 GM Evgeny Alekseev, Russian Champion
  The 59th edition of the Russian Championship, the strongest national championship in the world, took place in Moscow at the famed Central Chess Club on Gogolevsky Boulevard, from December 2nd to December 15th. Second seed GM Alexander Morozevich dropped out at the last minute and was replaced by young IM Ian Nepomniachtchi. Morozevich has also decided not to play at Corus Wijk aan Zee, probably in an effort to prepare better for the Linares-Morelia tournament, where he has been invited for the first time.
The average tournament rating was 2622, making the event Category XV. Many of the best Russian players are not participating this year - apart from Morozevich, Kramnik was playing Deep Fritz and Grischuk also withdrew - and instead the old guard of Peter Svidler and Sergey Rublevsky had to contend with some promising new young blood looking to make their mark in Russian chess circles.
GM Evgeny Alekseev, 21, won the Russian championship "superfinal", beating GM Dmitri Jakovenko, 23, in rapid tiebreaks after the duo finished tied on +4. GM Ernesto "Che" Inarkiev, 21, pride of Kalmykia, won his last three games to take clear third place.
Four-time champion GM Peter Svidler was the only undefeated player but showed little ambition to achieve his +2 score. El Svid is obviously a class act, but he's not been firing on all cylinders of late. Of course when all the youngsters seemed content to offer him draws on move 20 it's hard to blame him for taking them.
On the other hand, since there were more wins with black than white (17 to 13 and 38 draws), maybe he should have gone for more. He did at least have a fun queen sac draw against GM Evgeniy Najer in round nine.
| FINAL CROSSTABLE after Round 11 |
| N |
NAME |
TIT |
ELO |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
PTS |
| 1 |
Nepomniachtchi, Ian |
IM |
2545 |
|
0 |
1 |
1 |
= |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
= |
= |
= |
5.0 |
| 2 |
Khairullin, Ildar |
IM |
2543 |
1 |
|
= |
= |
= |
1 |
= |
0 |
0 |
= |
= |
= |
5.5 |
| 3 |
Najer, Evgeniy |
GM |
2648 |
0 |
= |
|
= |
= |
0 |
= |
0 |
0 |
= |
0 |
0 |
2.5 |
| 4 |
Rublevsky, Sergei |
GM |
2688 |
0 |
= |
= |
|
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
1 |
= |
5.5 |
| 5 |
Vitiugov, Nikita |
IM |
2596 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
|
0 |
= |
0 |
0 |
= |
0 |
= |
3.5 |
| 6 |
Jakovenko, Dmitry |
GM |
2671 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
= |
1 |
|
= |
= |
1 |
1 |
= |
= |
7.5 |
| 7 |
Svidler, Peter |
GM |
2750 |
1 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
|
1 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
6.5 |
| 8 |
Khismatullin, Denis |
GM |
2583 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
= |
1 |
= |
0 |
|
0 |
= |
0 |
= |
5.0 |
| 9 |
Inarkiev, Ernesto |
GM |
2628 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
= |
1 |
0 |
= |
1 |
|
0 |
= |
= |
7.0 |
| 10 |
Tomashevsky, Evgeny |
GM |
2595 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
0 |
= |
= |
1 |
|
0 |
1 |
5.5 |
| 11 |
Alekseev, Evgeny |
GM |
2639 |
= |
= |
1 |
0 |
1 |
= |
= |
1 |
= |
1 |
|
1 |
7.5 |
| 12 |
Grigoriants, Sergey |
GM |
2582 |
= |
= |
1 |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
= |
0 |
0 |
|
5.0 |
|
 Related information
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![Svidler, P (2750) - Khismatullin, D (2583) [B90]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag1.gif) |
Position after 28... Rxc7 |
Svidler, P (2750) - Khismatullin, D (2583) [B90]
ch-RUS Superfinal Moscow RUS (3), 2006.12.05
[Annotations by IM Rahal,M]
In this position, world class player and cricket aficionado GM Peter Svidler is a clear pawn up. However, he is facing certain technical difficulties to clarify his advantage: the black king is coming to e7, the black knight to f4. Svidler finds the main weakness in Black's position: the pawn on h4! 29.Nb3! The knight heads over to the kingside. 29...Ke7 30.Nd2 Nh5 31.Nf3 And the pawn falls. Still, White has to regroup. 31...Kf6 32.Nxh4 Kg5 33.Nf3+ Kf4 34.Kb2! Controlling the c3 square. 34...f6 35.Nd2 Kg3 36.Re2 Bc6 37.Nf1+ Kh4 38.Re3 Rd7 39.Nd2 White finishes regrouping and the Black king is in danger of being mated. 39...Rd6 40.Nf3+ Kg3 41.Nxe5+ Kf4 42.Ng4 1-0 |
![Nepomniachtchi, I (2545) - Rublevsky, S (2688) [B43]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag2.gif) |
Position after 20... Ra5 |
Nepomniachtchi, I (2545) - Rublevsky, S (2688) [B43]
ch-RUS Superfinal Moscow RUS (4), 2006.12.06
[Annotations by IM Rahal,M]
At first glance it looks as of Black is doing well: he has opened up White's queenside castled king position and the knight on c5 has no squares. 21.Nd7!! The knight can't be captured by any of the three black pieces because of the pins. GM Sergei Rublevsky tries to bail out by exchanging a few pieces, but sixteen year old IM Ian Nepomniachtchi has calculated a long way ahead. 21...Nh5 22.Bxe7 Nxg3 23.Bb4! The key move. If the knight captures the bishop it is replaced by the c3 pawn which also attacks the rook. 23...Ra7 24.Bc5 Ra5 25.Bb4 Ra7 26.Nc5! Nh5 27.Bb5 A new pin. Now the knight on c5 is very strong. 27...Nf4 28.g3! Well played. White gives up the h3 pawn to win tempi, and leave the knight out of play. 28...Nxh3 29.f4 Raa8? A weak move in a difficult position 30.Nxb7 Rec8 31.Nd6 Nf2 32.Nxc8 Rxc8 33.Rd2 Ne4
|
![Nepomniachtchi, I (2545) - Rublevsky, S (2688) [B43]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag3.gif) |
Position after 33... Ne4 |
Black threatens 34...Nxb4 35.cxb4 Nc3+ winning the knight on b5. Nepomniachtchi finds an elegant solution. 34.Rxe4! dxe4 35.Bxc6 e3 The rook can't be captured because of the mate on d8, but this pawn looks dangerous. 36.Rd4 e2 37.c4! Controlling e1 with the bishop, but now ...Rb8 looks good... 37...Rb8 38.Kc1! And White wins a piece, again there is mate on d8 if the bishop is taken. 1-0 |
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 Amity Grandmaster Challenge 2006
  The Amity GM Challenge 2006 takes place in New Delhi, India, 17-25 December. It's a 10-day series of matches between GM Parimarjan Negi and WGM Kateryna Lahno.
The match includes 6 games each of FIDE, Rapid and Blitz Time Control.
You can get more information in the ICC LIVE COVERAGE page. Visit also the official website for the event.
2nd EBCC Fide Swiss 2006
  ICC has live coverage of the East Bay Chess Club FIDE Swiss 2006 in Oakland, CA (USA) December 16-23. The tournament is a 10 round swiss, BAP scoring, norms possible. Time control 40/2 sd/1.
For more information, visit the ICC LIVE COVERAGE page and the East Bay Chess Club website.
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 ICC Team 45 45 League # 32 Sign-Ups!
  TEAM ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR TOURNAMENT #32! Get in on the serious action and the team camaraderie. Team Entries will be accepted Dec 17 - Jan 9. Play begins Jan 16, and runs through Mar 11 (Mar 27 if your team makes the playoffs).
FIVE SECTIONS! The League provides team format competitive play for ICC members of all levels, with sections for team averages of Under 2200, Under 2000, Under 1800, Under 1600, and even for Under 1300! The League provides great competition, in a team atmosphere, for the high rated and for the beginner alike!
TIME TO THINK! This is a slow time control league: Play one game with a time control of 45 45 each week for six weeks, followed by up to three rounds of playoffs. Players play on a team of 4-6 players, with any 4 members playing each round, one round per week.
You have more information at Tournament League's ICC Group page and instructions in the the Quick Guide. Please sign up only if you are available to play for the six weeks plus playoffs.
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Game annotated by IM Michael
Rahal
  Michael Anthony Rahal is an English International
Master, currently living in Spain. He works for
the CET Spanish Chess company and his tasks include
being Assistant Manager of the Chess Magazines "Peón
de Rey" (King's Pawn) "Todo
Teoría" (All on Theory).
Polgar, J (2710) - Topalov,V (2813) [B42]
Blindfold Rapid Bilbao ESP (6), 2006.12.09
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Ne7!? An off-beat approach to the 5.Bd3 Maroczy bind against the Sicilian Kan. More common are 5...Qc7 or 5...g6. 6.0-0 Nec6 7.c3 Be7 8.Be3 0-0 9.Nd2 d6 10.f4 Nd7 11.Rf3! Judith plays 'a la Deep Fritz', with this quick third-rank rook manoeuvre. 11...g6 12.Rg3 Nxd4?! It doesn't seem very logical to exchange these knights and reinforce White's already strong center. 13.cxd4 e5 14.Nf3 exd4 15.Nxd4
![Polgar, J (2710) - Topalov,V (2813) [B42]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag4.gif)
White's advantage is clear: strong pawn centre, superior development and kingside attacking chances, not to mention the weak d-pawn on d6. Topalov's only advantage is that he has already won the match! 15...Nc5 16.Nf5! d5 17.Bd4! Threatening mate in one with 18.Nh6++, but Topalov 'sees' it. 17...Bxf5 18.exf5 Nxd3 19.Rxd3 Bf6 20.fxg6 hxg6 21.Qb3 Now the fight is for the d4 square and the attack on the weak d5 isolated pawn. 21...Re8 22.Rad1 b5?! 23.Qc3! Bxd4+ 24.Qxd4 The d5 pawn falls. 24...Re6 25.Qxd5 Qe8
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![Polgar, J (2710) - Topalov,V (2813) [B42]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag5.gif)
26.Qxa8! Simplifying to a rook ending a pawn ahead. 26...Qxa8 27.Rd8+ Qxd8 28.Rxd8+ Kg7 29.Kf2 The king moves towards the center, at the same time preventing ..Re2. 29...Re4 30.Kf3 Rc4 31.Rd2! A necesary defensive move. 31...a5 32.Rd5! Now that the pawn are weakened, White plays actively. 32...Ra4 33.a3 b4 34.Rd3 bxa3 35.bxa3 Rc4 36.g4 With the queenside more or less fixed, White starts to advance her kingside pawns, in order to create some threats. 36...Kh6 37.h4 f5 38.Kg3 fxg4 39.Kxg4 a4 40.Rd6! Threatening ideas with h5. 40...Kg7 41.Ra6 Rd4 42.Ra7+ Kf6 43.Ra5 Kg7
![Polgar, J (2710) - Topalov,V (2813) [B42]](http://www.chessclub.com/xid/$mling$/$id/mailing/2006/12c/diag6.gif)
Finally White progresses to exchange the f-pawn for the g-pawn and create an outside passed pawn. Probably Judith had already seen at this point the tactical trick that will win the game. 44.Kg5 Kf7 45.Ra7+ Kf8 46.Kxg6 Rxf4 47.Ra8+ Ke7 48.h5 Rg4+ 49.Kf5 Rc4 50.h6 Rc5+ 51.Ke4! [And Black resigned because of 51.Ke4 Rh5 52.h7! Rxh7 53.Ra7+] 1-0
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ICC
Quiz #2020
submitted by constantinou
White mates in 2
To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2020
Then type: play trainingbot
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| ICC
Quiz #2026
submitted by KingsRook12
White mates in 3
To play this puzzle on the ICC type:
tell trainingbot number 2026
Then type: play trainingbot
|
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Solution to
ICC Quiz #2020
submitted by constantinou
1. Qxd7+! Nxd7; 2. Ne6#
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Solution to
ICC Quiz #2026
submitted by KingsRook12
1. Rc8+! Qxc8 (1...Re8; 2. Rxe8#)
2. Qxg7+! Rxg7; 3. Rxg7#
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