Dg6 32. De4 Cd6 33. Dc6 Tf2+ 34. Rd1 Ag4 35. Axf2 Dd3+ 36. Rc1 Axe2 37. Cd2 Txf2 38. Dxd7 Tf1+ 39. Cxf1 Dd1# 0 : 1.

R. J. Fischer – MacHack Los Angeles, 1977 Gambetto di Re C33

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Ac4 d5 4. Axd5 Cf6 5. Cc3 Ab4 6. Cf3 0-0? L’Handbuch di Bilguer è estraneo alla biblioteca elettronica della macchina: 6. ... Axc3 7. dxc3 c6 8. Ac4 Dxd1+ 9. Rxd1 0-0 10. Axf4 Cxe4 11. Te1 con equilibrio. 7. 0-0 Cxd5? Se non altro, dopo 7. ... Axc3 8. dxc3 c6 9. Ac4 Dxd1 10. Txd1 Cxe4 11. Axf4 Cd7 12. Td4 il vantaggio del Bianco è più circoscritto, Blackburne – Pillsbury, Hastings 1895. 8. Cxd5 Ad6? Urgeva decidersi per la sovversiva 8. ... f5!! (9. Cxb4 fxe4 10. c3). 9. d4 g5? La brama dei Pedoni... 10. Cxg5! Dxg5 11. e5! Rigor mortis. 11. ... Ah3 12. Tf2 Axe5 13. dxe5 c6 Con sintomatica rassegnazione, ma anche dopo 13. ... Ca6 14. Axf4 Dg7 15. Dh5 sussiste la solita, doppia minaccia di 16. Dxh3 e 16. Ah6. 14. Axf4 Dg7 15. Cf6+ Rh8 16. Dh5 Minaccia sia 17. Dxh3 che 17. Ah6. 16. ... Td8 Davvero arcano il commento di Paolo Ciancarini: “MacHack dimentica un pezzo in presa contro il Campione del Mondo! Mosse come questa screditarono per un certo periodo le ricerche nel gioco artificiale”^(§). 17. Dxh3 Ca6 18. Tf3 Dg6 19. Tc1 Rg7 20. Tg3 Th8 21. Dh6# 1 : 0. Il duale è 21. Ah6 matto.

MacHack – R. J. Fischer Los Angeles, 1977 Siciliana B34

1. e4 c5 2. Cf3 g6 3. d4 Ag7 4. Cc3 cxd4 5. Cxd4 Cc6 6. Ae3 Cf6 7. Cxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Cg8 9. f4 f6 10. exf6 La teoria non è la specialità del programma di Greenblatt. 10. ... Cxf6 11. Ac4? Temporary like achilles. Era di prammatica 11. Ae2 0-0 12. 0-0 d5 13. Ad4 Af5 14. Af3 Tb8 con equivalenza, Aronin – Ef. Geller, XVIII Campionato Sovietico, Mosca 1950. 11. ... d5 12. Ae2 Tb8 13. b3 Cg4 14. Ad4 e5! Se invece 14. ... Ce3 allora 15. Axg7! Cxd1 16. Axh8 Cxc3 17. Axc3 con gratificante compenso per la Donna. 15. fxe5 0-0! Re bianco al centro! 16. Axg4 Dh4+ 17. g3 Dxg4 18. Dxg4 Axg4 19. Tf1? La resa. Dopo 19. h3! Af3 20. 0-0 c5 21. Axc5 Axe5 22. Axf8 Txf8 23. Ca4 Ad4+ 24. Rh2 Axa1 25. Txa1 Ae4 il Nero ricupera il Pedone con un vantaggio capillare. È inoltre interessante 19. Rd2 (Karpov). 19. ... Txf1+ 20. Rxf1 c5! 21. Af2 Axe5 Il Nero detta legge. 22. Ae1 Tf8+ 23. Rg2 Tf3 24. h3 Txc3 25. Axc3 Axc3 26. Tf1 Af5 27. Tf2 h5 28. Te2 Rf7 29. Te3 Ad4 30. Tf3 Re6 31. c3 Ae5 32. Te3 d4 33. cxd4 cxd4 34. Te1 d3 35. h4 d2 36. Td1 Ac3 37. Rf2 Ag4 38. Th1 Ad4+ Priorità allo scaccomatto! 39. Rg2 Rd5 40. a3 Re4 41. Tf1 Rd3 42. Rh2 Re2 43. Rg2 Ah3+ 44. Rxh3 Rxf1 45. b4 d1=D 46. Rh2 De2+ 47. Rh3 Dg2# 0 : 1.

---

^(*) Walter Korn, “America’s Chess Heritage”, David McKay Company, Inc., New York, 1978, p. 233.
^(§) Paolo Ciancarini, “I Giocatori Artificiali”, Gruppo Ugo Mursia Editore S.p.A., Milano, 1992, p. 34.

Cyberpunk

Mac Hack, a computer chess program written by Richard D. Greenblatt and developed at MIT, was the first machine to compete in a human tournament (Boston Amateur, 1967), and the first one to immolate itself on the altar of a (former) World Chess Champion: the mythic Bobby Fischer, who at the time used to hang around the suburbs of Pasadena incognito.
It was Fischer himself to make the “match” public through a hand-written letter he sent the Computer Chess Newsletter (Issue #1, 1977, p. 3), a computer chess zine published by Douglas L. Penrod in Santa Barbara, California:

© 1977 Bobby Fischer May 17, 1977 Dear Mr. Penrod, I think your computer-chess newsletter is a very good idea. I recently played some games on a terminal with the Grenblatt Program. Enclosed are three of them. I made the mistake of buying the “Chess Challenger”. It’s ridiculously weak — they really shouldn’t have come out with it. They also made a botch with the keyboard, so it’s hard to follow the moves. Somehow they reversed the algebraic notation so that the files are numbered and the ranks are lettered, if you can believe that! I know I can give it a Queen and a Rook, because I gave them away in the opening and won. But I can probably give it much more. In the endgame it’s almost impossible to lose to it. Provided you agree and acknowledge, that I have all the publication rights to this letter and the enclosed game scores you can publish them in your newsletter. Regards, Bobby Fischer.

Thus, the three rare and precious games, were published, “without prejudice” to Fischer’s rights, in the following issue of the zine (Computer Chess Newsletter, Issue #2, 1977, p. 18):

The electronic chessboard which Fischer regretted buying was the “Chess Challenger 1”, programmed by Ron C. Nelson, produced by Fidelity Electronics of Chicago and sold at (more or less) $800 dollars. Its best review can be found in a paragraph of Jean Paul Teyssier’s “Echecs à l’Informatique”, Version 1991, p. 12): “Il joue si mal qu’il n’est pas exporté” (“It plays so badly that it isn’t exported”).

Famous Last Words

“Nulla è più miracoloso del contatto umano...”

Bobby Fischer, 17 gennaio 2008

Serafino Dubois vs. Louis Paulsen

Nel Torneo Internazionale di Londra del 1862 Serafino Dubois si compiacque del lusinghiero successo contro il Maestro tedesco Louis Paulsen con mirabile modestia: “Debbo però confessare per la pura verità, che con questo sommo giuocatore io rimasi molto al di sotto nelle partite d’Accademia che giocammo più tardi al Divano”. E... per la pura verità, desunta dalla monografia multimediale/telematica di Sid Pickard “The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz” (Pickard & Son, Publishers, 2003), ecco allora una delle loro partite sans façon:

S. Dubois – L. Paulsen
Londra, 1862
Gambetto di Re C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Cf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ce5 Ag7 La variante di Paulsen. 6. Cxg4 Steinitz è lapidario: “Considerata azzardata da tutti i teorici; lo svolgimento della partita conferma l’opinione”. 6. ... d5 7. exd5? Comunque dopo 7. Cf2 dxe4 8. Cxe4 Cf6 9. Cbc3 De7 10. De2 0-0 11. d3 Cxe4 12. Cd5 Dc5 13. dxe4 Te8 14. Cxf4 Af5 15. Ae3 Db4+ l’attacco del Nero è veemente, Steinitz – Gorham & Lester, per corrispondenza 1888. 7. ... De7+ 8. Rf2 Commenta Steinitz: “Che s’interponga l’Alfiere o che s’interponga la Donna naturalmente il Nero risponde con 8. ... Axg4”. 8. ... Ad4+ 9. Rf3 Axg4+ Oppure 9. ... h5 10. Ab5+ Rd8 11. Cf2 Ag4+ 12. Cxg4 hxg4+ 13. Rxg4 Cf6+ 14. Rh3 Txh4+! 15. Rxh4 Ce4+ 16. Rg4 Cf2+ 17. Rh5 De5+ 18. Rh4 Df6+ 19. Rh5 Dg6+ 20. Rh4 Af6 matto, Mackenzie – Paulsen, Londra 1862. 10. Rxg4 Cf6+ 11. Rh3 Se 11. Rg5 allora 11. ... De5+ 12. Rh6 Cg8 matto; se invece 11. Rf3 allora 11. ... De4 matto, Gossip – Bird, Londra 1873. 11. ... Tg8 12. g4 Txg4 13. Ab5+ c6 14. dxc6 Txh4+ 15. Rxh4 Ce4+ “E vince”, chiosa Steinitz. 0 : 1. Se infatti 16. Rh3 allora 16. ... Cf2+ dopodiché: (I) 17. Rh2 Dh4+ 18. Rg2 f3+! 19. Dxf3 (19. Rxf3 Dg4 matto) 19. ... Dxh1+ 20. Rg3 Dh3+ 21. Rf4 Dh4+ 22. Rf5 Df6 matto; (II) 17. Rg2 Dg5+ 18. Rf1 Cxd1 19. c7+ Dxb5+ 20. Re1 Dc6 -+.

Louis Paulsen vs. Paul Morphy (New York, 1857)

Mind Games

La Campionessa del Mondo di scacchi960 (Fischerandom) Alexandra Kosteniuk e l’ex Campione del Mondo di scacchi classici Anatolij Karpov hanno partecipato a Perm (Russia) alla I Coppa IMSA, acronimo di International Mind Sports Association, associazione che riunisce scacchi, dama, bridge e Go. La kermesse è stata l’anteprima ai primi World Mind Sports Games in programma a Pechino nell’ottobre del 2008.

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Foto: Chesspics

Serafino Dubois: life in London

Nel nostro libretto “Serafino Dubois il Professionista”, Messaggerie Scacchistiche, Brescia, 2000, abbiamo dedicato due capitoli alla trasferta londinese di Dubois, con la rassegna di tutte le partite del Torneo Internazionale e del match con Steinitz, di quasi tutte le partite dell’incontro con Anderssen e di altre partite sans façon con la crème de la crème scacchistica cittadina. Ecco allora, desunta da Sissa, 1864, pp. 67-68, una partita per noi ancora inedita di Serafino contro il polacco Adolf Zytogorski:

S. Dubois – A. Zytogorski
Londra, febbraio 1863
Gambetto di Re C30

1. e4 e5 2. Cc3 Ac5 3. f4 d6 4. Cf3 Ag4 5. Ac4 Cf6 6. h3 Axf3 7. Dxf3 c6 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. d3 0-0 10. Ae3 Ab4 11. 0-0-0 Axc3 12. bxc3 Cbd7 13. g4 De7 14. g5 Da3+ 15. Rd2 Ce8 16. h4 b5 17. Ab3 a5 18. Tdf1 Cd6 Attaccano entrambi: un classico delle posizioni con arrocchi eterogenei, ma...

19. g6! ... il Bianco è in anticipo! (Conseguenza forse dell’improvvido scacco di Donna in a3). 19. ... Cf6 L’anonimo redattore di Sissa confuta 19. ... hxg6 con 20. h5 g5 21. h6 a4 22. hxg7 Rxg7 (22. ... axb3 23. Dh5) 23. Dh5. 20. gxf7+ Rh8 21. Thg1 Tad8 Se 21. ... a4 allora 22. Ah6! finis. 22. Txg7! La minaccia è 23. Tg8+! Cxg8 24. fxg8=D+ Txg8 25. Df6+ e matto in quattro. 22. ... Cdxe4+ Lungi, naturalmente, da 22. ... Rxg7 23. Dxf6 matto. 23. Re1 Db2 Oppure 23. ... Rxg7 24. Tg1+ Rh8 25. dxe4 +-. 24. dxe4 Dxc3+ 25. Re2 Td2+ 26. Axd2 Dxf3+ 27. Txf3 Rxg7 28. Tg3+ Rh8 29. Ah6 1 : 0.

Mission: Impossible

Despite the ups and downs of its exotic star Judit Polgár, Chieti hit the predictions and emerged as the winner of the 40th Italian Team Chess Championship in the Aosta Valley, ahead of the very fierce teams of Lecce’s “Salentina” and “Vimar” Marostica. Florence’s DLF (Railway Recreational Chess Club) featured an all-italian and “almost” all-Florentine representative. If “those cursed Tuscans” could not avoid relegation, at least they had the honour of playing with so much highly titled opponents... and not in a simultaneous display! Here is Doriano Tocchioni at the board with Judit Polgár:

Doriano Tocchioni – Judit Polgár
40th Italian Team Chess Championship; Arvier, May 2, 2008
Torre Attack D03

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d5 5. c3 b6. Same beach, same sea the next round as well (in the afternoon of the same day): 5. ... 0-0 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. e4 c5 8. dxc5 Nc6 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Nb3 Qe4+ 11. Qe2 Qf5 12. h3 Rd8 13. g4 Qf4 14. Qe3 Qa4 15. Bg2 Be6 16. Nfd2 ½ : ½ D. Tocchioni – Martorelli, 40th Italian Team Chess Championship, Arvier 2008.
6. Bxf6!? They both play on their own ideas.
6. ... exf6!?

7. e3. The Copernican 7. h4!? was here worth considering.
7. ... 0-0 8. Bb5. Definitely not the ideal destination for the light-square Bishop. 8. h4!? was still deserving of consideration.
8. ... Bb7 9. a4 c5. The impelling threat is ... c5-c4.
10. Be2. The Bishop goes almost all the way back home. However, it can be noted that after 10. a5 Na6 11. 0-0 Nc7 the Bishop should retreat to e2 anyway.
10. ... Nc6 11. 0-0 f5 12. g3. Otherwise ... f5-f4 would follow.
12. ... Rc8 13. Qb1 Qe7 Threatens ... c5xd4.
14. Bb5. Certainly the comings and goings of the Bishop constitute a leitmotif of White’s strategy.
14. ... Na5 15. Rc1 c4

16. b4. An only move but a very easy one to play, as otherwise after ... a7-a6 the Bishop is doomed.
16. ... cxb3 17. Nxb3 Nc4 18. Nbd2 Nd6 19. Bf1. Home sweet home for the indefatigable commuter.
19. ... Ba8 20. Qb4 Rc7 21. a5 b5 22. a6 Rfc8 23. Rab1. Doriano defended himself like a lion!
23. ... Rb8 24. Nb3 Bf8 25. Ne5. If, instead, 25. Nc5 there might follow 25. ... Nc4 with better chances for Black.
25. ... Ne4

26. Na5?? A farewell to arms. 26. Qa5 would be playable although 26. ... Rc4! may offer Black chances for the initiative. White’s best was probably 26. Qxe7 Bxe7 27. Nc5 Bxc5 28. dxc5 f6 29. Nf3 Rxc5 30. Nd4 Nd6 31. Rb4 Rb6 32. Rcb1 with a very drawish-looking endgame.
26. ... Qe6 0 : 1. And Tocchioni resigned in disgust, as he cannot avoid the loss of a valuable Pawn (26. ... Nxc3 was also possible, if not better). Polgár’s victory was won by most economic means.

Judit got the most with minimum cost. Photo: Federazione Scacchistica Italiana.

Sport di massa

Quattro anni dopo l’oceanica simultanea a Santa Clara (13.000 scacchiere), il 21 aprile u.s., il XII Campione del Mondo Anatolij E. Karpov ha presenziato e celebrato la IV edizione delle Olimpiadi Sportive Cubane con un’altra simultanea di massa (4.069 scacchiere) presso la University of Computer and Informatic Sciences (UCI) all’Avana.

Per la rassegna fotografica cfr. la Repubblica.it “Quattromila contro Karpov – Festa degli scacchi all’Avana”.

Modena, 1990: Karpov in simultanea

Foto: Federazione Scacchistica Italiana

Neo-Eurasianism

Ekaterina Valentinovna Kovalevskaya – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
3rd China–Russia Women’s Summit; 额尔古纳市 (É’ěrgǔnà), August 17, 2006
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 a6 11. h4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. Ne2 a5 14. f5 Bxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxe5 16. Bxb5 exf5 17. Nc6 Qb6 18. Nxe5 Qxb5 19. Qxd5 Qa6 20. Qd6 Qb7 21. Nd7 Bxd7 22. Qxd7 Qe4 23. Rhe1 Qf4+ 24. Kb1 Rab8 25. Qd4 Rb4 26. Qxf4 Rxf4 27. Rc1 Rxh4 28. c4 Rh6 29. Re5 Ra8 30. Rxf5 Kf8 31. b3 Rb6 32. Kb2 g6 33. Rd5 h5 34. c5 Rc6 35. a3 Rb8 36. Kc3 Re6 37. Rcd1 Re2 38. R1d2 Re1 39. Rd1 Re2 40. c6 Re6 41. Rc5 Rc8 42. c7 Ke7 43. Kc4 Rd6 44. Rc1 Rb6 45. b4 axb4 46. axb4 Kd7 47. b5 Rxc7 48. Rd1+ Rd6 49. Re1 Re6 50. Rd1+ Kc8 51. Rdd5 Re2 52. Kb4 Kb7 53. Rxc7+ Kxc7 54. g3 Re3 55. Rc5+ Kb7 56. Rd5 Rxg3 57. Rd7+ Kb6 58. Rd6+ Kc7 59. Rf6 Rg1 60. Rxf7+ Kd6

After many reversals, the position of the diagram was reached. A peaceful outcome should now be the overall outcome, but no — the last scenes are not yet come.
61. Rf2? This precipitates White into a lost ending. She should have played something like 61. Rh7! Rb1+ 62. Ka5 h4! 63. b6 (after 63. Rxh4?? Kc5 the b6-Pawn falls and with it the game) 63. ... Kc5 64. Rc7+ Kd6 65. Rg7 Kc5 with a draw.
61. ... h4−+ 62. Rd2+ Ke5 63. b6 Rb1+ 64. Kc5 g5 65. Rd5+ Kf6! (65. ... Kf4?? 66. Rd4+ K~ 67. Rb4=)
66. Rd6+ Kf5 67. Rd5+ Kg6 68. Kc6 h3 69. Rd6+ Kf5 70. Rd5+ Kg4 71. Rd4+ Kf3 72. Rd3+ Kg2 73. Rd2+ Kg3 74. Rd3+ Kh4 75. Rd2 g4 76. b7

76. ... g3?? A dramatic mistake that could have cost 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the victory. 76. ... Rxb7! 77. Kxb7 g3−+ was probably the simplest way.
77. Rd4+ Kg5 78. Rd5+ Kg4 79. Rb5 Rc1+ 80. Kb6? His Majesty stepped on the wrong square. Both 80. Kd6 and 80. Kd7 would have saved the day: 80. ... Rd1+ 81. Ke7 Re1+ 82. Kf7 Rf1+ 83. Kg7 g2 84. b8=Q g1=Q with a book draw.
80. ... g2 81. Rb4+. If now 81. b8=Q then 81. ... g1=Q+ 82. Kb7 Qg2+ 83. Ka7 Qa2+ 84. Kb7 Qf7+ with mating attack
81. ... Kf5 82. Rb5+ Ke6 83. b8=Q g1=Q+ 84. Ka6 Ra1+ 85. Kb7

85. ... Qg2+ 86. Kb6 Qf2+ 87. Kb7 Qf3+ 88. Kb6 Qe3+ 89. Kb7 Qe4+ 90. Kb6 Qd4+ 91. Kb7 Qd7+ 92. Kb6 Qxb5+ 0 : 1.

Restless Farewell

August 6, 2004. From: Robert James Fischer at the Narita Airport Immigration lockup. To: “Peter” at the Tokyo U.S. Embassy. [...] I am Robert James Fischer. I am a U.S. citizen. I was born on March 9, 1943 in Chicago, Ill. U.S.A. My U.S. passport no. is or was Z7792702. It was issued at the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. The issue date is January 24, 1997 and the expiry date is January 23, 2007. I Robert James Fischer do hereby irrevocably and permanently renounce my U.S. citizenship and all the supposed rights and privileges of United States citizenship. I will do my very best to get this letter hand delivered to you at the Tokyo U.S. Embassy today. Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty I am free at last. Sincerely, Robert James Fischer