Kramnik beats Topalov in game one. Tune-in to the show!

Magnus Carlsen defeats 3-1 Simen Agdestein to win the Norwegian Title for the first time

For the second year running, teenager GM Magnus Carlsen (2675) played against his trainer GM Simen Agdestein (2575) in a playoff for the title of Champion of Norway. Simen has won the national title on seven occasions; last year, also winning the title after a playoff with Carlsen.

The two-game match took place at the TV studios in Oslo, on the 19th-20th September, 2006. Both of the normal games ended in a draw, although Agdestein missed a clear win in the second game. Magnus clinched the title by winning the two rapid games, the second of which is quite stunning. After the match, Magnus commented on Nettavisen: "I am delighted to win. Especially after I made a mess of things", while Agdestein added: "It really annoyed me that I wasn't able to settle the match when I had the chance in game two."

For more information, visit the ICC LIVE COVERAGE webpage and the official website (in Norwegian).

GM Ivanisevic wins the 14th Kostic Memorial

A strong closed tournament, rating average 2573 (Category XIII), took place in Vrsac, Serbia, from the 12th to the 21st September.

The players were: Korneev, Oleg (Russia, 2638) - Macieja, Bartlomiej (Poland, 2613) - Delchev, Aleksander (Bulgaria, 2637) - Damljanovic, Branko (Serbia, 2625) - Ivanisevic, Ivan (Serbia, 2596) - Markus, Robert (Serbia, 2586) - Miladinovic, Igor (Serbia, 2584) - Spraggett, Kevin (Canada, 2577) - Solak, Dragan (Serbia, 2564) - Munizaba, Slobodan (Serbia, 2319).

Serbian GM Ivan Ivanisevic won the event with 6.5/9; 1.5 points ahead of the rest of the field. Tied for second place on 5.5/9 was GM Bartlomiej Macieja.

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

Subject: Queen against rook and bishop

Although the material value of the bishop is equal to the knight, when we talk about the fight of the queen against rook and a minor piece, the bishop is normally better than the knight, because generally the bishop coordinates more easily with the rook. Therefore nearly always a rook, bishop and a pawn are worth a queen, although one must always take into account the positional elements that may influence this assessment.

One must take into account how easy it is for a bishop and a rook to attack, for example, a weak pawn, whereas the queen, as it is only one piece, can't defend. In any case, as in the case of last week's theme, (queen against rook and knight) the activity of the queen, if it can attack enemy weaknesses or if the enemy king is exposed, it plays a fundamental role.

In the model game that we now examine, White obtains a rook and a bishop for the queen, but his pieces are unable to find a clear aim to attack and they must maintain a defensive attitude, making the queen a superior piece.

Rustemov,A - Vallejo, F [D38]
Bundesliga, 2006
Queen's Gambit

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 [The Ragozin Defence of the Queen's Indian, that can also develop from the Nimzo-Indian Defence.] 5.cxd5 [Avoiding the more complex lines that arise from 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 c5] 5...exd5 6.Qa4+ [Not a very common line, instead of the more popular 6.Bg5] 6...Nc6 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxf6 [8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Rc1 h5 gives Black a satisfactory game.] 8...Qxf6 9.e3 0–0 10.Be2 [If 10.Rc1 Black can hinder the development of his opponent's kingside with 10...Qg6] 10...Be6 11.0–0 a6 12.Rfc1 The other rook has also been played to this square, but the text move is more logical, as White plans to play the typical plan in these pawn structures, with the b2-b4 minority attack. 12...Bd6 13.Qd1 Ne7

[The most common plan, although to be considered was the piece regroup that Sosonko played with Black against Portisch in Wijk aan Zee 1975: 13...Rae8!? 14.Na4 Nd8 15.Nc5 Bc8 followed by ...Ne6.] 14.Na4 [White tried a more direct plan in the game Arencibia,W-Jobava,B. La Habana 2005: 14.Rab1!? Rad8 15.b4 c6 16.Na4 Bc8 17.Nc5 g5 18.a4 obtaining a small advantage.] 14...c6 [Interesting is 14...b6 not allowing White the possibility of occupying the "c5" square as in the game Gustafsson,J-Sargissian,G. Wattenscheid 2005] 15.Nc5 Bxc5 [With the rook still on "a8" the retreat 15...Bc8 is much less logical.] 16.Rxc5 Bg4 17.b4

[Initiating the "Minority Attack" the idea of which is a4 and b5. 17.Ne5 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Qe6 19.Rc2 Nc8 was played in the game Timman,J-Izoria,Z. Calvia Olympiad 2004, but White didn't achieve anything and a draw was agreed.] 17...Nf5 [The ideal square for the knight is "d6" controlling c4, b5 and e4. Frequently, especially after the exchange of the light-squared bishops Black plays ...b5 and places his knight on "c4"] 18.a4 Nd6 19.Rac1 Bxf3! [A good exchange. The white knight is stronger than the black bishop.] 20.Bxf3 Rfd8 [Premature is 20...Nc4 21.b5] 21.Qe1 [An imprecise move. The queen was better placed on b3] 21...Nc4!

[Enclosing the rook and threatening to win it by means of ...b6] 22.b5?! [Now this continuation isn't as strong as in the previous commentary, because of the placement of the queen on e1. White could have played 22.a5 but that would have meant giving up the queenside rupture. Another interesting possibility was 22.Qc3 after which 22...b6?! would be dubious because of 23.Rxc4 dxc4 24.Qxc4 with excellent compensation as White has to give up a second pawn.] 22...Nb2! [With the double threat on a4 and d3, obliging White to give up material. 23.bxc6 Nd3 24.c7 [White sacrifices his queen because the continuation 24.Qc3 Nxc5 25.Qxc5 bxc6 26.Qxc6 Qf5 is very good for Black in view of the threat ...Rac8.] 24...Nxe1 [Naturally, not 24...Rdc8? 25.Qc3 Nxc5 26.Qxc5 as the strong pawn on c7 changes the situation completely.] 25.cxd8Q+ Rxd8 26.Rxe1 b6!

[Important detail that leaves Black with the advantage. If White could capture the pawn on "d5", his perspectives, with a rook and bishop and pawn against the queen wouldn't be bad.] 27.Rc3 [If 27.Rxd5 Rxd5 28.Bxd5 Qf5! and White's pieces have trouble coordinating, for example 29.e4 (29.Bb3 Qd3) 29...Qc8 with a clear advantage in view of the threat ...Qc3.] 27...Rd6 [Although White's position seems solid enough, he hasn't got enough compensation for his material deficit and his a4 pawn isn't secure.] 28.Rec1 g6 29.Be2 a5 30.Bb5 [Now White has assured his queenside, but in order to do that he has had to place his bishop in a position where it can only do defensive tasks, whereas his kingside is unprotected, and Black will try to exploit this.] 30...h5 31.Rc7 Qf5 32.Re7 Rf6 33.Rf1 Qc2

[As we have mentioned, the coordination of the pieces is a very important factor in these situations and it is clear that Black has the advantage in this aspect.] 34.h4 Kg7 35.g3 Rf5 36.Kg2 Kf8 37.Re8+ Kg7 38.Re7 Kh6 39.Re8 Kh7 40.Re7 Kg7 [All these manoeuvres have the aim of arriving to the 40-move time control, after which Black will make the rupture in the kingside.] 41.Re8 Rf6 42.Re7 g5! 43.hxg5 Rf5 44.Re5? [This eases Black's task, although even after the best move 44.Re8 Rxg5 45.Rh1 Rf5 46.Rf1 White's defence isn't nice.] 44...Rxe5 45.dxe5 Qe4+ 46.Kg1 h4! [This move dismantles White's king position totally, giving the queen even more value. The threat is ...h3] 47.gxh4 [If 47.Kh2 Qxe5 48.Rg1 Kf8 49.Rg2 Qxg5 50.gxh4 arriving at a similar ending.] 47...Qg4+ 48.Kh2 Qxh4+ 49.Kg2 Qg4+ [Of course, 49...Qxg5+ must be played but Black gains some time on the clock first.] 50.Kh2 Qh4+ 51.Kg2 Qxg5+ 52.Kf3 Qf5+ 53.Kg2 Qe4+ 54.Kg3 Qxe5+ 55.Kf3 Qe4+ 56.Ke2 [56.Kg3 f5 isn't better either.] 56...Qc2+ 57.Kf3 f5

[Although Black has difficulties mobilizing his extra pawn the bad position of the white king and the poor coordination of the rook and the bishop are decisive.] 58.Rg1+ Kf7 59.Rg5 Qe4+ 60.Kg3 d4 61.exd4 Kf6 62.f4 [Forced, as 62.Rg8 loses the rook after 62...f4+ 63.Kg4 (63.Kh2 Qh7+) 63...Qg2+] 62...Qxd4 [White can't avoid the loss of his f4 pawn.] 63.Rh5? [With this move White loses the rook, but there was no way of saving the game: 63.Kf3 Qe4+ 64.Kg3 Qe3+ winning. The best defence was 63.Bc6 but 63...Qc3+ 64.Bf3 Qe3 65.Rg8 Qg1+ 66.Bg2 Qe1+ 67.Kf3 Qd1+ wins easily.] 63...Qg1+

0–1

ICC Quiz #504
submitted by Thalarctos

White mates in 3

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 504
Then type: play trainingbot

ICC Quiz #511
submitted by Eratosthenes

White mates in 3

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 511
Then type: play trainingbot

 
Solution to Enigma - Newsletter XXXV
Enigma #1: The player was IM Katherina Lahno
Visit the original photo gallery by Fred Lucas

Creative Chess Opening Preparation - Eingorn

Grandmaster Eingorn is an chess opening trendsetter. Throughout his career, he has introduced many novel concepts in the openings, and some of the systems he has introduced have gone on to become absolute main lines, such as the Rb1 Exchange Grünfeld. Here he explains the methods by which he prepares his openings and works out new systems from scratch, and how readers can do the same.

  Price $25.95 - Buy now!
  Click here to read a sample from this book.

Harry Nelson Pillsbury: Genius Ahead of His Time - Cherniaev

Harry Nelson Pillsbury shot to fame at the age of 22 when he won outright the incredibly strong Hastings 1895 tournament ahead of such luminaries as Steinitz, Chigorin and Lasker. Had it not been for his untimely death at the age of 33 he may well have gone on to challenge for the World Championship. In the only book on Pillsbury currently in print Grandmaster Alexander Cherniaev presents 50 of his best games and shows why he ranks alongside Morphy and Fischer as one of the greatest ever American players.

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Opening Repertoire for White According to Kramnik Volume 1b - Alexander Khalifman

The concept of the series "Opening for White according to Kramnik" is as simple as innovative. Former FIDE world champion Khalifman helps you building a complete repertoire for White, using as a model the repertoire of Vladimir Kramnik – the only chessplayer who has beaten Kasparov in a match. The author guides you through the deep of variations.

Volume 1b covers the King’s Indian. Volume 1a will contain the anti-Gruenfeld, old Indian and off-beat lines of the King's Indian.

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Winning Chess Explained - Franco

Zenon Franco has regularly annotated top-level games for more than a quarter of a century. He has drawn upon this vast experience to present 50 hugely instructive games illustrating a wide variety of chess ideas. Key themes are illustrated by several games, so that we gain a well-rounded appreciation of the relevant ideas, and develop foresight that will enable us to make the right decisions at the board by anticipating problems before they arise. Topics include: Pawn Sacrifice, Exchange Sacrifice, The Art of Manoeuvring, The Second Weakness, Permanent vs. Temporary Advantages, Regrouping, 'Strange' Exchanges, Denying the Opponent Squares, and The Central Breakthrough.

  Price $25.95 - Buy now!
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Starting Out: Chess Tactics and Checkmates - Chris Ward

Once you have figured out how all the chess pieces move, what is the next step up the chess ladder? This helpful and entertaining book provides you with the complete answer. In this easy-to-follow guide, renowned chess teacher Chris Ward explains all the crucial checkmating patterns, plus how to catch out your opponents with an assortment of tricks and traps, commonly known as chess tactics. There is something for everyone in this book: improving players can benefit from learning the basic checkmates and the key tactics such as attacking and defending pieces, forks, pins and skewers, while more experienced players can discover the delights of advanced checkmates and sneaky tricks, ones that can flummox even the world's best players!

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CJS Purdy's Fine Art of Chess Annotation Vol 4 - Purdy

Purdy was a teaching genius, an original thinker, explorer and discoverer. He wrote about chess' best games,its best players, and was not averse to disagreeing with established 'authority'. This last volume of Purdy's classic series contains 100 annotated high level games.

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Solution to ICC Quiz #504
submitted by Thalarctos

1. Qxf7+!!+ Kxf7; 2 Bc4+ Qd5; 3. Bxd5 #

Solution to ICC Quiz #511
submitted by Eratosthenes

1. Re8+ Nf8; 2 Nf6+! Kh8; 3. Rxf8 #