ICC Newsletter - Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Vol I Issue IX - February 22, 2006

Aeroflot Open 2006

Jobava Wins Aeroflot on Tie breaks

Once again the Aeroflot Open turned out to be a drag out fight this year. Grandmasters and international masters from all over the world flew to Moscow to play in the toughest open tournament in the world. 92 players registered for the main A1 group. After the final round there was a four way tie for top spot between GM Baadur Jobava, GM Viktor Bologan, GM Krishnan Sasikiran, and GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. After the tie breaks the top player was GM Baadur Jobava beating out GM Bologan, GM Sasikiran, and GM Mamedyarov.

Congratulations to GM Baadur Jobava for proving to be the best player at Aeroflot 2006!

Final Top 10 Standings in Group A1:
6.5 GM Baadur Jobava (GEO)
6.5 GM Viktor Bologan (MDA)
6.5 GM Krishnan Sasikiran (IND)
6.5 GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)
6.0 GM Pavel Eljanov (UKR)
6.0 GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)
6.0 GM Tigran Petrosian (ARM)
6.0 GM Vladimir Akopian (ARM)
6.0 GM Kiril Georgiev (BUL)
6.0 GM Arkadij Naiditsch (GER)

Download all of the games from the Group A1 Aeroflot 2006.

White to mate in three

Problem #451 **
submitted by fishbait

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 451

Then type:
play trainingbot

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Cambridge Springs, The $18.95 - by Panczyk/Ilczuk
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Live Coverage of Linares in English and Spanish!

Linares is underway and the action is hotter than ever. To highlight this exciting event the ICC is now bringing you expert analysis in spanish along with our regular english commentary!

Spanish: Live spanish text analysis on the ICC from GM Miguel Illescas and IM Michael Rahal.

English: Live audio coverage from GM Gregory Kaidanov and IM Bill Paschall.

Don't miss this exciting play-by-play action from some of your favorite masters in english and in spanish!

For more details on ICC's new spanish service visit the ICC spanish home page.

Cuernavaca Young Masters
GM Miguel Illescas and IM Michael Rahal

Players in this year's Linares tournament include: GM Peter Leko, GM Peter Svidler, GM Vassily Ivanchuk, GM Levon Aronian, GM Ettienne Bacrot, GM Veselin Topalov, GM Teimour Radjabov, GM Francisco Vallejo Pons.

Games are being played in Morelia, Michocan Mexico on February 18-20, 22-23, 25-26 and in Linares, Spain on March 3-5, 7-8, 10-11.

Tournament details can be found on the ICC and on the Linares official web site.


New ICC members get a free issue of New in Chess! That's right! Sign-up as a new member of the ICC and you will receive a free issue of New In Chess magazine. New In Chess is one of most popular chess magazines with excellent analysis and commentary from some of the top grandmasters in the world. Join ICC. Read more about New In Chess magazine.

Coming Soon! The U.S. Chess Championships will begin on Thursday, March 2nd, 2006. The AF4C has once again organized what is sure to be an exciting event. This year's tournament will be a nine rounds with the championship match being played on Sunday, March 12th. The field of 64 is now complete. Overall first place will be taking home a prize fund of $25,000 USD! The Roberts Family has also announced they will again sponsor a $5,000 prize for the player who displays the most fighting spirit.
ICC and ICC Webcast will be having live coverage of this exciting event. Be sure to log on to the ICC on these dates for master analysis and fun live coverage. Visit the official web site for the AF4C.

Game commentary from IM Malcolm Pein IM Malcolm Pein writes for the Daily Telegraph.
Nakamura,H (2644) - Cheparinov,I (2625) [D44] Young Masters Cuernavaca MEX (9), 11.02.2006 1.d4 Hikaru is learning so many openings it must be becoming impossible to prepare for him. 1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 Star Wars as he is known on ICC always plays for the win and this was the ninth and last round. Black is the second of Veselin Topalov so you can bet he was theoretically prepared in his sharp line 5...dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 [9...Nd5!? 10.Nxf7 Qxh4 11.Nxh8] 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 This is the wild line of the Semi Slav analysed in depth originally by Mikhail Botvinnik and bears his name [10...b4 11.Ne4 Nxe4 12.Bxd8 Kxd8 13.Bxc4] 11.g3 Qa5 12.exf6 White's extra pawn is insignicant. Piece activity and the mobility of the pawn majoritys are what counts. 12...Ba6 Hoping to prevent castling by meeting Bg2 with pawn b5-b4 and c4-c3. In this positions White usually tries to open lines with a2-a4. Hikaru's next is a little unusual although well intentioned and it delays b5-b4 13.a3 0-0-0 14.Bg2 Nc5 [14...Ne5 15.dxe5 Rxd1+ 16.Rxd1 b4! 17.axb4 Qxe5+; 14...Ne5 15.0-0 Nd3 16.b4 Qc7 17.Be3] 15.0-0 Nb3 16.Qf3 Bb7 [16...Nxa1 17.Qxc6+ Kb8 18.Bf4+ wins] 17.Rad1 b4 [17...Nxd4 18.Qe4 Rd7 defending b7 19.Rxd4! c5 20.Rxd7 Bxe4 21.Rxf7 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 Intending Ne4, f2-f3 and h4 with more than sufficient compensation for the queen.] 18.Ne4 bxa3 19.bxa3 Rd5 [19...Nxd4 20.Qe3 c5 21.Rb1 Nb3 22.Nd2 Qxd2 23.Bxb7+ Kxb7 24.Qxd2 Rxd2 25.Bxd2; 19...Nxd4 20.Qe3 c5 21.Rb1 Nb3 22.Nd2 Bxg2 23.Nxc4 Qa4 24.Kxg2 Qxc4 25.Rxb3] 20.Be3 Bxa3 21.h4 [21.Ra1!? Nxa1 22.Rxa1 c3 23.Bc1] 21...c3 Black's c pawn looks dangerous but White has a lot of potential blockaders and his passed h pawn is good to go. 22.Qe2 Bb2 23.Qc2 Na1 24.Rxa1 Both sides give up rooks to remove strong enemy knights, there was little choice 24...Bxa1 25.Nc5 Rxc5 26.dxc5 Bb2 White's king is safer and his bishops more powerful. By taking the open file and threatening to play Rd1-d6 Hikaru forces the exchange of Black's rook the only remaining blockader 27.Rd1 Rd8 28.Be4! Rxd1+ 29.Qxd1 c2 [29...Qd8 30.Qxd8+ Kxd8 31.Bc2! Ke8 32.h5 Kf8 33.h6 Kg8 34.h7+ Kh8 35.Bh6 wins] 30.Bxc2 Bxf6 31.Qh5 Qc7 32.Qh7 Ba6 33.Qg8+ Kb7 34.h5 Bc4 35.h6 Bd5 36.h7 Qe5 Black must give up f7 to stop the h pawn but that makes the g pawn a runner as well 37.Qxf7+ Kc8 38.Qe8+ Kb7 39.Qd7+ Qc7 40.Qxc7+ Kxc7 41.g4 Kd7 42.g5 Bh8 43.g6 Ke7 44.Bg5+ 1-0

Beating the Petroff by Kotronias – The choice of World Champions, used by Karpov and Anand, the Petroff is one of the most solid defences to 1.e4.
Dynamics of Chess Strategy by Vlastimil Jansa – Jansa's book explores the stages of play between the opening and the planning in the early middle game.
Learn From Your Chess Mistakes by Chris Baker – Most players want to put the experience of defeat behind them as quickly as possible...
Rethinking the Chess Pieces by Andrew Soltis – This book examines how the value of pieces changes in the course of a game and how masters use this knowledge to decide which pieces to exchange - and when.

See these and many more new books

IM John Watson's book reviews at TWIC, updated regularly.

ICC Puzzle Solution

1.Rh7 h2 2.Ra7 Kg1 3.Ra1#