Tourist Health

Following the call by FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich, on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, Russian Chess Federation President Andrey Vasilievich Filatov told TASS that Russia in general and Moscow in particular would feel honoured to host the 45th Chess Olympiad in 2022, after Belarus forfeited its privilege and rights due to its failure to provide financial guarantees to FIDE. In advancing the candidature of Moscow, Filatov also vindicated the “competitivity” of the Russian COVID-19 vaccines: “If the situation occurs, we’re ready to host [the Olympics]. Furthermore, by that time, the Russian COVID-19 vaccines will certainly be fully certified, and I think there will be chess enthusiasts who will come to Moscow not only to enjoy such a global show, but also to get vaccinated”.

Winds of the Isle

Stefano Tatai – Zbigniew Doda
21st Chess Olympiad; Nice, June 17, 1974
Sicilian Defence B44

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. Bf4 e5 7. Be3 a6. If, instead, 7. ... Nf6 then 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6! (not 9. N1c3? a6! 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Na3 d5!∓) 9. ... gxf6 10. Nd2!± Tatai – Hartoch, 1st “Costa Brava” International Tournament, Sant Feliu de Guíxols 1973. 8. N5c3 Nf6 9. Bc4 Be7? According to the theory of the time, Tatai afterwards recommended 9. ... Na5!∞ with an unclear balance. 10. Nd5!± Nxd5 11. Bxd5. The domination of the d5-square is more than enough for a crystal clear, elegant and refined positional player such as the twelve-time Italian Chess Champion. 11. ... 0-0 12. 0-0. In his “My 60 Memorable Games” Bobby Fischer cited a clock exhibition game he played in the Philippines in 1967: 12. Nc3 (“With absolute control of d5”) 12. ... Kh8 13. 0-0 Be6 14. Bb3 Na5 15. Nd5 Nxb3 16. axb3 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Qc7 18. c3 g5 19. Ra4 Rad8 20. Rb4 Rd7 21. Rb6 Kg7 22. Ra1 f5 23. exf5 Rxf5 24. Ra4 Rf8 25. Rc4 Qb8 26. Rcb4 Qa8 27. c4 a5 28. R4b5 a4 29. Rxb7 axb3 30. h4 Rxb7 31. Rxb7 Rf7 32. Bxg5 Qa1+ 33. Kh2 Qxb2 34. Qe6 Qxf2 35. Rxe7 1 : 0 R. J. Fischer – Badilles, Meralco 1967. 12. ... Bg5 13. Re1! Bxe3 14. Rxe3 Be6 15. Na3 Qc7 16. c3. After 16. Rd3 Bxd5 17. Rxd5 Rad8 Black would be ready to free himself from his constraint by ... Nc6-e7, Qc7-c6, and finally ... d6-d5 (Tatai’s analysis). 16. ... Rad8 17. Bb3 b5 18. Nc2 Qb7 19. Rd3 Qb8 20. Ne3 Ne7 21. Qd2 Rd7 22. Rd1 Rfd8 23. Bd5 Bxd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Rxd5 Qc7 26. Qd3 Qc6 27. h4 Kf8 28. Rd2 h6 29. Kh2. Tatai was just a bit short of time and delayed his final execution plan: 29. h5! followed by Qd3-f3-f5. 29. ... Ke7 30. a3 Qc4 31. Qf3 g6 32. h5 Rg8 33. R2d3 gxh5? Tatai’s punctuation is a bit exaggerated as he himself was not able to suggest anything better: 33. ... Rdd8 is actually met by 34. Qe3+− and 33. ... f5 34. exf5 e4 by 35. Qe3+− (but Stockfish’s 35. f6+! Kf8 36. Qg4 would be much stronger).

34. Qf5! Threatening Rd5xe5+. 34. ... Rdd8 35. Rf3 Rdf8 36. Qf6+ 1 : 0.

Between Rounds

11th World Chess Champion Robert James Fischer between rounds at the 15th Chess Olympiad in Varna, Bulgaria, 1962. Photo: Pinterest.

Competition Law

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

Lennart Ootes (@LennartOotes)

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

Faro Ladies

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk – Dinara Ramazanovna Saduakassova
41st Women’s Chess Olympiad; Tromsø, August 9, 2014
Ponziani Opening C44

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 5. d3 Ne7 6. Be2 Be6 7. 0-0 Ng6 8. Be3. For 8. Rd1 dxe4 9. dxe4 Bd6 10. Na3 see M. Muzychuk – E. Pähtz, Women’s World Rapid Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. 8. ... Be7 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. d4 Qd7 11. dxe5 fxe5 12. exd5 Bxd5 13. Bc4 Kh8 14. Rad1 Bxc4 15. Nxc4 Qg4 16. h3 Qe6 17. Ncd2 Nf4 18. Qb3

18. ... Nxh3+!? Alea iacta est! Faced with an unpleasant ending, Dinara Ramazanovna boldly sacrifices her Knight for two Pawns and a volatile initiative. 19. gxh3 Qxh3 20. Qxb7? Mariya loses her nerve. After the cool 20. Nh2! White neutralizes all her opponent’s threats; for instance, if 20. ... Bc5! (20. ... Rf6 21. Kh1 leads nowhere for Black) might follow 21. Bxc5 Rf6 22. Qd5! Rh6 23. Ndf3 Rg6+ 24. Ng5 Rxg5+ 25. Kh1 Rh5 26. Qg2 and White succeeds in consolidating. 20. ... e4! A very pretty coup. Suddenly Black’s attack becomes very dangerous. 21. Qxc7. Despite its sharp appearance, it would have been better to play 21. Qxc6 Qg4+ 22. Kh1 exf3 23. Nxf3 Rxf3 24. Qxa8+ Bf8 25. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 26. Kg1 Qg4+ 27. Kh2 Bd6+ 28. Rxd6 Qh5+ 29. Kg2 cxd6 30. Bxa7 Qg6+ 31. Kh2 Qh6+ 32. Kg2 Qd2 with a very unclear position. 21. ... exf3 22. Qg3 Qf5 23. b4 Rf6 24. Qxf3 Qxf3? Saduakassova misses 24. ... Qe6! 25. Qe4 (24. Bf4 Qf7 is no better) 25. ... Rg6+ 26. Kh2 Bd6+ 27. f4 Qg4 with an overwhelming attack for Black. 25. Nxf3 Rxf3 26. Rd7 Bf6? 26. ... a6 27. a4 Rb8 would have offered Black better chances of winning the game. 27. b5 Na5 28. Bxa7 Rxc3 29. b6 Ra3 30. Rb1 h6 31. b7 Nxb7 32. Rbxb7 Rxa2 33. Bd4 Bxd4. The ending is virtually drawn. 34. Rxd4 R8a7 35. Rdd7 Rxb7 36. Rxb7 Kh7 37. Kg2 Kg6 38. Rb6+ Kh5 39. Kg3 Ra5 40. f3 Kg5 41. Rb7 g6 42. Rb4 h5 43. Rc4 Kf5 44. Rf4+ Ke6 45. Re4+ Re5 46. Ra4 Rb5 47. Re4+ Kf6 48. Rf4+ Rf5 49. Ra4 Kg5 50. Ra8 h4+ 51. Kg2 Rf4 52. Rh8 Ra4 53. Kh3 Rb4 54. Rf8 Ra4 55. Rf7 Rb4 ½ : ½.

Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk. Photo: David Llada.

¡Oh Cuba! ¡Oh ritmo de semillas secas!

Cubana enfrentará difícil prueba en Copa Mundial de Ajedrez La Habana, 4 mar.– La cubana Yaniet Marrero tendrá un estreno exigente ante la armenia Elina Danielian durante la Copa Mundial de Ajedrez, convocada desde el próximo día 16 en el balneario ruso de Sochi. La página digital de la Federación Internacional difundió que sus 2 mil 222 puntos Elo sitúan a la caribeña en el escaño 52 del ordenamiento de salida, donde Danielian es decimotercera gracias a 2 mil 488. Ambas rivalizaron durante la sexta fecha de la Olimpiada Mundial de Tromsø y el resultado favoreció a la europea, quien, además de Gran Maestra entre hombres, suma seis coronas en un país donde el Ajedrez es de los deportes más populares. Medallista olímpica en el 2010 y titular de casa en el 2011, Yaniet la enfrentará ahora en dos partidas clásicas, y en caso de empate definirían en rápidas. La ganadora de ese match parece llamada a vérselas con la conocida alemana Elisabeth Pähtz (2 479), favorita ante la georgiana Meri Arabibze (2 374). [Read more].

• Cubana enfrentará difícil prueba en Copa Mundial de Ajedrez, Radio Nuevitas, March 4, 2015

Yaniet Marrero López

Yaniet Marrero López – Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng
39th Women’s Chess Olympiad; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 21, 2010
Sicilian Defence B27

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nf6 5. e5 Nc6 6. Qa4 Nd5 7. Qe4 Nc7 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Bf4 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Rb8? This move looks too slow. Black needs to seek some counterplay by 10. ... Ne6 11. h4 Qa5; for example: 12. Rd5 Qb4 13. Bc4 Na5 14. Nd2 Nxf4 15. Rb5 Qxb5 16. Bxb5 a6 17. Ba4 Ne6 18. Nd5 Re8 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. f4 Nc6 21. Nf3 Nc5 22. Qc4 d6 23. Bxc6 bxc6 24. Nxc8 Rexc8 25. Ng5 e6 26. Rd1 Nb7 27. exd6 Bxb2+ 28. Kd2 Nxd6 29. Qc5 Ba3 30. Qa7 h6 31. Qxa6 hxg5 32. Ke2 Ra8 33. Qd3 gxh4 34. g4 hxg3 35. Qxg3 Nf5 36. Qc3 Bf8 37. Rd7 Ra4 38. Kf3 Ra3 0 : 1 Mammadova – Khalifman, Nakhchivan 2013. 11. h4! Ne6. No better looks 11. ... b5 12. h5 b4 13. hxg6 hxg6 14. Be3 bxc3 15. Qh4 f6 16. Qh7+ Kf7 17. Bd3 Rg8 18. Bxg6+ Kf8 19. exf6 exf6 20. Bc5+ Ne7 21. Rhe1 d6 22. Rxd6 cxb2+ 23. Kb1 Be6 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Bf5 Rd5 26. Bxe7+ Kxe7 27. Qxg8 1 : 0 Odeev – Duman, Kocaeli 2008. 12. h5! a6? This move constitutes another loss of time. Now White’s attack plays itself. 13. hxg6 hxg6 14. Bc4! Nxf4 15. Qxf4 b5 16. Qh4 Re8 17. Bxf7+! Or 17. Qh7+ Kf8 18. Bxf7! Kxf7 19. Ng5+ Kf8 20. Qxg6 Nxe5 21. Rh8+! Bxh8 22. Nh7 mate. 17. ... Kxf7 18. e6+!? A divertissement. More straightforward was 18. Ng5+ Kf8 19. Qf4+ leading to a quick mate. 18. ... dxe6 19. Qf4+ Bf6 20. Rh7+ Kg8 21. Qh6 Qxd1+ 22. Nxd1 Nd8 23. Qxg6+ Kf8

24. Ng5! 1 : 0.

Marathon Man

Eugene Torre – Mikael Agopov
41st Chess Olympiad; Tromsø, August 2, 2014
Larsen’s Opening A01

“After a slow buildup, Torre, on a historic 22nd Olympiad appearance, finally launched a Kingside onslaught that netted a Pawn first then later a Rook for a Bishop before carving his way through Agopov’s weakened Kingside”, Joey Villar writes. 1. b3. The so-called Larsen’s Opening, already mentioned by Lucena (1498). 1. ... e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bd6 5. Na3 a6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nc4 Qe7 8. Ne2 b5 9. Nxd6+ cxd6 10. 0-0. For 10. a4 b4 see Rapport – So, Wijk aan Zee 2014. 10. ... c5. For 10. ... 0-0 11. Qe1 c5 12. f4 Re8 13. Qh4 Nd5 see Fries-Nielsen – Finkel, Panormo 2001. 11. f4 0-0 12. Ng3 Bb7 13. Qe2 Qe6 14. e4 c4 15. d3 Rac8. The wrong Rook!? 15. ... Rfc8 16. Nf5 Rc7 could offer the strongest possible resistance. 16. Nf5 Rfd8 17. Rf3 Nh5 18. fxe5 dxe5 19. Raf1. Consistently following his plan of attack. 19. ... Rd7 20. Rh3 Nf6. On 20. ... Nf4 21. Rxf4! exf4 22. Qg4 wins outright. 21. Rg3 Ne8. If, instead, 21. ... g6 then 22. Nh6+ Kg7 23. Rgf3 and White’s attack continues. 22. Qg4. The final attack plays by itself. 22. ... Rcc7 23. bxc4 Qb6+ 24. Kh1 g6. On 24. ... f6 25. Nh6+ Kg8 26. Bxe5! wins. 25. Bxe5 bxc4 26. Qf4 f6. Desperation, as 26. ... Rc7-moves is refuted by 27. Nh6+ Kf8 28. Qxf7+ and mate next move. 27. Bxc7 Rxc7 28. e5 cxd3 29. cxd3 Rc2

30. Nd6 1 : 0. For if 30. ... Nxd6 then 31. Qxf6 wins. “Eugene is showing vintage form. He is the best performer in the team so far. His win against Agopov was straight out of the 1970s, from the era of Bent Larsen and Bobby Fischer, and his win from the rarely-played Larsen Opening is a happy memory that will last a very long time”, noted former Times Journal sportswriter Eli Tumbaga in his report to Chess Philippines.

Eugene Torre

Blow by Blow

---

Brief notes by Gladstone Gander

---

Rafael Duailibe Leitão – Fabiano Caruana
39th Chess Olympiad; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 30, 2010
Grünfeld Defence D76

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. e3 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. Qe2 Be6. For the crucial alternative 11. ... e5 see Sargissian – Vachier-Lagrave, Leon 2012. 12. Rd1 Bc4 13. Qc2 Nb4 14. Qb1 e5! The most straightforward rejoinder. 15. a3!? Clearly not 15. dxe5?? on account of 15. ... Qxd1+! 16. Nxd1 Bd3 and as Black recovers immediately the Queen, he remains the Exchange ahead. If, instead, 15. b3 may follow 15. ... exd4 16. Nxd4 Bd3 17. Qb2 Ba6 18. Ne4 Rxe4 19. Bxe4 c5 20. Qa3 cxd4 21. Bb2 Qe7 22. Qxa5 Qxe4 23. Qxb4 Nd5 24. Qa4 b5 25. Rxd4 bxa4 26. Rxe4 Bxb2 0 : 1 Stockmann – Erdogdu, 12th European Individual Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 15. ... exd4! 16. axb4

16. ... dxc3! A brilliant conception. Black gets a satisfying compensation for the Queen. 17. Rxd8 Raxd8. With the deadly threat of ... Rd8-d1+. 18. Qc2? As then suggested by Caruana, the proper play was 18. bxc3 Rd1+ 19. Bf1 Bxf1 20. Qc2 Be2+ 21. Kg2 Bf1+ with a draw by perpetual check. 18. ... axb4 19. Nd2! Blow for blow! Of course, both 19. bxc3? b3! and 19. Nd4? Rxd4! would lose outright. 19. ... cxd2 20. Bxd2 Ra8! Black is aiming to conquer the first rank. 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Bxb7? White has no time for such amusements. Mandatory was 22. h4 Ra1+ 23. Kh2 b3 24. Qe4 Bxb2 25. Qe7 Rd1 with only a slight edge for Black (Arsovic’s analysis). 22. ... Ra1+ 23. Bc1. Reluctantly, but also after 23. Kg2 Bf1+ 24. Kf3 Nc4! Black’s attack is overwhelming, e.g. 25. Bxb4 Ne5+ 26. Kf4 Nd3+ 27. Kf3 Rc1 28. Qa4 Ne5+ 29. Kf4 Rc4+ 30. e4 Nd3+ with an easy win. 23. ... b3 24. Qd1? A final error. However, even after 24. Qd2 Be6 White is doomed. 24. ... Bxb2 0 : 1.