Spanish Team Championship - Group II

ICC offered LIVE COVERAGE of the Spanish Team Championship - Group II, which took place in San Sebastian, a small town in the north of Spain. Some strong grandmaster took part in the competition, including Aronian, Shirov, Gelfand and Karjakin.

The two favorites "C.A. Linex Magic" and "C.A. Cuna de Dragones" advanced to the finals, after a hard fight with the third classified team, "Gros Xake Taldea". The finals will take place from November 3-4 in Lugo, Spain.

For more information, visit the ICC LIVE COVERAGE webpage and the Spanish Chess Federation website (in spanish).

Nigel Short won the European Union Championship

The European Union Individual Chess Championships took place at the Liverpool World Museum 6th-15th September 2006.

Nigel Short took clear first place with 7.5/10.

Final standings: 1. Short, Nigel D ENG g 2676 7½ pts, 2. Sulskis, Sarunas LTU g 2514 7 pts, 3. McShane, Luke J ENG g 2614 7 pts.

For more information, visit the ICC LIVE COVERAGE webpage and the official website.

Queen against rook and knight

Generally the queen is stronger than a rook and a knight, even a pawn down. However, the material value in this last case is equal. The most important factor is the cooperation of the pieces, and rook and knight don't normally cooperate well in the majority of positions (in contrast to rook and bishop).

To assess this type of positions correctly it is important to see if the queen has attacking perspectives, if there are weak points that can be attacked or contrary if the enemy pieces can attack these objectives.

We mustn't forget that the queen is only one piece whereas the rook and the knight can attack, for example, a pawn which can't be defended only by a queen.

In the following game, the rook and the knight aren't able to coordinate adequately, while the queen has good attacking prospects.

Euwe,M - Grunfeld,E [D28]
Zandvoort, 1936
Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6 [More common is 3...Nf6 but the line of the game transposes after 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6. The game move gives Black the possibility of defending the gambled pawn with ...b5 but generally White wins back the pawn with a quick a2-a4.] 4.e3 e6 [After 4...b5 5.a4 Bb7 6.b3 Black can't keep the pawn.] 5.Bxc4 Nf6 6.0–0 c5

7.Qe2 [With the idea of placing the rook on d1. The alternative 7.dxc5 is quite insipid but has been played frequently, as White gets a microscopic advantage that allows him to play without any risk, although without big aspirations.] 7...Nc6 8.Rd1 [This is consequent with the mentioned plan, although the exchange 8.dxc5 is very different to what was said a move ago, as it angles for other types of position after 8...Bxc5 9.e4 with the idea 10.e5.] 8...b5 [After 8...Qc7 9.Nc3 Be7 White could use the plan 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.a3 with the idea b4, Bb2 and Rac1]

9.Bb3 [If White wants to avoid the line that now follows, he can play 9.dxc5 Qc7 and now 10.Bb3 or 10.Bd3] 9...c4

This move, loosening the central tension, is justified here because Black is able to exchange his opponent's dangerous light-squared bishop, but in any case it still has some dangers, as it delays the kingside development. The alternative is 9...Qc7

10.Bc2 Nb4 11.Nc3 Nxc2 12.Qxc2 Bb7? [But this is a mistake, as White will demonstrate with his next move. Black should have played 12...Nd5 as Euwe played against Keres three years later. in that case, Black can answer 13.e4 with 13...Nb4 14.Qe2 Nd3 but White's perspectives seem slightly better] 13.d5!

The opening of the centre is nearly always favourable to the more developed side and the pressure along the d-file will create new problems for Black. 13...exd5 14.e4 Be7 [Better is 14...Bc5 with the threat ...d4. in that case 15.e5 would be bad because of 15...Ng4 whereas 15.exd5 0–0 16.Bg5 is answered by 16...h6 17.Bh4 Qb6]. 15.e5! Nd7 To be considered is 15...Nh5 although it's a move that doesn't look very nice, as the d7 knight will be exposed to an annoying pin. 16.Nxd5 0–0 [16...Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxd5 18.Nxf7 Kxf7 19.Qf5+ isn't good for Black.]

17.Qf5

17...Nc5 [Black sacrifices his queen in exchange for a rook and a knight, thinking that the strong square on d3 can offer compensation. But the options of attacking on the kingside give the queen a superior value. In any case, Black's position was very difficult, as if 17...Bc8 18.Bg5! Bxg5 19.Nxg5 g6 20.Qf4 Kg7 21.e6! winning, as in the game Cortlever - Vlagsma, Beverwijk, 1942] 18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Rxd8 Bxd8 [Regrettably, Black must capture on d8 with the bishop, which makes it even more difficult to occupy the "d" file with his rooks. Playing with energy, White doesn't allow his opponent time to consolidate his position and the superiority of the queen over the rook and the knight is very clear.] 20.Ng5 [An important move that forces the following exchange of a serious weakness in the Black's castled king position, and both of these options are good for White, as they increase his attacking chances.] 20...Bxg5 [20...g6 21.Qh3 h5 22.Be3 isn't good for Black.] 21.Bxg5

The bishop controls the important "d8" square meaning that Black can't make use of the open file, a vital factor for the rooks to be activated. In addition, the bishop collaborates actively in the attack. 21...Rfe8 [21...Be4 defending the kingside was to be considered. However, after 22.Qg4 Black's pieces are in trouble, as the bishop retreat to g6 is dangerous in view of the advance f2-f4-f5, for example 22...Bg6 23.Be7 Rfc8 24.f4. And if 22...Rfe8 23.Be3 Rxe5 24.Bd4 f5 25.Qg5 Ne6 26.Qe7 costs Black more material.] 22.Re1 [Avoiding the manoeuvre ...Be4] 22...Re6 23.Re3 Switching the rook to the kingside offers White even more attacking chances. Note that White plays with all his pieces, whereas Black can't activate his own pieces completely.

23...Rae8?! [Possibly Black no longer has a decent defence, although this move doesn't oppose any more resistance. In any case, if 23...Nd3 White sacrifices the bishop with decisive effect, for example 24.Bf6! gxf6 25.exf6 Rxe3 26.Qg5+ Kf8 27.Qg7+ Ke8 28.Qg8+ Kd7 29.Qxf7+ Kc6 30.fxe3. A possible improvement would be 23...h6 and if 24.Bf6 Nd7 although White maintains his advantage after the simple 24.Bh4] 24.h4 [This pawn advance creates new weaknesses. Black doesn't have much of a choice.] 24...h6 25.Bf6! [Threatening 26.Rg3 g6 27.Rxg6+] 25...g6 [If 25...gxf6 26.exf6 with decisive threats. Or 25...Nd7 26.Rg3 Nxf6 27.exf6 Re1+ 28.Kh2. Relatively best is 25...Be4 but with 26.Qg4 Bg6 (26...g6 only works if 27.Rxe4? Nxe4 28.Qxe4 Rxf6! but 27.Qf4! Kh7 doesn't offer many chances of saving the game) 27.h5 gxf6 28.hxg6 Rxe5 29.Rxe5 Rxe5 30.f4 Re1+ 31.Kh2 Nd3 32.Qc8+ Kg7 33.Qxa6 and White must win.] 26.Qf4 Kh7 27.Bg5! [An elegant shot, although the simple 27.h5 g5 28.Qf5+ Kg8 29.f4 was also very effective.] 27...f5 [27...hxg5 mates after 28.Qxf7+ Kh6 (28...Kh8 29.hxg5) 29.hxg5+ Kxg5 30.Rg3+ Kh6 31.f4] 28.exf6 Black has no defence against the threat Qc7+. 1-0

ICC Quiz #480
submitted by djlogan

White mates in 3

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 480
Then type: play trainingbot

Eningma #1


Who is the hidden player?

Help tip: related to Fred Lucas

Send your Enigma solutions to webmaster@chessclub.com, indicating your ICC handle. If you guess correctly,
you will enter the draw for a Pack of Chess Lessons, prepared by IM's M. Rahal and A. Martin.
The solution and the handle of the lucky winner will be published in next week's newsletter.

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Solution to ICC Quiz #480
submitted by djlogan

1. Bg8+ Kh6; 2 Bg5+ Kh5; 3. g4 #

  Solution to Enigmas - Newsletter XXXIV

Enigma #1: Last move was 1.c7xd8=R+
White: Rd8, Qc6, Kd6, Ne8, Rf6, Ba8 and Pa7.
Black: Kc8 and Pb7.
Enigma #2: Add a Queen white to "a1" and 1.b3 #

The winner was cche from Orangevale, CA, USA.