Glory Days

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi – Irina Krush
5th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 23, 2007
English Opening A28

“I guess you could say that the other highlight of my tournament was my game against [Kortschnoi] in round 8; certainly, playing someone who’s been battling it out with the world’s best players since the 1950’s is a special opportunity. He’s the only link left between that bygone chess generation and today, and I’ve always found his example inspiring. At 75, he’s still traveling (someone told me that he said that after this tournament he was going home to ‘change suitcases’ before moving on elsewhere), still playing chess, and what’s more, he still cares a lot about his results. The downside to that last point is that he’s known to be quite disagreeable to his opponents after losing, saying things along the lines of ‘before this game, I knew you were a terrible player, but now I see that you don’t understand chess at all’, etc.”, then Irina Krush wrote.

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. a3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Qc2 Be7 7. e3 0-0 8. Be2 Be6 9. 0-0 f5. For 9. ... a5 10. Na4 h6 11. b3 Bd6 12. Bb2 Qe7 see Harika – Danielian, Yínzhōu Cup Women’s World Teams, 宁波市 (Níngbō) 2009. 10. d3 Qe8 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. b4 a6 13. Bb2 Qg6 14. Rac1 Kh8 15. g3 Bf6 16. Nd2 e4 17. Bxf6 Rxf6 18. dxe4 fxe4 19. Qb2 Be6 20. f4 exf3 21. Bxf3 Bh3 22. Be4 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Qe6 24. Rf4! Rd8 25. Qc3 Kg8 26. Qc5 g6? “Realising that 26. ... Rxd2 loses to 27. Qf8 mate [Ed. Note: Idem to say 27. Rf8 mate] Krush tried to give her King some air but blundered”, International Master Malcom Pein wrote. Correct was 26. ... Ne7 in order to answer 27. Nf3 by 27. ... Ng6 with a fairly even game. 27. Rf2?? Kortschnoi misses his great chance here: 27. Rf8+! Rxf8 (27. ... Kg7 28. Rxd8 Nxd8 29. Qxc7+ is equally hopeless) 28. Bd5 with a neat win. Curiously enough, Viktor Lvovich came up with this huge blunder after about fifteen minutes of “deep” thought!

27. ... Qxe4! 0 : 1 For after 28. Nxe4 Rd1+ Black mates next move.

Irina Krush
Photo: Susan Polgar Global Chess Daily News and Information