"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer

Sunday 17 June 2012

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.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

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.

Monday 11 June 2012

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?

Sunday 10 June 2012

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...






Thursday 7 June 2012

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:
RkNameTiFEDRtg123456789PtsTPR
1Sumets, AndreyGMUKR259911½11½11½7.52677
2Vovk, YuriGMUKR2562½1111½1½17.52651
3Sipila, VilkaFMFIN239311½0101116.52447
4Eggleston, David JFMENG23271½1101½½16.52552
5Vovk, AndreyGMUKR25491½110½1½½6.02466
6Williams, Simon KGMENG251311½01101½6.02417
7Hebden, Mark LGMENG251211½1110½06.02536
8Collins, Sam E.IMIRL242811½01½½1½6.02438
9Cobb, JamesIMWLS2411½110½1½½16.02326
10Astaneh Lopez, AlexIMIRL24021101011½½6.02333
11Rudd, JackIMENG230510½11110½6.02378
12Brown, MartinENG218301111½½106.02434
13Hegarty, Sarah NWFMENG2062½½101½½116.02249
14Rausis, IgorGMCZE25141½1½½01½½5.52349
15Sowray, Peter JFMENG23761½10½110½5.52284
16Buckley, Graeme NIMENG2363101110½½½5.52261
17Croad, NicolasFMNZL233400½11½1½15.52079
18Berry, NeilFMSCO2308½½1½1==015.52187
19White, Michael J RFMWLS2272101½=1½015.52294
20Byron, Alan MENG21790½1110½1½5.52217
21Jaunooby, Ali RENG2158=110001115.52252
22Josse, MarkENG21310101½10115.52140
23Lim, Zhuo RenMAS209500½1111½½5.52156
24Bhatia, Kanwal KWFMENG206401101011½5.52184
25Foo, William JENG19591½01½10½15.52289
26Zhou, Yang-FanIMENG243811½100½105.02303
27Duport, NicolasSUI22141011½10½05.02292
28Walton, Alan JCMENG2179½101½10½½5.02196
29Martinsen, Stig KNOR2169011101½½05.02227
30Jackson, James PENG21211011½½0015.02269
31Moss, GuyISR1888=1½½01½105.02244
32O`Donnell, ConorIRL1860½0101101½5.02157
33Sarakauskas, GediminasIMLTU240301½11½½--4.52211
34Longson, AlexanderENG2274½11½½½½--4.52335
35Tozer, Philip A AENG2199½100½11½04.52016
36Talbot, Andrew RENG2158==1½½010½4.52053
37Burrows, Martin PENG21340½110½01½4.52086
38Pace, ColinCMMLT2128½100101½½4.52105
39Fox, AnthonyIRL21100½01½½½1½4.51942
40Lalic, Peter DENG2097101½½010½4.52268
41Goodger, MartynENG2091½½100½1½½4.52116
42Kahn, TitoJCI20850½½½½½½½14.51985
43Humphreys, Jerry GENG2080½0½½01½½14.51991
44Orishko, YaroslavUKR208001101010½4.52110
45Rizvi, NasirWLS2074=0½110½+04.51999
46Batchelor, Peter JENG2050½1½011½004.52254
47Armstrong, Malcolm JENG204010½10½½½½4.52199
48Donovan, Nigel PENG20330½1001=½14.52007
49Garnett, John SENG20081001½00114.52107
50Thompson, RobertENG1965110½½0½104.52139
51Taylor, Adam CENG194801001½½½14.51966
52McDonald, IanSCO1840=0½0111½04.52089
53McMahon, DaireFMIRL2229½100010½14.01926
54Karayiannis, CostasENG216700111=0½-4.02142
55Bennett, Dominic LENG2072½½10100104.02037
56Savage, Nicholas WENG20720½01=10104.01997
57Mihajlov, SebastianNOR2064011½0½½0½4.02033
58Waterfield, John WENG200910000½1½14.01875
59Cafolla, PeterIRL1995½½01½0½014.01994
60Stewart, AshleyENG199401½10½0014.02019
61Shepherd, DavidENG1934100½001½14.01963
62Dixit, KumarENG185810010½½½½4.02016
63Snape, Ian LENG22291=0=0=½=03.51998
64Sreeves, ClementSCO220910½1½½00-3.52029
65Akhanov, DaurenKAZ21490½00111--3.51979
66Lee, Kai Jie EdwardSIN210201½01½½0-3.51984
67Tasker, Michael WENG20980=1=½=½0-3.51974
68Grigoryan, MeriWFMENG2028===01--½½3.52057
69Grattage, MatthewENG2002½½010½0103.51911
70Murphy, Conor EENG19541010001½03.51980
71Matthew, Ian GENG193000½1½½10-3.51990
72Taylor, Adam AENG1869½½00½10013.51876
73Balaji, AnanthanarayananENG18341½00½0½½½3.51965
74Pena Torres, Jose CarlosESP2105011½000½03.01908
75Olsson, TomasSWE1992010½½10003.01778
76Taylor, Dale CENG1990010100½½03.01787
77Taylor, Robert GrahamWLS195710010½0½03.01885
78Neatherway, A PhilipENG19261000000113.01780
79Jensen, SorenDEN1876000½½01½½3.01767
80Kuhendiran, TharshanENG177810000100+3.01811
81Tarhon, BrianENG17690½½0½01½03.01840
82Shepherd, Katherine MENG176300½00+01½3.01810
83Gupta, ArulENG169700½01½0013.01815
84Collins, AndrewENG168500½0½10103.01799
85Smith, Patrick LENG0001==01003.01751
86Kalaiyalahan, AkshayaENG1646100010½002.51819
87Bullock, LeeENG1467-------112.02317
88Anderson, JohnENG2195½100-----1.51999
89Kender, RobertUSA1946=0½½00---1.51813
90Pattni, KishanENG1736½½0½000001.51712
91Sedgwick, David RENG2031--------11.02381
92Bryant, Richard B EENG1960-------011.01826
93Orishko, OstapUKR1914-------101.01943
94Holowczak, Alex RENG1680--------11.02314
95Skjolas, Erling DyrhaugNOR1585-------101.0732
96Pitkeathly, Hamish1470 *-------0+1.0850
97Phillips, Owen SENG1959½0000----0.51640
98Hewitt, Sean DENG1872---½-----0.51876
99Flanagan, SamuelIRL1824-------½-0.51738
100Rough, Robert ESCO1738-------½00.51699
101Shaw, Matthew HENG19150--------0.01274
102Young, Daniel JENG1770--0------0.00
103Dyrhaug, Sverre SNOR1579-------000.0839
103 players