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Some positions from round 1

by kevinspraggettonchess · September 21, 2010

SPRAGGETT ON CHESS

The 2010 Chess Olympiad takes place from September 21st to October 3rd in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. The format is an 11-round Swiss System team event, in which each team has four players with one reserve.Time control: 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds/move as of move one. Game start: rounds 1-10 at 9 AM UTC (5 AM New York / 2 AM Pacific daylight), and round 11 at 5 AM UTC (1 AM New York / 10 PM Pacific daylight) Live games can be followed at the link above.

The 1st round of this Olympiad saw a lot of mis-matches. Normal, ofcourse, when swiss pairings are used. (Tomorrow the games will be tougher) There were very few surprises, and a lot of blow-outs. Below are 8 interesting examples from the games played.

Note: I have been informed that some of the games from the first round might have been mixed up with respect to names. When I have more information I will inform you.

POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 19th MOVE (19.f4?!):

JUDY POLGAR

SAMHOURI

The typical ‘master vs amateur’ scenario: White has played the opening optimistically and made too many pawn moves. Black has all of his pieces in play. White now thinks that he is going to win the Bishop on g6 (19…Knight moves, 20.f5) However, Judy Polgar saw all this coming and had prepared a very unpleasant surprise for her opponent:

19… Nd5!! Beautiful! Now Black wins almost by force: 20. exd5 Bxc2 21. Qe2 Nd3! White is paralyzed! 22. Nf3 Nxf4! 23. Qh2 Nd3 24. Re2 Bd1 [0:1]
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POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 21st MOVE:

RUIZ BLAIS

A.GRIGORYAN

Black got caught in his opponent’s opening preparation and has been defending the whole time. White’s concentration of pieces on the King side is motive enough for a sacrificial breakthru:

22. Qxh6! Nc7 (taking the Knight on f3 is met the same way) 23. Nf6 [1:0] It is forced mate.
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POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 22nd MOVE:

TEERAPABPAISIT

GM PANTSULAIA

Black seems solid enough, but White has a move that wins a pawn.

23. Ncxe4! (Hitting the nail on the head. The Black Knight on c7 is not defended sufficiently) 23…Nxe4 24. Nxe4 Ne8 25. Nc5 Nxd6 [1:0]

Black resigned without waiting for White’s move. After 26.NxR and 27. Bxd5 (followed soon by Rc7) Black will find himself completely helpless to the advance of White’s pawns.

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POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 16th MOVE:

GM FLORES

KOJIMA

This game is worth playing over! The Argentine GM Diego Flores was a big favourite against the unknown and lowly ranked Kojima. But it was not Diego’s day: he misplayed the opening and now finds himself about to get crushed. His opponent does not give him a chance to get back into the game:

17. Rxe5! Very nice! Black was hoping that the Rook would retreat, after which Black can still fight with …e4. Now Black will have to give up his King Bishop, leaving his King vulnerable along the long diagonal a1-h8

17…Bxe5 18. Nxe5 Qxb5? 19. Qb2 Bxc4

NOW WHITE HAS MATE IN 2

GM FLORES

KOJIMA

20. Nf7 double check 1-0. Diego does not want to see the next move!

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POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 24th MOVE:

BAULES

GM BOLOGAN

A simple enough trick, but pretty anyway! The theme is the undefended Queen on d6. Do you see White’s next move?

25. Nxh7! Black resigns (mostly out of respect, but he is VERY lost in any case)

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POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 19th MOVE:

ROSENBEIGER

GM SERGEI ZHIGALKO

This game reminds me of the last game of the 1978 World Championship match between Karpov and Korchnoi. Black seems solid enough, but White’s superiority in development allows a pawn breakthru in the centre followed by a blitz attack against an unsuspecting (and helpless) King.

20. e5! dxe5 21. Rh4! Nh5?

A mistake, but the position can not be held for long. If Black had tried the desperate 21…Bh8!? then simply 22.Ne5 brings all of White’s pieces to bear against the King side.

ROSENBEIGER

GM ZHIGALKO

22.Rxh5! Kaput. Black resigns. If he recaptures the Rook then 23.Qg5 is mating

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GM Yifan Hou moments before play begins

POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 21st MOVE:

TERAO

GM YIFAN HOU

All of White’s pieces are hungrily looking towards Black’s Kingside. The young Chinese star finds the way to brutally press home her advantage:

22.Nxh7! Ofcourse! If Black takes the Knight then 23.Qg6ch forces mate. 22…Re7 (as good as any, I suppose) 23. Qxg6 Black resigns. It is soon mate.
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GM Bu in action!

POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 37th MOVE:

Tologontegin

GM BU

This is a really nice finish! It seems as though Black is resisting: if White takes the Rook on d5 then Black captures White’s Rook. In the meantime, The White Knight on f6 is enprise. What does White do? The key to understanding this position is that the Black King is more vulnerable than the White counterpart. The solution is both surprising and artistic!

38. Rxe6!!

A move of rare beauty! If Black now takes the Rook then 39. Qg6 is immediately decisive. Now what is Black to do about the threat of 39.Re8ch ?

38… Rg5 as good as any 39. Qe4 [1:0]

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