2003 City of Linares Tournament

Spanish GM Del Rio Angelis

A small news flash: Carsten Hensel, the manager of GM''s Kramnik and Leko has arrived and of course was immediately asked about the match between the two in the semi final of the reunification of the world title. He said that he is very optimistic that the Einstein group who has the rights for the 'non FIDE' title will fulfill their obligations and realize their rights in organizing the match. In the meetings of all involved parties in Bucharest, all recognized the rights and status of the Einstein group in the final match stage of this project. (Read: when the winner of Kasparov - Ponomariov faces the winner of Kramnik - Leko for the undisputed title) and Carsten said he anticipates the match to happen starting

GM Kempinski (Poland) about to make a move

around May 31st or June 1st but declined to elaborate regarding the venue, the prize fund or any other details. One can suppose the Einstein group would make an announcement when it's ready, which hopefully won't be far from now. What seems clear is that this match would be played just prior to the Kasparov - Ponomariov one and that during that second one, heavy duty negotiations for the final one would be in full force. Springtime is going to be quite an exciting time chess wise!

The annual tournament for the blind has ended with the impressive victory of Russian IM Sergei Krylov with 7.5/9(!) a full point ahead of Polish IM Piotr Dukazewski with 6.5 points. In 3-4 places finished IM Kai Bjerring from Denmark, and Rumanian Dacian Pribeanu with 5.5/9.

I have already had one game from that event that showed how interesting the chess was, but I must add another today! Appropriately dubbed "The other immortal game" it is a fantastic one to go over. Once again the comments are a loose translation based on the Salov ones in the bulletin:

Portugues,R - Dukaczewsky,P [E83]

Linares ONCE (8), 02.03.2003 [Valery Salov]

after 13. .. Nh5

The masterpiece of the Polish player! 1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.e4 Nf6 5.f3 0–0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Nc1 e5 9.Nb3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Ne5 11.Qd2 Rb8 12.Rd1 Bd7 [12...Re8 13.Be2 c5 14.Nb3 Be6 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6 b6 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.f4 Nxc4 20.Rxe6 Bxc3+ 21.bxc3 Rxe6 22.Bxc4 Rxe4+ 23.Be2 Rbe8 24.Nc1 Rxf4 25.Rf1 Rxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Re3 27.Bxa6 Rxc3 28.Ne2 Ra3 29.Bc4 Ra4 ½–½ Jussupow,A-Mortensen,E/Esbjerg 1980/EXT 98 (50)] 13.Be2 Nh5

after 20. Bxc5

[13...Re8 14.0–0 c5 15.Nc2 Be6 16.b3 Qa5 17.a3 Qb6 18.Rb1 Qc6 19.a4 Qc7 20.Rfd1 Rbd8 21.Bg5 Nc6 22.Ne3 Rd7 23.f4 Nd4 24.Bd3 Ng4 25.f5 1–0 Ribli,Z-Dely,P/HUN-ch 1973/MCD (25)] 14.g4 [14.0–0²] 14...Nf6 15.h3 c5 16.Nc2 b5 17.cxb5 [17.Qxd6!?] 17...Bxb5 18.Nxb5 Rxb5 19.Na3 Rb6 20.Bxc5

after 25. .. Qd2

White accepts the challenge and so starts a frantic display of tactics. 20...Nxe4!! 21.fxe4 [21.Bxb6? Qh4+!–+] 21...Rxb2!! 22.Qxd6 [22.Qc3 Nc6!–+; 22.Qxb2 Nf3+ 23.Bxf3 Bxb2 24.Bxd6 Qa5+ 25.Ke2 Bxa3 26.Bxf8 Bxf8 27.Rd2 Bh6 28.Rc2 Qa4µ] 22...Qa5+! 23.Kf1 Rc8! 24.Rc1 [It seems that the only defense for white was: 24.Ba7! Rxa2 25.Nb1!] 24...Rd8! [24...Bh6 25.Qxe5 Bxc1÷] 25.Qxa6 [Also insufficient is: 25.Qe7 Qd2 26.Rc2 Rxc2 27.Nxc2 Nc6 28.Qc7 Qc1+ 29.Kf2 Qxc2 30.Qxc6 Bd4+] 25...Qd2!

26.Rb1? [The worst can be avoided with: 26.Rc2 Rxc2 27.Nxc2 Qxc2 28.Qb6 Rc8 29.Be3 Qxe4 30.Rh2 Nf3 31.Bxf3 Qxf3+ 32.Rf2 Qxh3+ 33.Ke1 Bc3+ 34.Ke2 Qxg4+–+ Although with the same result] 26...Qf4+! 27.Kg1 [27.Kg2 Qf3+ 28.Kg1 Rxe2–+; 27.Bf2 Nd3! 28.Qxd3 Rxd3 29.Rxb2 Bxb2 30.Bxd3 Qf3–+; 27.Ke1 Nf3+ 28.Bxf3 Bc3+ 29.Kf1 Qxf3+ 30.Kg1 Rg2#] 27...Nf3+! Closing in on the white king! 28.Kg2 [28.Kf1 Nd4+–+] 28...Nh4+ 29.Kg1 Qg3+ [29...Qg3+ 30.Kf1 Qg2+ 31.Ke1 Bc3# A tremendous victory! Another Immortal game!] 0–1

Board 1 Open (rd 6): Beliavsky-Riazantsev

Visiting the open tournament on the free day yesterday, it dawned on me just how many chess players are on ICC! From the main event to the open, seconds and reporters, there is a huge contingent of ICCers. Here is an off hand list of just the GM's I counted here:

In the crown group we find Ubiyca, Tack and R-Ponomariov (with others having visited or hop in here and there *wink*) Among the players' seconds are Akademik, Rvera and Razuvaev. Going on to the open tournament I saw A-Riazantsev, A-Hoffman, Barti, Kempka, Pawelek, Delchev, Kotronias, Misa, Porter, chessman2435, Kharlov, GM-elect YearOfTheRabbit and IM extraordinaire Kastor. If I had to list the IM's and non-titled members I could fill 2 more pages!

Argentinian GM A. Hoffman

Russian GM E. Najer

After 5 rounds the leaders are chessman2435 and Delchev with 4.5/5 - Today they'll face each other on board 1.

Today's Games:

Kasparov - Leko:

GM Kasparov vs GM Leko

Today's main event saw Kasparov avoiding any discussions in a possible Sveshnikov Sicilian, opting instead for a four Knights Rossolimo. Leko, always very prepared in his openings came up with 7…d6, which is new. Now Garry played the expected 8.Nd5!? which opened the e file for him, but allowed (after the trade) 9…Bg4. As it turned out, many agreed that white would have reacted to it with the straightforward 10.c3, not fearing 10…Nxf3+ 11.gxf3 and after 11… Bh3 or 11…Bh5 12.d4! with initiative and no real worries about the Kingside compromise. Peter avoided it of course and played very well. On move 17, Kasparov played 17.h3 of which he was quite critical after the game. He claimed he should have played 17.h4 and I am assuming he meant to answer 17…Bxh4 with 18.Re4. Leko mentioned he was looking at playing 18…Rh5?! But again 19.Re4 would be annoying. The two concluded that 18…Bf5 was the only move there. 21…Rc8! Was very accurate also, eyeing a sac on c4 and taking c2, as was 24…Qc8! . There were many ideas flying here about possible plans for black, including stuff like 23…Kg7 and recycling the black Q to the Kingside, but Leko preferred solidity. On move 25 I had a déjà vu from the match with Deep Junior when Kasparov decided to sac an exchange unclearly. 23.Bb3(!) was what most expected and black would be forced to then go 23…f6! The last real crisis was move 29.d6 after which the two agreed it is a draw with best play. 29…exd6 was fine,(29…Bd1 is risky although probably also a draw after white takes on b7 lets his r go and after d7 blacks gives a perpetual) but 30…d3?! Was giving up on the last try to play a bit with the strong 30…Qb3! That was suggested both in the pressroom and on ICC. With perpetual checks abound the two players running out of time were quite happy to split the point on move 33. Another fine battle by the two giants!

Ponomariov - Radjabov:

GM Ponomariov vs GM Radjabov

Once again Russlan is playing some sideline of the Sicilian, which doesn't get him a thing. Once again it is obvious that he better get busy till mid June when his match with Garry is or we might witness another Fischer Larsen or Fischer Taimanov! (Both 6-0 in the candidate matches 30 some years ago) His 13.g4?! was new and nothing special either. Around move 17-18 the GM's kibitzing on ICC and in the pressroom were opining that black is already slightly better! After the trade of the b2 pawn for the d6 one, it was time for white to try to reduce the grief by exchanging the dark squared B, but black kept his advantage. The first step Radja took in the wrong direction was when he passed on 26…Qxd5! 27.Qxa5 b4, shutting the black Q out and preparing the activation of his B. That along with the active R and the weakened white K position would mean a large edge for black. I think 29…Bf7? Was also bad, allowing the strong 30.d4! By taking an extra move with 29…h6!? Black would have stayed on top. Actually, now Pono was even better! Alas… he missed his one chance in 35.Qd3! and pushed 35.c6?! and now 35…Qd4! Guaranteed the draw for Teimour.

Vallejo Pons - Kramnik:

GM Vallejo vs GM Kramnik

An odd English opening where white was very cautious playing e3 and a3 in the opening. White took some time on move 7, possibly looking at 7.d5!? an interesting possibility.. The novelty 8…h6 brought a little storm with 9.Qe2+, which forced black to move his K and later going to castle by hand. Before that could even happen, Paco traded twice on d5, offered a Q trade and…. Offered a draw! An offer Vlady decide to accept…. Waaaaaaaaa! 13 moves!