Selection of games from La Roda



La Roda came to a finish yesterday with some sort of a surprise, two relatively unknown IMs (Guerra Mendez from Cuba and Ramiro Ovejero from Spain) tieing for 1st prize with 7.5 points each from 9 games. Guerra won on tiebreak. Congrats! Six grandmasters followed closely behind, each with 7 points.


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Selection of key games from La Roda

gm Peralta,F – Garcia Giminez
Roda 2017
Perez Gisbert,S – gm Moreno,J
La Roda 2017
Diez Fraile,D – gm Peralta,F
La Roda 2017

A typical early round in an Open tournament. Peralta emerges from the Grunfeld with a passed d-pawn, which his opponent does not take measures to blockade. The game ends abruptly when Black tries some tricks that backfire.
Moreno is an excellent tactician! Emerging from the opening with the more active game, Moreno quickly starts attacking his opponent’s King. Once he succeeds in placing a piece on f3, it only requires a few more moves to bring an end to the game.
The Argentine star Peralta is one of the world’s experts on the Modern Defence. Here he gives his opponent a lesson on the virtues of the Modern. Breaking open with c5, Black quickly gets the upper hand. A trick soon wins material.



im Ramiro Ovejero – gm Peralta,F
La Roda 2017
gm Korneev,O – Donado Gomez
La Roda 2017
gm Candelario,M – Garcia Diaz
La Roda 2017

An important win for Peralta, but it is surprising that his opponent finished the tournament a half point ahead of him! In any case, a very nice game by Black, building up pressure and winning because of a pin along the h1-a8 diagonal.
Grandmaster Korneev is one of the most successful and consistent tournament players in the world. Here he gets an edge from the opening and then nurses it along in true ‘Russian School’ fashion! Logic, Comrade!
A classical win against a slightly dubious opening variation. Noteworthy is how White kept developing his initiative right from the opening, finally getting the 2 bishops and the rest was technique!



Iruzubieta – Del Amo,J
La Roda 2017
gm Baklan,V – Iruzubieta
La Roda 2017
gm Vorobiov,E – im Pilgaard,K
La Roda 2017

This is a really nice positional game! White comes out of the opening with a slight edge, and then makes considerable headway by employing Capa’s strategy of a series of selective exchanges. The ending is hopeless for Black
The best played game of the tournament? Yes! A complicated and delicate opening. Baklan then tries to attack on the Kingside. Black seems to be having everything under control, but then lets White play a brilliant forcing combination.
A masterly played game!
accumulates small positional advantages á la Steinitz,depriving his opponent of any counterplay. The ending is hopeless. You can always tell a well played game by its simplicity.


Winner of the tournament, Jose Guerra Mendez

im Guerra Mendez – gm Baklan
La Roda Round 6

im Guerra Mendez – gm Forcen
La Roda Round 8
White to play and win!