This book is an omnibus offering coverage of four major tournaments held in the year 2003: Corus, Linares, Dortmund and Hoogoven.  There are as many as 175 games fully annotated by GMs Khalifman, Golubev, Shipov and others.  The games of each tournament are preceded by an introduction and report describing the performance of its participants.

The book has a number of colour photographs, with the camera capturing the moods of players at their most candid moments.  There are also interviews with Anand, Leko and  Bologan, winners of  the first three tournaments.  Only Judit Polgar, the winner of Hoogoven tournament has not been interviewed for this book.

Judit (left) was in good form throughout the year and the Corus tournament turned out to be a race between her and Anand (below, right), both of whom remained unbeaten.  The personal encounter between them was an exciting draw, with Judit missing a win against Anand’s resourceful play.  (See the game further down this page, at the end of this review.-Ed.)

Indeed, this keen tussle between attack and defence was the keynote of the tournament, with tacticians, Shirov, Topalov and Grischuk grappling with the positional players, Kramnik, Karpov and Ponomariov.  This was a great event in which almost every player shone with a classic performance in one game or the other.

Linares tournament was won by Leko ahead of Kramnik, Anand and Kasparov(!).  Garry was bogged down by draws and lost a sensational game to Radjabov, the rising star from Garry’s home town Baku.  (See the game at the end of the review.-Ed.)

Dortmund tournament was won by the newcomer Bologan (left) ahead of Kramnik, Anand and others.  This was a well-deserved victory, with Bologan beating Anand, Leko and Radjabov in their individual encounters.  (For more comment on Dortmund 2003, see the Chessville review of Informant 88 -Ed.)  In subsequent years he has had good results, but he has not been able to repeat this feat of winning a Category-18 tournament.

The last event covered in this book was a small round robin tournament with four participants: Judit Polgar, Ivan Sokolov, Levon Aronian and former World Champion Anatoly Karpov, (right).  Judit won the event, with only a solitary loss to Sokolov, who shared and third place with the rising star Aronian.  Karpov, who came last, was a shadow of himself with losses to Polgar and Aronian.  One cannot help feeling that this was a minor event as compared to other tournaments.

This book also offers a short summary of other tournaments held in the year, both in classical and rapid format.  Ideally speaking, it would have been wonderful to include games from the famous Melody Amber tournament, a Category-19 event won by Anand.  This was a star-studded field that included Kramnik, Morozevich, Topalov, Ivanchuk and Shirov among others.

But this 450 page-tome is good enough and it is a worthy addition to tournament literature.

Judit Polgar - Viswanathan Anand  [B19]
Corus 2003

 (Notes based on the commentary of Shipov in the book)

1.e4 c6

The fireproof Caro-Kann Defence is ideal against an attacking player like Judit Polgar.

2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bf4 e6

11...Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qc7 preparing to castle long is a reasonable alternative.

12.0–0–0 Be7 13.Kb1 0–0 14.Ne4 Qa5?

Shipov points out that 14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Nf6 16.Qe2 Qd5 was seen in the third round game between Kramnik and Bareev, and also in the rapid game between Shirov and Kramnik, Moscow 2002.  Obviously, Anand was seeking an improvement.  But the move turns out to be a serious error.-NSH

15.Nxf6+ Nxf6 16.g4!

Shipov sees this move as a fighting novelty.  But he genuinely believes that Anand's fighting defence is an adequate response and adorns each of his moves with an ! mark.

16...Nxg4 17.Rdg1 Qf5

The greedy 17...Nxf2? would have lost to 18.Qf1 Nxh1 19.Bxh6 Kh7 20.Bxg7 Rg8 21.Ne5 Ng3 22.Rxg3 f6 23.a3! Rad8 (23...fxe5? 24.b4! Bxb4 25.Qf7+-) 24.Qd3+ f5 25.Qe3 Rxg7 26.Rxg7+ Kxg7 27.Qg3+ Kf8 28.Qg6+-

18.Qd2!

18.Rxg4 Qxg4 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Rg1 Qxg1+ 21.Nxg1 is OK for Black.

18...g5!

If 18...Kh8? 19.Nh4 Qd5 (19...Bxh4 20.Rxh4 Nf6 21.Bxh6+-) 20.f3 Nf6 21.Bxh6+- .

Shipov gives 18...Kh7 19.Nh4 Bxh4 20.Rxh4 Nf6 21.Be5 and maintains that Black's position can hardly be defended.  But I do not see a clear win.-NSH

19.hxg6 fxg6

20.Bxh6?

The turning point of the game.  Neither the players nor the commentators present could see a win for White.  So Shipov could hardly be blamed for overlooking the  following combination:

White wins with 20.Ne5! Nxe5 (20...Qxf4 21.Qxf4 Rxf4 22.Nxg6+-) 21.Bxe5 h5 22.Qh6 Kf7 23.f4 Rg8 24.Rg5 Qe4 25.Qh7+ Ke8 26.Rgxh5! Kd7 27.Bf6 Rge8 (27...Rae8 28.Re5) 28.Re5+-

20...Qxf3 21.Bxf8 Rxf8 22.d5!?

An enterprising pawn sacrifice vacating d4 for the queen.

22...cxd5 23.Qd4 Nf6 24.Rxg6+ Kf7 25.Rhg1 Rc8 26.Rg7+ Kf8!

"The hunted is not in a hurry to run away from the hunter.  The white rook on g7 is under attack and the rook on g1 is tied up with its defence." -Shipov

27.Qh4 Ke8 28.Qa4+

White can only lose the game after 28.Qh8+? Bf8 29.Rxb7 Qxf2–+

28...Kf8

Black could have tried to play for a win with 28...Kd8!?.But after 29.Qa5+ Rc7 30.Qxa7 the position remains unclear.(30.Rxe7?? b6–+)

29.Qh4 Ke8 30.Qa4+ Kf8 ½–½
 

Garry Kasparov - Teimour Radjabov [C11]
Linares 2003

(Notes based on the commentary by Notkin in the book)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6

The Classical Variation of the French Defence.  (For more on the French Defence, see the Chessville article –Ed.)

4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 a6 8.Qd2 b5 9.a3

In the old days it was considered mandatory to play 9.dxc5 here to prevent the advance of the Black pawns on the queenside.  Kasparov tries the other way.  But the march of Black pawns on the other flank may favour White if his king is not there.  He can prepare f4-f5 which works better with the centre closed.  The annotator does not mention other alternatives like 9.Be2 or 9.Qf2.

9...Qb6

9...Bb7 10.Bd3 is also possible.

10.Ne2 c4 !?

10...Bb7 is an alternative.

Recently Black played the paradoxical 10...Qc7!? focusing on e5 and the c-file as White has fortified d4 with his last move.  (Rasmussen-Moskalenko 2007/08)

11.g4

Too provocative, allowing Black to begin counterplay.  Notkin prefers the careful move 11.g3 followed by Bg2 and 0–0.

11...h5 12.gxh5 Rxh5 13.Ng3 Rh8 14.f5 exf5 15.Nxf5 Nf6 ! 16.Ng3

16.Nxg7+ Bxg7 17.exf6 Bxf6 is harmless for Black.

16...Ng4 17.Bf4 Be6 18.c3 Be7 19.Ng5 ! 19...0–0–0 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Be2!

21...Ngxe5!?

According to Kasparov 21...Nxh2 !, however, risky it looks, was the best option.

Analysis Diagram: after 21...Nxh2

22.Nh5 (22.0–0–0 b4 ! 23.axb4 a5) 22...Na5 ! 23.Rb1! (23.Rxh2 ? 23...Nb3 24.Qd1 Rdf8 ! 25.Bg3 g6 26.Nf6 Rxh2 27.Bxh2 Qc7!) 23...Nb3

A) Now 24. Qc2 fails to 24...Nxd4!25.cxd4 Bh4+ 26.Bg3 (26.Kd1 Qxd4+ 27.Qd2 Qe4! shooting at both White rooks wins.) 26...Rxh5! 27.Qc3 Nf3+!–+.

B) So White should play 4.Qe3 24...g6 25.Rxh2 (25.Nf6 ? 25...Ng4) 25...gxh5 26.Bxh5 .

22.Qe3 !?

Not 22.dxe5?! d4 .; 22.Bxe5 Nxe5 23.dxe5 Bc5 is cheerless for White.

22...Nd7?

Correct was 22...Bd6! 23.dxe5 and if 23...Bc5 with compensation for the piece.

23.Qxe6 Bh4 24.Qg4?

Something confused Kasparov here and he did not play 24.Qxd5!? Nde5 (Notkin gives only 24...Rde8 25.0–0–0! Bxg3 26.hxg3 Rxh1 27.Rxh1 Rxe2 28.Rh8+ Nd8 29.Qa8+ Nb8 30.Bxb8+- or 24...Nf6 25.Qf5+ Kb7 26.0–0–0 Nd5 27.Bg5+-) 25.Qe6+ Nd7 26.d5 Na5 27.0–0–0±

24...g5 ! 25.Bd2

If 25.Bxg5?!

Analysis Diagram: after 25.Bxg5

25...Rdg8! 26.Qxh4 (forced) Rxh4 27.Bxh4
Kasparov confessed that he had overlooked this line.

25...Rde8 26.0–0–0 Na5

27.Rdf1?

A fatal error.  Essential was 27.Kb1! with an unclear position.-Notkin

 

27...Qg6+ 28.Ka2 Kc7! (If 28...Qc2 ? 29.Bf3 Nb3 30.Bxg5! Reg8 31.Ne4!! 31...dxe4 32.Bxe4 Rxg5 33.Qe6+) 29.Rhf1 Nb3 also remains unclear according to Kasparov.

27...Nb3+ 28.Kd1 Bxg3!

Eliminating the knight which would otherwise go to f5.

29.Rf7

29.hxg3 Qg6! 30.Bc1 Qb1 31.Qxg5 Nxc1 32.Qxc1 Qe4!–+: or

29.Qxg3 Qg6 30.Qxg5 Qb1+ 31.Bc1 Rhg8 32.Qf4 Re4 33.Qh6 Rg6!–+

29...Rd8 ! 30.Bxg5 Qg6! 31.Qf5

If 31.Rf5? Rde8-+

31...Qxf5 32.Rxf5 Rdf8 ! 33.Rxf8+ Nxf8 34.Bf3 Bh4!

Not 34...Rxh2? 35.Rxh2 Bxh2 36.Bxd5 and Black has technical problems.

35.Be3 Nd7 36.Bxd5 Re8 37.Bh6 Ndc5 ! 38.Bf7 Re7 39.Bh5 Nd3

0–1
 

Highly Recommended
 

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