M-Tel Round 4

Kamsky-Svidler
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Be3 0-0 9.f4 e5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Kh1 exf4 12.Bxf4 Be6 13.Bf3 Qb6 14.b3 Rfd8 15.Qe1 Nd7 16.Nd5 cxd5 17.exd5 Bg4 18.Qxe7 Bxf3 19.Rxf3 Nf6 20.Be3 Qa5 21.Rxf6 gxf6 22.Qxf6 Re8 23.Qg5+ Kf8 24.Bd2 1-0

Bacrot-Topalov
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 0-0 8.Bg2 Nc6 9.0-0 Qa6 10.Ne5 d5 11.Qc2 Re8 12.Bf4 cxd4 13.Nxc6 Qxc6 14.cxd4 b6 15.Rfc1 Ba6 16.cxd5 Qxc2 17.Rxc2 Nxd5 18.Bd6 Rac8 19.Rac1 Rxc2 20.Rxc2 Rd8 21.Ba3 f5 22.e3 Rc8 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.Bxd5 exd5 25.Bd6 Kf7 26.Bb8 a6 27.Bc7 b5 28.a3 g5 29.f4 g4 1/2-1/2

Anand-Ponomariov
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qd3 Qd5 16.c4 Qe4 17.Qxe4 Nxe4 18.Be3 0-0 19.Ne5 Bd6 20.f3 Ng3 21.Rh3 Nf5 22.Bf2 Rad8 23.g4 Ne7 24.Nd3 b5 25.b3 Bc7 26.Rhh1 Bb6 27.Nc5 Rfe8 28.Kc2 bxc4 29.bxc4 Bxc5 30.dxc5 e5 31.Rd6 Rb8 32.Rhd1 Rb7 33.Rd8 Rxd8 34.Rxd8+ Kh7 35.Rf8 f6 36.Be1 Rd7 37.Bc3 Ng8 38.a4 g6 39.a5 gxh5 40.gxh5 Kg7 41.Rb8 Ne7 42.a6 Kf7 43.Ba5 Nf5 44.Bb6 Ne3+ 45.Kc3 Ke6 46.Rc8 Kf5 47.Rxc6 Nd1+ 48.Kb4 Rd2 49.Bxa7 Rb2+ 50.Ka3 Rb1 51.Rb6 Ra1+ 52.Kb3 e4 53.fxe4+ Kxe4 54.c6 Kd3 55.c7 Rb1+ 56.Ka3 1-0

M-Tel Round 3

Bacrot-Svidler
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Qd3 Qc7 12.d5 Nd7 13.Qc2 Rad8 14.Bg5 Bf6 15.Bh6 Bg7 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.a4 e6 18.dxe6 Nf6 19.Ng5 h6 20.Nxf7 Bxe4 21.Qb3 Rxf7 22.exf7 Bxb1 23.Rxb1 Qxf7 24.Qxf7+ Kxf7 25.Bc4+ Kf8 26.f3 Rd2 27.a5 bxa5 28.Ra1 Rc2 29.Bd3 Rd2 30.Bc4 Rc2 31.Bd3 Rd2 32.Bc4 1/2-1/2

Anand-Kamsky
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Qd7 11.Nbd2 Nd8 12.c3 Ne6 13.d4 Rad8 14.d5 Nf4 15.Nf1 Ng6 16.Ng3 c6 17.Bg5 cxd5 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Bxd5 Nf4 20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.Qc2 g6 22.Rad1 d5 23.exd5 Rxd5 24.Rxd5 Qxd5 25.Rd1 Qe6 26.Qe4 Rb8 27.Ne2 Nxe2+ 28.Qxe2 Re8 29.Qe4 h6 30.g4 Bg5 31.Nxg5 hxg5 32.Qd5 Kg7 33.Qxe6 Rxe6 34.Rd7 Kf6 35.Kf1 Rc6 36.Ke2 Ke6 37.Rd8 e4 38.f3 exf3+ 39.Kxf3 Rd6 40.Re8+ Kd5 41.b3 Rf6+ 42.Kg2 Rc6 43.Re3 f5 44.gxf5 gxf5 45.Rg3 Ke4 46.a4 bxa4 47.bxa4 Kf4 48.Rf3+ Ke5 49.Re3+ Kf6 50.Rd3 f4 51.Kf3 Ke5 52.Kg4 Rd6 53.Rxd6 Kxd6 54.h4 gxh4 55.Kxh4 Kd5 56.Kh3 Ke4 57.Kg2 Ke3 0-1

Ponomariov-Topalov
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 a6 6.c5 b6 7.cxb6 Nbd7 8.Na4 Nxb6 9.Bd2 Nxa4 10.Qxa4 Bd7 11.Ne5 Ne4 12.Ba5 c5 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Qxd7+ Kxd7 15.f3 Nf6 16.Rc1 c4 17.b3 Rb8 18.bxc4 Bb4+ 19.Bxb4 Rxb4 20.c5 Rb2 21.a4 Ra8 22.Be2 Kc7 23.Rf1 Rab8 24.Rf2 R8b3 25.Bxa6 Rxe3+ 26.Kf1 Rb4 27.Ra2 Reb3 28.Rd1 Ng8 29.a5 Ne7 30.Be2 Nc6 31.a6 Kb8 32.Rad2 Ra3 33.Kf2 g5 34.h4 gxh4 35.Rh1 Rxd4 36.Rb2+ Kc7 37.Rhb1 Ne5 38.Rb8 Kc6 39.Rc8+ Kd7 40.Rg8 Ke7 41.Rb7+ Kf6 42.a7 Rda4 43.c6 Nxc6 44.Bb5 Ra2+ 45.Kg1 Rxa7 46.Bxc6 Rxb7 47.Bxb7 h5 48.Kh2 Ra1 49.Bc6 Rc1 50.Bb5 Rb1 51.Be2 Re1 52.Ba6 Ra1 53.Bd3 Rd1 54.Bh7 d4 55.Rb8 Kg7 56.Rb1 Rd2 57.Be4 f5 58.Bb7 e5 59.Rb5 Kf6 60.f4 e4 61.Bc8 d3 62.Rxf5+ Kg7 63.Rg5+ Kf6 64.Rf5+ Kg7 65.Rg5+ Kf6 66.Rf5+ Kg7 1/2-1/2

M-Tel Round 2

Topalov-Anand
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 Re8 10.c3 h6 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 d6 13.Ba2 Nb8 14.b4 c5 15.Nb3 Nc6 16.Rb1 Bc8 17.Be3 Be6 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Qb2 c4 20.dxc4 Bxc4 21.Nbd2 Bxa2 22.Qxa2 d5 23.Rbd1 d4 24.cxd4 exd4 25.Nb3 Nxe4 26.Bxd4 Nxd4 27.Rxd4 Ng5 28.Ne5 Nxh3+ 29.gxh3 Qg5+ 30.Kh2 Qf5 31.Rde4 Rxe5 32.Rxe5 Bd6 33.Nc5 Bxe5+ 34.Kg2 Rc6 35.Qb3 Rg6+ 36.Kf1 Bg3 0-1

Svidler-Ponomariov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.g4 Be7 10.Qd2 0-0 11.g5 Nh5 12.0-0-0 b5 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 f5 15.gxf6 Bxf6 16.Na5 Nf4 17.Nc6 Qc7 18.c4 Nb8 19.Qa5 Rc8 20.Kb1 bxc4 21.Qxc7 Rxc7 22.Bxc4 Kf8 23.Na5 Nd7 24.Rc1 Bg5 25.h4 Bh6 26.Bb3 Rac8 27.Rc6 Ne2 28.Bxh6 gxh6 29.Bc4 Nd4 30.Bxa6 Nxc6 31.dxc6 Rxc6 32.Nxc6 Rxc6 33.Bb5 Rc7 34.Rc1 Nc5 35.Bc4 e4 36.b4 Rb7 37.a3 exf3 38.Rf1 Na4 39.Rxf3+ Kg7 40.Bb3 Nb6 41.Kb2 Re7 42.a4 Re4 43.Ka3 1-0

Kamsky-Bacrot
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nc3 Nc6 13.Rb1 Rc8 14.Bd2 Nd4 15.b4 Nxf3+ 16.Qxf3 c4 17.dxc4 bxc4 18.Qe2 Qc7 19.Bg5 Ne8 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.Bxc4 Nf6 22.Rbd1 a5 23.Nd5 Nxd5 24.Bxd5 axb4 25.axb4 Bxd5 26.Rxd5 Qc7 27.Rc1 Qc3 28.b5 Rfd8 29.Qd1 h6 30.Kh2 Rc5 31.Rxc5 Qxc5 32.Qe2 Rc8 33.c4 Qd4 34.Rc2 g6 35.f3 Kg7 36.Rd2 Qxc4 37.Qxc4 Rxc4 38.Rxd6 Rb4 39.b6 h5 40.h4 f5 41.Rd7+ Kf6 42.b7 fxe4 43.fxe4 g5 44.g3 Rb2+ 45.Kg1 gxh4 46.gxh4 Ke6 47.Rh7 Kd6 48.Rxh5 Rxb7 49.Kg2 Rb4 50.Kf3 Rb1 51.Rg5 Ke6 52.h5 Rf1+ 53.Ke2 Rf4 54.Ke3 Rh4 55.Rf5 Rh3+ 56.Kf2 Rh4 57.Kf3 Rh3+ 58.Kg4 Re3 59.h6 Rxe4+ 60.Kg5 Re1 61.Rf6+ Kd5 62.h7 Rg1+ 63.Kh6 Ke4! 64.Rf8 Rh1+ 65.Kg6 Rxh7 66.Kxh7 Kd3 67.Rd8+ Ke3 68.Kg6 e4 69.Kf5 Kf3 70.Rh8 e3 71.Rh3+ Kf2 72.Kf4 e2 73.Rh2+ Kf1 74.Kf3 e1N+= [74...e1Q?? 75.Rh1#] 75.Kg3 Nd3 76.Rd2 Ne1 77.Rf2+ Kg1 78.Rf8 Ng2 79.Kf3 Kf1?? [79...Nh4+=] 80.Kg3+? Kg1 81.Kf3 Kf1?? 82.Rf7+- Ne1+ 83.Ke3+ Kg1 84.Ke2 Ng2 85.Rh7 Nf4+ 86.Kf3 Nd3 87.Rh4 Ne5+ 88.Ke2? [88.Ke3] Kg2= 89.Re4 Nf7? [89...Nd7] 90.Re7!+- Nd6 91.Rg7+ Kh3 92.Kf3 Kh4 93.Kf4 Kh5 94.Re7 Nc4 95.Re6 Nd2 96.Rc6 Nb3 97.Ke3 Kg4 98.Rc4+ Kg3 99.Rc3 Na5 100.Ke4+ Kf2 101.Kd5 Nb7 102.Rb3 Nd8 103.Rb8 1-0

M-Tel Round 1

Bacrot-Anand
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 Ne4 8.Nxe4 Bxe4 9.Bg3 d6 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.0-0 Nd7 12.e4 Bf6 13.Rc1 g5 14.Bb1 h5 15.h3 Rg8 16.b4 g4 17.hxg4 hxg4 18.Nh2 Bh4 19.Bf4 Bg5 20.Qxg4 Qf6 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Qxg8+ Ke7 23.Qxa8 Bxa8 24.fxe3 Qg6 25.Rf4 e5 26.Rf5 Qh6 27.Re1 exd4 28.exd4 Qd2 29.Nf3 Qxb4 30.Rc1 Bb7 31.Rb5 Qa3 32.Re1 Qc3 33.Rb3 Qxc4 34.Bd3 Qa4 35.Rc3 c5 36.Bc4 Qb4 37.Rcc1 cxd4 38.Nxd4 Ne5 39.Nf5+ Kd7 40.Bd5 Bxd5 41.exd5 Qf4 42.Rf1 Nf3+ 43.gxf3 Qxf5 44.f4 Qxd5 45.f5 Qd2 46.f6 b5 47.Rce1 Kc6 48.Ra1 Qd4+ 49.Kg2 Qb2+ 50.Kg3 b4 51.Kg4 d5 52.Kg5 Qg2+ 53.Kh4 Kd6 54.Kh5 a5 0-1

Ponomariov-Kamsky
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Qd7 11.Nc3 Nd8 12.d4 exd4 13.Nxd4 Re8 14.Nf5 Ne6 15.Qf3 Bf8 16.Be3 c5 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.Bxd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Nc7 20.Bd2 Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Re8 22.Rxe8 Nxe8 23.b3 g6 24.Nh6+ Bxh6 25.Bxh6 f6 26.c4 Kf7 27.Qd3 Ke7 28.g4 Kd8 29.Kg2 Kc8 30.Bd2 Nc7 31.Bc3 Qf7 32.Qf3 Ne8 33.Qe4 Nc7 34.Kg3 Kd7 35.Ba5 Qe8 36.Kf3 Qxe4+ 37.Kxe4 bxc4 38.bxc4 Ne8 39.Bd2 Ke7 40.Kd3 Kd7 41.Kc3 Kc7 42.Kb3 Kb6 43.Bh6 Kb7 44.h4 f5 45.gxf5 gxf5 46.Bg5 Kc8 47.h5 Kd7 48.Kc3 h6 49.Bxh6 Nf6 50.Kb3 Nxh5 51.Ka4 Nf6 52.Bf4 Ng4 53.Bg3 f4 54.Bxf4 Nxf2 55.Bg3 Ne4 56.Bf4 Kc7 57.Kb3 Kd7 58.Kc2 Nf2 59.Kd2 Ne4+ 60.Kd3 Nf2+ 61.Ke2 Ne4 62.Kd3 Nf2+ 63.Ke2 Ne4 64.Kd3 1/2-1/2

Svidler-Topalov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Nce2 e5 10.Nb3 Nc6 11.Ng3 Be6 12.0-0-0 Qc7 13.f4 h5 14.h4 a5 15.f5 Bd7 16.Kb1 Rb8 17.Be2 Na7 18.Bxa7 Qxa7 19.Qd3 Bb5 20.Qf3 Bc6 21.Nd2 Qc5 22.Nb3 Qb6 23.Nd2 Be7 24.Nc4 Qc5 25.Ne3 a4 26.Bc4 Bd8 27.b3 Bb6 28.Rd3 axb3 29.cxb3 Ra8 30.Rc1 Qa5 31.Rc2 Ke7 32.Nd5+ Bxd5 33.Bxd5 Rac8 34.Rxc8 Rxc8 35.Bc4 Rh8 36.Rd2 Qc5 37.Qd1 Ba7 38.Rc2 Qe3 39.Bd3 Bc5 40.Qf3 Rd8 41.Be2 Qf4 42.Nxh5 Qxh4 43.Nxf6 gxf6 44.g3 Qg5 45.Qg4 Rh8 46.Qxg5 fxg5 47.Bg4 Kf6 48.Rc1 Rh2 49.Rc2 Rh6 50.Rc1 Bf2 51.Rd1 Kg7 52.Rd3 Bd4 53.Kc2 Kf6 54.Rd2 Rh1 55.Rd1 Rh8 56.Kd3 Rc8 57.Ke2 Rc3 58.Rd3 Rc5 59.Bf3 Ke7 60.Rd2 Rc3 61.Rd3 Rc8 62.Rd2 Rh8 63.Kf1 Rc8 64.Ke2 Rg8 65.Kf1 Rh8 66.Rc2 Bc5 67.Kg2 Kf6 68.Be2 Rh7 69.Rc1 Rh8 70.Rc2 Rh7 71.Rc1 Rh8 1/2-1/2

Mikhail Botvinnik

Botvinnik was undoubtedly a very strong and talented player and probably the first truly modern grandmaster. However, he made a lousy champion, not once winning a match as champion and often losing by wide margins. Let's examine the record...

1951 - drew a match with Bronstein

1954 - drew a match with Smyslov

1957 - lost to Smyslov by 3 points (only to win the title back through the patently unfair rematch clause - where was champion Smyslov's rematch?)

1960 - lost to Tal by 4 points (again relying on the rematch clause to win the title back)

1963 - lost to Petrosian by 3 points

Paul Keres

Paul Keres is one of the two strongest players never to become world champion (Korchnoi being the other). On the ChessMetrics 20-year peak rating list Keres is #7 (with a peak period from 1944 to 1963), ahead of world champions Petrosian, Botvinnik, Spassky and Tal.

1938 - He won (on tiebreak over Fine) the AVRO tournament to determine the challenger to Alekhine's crown. However, World War II interrupted, and a title match never took place.

1948 - He won 3rd prize (tied with Reshevsky) in the World Championship match tournament held in The Hague and Moscow, 1/2 point behind 2nd place Smyslov and 3.5 points behind winner Botvinnik, and ahead of Euwe.

1950 - He placed 4th in the Budapest candidates tournament behind joint winners Bronstein (who won the play-off and went on to draw a match with Botvinnik) and Boleslavsky and 3rd placed Smyslov, his weakest showing ever in a candidates event, which should say it all.

1953 - He placed 2nd (tied with Reshevsky and Bronstein) in the Zurich Candidates tournament, behind Smyslov (who went on to draw a match with Botvinnik), and ahead of Petrosian and Euwe.

1956 - He placed 2nd in the Amsterdam Candidates tournament, behind Smyslov (who went on to take the title from Botvinnik only to lose it back a year later), and ahead of Petrosian and Spassky.

1959 - He placed 2nd in the Candidates tournament in Yugoslavia, behind Tal (who repeated Smyslov's story by taking the title from Botvinnik and losing it back a year later), and ahead of Petrosian, Smyslov and Fischer.

1962 - He placed 2nd (tied with Geller) in the Curacao Candidates tournament, just 1/2 point behind winner Petrosian (who went on to wrestle the title from Botvinnik), and ahead of Tal and Fischer.

1965 - He lost a quarter-final candidates match against Spassky (who went on to win the candidates cycle) 4-6.

During his long career, he played every world champion from Capablanca to Karpov, beating all but Karpov at least once. He was the only player who had a plus record against Capablanca over more than one game. He also had plus records against Euwe and Tal, and equal records against Smyslov, Petrosian and Karpov.

The 2005 Chess Oscar

goes to Topalov.

Topalov-Kramnik

Maybe it's for real this time. It's now on Kramnik's official website.

Also, Illumzhinov gave Russia's Sport Express correspodnent a few more details on the match.

The prize fund of one million dollars will be split equally between the participants, regardless of the outcome of the match. This was decided in order to show the equal status of both participants in the unification match.

The match will be held over twelve games, with classical time controls. In case of a draw there will be four games with shorter time control – 25 minutes per side.

(If the match is still tied at this point, there will be a blitz playoff.)

The winner of the Topalov-Kramnik match will play in the next FIDE World Championship in 2007. The loser, even if it is the current FIDE title holder Topalov, will have to start from scratch and play in the World Cup.

(The article doesn't explicitly state this, but the loser would be playing to qualify for the 2009 cycle and would be left out in the cold for the 2007 cycle.)

If true, this is a very exciting development. It would mean the first time that we have a universally recognized world chess champion since Kasparov fubar'ed everything back in 1993. (Yes, people forget or gloss over the fact that this mess is mostly to blame on his split with FIDE over the 1993 world championship match.)

Topalov v Kramnik 2006?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is pleased to announce that the World Championship match Topalov vs Kramnik will be held 21 September - 13 October 2006 in Elista. Both players and their managers have agreed with all the technical details of the match, which will consist of 12 games, and the prize fund will be a guaranteed minimum amount of 1 million US dollars.

Seems to me we've heard this before. I'll withhold judgement until September 20.

April 2006 FIDE Rating List

1 Topalov, Veselin 2804
2 Anand, Viswanathan 2803 (first time rated over 2800)
3 Aronian, Levon 2756 (a meteoric rise from #91 in April 2003)
4 Svidler, Peter 2743
5 Leko, Peter and Ponomariov, Ruslan 2738
7 Ivanchuk, Vassily 2731
8 Morozevich, Alexander 2730
9 Kramnik, Vladimir 2729 (down 12 points and 3 slots from the January 2006 list)
10 Gelfand, Boris 2727
11 Adams, Michael 2720
12 Grischuk, Alexander 2719
13 Radjabov, Teimour 2717 (up from #46 in April 2003)
14 Polgar, Judit 2711
15 Bacrot, Etienne 2708 (up from #37 in April 2003)
16 Akopian, Vladimir 2706
17 Bareev, Evgeny 2701 (up 3 points from the January 2006 list)

Mamedyarov and Shirov both dropped from 2709 to 2699. Kasparov is rated higher than Topalov but fell off the list after one year of inactivity after his March 2005 retirement at Linares.

[Updated based on new list released by FIDE, where Ivanchuk had 8 points restored which had been incorrectly subtracted from his rating. - ALD 4/12/2006]

Nimzowitsch-Systemsson, 1927

Anderssen started the sacrificial style, Morphy and Gruenfeld the pure attacking style, Steinitz the positional style, Tarrasch the scientific style, Lasker the style of styles, Capablanca the mechanical style, Alekhine a style as brilliant as sunlight. But it is a generally known fact that originality and modernism were introduced by me as my own personal inventions and enthusiastically imitated (without being fully understood) by the whole world of chess. Before my time, chess was so naive and undistinguished! One or two brutal opening moves, each one involving a vulgar, obvious threat, a common, banal sacrifice, a painfully elementary, bestially raw checkmate such, more or less, was the course of chess games before my heyday set in. Then I appeared on the scene and the chess world paid heed. The hegemony of matter was shattered at a stroke and the era of the spiritual began. Under my creative guidance, the chessmen, hitherto nothing but highwaymen, pirates and butcher boys, became sensitive artists and subtle instruments of immeasurable profundity. But why waste words? Accompany me, dear reader to the dizzy heights of the following game.

French Defense, Copenhagen, 1927

1 e4 e6 2 h4!
My very oldest and latest thought in this opening. To the chess addict nurtured on spineless convention, this move comes like a slap in the face--but calm down, dear reader; after all, you cannot be expected to understand such moves. (Forgive me - it is not your fault, until now no one has opened your eyes and ears.) Wait just a little while, and there will pass before you a miracle of overprotection of more than earthly beauty. (I assume that I rightly surmise that you are quite familiar with my great theory of overprotection.)
2...d5
Black of course has no suspicion of what is coming and continues serenely in classical style.
3 e5!
A move of elemental delicacy. (We detest, as a matter of principle, such words as "power" and "strength"; in the first place, such banal expressions make us uncomfortable; and, in the second place, we like even less the brutalizing tendency which such words imply.) Wherein lies the beauty of 3 e5? Why is this move so strong? The answer is as simple as it is astonishing. The move is strong because it is weak! Weak, that is, only in the traditional sense! In reality, that is to say, it is not the move but the Pawn on K5 that is weak--a tremendous difference! In former times, it is true, it was customary to reject any move which created a weakness. Today, thanks to me, this view is obsolete. For, look, my dear reader, the fact that the Pawn on e5 is weak obliges White to protect the Pawn more and more until at last the state of overprotection arises as it were of itself. But, as we have seen (cf. My System), overprotection is practically equivalent to victory. Hence it follows automatically that the "weak" move, 3 e5, is a certain road to triumph. The rest is more or less a matter of technique.
3...c5
All according to a famous precedent.
4 d4
Here it is quite clear that it is more profitable for White first to provoke c5 and then play d4, rather than the other way round, which is the customary course. For, if White first plays d4, there follows c5 and White's d-pawn is under attack. But my clever transposition of moves changes the situation completely. For now Black's c-pawn is suddenly attacked by White's d-pawn!
4...cxd4
What else can Black do?
5 h5!
All very clever, original and decisive! Of course the ordinary run of people who envy my every spark of genius but cannot follow my line of reasoning for even three paces, outdo themselves in sneering at me with the poison-dripping epithet, "bizarre." The text move creates confusion in the whole Black army and prepares for the annihilating invasion by the Queen 18 moves later.
5...Qb6
Naturally not 5...Nc6 6 Bb5! etc. Why should Black play the French Defense only to allow the Ruy Lopez Bishop move after all?!
6 h6!
An avaricious dullard would never hit on this deeply conceived Pawn sacrifice.
6...Nxh6
After 6...gxh6, White has an even more comfortable game.
7 Qh5!!
The reason for this becomes clear after next move.
7...g6
Black threatens to begin a successful siege of the weakling at e5 with Bg7. But White forestalls this.
8 Qh2!!
To every fair-minded observer, this move must come as a revelation! All the previous maneuvers now become clear! White has completed his development brilliantly and proceeds to overprotect e5. Against this, Black is helpless.
8...Nf5 9 Bd3
Note the splendid cooperation of White's forces: while the e-pawn and the King Bishop completely blockade Black's position, the development of the overprotective forces takes place behind the broad backs of these sturdy blockaders.
9...Nc6 10 Nf3
As a rule this is a routine move. But here it is strikingly original and as such occupies a place in the treasury of my intellectual property.
10...h5
Old stuff!
11 b4!
A deep trap, as will soon become apparent!
11...Bg7
How Black must have rejoiced when he anticipated his formidable opponent in the occupation of the long diagonal. But...
12 Bf4!!
...how bitterly disappointed he must have been to realize that 11 b4 had only been a trap. The position of Black's Bishop at g7 is now quite pointless. 11...Be7 would have been relatively better.
12...Bd7 13 Nbd2 Rc8
Black no longer has any good moves!
14 Ke2!!
Again, an extraordinarily deep move. White sees through Black's plans, and in addition he prepares a particularly powerful continuation of his strategy of overprotection.
14...Nxb4
Just what White was waiting for.
15 Ne1!!
This was the point of his previous move! Black is now forced to exchange off the attacking Bishop at d3. But, with that, even White's King Knight enters the fray with fearful effect at d3, while the square f3 becomes available to the Queen Knight. Surely a grandiose piece of strategy. The fact is that I'm a marvelous player, even if the whole chess world bursts with envy.
15...Nxd3 16 Nxd3!
Naturally not 16 cxd3? which would have been quite inconsistent. The Pawn on c2 is unimportant, and Black only wastes precious time by capturing it.
16...Rxc2 17 Rae1!!
White continues his overprotection without much ado.
17...a5
This counterattack has no punch. Black would naturally like to get a passed Pawn plus a Rook on the seventh, but it is too late for that.
18 Kd1!
Now the menaced Rook must scurry back, for capture on R7 would be much too dangerous.
18...Rc6!!
At last, Black gets the right idea: overprotecting his Pawn at e6. But it is already too late.
19 Re2 Ke7
Introduced into tournament play by myself. See note to White's 14th move. The King overprotects e6.
20 Rhe1 Re8! 21 Nf3!
Completing the overprotection of e5 and thus deciding the fate of the game. Black has no defense. Note the esthetic effect created by White's position.
21...Bf8
Now Black threatens to complete the overprotection of e6 by playing Ng7. But White has prepared a brilliant combination.
22 g4!
Much stronger than the obvious Bg5+ etc.
22...hxg4 23 Qh7!!
Now one clearly realizes the masterly understanding of position which went into White's eighth move (Qh2!!).
23...gxf3
Had Black continued overprotecting by 23...Ng7 there would have followed 24 Bg5+ f6 25 Bxf6+ Kf7 26 Ng5#. Black's basic error was that he started overprotecting much too late.
24 Bg5#
One of my best games! I am proud of it if only because Systemsson is one of the strongest Scandinavian players. The game made an overwhelming impression on the players and spectators as well as on my opponent. The game has become famous in Denmark as "the immortal game of overprotection."

(Published by Hans Kmoch in the February, 1928, issue of Wiener Schachzeitung)

Martin-Tlingel, 1981

Another chess game from a work of fiction. This one is from "Unicorn Variations", a short story by Roger Zelazny published in 1981. (The story background does not provide a year for the story.)

Martin (Human) - Tlingel (Unicorn)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. o-o Nxe4 5. d4! Nd6 6. dxe5 Nxb5 7. a4 d6 8. e6 fxe6 9. axb5 Ne7 10. Nc3 Ng6 11. Ng5 Be7 12. Qh5 Bxg5 13. Bxg5 Qd7 14. b6 cxb6 15. Nd5 exd5 16. Rfe1 Kf8 17. Ra3 Ne5 18. Rxe5 dxe5 19. Rf3 Kg8 20. Bh6 Qe7 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Rg3 Kf8 23. Rf3 Kg7 24. Rg3 Kf8 25. Rf3 Draw

(Alexander Halprin - Harry Nelson Pillsbury, Munich 1900 or 1901)

MGP5 Released

The last volume of MGP, My Great Predecessors Part 5: Kasparov on Karpov, is out.

One beef: Korchnoi, as much as I admire his play, should not be pictured on the cover or named on the spine of the book. He was never world champion. Reshevsky et al, who were the subject of chapter 1 of volume 4, did not receive this honor.

A Final Act in the Farce

that was the 2006 US Championship.

Due to an error in an Excel spreadsheet formula used to calculate the prize fund distribution, the itemized prizes added up to around $20,000 more than the prize fund of $253,600. So, they cut all prizes other than the top four by 11% to make up the shortfall.

And people wonder why professional chess is in trouble?

Some Observations on the U.S. Championship

1. It is absurd that because of the provision that a certain number of slots go to women, a player with a rating of 1660 got to play in the U.S. Championship. She scored 0/9. What is the point of that?

2. The number of foreign players was oddly high. Of course, the former USSR was the most heavily represented foreign country, but the 30 players from there far outnumbered players from the US (only 21 of the players were US-born). Three more players were from Cuba, and ten other countries were also represented.

U.S. Championship Rapid Match Finals

I cannot believe that the final of the U.S. Championship is decided by rapid chess games, but it is, so here are the results...

Onischuk defeated Shulman 1.5-0.5 to become U.S. Champion, and Zatonskih defeated Goletiani by the same margin for the women's title.

U.S. Championship Results

Men: GM Alexander Onischuk won group A with a score of 7/9 (+5 =4) and GM Yury Shulman narrowly won group B with a score of 6.5/9 (+5 =3 -1) on tiebreak over GM Gata Kamsky and GM Larry Christiansen.

Women: WGM Rusudan Goletiani and WGM Anna Zatonskih were the highest scoring women in groups A and B, respectively, both with scores of 5/9 (+3 =4 -2).

They will face off tomorrow for the title.

Linares Round 14

Aronian wins by beating Leko with Black.



Leko-Aronian
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.a5 Be6 11.Nbd2 Qc8 12.Nc4 Rb8 13.Bg5 Kh8 14.h3 Ng8 15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 f5 17.Ba4 fxe4 18.Bxc6 exf3 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Bxf3 Ng6 21.Bg4 Nf4 22.Ra2 Qb7 23.Bf3 Qb3 24.Rc2 Nxd3 25.Qxd3 Qxc4 26.Qxc4 Bxc4 27.Bc6 Rb3 28.g3 g5 29.Re3 Ra3 30.Be4 Rxa5 31.g4 Bd5 32.f3 Bxe4 33.fxe4 Ra1+ 34.Kg2 Rff1 35.Ree2 Rg1+ 36.Kh2 Rh1+ 37.Kg3 Rag1+ 38.Rg2 Re1 39.Rgf2 Re3+ 40.Kg2 Rexh3 0-1

Svidler-Ivanchuk
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nf1 b4 13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 c4 15.Ng3 cxd3 16.Qxd3 Bc8 17.Ba3 Qc7 18.Red1 Nb7 19.Qc4 Qxc4 20.Bxc4 Re8 21.Rab1 Ra7 22.Rb6 Na5 23.Bf1 Nd7 24.Rbb1 Nc5 25.Bxc5 dxc5 26.Nxe5 g6 27.f4 Be6 28.f5 Bb3 29.Rxb3 Nxb3 30.Bc4 Bg5 31.Nxf7 Be3+ 32.Kh1 Nd2 33.Nd6+ Nxc4 34.Nxe8 Kf7 35.Nd6+ Nxd6 36.Rxd6 Rb7 37.fxg6+ hxg6 38.h4 Bf4 39.Rd3 Ke6 40.Kh2 Rb3 41.Kh3 c4 42.Rf3 Ke5 43.Nf1 a5 44.Kg4 Bh6 45.h5 gxh5+ 46.Kxh5 Bc1 47.Rf5+ Kxe4 48.Ng3+ Kd3 49.Rf3+ Kc2 50.Ne2 Bd2 51.Nd4+ Kb2 52.Nb5 Bxc3 53.Rf2+ Kb1 54.Rf4 Bb4 55.Rxc4 1/2-1/2

VallejoPons-Topalov and Bacrot-Radjabov were drawn in 30 and 20 moves, respectively.

Linares Round 13

Topalov has had an amazing run on the Linares leg of the tournament. From being at the bottom (with Bacrot) at the end of round 6, he has scored 5 points in the last six rounds and is now at the top (with Leko, Radjabov and Aronian). Since they are 1.5 points ahead of Ivanchuk and Svidler, one of these four player will be the winner after the last round tomorrow.

Topalov-Leko
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.Nf3 d6 9.Nd2 Nbd7 10.f3 d5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.e3 Re8 13.Be2 Rc8 14.0-0 Qe7 15.Bb5 c6 16.Ba4 h6 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.Rfe1 b5 19.Bc2 c5 20.Bf5 Rc7 21.dxc5 Rxc5 22.Qd4 a6 23.a4 bxa4 24.Rxa4 Rc6 25.b4 Qe5 26.Qxe5 Rxe5 27.Bd3 Rb6 28.Kf2 Bc8 29.Rb1 Bf5 30.Bxf5 Rxf5 31.Ra5 g6 32.Ke2 h5 33.g3 Kg7 34.h3 Nd7 35.g4 hxg4 36.hxg4 Re5 37.Kf2 Rc6 38.Rb3 Rb6 39.f4 Ree6 40.g5 Red6 41.e4 Rb5 42.Rxb5 axb5 43.Rd3 Nb6 44.Nb1 Rc6 45.exd5 Rc4 46.Kf3 Rxb4 47.Nd2 f6 48.Ne4 fxg5 49.Nxg5 Kf6 50.Kg4 Nc4 51.Ne4+ Ke7 52.d6+ Kd8 53.Kg5 Nb2 54.Re3 Rd4 55.Nf6 Rxd6 56.Re8+ Kc7 57.Re2 Rd1 58.Rxb2 Rg1+ 59.Kh6 Kc6 60.Ne4 Kd5 61.Rb4 Kc6 62.Rd4 Rg4 63.Nf2 Kc5 64.Rd1 Rg2 65.Nd3+ Kc4 66.Ne5+ Kc3 67.Rc1+ Kb2 68.Rc6 Kb3 69.Rxg6 Rf2 70.Rg3+ Kc2 71.Nd3 1-0

Radjabov-Svidler
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e3 c5 7.Bxc4 Nc6 8.0-0 cxd4 9.exd4 Be7 10.Bg5 0-0 11.Re1 h6 12.Bf4 Nb4 13.Qd2 Bd7 14.Bxh6 Rc8 15.Bb3 gxh6 16.Qxh6 Nh7 17.Re5 f5 18.Rxe6 Bxe6 19.Bxe6+ Kh8 20.Bxc8 Rf6 21.Qh5 Qxc8 22.Re1 Bf8 23.Ne5 Kg8 24.Qd1 Ng5 25.Qb3+ Kg7 26.h4 Nf7 27.Ne2 Nxe5 28.dxe5 Rc6 29.Nf4 Be7 30.Qg3+ Kh7 31.Qf3 Qe8 32.g3 Qf7 33.e6 Qf6 34.Qh5+ Kg8 35.Qe8+ Qf8 36.Qg6+ Qg7 37.Qxf5 Rc5 38.Qe4 Nc6 39.Nd5 Qxb2 40.Qf5 Rc1 41.Nxe7+ 1-0

Ivanchuk-VallejoPons
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.a4 c6 8.e5 h6 9.exf6 hxg5 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 c5 13.0-0 g4 14.Nh4 Bxg2 15.Nxg2 Rxg7 16.axb5 cxd4 17.Ne4 f5 18.Nf4 Kf7 19.Rc1 fxe4 20.Rxc4 Bc5 21.Rxc5 Nd7 22.Rh5 Nf6 23.Re5 Qd6 24.Rxe6 1-0

Aronian-Bacrot was drawn.

Standings:
Topalov, Leko, Radjabov, Aronian - 7.5
Ivanchuk, Svidler - 6
Bacrot - 5.5
VallejoPons - 4.5

Linares Round 12

All four games were drawn this round

VallejoPons-Radjabov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 Nf6 6.Nd5 d6 7.Nxf6+ Bxf6 8.c3 0-0 9.0-0 Rb8 10.a4 b6 11.Re1 Be6 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.b4 Qd7 14.Bd2 Kh8 15.h3 Rf7 16.a5 b5 17.a6 cxb4 18.cxb4 Bd8 19.Qe2 Bb6 20.Rab1 Rbf8 21.Be3 Qd8 22.Rec1 Bxe3 23.fxe3 Qb6 24.Ng5 Rf6 25.Rf1 Qd8 26.Qg4 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qf6+ 29.Ke2 Nd8 30.Qh5 Qg6 31.hxg6 32.d4 exd4 33.exd4 d5 34.Kd3 Kg8 35.h4 Kf8 36.exd5 exd5 37.Kc3 Ke7 38.Nf3 Kf6 39.Ne5 g5 40.h5 Kf5 41.Kd3 Kf4 42.Ng6+ Kg3 43.Ne7 Kxg2 44.Nxd5 Kf3 45.Ne7 g4 1/2-1/2

Leko-Bacrot
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.a3 Nc6 11.cxd5 Qxd5 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Bf5 14.Re1 Rfe8 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.Bd3 Qd7 17.Rb1 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 b6 19.d5 Bf6 20.c4 h6 21.h3 Ne7 22.Ne5 Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Nf5 24.Bb2 f6 25.Bc3 Nd6 26.Bd2 Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Re8 28.Rc1 Qf5 29.Qxf5 Nxf5 30.Bf4 Re7 31.g4 Nd4 32.Kf1 Kf7 33.Be3 Nb3 34.Rc3 Na5 35.c5 Rd7 36.Bf4 b5 37.Rd3 Nc6 38.Bxc7 Rxc7 39.dxc6 Rxc6 40.Rd7+ Kg6 41.Rxa7 1/2-1/2

Topalov-Ivanchuk was drawn in 37 moves, and Svidler-Aronian was a 20-move grandmaster draw.

Commentary on the games by GM Mihail Marin can be found on Chessbase's website.

Standings:
Leko - 7.5
Aronian - 7
Topalov, Radjabov - 6.5
Svidler - 6
Ivanchuk, Bacrot - 5
VallejoPons - 4.5