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Chess Informant 89 Reviewed By Prof. Nagesh Havanur
Discerning readers of the Informant have observed its increasing preoccupation with opening theory in recent years. Almost every theoretical novelty played by professionals and amateurs alike is included here. While all of them may not stand the test of time the recognition of such innovation is praiseworthy. The following game is of some theoretical importance: Kramnik-Anand 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Bg5 Be6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Qd3 Nc6 11.0-0-0 Be7
11...Nd4 is a reasonable alternative. 12.Kb1 0-0 13.Nd5 Bg5 14.h4 Bxh4 15.g3 15.f4?! exf4 16.Nxf4 Re8 17.Nxe6 Rxe6 18.Qh3 Rh6 is good for Black. 15...Bf6 Not 15...Be7? 16.f4 with attack. 16.Qf3 16.f4 h6 is unclear. 16...Bg5
16...h6? 17.Nxf6+ (Not 17.Rxh6 gxh6 18.Nxf6+ Kg7) 17...Qxf6 18.Qxf6 gxf6 19.Rxd6 Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.c3 Kg7 22.Nc5 White is better. 17.Qh5 h6 Not 17...Bh6? 18.f4 with initiative. 18.f4 Bf6 19.Nd2 Better is 19.c3 Bxd5 20.exd5 Ne7 21.Nd2 exf4 22.gxf4 Ng6 23.Rdg1 Qe7! with an unclear position. 19...Nd4 If 19...Bxd5!? 20.exd5 Nd4 21.f5 !? 20.Bc4
Or 20.Bd3 Bxd5 21.exd5 exf4 22.gxf4 Re8 23.c3 (23.Ne4 Rxe4 24.Bxe4 Qb6 with dangerous initiative.) Nb5 with counterplay. 20...Rc8 20...b5 21.Bd3 b4 (21...Bxd5 22.exd5 b4 23.Ne4) 22.f5 Bxd5 23.exd5 Bg5 24.Ne4 21.c3 Nb5 21...b5? is too slow. After 22.Bd3 Nc6 23.f5 White’s attack comes first. 22.f5 Bxd5 23.Bxd5 Rxc3!
The only move. Otherwise White dominates the position. For example, 23...Qb6 24.Ka1 Qe3 25.Rhe1. 24.Qg6!? Missing 24.bxc3! Nxc3+ 25.Kc2 Nxd5 (25...Qc7? 26.Kd3!) 26.exd5 Qb6 (26...Qa5? 27.Qf3 Qxa2+ 28.Kd3 Rc8 29.Ke2 Rc2 30.Ke1) 27.Kd3! (27.Nb3 e4 28.Qe2 Rc8+ 29.Kb1 Rc3 is unclear.) 27...e4+ (27...Rc8? 28.Ke2 Rc2 29.Qf3) 28.Ke2 Qb5+ 29.Kf2 Qxd5 30.Nb3 Qe5 31.Kg2 Rc8 32.Rc1 And White wins. 24...Qb6! Only Move. Other alternatives lose:
25.Rxh6! Not 25.a4? Na3+ 26.Ka2 Rc2 27.Nb3 Qf2 28.Kxa3 Rxb2 29.Ra1 b5! Black wins. 25...Na3+ 26.Ka1 Nc2+ 27.Kb1 ½-½ It is a reflection of the high standards of the Informant that this game did not even qualify for preliminary selection for the Best Theoretical Novelty. It was the other game Topalov-Sokolov Wijk-aan Zee 2003 that earned the laurels. (For more on The Best Theoretical Novelties of this volume, see the interesting article by Tomislav Paunovic, Informant Editor.) Apart from Wijk aan Zee, won by Anand for the 4th time, the present volume also includes games from several events like Hoogeveen, Skanderborg, and the Plovdiv European Team Championship. Judit Polgar was in top form at the the Hoogeveen tournament, finishing ahead of Sokolov, Aronian and Karpov. The Skanderborg tournament culminated in a four-way tie between Peter Heine Nielsen, Darmen Sadvakasov, Nigel Short and Curt Hansen. A certain Kasimdzhanov could only finish 7th with a 50% score. He was to win the controversial F.I.D.E. World Championship at Tripoli months later. The Plovdiv European Team Championship was won by Russia. The Russian Team, consisting of Bareev, Svidler, Grischuk, Morozevich and Khalifman, finished with 17 points, ahead of Israel (Gelfand, Smirin, Sutovsky, Avrukh and Roiz) which came a close second with 15 points. This volume also carries games from Cap d’Agde and Bastia, both rapid events won by Anand, beating stalwarts like Svidler, Kramnik, Grischuk and Topalov. The Tiger From Madras has been in top form during the whole season. Leko and Kramnik come close second. Apparently, their preoccupation with the forthcoming Match in September has had a baleful influence on their play. This volume also carries a tribute to Alexander Beliavsky. There are 12 complete games, 18 combinations, 15 theoretical novelties and 18 endings. The veteran GM from Ukraine became the World Junior Champion way back in 1973 and won the USSR Championship on four occasions. He became a World Championship Candidate in 1983 and lost a hard-fought match to Kasparov in the Quarterfinals. Beliavsky’s style is brilliant and sharp. The title of his 1998 work sums it up best: Uncompromising Chess. The combination from the following game figures in this volume:
Ljubojevic-Beliavsky 1.Nf3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.Be2 Nd7 5.0-0 e5 6.c4 Ne7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Re1 a6 8....Nc6 is more usual. 9.Bf1 Rb8 10.Rb1?! This routine move is too slow. 10.Be3! is necessary. 10...exd4 11.Nxd4 Ne5 12.Nd5. 12.f4!? is an alternative. 12…c5 !13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Nc2 b5 15.Ne3 Be6 16.Nd5? 16.cxb5 axb5 17.b3 with an unclear position should have been played. 16...Qh4! 17.Bf4 After 17.cxb5!? axb5 18.h3 Nc6 Black is better. 17...bxc4 18.Qd2 Bxd5 19.Bg3??
19.exd5 was the lesser evil. 19… Qxe4!! 20.Rxe4 Bxe4 21.Re1 Bd3! 22.b3 If 22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Bxd3 Rfd8 24.Re3 Bh6 wins. 22...c3 23.Qe3 c4! Not 23...Rfe8 ?24.f4! with counter-chances. 24.Bxe5 Not 24.bxc4? Bxf1 25.Kxf1 Nc4. There is no way of stopping the c-pawn. 24… dxe5 25.Bxd3 cxd3 26.Qxd3 Rbc8 27.Qc2 Rfd8 28.Re2 Bh6! 29.g3 Kg7! 30.Qe4 Rd2 31.Qxe5+ Kg8 0-1 (Notes to this game are based on Beliavsky’s annotations in Informant 71) The present volume also carries a new feature on endgame studies edited by renowned composer Yochanan Afek. There are nine prizewinners from recent composing tourneys by other eminent composers like Gromov, Kralin and Bazlov. The following study combines simplicity of setting with subtlety of execution: M. Gromov
White To Play And Win 1.Qg1 +! Kh8 (Not 1…Kf8 2. Qc5 +!) 2.Qh2+Rh7 3.Qb8! (Not 3.Qe5? Qf8 4.Kg6+ Qg7+) Rc7 (Not 3…Rh6+ 4.Kg5 Rc6 5.Qe5+ Kg8 6.Rb8) 4.Rh1 +Kg8 5Qb3+ Rc4 6.Rg1+ Kf8( Not 6…Kh8 7.Qb2 Rc3 8.Rh1 +) 7.Qa3 +Qc5 (Not 7…Rc5 8.Rg8 +Kxg8 9.Qg3+) 8.Qa8+! (Not 8.Rg8+? Kxg8 9.Qg3+ Rg4!! 10.Qxg4 Kf8 11. Qg7+ Ke8 =) Qc8 9.Rg8+ Kxg8 10.Qd5 + Kh8 11. Qh5 + Mates in two moves. Warmly Recommended
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