Unnumbered Champions

Mohamad Naser Al Sayed – Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 26, 2015
Queen’s Pawn Game A40

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb7 4. e4 Bb4 5. Qd3 Qh4 6. e5!? For 6. d5 Nf6 7. e5 Qe4+ see Ovod – Nabaty, Albena 2012. 6. ... f6!? 7. a3!? Qe4+ 8. Qxe4 Bxc3+. Ruslan Olegovich succeeded in spoiling White’s Pawn formation, even at the cost of sacrificing a Pawn. 9. bxc3 Bxe4 10. Bf4 Nc6 11. exf6 Nxf6 12. Bxc7 Rc8. White’s weaknesses more than compensate Black for his Pawn minus. 13. Be5 Na5 14. f3 Bg6 15. h4 Ke7. Black decides to ignore the c4-Pawn and keeps developing his forces effectively. 16. g4 d6 17. Bxf6+ gxf6 18. Nh3 e5 19. c5 bxc5 20. dxe5 dxe5 21. f4 h5 22. fxe5. The alternative 22. g5 e4 probably would have been more balanced. 22. ... hxg4 23. Nf4 Be4 24. Rh2? Miraculously, White can stay on his feet after 24. exf6+ Kxf6 25. Bg2 Ke5 26. 0-0! (it’s never too late to do the right thing!). Ponomariov now takes the initiative.

24. ... fxe5! 25. Re2 Bf3! 26. Rxe5+ Kf6 27. Rh5? The losing move. Comparatively best was 27. Re3, though after 27. ... Nb3 28. Ra2 Kf5! 29. Ng2 Rce8 Black still stands better. 27. ... g3 28. Rxh8 Rxh8 29. Bg2 Kf5 30. Bxf3 Kxf4 31. Bg2 Nc4 32. Kf1 Ne3+ 33. Kg1 Rxh4 34. a4 Rh2 35. Bc6 a5 0 : 1. A beautiful positional game by “unnumbered” World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov.

Mohamad Naser Al Sayed vs. Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov
Photo: Alla Oborina

Rock am Ring

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mohamad Naser Al Sayed
Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 29, 2015
Sicilian Defence B91

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Bg2 0-0 9. 0-0 b5 10. a4 b4 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Qxd5 Ra7 13. Be3 Be6 14. Qd3 Rb7 15. f4. The alternative was 15. Rfc1 Qc7 16. c3 Bc4 17. Qc2 Be6 18. Qd1 Qd8 19. Bf1 bxc3 20. Rxc3 Bg5 21. Bxg5 Qxg5 22. Bc4 Bxc4 23. Rxc4 Nd7 24. Rac1 Qd8 25. Rc6 Qb8 26. Rxd6 Rxb3 27. Rxd7 Rxb2 28. Qd5 Rb1 29. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 30. Kg2 Qa1 31. a5 h6 32. Rd6 Rc8 33. Rxa6 Rc1 34. Ra8+ Kh7 35. Qxf7 1 : 0 Ponomariov – Safarli, 40th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2012. 15. ... Qc8 16. Na5 Rc7 17. f5 Bc4 18. Nxc4 Rxc4 19. Rfc1

19. ... d5!? Black’s enterprising Pawn sacrifice leads to a hand-to-hand struggle for the initiative and eventually a somewhat precarious position. 20. exd5 e4 21. Qb3 Bc5 22. f6! Blow for blow! 22. ... gxf6 23. Kh1! Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Re8 25. Re1 Kg7 26. Rad1 Rxc2 27. Rf1 Qg4 28. Rde1 Nd7. Al Sayed was terribly short of time at this stage. 29. Rf4 Qh5 30. h3 Kh8 31. Rxe4 Rxe4 32. Qxe4 Qe5 33. Qxb4. To be objective, it is not the best move for White to play, but sure it is the sharpest one. 33. ... Qxg3 34. Rg1 Qc7?? A fatal error in desperate time-trouble. After the cool 34. ... Kg7! Black is still well and, if not well, alive. 35. Qe7! Kg7. And Black resigned without awaiting White’s coup 36. Bf3+ which mates in four moves. 1 : 0.

. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Mohamad Naser Al Sayed
Photo: John Saunders