Smooth take-off for Aeroflot
By Malcolm Pein

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
February 17, 2005, Thursday

THE leading players were on their mettle in the first round of the
Aeroflot Open at Moscow.

Etienne Bacrot of France and Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk scored
comfortable victories. Of the top seeds only Ivanchuk’s Ukrainian
team mate, former Fide champion Ruslan Ponomariov, was unable to
secure the full point against Dragan Solak of Yugoslavia.

One previous winner, Grigory Kaidanov of the USA, was outplayed by
Alberto David of Luxembourg.

The total prize fund is $175,000, with $30,000 going to the winner.

Tigran Petrosian of Armenia did well at the last world junior but he
clearly does not have the solid style of his Armenian namesake and
former world champion.

A. Naiditsch – T. Petrosian

Aeroflot Open (1)

Sicilian Defence

1 e4c5 2Ne2d6

3 d4cxd4 4Nxd4Nf6

5 f3e5 6Nb3d5

7 Bg5Be6 8Bxf6gxf6

9 exd5Bxd510Nc3Bb4

11 Qd3Bxc3+12Qxc3Be6

13 Bb5+Kf814Nc5Kg7

15 f4!exf4160-0Qb6

17 Rxf4Rc818b4Kg8

19 Qxf6!Qxb520Qg5+Kh8

21 Nxe6Qxg522Nxg5Nc6

23 Rxf7Re824Rxb7h5

25 h4andWhitewon.

Petrosian

Naiditsch

Position after 25.h4

THE local IM Richard Palliser of York Railway Institute Chess Club
completed a comfortable victory at the 18th Fulprint York Congress
last month; 238 players competed in another well-attended weekend
congress in the north of England. Not even Palliser could secure the
special prize of pounds 250 for scoring 5/5, but 42 players shared a
generous prize fund of more than pounds 2,000. Peter Gayson took the
qualifying place for the 2005 Smith & Williamson British
Championship.

Open: (50 players) – 1 IM Richard Palliser (York RI) 4=/5, 2-4 David
Adams (York), Peter Gayson (Bradford), Robert Shaw (High Peak) 4.

Major: BCF U161 (46 players) – 1 Martin Carpenter (York RI) 4=/5.

Intermediate: BCF U131 (57 players) – 1 Richard Desmedt (Netherton)
4=/5.

Minor: BCF U101 (85 players) – 1 Kevin Wilson (Darlington) 4=/5.