#122– Jan 23rd, 2007

Topalov on the March in Wijk and Zee. The world number one Veselin Topalov is back to his best form at Wijk aan Zee and took the lead with wins in rounds seven and eight. The former Fide champion has an unbeaten 6/8. Teimour Radjabov, who started so strongly with three wins playing black in the King's Indian is in clear second on 5.5 after defeat by Levon Aronian. The other challengers are on +2. So far we have had two games between the world's top three and Anand has lost with black to Topalov and Kramnik. Anand is back on 50%. Topalov defeated Ruslan Ponomariov in a sharp King's Indian/Benoni but showed his all round strength as he crushed Vishy Anand positionally. Your computer program might think Black is better in the opening but there are very deep long term factors that make the position good for White. Anand was swiftly demoralised and preferred to resign. It is quite hard to see how White wins in the final position but Black is completely tied up and the analysis below shows one possible winning plan for Topalov. The tournament might come to a climax in the twelfth and penultimate round when Topalov is white against Kramnik. Keep up with the action at The Week In Chess at www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.html and download games and analysis for free. Also starting today the Gibraltar Chess Congress kicks off with a star studded field including 11 players in the world's top 100. Michael Adams is the top seed followed by Kiril Georgiev, Vladimir Akopian, Vadim Milov and Hikaru Nakamura. Leko wins the Inaugural ACP World Rapid Cup The 1st ACP World Rapid Cup took place in Odessa in the Ukraine 4th-8th January 2007. The event was sponsored by the Bank Pivdennyi based in Odessa and took place in the Hotel Londonskaya, with a total prize fund of $136,000. 16 GMs participated in this Knock-Out tournament. The time control was 20 minutes for the whole game with an increment of 5 seconds per move, with blitz games (3mins + 2sec/m) to settle ties. Peter Leko won the second blitz playoff game against Vassily Ivanchuk in the final, their first three games were drawn. More News at The Week In Chess   * You must be connected to the internet to view the images. *   Marvellous Moro reveals his Chigorin Secrets The Chigorin Defence According to Morozevich by Morozevich and Barsky. (£18.95/$23.95) Alexander Morozevich is hugely popular all over the world for his sharp and original play, and also his willingness to take discredited openings and play them at the very highest levels. This particular opening has been his favorite weapon for many years. It leads to sharp and un compromising play, and ‘Moro' has had a big following ever since he started to play the Chigorin Defence.   US and Canada Customers can order here UK, EU and ROW Customers can order here   Special Offer - Exclusive Ebony Chessmen A top of the range classic Staunton Pattern chess set. Hand carved by skilled craftsmen from pure ebony and triple-weighted     was £149.95 - NOW £75 (Approx $145/€110): Order here   The latest and greatest from ChessBase! • My Best Games in the Petroff - Shirov (DVD) • Botvinnik and Meran Semi Slav - Van Wely (DVD) • Power Play 2: Attacking the King - King (CD) • How to Play the Najdorf Part 1 - Kasparov (DVD) • How to Play the Najdorf Part 2 - Kasparov (DVD) • Fritz & Chesster 3 - Ideal for kids! (DVD)   America and Canada UK, Europe, and other   TWIC Puzzle White to play and win This position came from a game in the 1996 Olympiad in Erevan, a tournament which had many games end in dramatic fashion. Here White has been building pressure against the cramped Black King position, and now smashes through dramatically. Can you find the winning move?   Solution below     SUBSCRIBE TO *CHESS* MAGAZINE! – More information here. Play the Ruy Lopez – by Andrew Greet. Nearly 400 pages looking at a White repertoire in the venerable Ruy Lopez, recommending the Worral System as a good practical choice. Earlier deviations are also given due care and attention. 101 Chess Endgame Tips - by Steve Giddins. Popular chess author Steve Giddins presents 101 ideas that are vital to successful endgame play. All types of endings are covered, including both simple technical situations and more complex strategic battles. Kasparov on Modern Chess: Revolution in the 70s- by Garry Kasparov. The fifth thoroughly revised and updated edition of the ECO Volume C, brings additional 104 pages of the brand new material on 1 e4 e6 and 1 e4 e5. Kasparov's Sicilian Strategies - by Ray Keene. GM Keene selects 39 critical examples of Kasparov's handling of the Sicilian defence in top level competition. Click here to see these and many more new books IM John Watson's book reviews at TWIC, updated regularly.   Malcolm Pein writes for the Daily Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk) and you can read his chess columns along with those of Michael Adams at their Chess Club. Game commentary from IM Malcolm Pein This week's game is Topalov's win over Anand. The move a4! was effectively a novelty but the star move is b4!! which ensures that Black cannot open a file for his rooks. Topalov,V (2783) - Anand,V (2779) [E15] Corus A Wijk aan Zee 2007 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 This is a very solid line of the Queen's Indian and a continual battleground for the elite players 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0–0 12.0–0 Nf6 13.e4 dxe4 [13...b5 is more common trying to activate the bishop on a6] 14.a4! A novelty (at the top level) that prevents b6-b5 getting the Ba6 into play. The e4 pawn can be captured later with an edge to White unless Black responds aggressively 14...Nd5 [14...Bb7 15.Nxe4 Qc7²] 15.cxd5 Bxf1 [15...cxd5 16.Re1 Rc8 17.Bb2 Bb4 18.Ba3 Bxa3 19.Rxa3 Qf6 Gives Black 2 pawns, an imposing pawn structure and the initiative for the piece will doubtless receive a test soon] 16.d6! Bxg2 17.dxe7 Qxe7 18.Kxg2 f5 [18...Rad8 Mathiesen-Schandorff Danish Team 2002] 19.b4!! The deep idea. Black has a slight material advantage with rook and two pawns against bishop and knight which is why your computer will tell you Black is better. However if no files are opened then Whites minor pieces will dominate and 19.b4!! rules out pawn 19...c6-c5 because of 20.dxc5 bxc5 21.b5 when Nc4 and a4-a5 will give White a powerful passed b pawn. 19...Qd7 [If Black goes for activity with 19...Rad8 then 20.Qe2 c5 21.dxc5 Rd3 22.Be5 bxc5 23.b5 Qd8 24.Nc4 Qd5 25.Rc1 e3+ 26.f3! Rd8 27.Bf4 and rounds up the pawn on e3] 20.Qe2 Qd5 [20...c5 21.dxc5 bxc5 22.b5 Qd3 23.Qxd3 exd3 24.Re1 Kf7 25.Kf3 Rfd8 26.Nc4 with complete control, the d3 pawn will be rounded up] 21.f3! exf3+ 22.Nxf3 h6 [22...f4 23.g4] 23.Re1 Rfe8 24.Qc2 Rad8 [24...c5 25.dxc5 bxc5 26.Re5] 25.Bd2 Qd7 26.Kf2 Rc8 27.Bf4 Qd5 28.Re5 Qd7 29.h4 Ra8 30.Bd2! [30.Qc4 a5 Opens a file and Black gets a little counterplay] 30...Rac8 31.Qc4 Kh7 32.Bc3 Qd6 33.Ne1! b5?! weakens more squares but Vishy was probably already rather depressed with this position 34.Qc5 Qd8 [34...Qxc5 35.Rxc5 bxa4 36.Ra5 Rc7 37.Rxa4 g5 38.hxg5 hxg5 39.Nd3 was a better chance] 35.Nd3 1–0 Final Position Why did Vishy resign? He has no active play and with a little care White can head for the optimal position with pawn on h5, knight on f4 and bishop on e5. Then all Black can do is sit there and wait for g3-g4 to decisively open up the position. In all lines Black is tied to the defence of c6 and e6. Here is an example of what can happen 35...Kg8 36.a5 Qd7 37.h5 Kh7 38.Nf4 Kg8 39.Bd2 Re7 40.Be3 Rce8 41.Qc3 Rc8 42.Rc5 Ree8 43.Ng6 a6 44.Bf4 Qb7 45.Be5 Qd7 46.Qf3 Kh7 47.Kg1 Qd8 48.Kh2 Qg5 49.Nf4 Qe7 50.Qg2 Qd7 51.g4 fxg4 52.Qxg4 Qf7 53.Rc2 Re7 54.Rg2 Rce8 55.Qf3     Trivia Question #122: Annotating a game between two World Champions, Reuben Fine gave two question marks to Black's third move. Which game was he referring to? Answer in the next issue of Chess Express. Trivia Question #121: Efim Bogoljubov once remarked "When I am white I win because I am white." But why did Bogoljubov believe he won with the Black pieces? ?– Efim thought he won with the Black pieces because 'I am Bogoljubov'.   TWIC Theory is an electronic monthly magazine with high quality articles delivered in ChessBase, PGN or PDF format. You can still get the back issues. Number 24 September GM Nick Pert on the Nimzo -Indian 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 b6 5 Bg5 Bb7 6 Nd2 Number 25 October GM Nick Pert on the Winawer French 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Qa5 !? Number 26 November IM Andrew Martin on the mainline King's Indian-Korchnoi's 9 a4!? : 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 a4!? Number 27 December GM Bogdan Lalic on the resilient Double Fianchetto Hedgehog, a set up including ...b6, Bb7 g6, Bg7, ...d6.... and c5.   For more information click here: http://www.chesscenter.com/twictheory Subscription to #25-36 available for just £19.95: http://www.chesscenter.com/twictheory       TWIC Puzzle Solution Malisauskas - Illescas Erevan Olympiad 1996 1 Rxg7 leads to a clean finish eg 1...Rxg7 2 Rxh6+ Rh7 3 Rxh7+ Kg8 4 Rh8+ Kg7 5 Qh6 mate 1-0   You are currently subscribed to Chess Express as: %%emailaddr%% To unsubscribe, send an e-mail from that address to: %%email.unsub%% You may also unsubscribe or sign up again online here. (Enter your e-mail address, enter the list, then click the "Leave (unsubscribe)" button.) Chess & Bridge Ltd. 369 Euston Road London NW1 3AR UK Open 9.30am–6pm Mon.–Sat. Tel: +44 020.7388.2404 Fax: +44 020.7388.2407 Chess4Less.com Suite H 400 Village Boulevard West Palm Beach 33409 Florida USA Visit us 10-5pm Monday-Saturday +1 561.827.0993 Chess Express is published weekly by Chess & Bridge Ltd. All rights reserved.