Monday, September 8, 2008

Where the flyin’-fishes play

A twenty-eight-day tourist visa for Myanmar is not long enough to enjoy a chess vacation, too, and that’s a pity, as from August 4–13, 2008 the 2nd Mandalar Chess Open was being held in Mandalay, at the presence of one hundred and seventy participants, including two International Masters, four FIDE Masters, one FIDE Woman Master, as well as a nine-year-old enfant prodige, Thuta Oo from Yangon. The very young FIDE Woman Master Nan M K Khine Hlyan also wrote out for us (in fair copy on a scoresheet) a game of hers:

Aung Naing GMCC – Nan M K Khine Hlyan
2nd Mandalar Chess Open; Mandalay, August 6, 2008
Bird Opening D00

1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 e6 3. Bd3 c5 4. c3 d5 5. f4 Be7 6. Nd2 a6 7. Ngf3 Ng4 8. Qe2 f5 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. fxe5 Nd7 11. Qf3 c4 12. Bc2 Nf8 13. a4 Bd7 14. g3?! Too shy for show and tell. 14. g4!↑ is more enterprising to aim for the initiative.
14. ... Bc6 15. Nb1? Literally twisting on itself.
15. ... Nd7 16. Ke2?? A mad King at its worst!


16. ... Nxe5!−+ 17. dxe5 d4 18. e4 d3+ 19. Bxd3 cxd3+ 20. Kd1 Bxe4 21. Qf1 Bxh1 22. Qxh1 Qb6 23. b4 Qf2 24. Bd2 0-0 25. Kc1 Rab8 26. Kb2 Bg5 27. Kc1 Bxd2+ 28. Nxd2 Rfc8 29. Ra3 Rc7 30. Qd1 Rbc8 31. Kb2 Qe3 32. Rb3 Qxe5 33. Qc1 Qe2 34. h3 e5 35. Ka3 e4 36. Nf1 e3 37. Qxe3 (37. Nxe3 d2−+)
37. ,.. Qxf1 38. Qe6+ Kh8 39. b5 Qa1+ 40. Kb4 Rc4+ 41. Ka5 Qxa4+ 42. Kb6 Qxb3 43. Ka7 axb5 44. Qxf5 Qa3+ 45. Kxb7 Qa8+ 46. Kb6 Qc6+ 0–1.