Report Three: Sticky Fingers
by Malcolm Pein in Bahrain

The match nearly came to a sticky end before it had begun. In the last couple of months I put together the commentary team, secured the multi processor computer, worked on the rules and yes, I organised the chess set. I know Vlad likes the DGT pieces often used to transmit matches on the net so that’s what I sent – sounds simple enough doesn’t it ? After the Press Conference I took the big man upstairs to inspect the playing room and make sure he liked all the important things like his chair, his rest room, and the toilets (which he insisted on testing) The Einstein TV team led by Ritchie Stewart had built a lovely set and battled to get good lighting in a room much smaller than the TV studios they are used to working in.

Kramnik's Fridge. Photo Mig Greengard.

The arbiter Dr Enrique Irazoqui had worked out how to use the DGT clock after I managed to find the instructions – a message here to the staff of the London Chess Centre - the first clock sent had no instructions and seemed to have had a lot of blitz chess played with it – not in working hours I hope. We had eight spare queens in case we have multiple promotions - Dr Irazoqui is the most thorough man I have ever met. We got spare pens and a local player Ebrahim Al Mannai saved my life and found some scoresheets (yes I forgot them ) Ebrahim will be reporting games three four five and six. We had two spare clocks Vlad’s fridge had been well stocked by the organisers and we had security worked out with police at each entrance. Even the internet connections were working. So what could go wrong ? Vlad sat down, checked out the board and declared the pieces too bright! It seemed to be a bit prima donnaish but he was absolutely right there was a terrible glare. He left – PANIC ! First we got some sandpaper but this ruined the pieces and then Ritchie had the great idea to get some dark varnish. Every piece was painted and I went to sleep secure in the knowledge that it appeared to be working. Ritchie phoned me later to say yes it had worked. It certainly had the effect of preventing the glare but when the pieces were examined on the morning of the game they were found to be too sticky to play with !! Well we did not have a spare set and there are no chess shops in Bahrain – The London Chess Centre has to open up a branch here. We faced the prospect of Kramnik picking up his king’s pawn and being unable to let go. Frankly I was panicking and I was not alone.

Pieces in Fridge. Photo Mig Greengard

The Einstein television production crew and match organisers managed to locate some dark varnish and set to work painting all thirty two pieces and the extra queens which are on hand in case either player forces a pawn to the end of the board. It certainly had the effect of avoiding the glare but when the pieces were examined on the morning of the game they were found to be too sticky to play with. The pieces were put out in the forty degree heat to dry but this did not help in fact quite the reverse probably because of the humidity. But then Zena Howard the Einstein PR chief came up with the brilliant idea of putting them in the champion ‘s fridge. Vlad has a rest room along the corridor from the playing room where he can reflect away from the board and eat and drink while watching the machine’s every move on a screen. The fridge is packed full of drinks and chocolate but these were temporarily evicted and with an hour to go the pieces had lost enough of their stickiness but the same could not be said for the chocolate.

Bless you Zena, you saved the tournament - well at least from the ignominy of playing with a plastic set !

Of course Fritz was not troubled by this and the machine hummed away unconcerned and mercilessly crushed its programmer Matthias Wuellenweber in a practice game rather in the way a cheeky chess prodigy despatches his father after he has been taught the moves.

A test run for Deep Fritz, its multiprocessor and the match clock took place on Thursday afternoon. Matthias Wuellenweber one of the Fritz developers played the program.

Wuellenweber,M - DEEP FRITZ [D85]
Test Game Bahrain, 03.10.2002

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Na4 An idea from Armenia I believe. Kramnik has Tigran Nalbandian on his team 5...Bg7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.e4 Nb6 8.Be3 Bg4 Attacking d4 in Gruenfeld style 9.Rc1 N8d7 10.Be2 c6 11.0-0 [ 11.Nc5!?] 11...Nxa4 12.Qxa4 Nb6 13.Qb4 Qd6! 14.Qxd6 exd6= 15.Rfe1 f5 16.exf5 [ 16.e5 Nd5 17.Bg5=] 16...gxf5 17.Bf4 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Bxd4 19.Re7 [ 19.Bxd6 Bxb2 20.Bxf8 Bxc1 21.Bc5 Bh6 22.Rb1 was a good try for a draw] 19...Bxb2 20.Rce1 [ 20.Rb1! Be5 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.Rxb7] 20...Rf7 21.Bxd6 Rxe7 22.Rxe7 Rd8 23.Bc5 Nd7!-/+ 24.Bxa7 Bf6 25.Re1 Ra8 26.Be3 Rxa2 27.Rb1 Kf7 28.h3 Rb2 29.Rd1 Ne5 30.Bh5+ Ke6 31.Bc5 f4 32.Be8 Rc2 33.Bf8 Bh4 34.f3 Nc4 35.Bd7+ Kf7 36.Bf5 Ra2 37.Bc5 Ra5 38.Bxh7 Rxc5 39.Rd7+ Ke6 40.Rxb7 Nd2

This machine has no respect - who created you ? 0-1