Position after 23...Nxe3

This game deserved at least a share of the "Best game" prize in the Gibtelecom Festival. Although the game ended in a draw, it is quite spectacular. This is the type of game I personally like a lot, as I play this variation quite often.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 13.Nxc3 a6 14.Rb1 Na5 15.h4 Nf5 16.Rh3 0-0-0 17.h5 Nc4 18.Ne4!? [18.h6 Rg6 19.h7 Rh8] 18...dxe4 19.Qxc4 Bc6 20.h6 Qd7! 21.h7 [21.Kf2!?] 21...Qd1+ 22.Kf2 e3+! 23.Rxe3 [23.Bxe3 Qxb1 24.hxg8Q Rxg8÷] 23...Nxe3 24.Qxc6+! Otherwise White may well be losing 24...bxc6 25.Bxa6+ Kc7 26.Rb7+ Kc8 27.Rb5+ Kc7 28.Rb7+ Kc8 29.Rb5+ Kc7 30.Rb7+ Kc8 ½-½

Position after: 17...Qe7

Akopian won the event by knocking out Kuzubov in the last round.

18.Nxc6! Exposing the king for the final attack. 18...Kxc6 19.Nd5! Qe8 The knight can't be captured [If 19...Bxd5 20.exd5+ Kd7 (20...Rxd5 21.Qxe7) 21.Qb5+ Kc8 22.Qc6+ mating] 20.Qa6! A nice move. White is now threatening several mating ideas, such as Nb4+, or Qxa7-c7 mate. 20...Bf8 21.Qxa7 Bc5 22.b4! Qd7 23.Qa6 Black can't survive this position. 1-0

Position after: 96.Rf1

Adams needed to win this game to tie for second (where the difference was more than $5,000). Can you see Black's defence, sufficient for a draw?

97...Rg1! 98.Rf3 Threatening mate on h3, but Black has everything under control. [98.Rxg1 is stalemate!] 98...Rf1! [98...Rg3! 99.Rf2 Rg2 is also a draw!!] 99.Rxf1 Stalemate!! ½-½

Position after: 29...Qb3

After winning the first game, Carlsen can clinch match victory if 30.Re7 is winning, but first he must be sure his own king doesn't get mated.

30.Re7! Qh1+ 31.Kd2 [31.Kb2?? Qa1#] 31...Rd8+ Looks dangerous for White but Carlsen has "seen" all the possibilities. 32.Ke3! Qe1+ 33.Kf3 Qh1+ 34.Kg3 Qg1+ 35.Kh4 No more checks and Black resigns. Quite impressive to walk the king over the board while blindfold! 1-0

Aeroflot Open 2007

 The International Chess Festival "Aeroflot Open 2007" will be held in Moscow from 14 to 22 February 2007. The official hotel and tournament venue is hotel "Gamma-Delta".

Some of the confirmed GMs are: Akopian, Almasi, Bologan, Dreev, Jakovenko, Naiditsch, Harikrishna, Sasikiran, Sutovsky and Vallejo. The total prize fund of the four tournaments is 200,000 USD.

You have more information in the ICC LIVE COVERAGE page.

Morelia-Linares 2007

  The Morelia - Linares tournament takes place 16th Feb - 11th March 2007. The Morelia half takes place 17th-25th February and Linares 2nd-10th March.

The GMs participants are: Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Peter Leko, Peter Svidler, Levon Aronian, Teimour Radjabov, Alexander Morozevich and Magnus Carlsen.

You have more information in the ICC LIVE COVERAGE page.

Lesson by IM Angel Martín

Angel Martín is an International Master from Spain. He's a former four-time Spanish Champion and Assistant Manager of the Spanish chess magazine Peón de Rey. Proof-reading and translations to English was prepared by International Master, Michael Rahal.

The value of the rook without open files

A few weeks ago, we examined a game where a well-supported knight in the centre was not worth less than a rook. This was due both to the strength of the minor piece and also the incapacity of the rook to find attacking objectives in the position. More exactly, the lack of open files and the impossibility of occupying the few open ones made the rook a passive piece and in these circumstances the strength of the higher-valued piece is considerably reduced.

Something similar can be seen in the next game. In different moments of the game we shall see situations in which the rook's activity is clearly limited and it is worth less than the knight. This theme is illustrated in a nice drawing variation that Black missed on move 37.

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 [The old Bishop’s opening was a favorite of Larsen, who used it quite frequently to force his opponent to think from the start.]  2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 Be7 [The e5 pawn is defended indirectly (by Qa5+). Another possibility is 4...d5 5.Bb3 Bd6 (more risky is 5...dxe4 6.Ng5) 6.Nc3 dxe4 7.Ng5 0–0 8.Ngxe4 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 Bf5 where Black has good options of defending.] 5.0–0 d6 6.Re1 0–0 7.Nbd2 Nbd7 8.a3 [Assuring a retreat for the bishop on a2, keeping the diagonal. Another possibility is 8.c3 and then play typical Ruy Lopez plans such as , Nf1–Ng3 and Bb3-Bc2 finally preparing the advance d4.]

8...h6 [This move is necessary if Black wants to play ...Re8 and ...Ng6. The immediate 8...Re8? is bad because of 9.Bxf7+! Kxf7 10.Ng5+ Kg8 11.Ne6 Qa5 12.Nc4 and Black loses his queen.] 9.Ba2 Re8 10.Nf1 Nf8 11.Ng3 Be6 12.Bxe6 Nxe6 13.d4 [White has achieved a small central superiority. If Black exchanges on d4, this small advantage is permanent because of the d6 pawn. Therefore, Black decides to support the centre, accepting a small space disadvantage.] 13...Qc7 14.c4 Nh7 15.d5

[This move gives White two advantages: more space and a pawn chain blocked on the light squares, a different color than the bishop.] 15...Neg5 16.Nf5 [When a player has a space advantage, it is important to avoid exchanges – this only helps the task of the player with less space. That is why 16.Nd2!? was very interesting, keeping the knights on the board.] 16...Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Kh8 18.Be3 c5 [Otherwise, White continues to prepare the rupture c4-c5] 19.Rac1 [The direct 19.b4!? was worth considering, deciding afterwards which file to place the rook. The idea is that 19...cxb4 20.axb4 Qxc4? 21.Rec1 Qb5 22.Rc7 Bf8 23.Nxh6! with a decisive advantage for White.] 19...Bg5 20.h4 [Again 20.b4 is best. Even 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.Qg3 f6 22.h4 Nh7 23.Rc3 with the idea Qg4 and Rg3, gives White an clear advantage.] 20...Bxe3 21.Rxe3 Rac8 22.b4

[The plan with 22.Qg4 is less promising now, as Black isn't obliged to play ...f6 and continue with 22...Rg8 23.Rg3 Nf6 24.Qf3 Qd8] 22...Qd8 23.Qg3 Rg8 24.f4 f6 25.b5 [White considers that his advantage on the kingside is sufficient and that is why he tries to avoid letting his opponent find counterplay on the queenside. But 25.fxe5 fxe5 26.Qg6 Nf6 27.Rf3 with the threat 28.Nxh6 also had to be considered, as 27...Nxe4? 28.Nxh6! 25...Qd7 26.fxe5 Possibly 26.Rf1 would have been more in keeping with his previous move now that the c4 pawn can't be attacked.

26...fxe5 27.Qg6 Rcd8 [Now Black can defend his d6 pawn more comfortably than in the variation played on move 25.] 28.Rg3 [A big mistake would have been 28.g4? Nf8 29.Qh5 Nh7 with the threat ...g6.] 28...Nf8 29.Qh5 Nh7 30.Re1 [Defending e4 before Black plays ...Nf6. Bad is: 30.Rg6? Qe8] 30...Rdf8 31.Rg6 Rf6

32.Rxf6? [This exchange just helps Black. Stronger was 32.Re3!, because 32...Rxg6? 33.Qxg6 Nf6 34.Rg3 (34.Nxh6 winning a pawn, also is good, although the text is stronger) 34...Qd8 35.Qf7 with a winning position for White.] 32...Nxf6 33.Qg6 Rf8 [Now Black defends against the threat Nxh6, and at the same time he threatens ...Nxe4, forcing White's next move.] 34.g4 Ne8 35.g5 [Interesting was 35.Qe6 Qxe6 36.dxe6 Rf6! 37.e7 which is good for White, as 37...Rg6 38.Ne3 Re6 can be answered by 39.Rf1 (39.Nd5 Nf6 40.Rf1 Nxd5 41.Rf8+ Kh7 42.e8Q Rxe8 43.Rxe8 Nb6 44.Re7 Nxc4 45.a4 Na5 46.Kf2 is also good. The rook is clearly superior than the knight.) 39...Rxe7 40.Rf8+ Kh7 41.Nf5 Re6 42.h5 with huge compensation for the knight, as if 42...Nf6 43.Rf7] 35...Qf7 36.Qxf7 [Now 36.Qe6 can be answered by 36...hxg5 37.hxg5 Qh5 and Black obtains counterplay.] 36...Rxf7 37.g6?! [This move allows a surprising resource. Black could now achieve a draw with 37...Rxf5! 38.exf5 Nf6 and the position deserves a diagram.

Albeit the advantage of the exchange, the rook has no open file to penetrate the enemy position, and therefore a draw is the likely result. Black just plays his king to e7 and waits.

In any case, Black's idea isn't easy to stop, as if 37.b6!? Black maintains the files closed with 37...a6! and now both 38.Kg2 h5!; and 38.gxh6 g6 39.Ne3 Nf6 allow Black enough defence. In the case of 38.Re3 h5 39.Rf3 Kg8 (39...g6?? 40.Nd4!) 40.g6 (or 40.Kg2 Kf8) 40...Rxf5! and even though White can now capture with the rook 41.Rxf5 Nf6, the position doesn't vary much. Returning the exchange on f6 never works because the king can't penetrate. The best try is 38.Rf1 and now 38...h5? loses to 39.Ng3! Rxf1+ 40.Nxf1 and the knight goes to d2-b3-a5, attacking the pawn on b7 which can't be defended. Also not good is 38...Kg8? 39.g6 Rf6 (39...Rxf5 40.Rxf5 Nf6 loses to 41.Rxf6! gxf6 42.h5 and now the white king can penetrate via g4 and f5.) 40.h5 Kf8 41.Kg2 Kg8 42.Rf3 Kf8 43.Kg3 Kg8 44.Ne7+ (maybe playing the pawn first to a5 is more precise) 44...Kf8 45.Nc8 and White must win. But the correct 38...hxg5! 39.hxg5 g6 40.Nh4 Kg7 41.Rf3 Rxf3 42.Nxf3 Kf7 and Black arrives just in time to defend b7 43.Nd2 Ke7 44.Nb3 Kd8 45.Na5 Kc8 and the ending seems to be a draw. In the game, Black missed this drawing option and then had no option.] 37...Rd7? 38.Rf1 Kg8 [If 38...Nf6 the clearest move is 39.h5 Nxh5 40.Nxd6] 39.a4

39...h5 [Now this pawn can be attacked. But if 39...Nf6 40.Nxh6+. Otherwise Black falls in Zugzwang, for example 39...Nc7 40.a5 Ne8 41.b6 a6 42.h5 with a complete zugzwang, and now 42...Nf6 (42...Rd8?? 43.Ne7+; 42...Kh8 43.Nxd6) 43.Nxh6+ Kh8 44.Ng4] 40.Kf2 Nf6 41.Ke3 Kf8 [41...b6 only helpsgs, as 42.a5 opens a file.] 42.a5 Rd8 43.Kd3 Rd7 44.a6 [White doesn't need to worry about the queenside, as on the kingside he will win the h5 pawn.] 44...b6 45.Rg1 Ng4 [Practically forced, as 45...Rd8 46.Rg5 Rd7 47.Ng3 would leave him with no option of saving the game.]

46.Rxg4! [A positional exchange sacrifice. The black rook is clearly worth less than the white knight. Black can't really oppose any resistance.] 46...hxg4 47.Ke3 Rd8 48.Kf2 Kg8 49.Kg3 Rd7 50.Kxg4 Kf8 51.Kg5 Kg8 52.h5 Kh8 53.h6 gxh6+ 54.Nxh6 [Also winning is 54.Kxh6 because the resource 54...Rh7+ is insufficient due to 55.Kg5! Rh1 56.Kf6+-. In any case, White doesn't even allow Black the option of activating his rook.] 54...Kg7 55.Nf5+ Kf8 56.Kf6 [56.Kf6 Rf7+ is answered by 57.Ke6] 1–0

ICC Quiz #2756
submitted by kcarlin



White mates in 3

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2756
Then type: play trainingbot

ICC Quiz #2728
submitted by claymore



White mates in 2

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2728
Then type: play trainingbot

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How to Reassess Your Chess – Jeremy Silman

Review by GM Joel Benjamin:

Although I've heard good things about How to Reassess Your Chess, I never read the first edition of this book. The author told me that a great deal of new material is included in the third edition. That's refreshing, considering how many books are passed off as new editions with only the slightest changes made.

Writing a book of instruction is a lot harder than many people think. The author must identify and explain a number of concepts that often come naturally to him. Silman rises to that challenge, offering the most comprehensive and logically presented instructional book I have ever seen. He goes beyond presenting examples of bad bishops, weak pawns, open files, etc. Silman teaches the reader to think like a master.

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Caro-Kann Defence: Panov Attack - Karpov & Podgaets

The Caro-Kann Defence has a justified reputation for reliability, making it an attractive choice for players with a preference for positional play. However, in recent years many new dangerous ideas have been discovered for White, which makes a study of the theoretical main lines imperative for competitive players.

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Solution to ICC Quiz #2756
submitted by kcarlin

1.Rf7+ Kd6; 2.Qc6+ Ke5; 3.f4#

Solution to ICC Quiz #2728
submitted by claymore

1.Ngh6+ Kf8; 2.Bg7#