New York Times
May 24 2009
Azerbaijan vs. the World, and a Rout Ensues
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN
Published: May 23, 2009
If the people of Azerbaijan felt the whole chess world was against
them this month, they had a right to do so.
On May 7-9, a team from Azerbaijan played eight rounds against a squad
of competitors from around the world. On paper, it was not an unfair
match: Azerbaijan’s team had three of the world’s top 20 players ‘
Teimour Radjabov (No. 5), Vugar Gashimov (No. 16) and Shakhriyar
Mamedyarov (No. 20).
But the world team was even more impressive, with Viswanathan Anand of
India (No. 2), Vladimir Kramnik of Russia (No. 4), Alexei Shirov of
Spain (No. 13) and Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine (No. 23).
The final result was a lopsided 21.5 to 10.5 in favor of the world.
In 1970, the Soviet Union played a similar match. It had an even
deeper talent pool because it included players from Azerbaijan,
Ukraine, Armenia, the Baltic states and Russia. The Soviets took on a
world team headed by Bent Larsen of Denmark and Bobby Fischer of the
United States. Boris Spassky, then the world champion, and four former
world champions were on the Soviet team, which won 20.5 to 19.5.
In 1984, the Soviet Union again took on the world, eking out a
21-to-19 victory.
Eighteen years later, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, a
Russian-only team faced the world. This time, the international team
triumphed, 52 to 48.
In the match against Azerbaijan, the star of the world team was
Kramnik, who scored 6.5 out of 8. In the last round, he won an
exciting, error-filled game against Mamedyarov.
In an unusual line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Kramnik ended up
with the bishop pair and a cramped position.
Kramnik’s 23 … Qh4 and 24 … Qg4 were bold, but speculative. His 25
… Bd4 was a mistake; he should have played 25 … Rf3. But
Mamedyarov missed 26 Re6, threatening 27 Rg6.
Mamedyarov also missed 30 Rh4 Qg5 31 Rd1 Raf8 32 d6 R8f2 33 Kh3 Rf3 34
Qe6 Kh8 35 Qe8 Kg7 36 Qe7 Rf7 37 Qg5 hg5 38 Rf1 Rf1 39 Re4 Rb1 40 d7
Bb6 41 Re6 Rd1 42 Rb6, which is winning for White.
White should have agreed to a draw by repeating the position with 36
Ke2, though he was not losing after 38 bc3. He should have played 39
Rd1 Qg2 40 Kb3 Bf4 41 gf4 ed5 42 Nd6, with chances for both sides.
White’s critical error was 47 Kc1 instead of 47 Ka1. From there,
Kramnik played carefully to stop White from checking his king with his
bishop, which would have allowed him to promote his e pawn and to
advance his queenside pawns.
Hikaru Nakamura is the new United States champion. He won the title
last weekend at an invitational tournament in St. Louis. It is
Nakamura’s second title; he also won in 2004. Robert Hess, a junior at
Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, tied for second with Alexander
Onischuk, a former champion.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
