Rock Star

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo © David Llada

5th Zürich Chess Challenge (@zurichchess)

狮子王

Wolfgang Uhlmann – Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Clash of the Legends; match game 3; Zürich, February 16, 2015
English Opening A29

“I’m satisfied with the third game, although it seems he had some chances for a draw at the end of it. Earlier, he had compensation for a Pawn”, then Kortschnoi said. 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nde7 7. 0-0 g6 8. b4 a6 9. Rb1 Bg7 10. a4 0-0 11. d3 Nd4 12. Nd2 c6 13. e3 Ne6 14. Qe2. It was preferable 14. Nc4 Nd5 as in the game Sarno – Martorelli, 55th Italian Chess Championship, Verona 1995, after which International Master Sagar Shah suggests 15. Bb2! Nxb4?! 16. Ba3! and White gets the upper-hand. 14. ... Nd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. f4 exf4 17. gxf4 Re8 18. Nb3 Qd6 19. Qf3 Qxb4 20. f5 gxf5 21. Qxf5 Nd8 22. Qxd5 Qxa4 23. Nc5 Qc2 24. Rb6 Be6 25. Qh5 Bg4? This is a bad tactical slip. 26. Qg5? Uhlmann missed his golden chance! After 26. Qxg4! Qxc5 27. Bb2! Qxe3+ 28. Kh1 Black is busted. 26. ... Re5 27. Qxg4 Qxc5 28. Rb4 Rg5 29. Qf4 Rg6 30. Re4 Qb5 31. Ba3 Rf6 32. Qh4 Rxf1+ 33. Bxf1 Ne6 34. d4 Qb1. 34. ... Qb3! looks much more powerful, threatening both ... Qb3xa3 (winning the Bishop) and ... f7-f5 (trapping the Rook). 35. Rg4 Kh8 36. d5 Nf8

37. Be7?? A palpable blunder which loses the Exchange. 37. Qe7 looks much more to the point, e.g. 37. ... Ng6 38. Qxf7 Rg8 with a double-edged position. 37. ... Ng6 38. Rxg6. White has no choice as 38. Qg5 is refuted by 38. ... h6. 38. ... Qxg6+ 39. Bg2 Rc8 40. Qh3 Rc1+ 41. Kf2 Qc2+ 42. Kf3 Qd1+ 43. Kf4 Rc4+ 44. e4 Qxd5 0 : 1.

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

狮子今晚睡着了

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi – Wolfgang Uhlmann
Clash of the Legends; match game 2; Zürich, February 15, 2015
King’s Indian Defence E70

“The second game was horrible even though I won: he chose the King’s Indian having no idea of it”, Kortschnoi said. 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Bg5. The Averbakh System used to be a Kortschnoi’s favourite. 5. ... Nbd7 6. f4 0-0 7. Nf3 c5 8. d5 Qa5. It looks better to play immediately 8. ... b5!? 9. cxb5 a6 with a thematic compensation for the sacrificed Pawn. 9. Qd2 b5. Consistent but risky. 10. Nxb5. 10. cxb5 a6 would have justified Black’s counter-gambit. 10. ... Qb6. Less committal seems 10. ... Qxd2+ 11. Nxd2 with an edge for White. 11. Nc3 Rb8 12. Rb1 e6. International Master Sagar Shah suggests 12. ... h6 13. Bh4 Nh5 as sounder play.

13. dxe6! fxe6 14. Bd3 Bb7 15. 0-0 d5 16. e5 Ne8. If 16. ... Ne4 then 17. Qe2 Nxg5 18. Nxg5 with a clear-cut advantage to White. 17. Kh1 Nc7 18. Be7 Rfe8 19. Bd6 Bf8 20. Bxf8 Nxf8 21. b3. And the rest is just a matter of technique. 21. ... Rbd8 22. Na4 Qc6 23. Qe3 d4 24. Qd2 Na6 25. Ng5 Nb4. A gross blunder, which loses a second Pawn. 26. Be4 Qc7 27. Bxb7 Qxb7 28. Nxc5 Qb8 29. Nge4 Kg7 30. a3 Nc6 31. b4 Nd7 32. Nxd7 Rxd7 33. Nf6 Ree7 34. Nxd7 Rxd7 35. Qd3 Ne7 36. c5 Nf5 37. b5 Rd5 38. c6 Qc7 39. Rbc1 h5 40. a4 Rd8 41. Rfd1 Ne3 42. Rd2 h4 43. Qb3 Qf7 44. Rxd4 Rxd4 45. Qxe3 Rxf4 46. Kg1 1 : 0.

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi vs. Wolfgang Uhlmann
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

Extraordinary time

All set for the clash of the legends: Wolfgang Uhlmann vs. Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Photo: Zürich Chess Challenge 2015

The Neverending Story

Tarjei J. Svensen (‏@TarjeiJS)

4th edition of the “Zürich Chess Challenge 2015” Coming soon! The rapid match between Grandmasters Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi and Wolfgang Ulhmann will be held on February 15th (games 1 and 2) and 16th (games 3 and 4), both days at 11am at the Hotel “Savoy Baur en Ville” and preceded by a short overview about the bygone chess history by the president of the “Emanuel Lasker Gesellschaft”, Paul Werner Wagner.

Back to the Future

In late December 2012, it was reported that Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi was recovering from a stroke and was unlikely to play competitive chess again. On March 28th and 29th 2014, however, Kortschnoi played an exhibition match of two games in the University of Leipzig, against Wolfgang Ulhmann, with the time control of 60 minutes/game for each. Kortschnoi won 2-0. Pretty soon we’ll see Viktor Lvovich over the board again, also against Ulhmann. The match will be held on February 15th and 16th as surplus of the 4th edition of the “Zürich Chess Challenge 2015” and consist of 4 rapid games. In March 2015, Kortschnoi and Ulhmann will celebrate their 84th and 80th birthdays respectively.

University of Leipzig, March 29, 2014. Wolfgang Ulhmann vs. Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi.

Not Like Everyone Else

Boris Vasilievich Spassky – Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoi
Candidates Final; match game 7; Kiev, September 19, 1968
King’s Indian Defence E83

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. Nc1 e5 9. d5 Nd4 10. Nb3 Nxb3 11. Qxb3 c5 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. 0-0-0! Be6? Leaving to his adversary the supremacy on both wings. More to the point was 13. ... Qe7! 14. Qb6 Bb7!, e.g. 15. g4 Rab8 16. h4 Rfc8 17. h5 Nd5! 18. exd5 cxd5 19. Rxd5 Bxd5 20. Nxd5 Qe6 21. Qa7 Ra8 22. Qb7 Rab8 23. Qa7 Ra8 24. Qb7 ½ : ½ Timman – Kasparov, Interzonal Tournament, Moscow 1981. 14. Qa3 Ne8 15. h4! f6? Jan van Reek rightly prefers 15. ... f5 16. h5 gxh5 17. Rxh5 Qc7 18. exf5 Bxf5. 16. c5 Rf7 17. Qa4 Qc7 18. Bc4 Bxc4 19. Qxc4 Bf8 20. h5! Striving for the initiative! 20. ... dxc5 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. Qe6 Rd8 23. Rxd8 Qxd8 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. Qxc6 Nc7 26. Qb6!! The most celebrated “creeping move” in the History of Chess! Kortschnoi was probably hoping for 26. Nd5 Qe6! defending all his weaknesses. After the text, instead, 25. ... Qe6 would be simply met by 26. Bxc5. 26. ... Kg7 27. Nd5 Qe6 28. Bxc5 Bxc5 29. Qxc5 Nb5 30. Qe3 Qc6+ 31. Kb1 Nd4 32. Rc1 Qb5 33. Nc7 Qe2? Bad, but also after 33. ... Qb6 34. Ne8+ Kf8 35. Rc8 Ke7 36. Nc7 Kd7 37. Nd5 White’s attack is irresistible. 34. Ne6+! Kh7? Thanks to Kortschnoi for allowing a beautiful end! In any case, after 34. ... Kg8 35. Rc8+ Kh7 36. Qxe2 Nxe2 37. Ra8 Black’s endgame is hopeless.

35. Qh6+! 1 : 0. For after 35. ... Kg8 (or 35. ... Kxh6 36. Rh1 mate) 36. Rc8+ White mates next move. It should be noted that the “mirror variation” 35. Rh1+? Kg8 36. Qh6?? loses to 36. ... Qd3+! 37. Ka1 Nc2+ 38. Kb1 Na3++ 39. Ka1 Qb1+ 40. Rxb1 Nc2 mate.

Boris Vasilievich Spassky. Leningrad, 1949.