A domanda risponde

Di tutte le obiezioni agli scacchi960 – idem to say Fischerandom – la più trita e sincera è stata esposta a Roma nel 2006 dal Grande Maestro Oleg Romanishin. A.D.R.:

Perché eliminare la teoria e consentire a chiunque di partire dallo stesso livello? Ho studiato gli scacchi per quarant’anni e mi fate partire allo stesso livello di qualcuno che ha trascorso tutto quel tempo a bere e guardare la TV?

A domanda rispose, ancorché dalla segregazione cellulare di un carcere giapponese, l’undicesimo Campione del Mondo di scacchi classici Bobby Fischer:

Non mi piace riposare sugli allori. Oggi mi interessano i Fischerandom, progetto un nuovo orologio. Oggi mi preme di rendere gli scacchi un gioco più avvincente. Non mi interessa crogiolarmi sulla mia sedia a dondolo pensando a quel che feci dieci, venti o trent’anni fa.

Nonostante le fisiologiche e prevedibili resistenze del circuito, oggi – seppellito Fischer – gli scacchi960, relegati in origine dagli organismi internazionali e nazionali nel “ghetto” dei ludibri eterodossi, sono ormai una consolidata nicchia d’ogni cartellone-carrozzone classico che si rispetti. L’interesse degli appassionati, insomma, ha costretto organizzatori e dirigenti spesso tetragoni a contemplare gli scacchi “eretici” di Fischer nel pantheon delle 64 case. Per il momento accontentiamoci!

V. Gurevich (2445) – M. Zaitsev (2489)
Waldbronn, 26 aprile 2009
rnnkbrqb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNNKBRQB
Posizione 475

1. d4 f5. Ogni rassomiglianza con l’Olandese “classica” è una pia illusione! 2. Cc3 g5 3. Cb3 Cc6 4.e3 Ah5+ 5. f3 Cd6 6. 0-0-0 0-0-0 7. Af2 g4 8. Ah4 Tde8 9. Df2 Dc4. Era anche interessante una strategia “classica”, quale per esempio 9. ... e5 10. d5 Ce7. 10. h3 e5. O forse 10. ... gxf3 (ovvero 10. ... gxh3) 11. gxf3 (ovvero 11. gxh3) 11. ... f4 12. e4 e5 13. d5 Cd4. 11. d5 Cb4 12. a3. Dopo 12. hxg4 (Δ 12. ... fxg4 13. e4) il Bianco deve forse temere le conseguenze di 12. ... e4!?. 12. ... Ca6 13. Rb1. La risposta più promettente a 13. fxg4 è probabilmente ancora 13. ... e4!?. 13. ... gxf3 14. gxf3? Era imperativa 14. Ca5 e, a meno che il Nero non intendesse avventurarsi in pirotecnici sacrifici di Donna con 14. ... Dxc3!?? e/o 14. ... De2!??, propiziare una pacifica ripetizione di posizione: 14. ... Dc5 15. Cb3 Db6 16. Ca4 Db5 17. Cc3 Db6 =. 14. ... e4. S’illumina d’immenso l’Ah8. 15. Cd4 f4! Naturale e dirompente: l’attacco del Nero spiega le ali! 16. Ag5 fxe3 17. Axe3 exf3 18. Ah6 Cf5! 19. Axf8 Axd4 20. Dh2 Axc3 21. Axf3 Db5 22. b3 Ag6. Anche l’Alfiere campochiaro si dirige contro l’arrocco. 23. a4 Db6 24. Td3 Ah8. È imminente la catastrofe sulla diagonale a1-h8. 25. Aa3 Df6 26. Ra2. Con sintomatica rassegnazione, ma anche dopo 26. c3 Ce3 il Bianco è con le spalle al muro. 26. ... Cb4+! 0 : 1. Gurevich preferisce un dignitoso abbandono all’onta del matto... urbi et orbi: 27. Axb4 Db2# oppure 27. Rb1 Da1#.

Wild Garlic

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Guliskhan Saifullinovna Nakhbayeva

3rd Asian Indoor Games; Team Rapid Prelim; time control: 25 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Hạ Long, November 6, 2009

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Qd2 Be7 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. f4 Ng4. A move which Grandmaster Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko believes to be at least questionable: “To me it seems dubious to make three moves with a Knight, in order to exchange it for a Bishop, which in any case is often given up by Be3-g5 and Bg5xf6”. (New In Chess, No. 2009/1, p. 33). 11. g3 Nxe3 12. Qxe3 Nc6 13. Kb1 Qc7? Nakhbayeva is not mindful enough of theory and strategic details: 13. ... Rc8 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 exf4 16. gxf4 Nb8 17. Bd3 Nd7 18. Qe4 g6 19. h4 Bf6 20. h5 Bg7 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. c3 Qf6 23. Nd4 Rfe8 24. Qf3 Nb6 25. f5 g5 26. Rdg1 Re5 27. Qh5 Kf8 28. Nf3 Rxc3 29. Nxe5 Rc7 30. Qxg5 Qxg5 31. Ng6+ Qxg6 32. fxg6 Nxd5 33. gxf7 Nf4 34. Rxg7 1 : 0 Jakovenko – Kasimdzhanov, Grand Prix 2008–10, 3rd stage, Elista 2008. Her move is even worse. 14. f5 Bxb3 15. cxb3! Nd4 16. Bd3 Rfc8 17. g4 Bf8 18. g5 b5 19. Rhg1 Qa7 20. Nd5 a5

21. Nf6+! Kh8 22. Nxh7! Nxf5. If 22. ... Kxh7 then 23. Qh3+ Kg8 24. g6 forcing mate in four. 23. Qh3 Nh6 24. gxh6 g6 25. Ng5 a4 26. Qf3 1 : 0.

Anything but Easy

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Humpy Koneru
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11; 1st stage; Istanbul, March 14, 2009
Spanish Game C88

Notes by Grandmaster Michael Adams, Saturday Daily Telegraph, April 4, 2009.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. h3 Qc7 11. d4 Bd7 12. b3 0-0 13. d5 Nb7 14. Nbd2 g6 15. Nf1 Nh5 16. Bh6 Rfc8 17. Ng3 Ng7 18. Nd2 Qd8 19. Nf3 a5 20. a4 c4 21. b4 Ne8 22. axb5 Bxb5 23. Be3 axb4 24. cxb4 Nc7 25. Ne2 Bd7 26. Rxa8 Rxa8 27. Nd2 Na6 28. Qb1 Rb8 29. Nxc4 Nbc5 30. Bxc5 Nxc5 31. Nc3 Qc8 32. Na2 Na6 33. Qb3 Bb5 34. Na3 Bd7 35. Rb1 f5 36. Qc4 Qb7 37. b5 Nc5 38. exf5 Ra8 39. Qc3 Qa7

40. b6. If 40. fxg6 Qxa3 41. gxh7+ Kh8 White ends up with four Pawns for the piece, but the exchange of Queens solves Black problems.
40. ... Qxa3 41. b7. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) shows a keen tactical eye, typical of Chinese players aiming to keep the Queens on the board instead of 41. Qxa3 Rxa3 42. b7 Nxb7 43. Rxb7 Bxf5 when White is a little better in the ending.
41. ... Qxa2

42. b8=Q+. This allows the Rook to join the attack 42. bxa8=Q+ Qxa8 43. fxg6 also looks tempting.
42. ... Rxb8 43. Rxb8+ Kg7 44. fxg6 hxg6 45. Bxg6 Qa7? Humpy blunders, she could have defused White’s initiative with 45. ... Bh4 46. Qf3 Qxf2+ 47. Qxf2 Bxf2+ 48. Kxf2 Kxg6 leading to a balanced ending.

46. Qf3! Typically, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) doesn’t miss the opportunity and drives her opponent’s King up the board to its demise.
46. ... Qxb8 47. Qf7+ Kh6 48. Qh7+ Kg5 49. h4+ Kf4 50. Qh6+ 1 : 0.

Checkmate in Istanbul. Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.

薯條 (French Fries)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Wesley So
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 22, 2009
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. Bd3 Qb6 11. Qf2 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bc5 13. Nce2 b4 14. axb4 Nxb4 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Nc1. 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Qh4+ Kg8 (17. ... Kg6?? 18. f5+! exf5 19. Nf4 mate) 18. Rf3 f6! 19. Rh3 Kf7 is rather unclear. 16. ... f6 17. exf6 Rxf6 (17. ... Nxf6 18. Nf5!) 18. c3 Nxd3 19. Nxd3 e5 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 21. Nf3 Qc7 22. fxe5 Nxe5 23. Bd4 Nxf3+ 24. gxf3 Re6 25. Kh1 Rae8 26. Rg1 g6 27. Raf1 Bc8 28. Qh4 Qe7 29. Qh6 Qf8 30. Qg5 Re2 31. Qxd5+ Be6 32. Qg5. If 32. Qc6 then 32. ... Rxh2+! 33. Kxh2 Qh6+ drawing by perpetual check. 32. Qh5 Bf5 32. ... Bh3

33. Qh4 Bf5. Not 33. ... Bxf1?? on account of 34. Rxg6+! hxg6 35. Qh8+ Kf7 36. Qf6+ Kg8 37. Qxg6+ and mate next move. 34. Rf2 Re1 35. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 36. Kg2 h5 37. Rd2 Qe7 38. Bf6 Qe6 39. Bd4 Re2+ 40. Rxe2 Qxe2+ 41. Qf2 Qxf2+ 42. Kxf2 Kf7 43. Ke3 Ke6 44. c4 Kd6 45. b4 Kc6 46. Bc3 Be6 47. Kd4 Bf7 48. Bb2 Be6 49. Bc3 Bf7 50. Bb2 Be6 ½ : ½.

要塞 (Stronghold)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 15, 2009
Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5 11. Be2 Bb7 12. Bf3 0-0 13. h4!?TN Qc7 14. Bxf6 gxf6. 14. ... Bxf6 15. Qxd6 Qa5 is the thematic alternative, as after 16. e5 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rad8 18. Qc5 Rc8 Black seems to have sufficient compensation for the Pawn. 15. f5 e5. This concedes White a clear edge. 15. ... Rac8 16. Kb1 Qc5 was probably better. 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Rfc8 18. Rd2 Qc4 19. Be2 Qxd5 20. Rxd5 Rc7 21. a3 Rac8 22. c3 Rc5 23. Rhd1 Kf8 24. Kc2 R8c7 25. R1d3 Rc4 26. Bf3 Ke8 27. b3 R4c6 28. Be2 Rc8 29. Rg3 Kf8 30. Rgd3 Ke8 31. b4 Kd7 32. Rg3 Bf8. If 32. ... Bd8 then likewise 33. a4! bxa4 34. b5 with unpleasant consequences for Black, but the text is even worse.

33. a4! bxa4 34. Ra5 Kc7 35. Rxa6 Rxa6 36. Bxa6 Ra8 37. Bc4 Kb6 38. Rg8 a3 39. Kb1 Rc8 40. Bxf7 Kb5 41. Ka2 Rxc3 42. Rxf8 1 : 0.

Didactics of Chess

The Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” holds weekly classes and lessons of both classical chess and Fischerandom chess.

L’immaginazione al potere

Gli scacchi Fischerandom (960) sono sicuramente più economici degli scacchi classici. Lo studioso non ha bisogno, infatti, di abbonarsi a tutti i gazzettini teorici del globo, né di accedendere il computer e rincoglionirsi allo schermo come uno zombie tutti i pomeriggi. Le risposte, la vita, come sempre, sono altrove. Nella Storia e nei libri, per esempio. A proposito di scacchi960, vale forse la pena di cominciare (ricominciare) da “I Fondamenti degli Scacchi” di Josè Raul Capablanca (Milano, Aldo Martello Editore, 1971, p. 1): “La prima cosa che lo studioso deve fare è quella di famigliarizzarsi con la potenza dei pezzi”. Informarsi, insomma, e non informatizzarsi. Ché quando l’immaginazione è (sarà) al potere, una grassa risata non ci seppellisca tutti come zavorre ormai sgonfie... Ecco come, per esempio, nei preliminari on line alla kermesse estiva di Magonza, il Grandmaster in fieri Artur Gabrielian – il cui nickname era già tutto un programma: “Dinamite”! – ha irriso il quotatissimo Grande Maestro americano – non ancora Campione del Mondo di specialità – Hikaru Nakamura:

A. Gabrielian (Dinamit) – H. Nakamura (Smallville)
Internet Chess Club (ICC), 28 giugno 2009
nnrqkrbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NNRQKRBB
Posizione 63

“Quando i pezzi sono messi sulla scacchiera i giuocatori hanno la stessa posizione e lo stesso materiale. Il Bianco ha, tuttavia, il tratto ed il tratto significa, in tal caso, ‘l’iniziativa’ e questa costituisce un vantaggio. Ora questo vantaggio dev’essere mantenuto il più a lungo possibile e si dovrebbe rinunciare ad esso soltanto se si tratta di ottenere qualche altro vantaggio sia materiale che di posizione”, commenta Josè Raul Capablanca, op. cit., p. 69. Nei Fischerandom l’iniziativa è semmai ancor più decisiva, dacché in più posizioni di partenza non tutti i Pedoni sono difesi – come lo sono invece negli scacchi classici. 1. g3 Cc6 2. Cb3 f5 3. Cc3 Cb6 4. f4 g6 5. Cc5 All’attacco dell’indifeso Pb7. 5. ... Tb8 È interessante 5. ... d6!? onde rispondere a 6. Cxb7 con 6. ... Dd7. 6. d4 Cc4 Era ancora all’ordine del giorno 6. ... d6 ove se 7. Cxb7 allora (ancora) 7. ... Dd7. 7. b3 Ca3 8. Dd2 b6 Dopodiché il Bianco si avvantaggia con intuitiva naturalezza. Se però 8. ... d6 allora 9. Ca6! Tc8 10. Axc6+ bxc6 11. Ca4! con potente iniziativa. 9. Ca6 Tc8 10. d5 Cb8 11. Cxb8 Txb8 12. Ad4 ± Af6 Oppure 12. ... Axd4 13. Dxd4 e6 14. 0-0-0 con manifesto vantaggio del Bianco. 13. e4! “Le quattro case e4, d4, e5, d5, costituiscono le case centrali ed il controllo delle stesse è chiamato ‘controllo del centro’. Il controllo del centro è di grande importanza. Nessun attacco violento può riuscire senza che si abbia almeno il controllo di due di tali case e, possibilmente, di tre”. (Josè Raul Capablanca, op. cit., p. 26). 13. ... fxe4 Risposta obbligata. 14. Cxe4 Axd4 15. Dxd4 Cb5 16. Dg7 “Dinamite” domina la posizione! 16. ... Cd6 Dopo 16. ... Axd5? 17. 0-0-0!! il Nero è in una valle di lacrime. 17. Cxd6+ Anche dopo 17. 0-0-0 (ovvero 17. 0-0) 17. ... Cf5 18. Cf6+! exf6 19. Tfe1+ il Nero è condannato, ma Gabrielan preferisce un’inesorabile “pitonizzazione”. 17. ... cxd6 L’alternativa era 17. ... exd6 18. Rd2 Df6, ma dopo 19. Tfe1+ Rd8 20. Dxf6+ Txf6 21. Te2 l’assoluto dominio della colonna aperta sarà presto decisivo. 18. Rf2 Dc7? La resa. Comunque dopo 18. ... Tc8 19. Af3 la paralisi del Nero sottende un’imminente capitolazione. 19. Tfe1 Af7 Con tutta l’innocenza dell’incoscienza, ma la situazione era ormai disperata. 20. Txe7+! 1 : 0. Motivazione dell’abbandono: 20. ... Rxe7 21. Te1+ e matto in due.

The Woman in the Wood

倪华 (Ní Huá) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
40th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), June 5, 2009
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 Nxe4 6. cxd6 Nxc3 7. bxc3 exd6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. 0-0 Nc6. After 9. ... 0-0 10. Rb1 Nd7 (or 10. ... Qxa2 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. Re1↑ Yandemirov – Dubinsky, Smolensk 1997) 11. Re1 Bf6 12. Rb5 Qxa2 13. Ng5↑ White’s initiative more than compensate for the Pawn, Benjamin – Kudrin, 4th Toronto International Open, Toronto 1998. 10. Re1 0-0 11. Rb1 Qc7TN 12. Be4 Bg4 13. Qd3

13. ... Kh8? (⌓ 13. ... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Rab8⩲) 14. Nd4 Nxd4. Now after both 14. ... Rab8 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rxb8 Rxb8 17. Qe4 and 14. ... Ne5 15. Rxb7! White would win at least a Pawn. 15. cxd4 f5

16. Rxb7 Qa5 (16. ... fxe4 17. Qxe4+−) 17. Qd2 Qxd2 18. Bxd2 Bf6 19. Bd5 h6 (19. ... Bxd4 20. h3 Bh5 21. Rb4 Bc5 22. Rh4 Bf7 23. Bxa8+−) 20. c3+− Rae8 21. f3 Bh5 22. Rxa7 Rxe1+ 23. Bxe1 Re8 24. Ra8 Bd8 25. Kf1 Kh7 26. Bc6 Rf8 27. a4 Bf7 28. d5 f4 29. a5 Bg6 30. Ke2 1-0

The Time Came

Youngest 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) wins national chess title

CCTV, June 19, 2007

The 2007 National Chess Championship wound up in 重慶 (Chóngqìng) city with 13 year old 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) setting an unbeaten record to win her first title. 侯 (Hóu) becomes the youngest player to win the championship, breaking the record set by 上海 (Shànghǎi)’s 秦侃滢 (Qín Kǎnyìng) who won her first title at the age of 14 in 1988.
Monday was the final day of matches at the 2007 National Chess Championship. Her victory on the last day made the 13-year-old 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the youngest chess national champion.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t let her fans down. She also broke the record set by 秦侃滢 (Qín Kǎnyìng) from 上海 (Shànghǎi) who was crowned at 14 in 1988.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said, “I am very happy to be the champion, but it’s just the beginning of my chess career. I will play chess for a long time and I’m starting to think about the next competition as soon as I finished this one. I won’t be over excited about it”.
Second and third place went to 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) and 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) respectively. While in the men’s group, reigning champion 倪华 (Ní Huá) won his second straight title.

The Prince Behind the Queen

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)

2nd “茅台王子杯” (“Máotái Prince Cup”) Queens Tournament; 锦州 (Jǐnzhōu), September 20, 2009

Pirc Defence B07

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 b5 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. h3 Bg7 10. Ne2 0-0 11. a4 Bb7 12. Ng3 a6 13. 0-0 Qe7 14. c4 b4 15. c5! a5. The Pawn is taboo as 15. .. Nxc5?? 16. Qxb4 Nfd7 17. Rfc1 costs the Knight. 16. Qc2

16. ... Ne8?! Heading to e6 via c7, but it is better to play first 16. ... Rfd8 17. Rfd1 Ne8 18. Bc4 h6 19. Rd2⩲ Palac – Ftáčnik, 9th International Open, Ljubljana 1998. 17. Rfd1 Nc7 18. Bc4 Kh8 19. Bb3 f5? This is a novelty, and even a worse one than the known theory: 19. ... Ne6 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Rd6 Qe8 22. Qd2 Nf6 23. Bh6 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Ng8 25. Qd2 Bc8 26. Rd1 Be6 27. Nxe5 Bb3 28. Nd7 Bxd1 29. Qxd1 Rc8 30. Qd4+ f6 31. Nxf8 Qxf8 32. Ne2 Qe7 33. Nf4 Re8 34. f3 1 : 0 Marciano – Leski, 72nd French Chess Championship, Narbonne 1997. 20. exf5 Nd5 21. fxg6 Nxe3 22. fxe3 Nxc5 23. Nf5 Rxf5 24. Qxf5 Nxb3

25. Ng5! This must have shocked 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 25. ... h6. Black cannot take the Rook: 25. ... Nxa1 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. gxh7+ Kf8 28. Nxe5+ Qf6 (or 28. ... Ke8 29. Qh5+ Kf8 30. h8=Q+ followed by mate) 29. Ng6+ Kf7 30. Rd7+ Ke8 31. Rxg7 Qxg7 32. h8=Q+ Qxh8 33. Qe6+ Kd8 34. Qd6+ Kc8 35. Ne7#. On the other hand after 25. ... Rf8 26. Nf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7 Qxf7 28. gxf7 Nxa1 (28. ... Bf8 29. Rd8 Kg7 30. Rf1+−) 29. Rd8+ Bf8 30. Rxf8+ Kg7 31. Rh8! Kxf7 32. Rxh7++− White remains with a completely won ending. 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Rd7 Bc8 28. Rd8+! Qxd8 29. Nxh6+! Kh8 30. Nf7+ Kg8 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Qh5 Ra7 33. Ng4+ Bh6 34. Nxh6 Kg7 35. Nf7 Qd5 36. Qh6+ Kf6 37. g7+ Kxf7 38. Rf1+ Ke7 39. Qg5+ 1 : 0.

A Jubilee Year

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Roi Reinaldo Castiñeira

Jubiläums-Open “200 Jahre Schachgesellschaft Zürich” Alois Nagler Memorial; Zürich, August 15, 2009

Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d3 Nf6 5. 0-0 0-0 6. c3 c6 7. Bb3 Nbd7 8. Re1 Re8 9. Nbd2 Bf8 10. d4 Qc7 11. h3 h6 12. Bc2 g6 13. Nf1 Bg7 14. Ng3 Nf8 15. Be3 Be6 16. Qd2 Kh7 17. Rad1!?TN (17. Nh2 d5 18. dxe5 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 dxe4 20. Nxe4 Red8 21. Qc1 Bxe5 22. Nf3 Bg7 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Kg7 25. Qe3 Bd5 26. Ng3 Be6 27. c4 c5 28. Nb5 Qe7 29. Ne4 a6 30. Nbc3 Bxc4 31. Na4 Be6 32. Qc3+ f6 33. Nb6 Rab8 34. Nxc5 Qf7 35. Ne4 Bd5 36. Nxd5 Rxd5 37. Nxf6 1 : 0 Ghindă – Mascariñas, Lvov 1981) 17. ... Rad8 18. Qc1 Bc8 19. Nd2 Ne6 20. Nf3 b6 21. b4 Nf8 22. a4 N8d7

23. h4 Nf8 (23. ... Ng4!?) 23. ... Nf8 24. h5 Bg4 25. hxg6+ fxg6 26. dxe5 dxe5 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Nh2 Bc8 29. f4 exf4? (29. ... c5! 30. b5 c4 31. f5⩲) 30. Bxf4 Qe7 31. e5 Nd5 32. Bd2 Qh4 33. Ne4 Ne6 34. Nf3 Qe7

35. Nd6! Threat: 36. Bxg6+ Kxg6 37. Qb1+ Kh5 38. Qf5+ Ng5 39. g4 mate. 35. ... Rxd6 36. exd6 Qxd6 37. Nh4 Ndf4. 37. ... Nf8 38. Re8 is also hopeless. 38. Bxf4 Nxf4 39. Re8 Be6

40. Qxf4! 1 : 0. The Queen is taboo due to 41. Bxg6 mate.

From August 9–15, 2009 at the Jubiläums-Open “200 Jahre Schachgesellschaft Zürich” Alois Nagler Memorial in Zürich, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) won the “best female player” prize. Photo: Schachgesellschaft Zürich SZ.

A Precarious Balance

Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th NH Chess Tournament; Rising Stars vs. Experience; Amsterdam, August 30, 2009
Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Bd5 11. Qd3 Be4 12. Qe3 Bc6 13. a5TN Nbd7 14. Nc3 h6 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Qd3 Bb4 17. Qc4 Qe7 18. Ne5 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 c5 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 Rfd8 23. Rfd1 Rab8 24. Rd3 Bd6 25. Nf3 Bc7 26. Ne1 g6 27. b4 h5 28. Rad1 Rxd3 29. Nxd3 Bd6 30. Rc1 Rd8 31. Rc4 Qd7 32. Rd4 Qe7 33. h4 Qc7 34. Rc4 Qd7 35. Qf3 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Qxc8 37. Qe4 Qc7 38. Kf3 Kf8 39. Qd4 Ke7 40. e4 Qc6 41. Ke3 f6 42. f4 Kf7 43. e5. Beliavsky fights to the last ditch to avoid a draw, which, indeed, should be an “objectively” fair result. 43. ... Be7 44. Qe4. White offers the exchange of Queens, speculating on 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s inexperience in defending a drawish — but not drawn — endgame.

44. ... Qc7? Too much anxiety of avoiding the exchange, and Black moves her Queen to the worst square! 45. exf6 Bxf6? Yet this may be the losing move! There was nothing better for Black than going into a bad ending a Pawn down with 45. ... Kxf6! 46. Ne5 Qc3+ 47. Kf2 Qd2+ 48. Kg1 Bxb4 49. Qxg6+ Ke7 50. Qg5+ Kf8 51. Qf6+ Ke8 52. Qxe6+ Kd8 53. Nf7+ Kc8 54. Qe5+ Kc8 55. Qh8+! Kc7 56. Qxh5 Bxa5 57. Qc5+ Kb8 58. Ne5 and hope not to get worse. 46. Nc5! Now the b7-Pawn falls and with it the game. 46. ... Qc8 47. Qxb7+ Qxb7 48. Nxb7 Bc3 49. b5 e5 50. bxa6 Bd4+ 51. Ke4 Ke6 52. fxe5 Bf2 53. Nd6 1 : 0.

The old fox got the best of her prey. Photo courtesy of Zsuzsa Polgár/Chess Daily News.

Half of One Thing

J. Deepan Chakkravarthy – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 16, 2009
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. e3 c5 8. Qc2 0-0 9. Bd3 Qa5 10. 0-0 c4 11. Bf5 Re8 12. Nd2 g6 13. Bh3 Kg7 14. Bh4 Nb6 15. Bxc8 (15. Nb3 cxb3 16. axb3 Bxc3 17. Rxa5 Bxa5 18. Bxf6+ Kxf6 19. Qc5 Bxh3 20. gxh3 Bd2 21. Rd1 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Rxe3 23. Qc7 Kg7 24. Rf1 Rf8 25. Qxb7 Rxb3 26. Qxa7 Rxb2 27. Rf2 Rb1+ 28. Kg2 Nc4 29. Qe7 Rb3 30. Rf3 Rb2+ 31. Rf2 Rb6 32. Re2 Rf6 33. Rf2 Rd6 34. Kg3 Kg8 35. Rf6 Rxf6 36. Qxf6 Ne3 37. Qe5 Nf5+ 38. Kf2 Rd8 39. Kg1 h5 40. Kf2 Ng7 41. Qc7 Ne6 42. Qa5 Rc8 43. Qxd5 Rd8 0 : 1 Alekseev – Morozevich, 14th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2007) 15. ... Raxc8 16. Bxf6+ Kxf6 17. a3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Na4 19. Rac1 Kg7. Black stands better already, intending ... Rc8-c6-b6-b2.

20. Rfe1!?TN (20. e4 dxe4 21. Nxe4 Rc6 22. f3 Nb6 23. Qb2 Re7 24. Nc5 Nd5 25. Nxb7 Qb6 0 : 1 Onischuk – Morozevich, 15th Russian Team Chess Championship, Dagomys 2008) 20. ... Rc6 21. e4 dxe4 22. Rxe4 (22. Nxe4 Rce6−+) 22. ... Rxe4 23. Nxe4 Re6 24. h4. 24. f3 Nb6 is quite similar to the game. 24. ... Re7 25. Ng3 Nb6 26. Qd2 h6! 26. ... Qxa3? 27. Qg5 would make White happy. 27. Qa2? After this Black has no difficulty in consolidating her advantage. Instead 27. Re1! Qxa3 28. h5 was not yet clear at all. 27. ... h5 28. Qd2 Qxa3 29. Qg5 Kh7 30. Rd1? (30. Rb1 Qd6∓) 30. ... Qd6 31. d5? Re5−+ 0 : 1.

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte † (1918–2009)

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte (Vildoga, October 7, 1918 – Riga, October 19, 2009), was a Latvian chess master who shared third place with Sonja Graf, behind Vera Menchik and Clarice Benini at Stockholm 1937.

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte – Clarice Benini
6th Women’s World Chess Championship; Stockholm, 1937
Slav Defence D18

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Be7. Theoretically speaking, the Canal Variation (7. ... Bb4) is more scientific. 8. 0–0 Nbd7 9. Re1. Another continuation is 9. Qe2 0-0 10. e4 Bg4 as in Harum – Benini, 6th Women’s World Chess Championship, Stockholm 1937. 9. ... Ne4 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Bd3 Nf6 12. Bxe4 Nxe4 13. Qc2 Qd5 14. Nd2 Nf6 15. Nf3 Qe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe4 17. Nd2 Bb4 18. Rd1 Nxd2 19. Bxd2 a5? After 19. ... Bxd2 20. Rxd2 Ke7(!) the ending is more balanced. 20. Bxb4 axb4 21. Rdc1± Kd7 22. Rc4 Ra5 23. Rxb4 b5 24. Kf1 Rha8 25. b3 Kd6 26. Ke2 f6 27. Kd3 R8a7 28. f3 g6 29. g3 e5 30. dxe5+ fxe5 31. Re4 c5 32. h4 Rf7 33. f4 Re7 34. g4 c4+ 35. bxc4 bxa4 36. c5+ Rxc5 37. Raxa4 Rd7 38. Ra6+ Kc7+ 39. Ke2 Rc2+ 40. Kf3 Kb7 41. Re6 exf4 42. Kxf4 Rh2 43. Kg5 Rd5+ 44. R4e5 Rd7 45. Re7 Kc7 46. h5 gxh5 47. gxh5 Kd8 48. Rxd7+ Kxd7 49. Kh6 Kd6 50. Rg5 Re2 51. Rg3? (51. Kxh7 Rxe3 52. h6+−) 51. ... Rh2 52. Tg7? (52. Rg5! Δ 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6+−) 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6

54. ... Te8? (54. ... Ke6! 55. Kg8 Kf6 56. Rf7+ Kg6=) 55. Rf7 Re1 56. Kg8 1 : 0.

The Fifth Season

Martha Lorena Fierro Baquero – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2009–11; 1st stage; Istanbul, March 13, 2009
French Defence C04

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Be2 f6 7. exf6 Qxf6 8. Nf1 Bd6. Not 8. ... e5? on account of 9. Ne3! e4 (9. ... exd4 10. Nxd5 Qd6 11. Bc4 also looks horrible for Black) 10. Nxd5 Qd6 11. Bc4 exf3 12. 0-0 Qg6 13. Nxc7+ Kd8 14. Ne6+ Ke8 15. Ng5 Nd8 16. Qxf3 Nb6 17. Re1+ Be7 18. Bb5+ Bd7 19. Bxd7+ Nxd7 20. d5 Rf8 21. Qe2 Qd6 22. Qh5+ g6 23. Ne4 Qb4 24. Qe2 Kf7 25. Bd2 Qb6 26. d6 Bf6 27. Nxf6 Nxf6 28. Qe7+ Kg8 29. Bh6 Qxf2+ 1 : 0 Todorović – Brkljača, Belgrade 2007. 9. Ne3 0-0 10. 0-0 Qg6 11. c4 Nf6 12. c5 Be7 13. Bb5 Bd7 14. Bxc6 Bxc6 15. Ne5 Qe8. “My gut feeling is that White should have an edge, but Black has scored quite well in practice, and maybe there just isn’t a move that keeps control. The thing is that White wants to maintain the Queenside bind but also hopes to stablise the Kingside. It would be ideal to reach an opposite Bishop position with a huge Bishop on e5, but I can’t see a way to do so”, English Grandmaster Jonathan Simon Speelman writes. 16. N3g4. “16. a4 Nd7 (16. ... a5 17. b3) 17. N3g4 h5 18. Nxd7 Bxd7 19. Ne5 Rf5! (19. ... Bf6 20. Bf4 g5) 20. Be3 Bf6 21. Nd3 Qf7 22. b4 for instance leaves Black pretty active”, Speelman says. 16. ... b6 17. cxb6 (17. Nxc6 Qxc6 18. Ne5 Qe8) 17. ... axb6 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 19. Ne5 Qe8 20. Be3 c5 21. Qb3 Rb8 22. Bf4? This idea proves to be completely wrong as White has no time to target the b8-Rook. 22. ... Ne4! 23. Nd3? Consistent and catastrophic. 23. ... c4! 24. Qd1 Rc8 25. f3 cxd3 26. fxe4 dxe4 27. Qg4 Qg6 28. Qxg6 hxg6 29. Rae1

Now 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) finished prettily with: 29. ... Rxf4! 30. Rxf4 e3! 31. Rxe3 Bg5 0 : 1.

Martha Lorena Fierro Baquero (left) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right). Photo: Turkish Chess Federation.

In Between Time

Ljubomir Ljubojević – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th NH Chess Tournament; Rising Stars vs. Experience; Amsterdam, August 28, 2009
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. Qa4 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. dxc5 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 0-0 10. Qb4 h6 11. Bh4 Re8 12. Nd4!?TN (12. e3 a5 13. Qa3 Qe7 14. Bb5 g5 15. Bg3 Nxc5 16. 0-0 Nce4 17. Qb2 Bd7 18. Bd3 Rac8 19. Qxb7 Nxg3 20. hxg3 Rxc3 21. Bb5 Bxb5 22. Qxb5 Qb4 23. a4 Rb8 24. Qe2 Qc4 25. Qd1 Qd3 26. Qe1 Rb2 27. Rd1 ½ : ½ Gelfand – Alekseev, 42nd International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2009) 12. ... a5 13. Qb5 Qc7 14. Bg3 Qxc5 15. Qxc5 Nxc5 16. f3 Bd7 17. Kd2 b5 18. e3 b4 19. cxb4 axb4 20. Be2 Ra5 21. Rhb1 Rea8 22. Rb2 b3 23. Nxb3 Nxb3+ 24. Rxb3 Rxa2+ 25. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 26. Ke1 Bf5

27. Rb5. If nothing else, 27. Be5 Nd7 28. Bd4 h5 29. Rb7⩲ was — at least symbolically — a bit more promising for White compared to the text, which leads to a dead equal endgame. 27. ... Ra3 28. Kf2 Ra2 29. Kf1 Ra3 30. Bf4 Ra1+ 31. Kf2 Ra2 32. Be5 Bd3 33. Rb2 Rxb2 34. Bxb2 Bxe2 35. Kxe2 Ne8 36. Be5 f6 37. Bb8 h5 38. g4 g6 39. Kd3 Kf7 40. Kd4 Ke6 41. h3 hxg4 42. fxg4 g5 43. Kc5 Ng7 44. Kc6 Ne8 45. Bg3 Ng7 46. Bc7 Ne8 47. Bd8 Ng7 48. Bb6 Ne8 49. Bd4 Ng7 50. Bc5 Ne8 51. Bf8 Kf7 52. Bd6 Ke6 53. Bb8 Ng7 54. Bg3 Ne8 55. h4 gxh4 56. Bxh4 Ng7 57. Bg3 f5 58. g5 Nh5 59. Bc7 f4 60. exf4 d4 61. Kc5 d3 62. Ba5 Nxf4 ½ : ½.

The young Chinese prodigy defended long and well her beloved Ragozin Variation. Photo courtesy of Sina Sports.

Generation Games

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky
3rd NH Chess Tournament; Amsterdam, August 23, 2009
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 a5 9. Ba2 h6 10. h3 Nh7 11. Be3 Ng5 12. Qe2 Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 Bg5 14. Rad1 Qe7!? Probably sounder than the Pawn hunting by 14. ... Bxe3 15. Qxe3 Qb6∞ Spoelman – Reinderman, 46th SchaakFestival, Groningen 2008. 15. Ne2 g6 16. Ng3 Kg7 17. Qe2 Nf6 18. Qd2 Nh7 19. f4 exf4 20. Bxf4 Bd7 21. Rf1 h5 22. Rde1 Bxf4 23. Rxf4 Ng5? (23. ... h4 24. Nf1 Rae8 25. Nh2 f5) 24. h4. Even stronger appears to be 24. e5! d5 25. Rf6 Nh7 26. Ref1! with overwhelming effect. 24. ... Ne6? Black’s best was to play 24. ... Nh7, eventually followed by ... f7-f6.

25. Nf5+!+− gxf5 26. exf5 d5 27. f6+ Qxf6 28. Rxf6 Kxf6 29. c4 dxc4 30. Bxc4 Rg8 31. Qf2+ Ke7 32. d5 cxd5 33. Qc5+ Kd8 34. Qxd5 Kc8 35. Bb5 Bxb5 36. axb5 Kc7 37. Rf1 Rg7

38. Rxf7+! Rxf7 39. b6+! 1 : 0. For after 39. ... Kc8 40. Qxe6+ Rd7 41. Qf5! mate in three follows.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) played a superb attacking game to breakthrough into Beliavsky’s Philidor Defence. Photo courtesy of Zsuzsa Polgár/Chess Daily News.

L’aura di Fischer

Il Campione di scacchi (classici) degli Stati Uniti Hikaru Nakamura – manifeste le sue ascendenze nipponiche! – si è consacrato lo scorso luglio a Magonza Campione del Mondo di scacchi960 (Fischerandom).

H. Nakamura – L. Aronian
1ª del match; Magonza, 30 luglio 2009
[FEN "nrnkrbbq/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NRNKRBBQ"]
Posizione 190

Il virgolettato è di Dylan Loeb McClain, The New York Times, domenica 9 agosto 2009, p. A17.

“[...] Nakamura ha distrutto Aronian vincendo le prime tre partite prima di concedere una patta nell’ultima. Nella prima partita, Nakamura ha approfittato delle debolezze che Aronian ha creato nella propria posizione”.
1. f4 f5 2. Ad4 d6 3. Dg1 c5 4. Ac3 Cc7 5. g4 e6 6. d3 Af7 7. e4 Ce7 8. Ce2 Dg8 9. Cb3 b6 10. 0-0-0 g6 11. Nd2 0-0-0 12. Ah3 fxe4(?)
“Aronian non avrebbe dovuto cedere la casa e4 a Nakamura giocando 12. ... fxe4; 12. ... Rb8 sarebbe stata migliore”.
13. Cxe4 Ced5 14. Af6 Td7?
“14. ... Td7 di Aronian è stato un errore più serio; era necessaria 14. ... Ae7”.
15. c4 Cb4 16. a3 Cc6 17. Ac3 Ae7 18. g5 d5 19. Cf6
“Dopo 19. Cf6 [Aronian] ha dovuto rinunciare all’Alfiere camposcuro, concedendo a Nakamura il controllo delle case nere”.
19. ... Axf6 20. Axf6 Df8 21. Cc3 Dd6 22. Df2 Rb7 23. Rb1 Tf8 24. cxd5 Cxd5 25. Cxd5 Dxd5 26. d4!
Hikaru apre il fuoco! La diagonale h1-a8 sarà per la coppia reale nera un’autentica via crucis.
26. ... e5?
“Aronian ha compiuto un disperato sforzo per inventarsi controgioco con 26. ... e5, ma la sua idea era scorretta. Avrebbe dovuto giocare 26. ... Db3, sebbene dopo 27. Dg3 Dxg3 28. hxg3 Cxd4 29. Td2 Ae8 30. Ag2+ Rc7 31. Ae5+ Rd8 32. Axd4 Txd4 33. Txd4+ cxd4 34. Txe6 il Bianco abbia un chiaro vantaggio”.
27. Axd7 Cxd4
Con macabra coerenza, ma anche dopo 27. ... Dxd7 28. dxc5 il Nero è con le spalle al muro.
28. Txd4! cxd4 29. Txe5 Da2+ 30. Rc1 Da1+ 31. Rc2 d3+ 32. Rxd3 Dd1+ 33. Dd2 Ac4+ 34. Re3 Dg1+ 35. Rf3 h5 36. Te1 Dc5 37. Ae7 Ad5+ 38. Rg3 h4+ 39. Rh3 1 : 0.

Chess at the Bus Stop

Bangkok, 30 agosto 2009
Foto: Isadora Duncan

Pensiero Profondo

Ayutthaya (Thailand)
Foto: Isadora Duncan

Chess in a Lao Village

Foto: Isadora Duncan

Momentaneamente altrove

On the way to Champasak
Foto: Isadora Duncan

Touch and Go

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Tamijani Homayoon Toufighi
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 19, 2009
French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 6. Bd3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 f6 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Qxc3 fxe5 11. dxe5 0-0 12. h4 Qe7 13. Qd2 Bd7 14. Qe3 b6 15. 0-0-0 h6 16. c4 Qf7? (16. ... Na5! 17. Bc2 Nxc4 18. Qd3 g6! 19. Qxg6+ Qg7) 17. Bc2 Ne7 18. Qd3 g6 19. Kb1 Rad8 20. h5 g5 21. Nh2 Qg7 22. Ng4 Kh8 23. Nf6 Nc6 24. Nxd7 Rxd7 25. cxd5 Nxe5 26. Qb3 exd5 27. Rxd5 Rxd5 28. Qxd5 c6 29. Qe4 b5 30. Qe2 Rd8 31. Re1 Nc4. With threat of mate at b2, but White had prepared a pretty finale:

32. Qe8+! Rxe8 33. Rxe8+ Qg8 34. Rxg8+ Kxg8 35. Bb3! Kf7 36. Kc2 Ke6 37. Kc3 Kd5. Now what?

38. Ba2! Clearing the way for the b-Pawn. 38. ... Kc5 39. b4+ Kd5 40. a4 a6 41. Bb3 g4 42. Ba2 1 : 0. Zugzwang! If 42. ... c5 then 43. Bxc4+ bxc4 44. b5 and finis.

Mind Games

Photo: Mado Flynn

Les Beaux Arts

Photo: Mado Flynn

Bobby Fischer is alive and lives in Pasadena

A rare photo of 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer taken on Yugoslav Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić’s Polaroid camera on April 19, 1974 in Pasadena, California, United States.

At the Seashore

Đào Thiên Hải – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 20, 2009
Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 Ba6 6. Qc2 0-0 7. Bg2 d5 8. 0-0 c5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. b3 Nbd7 11. Bb2 Rc8 12. a4!?TN Qe7 13. Nd4 Bb7 14. Rfd1 Ne5 15. Rac1 Neg4 16. e3 dxc4! The immediate 16. ... Nxf2 17. Kxf2 Ng4+ 18. Ke2 f5∞ gave nothing concrete except for some complications.
17. bxc4?? A catastrophic error. Maybe White didn’t like 17. Nxc4 because of 17. ... Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Qb7+ 19. Kg1 Ne4 with great play for Black, but probably he ought to have preferred 17. Bxb7 Qxb7 18. h3, though after 18. ... c3! 19. Bxc3 Bxd4 20. exd4 Nh6⩱ followed by ... Nh6-f5 Black might rely upon a strategic edge.

17. ... Nxf2! 18. Bxb7. If 18. Kxf2 then 18. ... Ng4+ 19. Kg1 Bxg2 and finis.
18. ... Nxd1 19. Bxc8 Nxe3 20. Qd3 Nf5 21. Bxe6. Alas for White, 21. Ba6 fails to 21. ... Nxd4 22. Bxd4 Rd8 23. Nb3 Bxd4+ 24. Nxd4 Qc5 25. Rd1 e5 winning immediately.
21. ... fxe6 22. Nb3 Qd7 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. Qe2 Qd6 25. Kg2 Nxd4 26. Rxd4 Bxd4 27. Bxd4 Qc6+ 28. Kh3 Qe4 29. Qb2 Rf8 30. Qc3 Qg4+ 31. Kg2 Qe2+ 32. Kh3 Qf1+ 0 : 1.

When Everything Get’s in the Way

Edgardo Garma – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 14, 2009
Sicilian Defence B62

International Master Richard Bitoon laconically commented: “He [Garma] made a mistake and it was exploited quickly”. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 Nc6 7. f4. A sideline which probably won’t remain in Garma’s heart. 7. ... h6 8. Bh4 Qb6!? 9. Ndb5. Strangely, nobody has ever played 9. Nb3 here; there might follow: 9. ... Qe3+ 10. Qe2 Qxf4 11. Bg3 Qg5 12. Nb5 winning back the Pawn with a complex but balanced game. 9. ... a6 10. Bf2 Qa5 11. Nxd6+ Bxd6 12. Qxd6 Nxe4

13. Qd3? 13. b4! was the only move to keep White in the game, though at the cost of a Pawn. 13. ... Nxf2 14. Kxf2 0-0 15. Qe3 e5! Now it is an one-sided story. 16. Bd3 exf4 17. Qxf4 Ne5 18. Rhd1 Qb6+ 19. Kf1 Nxd3 20. Rxd3 Qxb2 21. Re1 Qxc2 22. Ree3 Be6 23. Qe4 Rac8 24. Kg1 Bf5 25. Qxf5 Rxc3 26. Qd5 Qb1+ 27. Kf2 Rxd3 28. Rxd3 Re8 29. Rd1 Qb6+ 30. Kf1 g6 31. h3 h5 32. Rd4 Qf6+ 33. Kg1 Re1+ 34. Kh2 Qf2 35. Re4 Rxe4 36. Qxe4 Qxa2 37. Qxb7 a5 38. Kg3 a4 39. Kh4. Running into mate: 39. ... Qf2+ 40. Kg5 Qf5+ 41. Kh4 Qf4+ 42. g4 g5+ 43. Kxh5 Qf6 44. Qe4 Kg7 0 : 1.

Arrocco freestyle

Dalla lunga e vittoriosa serie di incontri di Serafino Dubois contro Marmaduke Wyvill a Roma nel biennio 1845-1846, esumiamo una loro partita all’italiana (nel faraonico match i due alternarono le modalità italiana e francese), già pubblicata da The Chess Monthly, Volume III, 1859, pp. 351-352:

M. Wyvill – S. Dubois
Roma, dicembre 1845
Gambetto di Re C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Cf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ce5 h5 6. Ac4 Th7 7. d4 f3 Dopo 7. ... d6 8. Cxf7 Txf7 9. Axf7+ Rxf7 10. Axf4 l’attacco del Bianco è sostenuto, Stanley – Fraser, Londra 1837. 8. g3 Cc6! Per una probante disamina teorica rimandiamo il lettore al primo volume dell’opera omnia di Serafino: “Le principali aperture del giuoco di scacchi sviluppate secondo i due diversi sistemi italiano e francese”. 9. Cg6 Uno pseudo-sacrificio cui Wyvill ricorse più d’una volta. 9. ... Ag7 L’alternativa era 9. ... fxg6 10. Axg8 Th8 (Staunton). 10. c3 Cf6 11. Dc2 Oppure 11. Db3 fxg6 12. Af7+ Rf8 13. Axg6 De7 14. Axh7 Cxh7 15. 0-0 (Rf1/Te1) b6 16. e5 Aa6+ 17. Rf2 Te8! 18. Te4 Cf6! 19. Tf4 Cxe5! 20. dxe5 Dxe5 21. Txf6+ Axf6 22. Ah6+ Ag7 0 : 1, Wyvill – Dubois, Roma, 24 novembre 1845. Nel nostro libretto “Serafino Dubois il Professionista”, Messaggerie Scacchistiche, Brescia, 2000, pp. 21-22, l’abbiamo posticipata di un anno (1846)! 11. ... fxg6 12. e5 d5 13. Dxg6+ Le regole italiane non contemplavano la presa en passant. 13. ... Rf8

14. 0-0 (Rf1/Te1) Una delle variazioni del dinamico arrocco italiano! Né 14. Ag5 De8 né 14. exf6 Dxf6+ 15. Dxf6+ Axf6 giustificavano illusioni. 14. ... Ce7 15. Dc2 Ce4 16. Txe4 dxe4 17. Dxe4 Af5 18. Dxb7 Tb8 19. Dxa7 Cc6 Un indugio. Dopo 19. ... Axe5! 20. dxe5 (oppure 20. Rf2 Axg3+! 21. Rxg3 Cg6 -+) 20. ... Ad3+ il Bianco è sottoterra. 20. Da3+ Se non altro, dopo 20. Dc5+ il Nero deve ravvedersi con 20. ... Ce7. 20. ... De7 21. b4 Axe5 22. dxe5 Cxe5 23. Ag5 Dd6 24. Cd2 Cxc4 25. Cxc4 Dxg3 26. b5+ Rg8 “E il Signor Wyvill abbandona”, chiosa il Chess Monthly. 0 : 1. Presto detto il perché: è matto in tre mosse!

The Italian Fury

“The Italian Fury”. Thus the international press nicknamed Italian Grandmaster Sergio Mariotti after his shining performance at the Zonal Tournament in Praia da Rocha (Portugal) in the fall of 1969, where he missed by half a point the qualification to the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal Tournament. His executioner was South African Master Donnelly, who all of sudden buried his positional masterpiece against Bulgarian Grandmaster Milko Georgiev Bobotsov and his six-Pawn bayonet assault to Yugoslav Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić’s King’s Indian! Here is how American International Master Israel Albert Horowitz introduced Mariotti’s “Immortal Game” in his The New York chess column:

Mariotti’s original, sustained assault was achieved without once having moved his King-Knight from its original square. Shades of Phiidor, Morphy and Capablanca! Or, on the other hand, can it be that White did not know how to move his Knight?

The New York Times, June 18, 1970

Tips’n’Tricks

“To get squares, you gotta give squares”.

Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer all’ultimo metrò
Foto: LIFE

Il mondo di Alexandra

La Campionessa del Mondo tout court di scacchi (classici e Fischerandom) Alexandra Kosteniuk ha inaugurato il suo blog personale, specialmente dedicato agli scacchi femminili: ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK’S WOMEN’S CHESS BLOG.

Alexandra con la figlia Francesca
Foto: ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK’S WOMEN’S CHESS BLOG

Alien

Are Fischer’s ideas the wild imagination of an “alien” – or, an irresistible appeal to save our beloved game from its natural death?

Svetozar Gligoric
“Shall We Play Fischerandom Chess?”, B. T. Batsford, Londra, 2002, p. 71.