ICC Newsletter - Friday, June 09, 2006

Vol I Issue XXIV - June 09, 2006

Armenia Wins 37th Olympiad

Armenia took first place at this year's 37th Olympiad which took place in Turin, Italy. Finishing with 36.0 points after the final round, they finished two points ahead of the second place finishers China. Armenia had an outstanding team to work with giving them many resources at their fingertips.

GM Levon Aronian
Aronian played 11 games, winning four, drawing six, and losing one game for an individual score of 7.0 points. His only loss came at the hands of GM Vladimir Kramnik in round five. He defeated GM Peter Heine Nielsen (DEN), GM Erlend Johannessen Leif (NOR), GM Ivan Sokolov (NED), and GM David Navara (CZE). View all of Aronian's games.

GM Vladimir Akopian
Akopian played 12 games, winning six, drawing six, and losing none for an individual score of 9.0 points! His victims along the way included Joel Adebayo Adegboyega (NGR), GM Berg Hansen Sune (DEN), GM Kjetil A. Lie (NOR), GM Aleksey Barsov (UZB), GM Perez Leinier Dominguez (CUB), and GM Zhong Zhang (CHN). View all of Akopian's games.

GM Karen Asrian
Asrian played 10 games, winning one, drawing eight, and losing one for an individual score of 5.0 points. He defeated GM Vlastimil Babula (CZE) in round 11. His only lost came at the hands of IM Rafael Prasca (VEN) in round one. View all of Asrian's games.

GM Smbat Lputian
Lputian only played three games for team Armenia. He achieved two wins and one draw for an individual score of 2.5 points. He defeated IM Eduardo Iturrizaga (VEN) in round one and GM Einar Gausel (NOR) in round four. His draw came against IM Odion Aikhoje (NGR) in round two. View all of Lputian's games.

GM Gabriel Sargissian
Sargissian played every round of the tournament and exhausting it must have been! Sargissian achieved seven wins, six draws, and not a single loss for an individual score of 10.0 points! Those that fell included FM Oliver Soto (VEN), Olubunmi Olape (NGR), GM Rune Djurhuus (NOR), GM Alexander Morozevich (RUS), GM Erwin L'ami (NED), GM Yuniesky Quezada Perez (CUB), and GM Alexander Moiseyenko (UKR). Sargissian tied with GM Yue Wang (CHN) for the most points scored in the tournament. View all of Sargissian's games.

GM Artashes Minasian
Minasian only played in three rounds like Lputian and scored the same as well. He achieved two wins and one draw for an individual score of 2.5 points. His two wins were over FM Alexander Hernandez (VEN) in round one and IM Akintola Fola (NGR) in round two. View all of Minasian's games.

Armenia came into the Olympiad seeded third and showed it during every round. Shutting out Norway in round four and decisively beating Venezuela, Nigeria, Netherlands, Cuba, and the Czech Republic.

Round Team Score : Score Team

1 Armenia 3.0 : 1.0 Venezuela

2 Nigeria 3.5 : 0.5 Armenia

3 Armenia 3.0 : 1.0 Denmark

4 Armenia 4.0 : 0.0 Norway

5 Russia 2.0 : 2.0 Armenia

6 Armenia 2.5 : 1.5 Uzbekistan

7 Netherlands 1.0 : 3.0 Armenia

8 Cuba 1.0 : 3.0 Armenia

9 Ukraine 1.5 : 2.5 Armenia

10 Armenia 2.5 : 1.5 China

11 Armenia 3.0 : 1.0 Czech Republic

12 France 2.0 : 2.0 Armenia

13 Armenia 2.0 : 2.0 Hungary

Congratulations to Armenia for their impressive performance and exciting victory over the rest of the field!

ICC held live coverage of the entire event along with live audio coverage. You can also read more details on the ICC web site.

Photos courtesy of FIDE.

White to mate in four

Problem #421 **
submitted by Llywyllyn

To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 421

Then type:
play trainingbot

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Ukraine Women's Team Wins Olympiad

In the women's section of the 37th Olympiad, the Ukraine women's team took top spot with a total score of 29.5 points, one and a half points ahead of second place finishers Russia. The players on team Ukraine are no strangers to the chess world. With an average rating of 2430 this was the team to beat in the high stakes Olympiad.

37th Olympiad Playing Hall

WGM Natalia Zhukova
Zhukova played 10 games, winning five, drawing five, and losing none for an individual score of 7.5 points! Her victims along the way included the famous GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS), WGM Monica Calzetta Ruiz (ESP), IM Adela Foisor Cristina (ROM), WGM Anna Zatonskih (USA), and GM Humpy Koneru (IND). View all of Zhukova's games.

WGM Kateryna Lahno
Lahno also played 10 games during the Olympiad, winning seven, drawing two, and losing one game for an individual score of 8.0 points. Her wins came against Mieke Maeckelberg (BEL), Rachael Edward-Dappa (NGR), WGM Bathuyag Mongontuul (MGL), WGM Yu Wang (CHN), WIM Patricia Llaneza Vega (ESP), WGM Margarita Voiska (BUL), and WGM Dronavalli Harika (IND). View all of Lahno's games.

IM Inna Yanovska-Gaponenko
Yanovska-Gaponenko played 9 games during the Olympiad, winning six, drawing two, and losing one game for an individual score of 7.0 points. She defeated Tresa Ikpa-Glewis Pauline (NGR), WFM Zorigt Bayaraa (MGL), IM Ildiko Madl (HUN), IM Irina Krush (USA), IM Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), and WGM Maria Velcheva (BUL). View all of Yanovska-Gaponenko's games.

WGM Anna Ushenina
Ushenina played 10 games during the Olympiad, winning four, drawing six, and losing no games for an individual score of 7.0 points. Her wins were dealt to Anna Stolarczyk (POL), WFM Bayanmonh Anhchimeg (MGL), WGM Ana Cristina Calotescu (ROM), and IM Szidonia Vajda (HUN). View all of Ushenina's games.

Round	Team	Score	:	Score	Team
1	IBCA	0.5	:	2.5	Ukraine
2	Ukraine	2.5	:	0.5	Nigeria
3	Ukraine	3.0	:	0.0	Mongolia
4	China	1.0	:	2.0	Ukraine
5	Ukraine	2.0	:	1.0	Russia
6	Spain	1.0	:	2.3	Ukraine
7	Ukraine	2.5	:	0.5	Romania
8	Hungary	1.0	:	2.0	Ukraine
9	USA	0.5	:	2.5	Ukraine
10	Ukraine	2.0	:	1.0	Georgia
11	Bulgaria	2.5	:	0.5	Ukraine
12	Ukraine	2.5	:	0.5	India
13	Ukraine	1.5	:	1.5	Armenia

Congratulations to team Ukraine for playing such a magnificent Olympiad.

Photos courtesy of FIDE.

Live Coverage The ICC will be having live relay coverage and live audio coverage of the XIX Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez tournament taking place in Leon, Spain. Be sure to tune-in to this exciting rapid tournament. The players in this year's event are GM Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria 2804), GM Viswanathan Anand (India 2803), GM Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain 2666), and GM Lazaro Bruzon (Cuba 2652). Coverage will be on June 9th, 10th, and 11th starting at 10:30 EDT. You can get more details of ICC's coverage on the ICC tournament page.


Game commentary from IM Malcolm Pein IM Malcolm Pein writes for the Daily Telegraph.
Bacrot,E (2708) - Anand,V (2803) [E12] Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (1), 11.05.2006 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 Ne4 8.Nxe4 Bxe4 9.Bg3 d6 10.Bd3 Bb7 First played a few days before by Anand's compatriot Krisnan Sasikiran at Sarajevo. Black keeps the good bishop. 10...Bxd3 11.Qxd3 += 11.0-0 Nd7 12.e4 This advance, while desirable, diminishes White's Bd3 and enhances Black's by giving it a target 12...Bf6 13.Rc1 g5! Intending to castle queenside and attack. This move also threatens g5-g4 followed by Bxd4. 14.Bb1 h5 15.h3 Rg8 [15...g4 was also good for example 16.hxg4 hxg4 17.Nh2 c5 Taking dark squares and fixing White's pawns on light squares is generally good strategy for Black here 18.dxc5 dxc5 19.Nxg4 Bxb2 20.Rc2 Bd4 21.Rd2 Qg5] 16.b4 g4 17.hxg4 hxg4 [17...h4 18.Bh2 Rxg4 19.Ne5 Rg7] 18.Nh2 Bh4 19.Bf4 [19.Qd3 Qg5] 19...Bg5 [Dark squared strategy with 19...e5 was also good 20.Be3 exd4 21.Bxd4 Bf6 And the exchange of dark squared bishops gives Black control of many good squares] 20.Qxg4 Qf6! 21.Be3 [21.Bxg5 Rxg5 22.Qe2 0-0-0 23.c5 Rh8 24.c6 Qh6 25.cxb7+ Kb8 wins] 21...Bxe3 [21...0-0-0 Looks good but 22.f4 Bh4 23.Qe2 Bg3 24.Rf3! and Nf1 is quite unclear Not 22.Qf3 Qg6 23.Bxg5 Qxg5 24.Rfd1 f5!] 22.Qxg8+ Ke7 23.Qxa8 Fearless [23.fxe3 Rxg8 24.Rxf6 Nxf6 is about equal] 23...Bxa8 24.fxe3 Qg6 25.Rf4 [25.d5 Ne5 26.c5 Opens a file and gives enough play for White. It was hard to foresee what mayhem the black queen causes now] 25...e5 26.Rf5 Qh6 27.Re1 exd4 28.exd4 Qd2 White cannot coordinate his rooks and the queen starts picking off pawns 29.Nf3 Qxb4 30.Rc1 Bb7 31.Rb5 Qa3 32.Re1 Qc3 33.Rb3 Qxc4 34.Bd3 Qa4 35.Rc3 c5! 36.Bc4 Qb4 37.Rcc1 cxd4 38.Nxd4 Ne5 39.Nf5+ Kd7 40.Bd5 Bxd5 41.exd5 Qf4 42.Rf1 [42.Ne3 Nd3] 42...Nf3+! 43.gxf3 Qxf5 44.f4 [44.Rcd1 Qc2 45.Rc1 Qxa2 46.Ra1 Qxd5 47.Rxa7+ Ke6] 44...Qxd5 45.f5 Qd2 46.f6 b5 The White king is so exposed his rooks cannot work apart for fear of being skewered. Anand just slowly advances his pawns 47.Rce1 Kc6 48.Ra1 Qd4+ 49.Kg2 Qb2+ 50.Kg3 b4 51.Kg4 d5 52.Kg5 Qg2+ 53.Kh4 Kd6 54.Kh5 a5 0-1


Budapest Fajarowicz by Lev Gutman – The Fajarowicz variation of the Budapest Gambit is one of Black's most exciting options against 1 d4. Established 'theory' has maintained a dim view of this line, which nevertheless has been a favorite of club players. With a slightly better theoretical reputation its popularity would explode. Batsford Book of Chess Records by Yakov Damsky – A long-overdue book on the records, from the trivial to monumental, set in the chess world. From the most unfortunate players in chess history to the longest queen moves, and from the longest tournaments to the record time for thinking about the next move, everything is included here – this amusing, entertaining, and often astounding guide is a must for all chess players. Queens Gambit Declined Bg5 Systems by Lalic – Covers: Exchange Variation, lines with an early Nf3 for white a la Kramnik (Ragozin, Manhattan, Vienna, anti-Bf4), 4 Bg5 with early deviations for both sides such as the Peruvian and Cambridge Springs etc..., finally all the Main Lines such as the Tartakower, Lasker, Rubinstein etc... Very useful for all those d4 and QGD players out there - and well annotated. Four Knights by Jan Pinski – International Master Jan Pinski delves into the secrets of the Four Knights for the first time, studying the strategic ideas for both the white and black sides. Pinksi covers both the fashionable main lines and the tricky sidelines, bringing the reader up to date with the expanding theory.

ICC Puzzle Solution

1.Rh8+ Kxh8 2.Qh4+ Kg8 3.Qh7+ Kf8 4.Qh8#