The Candidate: Ian Nepomniachtchi To Challenge Carlsen

Volume 141
MAY
2021
IAN NEPOMNIACHTCHI
TO CHALLENGE CARLSEN
THE CANDIDATE
CAN THE DOTA GAMER
BEAT THE NORWEGIAN
CHESS KING?
NEBOJSA
BARALIC,
CHIEF ARBITER
AT THE CANDIDATES:
THE TRIUMPH OF
CHESS AND
PROFESSIONALISM
OVER A VIRUS
PETER O'BRIEN
TRACING THE DNA OF
CHESS IN RUSSIA AND
THE SOVIET UNION
ISSN 0007-0440
02105
9 770007 044000
IMPROVE YOUR PLAY: THE CARO CANN WITH 1.E4 AND 2.C4
IMPRESSUM
Contents
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Founded 1881
www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk
Chairman Shaun Taulbut

Director Stephen Lowe
278
Wang Hao
Editors retires from chess:
Milan Dinic and Shaun Taulbut I can’t take the stress
Photo editor
David Llada 260 Ian Nepomniachtchi to challenge Carlsen
after winning the Candidates tournament
Prepress Specialist
The Candidate
Milica Mitic
By GM Aleksandar Colovic
Photography
FIDE/Lennart Ootes 282 How the chief arbiter, Nebojsa Baralic,
Wikipedia, Twitter saw the historic Candidates tournament
The triumph of chess and
Advertising professionalism over a virus
Stephen Lowe
285 Book Review
Enquiries
TRACING THE DNA OF CHESS IN
editor@britishchessmagazine.co.uk
RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
ISSN 0007-0440 Peter O'Brien
© The British Chess Magazine Limited
292 4NCL Online - Round seven report
Company Limited by Shares By IM Shaun Taulbut
Registered in England No 00334968
299 Openings for Amateurs
Postal correspondence: The Caro-Kann with 1.e4 and 2.c4, Part III
Albany House, 14 Shute End
By Pete Tamburro
Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BJ
Subscription 303 Rating the Champions

support@britishchessmagazine.co.uk By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE
12 monthly issues
UK: £55 | RoW: £85 312 Quotes and Queries
Wilfred Henry Pratten
Printed in the UK: by Lavenham Press Ltd By Alan Smith
Cover photography:
314 Endgame Studies
Lennart Ootes/FIDE
By Ian Watson
258 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

May 2021
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05/141
Ian Nepomniachtchi to challenge Carlsen after

winning the Candidates tournament
THE CANDIDATE By GM Aleksandar Colovic / www.alexcolovic.com

Photo: FIDE/Lennart Ootes
After more than a year, the ill-fated never go crazy and you probably shouldn’t
Candidates tournament finished and we lose. You better make a boring draw but
have learnt the name of the new challenger. you shouldn’t lose. This was the lesson I
Ian Nepomniachtchi, who was sharing the learned especially from Berlin. Kramnik
lead with Maxime Vaheir Lagrave following was doing fine and then he just went
the first leg of the event, managed to stay at crazy at some moment and he played all
the top and won with a round to spare. the decisive games and I think it was too
much. Yeah, probably this commentating,
‘It’s obviously a huge milestone in my it helps!’
career and perhaps in my life also,’
Nepomniachtchi said. ‘I’m extremely tired. From 19 to 27 April the second seven
I don’t think I would like again to play a rounds took place at the same venue
tournament which lasts more than one in Yekaterinburg. There was a lot of
year.’ excitement, good and bad games, perhaps
not surprising after waiting and preparing
It seems that Nepomniachtchi based his for more than a year for - just seven games.
approach to the event on the experiences
he had as a commentator in the previous Here are the key takeaways from the 2020/21
two Candidates tournaments: ‘You should Yekaterinburg (Coronavirus) Candidates:

May 2021
Vachier’s Stubbornness game in Wijk, where Caruana played 10.¥e2.

As with all the lines in the Poisoned Pawn, this
Vachier Lagrave started the second half of move (which was the first one to be employed
the event as the formal leader – while equal against it, dating back to the 1950s) leads to
on points with Nepomniachtchi he had the insanely complicated variations. They are all
better tie-break thanks to the win in their fine for Black, but the problem consists of
encounter from a year ago. There were a lot committing them to memory, particularly in
of unknowns about the French player: will modern engine-dominated times.
he raise his level after a year of mediocrity,
will he change his approach to opening 10...h6 11.¥h4 dxe5 12.fxe5 ¤fd7 13.¤e4
preparation, will he broaden his repertoire? £xa2 14.¦d1 £d5 15.£e3 £xe5 All
normal until here. Now the main move,
The answers turned out to be “no”. with thousands of games played with it, is
16.¥e2, but it is here that Caruana comes
Vachier paid the price for his stubbornness. up with a stunning concept.
Two opening catastrophes in the first two
rounds cost him practically everything. 16.c3
XIIIIIIIIY
In the 8th round, the crucial game between
Caruana and Vachier was decided in the 9rsnl+kvl-tr0
endgame, but the problems for Black started 9+p+n+pzp-0
in the opening. In his beloved Najdorf 9p+-+p+-zp0
Vachier was hit with a stunning novelty.
9+-+-wq-+-0
Fabiano Caruana – 9-+-sNN+-vL0
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 9+-zP-wQ-+-0
FIDE Candidates Tournament (8.1) 9-+-+-+PzP0
This game was considered by many to be 9+-+RmKL+R0
the crucial one for Caruana. Trailing by a xiiiiiiiiy
point, he had a chance to beat the leader and The first surprise, though the move has
join the fight for first place. As it turned out been played before.
he chose the same approach as in their last
classical game, played in January in Wijk 16...¥c5 17.¥g3 £d5
aan Zee (check the February issue of BCM XIIIIIIIIY
for the detailed comments) - entering a
heavily theoretical line in the Najdorf with 9rsnl+k+-tr0
a shocking novelty in store. 9+p+n+pzp-0
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6 9p+-+p+-zp0
5.¤c3 a6 It was a big question whether 9+-vlq+-+-0
Vachier would change his openings for the 9-+-sNN+-+0
Candidates, but we saw that he decided
to remain faithful to the Najdorf and the 9+-zP-wQ-vL-0
Grunfeld. It appears that he had not learnt 9-+-+-+PzP0
from the harsh lessons in Wijk where his
beloved openings were heavily trashed. 9+-+RmKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
6.¥g5 e6 7.f4 £b6 8.£d2 £xb2 9.¦b1 18.¥c4!! This is the novelty and truly it
£a3 10.e5 Here is the deviation from the is a stunning one. To destroy the illusion

05/141
a bit, it is Stockfish’s second choice in and after the rook from h1 joins the game all
this position... White’s pieces will be included in the attack
while Black is heavily under-developed.
18...£xc4 19.¥d6! This is the idea: White
prevents Black from castling and threatens 22.¤dxe6
¥xc5. Vachier spent a lot of time and to XIIIIIIIIY
his credit he came up with the best defence.
9rsnl+k+r+0
19...¤f6! 9+p+-+pzp-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9p+-vLN+-zp0
9rsnl+k+-tr0 9+-sNnwQ-+-0
9+p+-+pzp-0 9-+q+-+-+0
9p+-vLpsn-zp0 9+-zP-+-+-0
9+-vl-+-+-0 9-+-+-+PzP0
9-+qsNN+-+0 9+-+RmK-+R0
9+-zP-wQ-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-+-+PzP0 White continues in sacrificial style, but
Black can force a transposition to an
9+-+RmK-+R0 endgame, which is a huge accomplishment
xiiiiiiiiy - usually when hit with such a strong
Caruana said he was disappointed that this novelty a player fears to lose in a miniature.
move was played as he considered it both
the best one and also a difficult one to find! 22...fxe6 23.¤xe6 £xc3+ Exchanging the
queens, much to Black’s relief. He doesn’t
20.¤xc5 ¤d5 21.£e5 ¦g8 21...£xc3+?! mind losing the exchange as he correctly
This is premature as the king can move away, thought that he should have enough
connecting the rooks. 22.¢f2 £b2+ 23.¢g3 compensation for it.
Maxime Vahier Lagrave

May 2021
23...¤f6 is the engine’s preference, but, This also keeps good winning chances
understandably, Vachier wanted to get the though the engine gives 31.¦e1 as stronger.
queens off the board as soon as possible. After Nevertheless, Caruana misplayed this
24.¤g5+ ¥e6 25.£xe6+ £xe6+ 26.¤xe6 promising endgame and allowed Vachier to
¢f7 27.¤c7 ¦a7 Black is a pawn up and reach a theoretically drawn position where
completely fine, according to the machine. Black had a fortress.
24.£xc3 ¤xc3 25.¤c7+ ¢f7 26.¦d3 ¤e4?! 1–0

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnl+-+r+0 The endgame
9+psN-+kzp-0
9p+-vL-+-zp0 Fabiano Caruana –
Maxime Vachier Lagrave
9+-+-+-+-0
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2020 (8.1)
9-+-+n+-+0
9+-+R+-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+PzP0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-mK-+R0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-zpk+0
Sacrificing the exchange but getting his 9+-+-+n+-0
pieces out. Still this was not the best choice. 9-+-+-mK-+0
Black could have avoided the loss of an 9+-+R+-+-0
exchange with 26...¦a7 27.¦xc3 ¢g6 28.0–0 9-+-+-+P+0
¢h7!, avoiding ¤d5–e7 and ¦g3 with check,
which leads to a curious position where
9+-+-+-+-0
Black is two passed pawns up, but White has xiiiiiiiiy
compensation since Black is still undeveloped. 55...¤h6?? The decisive mistake.
27.0–0+ ¢g6 28.¤xa8 ¤c6 29.¤b6 ¦d8?! It 55...¤g7! kept the fortress intact. The knight
was better to avoid the exchange of the bishop controls the h5 and f5–squares, the pawn
with 29...¥g4, but it seems Vachier thought controls the g5 and e5–squares and in case
exchanges would bring him closer to a draw. White tries to approach from the left Black
can either prevent that with his king or he can
30.¤xc8 ¦xc8 31.¥a3 rush forward to exchange White’s last pawn.
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+-+0 56.¦g3+ ¢f7 57.¢e4 ¤g8 58.¢f5 ¤e7+
59.¢f4 59.¢e4! was the correct way and
9+p+-+-zp-0 Caruana finds it later in the game. 59...¤g6
9p+n+-+kzp0 60.¦b3 ¦b7 and ¢f5 are the decisive
9+-+-+-+-0 threats. If Black tries to keep his knight on
e7, then White can break through via the
9-+-+n+-+0 kingside, for example: 60...¤e7 61.¦b7
9vL-+R+-+-0 ¢e6 62.g3! (62.g4? f5+! forces the
exchange of White’s last pawn.) 62...¢f7
9-+-+-+PzP0 63.g4 ¢e6 64.¢f3 ¢f7 65.¢g3 ¢e6
9+-+-+RmK-0 66.¢h4 when the white king will approach
xiiiiiiiiy the pawn on f6.

05/141
59...¤d5+ 60.¢g4? Caruana allows Black (68.g4? f5+ forces the exchange of
another saving chance. It was better to go White’s last pawn.) 68...¢f7 69.g4
back to the lines after 59.¢e4 by returning ¢e6 70.¢f3 ¢f7 71.¢g3 ¢e6 72.¢h4
to f5 and then retreating to e4. when the white king will approach the
pawn on f6.
60...¢g6 Now it’s a draw again.
66.¦h3 Threatening ¦h7.
61.¢f3+ ¢f7 62.¢e4
XIIIIIIIIY 66...¢g6 67.¦a3 ¢f7 68.¢f4 ¤h6
69.¦g3!
9-+-+-+-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+-+k+-0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-+-+-zp-+0 9+-+-+k+-0
9+-+n+-+-0 9-+-+-zp-sn0
9-+-+K+-+0 9+-+-+-+-0
9+-+-+-tR-0 9-+-+-mK-+0
9-+-+-+P+0 9+-+-+-tR-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9-+-+-+P+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+-+-+-0
62...¤e7?? Vachier doesn’t take the
second chance. xiiiiiiiiy
It’s important to control the g-file so
62...¤c7! was crucial - the knight is en the black king cannot use it to prevent
route to g7 via e6, establishing the fortress. the white king from penetrating via the
h-file.
63.¢f4 ¤d5+ 64.¢f5 ¤e7+ 65.¢e4! ¤g8
XIIIIIIIIY 69...¤g8 70.¢g4 ¤e7 70...¢g6 doesn’t
stop White’s king. After 71.¢h4+ ¢h7
9-+-+-+n+0 (or 71...¢f7 72.¢h5) 72.¢h5 ¤e7 73.¦f3
9+-+-+k+-0 ¢g7 74.g3 ¢f7 75.g4 ¢g7 76.¦b3 ¢f7
77.¢h6 White breaks through.
9-+-+-zp-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 71.¢h5 ¤d5 72.¦f3 Now the threat is g4–g5.
9-+-+K+-+0 72...¢e6 73.g4 ¢e5 74.¢g6 After
9+-+-+-tR-0 74.¢g6 ¢e6 75.¦f2 threatening ¦e2
9-+-+-+P+0 75...¤e7+ 76.¢g7 ¤d5 77.¦e2+ ¢d6
78.¦d2 ¢e6 79.¦xd5 ¢xd5 80.¢xf6 the
9+-+-+-+-0 pawn endgame is an elementary win.
xiiiiiiiiy
Black keeps the knight on the kingside, but 1–0
he is beyond salvation now.
In case of 65...¤g6, 66.¦b3 ¦b7 and In the 9th round Vachier again chose his
f5 are the decisive threats. If Black usual opening, this time the Grunfeld,
tries to keep his knight on e7 then White and was lost by move 15.
can break through via the kingside. For
example: 66...¤e7 67.¦b7 ¢e6 68.g3!

May 2021
A perfectly
executed event
despite the pandemic
By the accounts of players and staff

at the Candidates, the tournament was
organised very well. While the first
In accordance with the current climate – only play-
leg of the event was under a cloud of ers and staff were allowed at the venue
uncertainty and confusion in the wake
of the spread of an unknown virus,
the second part was executed with
precision, making sure all necessary
safety measures were put in action
- from making sure the players are
tested and protected, to providing on
site medical staff and, what has now
become a regular part of people’s
outfits - sanitisers and masks.
Players and everyone involved in the Hands up! No electronic devices allowed: Arbiter
event had to be scanned and checked Andy Howie from Scotland scanning
for any electronic equipment, and this Alexander Grischuk
was also done in all rooms and spaces
at the venue.
Despite Russia not implementing

strict social distancing measures,
these were exercised in the hotel and
the playing venue, assuring the safety
of everyone.
The sad scene of an empty playing

venue, with just the players and staff The return of the handshake: Chess legend Anatoly
Karpov shaking hands with Fabiano Caruana
without any audience present, was
somewhat compensated for by players
and arbiters freely shaking hands and
being able to act more normally than
had been possible in March 2020.
As Ian Nepomniachni himself said,

following the event: ‘In the current
situation, to start this tournament was
big courage and to end it - an act of
heroism.’ We couldn’t agree more!
Clock, pen, paper, sanitiser, mask – ready!

05/141
10.h5 £e7 The engine also likes 10...0–0,

Ding Liren – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave as White’s pieces are far from being able to
muster any serious kingside activity.
FIDE Candidates Tournament (9.4)
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 g6 Vachier is hoping for his 11.¥g5 ¥xc3+ Black wants to continue
beloved Grunfeld, but this time he is hit by with ...f6 and ...g5, so he exchanges the
dark-squared bishop in order not to
3.h4!? Usually this would be dismissed have it boxed in by its own pawns.
as not serious for this level, but today
everything should be taken seriously 12.bxc3 f6 13.¥d2 g5 14.0–0 ¤ge5?
when prepared with the help of
XIIIIIIIIY
powerful machines. 9r+l+k+-tr0
9zpp+nwq-+p0
3...¥g7 Deviating from his earlier game.
9-+-zp-zp-+0
At the Riga Grand Prix in 2019, Vachier 9+-zpPsn-zpP0
chose 3...c5 4.d5 b5 against Grischuk 9-+P+-+-+0
and he won, but the opening went
White’s way. 9+-zP-+N+-0
9P+-vLLzPP+0
4.¤c3 c5 Going for a Benoni structure.
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
In case of the typical Grunfeld move 4... xiiiiiiiiy
d5 White has 5.h5! ¤xh5 6.cxd5 with Vachier errs in the opening again. He
an advantage; Vachier has also tried the probably mixed things up as the knight
transposition to the King’s Indian after moving to e5 was the correct move; it
4...d6 5.e4 is just that he picked the wrong knight!
5.d5 d6 6.e4 e6 7.¥e2 exd5 8.exd5 ¤bd7 14...¤de5! was correct and Black would
9.¤f3 have been fine. The difference is that after
15.¤d4 0–0 White doesn’t have the move
XIIIIIIIIY ¤f5 because the bishop from c8 controls
9r+lwqk+-tr0 that square.
9zpp+n+pvlp0 15.¤d4! All of a sudden Black is in big
9-+-zp-snp+0 trouble. White threatens ¤f5 or ¤e6.
9+-zpP+-+-0
15...cxd4 16.cxd4 0–0? After this Black is
9-+P+-+-zP0 strategically lost.
9+-sN-+N+-0
Black had to keep the piece. White has
9PzP-+LzPP+0 ample compensation but it was still
9tR-vLQmK-+R0 the better chance. 16...¤f7 17.¥d3
xiiiiiiiiy 0–0 18.¦e1 £d8 19.a4: Black can
9.h5 is an alternative. 9...¤xh5 10.¥xh5 barely move, but White doesn’t have
gxh5 11.¦xh5 ¥xc3+ 12.bxc3 ¤e5 leads a direct breakthrough.
to an unclear position.
17.dxe5 fxe5 18.¥e3
9...¤g4 Black uses the weakened g4–square
to establish control over the e5–square.

May 2021
XIIIIIIIIY is of utmost importance − the player with

the black pieces must find a variation that
9r+l+-trk+0 would allow him to play with some chances
9zpp+nwq-+p0 of success. In other words, the position
should have life in it and it should be
9-+-zp-+-+0 objectively acceptable.
9+-+Pzp-zpP0
9-+P+-+-+0 1.¤f3 Perhaps already a surprise for
Vachier as Nepomniachtchi is mainly
9+-+-vL-+-0 a 1.e4 player and it is considered that
9P+-+LzPP+0 playing 1.e4 is more appropriate for
making a draw thanks to the more forced
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 nature of its lines compared to the other
xiiiiiiiiy first moves.
Black is positionally hopeless − he has the
weaker king and no active counterplay. 1...¤f6 2.c4 b6 A rare choice for Vachier.
White can build up on the queenside and Usually he stuck to 2...g6 followed by ...d5,
also use his pair of bishops to target Black’s aiming for Grunfeld−like positions.
kingside. Ding Liren played well for a long
time, obtained a winning position but then 3.g3 ¥b7 4.¥g2 g6?!
misplayed it and let Vachier save the draw. XIIIIIIIIY
½–½ 9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9zplzppzpp+p0
After these setbacks and a further loss to 9-zp-+-snp+0
Grischuk in round 11 the Frenchman was 9+-+-+-+-0
out of the race for 1st place. 9-+P+-+-+0
It is difficult to say what happened to one of 9+-+-+NzP-0
the favourites to win after the resumption. 9PzP-zPPzPLzP0
I find it hard to understand why he was so
stubborn with his opening choices. It is 9tRNvLQmK-+R0
clear that, even with the perfect preparation xiiiiiiiiy
and memory, being a sitting duck simply When in a similar situation to Vachier’s,
gives the opposition a clear advantage trailing by two points with three games left
before the start of the game. Former in the match against Kramnik, Kasparov
world champion Vladimir Kramnik was went for 4...c5 and then fianchettoed
highly critical of Vachier’s approach to his dark−squared bishop. In spite of this
preparation, especially demonstrated in the being a very solid set−up for White he still
must−win situation from round 13. obtained winning chances. This shows
the difference in the approach of the two
Ian Nepomniachtchi – players: Kasparov chose a theoretically
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave approved and objectively good variation,
while Vachier goes for a dubious line that
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2020 (13.2) immediately lands him in a bad position
− an approach Kramnik called childish
It is incredibly difficult to win with Black and unprofessional, having in mind youth
when faced with an opponent who is tournaments where in must win situations
happy with a draw, but that doesn’t mean they play g6, b6, ¥g7, ¥b7 and take it
one shouldn’t try. The choice of opening from there.

05/141
5.d4! Not allowing any transpositions after 11...¤d6?!

...c5. XIIIIIIIIY
5...¥g7 6.d5! It is important to note that 9r+-wq-trk+0
in spite of needing a draw Nepomniachtchi 9+lzppzppvlp0
plays the best moves, not being afraid to
go forward or avoiding complex positions 9-zp-sn-+p+0
if they are in his favour. 9zp-snP+-+-0
6...¤a6 7.¤c3 ¤c5 8.0–0 0–0 9.£c2 a5?!
9-+P+-vL-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-sN-+NzP-0
9r+-wq-trk+0 9PzPQ+PzPLzP0
9+lzppzppvlp0 9tR-+R+-mK-0
9-zp-+-snp+0 xiiiiiiiiy
Continuing with weird play.
9zp-snP+-+-0
9-+P+-+-+0 11...d6 was better, though White has a
perfectly safe position after 12.¥g5 £d7
9+-sN-+NzP-0 13.¤d4 e5 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.¥xb7 ¤xb7
9PzPQ+PzPLzP0 16.£e4 with a comfortable advantage for
White, but there is still play in the position.
9tR-vL-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 12.b3 ¦e8 12...f5 is a very strange and very
Trying to keep it complex at all cost, but bad Dutch for Black. 13.¥e5 The same move
worsening the position as it allows White to from the game kills off any counterplay.
obtain total control in the centre. Under the
excuse of "playing for a win" Black makes 13.¥e5 White plays it safe, exchanging the
bad moves. dark-squared bishops. He had other good
attempts at his disposal.
9...c6 was better, but Vachier obviously
wanted to keep the position closed. After 13.¥xd6!? with the idea of playing against
10.¦d1 (or 10.e4 cxd5 11.exd5) 10...cxd5 the bishop on b7. 13...cxd6 (or 13...exd6
11.cxd5 e6 12.dxe6 ¤xe6 Black’s well- 14.¤d4) 14.¤d4 and it’s not clear how the
placed pieces will give him compensation bishop on b7 can get out of its prison cell;
for the IQP. 13.¤d4 e5 14.dxe6 dxe6 15.¤db5 with
serious pressure on the d-file.
10.¦d1 ¤e8? But this is too much.
Pretentious play rarely leads to anything 13...e6 14.¥xg7 ¢xg7 15.¦ab1 e5 So
good, especially at top level. Black has finally got a semblance of a
King’s Indian, but it is a rather horrible
10...d6 made more sense. Black had an one. The outcome of the opening shows
interesting pawn sacrifice at his disposal that Vachier was improvising from the start
after 11.¤d4 e5! 12.dxe6 £e7! 13.¥xb7 and that he didn’t have any strategy against
¤xb7 14.exf7+ (14.¤d5 is better, keeping Nepomniachtchi’s approach after 1.¤f3.
things under control.) 14...£xf7 with good As Kramnik said, an unforgivable approach
compensation thanks to the pressure on the for a professional chess player who aims to
f-file. play a World Championship match.
11.¥f4 Targeting the knight once it comes 16.¤d2 f5 17.a3 £f6 18.b4 axb4 19.axb4
to d6. ¤a6 20.e4

May 2021
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+r+-+0
9+lzpp+-mkp0
9nzp-sn-wqp+0
9+-+Pzpp+-0
9-zPP+P+-+0
9+-sN-+-zP-0
9-+QsN-zPLzP0
9+R+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
With a dominating position for White. He kept
things under control and could even play for
a win, but eventually that wasn’t necessary.
Fabiano Caruana
½–½
2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¤c3 Nepomniachtchi chooses

At the end Vachier ended in 2nd place, one of the most solid options. He goes for
but the fact that he was out of contention the 4 Knights Scotch, known for its safety.
immediately must have been a bitter
disappointment. 3...¤f6 4.d4 exd4 5.¤xd4 ¥b4 6.¤xc6
bxc6 7.¥d3 d5 8.exd5 0–0!
Caruana’s Risk Strategy XIIIIIIIIY
Fabiano Caruana started the event in ideal 9r+lwq-trk+0
fashion. By beating one of the leaders he 9zp-zp-+pzpp0
came within half a point of the other. He
was very close to bridging that gap as he 9-+p+-sn-+0
missed a clear winning chance against 9+-+P+-+-0
Alekseenko in round 9. The moment of 9-vl-+-+-+0
truth came when he met Nepomniachtchi
in round 11 with the black pieces. 9+-sNL+-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0
Ian Nepomniachtchi – Fabiano Caruana 9tR-vLQmK-+R0
FIDE Candidates Tournament (11.1) xiiiiiiiiy
Caruana chooses the most concrete move,
Before this game Caruana was trailing by a one that is analysed as leading to a draw.
point and he had to decide whether to play For many decades the automatic move was
for a win or basically accept a draw, as it 8...cxd5, but engines showed that Black can
could be expected that Nepomniachtchi practically force a draw!
wouldn’t mind one.
9.0–0 9.dxc6? is wrong as 9...¦e8+ forces
1.e4 e5 Many expected something the white king to move.
sharper from Caruana, but as it turned
out his strategy for this game was not to 9...¥g4 More forcing play. Again 10...cxd5
burn his bridges. would have led to the usual theory.

05/141
10.f3 ¥h5 11.¥g5 11.dxc6 is an alternative. NOR 2019 16...£d5 is an improvement that
Then play is forced: 11...£d4+ 12.¢h1 gives Black easy equality.
¥xc3 13.bxc3 £xc3 and Black picks up
the pawn on c6 and manages to eliminate 13...¥xc3 14.bxc3 £xc3 15.¥e4 ¥g6
White’s bishop pair by ...¥g6. XIIIIIIIIY
11...£d6! 9r+-+-trk+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9zp-zp-+pzpp0
9r+-+-trk+0 9-+P+-+l+0
9zp-zp-+pzpp0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+pwq-sn-+0 9-+-+L+-+0
9+-+P+-vLl0 9+-wq-+P+-0
9-vl-+-+-+0 9P+P+-+PzP0
9+-sNL+P+-0 9tR-+Q+RmK-0
9PzPP+-+PzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
With equality and the game ended in a
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 draw after 41 moves.
xiiiiiiiiy ½–½
The capture 11...cxd5 is again possible, but
Caruana’s move is the forcing solution.
I found it surprising that Caruana didn’t try
12.¥xf6 £xf6 13.dxc6 The alternative to make his own fortune by taking things
13.¤e4 was played in a high-level into his own hands. He said that he thought
game. After 13...£xb2 14.dxc6 ¥g6 it was still early, with 3 rounds to go, to burn
15.¢h1 £d4 16.£e2 1–0 (30) Yu Yangyi his bridges. In truth, he only postponed the
(2738)-Mamedyarov,S (2774) Stavanger burning of the said bridges for one round, as
Can the DOTA gamer

beat the Norwegian chess king?
Ian Nepomniachtchi is one of the several prominent players born in 1990 – Karjakin,
Vachier, Andreikin and Carlsen were all born that same year, as was David Howell
(who, just to remind you, would have played the Candidates if he had beaten Wang Hao
in the last round of the Isle of Man World Swiss).
Showing early promise, it seemed that he would squander his potential when, in spite of
his successes such as winning the Russian Championship and the European Individual
Championship in 2010, he preferred to dedicate time to the video game DOTA and even
played it semi-professionally.
In his own words, the last several years have been crucial for his rise – he started to
work on chess in a professional manner and this showed in his results.
It only speaks of his talent that he managed to be near the top without proper work,
but now with this victory and particularly the amount of work that preceded it
Nepomniachtchi is on another level.

May 2021
in the next one he had to win against Giri if

he were to have any chances. The result? A
great game for Giri and the end for Caruana.
I understand that he preferred to try with
White rather than with Black but things
rarely work out like that.
I am of the opinion that it is always the first

chance that has to be taken. Not because
there may not be another one, though this is
often the case, but because even if there is
a second one it will be much harder to take
the second one than the first one. In other
words, Fortune favours the brave.
As an example of this let’s go back in

history. In a 24-game match Bobby Fischer
was trailing 0-2 after 2 games against Boris
Anish Giri
Spassky in Reykjavik. In game 3 he was
Black. He had never beaten Spassky in
fashion. The epitome of Giri’s play was the
his life before, he had never made a draw
game against Caruana in round 12 when
with Black with Spassky before. A long
both players were in a must-win situation.
match lay ahead, so the logic of the current
generation of players would be to achieve
Fabiano Caruana – Anish Giri
a draw, take it easy, and wait for the white
pieces to come back. FIDE Candidates Tournament (12.1)
We know what Fischer did. He didn’t 1.e4 c5 Giri’s prepared opening for
wait for the white pieces. He essayed the the Candidates was the Sveshnikov
Modern Benoni and beat Spassky for the Sicilian. He had already played it against
first time in his life. This game swung the Nepomniachtchi and Vachier.
momentum in Fischer’s favour and the rest
is well known. 2.¤f3 e6 Perhaps a small surprise. Giri
doesn’t play 2...¤c6 (like he did in
I am convinced that Caruana had to take the other two games) likely wanting to
that chance to try to beat Nepomniachtchi. avoid Caruana’s World Championship
We alone are the builders of our fortune and preparation in the 7.¤d5 line or the option
leaving it for others to decide on matters of a Rossolimo after 3.¥b5 (also used by
that are of vital importance never leads to Caruana in that match).
what we really want.
2...¤c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6 5.¤c3
Giri’s Risk Strategy e5 6.¤db5 d6 7.¤d5 This was Vachier’s
choice and was used extensively by Caruana
Anish Giri was impressive. First, he did in the match with Carlsen in 2018. (7.¥g5
what Vachier didn’t do – he came with an Nepomniachtchi chose the other main move.
opening surprise, the Sveshnikov Sicilian, After 7...a6 8.¤a3 b5 9.¤d5 ¥e7 10.¥xf6
and it worked wonders. Second, he did what ¥xf6 11.c3 ¦b8 12.¤c2 ¥g5 he went for
Caruana didn’t do – he took things into his 13.g3 instead of the main lines after 13.a4.
own hands and took his chances. Giri was Giri had no problems after 13...0–0 14.h4
also very effective with White – he beat ¥h6 15.a3 a5) 7...¤xd5 8.exd5 ¤b8
both Wang Hao and Ding Liren in excellent 9.c4 (In the match with Carlsen Caruana

05/141
focused on the move 9.a4) 9...¥e7 and a6 10.0–0 b5 was fine for Black, but he
here instead of 10.¥e2 or 10.¥d3 Vachier later misplayed it and ended up in trouble
chose the rare 10.c5!? though objectively before saving the draw. ½–½ (54) Anand,V
speaking the move does not pose particular (2756)-Giri,A (2779) Saint Louis 2019
problems in the opening.
7...0–0 8.¥e2 8.f4 is again possible, but
3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6 5.¤c3 ¤c6 By Black is fine after 8...d6 followed by ...e5.
choosing this move-order to enter the (Or the immediate 8...e5)
Sveshnikov Black must be ready for the
theoretically important 6.¤xc6, apart from 8...d6 9.£d3!?
a few deviations like the move played in the XIIIIIIIIY
game or 6.¥e2.
9r+lwq-trk+0
6.a3!? 9zpp+-vlpzpp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+nzppsn-+0
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 9+-+-+-+-0
9zpp+p+pzpp0 9-+-sNP+-+0
9-+n+psn-+0 9zP-sNQvL-+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9-zPP+LzPPzP0
9-+-sNP+-+0 9tR-+-mK-+R0
9zP-sN-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-zPP+-zPPzP0 A curious move. The queen lends extra
support to the pawn on e4 and allows a
9tR-vLQmKL+R0 long castle.
xiiiiiiiiy
I am not sure Caruana was completely 9.f4 can be met by 9...e5; After 9.0–0 Black
caught off guard by Giri’s move-order, has several good options like 9...a6 (9...e5;
especially as Giri had played it before 9...¥d7; 9...£c7)
against Anand in 2019. In fact he chooses
the same move Anand played in that game. 9...¥d7 Black finishes development. It was
possible to play 9...a6 as well but Black
6.¤db5 d6 7.¥f4 e5 8.¥g5 is a direct always tries to choose a plan based on ...e5
transposition to the Sveshnikov.; 6.¤xc6 rather than on ...b5 because in the former
bxc6 7.e5 ¤d5 8.¤e4 is a huge theoretical case the move a3 is a pure loss of tempo,
chapter when Black can choose between while in the latter case it is a useful move
8...£c7 and 8...¥b7. stopping ...b4.
6...¥e7 7.¥e3 7.f4 is an alternative, one 10.f4 10.0–0–0 can be met by 10...¤e5
that Giri has already faced. 7...d6 Giri’s 11.£d2 ¤fg4 eliminating one of White’s
choice. (7...0–0 was Mamedyarov’s choice bishops since after White’s long castle the
against Carlsen played at the Carlsen king no longer defends the f2–square so the
Invitational. Black was fine after 8.e5 (The bishop on e3 cannot leave its spot.
move 8.¥e3 can be met by either 8...e5 or
8...d6.) 8...¤d5 9.¤xd5 exd5 10.¤xc6 bxc6 10...e5 The usual pawn break in the centre
1–0 (27) Carlsen,M (2847)-Mamedyarov,S gives Black good play.
(2770) chess24.com INT 2021). 8.¤f3
Avoiding ideas based on ...e5. (After 11.¤xc6 bxc6 12.0–0 12.0–0–0 is again met
8.¥e3 e5!? Black is fine.) 8...0–0 9.¥d3 by 12...¤g4, obtaining the pair of bishops.

May 2021
After 13.¥xg4 ¥xg4 14.¦d2 £a5 play ¥h4 16.£e3 £b6: now taking the pawn
is unclear because White cannot trap the gives Black good compensation after
bishop by 15.f5? in view of 15...d5! 16.exd5 17.£xb6 axb6 18.¥xd6?! ¤xd6 19.¦xd6
¥xa3! which wins for Black.; 12.fxe5 dxe5 ¦fc8 thanks to the excellent control over
is fine for Black, whose central pawns the dark squares after ...¥f6;
control the important squares d4 and d5.
14...h5!? is the engine’s suggestion. No
12...exf4 With this exchange Black obtains sane human would think of this, but the
the e5–square for his knight. machine claims it works. The point is to
harass the queen by ...h4. 15.¢h1 (15.¦ad1
13.¥xf4 ¥e6 Natural, intending ...¤d7–e5, h4!) 15...h4 16.£e1 ¦e8 with unclear play
but allowing White some initiative. as White has no pressure on d6 any more;
14...£b6+? is bad in view of 15.¢h1 £xb2
13...¥g4!? is the engine’s suggestion, but 16.¦ab1 £xc2 (or 16...£xa3 17.¤d5 £xg3
one that is very difficult for a human to play. 18.¤xe7+ ¢h8 19.¥xg3 with a piece up.)
The reason is that in these positions Black 17.¥h6 which is winning for White.
aims to exchange the dark-squared bishops,
since his light-squared bishop is better than 15.¦ad1 15.¥xd6?! is dubious as Black
White’s, which is limited by its own pawn takes the pawn on b2 after 15...£b6+
on e4. Still, as always, the engine has a 16.¢h1 ¥xd6 17.£xd6 £xb2
concrete point. 14.¦ad1 (14.¥xg4 ¤xg4
15.¢h1 ¤e5 is comfortable for Black.; 15...¦e8 Black cannot go after the pawn
14.¢h1 ¥xe2 15.£xe2 ¦e8 16.¦ad1 on b2 because White has 15...£b6+?!
£c7 and Black has a compact position.) which is met by 16.¥e3! £xb2? 17.¤d5!
14...¥xe2 15.¤xe2 d5! liberating his play cxd5 18.¥d4, threatening mate on g7 and
and equalising. attacking the queen on b6.
14.£g3! 16.¢h1 Finally threatening to take on b6 as

XIIIIIIIIY there is no check on b6 any more.
9r+-wq-trk+0 16...£b8 A multi-purpose move. Black
9zp-+-vlpzpp0 covers the d6–pawn and the e5–square while
at the same time targeting the pawn on b2.
9-+pzplsn-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 17.b4?!
9-+-+PvL-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zP-sN-+-wQ-0 9rwq-+r+k+0
9-zPP+L+PzP0 9zp-+nvlpzpp0
9tR-+-+RmK-0 9-+pzpl+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+-+-+-0
White regroups, intending ¦ad1 when 9-zP-+PvL-+0
Black has problems with the pawn on d6.
9zP-sN-+-wQ-0
14...¤d7 Black continues along the usual 9-+P+L+PzP0
lines, intending to land a knight on e5.
9+-+R+R+K0
14...¤e8 is another typical move in these xiiiiiiiiy
positions. Black wants to either play ...¥h4 The idea of the move is to play b5 and
to harass the queen or ...¥f6–e5. 15.¦ad1 obtain the d5–square, but it allows Black to

05/141
undermine White’s queenside and weaken it. 22.¥xe5 dxe5 23.¥g4 was better, keeping
17.b3! was Caruana’s best chance for an the balance.
advantage. But he had to see that after
17...¤e5 White should play 18.¥h5!! 22...¤g6! Black starts to take over.
liberating the e2–square for the knight.
After 18...g6 19.¤e2! ¢h8 20.¥f3 23.¥d2?! The third passive move.
followed by ¤d4, White has harmoniously
regrouped his pieces. 23.¥g4 still kept the balance. After
23...¤xf4 24.¤xf4 ¥xg4 25.£xg4 ¦xc3
17...¤e5 18.b5 ¦c8 19.bxc6 ¦xc6 20.¤d5 26.¦b1, thanks to the strong knight on
White has achieved his aim, but Black’s d5, White will have good compensation.
position is compact and he has counterplay
along the c-file. 23...¥h4!
20.¤b5!? was an interesting alternative,

XIIIIIIIIY
though Black is fine after 20...¦xc2 9-+r+-wqk+0
21.¤d4 ¦c5. 9zp-+-+pzpp0
20...£f8 Giri liked this move, even 9-+rzpl+n+0
though the alternative 20...¥f8 was also 9+-+N+-+-0
fine. This is the critical moment of the 9-+-+P+-vl0
game. White was going forward until
now, but here he hit a standstill. Caruana 9zP-zP-+-wQ-0
had to accept that he wasn’t better and 9-+-vLL+PzP0
play the intended move 21.c4, which
would have led to a draw. 9+-tR-+R+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
21.c3?! Not a bad move, but one that 24.£e3? This is a tactical mistake, putting
signals the turn of the tide. Instead of the queen on the c1–h6 diagonal, which
going forward and taking the draw White allows for ...¥g5 and the exchange of the
starts to mark time and in the Sicilian this dark-squared bishops.
always means that sooner rather than later
Black will take over the initiative. Note 24.£d3 ¤e5 25.£d4 ¤c4 is better for
how Caruana’s play deteriorates starting Black, but not by much. After 26.¥f4 there
from here. are enough pieces on the board for White
to stay active.
21.c4 was the move Caruana wanted to
play. However, after 21...¤xc4 22.¥xc4 24...¦c5 Attacking the knight on d5 and
¦xc4 23.¤xe7+ £xe7 24.¥xd6 £e8 is closing the g1–a7 diagonal, thus defending
an equal position with opposite-coloured the pawn on a7.
bishops that should end in a draw. Caruana
didn’t want to accept it, and part of the 25.c4 h6! Here we see why 24.£e3? was
reason lies in the fact that he put so much a mistake - Black now threatens ...¥g5
importance on this game after the draw to exchange the dark-squared bishops,
with Nepomniachtchi, he had no other which would leave White with a passive
chance to catch him but to win, so he felt light-squared bishop and weaknesses on
obliged to play for a win at all cost, even the dark squares.
when the position didn’t allow for it.
26.£b3 ¥g5 27.¥xg5 hxg5 28.£g3 £d8
21...¦ac8 22.¦c1?! The second passive 29.¦cd1
move in a row.

May 2021
XIIIIIIIIY 36...¦xa3 37.h4 £e5 Black dominates on

the dark squares.
9-+rwq-+k+0
9zp-+-+pzp-0 38.hxg5 £xg5 39.¦e1 ¦a8 40.¥e4
¦a2 Black could have played 40...f5
9-+-zpl+n+0 immediately. He thought that he wins on
9+-trN+-zp-0 the spot with the game move, but he missed
9-+P+P+-+0 41.¦b1 Threatening mate on b8. Luckily
9zP-+-+-wQ-0 for him, he could calmly return to a8.
9-+-+L+PzP0
41...¦a8 42.¦e1
9+-+R+R+K0
xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY
29...¥xd5! Black simplifies to a strategically 9r+-+-+k+0
winning position - he has the better light piece 9+-+-+pzp-0
in addition to White’s pawn weaknesses.
9-+-zp-+-+0
30.exd5 ¤f4 The rest is relatively simple. Black 9+-+P+-wq-0
uses the dark squares to overwhelm White. 9-+-+Lsn-+0
31.£f2 ¦8c7 32.¦d4 £e8 33.¥f3 ¦xc4 9+-+-+-+-0
34.¦xc4 ¦xc4 35.£xa7 ¦a4 36.£f2? 9-+-+-wQP+0
The final mistake, going passive for the last
time in this game. 9+-+-tR-+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
36.£c7! ¦xa3 37.h4! was the last chance. 42...f5! Now the king will move to f7,
Black is still much better, but this is better allowing the rook to join the attack from h8.
for White compared to what he got in 43.¥b1 ¢f7 44.¦e3 ¦h8+ 45.¢g1 ¤xg2
the game. (37.£xd6?? is nicely met by
37...¦xf3! 38.gxf3 £e2 mating.) 0–1

05/141
After such a wonderful effort it was line caught some attention after it was used
surprising to see Giri choose a toothless by Carlsen a few times.
opening against Grischuk in the next
round. It seemed to me that he wasn’t sure 8...£e7 Nepomniachtchi goes for the
what he was playing for – a win (in case endgame. The alternative is 8...¥e6.
Nepomniachtchi beat Vachier in order to
stay within half a point) or a draw (in case 9.£xe7+ ¢xe7 10.0–0 ¤c6 Black
Nepomniachtchi and Vachier drew, again to speeds up his development, though the
stay within half a point). In any case, the knight doesn’t usually stand so well on
Bogo-Indian was too stale and when he c6 in these structures because after c3 it
tried to play for more than just equality it has no prospects.
backfired badly.
11.c3!?
A disappointed Giri even lost in the last XIIIIIIIIY
round to Alekseenko, staining his fantastic
run, but it’s clear that in the year that 9r+l+-+-tr0
passed he improved a lot, both on the board 9zppzp-mkpzpp0
and psychologically, and I am sure that he
will take this result as a starting point for 9-+nvl-sn-+0
further work and improvement. 9+-+p+-+-0
Nepomniachtchi’s Win
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-zPL+N+-0
The winner employed a controlled strategy. 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
He didn’t mind draws, but he was also very
alert to take the chances that came to him. 9tRNvL-+RmK-0
A typical illustration of this was his game xiiiiiiiiy
against Wang Hao. A rare move. Usually White gives the check
on e1 before playing c3. As we shall see,
Wang Hao - Ian Nepomniachtchi Wang Hao intends to use the position of
Black’s king on e7 by sending his knight
FIDE Candidates Tournament (12.4) to f5.
1.e4 e5 Black’s best openings when needing 11...h6 12.¤h4 This is White’s idea. The
a draw are the Petroff and the Berlin. knight cannot be tolerated on f5 so Black
will win the bishop pair.
2.¤f3 ¤f6 The Petroff is somewhat
more forced in character and it also has 12...¦e8 13.¤f5+ ¥xf5 14.¥xf5 ¢f8
the added benefit of avoiding the Italian. 15.g3 The endgame is equal, but White has
In spite of his preference for sharper the better long-term prospects in view of
play Nepomniachtchi showed that he the pair of bishops. Wang Hao’s strategy
can be flexible and play according to the for this game is now clear: he wanted
requirements of the situation. to give Black "near equality" where he
hoped he would relax and commit small
3.¤xe5 d6 4.¤f3 ¤xe4 5.d3 A curious inaccuracies which would put him under
choice by Wang Hao. He transposes to a pressure both psychologically and over the
line of the Exchange French where White board. Nepomniachtchi deserves full credit
has some initiative. for not falling into this trap.
5...¤f6 6.d4 d5 7.¥d3 ¥d6 8.£e2+ The 15...¤e7 16.¥h3 ¤c8 The knight has not
only move to cause Black any trouble. This reached its final destination yet. From c8 it

May 2021
can either go to d6 (after the bishop moves Nepomniachtchi seeks dynamism,

from there) or to b6 and then to d7. feeling that his more harmoniously-
placed pieces can take better advantage
17.¤d2 a5 18.a4 c6 19.¦d1 White liberates of the opening of the position. Taking
the f1–square for the knight. over the initiative by pushing ...c5 and
accepting an IQP on d5 in this structure
19...h5 Putting his pawns on light squares, reminds me of the 6th game of the
which limits White’s light-squared bishop. match Carlsen-Caruana where Caruana
outplayed the World Champion in
20.¤f1 g6 21.f3 Taking control over the similar manner - by manoeuvring better
e4–square and intending to centralise the than him and then opening the game by
king after ¢f2. a timely ...c5.
21...¤b6 With the e4–pawn controlled 26...¤h7 was suggested by Kramnik. He

there is no point in getting the knight to said that Capablanca would have played
d6, so Black takes it to d7 first and e6 this without a second thought. The idea
(via f8) later. is to play ...f5 and ...¤f6, with a rock-
solid position.
22.b3 ¢g7 23.¢f2 ¤bd7 24.¥g5 ¤f8
The knight on e6 will chase away the 27.¥d2 c5 28.dxc5 ¥xc5+ 29.¢g2
bishop on g5. ¥b6 Black targets the pawn on c3. The
position is still equal, but it’s obvious
25.¦e1 ¤e6 26.¥e3 The crucial that Black is doing the pressing now.
moment of the game. It’s clear that Black The momentum has changed and now
has played well and has no problems. White has to readjust from playing with
His pieces are harmoniously placed a safe long-term advantage to defending
(unlike White’s) and he is in no danger in a more dynamic position.
whatsoever. Nepomniachtchi could have
continued to play in similar manner, but 30.¦ab1 Preparing the b4–push.
instead he sensed the moment when he
could actually try for more! This is a 30...¦c6 31.b4 ¤c7 Offering exchanges
critical ability that allows players to win and setting a small trap.
games even when they play solidly or for
a draw! 32.¦xe8 ¤cxe8 33.bxa5 ¥xa5 34.¦xb7?!
White falls into it, though he should still be
26...¦ac8! able to draw after it.
XIIIIIIIIY 34.¥f4! was better, not allowing the knight
9-+r+r+-+0 to come to d6.
9+p+-+pmk-0
34...¤d6! Activating the knight before
9-+pvlnsnp+0 taking the pawn on c3.
9zp-+p+-+p0
9P+-zP-+-+0 35.¦a7 ¥xc3 Black still has the better
pieces,
9+PzP-vLPzPL0
9-+-+-mK-zP0 36.¥d7 White finds ways to simplify the
position.
9tR-+-tRN+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 36...¤xd7 37.¥xc3+ ¦xc3 38.¦xd7 ¦c6
39.¦e7?

05/141
The winner of Isle of Man Grand Swiss says farewell to chess
Wang Hao: I can’t take the stress
Having won the strongest Swiss tournament ever played - the Isle of Man Grand Swiss,
in 2019 - Wang Hao seemed like a rising far−eastern wind, gaining force on his way to
conquer the Norwegian chess king. But, the promise of a storm ended in a calm.
After the final round of the Candidates in Yekaterinburg, Wang Hao - who finished last
- said he is retiring from professional chess because ‘of some health issues’, adding: ‘I
just don’t think I can continue in this profession. I’ll do coaching… but I don’t think I
can do anything which brings too much stress’.
When asked directly does that mean he’s retiring from chess, Wang Hao responded:
‘Yes, exactly’. He added he doesn’t mind doing ‘a friendly match’ or ‘some shows’,
but he can’t continue professionally, citing health issues which have been with him for
years, noting that things started to get worse since 2019.
He said he’ll try to do something else in life.
With an ELO of 2744, Wang Hao leaves professional chess as the 17th strongest player
in the world and the second strongest Chinese (behind Ding Liren). In 2019 he won
the Asian Championship which gave him a card for the Isle of Man Grand Swiss from
where he qualified for the 2020 Candidates.
Among Wang Hao’s many success, one stands out in particular: in 2005 he won
the Dubai Open as an untitled player, finishing ahead of 53 Grandmasters and 30
International Masters. He became GM in 2005 and entered the world’s top 100 in 2007.
During his professional career Wang Hao played 12 times against Magnus Carlsen,
with two victories, six draws and four losses.

May 2021
XIIIIIIIIY 44.¤d2 ¦a2 45.¤e4 White activated the

knight and keeps the d-pawn in check so
9-+-+-+-+0 Black cannot make progress.
9+-+-tRpmk-0
43...¢f6?! There was no need for this. Now
9-+rsn-+p+0 White manages to exchange the passed
9+-+p+-+p0 pawns, though he will still suffer because
9P+-+-+-+0 of the weakness of his kingside.
9+-+-+PzP-0 43...h4! was stronger. After 44.g4 ¤d6
9-+-+-+KzP0 45.¦d7 ¤b5, with ideas like ...¢f6–e6 and
...¦xa5, Black should win.
9+-+-+N+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 44.a6 h4 45.¦a8 h3 46.a7 ¢e7 47.g4 ¤d6
This allows Black to worsen the position of 48.¦b8! Making sure he takes the d-pawn.
White’s king and it leaves the knight on d6
and the pawn on d5 unattended. White had 48...¦xa7 49.¦b4 d3 50.¦b3 ¦a2
several good options instead. 51.¦xd3 ¤c4 White is still under pressure.
He is limited by the pawn on h3 and Black’s
39.¢f2 ¦c2+ 40.¢e1 keeping the attack on the pieces are more active. Still, with all pawns
knight on d6; 39.¤d2 ¢f6 40.¢f2 ¢e6 41.¦a7 on one wing, he should be able to draw.
¦c2 42.¢e3 and White managed to centralise
his pieces and control the passed d-pawn.; 52.¤g3 ¦g2+ 53.¢h1 ¢f8 54.¦c3?
39.¤e3 d4 40.¤d5 ¦c2+ 41.¢h3 ¤c4 42.¤f4
controlling the d-pawn from behind.
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-mk-+0
39...¦c2+! 40.¢g1 d4 Now White is under 9+-+-+p+-0
pressure. The engine prefers 40...¤f5 as
more precise, though, possibly because of 9-+-+-+p+0
White’s chance on move 43. 9+-+-+-+-0
41.¦d7 White admits his mistake and
9-+n+-+P+0
returns to the d-file. 9+-tR-+PsNp0
9-+-+-+rzP0
41...¤f5 42.a5 ¦a2 43.¦a7?
9+-+-+-+K0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9-+-+-+-+0 Now Black surprisingly wins a pawn.
9tR-+-+pmk-0
54.g5! was better, fixing Black’s structure.
9-+-+-+p+0 54...¤e5 55.¦e3 ¦d2 56.¢g1 and White
9zP-+-+n+p0 is fine.
9-+-zp-+-+0 54...¤b2! With the very unpleasant threat
9+-+-+PzP-0 ...¤d1–f2#. White’s problem is that he moved
9r+-+-+-zP0 the rook from the d-file voluntarily and now
in order to control the d1–square he must leave
9+-+-+NmK-0 the 3rd rank, thus weakening the f3–pawn.
xiiiiiiiiy
43.a6! was a tactical chance that Wang Hao 55.¦c8+ ¢g7 56.¦d8 ¦f2 Black wins the
missed. The point is that after 43...¦xa6 pawn on f3.

05/141
57.¢g1 ¦xf3 58.¤e4 ¦e3 59.¤g3 ¦a3 Grischuk’s chances were immediately
XIIIIIIIIY squashed as he lost the first game in round
eight to Alekseenko, somebody he was
9-+-tR-+-+0 desperately trying to beat. But Grischuk
9+-+-+pmk-0 was crucial in Nepomniachtchi’s win as
he dispatched of both followers - he beat
9-+-+-+p+0 Vachier in round 11 and Giri in round 13.
9+-+-+-+-0 Curiously enough, this is the first time that
9-+-+-+P+0 Grischuk ended a Candidates tournament
on 50% − in all the previous ones where he
9tr-+-+-sNp0 played he had a negative score.
9-sn-+-+-zP0
Alekseenko was the most unstable
9+-+-+-mK-0 player of the tournament. He had good
xiiiiiiiiy games and beat Grischuk and Giri, but
And here Wang Hao resigned. While the he also had awful ones, especially in
position is objectively lost, White can still the openings: he was lost in his games
fight. This was surprising, but Wang Hao gave with Vachier and Nepomniachtchi
his reasons after the end of the tournament. after some 10 moves! He also missed
a golden chance to beat Ding Liren
0–1 after the latter incorrectly sacrificed a
piece − instead of winning Alekseenko
blundered and lost instead. Nobody
Nepomniachtchi’s win showed that he had was expecting much from him and as is
matured from the unstable talent who could usual in such cases people tend to say
beat anyone and who could lose to anyone. that this will be great experience for the
Under the extreme stress of the Candidates young player.
he managed to control his nerves and
perform under pressure, something that Wang Hao finished last after losing
all the other participants failed to do. This his final three games. Even last year
was the key to his success. His newly found he was the most vocal player, stating
balance of his aggressive and dynamic his dissatisfaction with the whole
approach with the pragmatic need to play tournament being played under the
safely gave an extra dimension to his play. circumstances. This year it was obvious
This was in stark contrast to Vachier, who that again he wasn’t very happy. When
remained the same as a player and with the the tournament finished he announced
same approach. his retirement from professional chess.
As the main reason he stated health
The winner of the second problems that have been plaguing him
leg of the tournament – since 2019 and which became worse
Ding Liren after his game with Grischuk in round
10 − after that game he even thought
The winner of the second half of the of quitting the tournament. Eventually
Candidates was Ding Liren, with 4.5/7, he didn’t, but resigning prematurely
who won his last three games beating the (as in the games with Nepomniachtchi
Russian players. Eventually he ended on and Caruana) was a clear indication
50% and can take positives from how he that Wang Hao couldn’t take the stress
ended the event, even though he must be any longer. Professional chess is a very
disappointed not to have been in contention. stressful job, so hopefully now Wang
But the damage was done last year, so there Hao will be able to find the peace he
was nothing more he could do this time. seems to be needing.

May 2021
Carlsen’s message to Nepo following the news of him becoming the Candidate
What lies ahead?

What can we expect from the match of positions with Black. Unlike Vachier, he
in Dubai? One thing is obvious - the showed that he can be more flexible in the
challenger is a completely different type openings, for example by using the French
of player compared to all the previous and the Petroff in the Candidates, but they
ones Carlsen has had to meet. He is much will be chosen in line with his strategy.
more dynamic and aggressive and many
have said that Carlsen can be beaten only When two players of different styles clash
by playing dynamic and aggressive chess. it usually leads to fascinating battles.
Another very important point is that This was the case even in the match
Nepomniachtchi is not clearly worse in Alekhine−Capablanca, when Alekhine did
rapid and blitz than Carlsen in the way that monumental work to raise his level in the
Karjakin and, especially, Caruana were. type of position Capablanca excelled and
This means that Carlsen won’t be very largely emulated his opponent’s style in
confident thinking that he would be the the match. Nowadays this is not entirely
favourite in the case of a tie break. possible simply because the matches are
shorter, so I expect Nepomniachtchi to stay
Both players will devise their strategies true to his natural style, while covering
and these will be connected to the openings his weaknesses by an improved treatment
they intend to use (the most famous of technical and “dry” positions where
example of this being the use of the Carlsen excels.
Berlin Defence against Garry Kasparov)
and it remains to be seen whether We can analyse the upcoming match ad
Nepomniachtchi sticks to his Najdorf and infinitum , but one thing is certain. It will
Grunfeld with Black to induce this type be hot in Dubai in November.
Rk Name Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Score

1 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2789 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 8½
2 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2758 1½ ½½ ½0 1½ ½0 ½1 ½1 8
3-4 GM Giri Anish 2776 0½ ½½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 7½
3-4 GM Caruana Fabiano 2820 ½½ ½1 ½0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 7½
5-6 GM Ding Liren 2777 01 0½ ½0 1½ ½1 ½1 0½ 7
5-6 GM Grischuk Alexander 2791 ½½ ½1 ½1 ½½ ½0 ½0 ½½ 7
7 GM Alekseenko Kirill 2696 ½0 ½0 01 0½ ½0 ½1 ½ ½ 5½
8 GM Wang Hao 2763 00 ½0 ½0 ½0 1½ ½½½½ 5

05/141
HOW THE
CHIEF ARBITER,
NEBOJSA BARALIC,
SAW THE
HISTORIC
CANDIDATES
TOURNAMENT IN
YEKATERINBURG
THE TRIUMPH OF CHESS AND

PROFESSIONALISM OVER A VIRUS
By Nebojsa Baralic; Photo credit: FIDE/Lennart Ootes
The 2020/2021 Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg will be remembered
mainly for two things: 1) as the Coronavirus Candidates, having been played under
the shadow of a global health pandemic and 2) for being spread to over two years.
To be the Chief Arbiter at such a high−profile event which was played amid a global
calamity caused by a virus was a specific challenge.
In my opinion, the Candidates tournament With privilege, however, comes great
is one of the three most important events responsibility and pressure −especially
in the FIDE calendar, next to the Match for when it comes to such a high−profile event
the title of World Champion and the Chess that has the attention of not just the chess
Olympiad. Each of these events has its own community but the wider media and the
specific aspects and, from the arbiter’s whole world. In such cases preparation is
perspective, the preparations for each are key, both by the organizers and arbiters.
different. Being selected for a role at one of
these events is a pivotal point in the career I have a lot of experience both as an arbiter
of any chess arbiter and I felt privileged and organiser of chess events, including
to have had the opportunity to take part in the online matches between the University
a magnificent festival of chess where the of Belgrade in Serbia and the University
game’s best and brightest compete for the of Texas, which have been going on for
title of the Challenger. 15 consecutive years. I spent a long time

May 2021
preparing for the Candidates - by watching steps are taken before the event, via email,
videos and materials from previous and then in person - starting from the
similar events, checking and confirming technical meeting, where the key rules and
the regulations. For the players, the most conditions are discussed and any concerns
important thing is their play and they are are raised and analysed. That meeting is a
devoted to preparations and the analysis of foundation for the whole tournament. For
the opponents. For me as an arbiter, my key an experienced arbiter, even by looking at
responsibility was to make sure that they the gestures and the posture of the players
have the best possible playing conditions. he/she can tell what will happen or what
In purely technical terms, that includes the questions they might ask and you already
comfort of the playing venue, the chairs, start thinking about what needs to be done.
the pieces, adequate lighting and room
temperature, private and secure access to When it comes to Yekaterinburg, the play of
the toilets and so on. Overall, the goal is to all rounds lasted 75 hours and 14 minutes.
make sure that the players feel comfortable In every minute of that time, everything
in the playing hall and confident in the had to be at the highest level and all of us
organisers and arbiters. involved from the organisational side had
to be at our very best.
As BCM readers will remember, the
tournament started in the middle of March One of the most common questions to a
2020, when everything in the world was chess arbiter is - what are we doing and
stopping or closing due to, at the time, an what are we thinking about while the
unknown and mysterious virus. As we were games are going on? Games can sometimes
playing the rounds in the first part of the last up to seven hours and as much as
tournament, distressing news kept coming it’s important to the players, it’s equally
every hour - about the numbers of infected, important to the arbiter to stay focused and
the spread and the origin of the virus, cries concentrated on what is happening. In the
for help by medical staff, countries closing case of the arbiter, that includes both on but
borders, people being stranded abroad. also off the board.
With this came concern and distress for
the players, staff, arbiters - everyone. I can Working closely with my colleague Andy
only imagine how difficult it was for the Howie from Scotland, who was my deputy,
players to be playing, not knowing if they we made sure we don’t lose sight of the
should even shake the opponent’s hand and players for one second. This doesn’t mean
thinking about the risk of being in a closed we act like police officers, but we just had
area, or about their loved ones. But - at such to keep an eye on the players while they
a high level - everyone has to keep their were playing, looking around or going for
cool, stay professional and decent, and we a walk or the toilet. Every half−hour we
did our best to do just that. made sure we checked that the clocks were
accurate to the second, that the score sheets
The second leg of the event went much are filled in properly, and - following the
more smoothly. Given that the world seems Fair Play rules - we were checking all the
to have come to grips with COVID - that areas which the players had access to for
much more is known now than in March electronic devices.
2020, that there are clear rules of social
distancing and that there are vaccines - the I took the view that it’s better to act
second leg of the event seemed more like a preventively than to have to solve a
proper, regular chess event. problem later. In that case, while looking
at the games and what’s happening
As an arbiter, you need to build trust with around I tried to anticipate the potential
the players and the people involved. First situations which might arouse and what

05/141
Nebojsa Baralic and Ian Nepomniatchi with the disc containing the music composed by Svetozar Gligoric
can be done to prevent them or promptly audience could not come and watch the
resolve them. Luckily, in Yekaterinburg, games in person, from the perspective
we had the world’s elite playing. They are of the arbiter team, it made things easier
all extremely versed and professional so as monitoring the spectators and what
the chances of there being any problems happens in the audience is challenging and
were minimal. distracting task.
One strange thing, however, was the The FIDE 2020/2021 Candidates
absence of the public as this was a high− tournament will be the subject of many
profile event and we were playing in Russia, analysis, articles, maybe even books.
of all places! Given the circumstances, this Hopefully, the world will never again
was understandable. Coming from Serbia have to face a global disaster like the one
(which some may remember as Yugoslavia) in 2020. It should be also seen as an event
I know very well what a big audience where chess - of all sports - stood bravely
at a chess event is like. In 1997 I was in the face of uncertainty, by players and
working as a demonstrator at the famous organisers acting responsibly, keeping calm
“Investbanka” GM tournament, where the and carrying on doing what they do best -
world’s elite at the time played in front of play chess. Hopefully, the event will also be
at least 2000 people. There we often had remembered by having good arbiters.
to calm the audience and warn them not to
clap too loudly after a game had finished. As a thank you to the players and the
The players who were playing at these organisers for being professional and
Investbanka tournaments said they never respectful to Andy Howie and myself,
experienced anything similar anywhere following the closing ceremony I gave
in the world. You don’t see that any more each of them a disc published in 2011,
at events, but I was expecting something containing the music composed by none
close in Yekaterinburg. However, the other than the great Svetozar Gligoric.
circumstances did not allow for that. And, Hopefully, they will enjoy it and it will
although I was very sad that the Russian help them relax.

Book Review May 2021

05/141
TRACING THE DNA OF

CHESS IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
A REVIEW OF “SELECTED GAMES PETER ROMANOVSKY;
WITH A DETAILED BIOGRAPHY BY SERGEI TKACHENKO” ELK AND RUBY, 2021
Participants at the Moscow 1935 tournament. Krylenko is sitting in the middle at the front next to Lasker.
Bogatyrchuk and Romanovsky occupy the corners of the front row.
By Peter O'Brien; Photos - courtesy of the publisher

The life of Peter Arsenyevich Romanovsky compete in the St Petersburg tourney, his work
can lay good claims to represent an prevented him from doing so. But he prevailed
exceptionally powerful image of both upon the organisers to allow young Peter to
the continuity and the transformation of appear in his stead. To his chagrin, the latter
chess in Russia/Soviet Union. discovered that he was not in fact the youngest
participant. His junior, by three months, was a
Born in January 1892 into a family where the Moscow-based schoolboy called Alexander
several preceding generations of doyens had Alekhine. In this, their first individual encounter,
all been orthodox priests, he learned chess Romanovsky prevailed.
within the family where his elder brother,
Alexander, became one of the leading players The incessant interaction between family
in St Petersburg. What is more, it was thanks to life and chess activity is but one of the many
Alexander that Peter Arsenyevich was afforded, strands which intertwine in this excellent
at the somewhat late age of 16, his first chance to volume from Elk and Ruby. Indeed, it is
shine at one of the annual tournaments of the St actually two inter-related books under one
Petersburg Chess Assembly. The two brothers set of covers. The first half is the biography
had played a 10-game match at home, which written by Sergei Tkachenko. It is packed
ended in a draw. When Alexander was invited to full of information and suggestive insights.

May 2021
As a youth Romanovsky worked in the

fields, learned to play (well) the accordion
and the balalaika, loved poetry and made
his studies in electrical engineering. This
multi -faceted approach to life did not,
however, diminish his love of chess.
Romanovsky is smitten with Tchigorin,
whom he nevertheless met only once. He
sees that great master as embodying a very
Russian approach to the game, namely a
mix of ceaseless creativity and responses
to the specifics of each and every
In this cartoon by M. Baditsky depicting the game
position. Already, well before the Soviet between Romanovsky and Lasker from round 11
Revolution, Romanovsky is focusing on Lasker is smoking his signature cigar, while
what he perceives as a way of appreciating Romanovsky is holding a cigarette. Even a serious
heart condition couldn’t wean Peter Arsenyevich
the game that contrasts sharply with off his bad habit!
the “dogmatism” stemming from other
places, most forcefully from the Germanic The actual tournament thus started later
work of Tarrasch and Steinitz. General in the month. But at the beginning of
principles and “rules” might be all very August 1914, war was declared between
well, Romanovsky muses, but the calling Germany and Russia.
– the destiny – of the creative player is to
explore and unearth the options that any Literally from one day to the next, Peter
position might offer. As a key corollary, Arsenyevich went from being an honoured
the player ought not to be obsessed with guest to a vile foreigner. He and his Russian
the result of the game. What matters is the colleagues were interned and none too
artistic work. well treated. As if this were not enough,
his health, and especially a difficult heart
FROM ST PETERSBURG condition, had announced to the then
TO MANHEIM AND 22-year-old that life would not be a bed
INTO A WAR of roses, either personally or in the wider
world. After some six months, an exchange
These early ideas remained at the of prisoners unfit for military service
centre of Romanovsky’s life. And permitted Romanovsky’s return to Russia
that life went through a shattering (March 1915). Such were the vicissitudes
series of events and tragedies. Thus, of what was to follow that the visit to
his chess progress in St Petersburg Mannheim (and Baden Baden, to where the
meant that in March 1914 his winning Russians were moved) turned out to be the
performance in the specially-arranged only time in his life that Peter Arsenyevich
students’ championship earned him an ever left Russia.
invitation to an important tournament in
Mannheim. The tournament, divided into Despite the war, chess activity did not stop.
phases, began in July and was preceded Shakmatny Vestnik reported regularly on
by the 19th Congress of the German the tournaments played. The vast majority
Chess Union. A large delegation from were in St Petersburg and Moscow.
the newly formed All-Russian Chess Romanovsky’s name appears frequently in
Union was invited, and the two bodies the participant lists. His results were highly
declared their friendship and readiness uneven, a feature present in most of his
to exchange tournament invitations etc. playing career.

05/141
THE RUSSIAN
(CHESS) REVOLUTION
By early 1917 Russia had entered a period
of massive upheavals which, in a way, it
stayed in for the next several decades. The
years of the Civil War meant great hardship
in Petrograd, as St Petersburg was now
renamed. Romanovsky himself noted times
when he was trying to play chess, then was
called out to dig trenches in parts of the city. A. Alekhine (left) and P. Romanovsky,
Many chess players died, some fled, the All- the All-Russian Amateur Tournament
Russsian Chess Union collapsed. (Chigorin Memorial, 1909)
New figures came to the fore. And none

more so than Alexander Fyodorovich
Ilyin-Zhenevsky (the pseudonym of course
came from his time in Geneva). He had
participated in the famous St Petersburg
tournament of 1914, marking him as a
very fine player, and he was a friend of
Romanovsky. In 1920 this highly influential
figure was a Commissar in the Head Office
of Universal Military Training. He saw an Romanovsky - Alekhine, 1920.
opportunity to promote chess. Managing to
convince people that chess should be seen as
an element in the pre-conscription training
of the working youth, and arguing that a
major All-Russian chess Olympiad would
give them a chance to see “sophisticated
thought creativity” in action, he succeeded
in organising this event in October 1920 in
Moscow (by now the country’s capital). The
event itself was riven with disputes, mostly
- Stamp issued in 1980 by the Republic of Djibouti
over living costs and food rations for the showing Romanovsky (right) playing Saemisch at
non-Muscovites. Romanovsky was at the the 1925 Moscow International Tournament. The
fore of one of these conflicts, giving vent to game was drawn in 34 moves.
his determination to secure decent playing
conditions for all. But the event showed that
a revolutionary approach to chess could be
forged, and that there were super-energetic
people prepared to do just that. None proved
more important than Romanovsky.
He threw himself into the new world with

exemplary gusto. What’s more, though his
health excluded direct involvement in the Civil
War and other violent actions, he seized the idea Romanovsky playing chess at a military hospital
of creating a new society as the opportunity with patients in Ivanovo, 1942

May 2021
to demonstrate that a completely fresh view the orbit of this whirlwind of energy. The
of chess and life was there to be exhibited. frenetic schedule was one that he somehow
That self - imposed mission, however, would maintained for the rest of his life (he died in
have to be followed in the midst of his heavy 1964). Clearly he could not expect to obtain
responsibilities with one of the State Banks optimal tournament results while living this
where he eventually became an authoritative way. His professional responsibilities were
voice on financial matters. Monetary reform, of ever increasing too – and he had married in
a highly complex kind, was a core component 1912 and a young family (three daughters)
of the changes now being very swiftly was starting to grow.
introduced. From that financial perspective,
the introduction of the New Economic Policy THE ’NEW WAVE’
(in March 1921 – 100 years later, it seems as
if the whole world is in need of one!)) was In this seminal decade of the 1920s, chess
important. It signalled that the soon-to-be outside the Soviet Union had entered into
Soviet Union (the country was established feverish developments, characterised by the
in 1922) would be creating new directions in hypermodern movement. Romanovsky did
every dimension of life. From the perspective not miss this. Several of the concepts of the
of Peter Arsenyevich, nothing could have ‘new wave’ were on show in the great New
been better! His vision and that of the country York tournament of 1924. Thus he duly
could coincide – everything could change. produced an annotated edition of the games of
that event. And also proceeded to try out some
A NEW HOPE of those concepts in games of his own, above
all in the Moscow International Tournament
From the start, the Petrograd (subsequently of 1925, to which the leading foreign players
Leningrad) group of chess players, of which were invited. He stated clearly that he was not
Romanovsky was a crucial member, saw their particularly prepared before these games (an
task as that of popularising the game with the affirmation he made regularly, asserting that
ordinary people. The 64 squares would now too much preparation might stifle creativity
symbolise the artistic achievements of the – what would he have made of our reliance
new régime. Romanovsky thus took on the on computer analysis, data bases and all the
triple challenge of diffusing didactic material, rest?), yet certainly regarded it as his duty to
via the publication he more or less edited, and disseminate information and experiment with
ran “Shakmatny Listok” (thereby recreating innovative approaches. The Romanovsky
for the new generation what Tchigorin’s doctrine was to keep improving best practice,
columns in “Neve Vremy” had been for the long before any business school had thought
young Romanovsky); conducting lectures, of the term - and actually long before any
giving simultaneous displays and developing business school existed.
training material for courses given primarily
within the Trade Union bodies and, later, some Meanwhile, the centralised institutional
universities; and playing in every tournament structure of the Soviet Union had been taking
he could. In effect, through these titanic shape, and chess did not escape the architecture.
efforts, he was building the foundations of Nikolai Krylenko, who was a Deputy People’s
the Soviet School of chess. As Yuri Averbakh, Commissar of Justice, had in 1924 been
the only living survivor of this epoch and unanimously elected as the leader of Soviet
himself deeply influenced by Romanovsky’s chess (a post he retained until his execution
teachings (although his personal style of play in 1939). Personality clashes with someone as
was quite different), remarks in an afterword volatile and passionate as Romanovsky were
to the book, there was virtually no player inevitable. Disputes ranged from the content of
growing up in these years who was outside articles published in Shakmatny Listok, on to

05/141
what was contained in some of the many chess in Open Access and innovation, it was Peter
manuals he was producing, through public Arsenyevich. What he was so forcefully
disagreements over the costs of participation advocating nearly a century ago could
in tournaments, and very delicate matters scarcely be more topical.
relating to top Russian players who moved
abroad (who of course had to be metaphorically DEATH AND LIFE – WW2
‘disappeared’ from tournament records,
airbrushed from photographs and otherwise By the time the war with Germany started,
rendered invisible). In retrospect it seems Romanovsky had four daughters and was a
astonishing that Romanovsky survived all these widower. His wife had died during the birth
relatively unscathed. But he did and managed to of the youngest daughter, Anya. He was still
pursue his endeavours right through the 1930s. in Leningrad (St Petersburg) when the siege
began. As conditions rapidly worsened, and
One of these battles with authority deserves his own heart condition was by now serious,
mention for the light it shines on Romanovsky’s calamity of the most awful kind struck. All
concepts of achievement. The dispute four children died of starvation in the space
concerned qualifications for receiving titles in of 20 days during the month of January 1942
chess (the equivalent, if you will, of university (most reliable estimates conclude that more
and professional diplomas). In the June 1928 than 600,000 people died of starvation in the
issue of Shakmatny Listok (the official siege). In that terrible winter, their bodies were
publication of the Chess Executive Bureau), frozen into the ice outside the Romanovsky
an article appeared on this subject. Certainly apartment. Tkachenko relates how, for some
Kryalenko would have had to approve the time, Romanovsky was surviving inside
article, since it was in effect proposing a decree while still able to see the corpses of his loved
on the subject. Romanovsky denounced the ones more or less next to him. Later in 1942,
content as dry bureaucracy, inimical to the Romanovsky was taken to Ivanovo for
creative endeavour. He offered the highly medical treatment. Even there, he managed to
original suggestion that titles (categories as continue organising chess events, give lectures
they were called) should be awarded not only and continue writing. The games collection
on tournament results (exam scores), but also includes one win of his at the sanatorium.
taking into account the creative content of a
person’s play and their commitment to public By now, it is no surprise to learn that, once the
service in chess (in other words, diffusing war was finished, Romanovsky continued at
their knowledge to others). If anyone believed the same incredible pace as ever. He remarried
and had two more children. It is in fact through
his son Victor, born in 1945, that Tkatchenko
has been able to obtain much of the splendid
material in the biography. Later, again a
widower, he married a third time. His strength
as a player was still very considerable – even
as he was being overtaken by several of his
numerous disciples (the ultimate accolade for
any great teacher). Immediately after the war,
the radio match (10 boards, double round)
between USSR and the Rest of the World had
At the 1945 USSR vs USA radio match, produced that tremendous victory of 15,5 –
Soviet team headquarters. Romanovsky is to the 4,5 for the USSR. For Romanovsky, who had
left. In the middle is N. Feldman, head of the taken part in the pilot trial to see if everything
technical service.
was working smoothly at the technical level

May 2021
Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery. Author: Ninaras; Source: wikipedia.org
before the match began, this must have been a

true vindication of what he had strived for 20 If ever Caissa, the muse of chess,
years earlier. The system which he had done had an utterly faithful devotee, Peter
so much to create was triumphant. Arsenyevich was that person. From
Tchigorin to Botvinnik and beyond,
The 71 games selected and annotated by
Romanovsky himself (and thus dating from he dedicated himself unremittingly
some 70 years ago) dovetail very well with the to the pursuit of excellence and the
first part of the book. While computer analysis creation of an awareness of what the
by Grigory Bogdanovich is able to improve, game is really about
and not infrequently correct, Romanovsky’s
own assessments, the flavour of the was that person. From Tchigorin to
remarkable teacher’s philosophy and ideas Botvinnik and beyond, he dedicated himself
is never lost. The games are not presented unremittingly to the pursuit of excellence
chronologically, but instead grouped by and the creation of an awareness of what
themes – the player must know what he is the game is really about. He did this in a
doing! In a game against one opponent, he place and through turmoils, personal and
twice refuses a draw, underlining that the duty social to which many lesser people would
of a player is to draw out the maximum artistic have succumbed. His infectious drive and
value from a position, whatever the final result enthusiasm almost miraculously kept him
of the game may be. On numerous occasions, alive and kicking in worlds where a single
Romanovsky is fiercely self-critical. As ever, word so often spelt death. Today BCM
it is artistic achievement which must be the strives to illustrate links of chess and life
criterion for assessing everything. which leap out of the narrow confines
of results and analysis. Romanovsky, a
If ever Caissa, the muse of chess, had an figure from a bygone age, showed that this
utterly faithful devotee, Peter Arsenyevich aspiration is certainly not in vain.

05/141
4 NCL Online - Round seven report

By IM Shaun Taulbut
The latest standings in the Division One 4 NCL online league competition after round
seven on 20 April 2021 are as follows:
GROUP A
rd1 rd2 rd3 rd4 rd5 rd6 rd7 P W D L MP GP
1 Guildford Young Guns gyg ssi 3 sch 4 brok 2½ blk 3½ daf1 1½ wesa 2½ hw1 4 7 6 0 1 12 21
2 Downend 1 daf1 hw1 2 ssi 1½ sch 3½ brok 1½ gyg 2½ blk 2½ wesa 3½ 7 4 1 2 9 17
3 Sussex Social Isolators ssi gyg 1 daf1 2½ wesa 3 hw1 4 blk 2½ sch 1½ brok 2 7 4 1 2 9 16½
4 Broadland Kestrels brok sch 4 blk 2 gyg 1½ daf1 2½ wesa 1½ hw1 3 ssi 2 7 3 2 2 8 16½
5 Wessex Some Stars A wesa blk 1½ hw1 2½ ssi 1 sch 3½ brok 2½ gyg 1½ daf1 ½ 7 3 0 4 6 13
6 Blackthorne Russia blk wesa 1½ brok 2 hw1 1½ gyg ½ ssi 1½ daf1 1½ sch 3½ 7 2 1 4 5 13
7 Harrow 1 hw1 daf1 2 wesa1½ blk 2½ ssi 0 sch 2½ brok 1 gyg 0 7 2 1 4 5 9½
8 Schach Attack sch brok 0 gyg 0 daf1 ½ wesa ½ hw1 1½ ssi 2½ blk ½ 7 1 0 6 2 5½
GROUP B
1 Chessable White Rose 1 wro1 mus 1 3½ sst 4 soaa 3 csc1 3 wun 3 ang1 3½ wat1 3 7 7 0 0 14 23
2 Mushrooms 1 mus1 wro1 ½ wat1 2½ ang1 3 sst 4 soaa 2½ csc1 1½ wun 3 7 5 0 2 10 17
3 CSC 1 csc1 soaa 2½ ang1 1½ wun 3½ wro1 1 wat1 1½ mus1 2½ sst 3½ 7 4 0 3 8 16
4 Watford 1 wat1 ang1 2½ mus1 1½ sst 3 soaa 1½ csc1 2½ wun 2 wro1 1 7 3 1 3 7 14
5 Anglia Avengers 1 ang1 wat1 1½ csc1 2½ mus1 1 wun 3 sst 2½ wro1 ½ soaa 2 7 3 1 3 7 13
6 Spirit of Atticus A soaa csc1 1½ wun 1½ wro1 1 wat1 2½ mus1 1½ sst 3 ang1 2 7 2 1 4 5 13
7 Warwick University wun sst 2½ soaa 2½ csc1 ½ ang1 1 wro1 1 wat1 2 mus1 1 7 2 1 4 5 10½
8 Sussex Starlings sst wun 1½ wro1 0 wat1 1 mus1 ½ ang1 1½ soaa 1 csc1 ½ 7 0 0 7 0 5
GROUP B
1 Chessable White Rose 2 wro2 brea 2 oxf1 3 atta 3½ cat1 2½ aba1 3 bar 2½ shr1 3½ 7 6 1 0 13 20
2 Barbican bar oxf1 2½ atta 2½ cat1 3½ aba1 2½ shr1 3½ wro2 1 brea 2 7 5 1 1 11 17½
3 Brentwood A brea wro2 2 shr1 4 oxf1 1½ atta 3½ cat1 2½ aba1 3 bar 2 7 4 2 1 10 18½
4 Oxford 1 oxf1 bar 1½ wro2 1 brea 2½ shr1 4 atta 2½ cat1 2½ aba1 3 7 5 0 2 10 17
5 Alba Bon Accord 1 aba1 atta 2½ cat1 2½ shr1 3½ bar 1½ wro2 1 brea 1 oxf1 1 7 3 0 4 6 13
6 Catford Cosmonauts 1 cat1 shr1 3 aba1 1½ bar ½ wro2 1½ brea 1½ oxf1 1½ atta 3 7 2 0 5 4 12½
7 Atticus A atta aba1 1½ bar 1½ wro2 ½ brea ½ oxf1 1½ shr1 3½ cat1 1 7 1 0 6 2 10
8 Shropshire 1 shr1 cat1 1 brea 0 aba1 ½ oxf1 0 bar ½ atta ½ wro2 ½ 7 0 0 7 0 3

May 2021
GROUP D
1 Celtic Tigers & Sharks cel1 tfp 4 stba 3½ duna 4 exe 3½ kesa 2½ alb 2 psp 2½ 7 6 1 0 13 22
2 Alba alb duna 3½ kesa 2½ psp 3 stba 1 exe 3 cel1 2 tfp 3½ 7 5 1 1 11 18½
3 St Benildus A stba psp 1½ cel1 ½ exe 3 alb 3 tfp 2½ duna 2½ kesa 2½ 7 5 0 2 10 15½
4 Kent KJCA Kestrels A kesa exe 2½ alb 1½ tfp 3 duna 3 cel1 1½ psp 2½ stba 1½ 7 4 1 3 8 15½
5 Dundee City A duna alb ½ tfp 2½ cel1 0 kesa 1 psp 2½ stba 1½ exe 2 7 2 0 4 5 10
6 Poisoned Pawns psp stba 2½ exe 3 alb 1 tfp 1½ duna 1½ kesa 1½ cel1 1½ 7 2 0 5 4 12½
7 Exeter Honey Badgers exe kesa 1½ psp 1 stba 1 cel1 ½ alb 1 tfp 3 duna 2 7 1 1 5 3 10
8 The Full Ponty tfp cel1 0 duna 1½ kesa 1 psp 2½ stba 1½ exe 1 alb ½ 7 1 0 6 2 8
XIIIIIIIIY
Here are some of the games, starting 9r+lwqk+-tr0
with a sharp win from Gawain Jones
the top board of Chessable White Rose 9zppzpp+pzpp0
first team 9-+-+-+-+0
9+Lvl-sn-+-0
Gawain Jones – Matthew Piper
9-+-zPn+-+0
4NCL Online S3 Div1 2020 lichess.org INT (4.61)
9+-+-+-+-0
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 ¤f6 4.0–0 ¥c5 9PzPP+QzPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tRNvL-+RmK-0
9r+lwqk+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
White will regain the piece and Black must
9zppzpp+pzpp0 decide how to get castled.
9-+n+-sn-+0 7...¥e7 7...£e7 8.dxc5 ¤xc5 9.¦e1
9+Lvl-zp-+-0 ¤g6 10.¤c3 c6 is playable though not
9-+-+P+-+0 easy for Black.
9+-+-+N+-0 8.dxe5 White has the advantage because of
9PzPPzP-zPPzP0 the cramping effect of the pawn on e5.
9tRNvLQ+RmK-0 8...¤c5 9.¦d1 0–0 10.¤c3
The Berlin Classical: an active 9r+lwq-trk+0
choice for Black aiming for quick 9zppzppvlpzpp0
piece development.
9-+-+-+-+0
5.¤xe5 The sharpest move, aiming to take 9+Lsn-zP-+-0
advantage of the bishop on c5. 9-+-+-+-+0
5...¤xe4 5...¤xe5 6.d4 a6 is worth 9+-sN-+-+-0
consideration, favoured by Spassky. 9PzPP+QzPPzP0
6.£e2 ¤xe5 7.d4 9tR-vLR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
05/141
10...¦e8 An inaccuracy; 10...c6 looks best 8.¤h3 ¤g4 9.¥d4 ¥xd4 10.£xd4 0–0
after 11.¥c4 b5, with counterplay on the 11.¤d5 11.¤f4 is good, driving the black
queenside for Black. queen away from h5.
11.£f3 Strong; White aims at f7, removing 11...¤c6 12.£e4 d6 13.0–0 13.¤xe7+
the queen from the e-file and also ¤xe7 14.£xe7 £a5+ 15.¢f1 ¥f5 gives
preventing the black queen’s bishop from Black counterplay.
emerging with b6.
13...¥f5 14.¤xe7+ ¤xe7 15.£xe7 ¦ae8
11...f6 11...¤e6 12.¤e4 is not pleasant for 16.£xd6 ¦xe2
Black but was essential. XIIIIIIIIY
12.¥c4+ ¢h8 13.b4 Winning a piece by 9-+-+-trk+0
trapping the knight. 9zpp+-+p+p0
13...fxe5 If 13...¤a6 14.¥xa6 or 13...¤e6 9-+-wQ-+p+0
14.¥xe6 ¥xb4 15.¥b3. 9+-+-+l+q0
14.bxc5 ¥xc5 15.¤e4 ¥e7 16.£h5 d6
9-+P+-+n+0
17.¥f7 With the double threat of ¥xe8 and 9+-+-+-zPN0
¥g6, so Black resigned. 9PzP-+rzPLzP0
1–0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
17.¦fe1 ¦xb2 18.£d4 ¦c2 19.¦e7 ¥e6
Mark Hebden, played top board 20.¦e1 ¦xc4 21.£b2 £c5 Black switches
for Guildford Young Guns and won the queen with good effect.
as follows
22.¦xb7 ¦c2 23.£b4 £xb4 24.¦xb4 h5
Richard Bates - Mark Hebden 25.a4 ¦a2
4NCL Online S3 Div1 2020 lichess.org INT (4.11) XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-trk+0
1.d4 g6 2.c4 ¥g7 3.¤c3 ¤f6 4.g3 c5 9zp-+-+p+-0
5.dxc5 £a5 6.¥g2 £xc5
9-+-+l+p+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-+-+p0
9rsnl+k+-tr0 9PtR-+-+n+0
9zpp+pzppvlp0 9+-+-+-zPN0
9-+-+-snp+0 9r+-+-zPLzP0
9+-wq-+-+-0 9+-+-tR-mK-0
9-+P+-+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-sN-+-zP-0 Black has the advantage, with his active
9PzP-+PzPLzP0 rook on the seventh (second) row.
9tR-vLQmK-sNR0 26.¤f4 ¥f5 27.¥d5 ¦d2 28.f3 ¤f6
xiiiiiiiiy 29.¥b3 ¥c2 30.¦e2 ¦xe2 31.¤xe2
7.¥e3 £h5 A provocative move. ¦c8 Black keeps up the pressure so
White decides to give up a pawn but

May 2021
soon Black switches the attack again to XIIIIIIIIY

the kingside.
9r+lwq-trk+0
32.¦c4 ¦xc4 33.¥xc4 ¥xa4 34.¢f2 ¢f8 9+-+-zppvlp0
35.¢e3 ¢e7 36.¢d4 ¥c6 37.f4 ¤g4
38.h3 ¤h6 39.¢c5 ¥g2 40.¤d4 ¥xh3
9p+nzp-snp+0
41.¤c6+ ¢f6 42.¤xa7 ¤f5 43.¤c6 9+pzp-+-vL-0
¤xg3 44.¤d4 ¥g2 45.¤c2 ¤f5 46.¤e1 9-+-+P+-+0
¥e4 47.¥d5 ¤g3 48.¥c4 h4
9zP-sNP+N+P0
0–1 9LzPP+-zPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
On Board three for Celtic Tigers and Sharks
xiiiiiiiiy
10...e6 10...h6 11.¥e3.
Tom Rendle scored a neat win
11.£d2 £c7 12.¥h6 b4 13.axb4 cxb4
Thomas Rendle – Paul DJ Hampton
14.¤e2 d5 Natural but allowing White
4NCL Online S3 Div1 2020 lichess.org INT (4.133) good play on the dark squares.
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 g6 15.exd5 ¤xd5

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvlntr0 9r+l+-trk+0
9zpp+pzpp+p0 9+-wq-+pvlp0
9-+-+-+p+0 9p+n+p+pvL0
9+-zp-+-+-0 9+-+n+-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0 9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+N+-0 9+-+P+N+P0
9PzPPzP-zPPzP0 9LzPPwQNzPP+0
9tRNvLQmKL+R0 9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
The accelerated fianchetto 16.¤g3 The best continuation was 16.¥xd5
exd5 17.¥xg7 ¢xg7 18.¦fe1, with an
3.¥c4 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¥g7 5.¤c3 advantage for White.
¤c6 6.¥e3 transposes to a Dragon; White
plays slowly. 16...¥b7 More combative is 16...¥xb2
17.¥xf8 ¥xa1 18.¦xa1 ¢xf8 19.£h6+
3...¤f6 4.d3 4.e5 d5 5.¥b5+ ¤fd7 6.d4 with a ¢g8 20.¤e4 £f4 21.¤fg5 ¤f6 22.g3 £e5
slightly better position for White is also possible. 23.¦d1 with the initiative for White.
4...¤c6 5.¤c3 d6 6.0–0 ¥g7 7.h3 Guarding 17.¥xg7 ¢xg7 18.¥xd5 exd5 19.£g5
g4 makes the game easier for White.
7...0–0 8.a3 White plans a retreat for his bishop.
8...a6 9.¥a2 b5 10.¥g5

05/141
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-tr-+0 25.¦e7 Winning material through a tactic.
9+lwq-+pmkp0 25...¦xe7 26.¤xg6+ £xg6 27.£xf8+ £g8
9p+n+-+p+0 28.£xe7
9+-+p+-wQ-0 1–0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+P+NsNP0 On Board 4 for Guildford Young Guns
9-zPP+-zPP+0 Viktor Stoyanov beat the Benko Gambit
9tR-+-+RmK-0 with the quiet e3.
The xiiiiiiiiy
white queen leaps in: Black has few Viktor Stoyanov – Robert Eames
defenders on the kingside.
4NCL Online S3 Div1 2020 lichess.org INT (4.14)
19...f5 If 19...f6 20.¤h5+ ¢h8 21.¤xf6
£g7 22.¤g4 £xb2 23.£xd5 with an 1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
advantage for White. XIIIIIIIIY
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
20.¤h5+ ¢h8 21.¤f4
XIIIIIIIIY 9zp-+pzppzpp0
9r+-+-tr-mk0 9-+-+-sn-+0
9+lwq-+-+p0 9+pzpP+-+-0
9p+n+-+p+0 9-+P+-+-+0
9+-+p+pwQ-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-zp-+-sN-+0 9PzP-+PzPPzP0
9+-+P+N+P0 9tRNvLQmKLsNR0
9-zPP+-zPP+0 xiiiiiiiiy
4.cxb5 a6 5.e3 Restrained but good,
9tR-+-+RmK-0 allowing the white king’s bishop to capture
xiiiiiiiiy on b5.
Now Black is weak on the kingside and the
white knights have good squares. 5...¥b7 6.¤c3 £a5 7.¥d2 axb5 8.¥xb5
XIIIIIIIIY
21...£f7 22.£h6 ¦ae8 23.¤g5 £g8 9rsn-+kvl-tr0
24.¦ae1 ¤d8
XIIIIIIIIY 9+l+pzppzpp0
9-+-snrtrqmk0 9-+-+-sn-+0
9+l+-+-+p0 9wqLzpP+-+-0
9p+-+-+pwQ0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+p+psN-0 9+-sN-zP-+-0
9-zp-+-sN-+0 9PzP-vL-zPPzP0
9+-+P+-+P0 9tR-+QmK-sNR0
9-zPP+-zPP+0 xiiiiiiiiy
8...£b6 9.¤f3 ¤xd5 10.a4 £g6 10...¤f6
9+-+-tRRmK-0 appears best, trying to stop White’s play.
xiiiiiiiiy
May 2021
11.0–0 White has a big advantage in 22.£b6 is very strong here attacking
development. the queen’s bishop.
11...e6 12.a5 White advances his passed 22...¢h8 23.¥e2 £h6 24.¤e5 £f6
pawn, making life difficult for Black. 25.¦ad1 ¤c5 26.¤c4 ¤xe4 27.¤xe4
12...¤b4 13.e4 ¥xe4 28.¤d6 ¥d5 29.¤xc8 ¦xc8
XIIIIIIIIY 30.¦d2 ¦a8 31.£d6 Black can play...£g5
but then White has ¦xd5, simplifying to a
9rsn-+kvl-tr0 won ending.
9+l+p+pzpp0
1–0
9-+-+p+q+0
9zPLzp-+-+-0
9-sn-+P+-+0 Now a game from Round five featuring a
traditional kingside pawn storm in a Pirc.
9+-sN-+N+-0
9-zP-vL-zPPzP0 Arjun Pyda – Christof Sielecki
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 4NCL Online S3 Div1 2021 lichess.org INT (5.83)
xiiiiiiiiy
Blocking the long diagonal and impeding 1.e4 d6 2.d4 ¤f6 3.¤c3 g6 4.¤f3 ¥g7
Black’s development. 5.¥e2 0–0 6.0–0 a6
13...¥e7 If 13...¥xe4 14.¤h4 £f6

XIIIIIIIIY
15.¤xe4 £xh4 16.£f3 with deadly threats. 9rsnlwq-trk+0
9+pzp-zppvlp0
14.¥f4 14.¤e5 £f6 15.f4 with strong play
is also good. 9p+-zp-snp+0
9+-+-+-+-0
14...0–0 15.¥d6 15.¥xb8 ¦fxb8 16.¤e5 9-+-zPP+-+0
£h6 17.£xd7 with strong play for White.
9+-sN-+N+-0
15...¦e8 16.¥xe7 ¦xe7 17.£d6 9PzPP+LzPPzP0
Winning material.
17...¦e8 9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
Black prepares...b5; if White prevents this
9rsn-+r+k+0 with a4 then after Black plays. ..¤c6 the
9+l+p+pzpp0 knight has an outpost on b4.
9-+-wQp+q+0 7.h3 ¤c6 If 7...b5 8.e5 ¤fd7 9.exd6 cxd6
9zPLzp-+-+-0 10.a4 b4 11.¤d5 with a slight advantage for
9-sn-+P+-+0 White.
9+-sN-+N+-0 8.¥e3 8.d5 ¤e5 9.¤xe5 dxe5 10.¥e3
9-zP-+-zPPzP0 with a slight edge for White is worth
consideration.
9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 8...e5 8...b5 9.d5 ¤b8 10.b4 is interesting.
18.£xc5 ¤8a6 19.£d6 ¦ed8
20.¤e5 £h5 21.¤xd7 ¦ac8 22.£g3 9.d5 ¤e7

05/141
10.¤d2 10.£d2 is also playable. 26.¥f1 £h4 27.¦a2 ¤g5
10...¤d7 11.¤c4 f5 12.f3 ¤f6 12...b5

XIIIIIIIIY
13.¤d2 ¤f6 is also possible. 9r+l+-+k+0
9+-zp-+-tr-0
13.a4 f4 14.¥f2 g5
9p+-zp-+nvl0
XIIIIIIIIY 9zP-+Pzp-snp0
9r+lwq-trk+0 9-zP-+Pzp-wq0
9+pzp-sn-vlp0 9+-sN-+PzpP0
9p+-zp-sn-+0 9R+-sN-+P+0
9+-+Pzp-zp-0 9+-+QtRLvLK0
9P+N+Pzp-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-sN-+P+P0 Black is ready to capture on h3; White has
9-zPP+LvLP+0 no way of stopping this
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 28.¤c4
Black aims for a kingside pawn storm; a
traditional plan which is easier to play in 9r+l+-+k+0
practice than the White queenside play. 9+-zp-+-tr-0
15.b4 b6 16.a5 b5 17.¤d2 h5 17...c6 is also 9p+-zp-+nvl0
worth consideration; playing differently. 9zP-+Pzp-snp0
18.¤a2 ¦f7 19.c4 bxc4 20.¤xc4 ¥h6
9-zPN+Pzp-wq0
20...g4 immediately is strong. 9+-sN-+PzpP0
9R+-+-+P+0
21.¤c3 ¦g7 22.¢h1 g4 23.¤d2 g3 24.¥g1
9+-+QtRLvLK0
9r+lwq-+k+0 28...¤xh3 29.gxh3 ¥xh3 30.¥xh3
9+-zp-sn-tr-0 £xh3+ 31.¥h2 ¤h4 Black prepares to
attack f3 which cannot defended.
9p+-zp-sn-vl0
9zP-+Pzp-+p0 32.£d3 g2+ 33.¢g1 ¤xf3+ 34.¢f2 £xh2
9-zP-+Pzp-+0 0–1
9+-sN-+PzpP0
9-+-sNL+P+0
9tR-+Q+RvLK0
xiiiiiiiiy
24...¤g6 24...¥xh3 is winning immediately.
25.¦e1 ¤h7 25...¤h4 26.¥f1 ¥xh3

27.gxh3 g2+ 28.¥xg2 ¤xg2 29.¦e2 ¤e3
30.¥xe3 fxe3 31.¤c4 £d7 32.£f1 ¦g3 is
better for Black.

May 2021
Openings
for Amateurs By Pete Tamburro; ptamburro@aol.com
The CARO-KANN
with 1.e4 and 2.c4, Part III
Grigory Levenfish – Simon Alapin [B10] coordinate well together. The queen’s knight
can also decide to go to b6 for the eventual
All Russian Ch Budapest, 1912 recapture of the d5 pawn.
We are now going to look at the more 6.¤c3 a6 7.¥e2!
popular ¤f6 lines in response to 4.cxd5. I XIIIIIIIIY
picked a great teaching game, which is the
seminal game with this opening. The main 9r+lwqkvl-tr0
point of the game for me was Levenfish’s 9+p+nzppzpp0
approach. It’s especially valuable for
amateurs because White has an attitude 9p+-+-sn-+0
reflected in his moves that students of the 9+-+P+-+-0
game should think more about. 9-+-+-+-+0
1.c4 Yes, you can get to the Caro-Kann 9+-sN-+-+-0
through the English! 9PzP-zPLzPPzP0
1...c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 One small note. You 9tR-vLQmK-sNR0
don’t take with the c-pawn, because after xiiiiiiiiy
3.cxd5 cxd5 you can’t play the Panov- 7.£a4 is also played, as is the bishop
Botvinnik Attack with c4. exchange on d7. However, Levenfish’s move
fascinates me because I believe he’s telling us
3...cxd5 4.cxd5 ¤f6 Clearly better than something: the position is intrinsically good,
taking with the queen. Minor pieces should so you don’t have to do anything sharp. As
be initiating the struggle in the centre, you see him develop, you see his contentment
unless, of course, there is some immediate to get active play for all his pieces. You don’t
tactical reason to make an exception. have to go crazy to attack right away just
because your opponent is somewhat cramped.
5.¥b5+ The other main alternative is
5.£a4+. 7...¤b6 It’s hard for Black to avoid the
urge to get that annoying pawn back.
5...¤bd7 By a majority of about two to White doesn’t care. He just goes about his
one, the move of choice in this position over business as mentioned above.
5...¥d7. It makes sense. Black would like
to have White exchange the bishop for the Wild is 7...b5 8.¤f3 b4 9.¤a4 ¥b7 10.d4
knight, or, if not, chase it with a6 and b6 and ¤xd5 11.¤c5 ¤xc5 12.dxc5 £a5 13.¤e5
put the B on b7. Also, since fianchettoing ¦d8 (13...£xc5) 14.¥h5 g6 15.£f3 b3+
often appears as a black strategy, the knights 16.¥d2 £xd2+ 17.¢xd2 ¤f4+ 18.¢c1

05/141
¥xf3 19.¥xf3 e6 20.c6 ¥g7 21.¤c4 XIIIIIIIIY

¤d3+ 22.¢b1 ¤xb2 23.¤xb2 ¦d2
24.axb3 ¦xb2+ 25.¢c1 ¦xb3 26.¦xa6 0–0 9r+ltr-+k+0
27.¦d1 and White has a slight edge, but the 9wqp+-vlpzpp0
whole line is crazy stuff!
9p+-+psn-+0
8.¤f3 ¤bxd5 9.0–0 e6 10.d4 ¥e7 11.¥g5 9+-+nsN-vL-0
0–0 12.¤e5 9N+-zP-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-+-+-0
9r+lwq-trk+0 9PzP-+LzPPzP0
9+p+-vlpzpp0 9+-tRQ+RmK-0
9p+-+psn-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+nsN-vL-0 Alapin is a good player. He continues his
focus on d4. However, it begs the question of
9-+-zP-+-+0 whether there is another plan. One thing that
9+-sN-+-+-0 should be noticed is that the rook is leaving
9PzP-+LzPPzP0 the defence of f7, which, in the IQP positions,
may not be a good idea with a knight on e5.
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 15.¤c5 ¥d7 At this point, it’s worth noting
A very appropriate move for an isolated that Levenfish doesn’t feel the need to get
queen pawn (IQP) opening. "the two bishops". Very revealing. He sees
something else in the position.
In 1975 in Norway, future GM Ron Henley
drilled that into my head! It’s an important 16.£b3 ¥e8! Apparently, Alapin has that
outpost that attacks f7, opens the d1–h5 concern about f7 as well.
diagonal and attacks other key squares like
d7 and c6 if the need arises. Funny how this 17.¥xf6!? I was expecting ¥f3 and ¤cd3.
type of position keeps popping up. Anyone
who wants to be a good chess player needs to 17...¤xf6??
understand the IQP themes - for both sides. XIIIIIIIIY
I have a whole section on it in Openings
for Amateurs - Next Steps. Let’s be clear: 9r+-trl+k+0
the position is equal, but, as they say in 9wqp+-vlpzpp0
Animal Farm, some animals are more equal
than others. White has developed naturally
9p+-+psn-+0
and freely. Black is behind in minor piece 9+-sN-sN-+-0
development by a tempo and has not found 9-+-zP-+-+0
the right square for his queen’s bishop.
9+Q+-+-+-0
12...£b6 13.¤a4 £a7 Black still focuses 9PzP-+LzPPzP0
on the d4 pawn. He has achieved the goal of
occupying the square in front of the isolano
9+-tR-+RmK-0
as well. xiiiiiiiiy
Very natural, and oh, so very, very wrong!
14.¦c1 The open file is equally occupied
because the bishop is still sitting on c8. For equality he needed to play 17...¥xf6
18.¥f3 ¦ab8 19.¦fd1 b6 20.¤e4 ¥e7, but
14...¦d8 White still has a free and easy game.

May 2021
18.¤xe6!! While focusing on defending f7, 25.¤xa7 ¦ad8 The knight isn’t going
Black forgot the other common threat of anywhere, and you can’t take it anyhow
IQP positions--the sac on e6. It’s still not because of £e5.
simple, though. Levenfish could not make
this sacrifice unless he saw it right to the 26.¥b3 ¥g6 27.£f3 ¥b6 28.£xb7 ¦8d7
decisive moment. Can you? Don’t peek! 29.£b8+ ¦d8 30.¤c8 ¥a5 31.£a7 ¦8d7
32.£c5 ¥xe1 33.¤xd6
18...fxe6 19.£xe6+ ¢f8 Now, why did I XIIIIIIIIY
give a thematic sacrifice two exclamation
marks’. Well, for one, it was 1912! Also, 9-+-+-mk-+0
and key, is that he had to have seen his 24th 9+-+r+-zpp0
move and all its consequences.
9p+-sN-snl+0
20.¦c7 No brainer. 9+-wQ-+-+-0
20...¤d5 21.¥c4 It’s best to optimise all
9-+-zP-+-+0
your pieces to make your attack work. The 9+L+-+-+-0
indirect mating attack on g8 is real. 9PzP-+-zPPzP0
21...¦d6 22.£f5+ ¤f6 23.¦e1 ¥d8 9+-+-vl-mK-0
Alapin has finally had enough.
9r+-vllmk-+0
9wqptR-+-zpp0 1–0
9p+-tr-sn-+0
9+-+-sNQ+-0 This was an auspicious beginning for this
9-+LzP-+-+0 line, but nobody rushed to pick it up. Why?
9+-+-+-+-0 People are so busy trying to find some
9PzP-+-zPPzP0 analytical edge, they are forgetting what
Levenfish had decided to value: an equal,
9+-+-tR-mK-0 freer position - the intrinsic character of
xiiiiiiiiy the battlefield that tested Black’s ability
It’s at this point I like to stop and point to find a whole series of best moves
out to a student to look closely at this coming out of a slightly cramped position.
position. All White’s pieces are in their Levenfish understood the demands of the
optimal positions. It’s either now or never position better than his opponent even
to find the closing combination. If you though the position was approximately
hesitate or pick a wrong, not precisely equal, and he won because of it. As you
calculated, concrete series of moves, you may have discovered from the previous
will lose. Levenfish figured it out back two articles, knowing potential attacking
on move 18. positions is very handy!
24.¤c6!! Every other white move loses!
24...¥xc7 24...¥xc6 25.¦f7+ ¢g8

26.¦xf6+; 24...bxc6 25.¦xe8+ ¢xe8
26.£e5+ ¢f8 27.£xd6+ ¢e8 28.¥f7#;
24...¦xc6 25.¦xe8+ ¢xe8 26.£e5+ ¢f8
27.¦f7+ ¢g8 28.¦xf6+ ¢h8 29.£e8#.

05/141
Problem
World
by Christopher Jones
cjajones1@yahoo.co.uk
Grandmaster of Chess Composition
Solutions are given on page 318
1
XIIIIIIIIY
9k+-+-sn-+0
9+-wQ-+-+-0
9rvL-+P+-+0
9zp-+K+-vl-0
9-+-zpL+-+0
9+n+-+-+-0
9-+-+l+-wq0
2 XIIIIIIIIY
9L+-+-wq-+0
9+-+-+-sN-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+pzP-mkpzP-0
9-vL-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+p0
9-sNR+nwQ-mK0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+nvlrtrl+-0
Kabe Moen (USA) Barry Barnes (Rochester)
3 4
Mate in 2 Mate in 2
Original ORIGINAL
9-vL-+-mKQ+0 9-+-+-+-vl0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+p+-tRP+0 9-zp-zP-+-+0
9+-+NzPpzp-0 9+-+ktr-+-0
9-+r+k+r+0 9p+-+N+ptr0
9+-zp-+Rzp-0 9+-+l+PzP-0
9-+PvlN+Psn0 9-+-zP-+L+0
9+-+L+-+-0 9mK-+-+-+-0
Abdelaziz Onkoud (France) Christopher Jones (Bristol)
Mate in 3 Helpmate in 3 - 2 solutions
Original Original

May 2021
RATING THE CHAMPIONS

By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE
Earlier this year I published a column in the BCM which suggested that Emanuel Lasker
might have been the greatest champion of them all. Coincidentally, a new book by the ever-
reliable Steve Giddins, in partnership with Gerard Welling, proposed a most innovative
instruction manual, The Lasker Method to Improve in Chess. A curious simultaneous
endorsement of my own recent analysis.
Chess enthusiasts love statistics. This month I have taken my research even further, to
ascertain who was the most effective World Champion, by collecting all the results of
games between the sixteen World Champions and working out the percentages between
them. In other words, a league table of the best against the best.
Below is the chronological Chart of World Champions’ results (in classical time limit
games only) against other World Champions whom they have played.
CHRONOLOGICAL WORLD CHAMPION % AGAINST OTHER

ORDER WORLD CHAMPIONS
1 Wilhelm Steinitz 46.79
2 Emanuel Lasker 60.59
3 Jose Capablanca 54.59
4 Alexander Alekhine 51.09
5 Max Euwe 41.60
6 Michael Botvinnik 51.16
7 Vasily Smyslov 47.46
8 Mikhail Tal 48.51
9 Tigran Petrosian 49.35
10 Boris Spassky 47.06
11 Bobby Fischer 54.67
12 Anatoly Karpov 50.48
13 Garry Kasparov 53.74
14 Vladimir Kramnik 50.00
15 Viswanathan Anand 48.09
16 Magnus Carlsen 52.58
It is interesting that Emanuel Lasker, the second champion, with a very long reign, comes
out on top.
The game I have chosen this month is a masterpiece by the sixth World Champion, while
the puzzle shows a rare slip-up by Lasker.

05/141
Mikhail Botvinnik - Paul Keres [A29] mighty centre with d4. An alternative is the
gambit 7.d4 ¤xc4 8.e4, gaining time and
URS-chT Moscow URS (5), 28.09.1966 space at the cost of a pawn.
1.c4 ¤f6 2.¤c3 e5 3.¤f3 Avoiding 7...c5 A further plus to Keres’ choice is the
Keres’ favourite 3.g3 c6! − an example of mechanical clamping of the centre which
Botvinnik’s ad hominem preparation. minimises the scope of White’s bishops.
3...¤c6 4.g3 ¥c5 4...¥b4 is generally 8.d3 d6 9.h3 h5!?
considered more reliable.
XIIIIIIIIY
5.¤xe5 Taking a leaf from the great chess 9r+lwqk+-tr0
strategist Nimzowitsch , who liked 4.e4!? 9zpp+-+pzp-0
(the Dresden Variation) 4...¥c5; 5.¤xe5
¤xe5; 6.d4. 9-+-zp-sn-+0
9+-zp-sn-+p0
5...¥xf2+ Displacing White’s king at the
cost of the bishop pair.
9-+P+P+-+0
9+-sNP+-zPP0
6.¢xf2 ¤xe5 7.e4 9PzP-+-mK-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-vLQ+L+R0
9r+lwqk+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zppzpp+pzpp0 A seemingly logical thrust to negotiate outposts
9-+-+-sn-+0 on the kingside dark squares for Black’s
cavalry. It takes play of genius on Botvinnik’s
9+-+-sn-+-0 part to refute this plausible concept.
9-+P+P+-+0
10.¥e2 Botvinnik elects to fianchetto his
9+-sN-+-zP-0 king rather than the bishop, which had
9PzP-zP-mK-zP0 been seemingly destined for g2 ever since
9tR-vLQ+L+R0 White’s fourth move.
xiiiiiiiiy 10...¤h7 11.¢g2 h4 12.g4 ¤g5 13.¥e3
As Botvinnik notes, this Nimzowitschian ¥d7 14.£d2 Later Botvinnik was to prefer
move is designed to circumvent ...d5. Keres 14.£g1 and £f2, but to me it would appear
now hastens to stop White constructing a to make little difference.

May 2021
14...¤e6 15.b4 19...¤cd4 20.¥d1 f6 21.¢h2 ¥c6

XIIIIIIIIY 22.a4 a5?
9r+-wqk+-tr0 XIIIIIIIIY
9zpp+l+pzp-0 9r+-wqk+-tr0
9-+-zpn+-+0 9+-+-+-zp-0
9+-zp-sn-+-0 9-zplzpnzp-+0
9-zPP+P+Pzp0 9zp-zpN+-+-0
9+-sNPvL-+P0 9PzPPsnP+Pzp0
9P+-wQL+K+0 9+-+PvL-+P0
9tR-+-+-+R0 9-+-wQ-+-mK0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+R+L+R+-0
An impressive strategic blow and evidence xiiiiiiiiy
of Botvinnik’s breadth of strategic vision. If The losing move. Keres wants to block
15...cxb4, 16.¤d5 regains the pawn whilst White’s projected a5, but the gift of
fracturing Black’s structure. The point of the b−file to Botvinnik turns out to be a
15.b4! is to discourage Black from playing lethal one.
...0-0-0. If Black is forced into ...0-0 as a
means of providing king safety, then the 23.bxa5 bxa5 24.£f2 ¦a7 25.g5 0–0 At
weakness created by Black’s ambitious last Black is forced to commit his king.
ninth move will begin to tell. “The only move. If 25…fxg5 ; 26.¥xd4
cxd4; 27.£f5, or 26…¤xd4; 27 ¥h5+,
15...b6 16.¦ab1 ¥c6 17.¦hf1 ¥b7 and White wins in both cases.” (Botvinnik).
18.¢g1 Sensibly removing the king from
the diagonal of Black’s bishop. 26.g6! f5? This overlooks a masked
tactical stroke. The more stubborn line
18...¤c6? was 26…¥e8; 27.£g2 f5; 28.exf5 ¤xf5;
XIIIIIIIIY 29.£e4! when Black would, however, still
be lost”(Botvinnik).
9r+-wqk+-tr0
9zpl+-+pzp-0 27.¦b8!!
9-zpnzpn+-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-zp-+-+-0 9-tR-wq-trk+0
9-zPP+P+Pzp0 9tr-+-+-zp-0
9+-sNPvL-+P0 9-+lzpn+P+0
9P+-wQL+-+0 9zp-zpN+p+-0
9+R+-+RmK-0 9P+PsnP+-zp0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-+PvL-+P0
Botvinnik states that the knight should stay 9-+-+-wQ-mK0
on e5 rather than re−route to d4.
9+-+L+R+-0
19.¤d5 White’s mobilisation is perfect. xiiiiiiiiy
The logical, systematic corollary, given
the nature of the position, is a series of 1–0
attacking moves on both flanks.

05/141
The Charts of World Champions’ results in classical time limit games only against other
World Champions they have played. The scores are 1 point for a win; ½ a point for a draw;
0 points for a loss.
To achieve any score over 50% against a field entirely consisting of World Champions is
highly praiseworthy!
In chronological order:
1) WILHELM STEINITZ
STEINITZ’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Lasker 8 12 26
Anderssen 12 0 11
Zukertort 19 12 9
Total 39 24 46
This yields a total score of 51 out of a possible total of 109 games. This amounts to a points
percentage of 46.79%.
2) EMANUEL LASKER
LASKER’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Steinitz 26 12 8
Capablanca 2 16 6
Alekhine 3 4 1
Euwe 3 0 0
Botvinnik 0 3 1
Total 34 35 16
This yields a total score of 51.5 out of a possible total of 85 games. This amounts to a
point’s percentage of 60.59%.
3) JOSE CAPABLANCA
CAPABLANCA’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Lasker 6 16 2
Alekhine 9 33 7
Euwe 4 13 1
Botvinnik 1 5 1
Total 20 67 11

May 2021
4) ALEXANDER ALEKHINE
ALEKHINE’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Lasker 1 4 3
Capablanca 7 33 9
Euwe 26 34 18
Botvinnik 0 2 1
Total 34 73 31
5) MAX EUWE
EUWE’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Lasker 0 0 3
Capablanca 1 13 4
Alekhine 18 34 26
Botvinnik 2 8 2
Smyslov 1 0 7
Tal 0 1 0
Petrosian 0 1 1
Fischer 1 1 1
Total 23 58 44
6) MICHAEL BOTVINNIK
BOTVINNIK’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Lasker 1 3 0
Capablanca 1 5 1
Alekhine 1 2 0
Euwe 2 8 2
Smyslov 29 52 24
Tal 12 20 12
Petrosian 4 20 7
Spassky 1 7 0
Fischer 0 1 0
Total 51 118 46

05/141
This yields a total score of 110 out of a possible total of 215 games. This amounts to a
points percentage of 51.16%.
7) VASILY SMYSLOV
SMYSLOV’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Botvinnik 24 52 29
Tal 4 21 3
Petrosian 6 25 3
Spassky 3 19 5
Fischer 1 5 3
Karpov 1 10 3
Kasparov 1 11 6
Anand 0 1 0
Total 40 144 52
8) MIKHAIL TAL
TAL’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Botvinnik 12 20 12
Smyslov 3 21 4
Petrosian 4 35 5
Spassky 6 27 9
Fischer 4 5 2
Karpov 0 19 1
Kasparov 0 9 2
Anand 0 1 0
Total 29 137 35

May 2021
9) TIGRAN PETROSIAN
PETROSIAN’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Euwe 1 1 0
Botvinnik 7 20 4
Smyslov 3 25 6
Tal 5 35 4
Spassky 10 54 11
Fischer 4 15 8
Karpov 1 12 1
Kasparov 2 1 2
Total 33 163 36
10) BORIS SPASSKY

SPASSKY’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Botvinnik 0 7 1
Smyslov 5 19 3
Tal 9 27 6
Petrosian 11 54 10
Fischer 11 28 17
Karpov 1 22 14
Kasparov 2 4 2
Anand 0 1 1
Total 39 162 54

05/141
11) BOBBY FISCHER

FISCHER’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Euwe 1 1 1
Botvinnik 0 1 0
Smyslov 3 5 1
Tal 2 5 4
Petrosian 8 15 4
Spassky 17 28 11
Total 31 55 21
12) ANATOLY KARPOV

KARPOV’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Smyslov 3 10 1
Tal 1 19 0
Petrosian 1 12 1
Spassky 14 22 1
Kasparov 21 121 28
Kramnik 2 10 2
Anand 5 28 11
Total 47 222 44
13) GARRY KASPAROV

KASPAROV’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Smyslov 6 11 1
Tal 2 9 0
Petrosian 2 1 2
Spassky 2 4 2
Karpov 28 121 21
Kramnik 4 40 5
Anand 17 31 4
Total 61 252 35

May 2021
14) VLADIMIR KRAMNIK

KRAMNIK’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Karpov 2 10 2
Kasparov 5 40 4
Anand 11 71 11
Carlsen 5 16 6
Total 23 137 23
15) VISWANATHAN ANAND

ANAND’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Smyslov 0 1 0
Spassky 1 1 0
Karpov 11 28 5
Kasparov 4 31 17
Kramnik 11 71 11
Carlsen 8 50 12
Total 35 182 45
16) MAGNUS CARLSEN

CARLSEN’S OPPONENTS WON DRAWN LOST
Kramnik 6 16 5
Anand 12 50 8
Total 18 66 13

05/141
QUOTES AND QUERIES

WILFRED HENRY PRATTEN
By Alan Smith
6197 Game collections of players below
master level are just as interesting as those
of the great masters of the chess world.
One such collection is that of the former
British Boys’ champion Wilfred Henry
Pratten. Winner in 1924 and 1925, he went
on to win the county championships of
Hampshire and Oxfordshire. Here are some
of the highlights.
The games come courtesy of John

Saunders’s excellent website
www.saund.co.uk/britbase.
The first starts sedately enough.
Wilfred Henry Pratten – H.D. Lloyd

Portsmouth CC 1936
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5

5.¤f3 ¤c6 6.g3 ¤f6 7.¥g2 ¥e7 8.0-0
0-0 9.h3!? This is not a book move; White
wants to play ¥e3 without being harassed
by ...¤g4.
9...¥f5 10.¥e3 c4 11.¤e5 ¦c8 12.¦c1 a6

13.a4 Played to prevent 13...b5 but creating 20.¥h4 g5 21.¥g3 £xa4 22.f4 dxe4
a hole on b3. 22...¤xe4 23.¥xe4 dxe4 24.fxg5.
13...¤a5 14.g4 ¥e6 15.£c2 ¤b3 16.¦cd1 23.fxg5 ¤d5 24.¥xe4! ¤e3 25.¥h7+
¥b4 Just as in the Swedish Variation. A check that is easy to underestimate, as
Black finds to his cost.
17.¥g5 bxc3 18.bxc3 £a5 Black’s
plan is not complex; after 19.¥xf6 gxf6 25...¢h8 26.¤xf7+! 26...¦xf7 27.¥e5+
20.¤f3 he intends to take on a4, defend
his king and win the endgame with his 1-0
4−2 majority.
19.e4 h6 19...¤xe4 20.¥xe4 dxe4 21.£xe4 The next game shows Pratten mixing it with
f6 22.d5 is not clear, but it is probably a an Olympiad player in a theoretical duel.
better try than the game.

May 2021
Wilfred Henry Pratten – Harry Golombek Wilfred Henry Pratten –

Norman Littlewood
London, National Chess Centre 1940
Bognor Regis 1965
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6
5.¤c3 g6 Dragon players used to play 1.d4 ¤f6 2.¤f3 g6 3.g3 ¥g7 4.¥g2 0-0
5...¤c6 and only after 6.¥e2 play 6...g6 , 5.0-0 d6 6.c4 ¤bd7 7.¤c3 e5 8.e3 This
but after 6.¥g5 there is no good way into may seem passive, but it is not silly. White
their preferred Sicilian. avoids a theoretical duel.
6.¥e2 ¥g7 7.0-0 0-0 8.¤b3 ¤c6 9.¥e3 8...¤h5 8...¦e8 is better.
9.¥g5 is the Alekhine Attack.
9.b4 a5 This is suspect: 9...f5 was the
9...a5 9...¥e6 10.f4 ¦c8 is the modern approach. logical continuation.
10.a4 ¥e6 11.¤d4 d5 12.¤xc6 12.exd5 10.b5 exd4 11.¤xd4 Played to stop ...c6.
had led to a short draw in the game
Spielmann – Alekhine Margate 1938. The 11...¤c5 12.¥b2 ¥d7 13.¦b1 ¦e8
text is a novelty. 14.¤b3 Exchanging off a key defender.
12...bxc6 13.e5 ¤d7 14.f4 f6 15.¥g4 14...¤xb3 15.£xb3 ¦b8 16.¦fd1 ¥f5
¥xg4 16.£xg4 fxe5 17.£e6+ ¢h8 17.¦bc1 £g5 Trying to divert attention
18.fxe5 ¤xe5 18...¥xe5 19.¦xf8+ costs from his defensive problems.
Black a piece.
18.¦d2 ¤f6 19.b6 c6 20.¦xd6 ¦xe3
19.¦xf8+ £xf8 20.¦f1 ¥f6? 20...£c8 21.¦xf6! This handy zwischenzug decides
is more combative, but by no means risk- the issue, 21.fxe3 £xe3+ 22.¢h1 ¤g4
free 21.£xe7 ¤c4 22.¥c5 and now Black gives Black counterchances.
must take care to avoid 22...¤xb2? 23.¦f7!
£g8 because of 24.¤e2! when the threat of 21...¥xf6 22.fxe3 £xe3+ 23.¢h1 ¦d8 24.¤d5
25.¦xg7 is decisive.
1-0
Black should steer for the endgame with
22...£e8! instead. Pratten did not have the chess career he
deserved, few did in the Depression, but he
21.¥d4 £c8? 21...£g8 is not as bad as, did defeat other fine players including Dr
after 22.¦xf6 exf6 23.£xf6+, Black has Aitken, Paul List, Vera Menchik, Mieses,
23...£g7 and the subsequent endgame Milner Barry, Podhorzer and Philip Wallis
24.£xe5 £xe5 25.¥xe5+ is not hopeless as well as the young Mike Basman.
for him.
The games on Britbase were initially collected
22.¦xf6 22...exf6 23.£xf6+ ¢g8 24.¥xe5 by Roger Paige and they formed the basis of
Black is quite lost. his book Wilfred Henry Pratten: − Doyen of
Hampshire chess, which was published in 2004.
1-0
Here are three more Pratten games from the
above-mentioned website for you to check out:
The next game Pratten met one of the rising - Game 77 A Rice Gambit, complete with
stars of the era. Norman Littlewood was an unsound novelty
second in the British Championship in 1963 - Game 175 A famous briiliancy
and tied second the following year. - Game 191 A Bishop’s Gambit

05/141
Endgame Studies
by Ian Watson
ian@irwatson.uk
1 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-mK-+-+0
9+-+-+-vL-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+P+-0
2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-sN0
9sN-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-zP0
9+-+-sn-+-0
9-+p+-mk-zP0
9+-+-+-+-0
9k+P+Ptr-+0 9-+-+-+-mK0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
O. Pervakov O. Pervakov & K. Sumbatyan
Victory−75 AT 2020 Slumstrup Nielsen−45 JT 2020
3 4
win win
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+ksN-+-+0
9+-+pzpp+p0 9+p+q+-+-0
9-+-+-+-mk0 9-+-+-+-+0
9zP-+-+-+P0 9vLp+-+-+P0
9-zp-+-+-mK0 9-zP-+-+P+0
9+P+-+-+N0 9+-+-zP-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9Q+-+-tR-+0
9+l+-+-+-0 9+K+-vl-+r0
O. Pervakov A. Stavrietsky & O. Pervakov
11th UAPA Ty 2020 11th UAPA Ty 2020
win wIN

May 2021
The Current World Champion

... of study composing is Oleg Pervakov. The individual World Championship for study
composing is held every three years, and four of the last five times it has been won by
Pervakov. So, he has a strong claim to being the greatest study composer of the 21st century.
I’ve shown some of his masterpieces in previous BCM columns, but he keeps producing
more. Here are four of his recent works, each of them a prizewinner in the tourney it was
in. They are all from 2020; he has continued composing since then, but most of his studies
take part in composing tournaments, and those often run for two years. Composing takes
lots of time, and then the tournament judge has to go very carefully through each of the
many entries, assessing their merits and drawbacks, but also analysing every alternative to
see if the study is unsound or has dual solutions. After the provisional judgement is made,
there are periods of time in which the competitors can look at their opponents’ entries and
try to find errors in them or show that there were earlier−published studies which were
similar (an ‘anticipation’). Not until all that is over does the judgement become final and
the prizes are then awarded. Study composers are patient people.
Let me explain what the publication details mean. Composing competitions sometimes
mark a special event, and the first study is from a tourney that commemorated the
victory in WW2, the 75 AT meaning 75th Anniversary Tourney. The second marks the
45th birthday of another leading modern composer, Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen, the JT
being Jubilee Tourney. The third and fourth are from a tourney (Ty) held by the Argentine
Chess Problemist Association, the UAPA. Many tourneys have a win−study section and a
draw−study section, with separate prizes for each; this also had a third section which was a
‘thematic’ one. The theme that was required, in the studies entered for this section, was a
win study in which a minor piece dominates another minor piece. Our third study won the
top prize in this thematic section, so you have a clue to the solution, although I think it’s
fairly obvious from the position that that must happen.
We start with a miniature (seven pieces or less). When submitting their entries to a tourney,
composers sometimes submit comments on their studies, in addition to submitting the
position and the solution and analysis; occasionally, tourney judges overlook some aspect
of the study’s theme, so this can be helpful to them. Pervakov’s on this study: “two
excelsiors (slow and fast) in two echo lines with bishop sacs in miniature form.” (An
‘excelsior’ is when a pawn advances all the way from its starting square to promotion.)
On the second study, the judge wrote: “This is an absolute masterpiece.” and “The climax
is just amazing.” It features a promotion to a knight, with the three knights outdoing
Black’s new queen. Enough hints - try number four without.
The solutions are given on page 317.

05/141
Hardinge Simpole
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Fifty Shades
of Ray
Chess in the year of the
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Raymond D. Keene
With an Introduction
by CJ de Mooi
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entrepreneurs, such as World Champion Magnus of 204 books on Mind Sports, thinking
Carlsen and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. and genius, with translations into sixteen
Like Donner, Ray uses chess as a metaphor for different languages.
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May 2021
Solutions to Endgames (See page 314)
BvR NvB
1. e3 ¦xf3 2.¥d4 ¢a3 3.c3 ¢b3 4.e4 1.¤f2 ¥c2 2.a6 ¥xb3 3.¤g4+ ¢g7
¢c4 5.¢d7 ¦f1 6.e5 ¢d5 7.e6 ¦b1 4.¤e3 ¥a4 5.¤f5+ ¢f6 6.¤d4 b3 7.a7
8.e7 ¦b7+ 9.¢d8 ¢d6 10.¥e5+ ¢xe5 b2 8.a8£ b1£ 9.£h8 mate. The knight
11.e8£+ wins, or 2…¦f7 3.c4 ¢b3 4.c5 dominates the bishop − by moving like
¢c4 5.c6 ¢d5 6.c7 ¢d6 7.¥c5+ ¢xc5 the bishop! It goes diagonally f2−e3−d4,
8.c8£+ wins. Two splendidly−echoed lines. while the bishop goes c2−b3−a4.
1.c4? ¦xe2 2.c5 ¦c2 3.¥f8 ¦f2 4.c6 ¦xf3 This is a clear−cut study, the only sideline
draws. (After 1.e3) 1…¦xc2 2.f4 ¢b3 3.f5 being 7…¥c6 8.¤xc6 b2 9.a8£ b1£
¦f2 4.f6 ¦f3 5.e4 ¢c4 6.e5 ¢d5 7.¢e7 10.£h8+ ¢e6 11.£e5 mate.
¦a3 8.f7 ¦a7+ 9.¢f6. In the first main
line there are: 5.e5? ¢d5 6.¢d7 ¦f7+;
5…¦f7+ 6.¢d6 ¦h7 7.e5; 6.¢d6? ¦a1 Stavrietsky & Pervakov
7.e5 ¦a6+ 8.¢d7 ¢d5; and 9…¦b8+
10.¢c7 ¦a8 11.¢d7. In the second main 1.¦c2+ ¥c3+ 2.¦c1 £h7+ 3.e4 £xe4+
line: 6…¦f8+ 7.¢e7 ¦g8 8.¢d7. 4.£c2 ¦h2 5.¤xb7 £h7 6.¤d6+ ¢b8
7.¥c7+ ¢a8 8.£e4+ £xe4+ 9.¤xe4
¦b2+ 10.¢a1 ¦c2+ 11.¤xc3 wins. Part
Pervakov & Sumbatyan of the point of this study is a thematic try
in the main line: 5.¤f7? £h7 6.¤d6+
1.h7 c3 2.¤c6 ¤f3+ 3.¢h3 ¤g5+ 4.hxg5 ¢b8 7.¥c7+ ¢a8 8.£xh7 ¦b2+ 9.¢a1
c2 5.¤d4 c1£ 6.¤e2+ ¢xg5 7.¤f7+ ¦c2+ 10.¢b1 ¦b2+ draws.
¢g6 8.h8¤+ ¢h5 9.¤g3 mate.
The hardest move to find is 3.e4, which
To properly appreciate this, you need to is played to induce the black queen to
see that there are two significant tries (a the e4 square where it can eventually
‘try’ is a move that almost works, failing be forked. 3.£c2? ¦h2 4.£f5+ £xf5+
to only one black reply). There’s the subtle 5.gxf5 ¦b2+ 6.¢a1 ¦c2+ 7.¢b1
try 1.¢h3? c3 2.¤b5 c2 3.¤d4 c1¤ 4.¤c6 ¦b2+ draws.
¤cd3 5.h7 ¢f5 6.¤g6 ¤f7 draws. There is
also a thematic try in the main line 5.¤b4?
c1£ 6.¤d3+ ¢xg5 7.¤f7+ ¢g6 8.h8¤+
¢h5 9.¤xc1 stalemate.
A few sidelines: 1.¤c6? ¤g4+ 2.¢h3

¤xh6 3.¤g6+ ¢f5 draws. In the main
line, 1…¢f5 2.¢g3 c3 3.¤b5 ¢f6 4.¤xc3
¢g7 5.¢f4 ¤d3+ 6.¢e3 ¤e5 7.¢e4
is winning, as also 3…c2 4.¤d4+ ¢f6
5.¤xc2 ¢g7 6.¢f4 ¤d3+ 7.¢e3 ¤e5
8.¢e4. Also in the main line: 2.¤b5? c2
3.¤d4 ¤f3+.

05/141
Solutions to Problems
This month’s originals
The diagrams for our three direct−mate problems this month are quite densely packed
but if you are trying to solve them I think that you will find (as with most chess
problems) that the process of finding ways in which White can threaten mate and then
ways in which Black can try to defend will begin to impose order upon the profusion
of pieces. Our last problem is a helpmate: you should look for two collaborative
BWBWBW sequences of moves which end up with Black mated. As usual, if you
don’t want to cudgel your brain trying to solve do feel free just to read on and enjoy
(hopefully!) the solutions…
A voyage of discovery
In Kabe’s 2−mover, the bishop at e4 must and 2.£e3) White must intervene on
surely be a significant player in the solution. d2, and the question, therefore, arises as
At the moment, there are no squares to to whether he should do so with the b4
which the white king can move to discover bishop or the c2 rook. Further interest
checkmate (though, by way of ‘set play’, is provided by the fact that the black
we note that if Black were obligingly to queen can potentially defend both threats
play 1…£e5+, 1…£d6+ or 1…¥c4+ simultaneously by capturing at c5, thus
captures by the white king would be mate). flighting d6 (and for good measure
In order to threaten mate, we need to play guarding e3). So we start with the try:
1.¢c6! (threat 2.£b7). Now, in order 1.¥d2. Now we have 1…¦xd2 2.£e3 and
to try to avert the threatened mate Black 1…¥xd2 2.¤d3. Further, there is 2.£(x)
does try the various checks to the white f4 after moves by the e2 knight and after
king on its new square c6 (and a defensive 1…£xc5 we have 2.£xc5. However,
move by the knight to c5) that serve to mate is impossible after 1…£xa8!. So
trigger discovered checkmates: 1…£xc7+ we turn to the key move, 1.¦d2!. Again
2.¢xc7; 1…£d6+ 2.¢xd6; 1…¥b5+ captures at d2 lead to one or other of the
2.¢xb5; 1…¦xb6+ 2.¢xb6; and 1…¤c5 threatened mates. And now the defences
2.¢xc5. We also have 1…¦a7 2.£xa7 and are, very nicely, met by different mates:
1…£h7 2.£c8. after moves of the e2 knight it’s 2.£(x)d4
and after 1…£xc5 it’s 2.£xf5.
A new tune on the organ pipes
Three-mover complexities
The configuration of the two black bishops
and two black rooks (‘organ pipes’) is a In Abdelaziz’s 3−mover we need to find
familiar meme in 2−movers. Often there a way to threaten the required mate in
are tries and a key move that intervene on three. 1.¦d3! fills the bill, because now
one of the squares jointly controlled by a after 2.£e6 and 3.£xf5 the square d5 is
rook/bishop duo (in this case, d2 and e2). guarded. And after 2.£e6 Black would
In Barry’s distinctive twist on this familiar have no effective defence - 2…¦d4
play, e2 is already occupied by a black piece, would fail to 3.¦xd4 and 2…¦f4 to
but that piece can move, activating Black’s 3.¤xg3. Two of Black’s defences at
guard on d3 and e3, the squares on which move 1 rely on threatening a check,
White mates will be threatened. In order which would prolong proceedings
to activate those threatened mates (2.¤d3 beyond move 3. So try 1…¥c1 (hoping

May 2021
(See page 302)
for 2…¥a3+). The defensive defect of Return to the

this move is that it withdraws a guard on murky world of helpmates
c3, and so we have 2.¦d4+ ¦xd4 (the
other guard has been deflected) 3.¤exc3 As in Kabe’s 2−mover, the need to make
(not 3.¤dxc3 as we need to guard e3). sense of the white bishop, lined up against
The second try is 1…¦b4 (this time the the black king and itching to provide a
threatened check is 2…¦xb8). Again, discovered checkmate, may be a helpful
though, this removes a guard on c3, and starting point for the solver. Initially,
this time the follow−up is 2.¦e3+ ¥xe3 its route to the black king is blocked by
3.¤dxc3 (not 3.¤exc3 as this time it’s two white pieces. In the solutions, one
d4 that we need to keep covered). There of these intervening pieces is captured
are two other defences, which also and its square comes to be occupied by
go together well: 1…¤f1 ‘unguards’ its colleague which then can provide the
f3 and 1…c5 ‘unguards’ d5, and so discovered mate. A number of pieces (white
these defences are met respectively by and black) have different functions in the
2.¤exc3+ ¥xc3 3.¥f3 and 2.¤dxc3+ two solutions; and it may be an appealing
(care is again required in selecting feature that each mating move is to a square
which knight captures at c3) and after that was initially occupied by a black rook
Black captures at c3 3.£d5. A highly - 1.¥b5 d4 2.¦xe4 fxe4+ 3.¢c6 e5; and
intricate scheme! 1.gxf3 ¤g5 2.¦d4 ¤xf3 3.¢e4 ¤h4.
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