CHESS TODAY CELEBRATES
Washington Post
Monday, September 17, 2007; Page C10
United States
"Chess is an art and should be played in a creative way," opined Czech
President Vaclav Klaus during his visit to the Czech Coal Carlsbad
tournament, played under his auspices. The president presented Viktor
Korchnoi, 76, with the Chess Legend Award and stayed on for four hours
to follow the first-round games. The eight-grandmaster tournament was
a centennial celebration of the great 1907 event in the popular Czech
spa. It was also 100 years ago that the idea of creating a tournament
world championship, similar to the current FIDE world championship
underway in Mexico City, was considered.
The Carlsbad tournament finished Saturday as follows: Ruslan Ponomariov
(Ukraine) and Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia), 4 1/2 points in seven games;
Vladimir Akopian (Armenia) and the Czech David Navara, 4 points;
Alexei Shirov (Spain), 3 1/2 points; Jan Timman (the Netherlands) and
the Czech Viktor Laznicka, 3 points; Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland),
1 1/2 points.
Navara, who defeated England’s Nigel Short 7-3 in a match earlier
this month in Prague, was in great position to win in Carlsbad. But in
the penultimate round he blundered a piece in a winning position and
lost to Movsesian. Ponomariov’s last-round victory against Laznicka
helped him to share first place.
Laznicka-Ponomariov
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 (Laznicka’s pet variation against the Grunfeld
defense.) 3…d5 (In her well-researched book "Play the Grunfeld" the
Greek international master Yelena Dembo recommends the Adorjan gambit,
3…e5 4.dxe5 Nh5, as an equalizing line. Her book, recently issued
by Everyman Chess, offers a fresh, succinct look at the aggressive
defense from the black side.) 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3
0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 f5 10.h4 fxe4 11.h5 gxh5 12.Rxh5 Bf5 13.Rg5
Bg6 14.Be2 e5 15.d5 Nd4 16.fxe4 c6 17.dxc6 (The recommended 17.Nf3
is best met by the sharp 17…cxd5!, for example 18.Nxe5 Nxe2+ 19.
Qxe2 Bxe5 20.Rxe5 Qc7 21.Bd4 dxe4 with roughly equal
chances.) 17…Nxc6 18.Qe1 Qf6 19.Qg3 Nd4!?
(Ponomariov’s improvement on the game Laznicka-Krasenkow, Ostrava 2007,
where after 19…Rad8 20.Nf3 white was slightly better.) 20.Bh5 Bxh5
21.Rxh5 Rac8 22.Kb1? (Allowing a decisive exchange sacrifice. White
should have played 22.Bh6!?, although after 22…Qg6 23.Qxg6 hxg6
24.Bxg7 gxh5 25.Bxf8 Rxf8, black’s position is more pleasant.)
22…Rxc3!! (A smashing sacrifice, leading to an unstoppable
attack.) 23.bxc3 Na4! (Threatening 24…Qb6+.) 24.Bxd4 exd4 25.Kc2
(After 25.cxd4 Qb6+ 26.Qb3+ Qxb3+ 27.axb3 Nc3+ 28.Kc1 Nxd1 29.Kxd1
Rf1+ black wins.) 25…Qf7 (25…Qb6! was a faster way to victory,
with the idea 26.Rb1 Rf2+! 27.Qxf2 d3+ winning the queen.) 26.Rxd4
(26.Rd5 does not help either because of 26…Nxc3 27.R1xd4 Nxd5
28.Rxd5 Qf1 29.Nf3 Rc8+ 30.Kd2 Kh8 31.Rd6 Bb2! threatening 32…Bc1
mate.) 26…Qxa2+ 27.Kd3 Qb1+ 28.Kd2 Qb2+ (Black wins either after
29.Ke3 Qc1+ 30.Rd2 Qxg1+; or after 29.Ke1 Qc1+ 30.Rd1 Rf1+ 31.Kxf1
Qxd1+ 32.Kf2 Qxh5.) White resigned.