13.03.2010 – Round seven saw no changes in the rankings prior to the rest day on Saturday, with draws on no fewer than the eight top boards. Though the tendency would be to write they ended with a peaceful result, that would be a very inadequate description for all the games except for Almasi-Nepomniachtchi, which did indeed end shortly after it started. Report with pictures of the Zemat Sport Center.
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Valeri Lilov:
The Sicilian Kan Variation This dynamic and flexible opening starts with moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4. Through carefully selected games and analysis made for that system, the author will help you understand the opening without the need to memorize tons of moves.
This event is taking place from March 6th to 18th 2010 in Rijeka, Croatia.
Top players include Almasi, Bacrot, Movsesian, Navara, Vallejo, Motylev, Adams,
Tomashevsky, Alekseev, Baadur, Naiditsch, Akopian, Volokitin, Bologan and Caruana.
Round seven report
The two leaders, Jobava and Efimenko, struggled long and hard, and despite
a very balanced middlegame for the longest times, managed to create a number
of problems for their opponents just when the worst seemed over. On board one
Jobava played a Queen’s Gambit Declined against Riazantsev, and after
22 moves, spectators were no doubt wondering whether a handshake was on its
way.
Jobava,Baadur - Riazantsev,Alexander [D37]
11th European Individual Men Chess Cham Rijeka/Croatia (7), 12.03.2010
Until now, there had been little to say about the game. Material was equal,
pawn structures symmetrical... what's a grandmaster to do? With the last move,
as uneventful as it may seem, White is provided a chance to make things murkier,
and beset his opponent with a number of tough decisions. 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Ne4
Be7 25.g4 Qb8 26.Rc1 Qe5 27.Qb7 Qxb2 28.Rc7 Qe2 29.Ng3 Qd1+ 30.Kg2 Bxa3 31.Qxa6. Also possible is 31.Rxf7 Qd5+ 32.Ne4 Qxb7 33.Rxb7 Bb2 34.Rb6 f5 35.gxf5
exf5 36.Nd6 Ra8 with an unclear position. No doubt Jobava didn't think it gave
him his best practical chances. 31...Bd6 32.Rxf7
This was exactly the kind of position Jobava had been hoping for, one where
it is his opponent alone who must find the saving moves. 32...Bxg3 33.Qa7. In hindsight, better might have been 33.hxg3 Qd5+ 34.Kh2 Qf3 35.Qb7 Qxb7 (35...Qxf2+ 36.Kh3 Qf1+ 37.Kh4 Qb1 forced since 37...Qh1 is impossible
due to 37...Qxh1 Oops! 38.Rxf6) 36.Rxb7 Rd5 where despite the exchange
of queens, White's rook is positioned ideally behind the b-pawn and at the same
time is preventing Black's king from participating in the struggle. 37.Kg2. 33...Bc7 34.Qxc7 Qxg4+ 35.Qg3 Qe4+ 36.f3 Qc2+ 37.Kh3 Qf5+ 38.Kh4 Rg8 39.Qf4
Qxf4+ 40.exf4 Rb8 1/2-1/2 [Click
to replay]
On board two Efimenko faced Vuckovic with black and chose the Berlin Defense
against White’s Ruy Lopez. Again, for 25 moves, play proceeded quietly,
until White’s oversight of bringing in the king to play, began to cause
serious troubles, and at move 29, it was clear Efimenko had genuine winning
chances.
Vuckovic,Bojan - Efimenko,Zahar [C67]
11th European Individual Men Chess Cham Rijeka/Croatia (7), 12.03.2010
29...Rxb3? Whether due to an adrenaline rush, or a simple oversight,
Black missed his best chance by rushing for the pawn. Better opportunities would
arise from 29...c5 30.Bd2 Rxb3 31.Bxa5 Kc6 32.Re1 c4 33.Rc1 Kc5 and the onus
is on White to save the game. 30.Ra4 Rb5 31.Bd2 Rb1+ 32.Kh2 Rb2 33.Bxa5 Rxf2
34.Rc4 Rxg2+ 35.Kh1 c6 36.Rxc6 Re2 37.Rc7+ Ke8 38.Bc3 Rc2 39.Ba5 Rxc7 40.Bxc7
Kd7 41.Ba5 Kc6 42.Kg2 Kd5 43.Kf3 Kxe5 44.Bc3+ Kd5 45.Kf4 Nd4 46.Kg5 Kc4 47.Bb2
e5 48.Kg6 e4 49.Bc1 Ne2 50.Bg5 Ng1 51.Kxg7 Nxh3 52.Bh6 Kd3 53.Kf6 Ke2 54.Kf5
Kf3 55.Bc1 Nf2 56.Bd2 Nd3 57.Bh6 e3 1/2-1/2. [Click
to replay]
Although not decisive for prize contention (yet in any case), Ivan Sokolov
won a very nice game against Fabiano Caruana with great zest, and should not
be missed.
Sokolov,Ivan - Caruana,Fabiano [E01]
11th European Individual Men Chess Cham Rijeka/Croatia (7), 12.03.2010
As to the untitled Padolchenko, he continues his excellent run with a hard
fought draw against Hungarian GM Balogh (2622). Saturday is a rest day, and
the action will resume Sunday.
Albert Silver
The Zamet Sport Center in Rijeka
The event is being held in the new Zamet Centre sports hall located near the
market place at Zamet, Rijeka. It is a modern public complex designed by the architect studio
3LHD and has gained fame due to the 50,000 ceramic tiles used in the buildings.
The name "Centar Zamet" is traced out on the square in front of the
hall, and should be visible in satellite images. We asked if anyone could locate
it in Google Earth or Maps. Turns out that this is the best we can achieve:
Mladena Zarkovic, office administrator of 3LHD, informs us that the little
forest in the map is the exact location of Zamet Centre, but the Google satellite
photo was taken before the Center was built. Mladena sent us two two photos
of the site before and after the construction, taken from approximately the
same angle.
The little "forest" just before the start of construction
The finished Zamet Centre sports hall in the same location
"We have to wait for Google to take new satellite pictures," writes
Mladena, "and then the hall will be visible on Google Earth and Maps, as
well as the sign made with tiles on the square." We ask our readers to
keep a watch and inform us when the Google satellite images are updated. Here
are some more pictures of the remarkable center:
Photos by Domagoj Blazevic, Damir Fabijanic and 3LHD archive
A selection of the games are being broadcast live on the official web
site and on the chess server .
If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase
Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program
to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!
13.03.2010 – The 19th Amber Blindfold and Rapid tournament begins today, with the first games at 2:30 p.m. EST (4:40 Moscow, 1:30 London, 8:30 a.m. New York) The participants include Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Alexander Grischuk (who jumped in for Alexander Morozevich), Peter Svidler, Boris Gelfand, and others. Watch the live action on the official site and on Playchess.
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Valeri Lilov:
The Sicilian Kan Variation This dynamic and flexible opening starts with moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4. Through carefully selected games and analysis made for that system, the author will help you understand the opening without the need to memorize tons of moves.
The 19th Amber Blindfold and Rapid tournament, organized by the Association
Max Euwe in Monaco, is taking place from March 13 (first round) to March 25
(last round) at the Palais de la Mediterranée, splendidly located on
the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The total prize fund is € 216,000.
Nice (or Nizza) lies in southern France on the Mediterranean coast and is
pronounced exactly like your sibling's female child ("niece"). It
is located between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, and has a population
of just over one million.
An arial photo when approaching Nice, with the beautiful Mediterranean on
the left
Palais de la Mediterranée, where the event is taking place
The twelve participants are (in alphabetical order): Levon Aronian (Armenia),
Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Leinier Dominguez (Cuba), Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan),
Boris Gelfand (Israel), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vasily Ivanchuk (Ukraine),
Sergey Karjakin (Russia), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Ruslan Ponomariov, Jan
Smeets (The Netherlands) and Peter Svidler.
Last week Alexander Morozevich, who was originally invited, informed the organizers
that he was forced to withdraw from the tournament for private reasons. Alexander
Grischuk accepted the invitation to come to Nice at short notice to replace
his countryman. Grischuk is the reigning Russian champion and is the current
number 7 in the world rankings.
Every day four sessions will be played, two blindfold sessions and two rapid
sessions. The first session starts at 14.30 hrs. The fourth session finishes
around 20.00 hrs. Note: the final round on March 25 starts at 12.30 hrs. March
17 and 22 are rest days. The rate of play is 25 minutes per game per player.
With every move made in the blindfold games 20 seconds is added to the clock,
with every move made in the rapid games 10 seconds is added.
Pictures portraits
Magnus Carlsen: Norway, Elo rating: 2813, World ranking: 1,
born November 30, 1990, Amber highlights: Shared second in the rapid in his
2007 debut, shared second in 2008, shared first in the blindfold in 2009.
On the January 2010 FIDE rating list, ‘slightly ahead of schedule’,
Magnus Carlsen conquered the first place in the world rankings. Aged 19, he
was the youngest chess player ever to achieve this feat. The top spot in the
rating hierarchy was the inevitable result of a series of excellent results
in the course of 2009. His finest victory the Norwegian celebrated in the super-tournament
in Nanjing where he posted an unbelievable 3002 with a TPR of 2839, which was
more or less in line with his current 2813 rating. Another 2009 highlight was
his win in the World Blitz Championship, a full three points ahead of Vishy
Anand. In the first month of this year Carlsen continued his streak of successes
by claiming first place in the Corus tournament, the youngest GM in history
to do so.
Carlsen has been making headlines worldwide ever since he began his race for
the grandmaster title. In the first month of 2004 he took the Corus C Group
by storm and only three months later he made his third and final GM norm in
Dubai. At the age of 13 years, 4 months and 26 days he was (at that time) the
youngest grandmaster in the world. In the years that followed this historic
moment Carlsen didn’t disappoint his followers. In rapid and blitz tournaments
he drew with Kasparov and even beat Karpov and Anand, and also in ‘classical’
chess he began collecting outstanding results. At the 2005 World Cup tournament
in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, he became the youngest chess player in history
to qualify for the Candidates’ matches for the world championship. Among
his further tournament successes are first place in Biel in 2007, and shared
first place in Wijk aan Zee and the Baku Grand Prix tournament in 2008.
It goes without saying that Carlsen continues to be closely followed by the
press. Thousands of articles have been written about him, a film has been made
about his spectacular rise (The Prince of Chess) and a book has appeared (originally
published as Wonderboy). Still, anyone who believes that he’s only obsessed
with chess is wrong. He’s just as passionate about football, tennis or
skiing.
In Amber Carlsen has also been improving rapidly. In 2008 he tied for second
overall, last year he tied for first in the blindfold. There can be no doubt
about his aim this time.
Vladimir Kramnik: Russia, Elo rating: 2790, World ranking:
3, born June 25, 1975, Amber highlights: Overall winner in 1996, 1998 (shared
with Shirov), 1999, 2001 (shared with Topalov), 2004 (shared with Morozevich)
and 2007. Shared second in 2008 and 2009.
No player can boast a better Amber record than Vladimir Kramnik, who over
the years won the event an amazing six times. And when he doesn’t win
the tall Russian always mixes in the fight for first place, as testify his second
places in the previous two editions. Kramnik is exceptionally strong in the
blindfold part. Last year he even considered asking the arbiter if he could
also play the rapid games without sight of the board. His blindfold win against
Topalov in the 2003 edition ranks as one of the most brilliant achievements
in Amber history.
Kramnik has been among the world elite ever since he burst upon the scene at
the Manila Olympiad in 1992, where as a 17-year-old youngster he had a baffling
8,5 out of 9 debut on the Russian team. Over the years he’s won practically
everything that there is to be won, including the
super-tournaments in Wijk aan Zee in 1998 and Linares in 2000 and 2004.
In Dortmund he lifted the winner’s trophy no fewer than nine times! His
tie for first with Kasparov in Linares in 2000 turned out to be the prologue
of the biggest success in his rich career, his World Championship match victory
over the same Kasparov later that year in London. Without suffering a single
loss he defeated his ‘former boss’ 8.5-6.5. Kramnik successfully
defended his world title in Brissago in 2004 against Peter Leko when in a must-win
situation he won the last game, and in Elista in 2006 against Topalov, when
he struck in the rapid play-off. He lost the title in 2007 in the World Championship
Tournament in Mexico where he finished shared second behind the new champion,
Anand. In Bonn 2008 he got a chance to reclaim the title in a match against
Anand, but the Indian proved better prepared and won convincingly.
Bad preparation was also Kramnik’s complaint after he failed to win this
year’s Corus tournament (although he did beat his rival Carlsen in a great
game), so we can expect him to arrive with some fresh ammunition in Nice. After
all, Kramnik has the reputation of being one of the best prepared players in
the world. Currently ranked 3rd in the world, Kramnik admirably recovered after
he lost against Anand in Bonn and his results in 2009 were impressive as ever.
He once again won Dortmund and he also topped what was probably the strongest
tournament of the year, the Tal Memorial in Moscow. In Nice he will be, as always,
one of the top-favourites.
Peter Svidler: Russia, Elo rating: 2750, World ranking: 8,
born June 17, 1976, Amber highlights: Overall shared fourth in 2007.
Following a two-year interval, Peter Svidler makes his Amber come-back. Small
wonder, as the grandmaster from St. Petersburg is the current number 8 in the
world rankings and his 2750 rating is only 15 points shy of his all-time best
2765, which he reached three years ago.
For the past fifteen years Peter Svidler has been a steady member of the chess
elite, a status that he confirmed with his shared second place at the World
Championship Tournament in San Luis in 2005. This classification automatically
ensured him of a place in the next World Championship tournament that took place
in Mexico City in 2007, where he finished fifth.
Although he is only 33 years old, Svidler can rely on a wealth of experience.
His first splash he made in 1994, when at the age of 18 he became Russian champion
in Elista. To prove that this victory had not been a coincidence he repeated
it in 1995 and 1997. His international breakthrough came in 1997 when he shared
first place with Kramnik and Kasparov in Tilburg and defeated the latter in
their direct encounter.
Following these first successes he hit a slump from which he only recovered
in 2003. He won the Russian championship for the fourth time and was a member
of the Russian team that won the European Championship in Plovdiv.
Svidler is a wonderful team player and his wins with the Russian team and club
teams in Russia, Germany and France are too many to enumerate. But if we limit
us to last year we can mention his part in the Bundesliga championship of Baden-Baden
with 7 out of 9 and the 6 out of 8 he scored for new French champion Evry Grand
Roque (the club he moved to after the legendary NAO Chess Club from Paris ceased
to exist; with NAO Svidler also won three European Club Cups).
Early last year he won first prize in the GibTelecom Festival in Gibraltar
and celebrated an enjoyable stay in Bunratty, Ireland with a second consecutive
win. Last summer Svidler was the top-rated player on the Experience team that
defeated the Rising Stars at the NH Tournament in Amsterdam and contributed
generously (6 out of 10) to their victory. At the Russian Super Final, last
December, he finished second behind Grischuk. In his first four Amber tournaments
Svidler scored exactly 44 points from 88 games, let’s see what he is up
to now.
A lineup of all the participants: Dominguez, Aronian, Gelfand, Ponomariov,
Svidler, Carlsen, Karjakin, Kramnik, Smeets, Gashimov, Ivanchuk (with Grischuk
behind him)
Bios by the official web site, photos by Dr John Nunn
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the
chess server .
If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase
Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program
to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!
13.03.2010 – Yesterday the twelfth World Champion Anatoly Karpov announced that he was running for FIDE President. Today he addressed the extraordinary meeting of the European Chess Union (ECU), which was meeting during the European Individual Championship in Rijeka. Karpov had hash words for the current FIDE leadership and outlined his own program for change in FIDE. Video interview by Europe Echecs.
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Nigel Davies:
French Defence Strategy The French Defence is one of the best choices a player can make for his opening repertoire, especially older players with limited study time. The solid construction of Blacks game puts the onus on positional understanding and makes it immune to sharp and tricky variations. The longer you play the French the better youll play it. On this DVD Nigel Davies explains the strategy behind the French Defence by examining typical pawn structures and explaining the plans and ideas for both sides.
Today in the Rijeka's Chess Home an extraordinary meeting of the ECU General
Assembly was held. The meeting was chaired by Boris Kutin and attended by 45
out of 54 delegates. The Assembly had unanimously adopted the new Statute which
poses new technical rules in the election procedure for ECU bodies. New rules
in the bidding process for championships were adopted as well, together with
some changes in the tournament rules.
During his speech at the Extraordinary Meeting of the European Chess Union
(ECU), Anatoly Karpov pointed to deficiencies in the FIDE leadership since Kirsan
Ilyumzhinov took the presidency in 1995. The 12th World Champion presented a
severe indictment, and the prosecutor Karpov saw no mitigating circumstances
for the current management team of FIDE.
Anatoly Karpov: "Yes, I am a candidate for the presidency of FIDE."
You can watch the Europe Echecs video in fullscreen mode at .
If the video freezes pause it for a while until it loads fully in the background.
Karpov says that FIDE must mobilise funds for the current generation of players
– Topalov, Anand, Kramnik, and the young stars Carlsen and Nakamura. "For
them we can get money," he says, "not for Mr Makropoulos or Mr Azmaiparashvili...
or even for Mr Ilyumzhinov".
Karpov was nominated by the Jean-Claude Moinget of the French Chess Federation
Karpov also has the backing of the Swiss Chess Fedeeration (which also nominated
him)
FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos speaking. On the left the President
of
the Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici, who is running for ECU President.
Karpov conferring with Bulgarian IM Silvio Danailov (left), the manager of Veselin
Topalov. Danialov is also running for ECU President.
English delegate Nigel Short in discussion with Italian delegate Roberto Rivello
and
FIDE's commercial director Geoffrey Borg
The current ECU President Boris Kutin confers with the German delegate Horst
Metzing
In a press conference Karpov criticizes the FIDE system, pointing out that
in the
current system you can become world champion without winning a single game
This report has appeared in the French chess magazine and news portal Europe
Echecs. It was conducted by GM Robert Fontaine, who is also providing us
with interviews with Ali Nihat Yazici and Silvio Danailov.
12.03.2010 – No one was spared on the top boards in the European Championship, and exciting, uncompromising games were the result, to the delight of chess fans. Both top boards featuring Efimenko and Jobava against Nisipeanu and Timofeev leave two ahead and two playing catch-up. Also find out about the untitled Belarussian who is +1 against 2600+ competition. Round six report.
Advertisement
Nigel Davies:
French Defence Strategy The French Defence is one of the best choices a player can make for his opening repertoire, especially older players with limited study time. The solid construction of Blacks game puts the onus on positional understanding and makes it immune to sharp and tricky variations. The longer you play the French the better youll play it. On this DVD Nigel Davies explains the strategy behind the French Defence by examining typical pawn structures and explaining the plans and ideas for both sides.
This event is taking place from March 6th to 18th 2010 in Rijeka, Croatia.
Top players include Almasi, Bacrot, Movsesian, Navara, Vallejo, Motylev, Adams,
Tomashevsky, Alekseev, Baadur, Naiditsch, Akopian, Volokitin, Bologan and Caruana.
Round four + five report
By Albert Silver
Round five started with a quick draw on top board between tournament leaders
GM Baadur Jobava and Zahar Efimenko, and others seeking to rejoin them. Both
Timofeev and Nisipeanu did exactly that, though Nisipeanu’s game was undoubtedly
the game of the round. The Romanian was paired against Swiss GM Yannick Pelletier,
and the opening made it clear that he had carefully prepared for the duel.
White has consistently exchanged queens with 14.Qxd7+, as in Carlsen-Pelletier
(Biel, 2008). Nisipeanu's novelty 14.Qc2N has his queen hopping around
like a Mexican jumping bean. Is it genuinely sound or simply a bold gamble? 14...Nb4 15.Qe2. 15.Qb3? Bd5 16.Qa3 dxe5! 17.Nxe5 Qf5 18.Qa4+ Kf8 19.Bxd5
Nbxd5 20.Re1 Bd6 21.Nc4 Bc7-/+ and Black is simply up a pawn. 15...Ba6. Until
now, the game looks more like the Romanian is playing Russian roulette with
himself, as he alone appears to be in constant danger of losing quickly and
badly. Still, since the prepared novelty is his, one must presume his plan goes
beyond simply astounding the audience with his death-defying acts. 16.Qe1. 16.Qd2? Ne4 17.Qe3 d5. 16...Nc2 17.Qd2 Nxa1 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Re1+ Be7
20.Nc3
Pelletier had managed to acquire some material, but now it was starting to
look as if he were the one on a tightrope. He was no doubt anxious to get his
king to safety and bring some sanity to the game, however the natural looking 20...0-0? was a mistake, allowing White to exploit the various gaps in
his position. Better was 20...0-0-0 as White has no immediate threats,
and will need to take the time to capture the knight, allowing Black to consolidate,
e.g. 21.Qd5 Bb7 22.Qd3 Rhe8 23.Bd2 Bf6 24.Rxa1. 21.Ne5 Qc8 22.Nc6! Bd8 23.Nd5! White's knights have become shameless bullies, and shape an attractive geometric
motif. 23...Qg4 [23...Qxc6?? 24.Ne7+ Bxe7 25.Bxc6] 24.b3 Bb7 25.h3!
Qh5 26.Nce7+ Kh8 27.Nf4 1-0. [Click
to replay]
A few boards down, top German GM Naiditsch, only a whisper away from also being
the first German to break the 2700 barrier, was able to avenge his repeated
choice of an opening line.
The German GM has reached this position twice before, against no less than
Kramnik and Eljanov, losing both games. For those relying on stats for their
opening choices, this would lead it to be buried for good. But the truth is
the line wasn't to blame, and, as the saying goes, third time's a charm. 16.Nc3
Bc5 17.Nd3N. Kramnik chose 17.e3 though achieved nothing from the opening
after 17...0-0 18.Ke2 Re8 19.Nd3 Rb8. 17...0-0 18.Ne4 Be7 19.e3 Bd7 20.Ke2
Bc6 21.Rhc1 Rfe8 22.g4?
On the surface this might look like a good move as it forces the knight to
h6 and restricts its movement. Unfortunately for White, this concept is illusory
as it lasts no more than 3 moves and does nothing to improve his position.
Better was 22.Ne5 Bb5+ followed by 23.Nc4 Rac8 and 24.b3. 22...Nh6 23.Bf3
Rad8. The idea of 23...Nxg4 planning 24.Bxg4 Bxe4 fails to the zwischenzug
24.Rxc6! bxc6 25.Bxg4. 24.h3 f5 25.gxf5 Nxf5 26.Ne5 Bb5+ 27.Nc4 Bh4 28.Bh1
Rf8?! [with the idea 28...Bc6 29.Ncd2 Rf8] 29.a4 Nd6 30.axb5 Nxe4 31.f4
Ng3+ 32.Kf3 axb5 33.Ne5 Rd5 34.Ng4 Rd2 35.Rc7 Rxb2 36.Rg1 h5 37.Ne5 Nf5 38.Ke4
Rd2 39.Rd7 Nd6+ wins the exchange since 40.Kf3 allows 40...Rf2 mate.
0-1. []
One very strange development was in the game between Bareev and Stocek. Bareev
is an odd bird in the world elite in that his positional play and understanding
of the game are deservedly ranked among the best, yet he has also been on the
receiving end of some of the shortest miniatures in history, and is extremely
erratic tactically. Consider the crushing position he set up against GM Stocek.
White's winning plan is to position one bishop to hit on f7 and the other
to attack f8, preventing the rook from protecting the f7 pawn. Black's sole
rook in the battlefield can only delay this but not prevent it, and black will
be forced to return an exchange, sealing his fate. 45...Ra4 46.Rd5. This
move, taking the rook away from its dream post, is a sure sign Bareev has lost
the thread of the position. 46.Bf3 Rc4 47.Be3 Rc3 (47...Rb4 48.Bd5 Rxb5
49.Bxf7+ Kf5 (49...Kh7 50.Bc4+) 50.Kf3 threatening g4+ and Bf4 mate.
50...h5 51.h3 and the mate is unstoppable.) 48.Bd5 Rf8 49.Bd2 followed by Bb4. 46...Kg7 47.Bh5 Re4 48.Bd4 Rce8 49.Rd7 Rxd4 50.Rxd4 Re5 51.g4 Kf8 52.f4 Re2+
53.Kf1 Ba7 54.Ra4 Rf2+ 55.Ke1 Bb6 56.Ra8+ Ke7 57.f5 Rxh2 58.Rh8 Rb2 59.Rh7 Kd6
60.Rxf7 Ke5 61.Re7+ 1/2-1/2. [Click
to replay]
Round six
The sixth round had the four leaders with 4.5/6 playing each other, followed
by no less than 23 players with four points. Under the circumstances, it was
clear there was no room for a quiet draw as had been the case in round five,
and the round did not disappoint, with many a grandmaster’s blood spilled
over the board.
In the lead: Georgian GM Baadur Jobava
Timofeev,Artyom - Jobava,Baadur [B12]
11th EICC Men Rijeka/Croatia (6), 11.03.2010 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3. This line that had yielded him a quick victory
in last year's European Championship. 3...Qb6 4.Nc3 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bf5. As
he knew Jobava had to know the previous game, and undoubtedly smelling a rat,
he deviates first with 6.c3
Play proceeded normally, with no edge on either side. 6...Nd7 7.Bd3 e5
8.Ne2 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Ne7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Kh1 Bxd2 13.Qxd2 Rad8 14.Rac1
Bg6 15.Bc4 Qc7 16.b4 Nb6 17.Bb3 Nbd5 18.b5 Qb6 19.bxc6 Nxc6 20.Rc5 Ndb4 21.Qc3
Na6 22.Rd5 Nc7 23.Rxd8 Rxd8
Until now, both sides had played solidly and consistently, but Timofeev is
the first to go astray with 24.Qc5. Better was 24.a4 Qa5 25.Qxa5 Nxa5
26.Ba2=. 24...Qxc5 25.Nxc5 Na5 26.Kg1 b6 27.Ne4 Nxb3 28.axb3 f6 29.Kf2 Kf8
30.Rc1 Nd5 31.g4 Ke7 32.h4 Bf7 33.g5. The position continued to degrade
and by 33...a5
White was in serious trouble, having to face Black's queenside 2-1 majority
and better placed pieces. Jobava never let go and won after 34.gxf6+ gxf6
35.Rc6 Be6 36.Nd2 Rc8 37.Rxc8 Bxc8 38.Nc4 Ba6 39.Nc1 Kd7 40.Ne3 Nxe3 41.Kxe3
Bb7 42.Kf4 Ke6 43.Kg4 Kd5 44.Kf5 Kxd4 45.f4 Kc3 46.Kxf6 Kd2 47.Ke5 0-1. [Click
to replay]
Efimenko,Zahar - Nisipeanu,Liviu-Dieter [B04]
11th EICC men Rijeka/Croatia (6), 11.03.2010
On board 2, with Efimenko playing Nisipeanu, opening preparation took an even
more radical direction. Right on move one, Efimenko was no doubt taken aback
when his Romanian opponent answered his 1.e4 with 1...Nf6 The
database says this is the first time Liviu has ever played the Alekhine in a
tournament game. Nisipeanu is known to be a loose cannon, and this often
works to his advantage, but can this really be the best approach to such a crucial
game? Efimenko's opponent-specific preparation may have gone out the window,
but that doesn't mean he isn't equipped to handle the Alekhine as a rule. On
the other hand, Nisipeanu will be playing an opening with which he has zero
experience. Even if he has been secretly readying it to be included in his repertoire,
there are better moments to unleash it. The surprise effect doesn't work as
hoped, and after 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 6.Be2 Nd7 7.Nf3 g6
8.0-0 Bg7 9.c4 N5f6 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Bg5 h6 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Qd2 Kh7 15.Rad1
Black is already in trouble with a knight offside, and an underdeveloped position.
Efimenko turns this into a huge attack and ten moves later, after 15...Rd8
16.g4 Nhf6 17.Bf4 Qb6 18.g5 Nh5 19.gxh6 Bf6 20.Ne4 Nxf4 21.Qxf4 Rf8 22.c5 Qxb2
23.Bc4
Black's pieces have barely moved off their squares, yet is facing an imminent
mate, and calls it a day after 23...Kh8 24.Nfg5 Bxg5 25.Nxg5 f6 26.Nf7+ Kh7
27.Rfe1 Re8 28.Ng5+ Kh8 29.Ne6 b5 30.Bb3 a5 31.Nc7 a4 32.Bf7 e5 33.Qg3 1-0.
[]
Interestingly enough, young Caruana also faced an Alekhine in his game today,
and in a black day for the opening, he too put together a devastating attack
as can be seen after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 6.Bc4
Nd7 7.Nf3 N7b6 8.Be2 Bg4 9.0-0 e6 10.h3 Bh5 11.Ne5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Be7 13.c4 Nf6
14.Rd1 0-0 15.Nc3 a5 16.Bf4 a4 17.Rd3 Re8 18.Rad1 Nbd7 19.Qf3 Qa5 20.g4 h6 21.h4
Nxe5 22.dxe5 Nh7 23.g5 a3 24.b3 Rad8
On an interesting side note, another player drew attention due to both his
result and unusual circumstances. Down the list, one will find an untitled Belarusian,
rated 2502 no less, who has scored +1 in his five encounters with 2600+ grandmasters.
Today he played the experienced Vladimir Belov, rated 2619, who tried as he
may to beat the unknown player, but to no avail. The game was nothing any engine
would recommend, that is for certain, but it certainly made for some extremely
entertaining chess. Except for his opponent that is...
12.03.2010 – A week ago we published a picture of a very young chess player who was destined to become a world class grandmaster. Most of our readers guessed instantly who it was especially the lips gave him away. But going through the clues we unhelpfully provided, readers had many a doubt created in their minds. Read about it in our feedback and find out what Nigel Short was doing in Hamburg.
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Nigel Davies:
French Defence Strategy The French Defence is one of the best choices a player can make for his opening repertoire, especially older players with limited study time. The solid construction of Blacks game puts the onus on positional understanding and makes it immune to sharp and tricky variations. The longer you play the French the better youll play it. On this DVD Nigel Davies explains the strategy behind the French Defence by examining typical pawn structures and explaining the plans and ideas for both sides.
Who is this grandmaster?
We asked you to guess who the cute young child in the photo is.
Once again we provided you with some more or less helpful clues:
He started playing chess at an early age – in fact the photo above
is probably the first of him with a chessboard. It is the earliest one
we could find in his family album.
He became an IM at fourteen and a grandmaster at the sensationally young
age of nineteen. Until very recently he was the top player in his country. Actually he had been eclipsed for a decaded by Michael Adams, but at
the end of last year he overtook his younger rival. In the March 2010 FIDE
list Mickey is back in first place in the UK.
He is from Europe, and in spite of the fact that his compatriots speak
a different language he is perfectly fluent in English. He live in Greece,
although he still has his English citizenship. People around him, whom we
somewhat carelessly called his "compatriots" (many thanks for
the precise definitionthat some readers sent us) do not speak English as
fluently as he does.
He has travelled extensively as a chess grandmaster, visiting a total of
89 countries. He counted them. Really: eighty-nine in all! Only surpassed
by Florencio Campomanes.
He has played against and beaten twelve world champions: Smyslov, Tal,
Spassky, Petrosian, Karpov, Kasparov, Khalifman, Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov,
Anand, Kramnik and Topalov. He beat Viktor Korchnoi in 1976, Tigran
Petrosian in 1978 and drew Sammy Reshevsky in 1986. He beat Korchnoi at
the age of ten in a simultaneous exhibition, and Petrosian at the age of
twelve, also in a simul. All the others were in classical one-on-one over-the-board
play.
He has received training from Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov. Boris
is an old friend who has occasionally trained him. Garry gave him the lesson
of a lifetime in 1993. Their training session was generally billed as a
World Championship match. Sorry for that one, Nigel, but it did throw Garry
Kimovich off. He recognised the rest in milli-seconds, but stumbled over
this fake clue.
Last summer he retired to a plantation where he grows fruit for commercial
produce. Actually he has a summer house near a beautiful beach in Greece.
There are olive trees in the garden, and the fruit is harvested every year
to produce olive oil. He retires to the summer house for a holiday from
chess a couple of times a year.
Well, almost all readers guessed who the future grandmaster was. Nigel Short
of England. We must confess that this was not
the first time we used him to puzzle our readers. And probably not the last.
Frederic Friedel
Nigel Short – Greatest Hits
Nigel spent a week in Hamburg, recording two DVDs for ChessBase, and getting
up-to-speed in Playchess lectures. Yes, you can expect to see him regularly
on our chess server, commenting on the events in the chess world.
One of the first duties of a prominent visitor of ChessBase in Hamburg...
... signing one of the posters that decorate the walls of the offices
Before the DVD recordings: a little preparation on his new HP notebook
Nigel just before the start of a recording in the ChessBase studio in Hamburg
On Friday evenings we have TV ChessBase – with André Schulz
and IM Oliver Reeh
Nigel was one of the most popular guests in the TV show
Certainly one of the funniest and most animated
The ChessBase DVDs "Nigel Short – Greatest Hits" will appear
in the near future.
Reader feedback
Once again we can only bring you a selection of the hundreds of letters we
received in reaction to our "who is this future GM" puzzle. The selection
is done semi-automatically, so if you do not find your letter amongst those
given below it does not reflect on our opinion of the quality. Unless your letter
was gratuitously rude, marred by adventurous orthography or – always an
immediate deal-breaker – written entirely in CAPS.
Kajetan Wandowicz, Wroclaw, Poland
I would think it's Short, if not for a small detail. He was a prodigy, GM at
19, is now English No. 2, has played in many countries, beat Korchnoi as a child
in a simultaneous exhibition... Even the boy in the photo looks Short-ish. Since
I heard Short had an olives plantation, I could even make sense from "Last
summer he retired to a plantation where he grows fruit for commercial produce.",
which, given Frederic Friedel's gift for riddles, could simply mean that he
spent holidays at his plantation. However, unlike the verb "retire",
the noun "compatriot" is not known to me to have a second meaning
and that's where I must admit defeat: Short's compatriots speak very fluent
English, and his living in Greece doesn't change that. Still, I'll assume my
far-from-perfect English is to blame and the sentence actually can mean the
Greeks, so I'll go for Short, but I won't bet a penny on it. Waiting for the
answer next week!
Gerardo Vázquez, Mexico City, Mexico
It's Nigel Short! He became IM at 14, GM at 19 and beat Petrosian as a 12-year-old!
(Apparently, Petrosian got pretty angry)
Jan Olderdissen, Simi Valley, USA
Bah – too easy. The lips are a dead give-away. Also the reference to being
a top player in an English speaking country until recently. Just a simple matter
to check Wikipedia to confirm that Nigel Short did indeed make GM at the ripe
old age of 19. And everybody knows his Greek countrymen don't speak English
as well as he does.
Susan, US Virgin Islands
At first glance the picture was a young image of Nigel Short. What threw me
for a few moments was your sentence: He has received training from Boris Spassky
and Garry Kasparov. But, I suddenly realized that even I have received such
training through analysis of their games. Nigel, you were such an adorable child.
Vernon Walker, Canada
Sneaky clues indeed! I'm pretty sure that's Nigel Short. The slightly misleading
hints: Until very recently he was the top player in his country – Mickey
Adams had surpassed him in rating a while back, but Short's rating briefly rose
past Adams' last year. I take it from the clue that Adams has recently regained
the lead. He is from Europe, and in spite of the fact that his compatriots speak
a different language he is perfectly fluent in English - Well, being English
of course he has a perfect command of the English language! The tricky thing
is that he has been living in Greece (if I'm not mistaken) for some time, so
his "compatriots" are his fellow Greeks. He has received training
from Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov - Had no idea about training from Boris
Spassky, and I don't believe him and Kasparov ever collaborated. I'm guessing
the "training" received from Kasparov refers to their World Championship
match!
Vinod Vishwanath, Bangalore, India
The answer, I think, is GM Nigel Short. It is no surprise he speaks fluent English,
despite living in Greece, since he is an Englishman! The clue was a clever one,
though.
Kevin Cotreau, Merrimack, NH USA
I know who it is, but when I first looked at the question and picture, I immediately
thought "Judit Polgar". Nigel, you made such a cute little girl.
Fred Lucas, Netherlands
Hi Frederic, is it this guy?
Photo by Fred Lucas
Osvaldo Téllez Almirall, Edomex, Mexico
I have no doubts, the future grandmaster appeared on photo is Nigel Short, english
born and currently living in Greece. btw, a nice man and a gentleman. I respect
him as a great player and is always instructive to study his matches.
Stein Kulseth
Surely it is Nigel Short. The misleading fact about his compatriots not speaking
flawless English is explained by the fact that Short is currently residing in
Greece. (Although, come to think of it, as we are comparing with Short's mastery
of the English language, it might apply if he still lived in the UK.)
Bhalchandra Thatte, Oxford, U.K.
Nigel Short? But I must admit that a few of your clues puzzle me. Trained by
Kasparov – did Short work with Kasparov for a match with someone? Retired
to a plantation, win over Smyslov in 1976 – perhaps in a simul? Short
must have been about ten in 1976. But this kid does seem to have the style of
Nigel Short.
Brian Hayden,Ireland
Easy peasy (should I say "easy olivesy" instead?) - step forward (what's
the Greek word for Mr?) Nigel Short.
Rajesh V, Seattle, USA
compatriot: – noun 1.a native or inhabitant of one's own country; fellow
countryman or countrywoman. – adjective 2.of the same country. "As
you probably know by now we are a bit sneaky with our hints. Naturally they
are all true, but sometimes a little bit misleading." Well, in this case,
it is NOT true. Interesting hints, nevertheless. Isn't the picture itself a
big give-away? Nigel Short. And "Last summer he retired to a plantation
where he grows fruit for commercial produce". Is that retire-retire or
a vacation/break at the plantation? And thanks for the great puzzles! Very enjoyable.
Geir Sune Tallaksen Østmoe, Kongsberg, Norway
Recognized primarily by his mouth in the picture: Nigel Short. Knowing he was
a prodigy strengthened my suspicion, and I became 100% certain when googling
and learning about the exact ages he became IM and GM, and learning that he
defeated Korchnoi at the age of ten – in a simultaneous. Sneaky misleading
hint about his Greek compatriots!
Ramón Jiménez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Nigel Short, of course Great set of clues there – someone who hasn't
fully enjoyed your reports on this colorful GM may forget that he actually lives
in Greece these days, growing olives and stunning the world with his penchant
for unusual English words, uncompromising comment on the chess world and its
inhabitants, and of course, quite enjoyable chess. Everything else failing,
the very particular curvature of his upper lip has not changed a bit in all
this time (I'm saying this quite literally - no reference to any kind of English
saying about upper lips here).
Jonathan Paxman, Perth, Australia
All the obscure clues in the world won't help you when Nigel Short has such
distinctive lips! I assumed it was him even before looking at the clues! IM
at 14, GM at 19, he defeated Korchnoi in a simul aged 10. I can only assume
that the comment about his being "perfectly fluent in English" is
a remark about his command of some of the more obscure corners of the English
language, and perhaps his impeccable accent.
Casper Dahl Rasmussen, Copenhagen
My guess is Nigel Short. The picture clearly says "Nigel" to me, but
the "helpfull clues" were rather disturbing... Beating Korchnoi in
'76 was simul I guess, and "training" with Kasparov was the match
in '93???
Seena Daneshvar, Tehran, Iran
You guys really think you are clever, huh?! He's Nigel Short! And I don't think
the fact that he lives in Greece makes the Greeks his compatriots. He plays
with the British flag in tournaments and on the Internet...
Duncan Vella, Swieqi, Malta
Well, it's pretty obvious that it's Nigel Short. The pic was enough of a clue.
Although I didn't know that he retired to concentrate on plantation. I hope
he is not quitting chess as he is quite a character for the chess scene.
Derek Jones, Aylesbury, England
Too easy. Nigel Short is one of those people whose appearance changed remarkably
little between childhood and manhood. You should have produced a photo of Nigel
as a baby to make it more difficult. I remembered Korchnoi's 1976 simultaneous
exhibition but had forgotten Petrosian's in London in 1978. The comment about
Nigel speaking English would have fooled only those who do not know he lives
in Greece.
Navin Sawalani, Madison, WI, USA
It's Nigel Short!
Lionel Laffranchise, Bray en Val, France
I guess it is Nigel Short. Thanks for the puzzle.
M Jagadish, Pune, India
Nigel Short, of course! You could add a couple more hints
Wade Caughlin, Grande Prairie, Canada
I think it might be Nigel Short??
Shiv Mathur, Mumbai, India
Surely Nigel Short? After all, he DOES speak fluent English !!
Steve Goodman, Falls Church, VA, United States
This has to be Nigel Short.
Peter Ballard, Australia
Nigel Short?
Elvin Solomon, Australia
Surely, None other than Nigel Short.
Ralvin, Manikam, Selangor, Malaysia
Haha, its unmistakable, Nigel Short, surely!!
John Moncada, Pto cabezas, Nicaragua
Is the picture of Nigel Short
John Moncada, Pto cabezas, Nicaragua
Is the picture of Bent Larsen.
Royce Campbell, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Well, this is obviously a "short" note.
Lu Tahmazyan, Los Angeles
My guess would be Nigel David Short.
Mark Vogan, Houston, TX, USA
This kid so clearly looks like Nigel Short that I will not even research the
clues. It must be Short.
Ted Teodoro, River Ege, USA
Nigel Short, kinda obvious...
Alok Nagdev, Los Angeles
He was the top grandmaster in his country for the last but one FIDe list...
did I say that was for a very short period of time? He is eloquent in Queens
English and contrary to his name has had a long lasting impression on the chess
world.
Danny Ramos, Paranaque, Philippines
I would like to guess whose picture it was. It was GM Nigel Short when he was
still a kid. Do I get a prize if I got it right? Just asking.
Bobby Bower, Nassau, Bahamas
It's obviously Nigel Short. Our champ!
Zhigen Lin, Melbourne, Australia
The player in "Can you guess who this (future) grandmaster is?" is
Nigel Short! I could see the resemblance in facial features.
Wendel Lopez, San Pedro Sula, Honduras C.A.
El nino es Nigel Short de Inglaterra. Espero no equivocarme esta vez... Saludos!!
Benjamin, Brandt, Saginaw, USA
It is Short, but didn't you already do him before? By the way, great site! I
check it almost every day.
Aben Rudy, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
That's Nigel Short. No doubt about it!
Colin Reed, Birmingham, England
You asked us to guess who the child is in the photo? I say it is Nigel Short.
Nick Beqo, Vancouver, Canada
Nigel Short?
Markus Bindig, Reinsdorf
Hello there! Your clues are pretty obviously pointing to Nigel Short. Will that
insight earn me an autograph?
Shanker Raman, Calgary, Canada
Nigel Short.
Pat Parimi, Boston, USA
No clues are necessary for this puzzle. The boy in the photo is Nigel Short.
He hasn't changed much since his childhood.
Jonathan Kenny, Virginia, USA
It's Nigel Short.
Ivan Smilianov, Peshtera, Bulgaria
This is the photo of Nigel Short. Now he is maybe 100 kg, but his mouth is the
same as on the photo.
Karlo Bala Jr., 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Looking at eyes and mouth, I think it is Nigel Short
Lawrence Henderson, Nevada USA
It is Nigel Short
Carsten Hansen, Hackensack, USA
From the text it seems like and from the picture it looks like, it can only
be Nigel Short.
Khondakar Dhaka, Bangladesh
He is GM Nigel Short
John Moncada, Pto Cabezas, Nicaragua
Is the picture of IVANCHUCK
Béla János, Putyinger
Short
Flemming Høgh, Frederiksberg Copenhagen
I guess its Nigel Short.
Andra Cimina, Athens, Greece
If it is not Nigel Short it should be his twin brother:)
Alexei Kulashko, Auckland, New Zealand
Alexandr Belyavskiy
Sundararajan Ganesan, Pudukkottai, India
The child in the photo is Nigel Short, former challenger to Kasparov. Nigel
now mostly lives in Greece with his family. Greece is after all in Europe and
Nigel, being an Englishman, speaks flawless English!
Ed Zator, Toronto, Canada
Nigel Short?
Brian Karen, Levittown, USA
That is GM Ivan Sokolov.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Buenos Aires
I think he is Yasser Seirawan...
Fenisevic Dragan, Croatia
Nigel Short
Bona Dilo, Botswana
It looks more like Nigel Short. In fact, it should be Nigel Short. He was top
rated Brit before he was surpassed by Adams. Has he retired? This is definitely
the misleading part.
Gerald Aycardo, Cebu City, Philippines
That cute short boy is Nigel Short!
Johan Geyser, Johannesburg, South Africa
The photo of the youngster who became a grandmaster and beat 12 world champions
must be Nigel Short. I guess he speaks flawless English in Greece!
Yigal Nochomovitz, Ph.D., New York, NY
Appears to be a young Nigel Short
Samuel Stolpe, Falls Church, VA, USA
Mr. Friedel, it is the same GM who you told me last week complained of losing
to "some Azeri punk" on Playchess, who later turned out to be Gashimov.
You can tell by the shape of his upper lip: it's Short.
Kieran Delamotte, France
Very nice quizz! The boy is in fact Nigel Short who is certainly as outstanding
in chess as in English! However, he's still at the top Please keep on providing
us with his comments!!
Dag Standnes, Bergen, Norway
I guess the boy on the picture is GM Nigel David Short from England.
William Taylor, Bridgwater, England
I think it must be Nigel Short – although I've never seen pictures of
him that young I recognised him. The "fact that his compatriots speak a
different language" puzzled me for a moment, before I remembered that he
lives in Greece. A quick google revealed that he became a GM at 19, so I'm confident
that I'm right without investigating the other clues.
Johan Hut, Baarn, Holland
The child in the photo is Nigel Short. He hasn't changed much, only his hair
is shorter now.
John Kunz, Watetown, NY USA
Nigel Short
Alfred Acaling III, Cadiz City
Its easy even if w/o hints, the first time I saw the pic (2sec) I knew that
it was Nigel Short, the lips is a giveaway.
Rico Moreno, Honolulu, HI, USA
Nigel Short ...
Gerry Smith, Dublin
Nigel Short, he has not changed a bit!
Manny Balidio, Waipahu, Hawaii (USA)
I would like to guess the name of the grandmaster prodigy pictured as a child
in your article. I believe that child is Nigel Short as a child!
Thiamhee, Lai, Penang, Malaysia
The lips, at least, looks like Nigel Short, though the hints of him getting
trained by Kasparov is very dubious to say the least.
Pedro Silva, Coimbra, Portugal
It's definetely Nigel Short. The clue that gives it away is the one about his
compatriots' language. And after a few reaearch, you can find the simul where
he beat Korchnoi and so on. Nice puzzle.
Bolivar Gonzalez, Brazil
GM Nigel Short (ENG)
Cosmin Cretu, Romania
Nigel Short
Jon Crumiller, Princeton New Jersey USA
Nigel Short.
Jamshid Begmatov, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The photo is enough to identify Nigel, don't you think?
Jacob, Portukalian, Los Angeles, CA
It is clearly Nigel Short. I identified him immediately from the photo. His
compatriots are now Greeks, even though he was born in England. All the other
facts line up with his wikipedia page.
Natan, Estivallet, Porto Alegre, Brazil
I think he is Nigel Short. The picture very much looks like one that can be
found in the book "Play better chess", Leonard Barden, 1980.
Woody Jackson, Kent, UK
Nigel Short
John Rose, Media, USA
Either Nigel short has dual citizenship or his witty vocabulary enables him
to fit your description. Such a British face.
Ilya Krasik, Boston, USA
Undeniably the boy on the picture is Nigel Short. The "speaks perfect english"
clue sealed the deal there, but anyhow he looks like Short 100%.
Andre, Cardon, S. Paulo, Brazil
Nigel Short is the child grandmaster!
Juan, Beserra, Brazil
He looks a lot like Artur Yusupov! Am I right about my guess?
