If you want to buy imported Emmentaler, just make yourself sure it is from Switzerland

Daniele Vocaturo – Yannick Pelletier
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 6, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B13

In the last round of the 21st European Team Chess Championship Italy defeated Switzerland (2½ – 1½), and much credit goes to Daniele Vocaturo, who, on first board, played highly inspired brilliant chess: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3 Bxf3 10. Nxf3 Be7 11. Ne5 Qc8 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rae1. The alternative is 13. Qd1 Rd8 (better appears to be the immediate 13. ... Nxe5) 14. Re1 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. h4 with the initiative: 16. ... Nf8 17. h5 h6 18. Re3 f5 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Rg3 Kf7 21. Qf3 Qc5 22. Re1 Rac8 23. Be3 (23. Be5 seems even stronger) 23. ... Qd6 24. Bd4 Nd7 25. Qg4 e5 26. Qg6+ Kf8 27. Qh7 Nc5 28. Bf5 Rc7 29. Be3 Rf7 30. Bg6 Rc7 31. Rf3 Rdc8 32. Rd1 Ke7 33. Bxh6 Ne6 34. Bxg7 Bxg7 35. h6 Rh8 36. Rf7+ Kd8 37. hxg7 1 : 0 Tringov – Pomar Salamanca, International Tournament, Büsum 1968. 13. ... Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Nd7 15. Qc2 h6. Who knows, perhaps 15. ... g6 16. Bf4 Re8 might be a sounder formation. 16. Bf4 Re8 17. Re3 Qd8 18. Qe2 Bg5 19. Bxg5 Qxg5 20. f4 Qd8 21. g4! g6 22. Re1 Nf6 23. Rh3 h5? This doesn’t seem a good idea at all, allowing White to build up the most imposing attacking position. 23. ... Qc7(!) was a much better option for Black. 24. gxh5 Nxh5 25. Qg4 Ng7

26. Bxg6! This must be winning! You don’t need to calculate too much for knowing it. 26. ... fxg6 27. Qxg6 Re7. 27. ... Rf8 was probably more stubborn, but after 28. Qh7+ Kf7 29. Rg3 White (sooner or later) will breakthrough anyway. 28. Re5! (Δ Re5-h5-h8 mate) 28. ... Qe8 29. Qh7+ Kf8 30. Rh6! Threatening f4-f5. The rest comes easy. 30. ... Rf7 31. f5 Qa4 32. Re1 Rxf5 33. Rg6 Rf7 34. Qh8+ Ke7 35. Qxa8 Qb5 36. Qc8 1 : 0.

Longest path problem

Elena Sedina – Elena-Luminița Radu-Cosma
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 5, 2017
8/4R2K/4np2/1N1pk3/1P5P/2P3r1/8/8 w - - 0 123

Position after 122. ... Rg8xg3

Women’s Italian and Rumanian teams eventually equalised (2 – 2), and we cannot but feel a little regret at the half-point lost by International Master Elena Sedina, who, after working very hard (and very well) on “bringing home the bacon”, did not guess her lucky number at the very end. The diagram shows the critical moment, when White, after 122 moves, is finally on the verge of making the sting. White to move and win a piece: 123. Nc7? Oh, no! With forty seconds left, and maybe tired, Sedina plays the apparent “dual”, instead of 123. Nd4 Rxc3 124. Nxe6 Kd6 125. Nf4! (perhaps the move overlooked) which would have actually won a piece and the game (125. ... Rf3 126. Re6+ Kd7 127. Rxf6+−). 123. ... Kd6 124. Rxe6+ Kxc7. White can’t believe her luck: she didn’t get the piece and the Rook endgame is theoretically drawn. 125. h5 Rxc3 126. h6. 126. Kg6 Rh3 also leads to a draw. 126. ... Rg3 127. Rxf6 d4 128. b5 d3 129. b6+ Kb7 130. Rd6 Ka6 131. Kh8 Kb7 132. h7 Ka6 133. Rxd3 ½ : ½.

Spot the Shark

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 5, 2017
Spanish Game C72

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. 0-0 Bd7 6. Re1 g5!? 7. Bxc6. The historical premiere went 7. d4 g4 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. Nfd2 Qh4 10. Nc4 Bg7 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nc3 Rd8 13. Nd5?? (White ought to play 13. Qe2) 13. ... Bxd5 14. exd5 g3! Black won a piece and then the game, Kortschnoi – L. Portisch, 30th Hoogovens International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1968. 7. ... bxc6 8. d4 g4 9. Nfd2 exd4 10. Nb3 Ne7 11. Nxd4 Bg7 12. Nc3. If 12. Nf5 then 12. ... Nxf5 13. exf5+ Kf8 14. Qxg4 h5 15. Qf3 Qf6 and Black wins back his Pawn with a lead in development, 陈琪 (Chén Qí) – 戴常人 (Dài Chángrén), 上海 (Shànghǎi) Youth Gulf Cup, 上海 (Shànghǎi) 2017. 12. ... 0-0 13. Bg5 f6 14. Be3 Qe8 15. Qd3 Qf7 16. Qd2 Qg6 17. Bf4 h5 18. b4 h4 19. a4 Qh5 20. Be3 h3 21. Nce2 hxg2 22. Nf4 Qh7 23. Nfe6 Bxe6 24. Nxe6

24. ... Ng6! Black’s Exchange sacrifice shows that Mamedyarov has decided to initiate his attack. 25. Nxf8 Rxf8 26. Bf4 f5! 27. exf5 Nh4 28. Ra3 Qxf5 29. Bg5 Nf3+ 30. Rxf3. Grischuk has nothing better than to give back the Exchange with vague hopes of somehow holding on in spite of his minus Pawn. 30. ... gxf3 31. Bh6 Qd5 32. Qc1? Grischuk falls apart. 32. Qe3 was White’s only chance to keep playing. 32. ... Bc3 33. Re3 Bd4 34. Rd3 Re8 35. c3 Bxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Re2+ 0 : 1. Let’s think of how much geography can change in a short period of time.

Ice Lolly

Benjamin Arvola – Luca Moroni
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. 0-0 Bb6 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4. If 10. cxd4 then 10. ... d5! 11. exd5 (Black stands better both after 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Re8! and after 11. e5 Qg6) 11. ... Nf5 12. Bf2 Nd6! and Black wins the f4-Pawn. That is vintage analysis by 11th World Chess Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (Chess Life, No. 12, December 1964, pp. 294-295). 10. ... d5! 11. exd5. 11. e5 Qg6 also gives Black a more comfortable game, Tkachuk – Coenen, 28th Post Open, Düsseldorf 2012. So maybe White should have been content with 11. Bxd5 Rd8 12. Kh1 Bxd4 13. cxd4 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nc3 Rd8= (15. ... Rxd4? 16. Nd5) – Bobby Fischer’s analysis (ibidem). 11. ... Nf5! 12. Bf2 Bxf2+ 13. Rxf2 Ne3 14. Qb3 Ng4 15. Rf3 Qh4 16. h3 Qe1+ 17. Bf1 Nf6 18. c4 Re8 19. Qc2 Ne4 20. f5? This is Arvola’s crucial mistake, after which suddenly Black’s initiative turns into a storm. White had to play 20. b3 at once. 20. ... Re5 21. b3 Bxf5 22. Qb2 Ng5 23. Rf2

23. ... Bxh3! The storm begins. 24. Nc3 Qe3 25. gxh3. 25. Qd2 Qg3 26. Qf4 Qxc3 (Stockfish) is anything but tempting, but what should we say about the text? 25. ... Rf5? More accurate seems 25. ... Qg3+ 26. Kh1 Rae8 leaving White no resource. 26. Nd1? After 26. Bg2 Rxf2 27. Qxf2 Qxc3 Black is a Pawn up and stands clearly better, but it would not have been so easy for him to demonstrate a win. 26. ... Qg3+. Or 26. ... Nf3+ 27. Kh1 Rg5 28. Bg2 (else 28. Rg2 Qg1+ and mate next move) 28. ... Qe1+ 29. Rf1 Qxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Rg1 mate. 27. Kh1 Nxh3 28. Bxh3 Qxh3+ 29. Kg1 Qg3+ 30. Kf1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kf1 Re8 33. Qd2 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Re1+! 0 : 1. Mate in two follows.

Toblerone

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – Marina Brunello
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Sicilian Defence B94

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qb6. Brunello’s hard fashion, playing à la the Poisoned Pawn. 8. Bb3 e6 9. a4 Qa5 10. Qd2 Be7 11. f3 Nc5. The alternative subject-matter-of-study is 11. ... h6 12. Be3 Nc5 13. Ba2 Qb4 14. 0-0 Bd7 15. a5 Bd8 16. Nde2 Bc7 17. Rfd1 Rd8 18. Qe1 e5 19. Qg3 Kf8 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. Bxd5 Be6 22. b3 Rb8 23. Qf2 b6 24. Bd2 Qb5 25. Nc3 Qe8 26. b4 Nd7 27. Be3 Qc8 28. Rd3 bxa5 29. bxa5 Kg8 30. Bxe6 fxe6 31. Na4 Bxa5 32. Rxd6 Bb4 33. Rd3 Kh7 34. Rad1 Rb7 35. c3 Be7 36. Qd2 Nf6 37. Qf2 Nd7 38. Qd2 Nf6 39. Qf2 ½ : ½ Potkin – Sorokin, 70th Russian Chess Championship, Sochi 2017. 12. Ba2 0-0 13. 0-0 Qc7 14. a5 b5 15. axb6 Qxb6 16. Be3 Qc7 17. Rfd1 Rb8 18. Rab1 Bb7 19. Qf2 Rfc8 20. Qg3 Nh5 21. Qh3 Nf6 22. Nce2 a5 23. Nb5 Qb6 24. Nbc3 Qc7 25. Nf4. Kosteniuk avoids repetition of moves, although objectively she does not have any substantial advantage. 25. ... Ba8 26. Kh1 Re8 27. Rd2 Bf8 28. Qh4 Ncd7 29. Qf2 Ne5 30. Qf1 Qc6 31. Bb3 Rb4! 32. Rd4 Nfd7 33. Ba4 Qb7 34. Nb5 Rc8 35. c3 Rxd4 36. cxd4 Nc4 37. Bc1 Ncb6. Brunello played very well so far (and maybe she’s even got the upper hand), but she also ran short of time. 38. Bb3 a4 39. Ba2 Qa6 40. Bd2

40. ... e5? After thinking for about 3 of her 3 minutes and 30 seconds, Brunello pushes the wrong Pawn, frittering away a game well played. Instead, the thematic 40. ... d5! would have earned Black a perfectly satisfactory game, to say the least. 41. Bxf7+! Kosteniuk’s first move after time control is a lucky one, and it must have been completely overlooked by her opponent. 41. ... Kxf7. Black is forced to give up the Queen as 41. ... Kh8?? 42. Ng6+! hxg6 43. g4 would lead to mate in a very few moves. 42. Nxd6+ Bxd6 43. Qxa6 exf4 44. Ba5. Black’s scattered and uncoordinated survivors cannot do anything against the mighty powers of Her Majesty. 44. ... Rb8 45. Rc1 g6 46. h4 h5 47. Qb5 Ke6 48. Qg5 Nf8 49. Bxb6 Rxb6 50. Qd8 Rb8 51. d5+ 1 : 0.

Seated on the frontstage are Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (left) and Marina Brunello (right). Photo: European Chess Union (@ECUonline).

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Joanna Majdan-Gajewska – Tea Gueci
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 1, 2017
8/p4Qpk/6rp/2p5/2P1P3/3qnN2/P5P1/4R1K1 b - - 0 36

Position after 36. Qf5xf7

Yesterday must have been a very hard day’s night for men’s Italy team, crushed today by Ukrainian team 4 – 0. For the girls instead, there was no such bad news as they scored the equaliser against the very strong Polish team. There is just one little regret that Tea Gueci came very close to win, but just could not make it! It all looks very easy: 36. ... Rxg2+ 37. Kh1 Rg3? 2 minutes and 37 seconds left are not enough for Gueci to appreciate the strength of 37. ... Rg4! 38. Qh5 Rg3! 39. Kh2 g6! and White has no more moves. 38. Kh2? Majdan-Gajewska has time, but no inspiration. 38. Qf4 was called for. 38. ... Rg2+!? (38. ... Rg4!−+) 39. Kh1. 39. Kh3?? Qxe4 is the best way to self-mate. 39. ... Rg3? (39. ... Rg4!−+) 40. Qf4. There is not given a third chance. 40. ... Ng2 41. Qf5+ Kg8 42. Qc8+ Kh7 43. Qf5+ ½ : ½.

Shark attack

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – David Navara
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 1, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D28

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bd3 cxd4 9. Rd1 Be7 10. a4 bxa4 11. Rxa4 dxe3 12. Bxe3 Nbd7. After 12. ... Bd7 13. Bc2!? Qc7 14. Nc3 0-0 15. Rh4 Nc6 16. Bf4 Qb7 Black could look forward to a comfortable game (but very likely White might have played better), Ibragimov – Baburin, 3rd Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO), London 1999. 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rd4 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Ne5 17. Qe3 Qb8 18. Bf4 Neg4 19. Qe2 e5 20. Bg3 h5 21. Nd5 Re8? Navara played quite risky so far, but the text is definitely his final bravery, allowing White an ideal attacking position. Black ought to take the White Knight with his Knight. 22. h3! h4 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qe4 g6 25. Bc4! Kg7 26. Rd7 Re7 27. Bxh4 Bxh4 28. Qxg4 Bf6

29. R7d6! Stockfish’s 29. Bxf7! Kxf7 30. R1d6! might have been even more ferocious, but, of course, Mamedyarov’s pseudo-inversion is not so bad either. 29. ... Rc7 30. Qf3 Bh4 31. Rd7 Rxd7 32. Rxd7 Qb4 33. Qxf7+ Kh6 34. Qh7+ Kg5 35. f4+! Kf5 36. Qf7+ Ke4 37. Qxg6+ 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

Sliding Doors

Marina Brunello – Tea Bosboom-Lanchava
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
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 b6 9. b3 a6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Bd3 g6 12. Nb1 exd4 13. Nxd4 c5!? This move, connected with the next one, seems quite well founded. In any event, 13. ... Re8 14. Nd2 Bf8 15. f4 Bg7 16. c3 b5 also seems satisfactory for Black, N. Kosintseva – Bocharov, 8th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2009. 14. Nf3 d5 15. e5 Nh5 16. Nc3 Re8 17. Bf1 Nf8 18. Qd2 Ne6 19. Rad1 Nc7 20. g3 d4 21. Ne4 f5? So far, Black has been playing enterprisingly, but this seems a bit too much! 22. Neg5. The interpolation of 22. exf6 Nxf6 23. Ng5 (Stockfish) might have been more promising. 22. ... h6 23. Bc4+ Bd5 24. Nh3 g5 25. Qe2 Ng7? 25. ... g4? was also met by 26. Nxd4! with disruptive effect, so Black had to try 25. ... Bxc4 26. bxc4 g4 27. c3!? d3!∞ (Stockfish) – very unclear. 26. Nxd4! cxd4 27. Rxd4 Nge6 28. Rxd5 Nxd5 29. Rd1 Nec7 30. Qh5!? Oh, White feels that 30. Bxd5+ Nxd5 31. c4+− is too trivial for her powers. 30. ... Bf8 31. Qg6+ Bg7 32. e6 Qe7? 32. ... Re7 was most imperatively called for, after which might have followed 33. Bxg7 Rxg7 34. Qxf5 Qf6 with a (big) mess. 33. Bxd5 Nxd5 34. Rxd5. Threatening Rd5-d7. 34. ... Rad8. 34. ... Rf8 is elegantly met by the zwischenzug 35. g4! (Stockfish) with the tactical pointe of 35. ... fxg4 36. Nxg5! hxg5 37. Rd7 and finis. 35. Rxf5 Rf8

36. Nxg5! Obviously, Brunello does not miss her last sacrifice! 36. ... hxg5 37. Rxg5 Rd1+ 38. Kg2 Qb7+ 39. Kh3 Rxf2 40. Qxg7+ Qxg7 41. Rxg7+ Kf8 42. e7+ Ke8 43. Ba3 1 : 0.

The laws of luck

David Wei Liang Howell – Danyyil Dvirnyy
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
8/4n3/2N2k2/p2p3p/Pp1P3P/1P3PK1/8/8 w - - 1 48

Position after 47. ... Ng6-e7

The two-time Italian Chess Champion Danyyil Dvirnyy saved today both the honour and the day of Italy’s team managing to accomplish a “mission impossible” against the three-time British Chess Champion David Wei Liang Howell. Objectively speaking, he couldn’t have done that without his opponent’s help. In the position of the diagram, although under time pressure, Howell – very unwisely, no doubt – decided to play for a win, whereas 48. Nxe7 Kxe7 49. Kf4 Kf6 would have led to a neat draw (in spite of White’s extra Pawn), ensuring England team’s victory. 48. Nxa5(?) Nf5+ 49. Kf4 Nxd4 50. Nb7 Nxb3 51. a5 Nd4 52. a6? Howell stubbornly insists in his irrational search for a win, that simply doesn’t exist – not this way, I mean. 52. ... b3 53. a7 b2 54. a8=Q Ne6+ 55. Kg3 b1=Q 56. Qh8+ Ke7 57. Kh2 Qf5. So White ended up standing worse. The rest is a colourful succession of big and small steps towards self-destruction, nearly begging (just in extremis) for the mirage of a stalemate. 58. Qc3? Qf4+ 59. Kh3 d4 60. Qa3+ Kd7 61. Na5 Qf5+ 62. Kg3 Qe5+ 63. Kg2 Qe2+ 64. Kg3 Qe1+ 65. Kh2 Qxh4+ 66. Kg1 Qe1+ 67. Kh2 Qe5+ 68. Kh1 Qb5 69. Qa2 Qf1+ 70. Kh2 Qxf3 71. Nc4 Ke7 72. Qa6 Qf4+ 73. Kh1 h4 74. Qb7+ Kf6 75. Qc8 Qe4+ 76. Kh2 d3 77. Qh8+ Ke7 78. Qc3 Qf4+ 79. Kh1 Qf3+ 80. Kh2 Qf2+ 81. Kh1 h3 82. Qa3+ Kf6 83. Qa1+ Nd4 84. Qa6+ Kg5 85. Qa5+ Kg4 86. Ne3+ Qxe3 87. Qh5+ Kxh5 0 : 1.

A Cat’s Nine Lives

Sabino Brunello – Nigel David Short
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
Accelerated Queen’s Indian Defence A50

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. f3 Nc6 4. Nc3 e5 5. d5 Ne7 6. e4 Ng6 7. Be3 Bc5 8. Bxc5. For 8. Qd2 d6 9. 0-0-0 h6 10. h4 a6 see Levin – I. Sokolov, 12th European Individual Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 8. ... bxc5 9. Qd2 d6 10. Bd3 0-0 11. 0-0-0 Bd7 12. Nge2 c6 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. h4 Rb8 15. h5 Ne7 16. g4 Qb6 17. Ng3 h6 18. Rh2 Nh7 19. f4 Bd7 20. Nf5. Brunello has developed a powerful initiative, but in the case of Short the old saying of the cat’s nine lives should be seriously taken into account. 20. ... Bxf5 21. exf5 f6 22. Be4 Rfd8 23. Rg1 Kh8 24. g5 Qb4? It looks like a gamble, which, however, will end up having a speculative effect on Brunello’s judgement – Sabino was already very much short of time. Of course 24. ... hxg5? was out of question due to 25. h6, but 24. ... fxg5 25. fxg5 d5! (Stockfish) gave Black good counterchances. 25. gxh6 gxh6 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Qxh6. Black is on the verge of abyss, but Brunello has only 2 minutes and 42 seconds left on the merciless clock. 27. ... Rg8 28. Rhg2? As in a grand-style drama, White first throws away a great advantage and a likely win (28. Rxg8+ Rxg8 29. Rd2). 28. ... Rg5 29. Rxg5 Qxb2+ 30. Kd1 fxg5

31. f6? And then also a draw: 31. Rxg5 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qb2+ 33. Bc2 Rd8+ 34. Nd5 e4 35. f6 e3+! 36. Kd1 (or 36. Kxe3 Nxd5+ 37. cxd5 Qc1+ with a draw by perpetual check) 36. ... Qd4+ 37. Kc1 Qd2+ 38. Kb1 Rb8+ 39. Bb3 Qd1+ 40. Kb2 Rxb3+! 41. axb3 Qd2+ with perpetual check. 31. ... Rd8+ 0 : 1. The tables are by now turned. If 32. Nd5 then 32. ... Qd4+, and if 32. Bd5 then 32. ... Nf5.

The Other Way Around

Dragana Nikolovska – Marina Brunello
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 30, 2017
2r3k1/2q2pb1/p2p2p1/1prP4/6PQ/2PB1P2/PP6/1K1R3R b - g3 0 26

Position after 26. g2-g4

In a Dragon-like position (but no, it wasn’t a Dragon!), Marina Brunello, having already gained a great time advantage over Nikolovska, goes to win back her previously sacrificed Pawn in the most favourable circumstances: 26. ... Rxc3! 27. Be4? Not 27. bxc3?? Qxc3 and White can resign, but the text is hardly much better! White should have played 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Qh2 at once. 27. ... Rc4? Here 27. ... Rc2! would have won right off. We can only guess that Brunello were playing on time, in order to speculate on her opponent’s grave time trouble. 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qh2 Qe7. Now Black must start all over again, even though luckily enough she retained at least the initiative. The text, among other things, prepares for ... Qe7-f6. 30. Rc1 Rd8!? This is a strange move that somehow works. 31. Rxc4? And now Nikolovska, with only a minute left, ends up exchanging Rooks at the worst price possible! 31. ... bxc4. Well, that’s because it was the worst possible price. The opening of the b-file suddenly gives Black an irresistible attack, which Brunello concludes in style: 32. Qc2 Rb8! 33. b3 Qe5 34. Kc1 a5 35. Rh2 a4 36. Re2 axb3 37. axb3 Bh6+ 38. Kb1 Rxb3+ 39. Ka2 Qd4 (Δ ... Qd4-a7 mate) 40. Qxb3 cxb3+ 41. Kxb3 f5 42. gxf5 gxf5 0 : 1.

Pop Goth

Georg Meier – Sabino Brunello
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 30, 2017
Slav Defence D12

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3 Qb6 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Kf2. Meier likes this line probably very much. Most usual is 10. Bd2 followed by Queenside castling. 10. ... Nbd7. Just another way of being: 10. ... Be7 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. Bd2 0-0 13. g4 Rd8 14. g5 Ne8 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. h4 Nc6 17. Nb5 Rdc8 18. Bd3 Bb4 19. Ke2 Kf8 20. h5 gxh5 21. Rxh5 Bxd2 22. Kxd2 Ke7 23. Rh7 Na5 24. Rc1 Nc6 25. Nc3 Nb4 26. a3 Nxd3 27. Kxd3 Nd6 28. Rch1 g6 29. R1h2 b5 30. e4 dxe4+ 31. fxe4 Nc4 32. Nxb5 Ra5 33. a4 Rxa4 34. b3 Ra3 35. Nxa3 Nxa3 36. Rf2 Rf8 37. Rf6 Nb5 38. Rxg6 Rd8 39. d5 exd5 40. e5 Rc8 41. e6 Rc3+ 42. Kd2 1 : 0 Meier – Hector, 32nd Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2010. 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. Bd2. Of course, 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Bd3 b5 14. b3 Ba3! it’s not a line that may give Black any problems, Caprio – S. Brunello, 73rd Italian Chess Championship, Rome 2013. 12. ... Bd6 13. Be2 dxc4 14. a4! It’s definitely an improvement on 14. Bxc4 b5 15. Bd3 e5 16. Ne2 exd4 17. Nxd4 Ne5 18. Be2 Nd5 19. h3 Nb4 20. Bxb4 Bxb4 21. Rhd1 Ke7 22. a3 Bd6 ½ : ½ Halkias – Atakisi, Zonal Tournament, Yerevan 2000. 14. ... e5 15. h3 exd4 16. exd4 Bb4 17. Bxc4 Rh5 18. g4 Rha5 19. h4 Kf8. If 19. ... Bxc3 then 20. Bxc3 Rxa4 21. Rae1+ Kf8 22. Bb3 followed by h4-h5 with a powerful initiative for White. Black must probably look for improvements somewhere around moves 14-19. 20. Rae1. Two moves later White will apparently realize that the Rook must stand on d1. 20. ... Re8. And here Brunello very probably misses his best chance of resistance: 20. ... Rxa4! 21. Nxa4 Bxd2 22. Re2 Rxa4 23. b3 Rxc4 24. bxc4 Bc3 with a very unclear, uneven ending, in which, however, Black’s drawing possibilites seem not unrealistic. 21. Ra1 Rea8 22. Rad1 Bxc3 23. Bxc3 Rxa4 24. Bb3 Nd5. 24. ... R4a7 25. h5 certainly seems unpleasant (and maybe very unpleasant), but Brunello’s decision to sacrifice the Exchange is not grounded on any pragmatic foundation for a draw. Meier will convert his material and positional advantages with his usual refined technique. 25. Bxa4 Rxa4 26. Ra1 b5 27. b3 Rxa1 28. Bxa1 Ke7 29. Bb2 Nf8 30. Ra1 Kd7 31. Bc1 Ne6 32. Be3 f5 33. Ke2 Kd6 34. Ra7 b6 35. Bf2 c5 36. dxc5+ bxc5 37. Bg3+ f4 38. Bf2 Nb4 39. Rb7 Nc6

40. h5! gxh5 41. gxh5. White is threatening (in the case, for example, of 41. ... b4) 42. Rxg7! Nxg7 43. h6 winning easily. 41. ... Kd5 42. Bg1 Ke5 43. Kd2 Kf6 44. Rb6 Ne5 45. Ke2 c4 46. Bd4! cxb3 47. Bb2! 1 : 0. A very pretty Zugzwang ends the movie (but not the world).

How to Be Happy in an Unhappy World

Stavroula Tsolakidou – Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina
12th European Women’s Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 28, 2017
3k4/1pr3pp/3N1q2/8/3P2Q1/3b4/6PP/2R3K1 w - - 5 37

Position after 36. ... Re7-c7

Valentina Evgenyevna Gunina’s crisis continues. In a recent interview to Yuri Volokhov for Sovetsky Sport (Александра Костенюк: Запретила бы женщинам играть с мужчинами | Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk: I am for a strict separation of women’s and men’s chess, Sovetsky Sport, October 26, 2017), Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk denied that Gunina may feel frustrated because of her (frustrated) desire to play (at least a little more often) in the men’s circuit, which is much more remunerative than the women’s one: “I think Valya can earn as much in women’s chess as well. All players who play for the Russian national team don’t have to complain about their earnings. Even though, of course, everything is relative”, Kosteniuk said. Whatever it is, today’s game was another disaster by Gunina, for the joy of all Stavroula Tsolakidou’s Greek fans. 37. Nxb7+! Ke8 (37. ... Rxb7 38. Qc8+ Ke7 39. Qxb7+ Ke6 40. Rc6+−) 38. Re1+ Kf8 (38. ... Re7 39. Qc8+ Kf7 40. Nd8+ Kg6 41. Qg4+ Kh6 42. Re6! Rxe6 43. Qh3+ Kg6 44. Qxd3+ Qf5 45. Nxe6!+−) 39. Nc5 Bf5 40. Qf4 Rc8 41. g4. The Bishop is doomed. 41. ... Kg8 42. gxf5 h6 43. Qe5 Qg5+ 44. Kh1 Qg4 45. Qe6+ Kh7 46. Qxc8 Qf3+ 47. Kg1 Qg4+ 48. Kf2 Qxd4+ 49. Kf3 Qc3+ 50. Re3 1 : 0.

An Autumn Afternoon

Daniele Vocaturo – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 28, 2017
Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 Be6 8. Nc4 b5 9. Ne3 Nf6 10. g3 g6 11. Bg2 Bh6!? A novelty hard to follow. For 11. ... Bg7 12. 0-0 0-0 (else 12. ... Rc8 13. Ncd5 Bxd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 as in Medarde Santiago – Édouard, 5th Open Internacional, Llucmajor 2016) 13. Ncd5 Rb8 14. c3 Na5 15. Qd3 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Nc4 17. Rd1 Qd7 18. a4 Nb6 take a look at Pijpers – Ikonnikov, 11th Open (Group A), Leiden 2017. 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Bd2 Rc8 14. Ncd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. a4! Qb6 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qe2 Ra8 19. b4! Qb7 20. Ra5 Bxe3? A panic move that makes things very bad for Black. After 20. ... Rab8 21. Rfa1 White stands better, but with respect to the actual game, it would have been a bed of roses. 21. fxe3 Rxa5 22. bxa5. The passed a-Pawn gives White a clear superiority and very good winning chances as well. Somehow, however, Radjabov will succeed in saving the ending, even though, after all, with no convenience for the Azerbaijani team, which, due to the stubborn victories of Sabino Brunello (against Arkadij Naiditsch) and Luca Moroni (against Gadir Guseinov), was defeated by Italy’s team 2½ – 1½.

22. ... Kg7 23. Rb1 Qc7 24. Rxb5 Qxc2 25. e4 Qa4 26. Rb7 Neg8 27. a6 Rc8 28. Rb4 Qa3 29. Rb1 Qa4 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Bf3 Rb3 32. Rc6 Qd4+ 33. Qf2 Qa4 34. a7 Ra3 35. Be3. Even after 35. Rc7 Ra2 seems very hard to prove a win for White. 35. ... Nxe4 36. a8=Q Nxf2 37. Qxa4 Nh3+ 38. Kg2 Rxa4 39. Bc1 Ne7 40. Rc2 Nf5 41. Kxh3 Nd4 42. Rf2 f5 43. Kg2 Ra5 44. Rb2 Kf6 45. Bd2 Ra3 46. Bd1 g5 47. Bb4 Ra1 48. Be2 Nxe2 49. Rxe2 Ra6 50. Rc2 Rb6 51. Ba5 Rb5 52. Bd8+ Kg6 53. Rd2 Rb7 54. Rc2 Rb5 55. Rd2 Rb7 56. Rc2 Rb5 57. Rd2 ½ : ½.

Only one is running for President

Nigel David Short (@nigelshortchess)

“England I”, the bronze medal team of the 5th World Senior Team Chess Championship 50+ held in Hersonissos, Crete from 24 April to 2 May 2017 (pictured above standing from left to right): Terry P. D. Chapman, Keith Charles Arkell, Jonathan Simon “Jon” Speelman, John Denis Martin Nunn, and Nigel David Short. Photo © Niki Riga.

The Tyrant King

Nigel David Short‏ (@nigelshortchess)

Rhyton

Alexander Huzman – Nigel David Short
5th World Senior Team Chess Championship 50+; Hersonissos, April 30, 2017
Bogo-Indian Defence E11
 

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. Qc2 c6 8. 0-0 b6 9. Bf4 Bb7 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. Ne5 b5 12. cxb5 cxb5 13. Nc6 Bxc6 14. Qxc6 Qb6 15. Qxb6 Nxb6 16. Rc1 Rac8 17. Nc3 a6 18. Nd1 Ne4 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Rc1 g5 21. Rxc8+ Nxc8 22. Bc1 g4 23. h3 h5 24. hxg4 hxg4 25. e3 f5 26. Bf1 Kf7 27. Bd3 Ke8 28. Kf1 Kd7 29. Ke2 Bb4 30. a3 Ba5 31. b3 Ncd6 32. Bb2 Kc6 33. Bc1 Nf7 34. Bc2 Nfg5 35. b4 Bc7 36. Nb2 Nh3 37. Nd3 a5 38. bxa5 Bxa5 39. Bb2 Ng1+ 40. Kd1 Nf3 41. Ke2 Bc3 42. Bc1 Kd6. The irresistible Short has long tormented his opponent with his jumping Knights, but it’s all but sure that his lasting initiative could have produced a win without White’s next half-helpmate: 43. Kd1??

43. ... Bxd4!! 0 : 1. It doesn’t happen very often to see a mate with two Knights (44. exd4 Nc3 mate), and on the other hand, such an ending a Pawn down would have been a too easy if prosaic walk for Short, so Huzman chivalrously gives up his seat.