The genius and his bluebird

VASSILY IVANCHUK: THE GENIUS AND HIS «BLUEBIRD»

What do we actually know about the mysterious chess player from Lvov? The whole world calls him in a very simple and artistic way — a genius.

The reasons for that are very obvious: the entire world admires his pieces of art that he creates at the chess board. Plus the image of a man-mystery who lives in his own chess world.

Can we define his chess career as a mega-successful one? Both — yes and no. On one hand, Grandmaster famous all over the world, the European Champion 2004, the winner of elite tournaments (he won thrice in Linares), the 4-folded Olympic Champion (twice in the USSR team and twice in the national team of Ukraine), the World Champion in Blitz and the leader of the Ukrainian team since many years. Isn’t that enough? Yes, it is, if we speak about the personality of such a great chess talent.

Photo by Chess Base

The thing is that the main title of the strongest chess player of the planet remained and remains a «bluebird» slipping away from him. Ivanchuk was considered to be one of the main favorites of the Candidates Cycle in 1991—1992. However, having won Leonid Yudasin in the 1/8 of the finals, after the persistent fight in the additional games of quarterfinals Ivanchuk gave in to Arthur Yusupov.

He managed to fight for the world crown in the final match only once — it was at the World Championship Match of 2001—2002 in Moscow. At that time he was stopped on the way by the young Ruslan Ponomariov, who is by the twist of fate his opponent in the present match for the 3^rd place in the World Chess Cup 2011.

There is a theory that is very popular among journalists: the defeat of Ponomariov in semifinals influenced in a very negative way on the play of Ivanchuk in the parallel match against Alexander Grischuk. Subconsciously the wish to once again meet his former affronter in the match revenge has given its results. Certainly, the theory is rather unbelievable and Ivanchuk himself is insisting to have forgotten about those events. Of course, the lie detector was not on at the moment when he was making this declaration.

Ivanchuk will always remain in the memory of chess amateurs of Khanty-Mansiysk and of the whole world due to his emotional declaration dated November 2009 after his defeat to the little-known 16-year-old chess player from Philippines Wesley So in the second round of the World Cup. At the time he declared about the termination of his chess career: «I believe, — said Vassily, — that after this match I have nothing to do in serious chess. From now on chess is only a hobby for me ».

Certainly, all elite grandmasters have some kind of special connection with chess that has been formed for years and all of them take defeats as a small death. However, such a declaration in public is an extraordinary case. It must be said that no one took his declaration to leave chess seriously. As for the Grandmaster himself, he confirmed it later in his open letter where he stated that by no means he was going to leave chess.

Some time passed, negative emotions have faded away and Ivanchuk came back «to work» and started showing great results again. In the year 2010 he became the winner in the «round» tournament in Cuba again. Afterwards he brilliantly won at the first board at the 39^th World Olympiad having scored 8 out of 10.

At the Chess Olympiad — 2010. Photo by V. Barsky

They say that the one who travels faster — travels alone. Fortunately, it does not concern Ivanchuk. In 1991 Ivanchuk married one of the strongest chess players of the world Alisa Galliamova and they had a son Misha. Several years later the legendary chess couple (probably the strongest in the history) broke up. In 2007 Ivanchuk married for the second time.

Vassily and his wife. Photo by Chess Base

Now Ivanchuk is 42 years old (he was born on 18 March 1969 in the town Kopychintsy of Ternopolskaya Oblast of Ukraine). It has been more than 30 years since 6-year-old Vasya got acquainted with chess thanks to his father. However, Ivanchuk is still sincerely in love with this game and, according to his words, he is trying to play every game against any opponent in an equally serious manner. It does not matter who is sitting in front of you! This is probably the reason that Ivanchuk is always welcome at any chess tournament and the number of his fans is immense all over the world.

Maria Fominykh

Will Grischuk win with Black?

WILL GRISCHUK MANAGE TO WIN AS BLACK?

The third games of the last matches of the Chess World Cup were played on Sunday, September 18 in Khanty-Mansiysk. The game between Russian grandmasters competing for the main prize ended first, just like yesterday.

However, unlike yesterday, today the game was much more tense and lengthy. Grischuk, playing White, once again started with e2-e4, and Svidler decided to deviate from the first game, opting for the Ruy Lopez instead of the Sicilian. On the third move Svidler surprised the opponent with a rare move 3…Bc5. Grischuk clearly did not expect it, so he started to think, but finally decided to go for the main line, where White aggressively breaks in the center. Svidler offered to exchange queens, accepting a worse ending. However, in the endgame Grischuk's time trouble began to tell. He was unable to stabilize the position and gave up a pawn; however, White's pieces developed significant activity. Svidler also started to take his time, but did not find the way to play for a win, and accepted more exchanges, which made a draw inevitable.

Svidler said that Grischuk's time trouble did not tempt him to take additional risks in this game: «Grischuk often plays under strict time pressure. I realize that he is not going to lose on time or even make an inferior move, so I have to keep playing according to the positional demands».

«Of course, my position was more pleasant, — said Grischuk, — and the main question was whether I can develop my pieces and play c4. If I can do this, I will have a big advantage. If not, I'll have nothing. In the end my losing chances are higher than my winning chances, but a draw is still the most likely outcome».

Vassily Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov played the Gruenfeld defense is their match for the 3^rd place. The transition from the opening to the middlegame was unsuccessful for Ivanchuk, who lost a pawn. Ponomariov tried to convert his advantage, but the game had clear drawing tendencies — the players had the opposite-colored bishops, and all the remaining pawns were located on the kingside. In the end Ivanchuk constructed a fortress, and when Black tried to break it, White sacrificed a knight for the last two pawns, reaching a drawn ending with a bishop and a knight against a bishop, with no pawns left on the board.

With three games passed, Svidler leads 2−1 vs. Grischuk, and Ivanchuk leads 2−1 vs. Ponomariov. The concluding classical games of the matches are scheduled on Monday, September 19. Grischuk and Ponomariov must win to tie the score. Grischuk will have Black, and Ponomariov will play White. If any of the matches are tied, the winners will be decided on tie-breaks.

All games are relayed with live grandmaster commentary in English and Russian on the official site of the World Cup: http://chess.ugrasport.com

Use the following link for computer analysis of the strongest engine — Houdini:http://chess.ugrasport.com/houdini.html

Jorn Sloth wins Nordic Senior Championship

Nordic Senior Chess Championship Concluded

The 2011 Nordic Senior Championship was organized by the Icelandic Chess Federation from 10th to 18th September at the Headquarters of Reykjavik Chess Club at Faxafen 12. GM Heikki Westerinen defended the last year title in the field of 52 players.

After nine rounds of play Danish FM Jorn Sloth and Finnish GM Yrjo Rantanen shared the first place with 7 points each. The trophy goes to Sloth thanks to slightly better tie-break result. Full standings bellow.

Icelandic Chess Federation website

Final top 10 standings:

1. FM Sloth Jorn DEN 2328 – 7
2. GM Rantanen Yrjo A. FIN 2400 – 7
3. GM Olafsson Fridrik ISL 2434 – 6.5
4. FM Malmdin Nils Åke SWE 2307 – 6.5
5. GM Westerinen Heikki M.J. FIN 2340 – 6
6. Ofstad Per NOR 2182 – 6
7. Nilsson Weine SWE 1888 – 5.5
8. Halldórsson Bragi ISL 2198 – 5.5
9. Patola Eero FIN 1886 – 5.5
10. Solmundarson Magnus ISL 2219 – 5.5
11. Kristjánsson Ólafur ISL 2173 – 5.5
12. Thor Jon Th ISL 2188 – 5.5
13. Danielsson Robert SWE 2087 – 5.5

3 share first at the Zlatni Rat 2011 Open

Three Grandmasters share first at the Zlatni Rat 2011 Open

The 2nd International Open Chess Tournament – Zlatni Rat 2011 was held from 9th to 17th September in Bol on the Croatian island of Brač. The organizers are Zlatni rat d.d. Bol, Vestibultravel Split, Croatian Chess Federation and Chess club Bačvice Split.

The tournament was played over nine rounds of Swiss system with the FIDE time control. 45 players and among them 9 Grandmasters competed.

Local Grandmasters Ante Brkic and Robert Zelcic and top seeded Robert Markus (2635) of Serbia shared the first place with 7 points each. Brkic grabs the trophy on superior tiebreak.

Final top 10 standings:

1. GM Brkić Ante CRO 2606 – 7
2. GM Zelčić Robert CRO 2564 – 7
3. GM Markuš Robert SRB 2635 – 7
4. GM Tratar Marko SLO 2477 – 6
5. GM Palac Mladen CRO 2591 – 6
6. GM Šarić Ibro BIH 2560 – 6
7. GM Kurajica Bojan BIH 2524 – 6
8. IM Lekic Dusan MNE 2397 – 6
9. GM Šarić Ante CRO 2489 – 6
10. WIM Šaric Kristina CRO 2219 – 6
11. FM Orak Ljubomir CRO 2308 – 5.5
12. GM Jovanić Ognjen CRO 2491 – 5.5

7th Asian Schools Chess Championships 2011

7th Asian Schools Chess Championships 2011

On behalf of the Asian Chess Federation and FIDE, the All India Chess Federation has the honour of inviting all Asian National Chess Federations affiliated to FIDE to participate in the 7th Asian Schools Chess Championships 2011 (under-5, under-7, under-9, under-11, under-13 and under-15) in New Delhi, India from 16th (arrival) to 23rd (departure) December 2011.

Participation

- Invited Players, Each National Federation can enter one (1) player in each of the under 5,7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 (open and girls) categories, totaling a maximum of twelve (12) invited players.

- Additional Players, Additional (extra) players can also be registered.

- In order to ensure proper tournament standards, all invited players and all additional (extra) players must submit their registration through their National Federations not later than the 25th November 2011 (registration deadline).

- The players should be below the respective age groups on or before 1st January 2011.

All Invited players, one player per country in each category and a manager are entitled to free Board and lodging for 7 days starting from 16th December 2011 at the Official Hotel. No replacement from other categories can be made in case there is no official player in one category. All additional players and all other accompanying persons should pay the cost for board and lodging.

Download full regulations

Contact of the Organising Committee
The Secretary, Delhi Chess Association, Hotel KC Plaza, 5588, Basant Lane, Paharganj, New Delhi-55

Mr. MS Gopakumar, IA (Registration), 9868624216/ 9986883449
Mr. Sandeep Singh, FA (Registration), 9953435457
Mr. AK Verma (Accommodation), 9891468906
Mr. Bharat Singh (Chairman, Organising Committee), 9810000007

Email: delhichess64@gmail.com
Web site: www.delhichess.com

Can you help Kasparov find the winning plan (part 2)?

White to move. How should white proceed?

This 2-game exhibition was just played. Kasparov defeated Vachier-Lagrave 1.5 - 0.5 in a rapid match. However, he missed a winning plan as white here. Can you find it?

Source: ChessToday.net

Hall of Famer Vera Menchik

(1906-1944)
World – Inducted 2011

The world’s first women’s chess champion, Vera Menchik was born in Russia in 1906, learned chess at age 9, and moved to England as a teenager in 1921. Over the course of her career, she competed for Russia, Czechoslovakia, and England. She became the first Women’s World Champion in 1927, and successfully defended her title six times over the next 17 years. She would lose only one game over the course of these seven championship tournaments.

Menchik defeated many men in tournament play, including Max Euwe and Samuel Reshevsky. They and other notable players she beat became members of what was known as the “Vera Menchik Club.” From 1929 onward, she was a fixture at Hastings Congress tournaments, as well as at other international competitions. One of her greatest successes was at Ramsgate 1929, when she tied for second with Akiba Rubenstein just a half-point behind Jose Raul Capablanca and ahead of her teacher Géza Maróczy. She won matches against Jacques Mieses in 1942 and Sonja Graf in 1934 and 1937.

Menchik’s career was cut tragically short when she, her two sisters, and their mother were killed in a V-1 rocket bombing raid at their South London home in June 1944. The Women’s Olympiad trophy is known as the Vera Menchik Cup in her honor.

Official World Chess Hall of Fame website: http://www.worldchesshof.org

Hou Yifan guarantees share of WGP title with 1 to play

With 1 round to go, Hou Yifan has already clinched at least a share of first. She will have black against Danielian in the final round. All she needs is just a draw to clinch clear first.

Muzychuk will have black against Ju Wenjun in the final round. She must win and hope that Hou Yifan would lose to have a chance to catch up.

Standings after 10 rounds

Rk		Name	Rtg	FED	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pts	Rp
1	GM	Hou Yifan	2578	CHN	*	½	½	1	½	1	½		1	1	1	½	7½	2662
2	IM	Muzychuk Anna	2545	SLO	½	*		½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	6½	2581
3	WGM	Ju Wenjun	2536	CHN	½		*	½	1	½	1	0	½	½	½	1	6	2543
4	WGM	Tan Zhongyi	2429	CHN	0	½	½	*	½		½	½	½	1	1	1	6	2560
5	GM	Zhao Xue	2497	CHN	½	½	0	½	*	1	½	0	1	½		1	5½	2523
6	WGM	Ruan Lufei	2477	CHN	0	½	½		0	*	½	1	½	½	1	1	5½	2524
7	GM	Zhu Chen	2490	QAT	½	½	0	½	½	½	*	1	0		½	½	4½	2441
8	GM	Danielian Elina	2517	ARM		0	1	½	1	0	0	*	1	0	½	½	4½	2433
9	IM	Munguntuul Batkhuyag	2465	MGL	0	½	½	½	0	½	1	0	*	1	½		4½	2466
10	GM	Cmilyte Viktorija	2525	LTU	0	0	½	0	½	½		1	0	*	½	½	3½	2367
11	IM	Kovalevskaya Ekaterina	2421	RUS	0	½	½	0		0	½	½	½	½	*	½	3½	2377
12	WIM	Yildiz Betul Cemre	2308	TUR	½	0	0	0	0	0	½	½		½	½	*	2½	2309

Official website: http://shenzhen2011.fide.com