exd5!

20.01.2010
– Daaim Shabazz met the Haitian chess team at the 2006 Olympiad – a genuine and enthusiastic group. They missed the Olympiad in 2008 because of a series of hurricanes. The country had a small, but thriving chess community before the earthquake struck. Since then Daaim has been unable to make contact with anyone in the Haitian chess community. An appeal for assistance.

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2010:
The Year of the Haitian Tragedy

By Dr. Daaim Shabazz

 “Ou we sa ou genyen, ou pa konn sa ou rete.”
You know what you've got, but you don't know what's coming. – Haitian
Proverb

As the day ended on January 12, 2010, Haitians were finishing their daily routines
and returning from school, work and preparing for dinner with their families.
Unbeknownst to 9.8 million citizens of Haiti, something was brewing underneath
the surface and had been waiting to unleash its power for 200 years. At 16:53:10
local time, a massive 7.0 earthquake shook the land of Haiti, and within seconds
turned the capitol city into massacre of death. It is projected that the disaster
would claim an estimated 100,000-200,000 lives. Despite temblors in recent years,
no one could have predicted the enormity of this disaster.

The land of Haiti was once a land of lush pastures, mangrove forests and river
valleys. A favorite subject of 15th century history, Haiti sits on the western
side of the island of “Hispanola” which it shares with the Dominican Republic.
The nation’s rich history that is highlighted by its battles with Spain, British
and France and its successful slave revolt which led it to its independence
as the Republic of Haiti in 1804. Since its independence, economic and political
instability have hindered its ability to become a prosperous nation. Moreover,
it has created an impoverished economic landscape. It is deemed the poorest
nation in the western hemisphere and among the lowest on many social indices.

Despite these misfortunes, Haitians are generally optimistic and have worked
to improve the quality of life not only materially, but socially. In a vibrant
social culture with the Creole language, Kompas music and eclectic cuisine,
Haitians happily relish their social interactions. One of the social outlets
having been reignited is chess. The nation first participated in the Dubai Olympiad
in 1986 and according to olimpbase.org, has competed a total of six times (1986,
1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2006). The nation broke a 10-year hiatus when they traveled
to Turin Olympiad in 2006. They were full of spirit, ambition and it was apparent
that they were enthusiastic about returning to the international stage.

Donning their distinctive Haitian caps, they were part of the photo of the
opening ceremonies with the Italian team and seemed to bask in a bit of glory.
Led by National Champion Piersont Lebrun and top scorer Jozy Bazile
(8½/13), the Haitians ended on 21½ points (+3 =4 -6). While this was a modest
showing, it provided them momentum for rebuilding their confidence and to make
progress as an active federation. During the Olympiad, I introduced myself to
Lebrun and told him, “My Creole is a bit rusty.” Lebrun broke into a smile.
Of course, I spoke none of the indigenous language, but we did exchange a few
words of French. He later introduced me to the rest of the team during an analysis
session. The interaction was pleasant.

By 2008, the Haitian chess community was making steady progress and in January,
the Haitian Chess Federation had launched Academie
d’Echecs, a non-profit initiative to promote chess in the schools. From
the academy’s website, they appeared to be very active and the programs they
had organized seemed to be gaining support. Sabine Bonnet, the President
of the academy, had worked tirelessly to promote chess in Haiti. According to
Adia Onyango, a chess promoter in New York,

I met her while playing in the North American Open in 2008. She traveled
from Haiti to play in tournaments in the US at least two times because of her
love of the game. Her organization, The Chess Academy, is based in Port-au-Prince
and started in January 2008 for the promotion and teaching of the game of chess
in Haiti.

 Looking at the pictures it is obvious that chess was beginning
to take hold on the island. The Academy had secured a sponsor and was staging
several tournaments both in Haiti and also participating in activities in the
Dominican Republic. In 2008, the Haitian team had planned to send a delegation
to the Olympiad in Dresden, but a series of hurricanes rendered that impossible.
Eight-hundred people were killed and the island was ravaged. Despite the devastation,
the Haiti chess community pressed on and continued developing programs.

In December 2009, the country held its National Championship and crowned Mondoly
Sanon as the National Champion after his undefeated performance of 7½/9
among ten finalists. He was poised to be the top board for the Haitian side
in the 2010 Olympiad in Siberia. Just weeks after the championship, the earthquake
devastated the capitol of Port au Prince, a densely-populated city of one million.
The media images of Haiti have been horrific. We have seen death and destruction
in the streets and the most pitiful sight of mangled and bloated bodies left
by the devastating earthquake. Assistance has poured in from around the world,
but logistical challenges are hampering efforts.

Haitian player Valery Afriany

Thus far, no word has been heard from any of the Haitian chess players. The
amount of damage done to Haiti will take generations to repair. Thus far, several
sports organizations and Olympic committees have pledged moral support. FIFA
President Joseph Blatter also released a statement of moral support.
It is my hope that organizers, players and officials from around the world will
show some solidarity in supporting relief efforts of a devastated nation. This
is not a political conflict, religious, ethnic or class war, but a battle between
the earth’s natural forces. Who knows where the next battle will be fought?

The Haitian National Palace (Presidential Palace), located in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, heavily damaged after the earthquake. Note: this was originally a two-story
structure; the second story completely collapsed. Photo: United Nations Development
Programme. There are some truly stunning photos of the devastation from the
earthquake on the following page: Haiti
from above.

The Haitian national anthem speaks of the Haitians being urged on by their
ancestors to fight a valiant battle without the fear of death. It urges, “Our
past cries out to us: Have a disciplined soul!” The ultimate battle that remains
for Haitians may be survival, but we hope their strong resolve will result in
a stronger nation. The chess community will be waiting for their return!

Please donate to any of your favorites charities around the world. Organizations
such as UNICEF have also set up a fund. Google “haiti earthquake fund"
and choose from a variety of organizations to which you can contribute.

Two games by Haitian players

Mohd Omar,Ak Hirawa (BRU) (2335) - Sanon,Mondoly (HAI) [B34]
Turin ol (Men) 37th Turin (8), 29.05.2006 [Shabazz,Daaim]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Qd4 Nf6
8.e5 dxe5 9.Qxe5 Bg7 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qc5 Qd6 12.Qxd6 exd6 13.0-0-0 d5 14.f3 Be6
15.Na4 Nd7 16.Ba6 Rab8 17.Rhe1 Nb6 18.Nc5 Bc8 19.b3 Bxa6 20.Nxa6 Rbc8 21.Bc5
Rfe8 22.Kd2 Bf8 23.Kd3 Bxc5 24.Nxc5 Kf8 25.Kd4 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Re8 27.Rxe8+ Kxe8
28.Nd3 Nd7 29.b4 Ke7 30.b5 Kd6 31.bxc6 Nb8 32.Nb4 Nxc6+ 33.Nxc6 Kxc6

34.Ke5 f5 35.h4 [35.f4] 35...Kc5 36.g4 fxg4 37.fxg4
Kc4 38.h5 gxh5 39.gxh5 d4 40.h6 Kc3 41.Kd5 a5 42.a4 Kxc2 43.Kxd4 Kb3 44.Ke5
Kxa4 45.Kf6 Kb3 46.Kg7 a4 47.Kxh7 a3 48.Kg8 ½-½.

Bazile,Jocelyn - Silveirinha,Jose Antonio C (2200) [B13]
Yerevan ol (Men) Yerevan (11), 1996 [Shabazz,Daaim]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Ne2 Bg4 6.f3 Bh5 7.Nf4 Bg6
8.Nc3 e6 9.Nce2 Bd6 10.c3 0-0 11.Bxg6 hxg6 12.0-0 Qc7 13.g3 Nc6 14.Nd3 b5 15.Bf4
Nd7 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.f4 b4 18.Ne5 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nb6 20.Rf3 Ne7 21.Qe1 Rac8 22.h4
Rc7 23.g4 f6 24.Nd3 Na4 25.Qd2 Rfc8 26.Rc1 Qa3 27.Ne1 Rc4 28.Ng2 Rb8 29.Rc2
Rb1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Rc6 32.Ne1 Nc8 33.Qd3 Nd6 34.Qxg6 Nxc3 35.h5 Kf8 36.h6
gxh6 37.Qxh6+ Ke8 38.g5 Nf5 39.Qg6+ Kd7 40.Qf7+ Kc8

41.Rxc3! Ne3+ 42.Rxe3 Qxe3 43.Qh5 fxg5 44.fxg5 Kb7 45.g6 e5 46.g7 Rf6+
47.Nf3 Rxf3+ 48.Ke1 Qf2+ 49.Kd1 Rd3+ 50.Kc2 Rf3 51.Qxe5 Re3 52.Qxd5+ Kb6 53.Qc5+
Ka6 54.Qc4+ Kb6 55.g8Q Rxe2+ 56.Kb3 Rb2+ 57.Ka3 1-0.

About the author Dr. Daaim Shabazz is the creator and webmaster of The Chess Drum. He serves as a tenured faculty member at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, where he teaches international business. He has served the journalist community for 20 years (including a short stint with Sports Illustrated in New York) and is a member of Chess Journalists of America.

Chessbase.com

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04.01.2010
– A Ukrainian, Czech, Romanian, and thank heavens three Brits lead at the traditional Hastings International Chess Congress. David Howell lost a winning position after a blunder in round five, but picked up two points in the next two rounds to join the leaders. Our correspondent in situ, Steve Giddins, continues to taunt us with Latin phrases, but has at least the kindness to provide translations. Of sorts.

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Reports by Steve Giddins

Round five: Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus

Blunders. Don't you just hate them? Nearly all of the most dramatic moments
in chess history concern those inexplicable moments of tragic weakness, when
a player throws away the fruits of hours' of hard work. Chess is especially
cruel in that way. It is often said that blundering in a winning position is
the chessboard equivalent of a cricketer getting himself out when on 99, but
the late Hugh Alexander pointed out that the chess situation is even worse.
Disappointed though he may be at missing out on a century, at least the batsman
who gets out on 99 is allowed to keep his 99 runs. The chess player, who works
like a Trojan for four or more hours to establish a winning position, and then
blunders, gets a zero in the scorechart, just as surely as if he had allowed
Fool's Mate - parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus, he can be heard to
wail.

The playing hall during round six

The other thing about blunders is that all players make them, no matter how
great the players concerned may be. I am sure we all remember the tragic case
of Chigorin, the great Russian master of the latter part of the 19th century,
who blundered into a simple mate in 2, when a piece up against Steinitz in game
23 of their 1892 world championship match. More recently, Kramnik suffered the
embarrassment of overlooking a mate in one threat, against the computer Deep
Fritz, in their match in 2006. And the list goes on - name a great player, and
you are sure to be able to find a few examples of his committing one-move howlers,
that would not look out of place in the 4th Division of the Little Ditchford
Evening League.

Here at the 2009 Hastings, it was the British Champion, David Howell, who had
cause to curse the fickle fates. After establishing a winning advantage against
Andrei Istratescu of Romania, Howell blundered fatally:

Howell,D (2597) - Istratescu,A (2624) [C07]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (5), 01.01.2010
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.Nb5 Na6
8.c4 Qc6 9.Nf3 b6 10.Be2 Bb7 11.0-0 Be7 12.a3 0-0 13.Nbd4 Qc8 14.b4 Rd8 15.Qb3
e5 16.Nc2 e4 17.Nfd4 Nb8 18.Bb2 Nc6 19.Rad1 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 a5 21.h3 axb4 22.axb4
Bf8 23.Rc1 Qc7 24.Rfd1 Rac8 25.Nf5 Rxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Qf4 27.Ne3 Ne8 28.Bg4 Ra8 29.c5
Nf6 30.cxb6 Nxg4 31.Nxg4 Re8 32.Rd7 Re7 33.Rd8 e3 34.Nxe3 Qg5

Having turned down a draw offer at move 22, Howell had worked up a winning
advantage, but now disaster struck. 35.Rd2 would adequately meet the threat
of 35...Rxe3, but instead, a time-trouble-ravaged Howell played the catastrophic
35.Rd5??, after which he was lost, following the reply 35...Rxe3!
The game ended 36.Qxe3 Qxe3 37.fxe3 Bxd5 38.Bc3 f6 39.Kf2 Kf7 40.g4
g5 41.Ke2 Be4 42.Kf2 Ke6 43.Kg3 Bd6+ 44.Kf2 Be5 45.Bd2 Kd5 0–1.
Sic transit gloria mundi, as my old Medway Chess Club match captain
used to say at such moments.

That stroke of good fortune allowed Istratescu to assume the outright lead.
Close behind him come Edouard and Drozdovskij, who halved out after 16 moves
of Queen's Gambit theory, and Keith Arkell, who beat Simon Knott. This last
game was vintage Keith – queens off at move 12, into a level ending, in
which he soon picked off a pawn, and won the double rook position in a canter.
With all due respect to his opponent, Keith made it look like shelling peas.

Hracek, Philippe and Greet all won, to join the chasing group on four points,
the latter also including Hebden, who could not overcome Simon Ansell's defence
in a theoretically drawn 3 v 2 rook ending. Lower down the tournament, Simon
Williams won his second straight game, but despite this, he is still not the
highest-placed player called Williams in this tournament! 13-year old namesake
Peter continued his outstanding performance, by holding Kjartansson to a draw,
after a long defensive struggle. There is something about this youngster which
reminds me rather of the late Tony Miles – like the latter, Williams seems
to have a robust self-confidence and absence of respect for reputations, and
also a penchant for slightly offbeat openings (notably his regular use of 1.f4
as White). He is definitely a player to watch for the future.

Although youth has been to the fore in this event, Russian veteran Boris Furman
struck back for the more mature generation, by outplaying Sam Collins with Black.
Finally, on board 24, there was more evidence, as if such be needed, that the
magnificent monument of chess literature that is 101 Chess Opening Traps is
in dire need of a reprint – anyone from Gambit
Publications listening out there?

Griffiths,R (2148) - Webb,L (2321) [A29]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (5), 01.01.2010
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7
8.a3 0-0 9.b4 Be6 10.Rb1 f6 11.d3 a5 12.b5 Nd4 13.Nd2

13...Nd5?? A highly plausible move, which has ensnared many
a strong player. 14.Bxd5! Bxd5 15.e3. And suddenly, Black is
losing a piece! Laurence fought on all the way to move 71, but eventually had
to bow to the inevitable.

Round six: Qui gladio ferit, gladio perit

It has been suggested to me, by a certain cynical German of my acquaintance,
that some of my readers may be a little baffled by the various Latin quotations,
with which my reports this week have been peppered. I personally find this hard
to believe, since I feel sure that the deleterious effects of downgrading the
role of the classics in the modern education system is more than compensated
for by the wonders of the Internet, and particularly Google. A simple copy and
paste operation on the offending phrase is sure within a nanosecond to produce
an English translation, plus full background notes. Nonetheless, I have been
persuaded that a glossary of terms should be included in these reports. Being
a man who always listens to the advice of my elders and betters, I have therefore
decided that such a glossary should be offered to my readers today. Fortunately,
Alex McFarlane, the Chief Arbiter of the Hastings Masters, just happens to have
been keeping such a list of translations throughout the week, so I am able to
offer this for your education and delectation, without the need to perform any
significant labour myself. I am unsure of the precise details of Alex's classical
education, but I know him to be a recently-retired schoolmaster in the excellent
Scottish education system, so I am fully confident of the reliability of his
efforts. Without further ado, therefore, I set out below a list of the English
translations of Latin tags used in reports 1-5, which I trust you will find
helpful:

Back at the chess, round six of this year's Hastings Masters saw another batch
of tremendously hard-fought games. On board two, Keith Arkell found himself
hoist by his own petard, in the unaccustomed role of having to defend a slightly
worse endgame. Despite defending unguibus et rostro, he was unable to
hold. Second seed Zbynek Hracek won a classic Sicilian counterattack against
his French IM opponent.

Kjartansson kept up his challenge by beating Furman with the black pieces,
whilst Simon Ansell did the same at the expense of young Peter Williams. Jonathan
Hawkins' bid for a third and final IM norm is well on track after another win,
whilst John Anderson, who came close to a norm here last year, renewed his chances,
with a surprise win against Simon Williams.

Yesterday saw the announcement of the £100 Best Game prize for the Masters
tournament, generously sponsored by the Trustees of Horntye Park, our playing
venue. Anyone wishing to enter a game for consideration for this prize can do
so at the Control Desk. Your correspondent is the judge for this prize, so naturally,
any player submitting his game with annotations, written in Latin, will have
an obvious head start... The announcement of the prize immediately generated
a potential contender, in the shape of following attacking effort, by a player
outrated by some 250 points:

Green,An (2151) - Eggleston,D (2367) [C00]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (6), 02.01.2010
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Qe2 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.g3 b5 6.Bg2 dxe4 7.dxe4 b4 8.Nbd2
Ba6 9.Nc4 Nc6 10.e5 Nd5 11.Qe4 Qb8 12.Ne3 Qd8 13.Bd2 Bc5 14.0-0-0 Bxe3 15.Bxe3
Rb8 16.Qg4 Rg8 17.Qe4 Rh8 18.Qg4 Kf8 19.Ng5 Nce7 20.Qf3 Qe8 21.Nxe6+ Kg8 22.Nc5
Bc4

23.Bh6 Qc6 24.e6 f5 25.Nd7 Rd8 26.Rhe1 gxh6 27.Qh5 Ng6 28.Qxf5 Rxd7 29.exd7
Kg7 30.Bxd5 Bxd5 31.Qxd5 Qxd5 32.Rxd5 Rd8 33.Re8 1–0.

Round seven: Mors tua, vita mea

The latter rounds of Swiss tournaments can often be bloody affairs, in which
"many must die, that a few may live". As we reach the business end
of the tournament, draws are of little use to those battling for major prizes.
It is usually only in the last round, alas, that wholesale grandmaster draws
take precedence, as players seek to consolidate their earlier gains. Most often,
the real battle for the prizes takes place in the penultimate and ante-penultimate
rounds.

So it was in yesterday's seventh round of the Hastings Masters. Although the
top two boards were both drawn, the next nine all saw decisive results, with
White triumphing in eight of those games. Romain Edouard of France won another
fine positional game, this time at the expense of Andreas Strunski. The German
IM donated his dark-squared bishop in the opening, and spent the rest the rest
of the game in chains on the dark squares.

Edouard,R (2620) - Strunski,A (2386) [D16]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (7), 03.01.2010
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e4 Bb4 7.Bg5 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3
Qa5 9.e5 Ne4 10.Rc1 b6 11.Qc2 Qd5 12.Bxc4 Qxc4 13.Qxe4 h6 14.Nd2 Qd5 15.Be3
Qxe4 16.Nxe4 Ba6 17.c4 Nd7 18.f4 Ke7 19.Bd2 c5 20.d5 f6 21.d6+ Kf7 22.0-0 f5
23.Nf2 Bb7 24.a5 g6 25.Rc3 Bc6 26.Ra1 Rhg8 27.Rh3 Rh8 28.Rha3 Rhg8 29.Rh3 Rh8
30.Kf1 Bb7

31.Rha3 g5 32.axb6 axb6 33.Ra7 g4 34.Nd1 Bc6 35.Nc3 Rhb8 36.Nb5 Rxa7
37.Rxa7 Rb7 38.Ra3 Rb8 39.Nc7 b5 40.cxb5 Bxb5+ 41.Nxb5 Rxb5 42.Ra7 Ke8 43.Ke2
h5 44.Kd3 Rb3+ 45.Kc4 Rb2 46.Ba5 Rf2 47.Ra8+ Kf7 48.g3 Rc2+ 49.Kb3 Rc1 50.Rd8
Rb1+ 51.Kc2 Rb7 52.Bc7 Nb6 53.Bxb6 Rxb6 54.Rh8 1-0.

In the all-English clash Howell-Hawkins, the latter seemed to equalize without
too much trouble against his opponent's main line Spanish, but an uncharacteristic
rush for blood saw Hawkins sacrifice a piece for a couple of pawns in the queenless
middlegame. It never really looked convincing, and he lost without too much
of a fight thereafter.

Mark Hebden has been coming to Hastings for over 30 years, and is still battling
for top honours. He did his cause a power of good by cashing in when Kjartansson
lost his way in a tough King's Indian position:

Kjartansson,G (2391) - Hebden,M (2522) [E97]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (7), 03.01.2010
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 Nf6 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5
Ne7 9.b4 Ne8 10.c5 h6 11.a4 f5 12.Nd2 g5 13.Ba3 Ng6 14.Re1 Nf6 15.b5 Rf7 16.cxd6
cxd6 17.Nc4 Bf8 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.Ne3 Bd7 20.g3 Rc8 21.Bb4 e4 22.Qb1 Ne5 23.Nxe4
Nxe4 24.Qxe4 Qf6 25.Rf1 Bh3

Here, the computer is still optimistic about White's chances after 26.Bh5,
but the young Icelander instead preferred the dubious 26.f4?
After 26...gxf4 27.gxf4 Nd7 he was already in some trouble,
and his attempt to hold things together by 28.Ng2? simply lost material. Play
continued 28...Re7 29.Qd3 Bf5 30.Qd1 Qb2, and wriggle as he
might, White cannot avoid dropping something. Hebden won after 31.Bd2
Rc2 32.Rb1 Qd4+ 33.Be3 Qxd1 0–1.

Simon Ansell continued his fine run by beating Kolbus, whilst Keith Arkell
was in trouble early on against Giffard, but turned the tables in the middlegame
and won. On the next board, another English GM found himself in trouble with
White, and for a fleeting moment, it looked as though Gormally was going to
become the victim of the day's big upset:

Gormally,D (2479) - Anderson,J (2209) [A45]
85th Masters Hastings ENG (7), 03.01.2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 g6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 d6 5.h4 h5 6.Bc4 Bh6 7.Nd2 f5 8.Ne2
0-0 9.g3 Nd7 10.Nf4 Bxf4 11.gxf4 Nf6 12.Qf3 Rb8 13.Rg1 Kg7 14.0-0-0 b5 15.Be2
Be6 16.Qg3 c5 17.dxc5 Qa5 18.e4 Qxa2 19.exf5 Qa1+ 20.Nb1

At this point, with the watching internet audience cheering him on, Anderson
could have secured his second consecutive GM scalp, by 20...Ba2, eg. 21.Bd3
(21.fxg6 Ne4 -+) Qxb1+ 22.Kd2 Qxb2 23.fxg6 and now 23...dxc5 24.gxf7+ Ng4 wins,
although the computer prefers 23...Rg8 instead. Instead, he ignored the classical
injunction occasionem cognosce and chose 20... Bxf5??,
after which the tables quickly turned. 21.Bd3 Bxd3 22.Rxd3 Ne4? 23.Qe3
Nxc5 24.Ra3 1–0. A narrow escape for the GM, and a major missed
opportunity for Anderson.

By the end of round seven, therefore, we have no fewer than seven players sharing
the lead on 5.5, with another six just half a point behind. Today's top 8 live
boards should see some serious fighting chess, as those with the white pieces,
for probably the last time in the tournament, make a desperate effort to put
themselves in pole position for the final round. As the Spartan women used to
tell their husbands and sons, when sending them into battle, "E tan, e
epi tan!" – "Come back with your shield or upon it!"

• Full
  reports with annotated games here

Top ranking after round seven (Sunday, 3rd January 2010)

#	Player	Points	Nat.	Rating	Perf.	W-We
1	GM Drozdovskij, Yuri	5.5	UKR	2625	2627	+0.10
2	GM Hracek, Zbynek	5.5	CZE	2624	2624	+0.11
3	GM Istratescu, Andrei	5.5	ROU	2624	2714	+0.80
4	GM Edouard, Romain	5.5	FRA	2620	2660	+0.42
5	GM Howell, David W L	5.5	ENG	2597	2598	+0.10
6	GM Hebden, Mark L	5.5	ENG	2522	2584	+0.58
7	IM Ansell, Simon T	5.5	ENG	2387	2479	+0.85
8	GM Gormally, Daniel W	5.0	ENG	2479	2439	-0.21
9	GM Arkell, Keith C	5.0	ENG	2464	2573	+1.04
10	IM Philippe, Christophe	5.0	FRA	2430	2501	+0.75
11	IM Greet, Andrew N	5.0	ENG	2423	2510	+0.93
12	WGM Zdebskaja, Natalia	5.0	UKR	2408	2279	-0.87
13	IM Bates, Richard A	5.0	ENG	2383	2358	-0.06
14	IM Breder, Dennis	4.5	GER	2427	2442	+0.22
15	IM Martin, Andrew D	4.5	ENG	2423	2285	-1.03
16	IM Kjartansson, Gudmundur	4.5	ISL	2391	2326	-0.41
17	FM Strunski, Andreas	4.5	GER	2386	2308	-0.52
18	FM Hawkins, Jonathan	4.5	ENG	2383	2527	+1.42
19	FM Lorscheid, Gerhard	4.5	GER	2348	2296	-0.31
20	FM Eames, Robert S	4.5	ENG	2276	2382	+0.94
21	Mitchell, Martin	4.5	SCO	2195	2467	+2.45
22	Demac, Elias	4.5	NOR	2084	2373	+2.57
23	Jackson, James P	4.5	ENG	2067	2309	+2.24
24	Sreeves, Clement	4.5	SCO	2061	2311	+2.30

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN or zipped PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

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12.12.2009
– Tournaments like the current one in London give us great chess and allow us to see some of the world's finest players up close. But they are also social occasions that bring together a multitude of interesting personalities. Too many to present all in one report. So here is a selection, ranging from players to authors, editors and successful traders. Photo impressions by Frederic Friedel.

Adrian Mikhalchishin:
Winning Structures
Great players always had and still have more than just broad theoretical knowledge. Every of them has some favourite methods, which simply help to score more points. The greatest even have favourite pawn structures! And they immediately exploited the knowledge of others - Alekhine invented some interesting structures, which were copied by his opponent in that game (Rubinstein), and later exploited by Botvinnik and then by Kramnik!
More information...

The London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel), 135 metres (443 ft) high
and the largest Ferris wheel in Europe, is visited by over three million people
a year. It was erected in 1999 and is located at the western end of Jubilee
Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames.

Before the start of the London Chess Classic, two of the participants, Nigel
Short and Luke McShane, went head to head in a game of blindfold chess in the
London Eye.

In the background you can see Parliament and Big Ben

People and personalities

By Frederic Friedel

The Howell family in front of a portrait of the chess-playing son

Martin, Julia, David and Angeline – a really cool family we reported
about here

Two of the world's most successful chess players (financially) playing blitz
in the VIP room

David Robert Norwood, 41, is a grandmaster writer and businessman who joined
the city investment bank Banker's Trust in 1991 and became the director of Special
Projects at IP Group plc. Today he lives on an island far away from the mainstream
of chess, business, or in fact society in general.

IM Ali Mortazavi, 2372, is a former chess player who made his fortune as a trader

Tara Adams, wife of Mickey, who works on her Eee netbook in the VIP area

The life of the VIP room: Viktor Korchnoi, who provides most of the animation
to the discussion

Wife Petra Korchnoi, who at 82 accompanies and looks after Viktor all over the
world

Espen Agdestein, rated 2382, brother of GM Simen, business advisor of Magnus
Carlsen

Dominic Lawson, who writes for the Independent and the Sunday Times

Dominic is the son of a former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord
Lawson. He was educated in Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, and
married Rosamond Mary Monckton, daughter of the 2nd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley.
He joined the BBC as a researcher, and then wrote for the Financial Times. From
1990 until 1995 he served as the editor of The Spectator magazine. From 1995
until 2005 Lawson was editor of The Sunday Telegraph, and currently he is an
Editorial and Opinion writer for The Independent, where he usually takes lines
contrary to the newspaper's general political position. For example he does
not believe global warming is caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions,
attributing it to solar radiation. Also he writes a weekly column for The Sunday
Times. He is the author of the book "The
Inner Game: Short V. Kasparov", which Robert Harris called "perhaps
the most intimate portrait of a chess genius ever written." One of the
more interesting people we have met in London.

The Chinese delegation with Li Wenliang and Crystal Zhu

GM Li Wenliang is the second of GM Ni Hua

Crystal Zhu is a second year PhD student who lives in England. She is doing
research on how post colonialism theory is reinterpreted in the Chinese literature
of the 80s. She is also a 2100 chess player.

Raymond Keene, the second English player (after Tony Miles) to become a
grandmaster.

Raymond or "Ray" retired from competitive play in 1986 and is now
better known as a chess organiser, columnist and author. He was involved in
organising the 1986, 1993 and 2000 World Chess Championships, all held in London.
He was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services
to chess in 1985. Keene is a controversial figure in the chess world, and has
had disputes with figures such as Miles, Viktor Korchnoi, John Donaldson and
David Levy. His business dealings, and the quality of his chess books, have
also been criticised. More about that in a separate report.

GM Jonathan Rowson, who helps out with the commentary

Diego Rasskin-Gutman, who presented his book "Chess Metaphors"

Diego Rasskin-Gutman is Ramón y Cajal Research Associate and Head of
the Theoretical Biology Research Group at the Institute Cavanilles for Biodiversity
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Spain. He is the coeditor
(with Werner Callebaut) of Modularity: Understanding the Development
and Evolution of Natural Complex Systems (MIT Press, 2009). We will
provide you with a review of his chess metaphors book at a later date.

IM Malcolm Pein, who put this whole event together

Tournament Schedule

Links Official tournament site Full details in our previous report All games in PGN The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

Chessbase.com

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19.11.2009
– "I fell ill," the winner of the super-strong 2009 Tal Memorial tournament reveals. "But for some reason I achieved my best results when I had to take tablets to control my temperature." Vladimir Kramnik speaks about his chances in the Candidates tournament, the cooperation Carlsen-Kasparov, and Anand's chances in Sofia. We have added a brief Aronian statement to this Sport Express interview.

Nigel Davies:
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
More information...

World
Blitz Championship

This event was held on November 16, 17 and 18 in the showroom of the Red Square
mall GUM. Time controls were three minutes for the whole game + two seconds
increment per move. The event was a 22-player double round-robin, i.e. it had
a total of 42 rounds, which were played on three consecutive days. The participants
include the players from the Tal Memorial, plus twelve invitees. The average
rating was 2718 – quite remarkable for an event with so many players.

In the press

This conversation with the 14th world champion took place on the 11th floor
of Moscow’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, immediately after the end of the IV Tal
Memorial, which Vladimir Kramnik won in brilliant style.

It is especially nice to win in Moscow

Vladimir, first a few words about how the tournament went.

It was both very successful and rather strange. Straight after the first round
game against Carlsen, I fell ill. Usually in such a strong tournament, if you
are playing with a temperature, you cannot expect anything very good. But for
some reason, I played really well, despite the illness. Of course, I had prepared
for the event and felt that I was in quite good form, but it was still a surprise
for me that I achieved such a good result when I was ill and had to take tablets
to control my temperature before the games. That was a revelation.

A result of "plus 3" is fairly typical for the winner of category
21 tournaments. Kasparov won with the same score at Las Palmas 1996 and Topalov
at Bilbao 2008. Are you satisfied with the result, or could you have scored
even more points?

I think this was not only the strongest tournament of this year, but also
one of the strongest ever. Even so, I made my plus three with something to spare.
I could even have won a couple of other games. I was winning against Carlsen,
and also against Gelfand at one time. On the other hand, I had some luck at
some moments too. So I think the result was about right. And I would emphasise
that it is especially nice to win such a tournament in Moscow.

Were you not shocked at how feebly Anand lost to Aronian in the last
round?

I was. Especially because Anand is well-known for his good preparation. I
think it is likely that he has a bit of a complex about Aronian. He plays very
badly against him. Almost every player has his bogey opponents. I said to Levon
“Tell me, how come you manage to get Anand to play against you at the
strength of an Indian candidate master?” Aronian laughed and said: “You
pay me, and I’ll tell you!”. But joking aside, apart from this game,
Anand played very well in Moscow. He was competing for first place until the
last round, and the misfortune against Aronian does not in any way detract from
his high class.

Do you have any bogey opponents yourself?

Fortunately not. At one time it was Alexey Shirov, but I shook off this complex
and now have a plus score against him.

How do you like the rule, used here, that draws can only be agreed with
the permission of the arbiter?

It seems to me that this is an imaginary problem, but if the organisers do
not want players to agree an early draw, then it is better to have stricter,
the so-called Sofia rules. Because, with all due respect to the arbiters, I
do not understand why they allowed a draw to be agreed in the game Leko-Ivanchuk.
The final position was nothing like those envisaged in these rules. As it was
explained to me, while Leko was thinking whether to agree or not, he used up
almost all his time, and when he decided to accept Ivanchuk’s proposal,
the arbiters did not object, out of “humanitarian” reasons, since
he had so little time left. It is all a bit strange. And although such a problem
did not arise for me personally – I played out all my games to the very
end – I think that if you are going to have anti-draw sanctions, then
it is better not to give the players the opportunity to have negotiations at
the board.

How far do you think that the poor play of Svidler and Morozevich was
the result of their having played in the European Team Championships in Serbia?

Undoubtedly! Once you are over 30, it is difficult to play two tournaments
in a row at such a level. You just do not have the energy. Knowing this, I arranged
things so that I would have time to rest and prepare before the Tal Memorial.
But I will certainly play for the Russian team at the Olympiad, which is next
year in Khanty-Mansysk. That will be the main focus of my 2010 schedule, to
arrive there feeling completely fresh. And I hope the other team members will
do likewise, because if we are to win the Olympiad (which we very much want
to do!), then everybody needs to come to the event fully armed.

The work with Kasparov is very important for Carlsen

When you played in Dortmund, it was not know that Carlsen was working
with Kasparov, whereas by Moscow this was public knowledge. Now there is lots
of talk about how Kasparov has given him his database, with 17,000 variations,
and how much this helps the young Norwegian. What do you think?

All the talk about databases is just for the public (laughs). It makes no
difference. The issue is not about variations, but that at Carlsen’s age,
you have a lot of energy, a fresh head, and your system recovers quickly, but
you do not have so much knowledge and experience. Because of this, the older
players can come ahead of you. I remember that when I was 18 or 19, I could
occasionally beat Kasparov, but I still lacked knowledge and experience.

Of course, Kasparov, who played against us all in his time, can tell Magnus
how to play against Anand, Topalov or me, and what openings he should study,
and which ones don’t suit his style. I think their work together will
very much have the character of personal contact, which is very important for
a youngster. If I had had such a person, maybe I would have become world champion
earlier. Even before this relationship between Carlsen and Kasparov, it was
clear that the former had the talent of a champion, but this cooperation with
Kasparov can help him to gain the title more quickly, say not at 27, but 23.

Could Magnus become world champion at 20?

Maybe, maybe not. I cannot guarantee that he will even become world champion.
At the moment, many people say that Magnus is a future champion, as though it
will happen of its own accord. But it is not easy to become world champion.
To my mind, Magnus is still not as strong as some of the “old guys”,
like Anand, me and Topalov. And if there were to be, say, a match Aronian-Carlsen,
then at this moment, I would put my money on Aronian. However, I repeat –
that this youngster has world championship talent has been clear since he was
15.

Can you already feel the hand of Kasparov in Carlsen’s play?

I have not seen the results of any global chess work, although Magnus has
started to play the openings better. But such talent, of course, brings results.

The candidates’ tournament will be very strong

After this event, you have a rating gap of about 30 points over those
players who are competing with you for a place in the Candidates. Do you think
you are now 100% guaranteed a place?

Not yet 100%, but I am 99% there.

The make-up of the tournament could be something like this. Anand or
Topalov, Kamsky, Aronian, Carlsen, you, the World Cup winner (anybody’s
guess!), the Grand Prix runner-up (Gashimov, Radjabov, Wang Yue or Gelfand),
and one nominee of the organisers (Gashimov or Radjabov)...

If the event takes place in Baku…

Do you doubt this?

Yes, it seems to me that much could still change in FIDE’s plans. I am
used to this.

OK, but let’s assume the line-up is as stated above. How would
you rate your chances?

The tournament will be very strong, but no stronger than the one which has
just finished in Moscow. And I have the potential to win such a tournament.
But of course, I know very well that the other players you have named also have
such potential, so why debate it? I will prepare seriously, to win the event
and go through to a world championship match. I am positively inclined, but
there are no guarantees.

The Candidates will be run, I believe, as short matches. Does this format
suit you better than San Luis 2005 and Mexico 2007?

I am not thinking about this at present. In any case, whatever the format,
one must be well prepared and play well.

There is more than a year before the Candidates, so what are your plans
in the short term?

In two and a half weeks, I play the tournament in London, assuming I eventually
get a visa.

Are you having problems with that?

Yes, they are reluctant to give out visas to anyone right now. But I hope to
get it and play in London. Then I play Wijk aan Zee, where I have already signed
the contract. I very much hope to break some bad habits there, and firstly,
not to fall ill in Holland again, and secondly, to win the tournament. I won
it about ten years ago, and ever since, have always played badly. But this time,
I will take it very seriously. Then, as usual, Monaco. After that, it will depend
on the dates for the Candidates tournament. But in any case I will play the
Olympiad, where, I repeat, the Russian team will make every effort to secure
the gold medals.

Anand’s chances in Bulgaria will be sharply reduced

When I spoke to you in Dortmund in July, it was not clear where the Anand-Topalov
match would be held. Now we know it will be in Sofia. How do you rate each
player’s chances?

I would say that Anand is favourite, but Topalov will win. Now that the match
will be held in Bulgaria, the chances of the Indian retaining his title are
sharply reduced. Anand is an adult, and he takes responsibility for his own
affairs, but in his shoes, I would not have agreed to play in Sofia.

In one of his recent interviews, Morozevich said he does not find it
boring to play without Topalov, either in Moscow or anywhere else in the world.
Do you miss Topalov’s play?

I am already used to playing tournaments without Topalov. I am not invited
to tournaments which are under the control, or let us say, of his manager Mr
Danailov, whilst Topalov avoids tournaments where I am playing. But as I have
already said, I am happy to play against him. I have no reason to avoid playing
him.

If the Tal Memorial had been part of the Grand Slam, then as its winner,
you would automatically have been invited to the Masters event in Bilbao,
and there, more than likely, you would have met Topalov. What do you think
of such a prospect?

If the organisers of the Tal Memorial think they need this, then why not join
this system? But it seems to me that in terms of strength, organisation and
finance, the Moscow tournament has already become one of the most prestigious
in the world. One cannot say this of the Bilbao Masters – this year it
was cut down to just four players, and was a parody of a super-tournament. In
addition, all the organisation of the Grand Slam is under Danailov’s influence,
and accordingly, they only invite their chosen few players. There is no objectivity
at all in who plays and who does not play. If they want to be a real grand slam,
then politics and personal preferences should be put to one side and not influence
objective factors. So I have a sceptical view of their Grand Prix.

• Interview
  in Sport Express by Yuri Vasiliev (18.11.2009)
  Translated by Steve Giddins

Levon Aronian: "When you are sick you do not feel like playing chess"

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian said that the reason for his uneven performance
at the Tal Memorial was illness. The top Armenian player finished on 4th-5th
place, together with World Champion Viswanathan Anand. "After the fourth
round game against Magnus Carlsen," Aronian said, "I felt ill. My
final result, even if I hadn't won my last-round game, would have been quite
satisfactory. It is difficult to play when you have a headache, a sore throat
and a cold. This makes it hard to compete in a sporting event. When you are
sick you do not feel like playing chess.

In the final (ninth) round of the Tal Memorial Aronian defeated the reigning
world champion Viswanathan Anand of India in 25 moves with the black pieces.
"I am very surprised at this victory over Anand. We all have bad days,
and there is nothing we can do about it," said Aronian. – Source:
Regnum (Russian)

Links Official tournament site (Russian) All games in PGN + all results + all ChessBase reports The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. 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!

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10.11.2009
– The chess legend Bobby Fischer died in Iceland on January 17, 2008. He was buried in the compound of a church in Selfoss, 60 km from the capital Reykjavik. Since then there has been a battle over his estate, which is claimed by his nephews Alexander and Nicholas Targ. Now the Reykjavik Discrict Court has ruled in favour of Fischer's lawfully wedded wife, Miyoko Watai. Pictorial report.

Recent reports in MBL.is

According to MBL the District Court of Reykjavik has made a ruling in the legal
case of Alexander and Nicholas Targ, Bobby’s nephews, vs Miyoko Watai,
over his fortune, where their claim for official distribution of his estate
was rejected. Still it is expected that the findings will be appealed to the
Supreme Court of Iceland for final ruling. They were made to pay legal fees
of €1200 to the defendant.

This lengthy lawsuit has twice earlier been remitted to the Supreme Court over
formalities. The bottom line of the verdict which has now been published is
that the claim of Mrs. Watai for private distribution of Bobby’s Estate
is confirmed on the grounds that they were a married couple according to a confirmation
issued by the Japanese Embassy in Reykjavík January 30 2008. It is further
stated that their marriage certificate, issued on August 17 2004, was registered
at the Ota Ward region town authorities in Tokyo on September 6 2004, after
it had been certified by special means that the groom was the person he claimed
to be, as his passport was not available, and nor was the necessary information
from the US Embassy. Later, confirmation papers were forwarded to the Japanese
Department of Justice. After thorough investigation by the authorities and a
visit by their representatives to the Ushiku Detention Center on 5 November
2004, where Mr. Fischer was kept in custody, the registration of their marriage
was finally certified on January 28 2005 by the Japanese Minister of Justice.
It is further stated that Bobby and Miyoko had lived together “de facto”
for several years.

• Full
  report in MBL (Icelandic).

Bobby Fischer’s artifacts presented to Laugardaelachurch

Shrines with some artifacts related to Bobby Fischer’s memory were recently
delivered to Laugardaela Church, his resting place, for preservation. One of
the shrines includes the In Memoriam book, which many people –
chess players, the public and officials alike – signed after his death.

The shrines being delivered to Pastor Kristinn Agust Fridfinnsson by Olafur
Thorarinsson of the parish committee and Einar S. Einarsson on behalf of the
RJF Committee.

The other contains cards, messages of condolence, and souvenirs received by
the RJF Committee, among them two chessmen, kings made of lead, one silver the
other sable.

Although his grave is rather isolated and off the beaten track, many tourists
keep visiting it, both by bus and individually. Among recent visitors were the
film director Milos Forman and Dr. Frank Brady. The former said that he had
be planning to make a Hollywood movie about the Fischer-Spassky match several
years ago, having both of them play themselves. Spassky agreed right away and
Bobby too, after a while. But he had some reservations, not regarding money.
He only wanted to be on location after 2 p.m. and not for more than a a maximum
of three hours per day, which made things impossible for Mr. Forman.

Dr Frank Brady in Iceland

Dr. Brady is working on Bobby's complete biography, his third on him. There
is an interest in opening some kind of chess facilities for tourists at Laugardaelir
or at Selfoss the town close by to honor the memory of the 11th world champion.

• Report
  in MBL (Icelandic)

Bobby Fischer's Grave

Photos by Panos Andriotis

Panos, who lives in Volos, Greece, went to Iceland in the June 2009, and sent
us "with a lot of love" photos of the grave of chess legend Robert
James Fischer. This is located in the village of Selfoss, 60 km from Reykjavik.

A view of Iceland when approaching by air

Selfoss, a small village 60 km from Reykjavik [View
Larger Map]

Travelling around Reykjavik by ferry

Nordic houses on the banks of the Ölfusá River, the largest in Iceland

Panoramic view of Selfoss with the Church and the Ölfusá River
Bridge on the right (scroll horizontally).
This photo by Simsa was stitched together from 14 individual photos.

Selfosskirkja – the church in Selfoss [Photo Jóna Þórunn
Ragnarsdóttir]

Inside the church

The front of the church with Fischer's grave

That's me, Panos Andriotis, and the view from the church spire

Where the chess legend lies buried

His final resting place...

Copyright
ChessBase

Related ChessBase reports

On Fischer and Miyoko Watai

Chessbase.com

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