Mc Shane's Campaign

GM Luke McShane - Chess News.ru

English chess grandmaster Luke Mc Shane has an interesting tournament in Moscow. In the 7th Tal Memorial he performed very well namely against the "Super GM's" rated 2800+. Mc Shane has got 2 of 3 "scalps" so far. He manage to beat Levon Aronian as well as Vladimir Kramnik and the last man standing, awaiting Luke's chance is Magnus Carlsen.
Mc Shane lost to Grishuk, Radjabov and Caruana, drew with Nakamura and Tomashevsky but today he add another famous victory against Alexander Morozevich.
Before the last round Mc Shane shares 3.-7. place with 4/9 points together with Carlsen, Morozevich, Grishuk and Kramnik. Tournament leader is Fabiano Caruana with 5 points, half a point ahead Teimour Radjabov.
And now the best of McShane's games:

When Juniors Play Flank Openings...

Well, I have another opportunity to present you an interesting game from Gatwick Jubilee Premier Tournament. The topic is basically the same as in previous post - "When juniors plays... Flank openings" - it is probably better version of what I meant.
This time two talented "U16" players dropped into deep waters of Maróczy pawn structure. The result of this "caprice" is surprisingly interesting game in which both players could get more if...., if the chess players were not humans and did not make mistakes. However, I hope you will appreciate the fighting spirit in which the game was played.




N.B. If you experience some problem to see the game, please check your internet browser first. Some older versions of browsers can have this problem. I have tested Google Chrome (19.0.1084.56 m) and Mozilla FireFox (11.0) and on both of them everything is hunky dory. Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421 has this problem.
If you have latest version of your favourite browser and it doesn't work, please do not hesitate and contact me. I will try to change the presentation to be accessible for all. Thank you very much.

When "Under 14" Juniors Play an English Opening...

English Opening is not an easy opening. If you do not agree with me then just have a look how many books or DVD's dedicated to this opening have been published over last decade. For all I just will name the trilogy written by Mihail Marin recently  published  by Quality Chess or DVD prepared by Nigel Davies and published by Chess Base. 

The pawn structure is not well defined and can change very quickly and you can commonly expect slow manoeuvring and positional battle then transition into rather complex endings.  But I have noticed that this opening (or even Réti set-up) with King-side fianchetto is quite popular among the juniors and I can hardly tell you why. So what is so attractive for young generation on this way of development? Is it the fact that they can play first several moves like an autopilot? Or are they attracted to study games of Ulf Andersson or Tigran Petrosian more then games of Kasparov, Fischer, or Shirov? Or do they believe they do not need to study a lot of theory?

Well back to the reality of recent tournament practise. In the round 8 of Premier section, London Gatwick Tournament two juniors "under 14" were paired and lets have a look at their game.

The "Boring" Exchange Slav...

GM Andrey Sumets

In the Round 7 of Gatwick Jubilee Tournament GM Mark Hebden from UK and GM Andrey Sumets from Ukraine were paired. The later eventually won this tournament gaining 7.5/9 points. 
Andrey Sumets (Black) played Slav Defence, GM Hebden chose the Exchange Variation which leads to a little bit "boring" symmetrical positions and therefore also has a drawish reputation.
Mark Hebden came up with a novelty in move 13. Then the game became everything but not a "boring Exchange Slav".
I can just speculate whether both players were in time trouble or not but the fate of the game was decided around move 40 and the position was very complicated.





So what do you say? Was it a "boring" stuff?

Unusual Line of Grünfeld Indian Defence

GM Yuri Vovk

GM Yuri Vovk finished as a runner-up in recent Diamond Jubilee Tournament in London after tie-break with GM Andrey Sumets, his fellow countryman from Ukraine. This time I want to demonstrate you his game from round 3 when he was paired with IM Astaneh Lopez from Ireland.

IM Alex Astaneh Lopez

Vovk, playing with White pieces, faced to Grünfeld Indian Defence when the Irish master decided to go for not often played side-line.
Higher rated Vovk went into rather wild waters when White was objectively slightly worse; however, the positions arising were dynamic, full of tactical potential where is easy to slip. And this is what exactly happened...

e2e4 London Gatwick Diamond Jubilee Tournament Finished

See more details here.

e2e4 London Diamond London ENG Sat 2nd Jun 2012 - Wed 6th Jun 2012 Leading Final Round 9 Standings:
Rk	Name	Ti	FED	Rtg	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Pts	TPR
1	Sumets, Andrey	GM	UKR	2599	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	7.5	2677
2	Vovk, Yuri	GM	UKR	2562	½	1	1	1	1	½	1	½	1	7.5	2651
3	Sipila, Vilka	FM	FIN	2393	1	1	½	0	1	0	1	1	1	6.5	2447
4	Eggleston, David J	FM	ENG	2327	1	½	1	1	0	1	½	½	1	6.5	2552
5	Vovk, Andrey	GM	UKR	2549	1	½	1	1	0	½	1	½	½	6.0	2466
6	Williams, Simon K	GM	ENG	2513	1	1	½	0	1	1	0	1	½	6.0	2417
7	Hebden, Mark L	GM	ENG	2512	1	1	½	1	1	1	0	½	0	6.0	2536
8	Collins, Sam E.	IM	IRL	2428	1	1	½	0	1	½	½	1	½	6.0	2438
9	Cobb, James	IM	WLS	2411	½	1	1	0	½	1	½	½	1	6.0	2326
10	Astaneh Lopez, Alex	IM	IRL	2402	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	½	½	6.0	2333
11	Rudd, Jack	IM	ENG	2305	1	0	½	1	1	1	1	0	½	6.0	2378
12	Brown, Martin		ENG	2183	0	1	1	1	1	½	½	1	0	6.0	2434
13	Hegarty, Sarah N	WFM	ENG	2062	½	½	1	0	1	½	½	1	1	6.0	2249
14	Rausis, Igor	GM	CZE	2514	1	½	1	½	½	0	1	½	½	5.5	2349
15	Sowray, Peter J	FM	ENG	2376	1	½	1	0	½	1	1	0	½	5.5	2284
16	Buckley, Graeme N	IM	ENG	2363	1	0	1	1	1	0	½	½	½	5.5	2261
17	Croad, Nicolas	FM	NZL	2334	0	0	½	1	1	½	1	½	1	5.5	2079
18	Berry, Neil	FM	SCO	2308	½	½	1	½	1	=	=	0	1	5.5	2187
19	White, Michael J R	FM	WLS	2272	1	0	1	½	=	1	½	0	1	5.5	2294
20	Byron, Alan M		ENG	2179	0	½	1	1	1	0	½	1	½	5.5	2217
21	Jaunooby, Ali R		ENG	2158	=	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	5.5	2252
22	Josse, Mark		ENG	2131	0	1	0	1	½	1	0	1	1	5.5	2140
23	Lim, Zhuo Ren		MAS	2095	0	0	½	1	1	1	1	½	½	5.5	2156
24	Bhatia, Kanwal K	WFM	ENG	2064	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	½	5.5	2184
25	Foo, William J		ENG	1959	1	½	0	1	½	1	0	½	1	5.5	2289
26	Zhou, Yang-Fan	IM	ENG	2438	1	1	½	1	0	0	½	1	0	5.0	2303
27	Duport, Nicolas		SUI	2214	1	0	1	1	½	1	0	½	0	5.0	2292
28	Walton, Alan J	CM	ENG	2179	½	1	0	1	½	1	0	½	½	5.0	2196
29	Martinsen, Stig K		NOR	2169	0	1	1	1	0	1	½	½	0	5.0	2227
30	Jackson, James P		ENG	2121	1	0	1	1	½	½	0	0	1	5.0	2269
31	Moss, Guy		ISR	1888	=	1	½	½	0	1	½	1	0	5.0	2244
32	O`Donnell, Conor		IRL	1860	½	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	½	5.0	2157
33	Sarakauskas, Gediminas	IM	LTU	2403	0	1	½	1	1	½	½	-	-	4.5	2211
34	Longson, Alexander		ENG	2274	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	-	-	4.5	2335
35	Tozer, Philip A A		ENG	2199	½	1	0	0	½	1	1	½	0	4.5	2016
36	Talbot, Andrew R		ENG	2158	=	=	1	½	½	0	1	0	½	4.5	2053
37	Burrows, Martin P		ENG	2134	0	½	1	1	0	½	0	1	½	4.5	2086
38	Pace, Colin	CM	MLT	2128	½	1	0	0	1	0	1	½	½	4.5	2105
39	Fox, Anthony		IRL	2110	0	½	0	1	½	½	½	1	½	4.5	1942
40	Lalic, Peter D		ENG	2097	1	0	1	½	½	0	1	0	½	4.5	2268
41	Goodger, Martyn		ENG	2091	½	½	1	0	0	½	1	½	½	4.5	2116
42	Kahn, Tito		JCI	2085	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	4.5	1985
43	Humphreys, Jerry G		ENG	2080	½	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	4.5	1991
44	Orishko, Yaroslav		UKR	2080	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	½	4.5	2110
45	Rizvi, Nasir		WLS	2074	=	0	½	1	1	0	½	+	0	4.5	1999
46	Batchelor, Peter J		ENG	2050	½	1	½	0	1	1	½	0	0	4.5	2254
47	Armstrong, Malcolm J		ENG	2040	1	0	½	1	0	½	½	½	½	4.5	2199
48	Donovan, Nigel P		ENG	2033	0	½	1	0	0	1	=	½	1	4.5	2007
49	Garnett, John S		ENG	2008	1	0	0	1	½	0	0	1	1	4.5	2107
50	Thompson, Robert		ENG	1965	1	1	0	½	½	0	½	1	0	4.5	2139
51	Taylor, Adam C		ENG	1948	0	1	0	0	1	½	½	½	1	4.5	1966
52	McDonald, Ian		SCO	1840	=	0	½	0	1	1	1	½	0	4.5	2089
53	McMahon, Daire	FM	IRL	2229	½	1	0	0	0	1	0	½	1	4.0	1926
54	Karayiannis, Costas		ENG	2167	0	0	1	1	1	=	0	½	-	4.0	2142
55	Bennett, Dominic L		ENG	2072	½	½	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	4.0	2037
56	Savage, Nicholas W		ENG	2072	0	½	0	1	=	1	0	1	0	4.0	1997
57	Mihajlov, Sebastian		NOR	2064	0	1	1	½	0	½	½	0	½	4.0	2033
58	Waterfield, John W		ENG	2009	1	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	1	4.0	1875
59	Cafolla, Peter		IRL	1995	½	½	0	1	½	0	½	0	1	4.0	1994
60	Stewart, Ashley		ENG	1994	0	1	½	1	0	½	0	0	1	4.0	2019
61	Shepherd, David		ENG	1934	1	0	0	½	0	0	1	½	1	4.0	1963
62	Dixit, Kumar		ENG	1858	1	0	0	1	0	½	½	½	½	4.0	2016
63	Snape, Ian L		ENG	2229	1	=	0	=	0	=	½	=	0	3.5	1998
64	Sreeves, Clement		SCO	2209	1	0	½	1	½	½	0	0	-	3.5	2029
65	Akhanov, Dauren		KAZ	2149	0	½	0	0	1	1	1	-	-	3.5	1979
66	Lee, Kai Jie Edward		SIN	2102	0	1	½	0	1	½	½	0	-	3.5	1984
67	Tasker, Michael W		ENG	2098	0	=	1	=	½	=	½	0	-	3.5	1974
68	Grigoryan, Meri	WFM	ENG	2028	=	=	=	0	1	-	-	½	½	3.5	2057
69	Grattage, Matthew		ENG	2002	½	½	0	1	0	½	0	1	0	3.5	1911
70	Murphy, Conor E		ENG	1954	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	½	0	3.5	1980
71	Matthew, Ian G		ENG	1930	0	0	½	1	½	½	1	0	-	3.5	1990
72	Taylor, Adam A		ENG	1869	½	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	1	3.5	1876
73	Balaji, Ananthanarayanan		ENG	1834	1	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	3.5	1965
74	Pena Torres, Jose Carlos		ESP	2105	0	1	1	½	0	0	0	½	0	3.0	1908
75	Olsson, Tomas		SWE	1992	0	1	0	½	½	1	0	0	0	3.0	1778
76	Taylor, Dale C		ENG	1990	0	1	0	1	0	0	½	½	0	3.0	1787
77	Taylor, Robert Graham		WLS	1957	1	0	0	1	0	½	0	½	0	3.0	1885
78	Neatherway, A Philip		ENG	1926	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3.0	1780
79	Jensen, Soren		DEN	1876	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	3.0	1767
80	Kuhendiran, Tharshan		ENG	1778	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	+	3.0	1811
81	Tarhon, Brian		ENG	1769	0	½	½	0	½	0	1	½	0	3.0	1840
82	Shepherd, Katherine M		ENG	1763	0	0	½	0	0	+	0	1	½	3.0	1810
83	Gupta, Arul		ENG	1697	0	0	½	0	1	½	0	0	1	3.0	1815
84	Collins, Andrew		ENG	1685	0	0	½	0	½	1	0	1	0	3.0	1799
85	Smith, Patrick L		ENG	0	0	0	1	=	=	0	1	0	0	3.0	1751
86	Kalaiyalahan, Akshaya		ENG	1646	1	0	0	0	1	0	½	0	0	2.5	1819
87	Bullock, Lee		ENG	1467	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	2.0	2317
88	Anderson, John		ENG	2195	½	1	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	1.5	1999
89	Kender, Robert		USA	1946	=	0	½	½	0	0	-	-	-	1.5	1813
90	Pattni, Kishan		ENG	1736	½	½	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	1.5	1712
91	Sedgwick, David R		ENG	2031	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1.0	2381
92	Bryant, Richard B E		ENG	1960	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	1	1.0	1826
93	Orishko, Ostap		UKR	1914	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1.0	1943
94	Holowczak, Alex R		ENG	1680	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1.0	2314
95	Skjolas, Erling Dyrhaug		NOR	1585	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1.0	732
96	Pitkeathly, Hamish			1470 *	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	+	1.0	850
97	Phillips, Owen S		ENG	1959	½	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	0.5	1640
98	Hewitt, Sean D		ENG	1872	-	-	-	½	-	-	-	-	-	0.5	1876
99	Flanagan, Samuel		IRL	1824	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	½	-	0.5	1738
100	Rough, Robert E		SCO	1738	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	½	0	0.5	1699
101	Shaw, Matthew H		ENG	1915	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.0	1274
102	Young, Daniel J		ENG	1770	-	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.0	0
103	Dyrhaug, Sverre S		NOR	1579	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0.0	839
103 players