 Misha Savinov |
The Mikhail Tal Memorial is expected to become the most exciting chess tournament of the year of 2006. First of all if nothing unexpected happens, if will receive the 20th category. I am not very familiar with these numbers too, so for those who share this arithmetical ignorance, my suggestion is that the Moscow tournament be compared in this regard with the Wijk an Zee event, which has a similar standard. The chief event of the chess festival organized by the Dutch steel makers was honoured with the 19th category only. So we are already ahead of them! Secondly, the tournament field. Just look at the names! A hundred percent hit! With a little bit of luck each of them may hope to win the event. Each (well, excepting Carlsen, perhaps) has had resounding victories in the past. So here there will just be no “tail” (i. e. obviously weaker participants, at whose expense the other gain points). But it is not only the purely sporting intrigue that matters: the Moscow tournament promises to become the unique event from the standpoint of creativeness. |
Needless to say, a modern grandmaster should know how to do everything in chess you got an inferior position? Well, show your sturdiness in defense! You created a weakness in your opponent’s position? Shift to the positional track! However, style peculiarities are but the extension of the player’s character and, in one way or another, they always manifest themselves. The Organizers of the Tal Memorial have been able to invite the players who are not only extremely strong, but are also very creative.
The successors to Mikhail Tal! Only non-smokers…
Peter Svidler. Was a precocious child. An erudite with truly encyclopedic knowledge in many different fields, a very nice interlocutor. In chess, enjoys dynamic positions; is an excellent “calculator”, an inventive and ingenious player. Does not shun from intuitive sacrifices…
Svidler - Volkov
Russian championship, Krasnoyarsk, 2003
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.a3 a5 7.b3 Na6 8.Be3 Rc8 9.Bd3 Ne7
The former Russian Champ. Sergei Volkov has played this opening all his mature years and the theory of this specific line is mainly based on his games.
10.0–0 Nf5 11.Bxf5 exf5 12.Re1 c4?! It appears that Black is not quite happy about his position, so, instead of blockading the e-pawn, he starts active operations on the Q-side. Svidler responds without delay.
13.bxc4! Rxc4 14.e6!
The first intuitive sacrifice whose outcome is impossible to calculate. Peter, however, makes it from the general considerations: Black is deprived of castling, while the White pieces come into play – which he finds sufficient.
14...Bxe6 15.Ne5 Rc7 16.Qa4+ Kd8 17.c4!?
White follows the “all out” principle. The less committing 17.Nd2 Rxc3 18.Ndf3! would maintain the initiative, but the game evolves according to the laws of its own – both sides willingly committing themselves to the utmost.
17...f6 18.c5 Qb2
19. Nd3! Svidler is sacrificing (again intuitively!) a Rook, and while Black takes some time to feed and then to find a way out from the canteen, the White pieces advance to the optimal attacking positions. The extra Black Rook on h8 will not make its appearance from that quiet haven in a hurry.
19…Qxa1 20.Qxa5 Black is faced with a very difficult choice, so it is no wonder that, in a sea of variations, Volkov fails to find the best line for him. The unexpected retreat of the Bishop to protect the Knight on a6 would, with the best play for both sides, lead to a complicated position with mutual chances. However, White would have retained the initiative in that case, too: 20. … Bc8!? (indicated by Svidler) 21. Nd2 b6! (Black responds similarly also to 21.Nc3 – 21…b6! 22.cxb6 Qxc3 23.bxc7+ Qxc7) 22.cxb6 Qxa3 23.bxc7+ Nxc7 24.Qb6 Qa6 25.Qb1.
20…Qa2?! 21.Bf4 Qc4 22.Nb4! Svidler is up to the mark! Black starts to give back the material he has gained.
22...Ke8 (he could not protect the Rook by 22...Qxd4 23.Nxa6 Qxf4, for after 24. g3! White wins the Queen and the game: 24…bxa6 25.gxf4 Bf7 26.c6+-) 23.Bxc7 Kf7 24.Qb6 Bc8 25.Nxa6 Qxa6 26.Qxa6 bxa6 27.Nc3 Be6 28.Rb1. The Queens have been exchanged and, with equal forces, White wins thanks to his lead in development. Volkov hates to resign prematurely, but there is no escape for him.
28…Be7 29.Rb7 Re8 30.f3 g5 31.Ra7 f4 32.Bd6 Kf8 33.Rxa6 Bxd6 34.Rxd6 Bf7 35.Nxd5 35...Re1+ 36.Kf2 Rc1 37.Ke2 Rc2+ 38.Kd1 Rxg2 39.c6 Bh5! 40.c7 Bxf3+ 41.Kc1 Rg1+ 42.Kd2 Rg2+ 43.Ke1 Re2+ 44.Kf1 Rc2 45.Rd8+ Kf7 46.c8Q Rxc8 47.Rxc8 Bxd5 48.a4+- Ke6 49.a5 Kd7 50.Rc3 Bb7 51.Rb3 Ba6+ 52.Kf2 f5 53.Rb6 Bc8 54.d5 Black resigns.
Alexander Morozevich. One of the most unusual players of our time – his moves are often not understood even by the strongest of his colleagues. Advocates non-conventional openings; an extremely popular blitz player; a clever and sincere annotator. And with all his strategic ingenuity – a brilliant tactician!
Morozevich - Alekseev
Russian Team Championship, Sochi, 2004.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.Qe2!?
Morozevich leaves the well-trodden path to go where Tao is calling him. The more frequently played move is 9. Nd5, out the arising positions have already stuck in one’s teeth. Now, however, both players are left to their own devices – and Alexander is undoubtedly glad of this circumstance.
9...0–0 10.0–0–0 Na5 11.Nc5 Bc4 12.Qe1 Qc7 13.Nb3 Nxb3+ 14.axb3 Be6 Black keeps the Bishop for the attack. Should he have exchanged it, he would simply have ar slightly inferior position. Now, however, he has a clear-cut plan of a Q-side attack, taking advantage of the irregularities in the pawn wall in front of the White King.
15.g4 Rfc8 16.g5 Nd7?! Eugeny errs with choosing the place for his Knight – the eternal headache in the Naidorf. 16. … Nh5 would, of course, be safer.
17.Kb1 a6 18.h4 Qc6 19.Rh2 b5 20.h5 Bd8? (White keeps the advantage in the event of 20...Nb6 21.g6 h6 22.gxf7+ Kxf7 23.Qg3, but it is thus that Black should have played) 21.g6 Ba5 22.Qh4 Bxc3
23. h6! Not counting the pieces! The move is indicated by the computer, too – the White attack can be calculated up to the fatal denouement for the Black monarch
23...fxg6 (23...Bxb2? 24.gxh7+ Kh8 25.hxg7+ Kxg7 26.h8Q+ Rxh8 27.Qg5+ Kf8 28.Rxh8#; 23...hxg6 24.hxg7 Kxg7 25.Qh6+ Kf6 26.Bg5#) 24.hxg7 h5 25.Qg5 Kxg7 26.bxc3 Bf7 27.Qh6+ Kg8
A company of submachine-gunners is now engaged in battle!
28.Rxh5! gxh5 29.Bxb5! axb5 30.Rg1+ Bg6 31.Qxg6+ Kf8 32.Qg8+. Black resigns.
Levon Aronian. Having won several very important contests one by one, he burst like a meteor in the chess elite. Perhaps in this respect Levon would be able to compete with Mikhail Tal himself! A brilliant tactician and a subtle strategist; also, an excellent chess psychologist. He is also a born optimist, and has an exceptional sense of humor.
Aronian - Popov
“Aeroflot-open 2005” Moscow
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6.c5 g6 7.Qb3 a5 8.Ne5 Bg7
“At this point the girl whom I liked entered the hall, so, to impress her, I played 9.Nxb5!” (L. Aronian)
9…cxb5 10.Bxb5+ Kf8 11.0–0 Ba6 12.a4 Ne4 13.Nd3 Bb7 14.f3 Nf6 15.Ne5 Qc7 16.Bd2 h5 17.c6 Bc8 18.e4
By provoking White to play 12. a4 the grandmaster from St. Petersburg has made himself safe from the Q-side advance of the White pawns. However, unimpressed, Aronian switches to central operations. The extra Black Knight is getting bored in the stable – it has no good prospects in sight.
18…Qb6 19.Be3 Be6 20.Rac1 Na6
21.f4 Aronian judiciously refuses to capture on d5. The resulting tactical storm would leave Black some hope: 21…Bxd5! (21…Nxd5 22.Qxd5!) 22.Qxd5 Nxd5 23.Nd7+ Kg8 24.Nxb6 Nxb6, and there is no 25.c7 due to 25…Nxc7! 26.Rxc7 Nd5! (Notkin).
21…Nc7 22.f5 gxf5 23.exf5 Bc8 24.Rc5 Ba6 25.Bg5! Bc8 (it has to come back) 26.Kh1 Nxe4? This leads to the loss, whereas after 26…Ng4 the life was just beginning. However, even in this case White has no reason to be sad. Now an amazing finale follows.
27.Bxe7+!! Kxe7 28.Rxd5 Nxd5 29.Qxd5 Ng5 30.Nxg6+!! (decisively clearing space for checking with the ‘straight’ pieces) 30…fxg6. To the extra knight he had, Black has added a Bishop and a Rook. However, checkmate is more important.
31.Re1+ Be6 32.Rxe6+ Kf8 33.Qd6+ Kg8 34.Bc4 Kh7 35.Re7 gxf5 36.Qf6 Rhg8 37.Qxg5 Black resigns.
Boris Gelfand. Chivalrous behavior over the board and beyond, high cultural level and decency have won universal respect for the once Byelorussian and now Israeli Grandmaster. A great master of playing with pieces, in his striving for the initiative he does not stop when it is necessary to sacrifice. He handles very well positions with disturbed equilibrium.
Gelfand - Piket
Amsterdam, 1996
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bb4 6.e3 b5 7.Bd2 a5 8.axb5 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 cxb5 10.b3 Bb7 11.d5
The sharp Noteboom variation has been played, in which Black gets a far advanced pawn pair on the Q-side, whereas White looks for his fortune in the centre and on the K-side. The more popular move here is 11.bxc4, but the move in the game has also been played repeatedly.
11…Nf6 12.bxc4 b4 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qa4+ Nd7 15.Nd4 e5 16.Nb3 Ke7 17.Be2 “White’s idea consists in using the long-term factors: the strong pawn centre, the uncastled opponent’s King and the bad Bishop on b7. Of course, Black has his trumps, too, viz. the Pawn past a5-b4. White can only hope that the opponent will lack one tempo – as indeed happened in the game…” (B. Gelfand).
17…Rhc8 18.Rd1 Nc5 19.Nxc5 Rxc5 20.0–0
Now White is ready to launch an attack. The price of a move in a position as sharp as this is very high, and Black is the first to go astray by unhappily placing his Rook.
20…Ra6 21. Qc2! (improving the position of the Queen) 21…a4 22.f4 b3 23.Qe4 Kd6 24.Qxh7 e4 25.Qxe4 a3 “If there were no Kings on the board, Black could confidently look to his future” (B. Gelfand).
26.Qd3 b2
27.Qb3! Bc8 28.Qb8+ Kd7 29.Bg4+ Kd8 30.d6 a2 31.d7 Black resigns.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. The Azeri grandmaster is not spoilt by fame. He is distinguished by his phenomenally fast and accurate calculation, entirely concrete and aggressive style of play a good-natured character. Very keen on playing blitz, he can play hours and even days on end…
Mamedyarov - Kristjansson
European Team Championship, Goteborg, 2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0–0 5.Bg2 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0–0 Nb6 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.d5 Na5 10.Qc2 Bd7 11.Rd1 Qc8 12.b3 (Mamedyarov’s novelty, the main ideas of which were realized in the actual game) 12…c6
13.d6! exd6 14.Ba3 c5 15.Rxd6 Playing against the misplaced Knight on a5.
15...Re8 16.Rad1 Bf5 17.Qc1 c4 18.b4 Nc6 19.b5 Ne5 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.R6d2 a6 22.bxa6 Rxa6 23.Bb2 Ra5. It would seem that Black has managed to disentangle himself, but he is going to be surprised…
24. Rd6! The exchange is sacrificed to gain control of the a1-h8 diagonal!
24...Bxd6 (on 24...Nd7 White plays 25.R6d5; in the event of 24...Qc7, 25.Qe3 Nc8 26.R6d5 leads to a big advantage) 25.Rxd6 Qc7 26.Qf4 Rae5 27.Qd4 Nc8 28.Rd5 f6 29.f4 R5e6 30.Rc5 Qd6 31.Bd5 Kg7 32.Nb5 Qd8? After this mistake White wins by force, but even the more stubborn defense, e. g. 32… Qb6!, would hardly change the outcome of the game.
33.Bxe6 Bxe6 34.Rc7+ Bf7 35.Qxc4 Re7
36.Bxf6+! Kxf6 37.Qc3+ Kf5 38.Nd4+. Black resigns.
Alexei Shirov. An “official” successor to Tal. He is exceptionally resourceful both in attack and in defense. In striving for the initiative he sometimes overreaches himself, but, as a rule, succeeds in getting away with it. When Shirov is in shape no one is able to withstand the extreme tension one experiences when playing him.
Shirov - Topalov
Sarajevo, 2000
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 a6 8.c4!? f5 9.Nc3 Bf6 10.Qd2 c5 11.d5 0–0 12.0–0–0 e5 13.h4 b5!
Topalov is in a haste to open up the game, whereupon his Bishops will be a telling factor. White urgently needs to start concrete operations.
14.d6!
14. … Nc6? Black underestimates the extent to which his d-pawn is doomed! His Knight is heading for d4, but White manages to “throw” his Queen and Knight in the opponent’s territory, playing now at maximum stakes.
15.d7! Bb7 16.Qd6 e4 17.Nd5 Bg7 18.Ng5 Nd4
19.Ne7+ Kh8 20.Rh3! f4 (not letting the Rook to come to g3) 21.Kb1 (prophylaxis! – White is preparing to bring in his reserves) 21… b4
22.Be2!! The decisive enhancement of his attacking potential. Black’s position is collapsing. If he captures the Bishop, then 23.Qxc5 with the deadly threat of Qf5 wins, while after 23…f5 White wins by 24.Ne6.
22…f3 23.gxf3 Nxe2 24.Qxc5 Nf4 25.Qf5 Ng6 26.h5! (the last finesse) 26…Qxe7 27.hxg6 Black resigns.
Alexander Grischuk. A superb tactician, he is especially good in double-edged positions. Under no circumstances does he lose heart. The World Blitz Champion. Enjoys card games very much.
Grischuk - Ponomariov
Wijk an Zee, 2005
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 Nf6 8.f3 Qb6 9.g4 Nc6 10.Nb3 e6 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.Be3 b5 13.0–0–0 Nd7 14.Qf2 Be7 15.g5 Nce5 16.a3 Rb8 17.Rg1 Nb6 It becomes clear that the slow plan of fortifying his Q-side adopted by Ponomariov poses no special problem for his opponent.
18.f4 Nec4 19.Bxc4 Nxc4 20.Bd4 0–0. Possibly, Black deemed that his position is solid enough, but Grischuk’s next move on the whole finishes the game.
21.Bf6! White’s plan is simple – he wants to transfer his Rook to h3 and checkmate the enemy King. It turns out that Black has nothing to counter that plan.
21...Bb7 (there is no time for 21...b4 – 22.axb4 Rxb4 23.Rd3 Bd8 24.Rh3 Qb6 25.Bd4 Qb7 26.Qh4 h6 27.Bxg7+-) 22.Rd3 Rfc8 23.Rh3 Kf8 (also hopeless is 23...gxf6 24.gxf6+ Kf8 25.Rxh7 Bxf6 26.Qg3 d5 (26...Ke7 27.Rxf7+ Kxf7 28.Qg6+ Kf8 29.Qg8+ Ke7 30.Qh7+ Kd8 31.Rg8#) 27.Qg8+ Ke7 28.Qxf7+ Kd6 29.Qxf6 Qxh7 30.Rg7 Qxg7 31.Qxg7+-) 24.Rxh7 Ke8 25.Bxg7 Kd7 26.g6 White collects the harvest and confidently brings the game to victory.
26...a5 27.gxf7 Bf8 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.Rd1 Bc8 30.f5 e5 31.Nd5. Black resigns.
Magnus Carlsen. Unique memory, lucid mind, enormous love for the game and just as enormous love for friendly companies. The Norwegian prodigy is striding along in the life, laughing. The Moscow tournament will be the first serious trial for him.
Carlsen - Nikolic
Wijk an Zee, 2005
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 c4 6.b3 cxb3 7.axb3 Bb4 8.Ne5!? Ne7 9.Bd3 Nbc6 10.0–0 Carlsen never shies from sacrificing a pawn to gain a couple of tempi.
10… Bc3 Capturing the centre pawn, Black falls behind in development.
11.Ra4! Bxd4 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.Ba3! Be6 14.Nf3 Bb6?! 15.Qa1! Qc7 16.b4!?
16…f6? Letting slip his last chance to castle short. After 16…0-0 White has good compensation for the pawn with rich possibilities of piece play, but objectively the game is balanced.
17.Re1 Kf7 18.b5 Na5 19.Qd1! This quiet retreat of the Queen to its original square poses insurmountable problems for Black.
19. … Rae8
20. Ng5! This elegant sacrifice is the coup de grace. 20...fxg5 21.Qf3+ Kg8 22.Rxe6. Black resigns.
However, in keeping with the tenets of the chess dialectics, no tournament can only be composed of romantic players. The organizers have allowed for this, too. Without Botvinnik there would not be Tal – each creator needs a severe critic.
Ruslan Ponomariov. A prodigy who persistently strived to attain his objective. When Ruslan had become the youngest ever World Champion in chess history, his punch grew weaker, but in the last year or two we have more and more often seen the former Ponomariov – a subtle positional player, tenacious defender, who is always ready to criticize his opponent’s plans, and punish him for any inaccuracy; an enduring indomitable fighter.
Ponomariov-Kramnik
Sofia, 2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 g5 7.Bg3 Nh5 8.e3 Nxg3 9.hxg3 Bg7 10.Qc2 Nc6 11.0–0–0 Qe7 12.g4 Nb4 13.Qd2 c5 14.d5 exd5 15.a3
15…dxc4?! Kramnik is offering a piece, getting by way of compensation a formidable pawn steamroller and also disrupting the coordination of the White pieces. However, Ponomariov remains cool and proves that Black has no full compensation for the piece he has given up.
16.axb4! cxb4 17.Nb5 d5 18.Nbd4 Bf6 19.e4! White also can play against the enemy King!
19...c3 20.bxc3 dxe4 21.Nf5 Qc7
22. Bb5+? Giving the opponent a chance. Much stronger is 22.Nd6+! Kf8 23.Nxb7 exf3 (23...Qxb7 24.Qd6+ Kg7 25.Nd4 bxc3 26.Nf5+ Kg6 27.Qh2 h5 28.Rd6+-) 24.Qd6+ Qxd6 25.Nxd6 Bxc3 26.gxf3 a5 27.Bc4 with a serious advantage.
22…Kf8 23. N3d4 Rc8? Black misses his chance to come back into the fight: 23...a6!? 24.Be2 bxc3 25.Qa2 Rd8, and nothing is clear yet.
24.Ne2 e3 25.Qxe3 Bxg2 26.Rhg1 Bc6 27.Bxc6 Qxc6 28.Rd6! Qa4 29.Rxf6 Qa1+ 30.Kd2 Qa2+ 31.Kd1 Re8 32.Qd3 Qa4+
33. Qc2! Ponomariov is returning one of the extra pieces, transposing to a won ending.
33...Qxc2+ 34.Kxc2 Rxe2+ 35.Kb3 bxc3 36.Rd1 Rd2 37.Rc1 c2 38.Rc6 Kg8 39.Nxh6+ Kh7 40.Nxf7 Rg8 41.R1xc2 Rxc2 42.Kxc2 Rg7 43.Rf6 Kg8 44.Ne5 Kh7 45.Rf5. Black resigns.
Peter Leko. A surprising player who has had very few Tal style wins so far. Peter tends so carefully to deprive his opponent of any counterchances that he is quite able, in searching for a positional solution, to go past the possibility to checkmate by force. A player who plays “correctly”, a player experienced and strong, he is an extremely difficult opponent for any contender.
Leko - Bologan
Wijk an Zee, 2004
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Ng5 Ngf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Qc7 11.0–0 b6 12.Qg4 Kf8 13.b3 Bb7 14.Bb2 Nf6 15.Qh4 c5 16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Bxf6 gxf6!? Bologan is striving for the initiative! By 17…Bxf3 18.Bd4 Qh5! he could reach endgame where White would only have a slight advantage.
18.Qf6 Qh5! Black pieces are ominously overhanging the White King’s shelter…
19.Rfe1 Hardly did Leko calculate the variations arising from 15.Qxh8+ Ke7 20. Bg6! In the ensuing complicated fighting White retains the material advantage, but Black has sufficient compensation. The Hungarian Grandmaster plays the quiet move with his Rook after which Bologan may by force reach a roughly even endgame: 19…Bxf3 20.Qxf2 Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 Qxf3, etc. However, Black prefers to continue attacking…
19…Rg8?! 20.Be4 Rxg2+? This sacrifice is refuted quite simply.
21.Kxg2 Qg4+ 22.Kh1 Bxe4
23.Rxe4 Giving back the extra material, Leko obtains an entirely won position, the Black King succumbing to the White counterattack.
23…Qxe4 24.Re1 Qh7 25.Nd4 Ke8 26.Nxe6 Kd7 27.Qf3 Rb8 28.Nd4 Rc8 29.Qh3+ f5 30.Nxf5. Black resigns.
Eight creators and two critics – such is the pre-start setting – as intricate as the Tal-Keller game. One cannot predict who will be the winner; besides, this is not too interesting. It is much better to make oneself comfortable at the internet displays, cover oneself with a plaid, make a nice cup of coffee and just follow the games being played. Do not refuse yourself this pleasure.
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