John Henderson Linares Reports

Round 1 23rd February 2001

MAÑANA LINARES

SO, how do you get to Linares? Personally speaking, I’ve found that the best way of getting there is by spending a day or two taking in the many delights of Madrid first. Linares can wait; you can always go the next day.

Spain is currently selling itself on a theme of passion for life. In the major cities like Madrid and Barcelona there is no lack of passion, lust for life, or the “movida” as the Spanish call it.

You see fun is a way of life in Spain’s cities – and you kinda get used to it yourself. Every so often the Spaniards formalise the proposition by having a fiesta. They have fiestas because it is before Easter, because it is Easter, or because it’s after Easter. Or because it’s some obscure saint’s day. Or because it’s been a week or two since they have had a fiesta. I like this relaxed attitude to life the Spaniards have. Not for nothing is “mañana” regarded as the most important word in the Spanish dictionary.

Madrid is one of the liveliest cities in Europe; they have no concept of curfew. The nightclubs and bars go on till dawn - so Peter Leko’s coach, Amador Rodriguez, reliably informs me. It’s not uncommon to see signs outside the clubs, stating: ‘Arrive before five if you want to avoid the queues.’ Of course, they mean 5.00am. I found myself exhausted by midnight just sampling the everyday pleasures of the city. By day you’ll be busy drinking coffee in a terrace café of the Plaza Mayor and watching the world go by. Or admiring Picasso’s Guernica or a Goya or two in one of the many museums and galleries. Or having a picnic in the stately Reitro park or even wider open spaces of the Casa de Campo.

Evenings are spent tasca-hoping from bodega to tapas bar, sampling the food and drink. A good meal with a bottle of wine costs as little as a few pounds and it is so busy you almost have to fight for a table (but on no account try to compete with the feisty Madrid matrons; give in early and graciously, that’s my motto). There is a bewildering choice of such favourites and I would have tried many more if last year I had not discovered the Escudero, a wonderful old-fashioned bodega two minutes off the Gran Via main street. The Escudero sells a delicious, chilled, Vino El Collapso wine at a ridicules 50p a glass. Forever looking after the well being of the alcoholics in their society, it’s not unusual in such places in Spain that a glass of wine comes accompanied with free tapas such as fried fish or patatas bravas. By the time you have drunk four wines you had your dinner as well. As for entertainment, you can’t beat the Escudero. You could observe a wide spectrum of madrilenos at recreation: the old chaps energetically watching and discussing the football or the bullfights on TV; Spanish families applying themselves busily to the business of eating; the occasional transvestite – with Marilyn Monroe’s bust, Madonna’s clothes, and Maradona’s legs.

But all good things must come to an end – heaven forbid I ever went to one of these tournaments and enjoyed myself. So, with a heavy heart and a found farewell to Madrid, I set off for the three and a half hour train journey from Charmartin Station to Linares. Was it worth my while, I asked myself?

Instead of hoping for a couple of world champions in the line-up like the recent Corus extravaganza, the top Spanish tournament was left with two ex world champions as the new kids on the block, Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, declined invitations – Anand because he had commitments in India with his sponsors, and Kramnik because the organisers wouldn’t pay him the going rate as world champion.

This left a serious weakened line-up for the tournament.

Speaking out about the unexpected sudden weakness in Linares, usually regarded as the world’s strongest tournament, during the final round press conference at Wijk aan Zee, Garry Kasparov came up with the following wry observation: “It’s not so much the Wimbledon of chess this year – more like an ATP Open!”

And, if the kasparovchess.com chief number cruncher, Jeff Sonas, is to be believed, it’s not really worth my while making the long trek there. He predicts that the results for the double round robin event is a forgone conclusion without Kramnik and Anand: 1 Garry Kasparov (Russia), 6.5/10; 2 Peter Leko (Hungary), 5.5, 3-4 A Shirov (Spain), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 5; 5-6. Judit Polgar (Hungary), Anatoly Karpov (Russia) 4.

Still, regardless of what Jeff thought, I decided I’d make the pilgrimage to the Hotel Anibal – just to make sure!

The running joke is that when you finally arrive in Linares you’re not there yet. After winding your way through Spain from Madrid in that gruelling train journey (only entertainment a Spanish version of the Clint Eastwood western, Joe Kidd), you arrive at the small village of Baeza, which shares the station with Linares. From there, you have to take the 10 minutes or so taxi journey when, eventually, you arrive at Linares – and the splendours of the Hotel Anibal.

Arriving in the early evening, I had just 30 minutes or so to freshen up before making my way to the town hall and the grand drawing of lots at 8.00pm. Winding my way through the streets of Linares to the town hall, the first person I bumped into was none other than Numero Uno himself, Garry Kasparov, who shook me warmly by the throat and asked me what the latest “rumours” were. “Apparently if FIDE have their way,” I told the great one, “then we’re here for the funeral of classical chess!” “Well, let’s give it a good send-off,” he replied.

Leko,P (2745) - Kasparov,G (2849) [B97]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qb6 The Fischer favourite - the Poisoned Pawn variation! Bobby's had a phenomenal record with this line: a near 80% score with the Black pieces. If you don't count the Soviet giant Yefin Geller (his bete noire) using Fischer's pet-line against the man himself (Monte Carlo, 1967), Bobby only ever lost one game with it - to Boris Spassky in their epic 1972 Reykjavik match. 8 Nb3 The cautious approach. This just leads to a sort of main line Najdorf. 8 ..Be7 9 Qf3 Nbd7 10 0–0–0 Qc7 11 Bd3 b5 12 a3 Rb8 12 ..Bb7 is more usual. The text (though still fitting in with the ideals of the Najdorf) has only ever been played 3-times - and all Black wins! 13 Rhe1 b4 14 axb4 Rxb4 15 Kb1 Bb7 16 Qh3 Nc5 17 Nxc5

17 Na2 Nxd3 18 Bxf6 Rxb3 19 Bxg7 Nxe1 20 Qxb3 Rg8 21 Bd4 Nxg2 22 Qf3 d5 23 Rg1 Qc4 24 Rxg2 Rxg2 25 Qxg2 Qxd4 26 Qg8+ Bf8 27 exd5 Bxd5 28 Qxh7 Qxf4 29 Qd3 Qc4 0–1 Ellison,D-Collinson,A/Balatonbereny 1992/TD 17 ..dxc5 I thought 17 ..Qxc5 looked better. But then again, who am I to question the man that took over Fischer's mantle of mastery of the Najdorf? 18 Na2 (18 e5 Nd7! 19 Na2 (19 Bxe7? Qxc3!) 19 ..Bxg5 20 Nxb4 Bxf4 21 Nxa6 Bxa6 22 Bxa6 Bxe5 Black has strong pressure on the White king.) 18 ..Rb6 with an easy game. 18 e5 Nd5 19 Nxd5 Bxd5 20 c3 20 Bxe7 Qb6! a nice little zwischenzug (Bless you!) 21 Bxc5 (21 Bd6?? Rxb2+ 22 Kc1 Qb4! soon mates.) 21 ..Rxb2+ 22 Kc1 Rb1+ 23 Kd2 Rxd1+ 24 Rxd1 Qxc5 25 Ke2 Qb4 also looks drawn - but Black has the advantage of the outside passed-pawn. He may be able to make something of it if he can safely get the rook into the game. 20 ..Rb3 21 Bc2 Qb7!? Drastic action indeed. I think Kasparov started to worry about how he was going to get his rook into the game after a Ba4+: 21 ..Rb8! 22 Ba4+! Kf8 (22 ..Bc6 23 Bxc6+ Qxc6 24 Bxe7 Kxe7 25 Qg3! Qb6 26 Qh4+ Ke8 27 Re2 and, apart from worrying about how to develop the rook on h8, Kasparov will come under a lot of pressure with Rd6 coming shortly.) 23 Bxe7+ Qxe7 24 Rd2 and White has a little advantage - though nothing to worry about. 22 Bxb3 Qxb3 23 Rxd5?

Being in Spain, Leko really had to take the bull by the horns here and go in for the kill. But then again, Peter was never Matador material - he's been too cautious all his life: 23 Bxe7! Qa2+ (23 ..Be4+? 24 Rd3! Qc4 25 Rxe4 Qxe4 26 Bxc5 wins) 24 Kc1 (24 Kc2?! Bb3+ 25 Kd3 Bxd1 26 Rxd1 Kxe7) 24 ..Qa1+ 25 Kc2 Qa4+ (25 ..Qa2? 26 Rxd5! Qxd5 27 Bd6) 26 Kd3 Qc4+ 27 Ke3 Qe4+ 28 Kf2 Qxf4+ 29 Kg1 Kxe7 30 Qh5! and, with Rf1 threatened, White's hoping to entice Black to play ..g6, weakening the dark-squares round the Black king. White should be able to convert this easily enough. 23 ..Qxd5 24 Bxe7 Kxe7 25 Qh4+ Kd7 26 Qg4 Kc6 27 Qe2! 27 Qxg7? Rb8! 28 Rc1 (28 Qxf7 Qb3 29 Re2 Qd1+!) 28 ..Qe4+ 29 Rc2 (29 Ka1? Rb5!) 29 ..Qxf4 and suddenly White has got one or two little problems to solve - though probably still drawn. 27 ..Rd8 28 Qxa6+ Kc7 29 Qa7+ Kc6 Leko's a pawn ahead but, with the domination of the d-file and the active king, should it go into a rook and pawn ending, Kasparov can easily hold. 30 Qa6+ Kc7 31 Qa5+ Kb7 32 Qb5+ Kc7 33 Qa5+ Kb7 34 Qb5+ Leko repeats a few moves to make the time control in safety. 34 ..Kc7 35 Qe2 h5 36 g3 g6 37 c4 Trying to contest the d-file wasn't any better: 37 Kc2 Qa2! 38 Qb5 (38 h3 c4!) 38 ..Qd5 and we're basically back to where we started. 37 ..Qd2 38 Qe3?

Trying to be too clever: Leko's hoping Kasparov will exchange queen's now so that he can have his rook more actively placed on e3 to defend the g-pawn. 38 Qxd2 Rxd2 39 h4 Rd3 the active rook guarantees the draw 40 Rg1 Kb6= 38 ..Rd4? The mutual time trouble explains all - Kasparov actually missed a big chance to come out with the better side of the draw! 38 ..Qb4! Now how does White defend the dual threats of ..Rd2 and ..Rd4? 39 Rc1 Rd2 40 Rc2 Rxc2 41 Kxc2 Qxc4+ 42 Kd2 Kc6 and now it's White looking for the draw. 39 Qxd2 Rxd2 40 Re3 40 h4 Rd3 41 Rg1 Kb6 is much the same - the active rook secures the draw. 40 ..Rxh2 41 Rf3 Kc6 42 Ka2 Rh3 43 Rb3 h4 44 gxh4 Rxh4 45 Rf3 Rh5 With the idea of ..Rf5 and ..g5 winning. 46 Rg3 Rh2 47 Rf3 Rc2 48 Kb3 Rc1 49 Rf2 Kb6 50 Rf3 Ka5 51 Rf2 Re1 52 Ka3 Ra1+ 53 Kb3 Rc1 54 Rf3 Kb6 55 Rf2 ½–½

Before heading to Linares, the boys at the ChessBase factory in Hamburg decided to immediately whiz over to me a copy of their all-powerful Deep Fritz. Freddie Friedel reassured me that it would change my life. “It will do all your work in half the time,” he said. Hmmm, I thought. Is it possible, Freddie, to send me two copies and I can spend more time sightseeing around Spain? But thankfully Deep Fritz was put to good use in this game – Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the human version of Deep Fritz that we have permanently on tap in he press room at Linares: Ljubomir Ljubojevic!

Grischuk,A (2663) - Polgar,J (2676) B47

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nc3 Qc7 6 Be2 a6 The Taimanov\Kan Sicilian. I'm never quite sure which it is - Taimanov only likes to recognise himself with one particular kind of set-up. 7 0–0 Nf6 8 Kh1 Nxd4 9 Qxd4 Bc5 10 Qd3 b5 11 f4 Bb7 12 Bf3 0–0 12 ..h5 with the idea of ..Ng4 is a bit more adventurous - and it's also a line with a good plus score for Black. 13 e5 Ne8 14 a4N Taking on b7 and either f5 or Ne4 is par for the course here - usually White doesn't commit the queenside pawns. 14 ..b4 15 Bxb7 Qxb7 16 Ne4 Be7 17 Be3 Qc6 18 Ng5 g6 18 ..Bxg5?! 19 fxg5 Rc8 20 Bd2! (20 Rac1 d6!) 20 ..a5 (20 ..Qxc2? 21 Qxc2 Rxc2 22 Bxb4) 21 c3 b3 22 Rf4! d6 23 Rh4 g6 24 Qh3 with a big attack down the h-file. 19 Rad1 d6 20 Bd4 dxe5 21 Bxe5 Nf6 22 Qh3 h5 23 Nf3

Bluff? I thought defending c2 with 23 Qb3 was the only way. 23 ..Ng4 23 ..Qxc2!? After a good, long think. I don't know what spooked Judit, but taking on c2 looked good; what does White have? 24 Nd4 (24 a5 Ng4!) 24 ..Qxa4 25 f5 (25 Qh4 Nd5!; 25 Qd3 Qe8! a little awkward, but two pawns are two pawns and Black should be able to untangle herself.) 25 ..Ng4! (Could this be what Judit missed? Apart from attacking the bishop on e5, Ng4 also threatens ..Qxd1 followed by a knight fork on f2. This just looks good to me. 25 ..exf5? 26 Nxf5! gxf5 27 Qh4! Rfd8 28 Qg5+ Kf8 29 Rde1 White has got a lot of pressure for the piece here.) 26 Qg3 exf5 now you can take on f5 as the piece sac doesn't work anymore as there's no Qh4. 24 Nd4 Qc5 25 Qg3 Rad8 26 c3 bxc3 27 bxc3 Rd5 28 Rde1 Rc8 29 Rf3 Bf8 30 h3 Nxe5 31 fxe5 Bg7 32 Rfe3

32 ..Qa5? Time trouble - 32 ..Qc7!, not only keep's the pressure on e5, but also indirectly defending her king: 33 Qf4 (33 Nxe6? fxe6 34 Qxg6 Qf7!) 33 ..Rc5! and something’s got to give for White - there's going to be too many weak pawns hanging at the end of the day. 33 Nxe6! The saving resource. 33 ..fxe6 34 Qxg6 Qb6 35 Rf3 Rf8 36 Rxf8+ Kxf8 37 Rf1+ Kg8

38 Qe8+ Grischuk could have put Polgar under extreme pressure with the simple 38 Kh2! (avoiding the nasty ..Rd1+ followed by ..Qg1+) with the big threat of Rf7. Black now has to play some very accurate moves to survive. 38 ..Qb7 39 Qxe6+ Kh8 (39 ..Kh7 40 Rf7 Rxe5 41 Qf6!) 40 Qe8+ Kh7 41 Qxh5+ Kg8 42 Qe8+ Kh7 43 Rf7 Rd8! To be fair, this was spotted by an inhabitant of Linares, whom Lubosh Kavalek once stated: "Before Fritz, we had Ljubo!" I thought that White was simply winning here, but Ljubo had seen something that Deep Fritz hadn't. 44 Qe6 Qe4! 45 Qf6 Rg8 (45 ..Qg6? 46 Qh4+ Kg8 47 Rxg7+ wins.) 46 Qg5 (46 e6 Kh8!) 46 ..Qg6 47 Qh4+ Qh6= Once the queens come off, Black will be able to activate his rook and bishop to reach a drawish ending: 48 Qf6 (48 Qxh6+ Kxh6 49 Re7 Rc8 50 Re6+ Kg5 51 Rxa6 Bxe5+ 52 Kg1 Rxc3=) 48 ..Kh8 49 Qxh6+ Bxh6 50 Rf6 (50 e6 Re8 51 e7 Kg8 52 Rf6 Bg7 53 Rxa6 Be5+ 54 g3 Rxe7) 50 ..Bg7 51 Rxa6 Bxe5+ 52 Kg1 Rc8!= It's going to be too difficult for White to make progress with the pawns. Not only are Black's pieces active. but is pawns are too far apart - they will be easy to contain. 38 ..Kh7 39 Qxh5+ Kg8 40 Qf7+ Kh7 41 Qh5+ Kg8 42 Rf4 Qb1+ 43 Kh2 Bxe5 44 Qf7+ ½–½

Who holds the record for the winning score at Linares? Step forward the man “Honest” Jeff Sonas thinks is going to come in last: Anatoly Karpov. In 1994 he hit a particularly rich vein of form (If memory serves me right, seven wins in a row!) to take the title with a record winning score (62.83% wins!). Somehow, I think there’s still more life left in the old dog as some would believe. He nearly caused the shock of the opening round when he came close to defeating Alexei Shirov.

Shirov,A (2718) - Karpov,A (2679) [B17]

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Ng5 Ngf6 6 Bd3 e6 7 N1f3 Bd6 8 Qe2 h6 9 Ne4 Nxe4 10 Qxe4 c5 11 Qg4 More popular has been 11 Bd2 or ; 11 0–0 11 ..Qf6N A novelty - the more typical Caro-Kann move, 11 ..Kf8 , is more usual. 12 c3?! If White wants to take anything from the game, he really had to play 12 Be3!? cxd4 (12 ..b6 13 Be4 Rb8 14 0–0–0!) 13 Bxd4 e5 14 Qe4! Qe6 15 Bc3 Nc5 16 Bb5+ Kf8 17 Qe3 and White has much the better of it: Good pieces, better scope for the rooks and a safer king. 12 ..cxd4 13 cxd4 b6 14 0–0 14 Be4 Rb8 15 Bd2 Bb7! 16 Bxb7 Rxb7 17 Rc1 Rc7 14 ..Bb7 15 Be3 h5!

Karpov really has a nice position - just look how harmoniously placed his pieces are. 16 Qh3 Bxf3 17 gxf3 17 Qxf3 Qxf3 18 gxf3 Ke7! is not the sort of ending I'd like to defending against Karpov. 17 ..Rd8 18 Rac1 g5 19 Be4 Ke7 Rather than sit back and watch Karpov squeezing him like a python, Shirov decides it's time to rock the boat a little. 20 Rfe1 Bf4 Karpov may have been better opting for 20 ..g4!? 21 Qg2 Rhg8 22 Kh1 21 Bxf4 Qxf4 22 d5! Now all the fun starts. 22 ..Ne5 23 dxe6 f5 24 Rc7+ 24 Qxf5? Qxf5 25 Bxf5 Nxf3+ 26 Kf1 Nxe1 27 Rxe1 Rd2 is hopeless 24 ..Kd6 25 Rxa7 fxe4 26 e7 Nxf3+ 27 Kf1 Rde8 28 Qd7+ Ke5 29 Rd1 Kf6! 30 Qc6+ Kf7 31 Rd8 Nxh2+ 32 Ke1

32 ..Ng4? With just under 40 seconds or so for the last eight moves, Karpov makes a crucial slip at the wrong moment. The winning line was: 32 ..e3! 33 Qd5+ (33 fxe3? Qxe3+ 34 Kd1 Qf3+ 35 Qxf3+ Nxf3 36 Ke2 g4 and White doesn't seem to have an answer to Black simply pushing the h-pawn.) 33 ..Kg7 34 fxe3 Qxe3+ 35 Kd1 Qf3+ 36 Qxf3 Nxf3 and again the same winning plan seems unstoppable: ..g4 followed by pushing the h-pawn. 33 Qxb6 e3 34 Qb3+ Kg7 35 Qc3+ Qf6 36 fxe3 Qxc3+ 37 bxc3 Ne5 Karpov now had only 5-6 seconds left - and the pressure was beginning to tell. I think he knew that recapturing the pawn was going to lead to a similar position as in the game, so decided instead to try and group all his pieces together, get to the time control, and then see how the ground lay. 37 ..Nxe3 38 Kf2 Nf5 39 Ra5 Kf6 40 Rdd5 Nxe7 41 Rd6+ Kf7 42 Rxg5 and the likely result here is a draw - this is better than the game; but, in reality, Black hasn't got the resources to take advantage of the extra piece. 38 Rd5 Kf6 39 e4 Nf3+ 40 Kf2 g4 41 Kg3 Rh7 42 Rf5+ Kg6 43 Ra6+ Kg7 44 Ra7 Kg6 45 Ra6+ Kg7 46 Ra7 Rh6 47 Rd7 Re6 48 Rxh5 Rxe4 49 Rf5 Ne5 50 Rc7 Re1 50 ..Ng6 51 Rg5 Kf6 52 Rxg4 Re6 53 a4 is also an easy draw. 51 a4 Nf7 52 a5 Nh6 52 ..R8xe7 53 Rxe7 Rxe7 54 a6 (54 Kxg4? Nh6+!) 54 ..Nh6 55 Ra5 Ra7 is also leading nowhere. 53 Rf4 R8xe7 54 Rxe7+ Rxe7 55 a6 Re3+ 56 Kg2 Rxc3 57 Ra4 Rc8 58 a7 Ra8 59 Kg3 Kf6 60 Kf4 Ke7 61 Ra6 Nf7 62 Kxg4 Kd7 63 Kf5 Nd6+ 64 Kf4 Nb5 65 Ke5 Kc7 66 Kd5 Kb7 67 Ra1 Nxa7

A theory draw you would think in an elite tournament? Well, not really! Cast your minds back to another Spanish elite tournament (Dos Hermanas, 1996), and you'll discover that Garry Kasparov managed to beat Judit Polgar in this ending - albeit with a little help from his opponent, who made the cardinal error of trapping her king on the backrank. The only reason I remember this was I had to do a review in a magazine of the ChessBase Endgame CD-Rom's containing all five-piece major endings on 4-CDs, which had just come out at the time. I still find them indispensable - particularly as coasters when friends come round and I don't want stains on the coffee table! However, with Shirov's king so central, the only way he could lose it now was by a Helpmate. Shirov makes no mistake of that. 68 Rb1+ Kc7 69 Rc1+ Kb6 70 Rb1+ Nb5 71 Kc4 Rc8+ 72 Kd5 Rc5+ 73 Ke4 Kc6 74 Ra1 Nd6+ 75 Kd4 Rd5+ 76 Ke3 Kd7 77 Ra8 Ke6 78 Ra7 Kf5 79 Rc7 Re5+ 80 Kd3 Rd5+ 81 Ke3 Ne4 82 Rc4 Nc5 83 Rc3 Ke5 84 Ra3 Rd4 85 Rc3 Kd5 86 Ra3 Re4+ 87 Kf3 Re8 88 Re3 Rf8+ 89 Ke2 Kd4 90 Re7 Rf6 91 Re8 Ne6 92 Ra8 Nf4+ 93 Kf3 Nd3+ 94 Kg4 ½–½

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.