3rd London Chess Classic 2011 (Announcement)
3rd London Chess Classic with Anand, Carlsen and Aronian
IM Malcolm Pein - Thursday 7th July 2011
IM Malcolm Pein reports on the strengthened and expanded London Chess Class he is organising in London in December.
The 3rd London Chess Classic will be staged at the Olympia Conference Centre in Kensington from Saturday 3rd December to
Monday 12th December. The tournament has become one of the world's most prestigious and its reputation will be further enhanced this year by an even stronger field as well as more free lessons and competitions for children who will again enjoy free admission throughout.
I have added on extra player to make the main event a nine player all play all. There will be two extra rounds as one player will sit out each day and keep the spectators doubly entertained by joining the commentary team.
The field will be confirmed next week but the world champion Vishy Anand
and world number Magnus Carlsen, the winner of the first two London Chess Classic tournaments will return. Tickets will go on sale in September.
I hope to double the number of schoolchildren coming for free lessons this year from 500 to 1000 and there will be a five day school program as well as the Open tournament, weekenders, nightly blitz and a chess festival with film screenings and lectures. A full schedule of activity can be found at the tournament website www.londonchessclassic.com
Walter Spoelman was the early leader of the Dutch championship but the teenage prodigy Anish Giri soon took control. See if you can find the key move in this game. Black plays the Benko Gambit but gets diverted away from the normal plan of pressuring the a and b files and the g7-b2 diagonal and gives up the exchange for a pawn.
W Spoelman - D Brandenburg
Dutch Championship
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.g3 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.Rb1 0-0 11.0-0 Ne8
(11...Qa5 12.Bd2 Rfb8 13.Qc2 Ne8 is another plan)
12.Qc2 Nc7 13.Rd1 Bxc3!? 14.Qxc3 Bxe2 15.Bh6 Nf6 16.Re1 Ncxd5 17.Qd2 Bb5 18.Bxf8 Qxf8 19.a3 Ra4
(Black has some activity and a solid structure but it cannot be maintained. If 19...Bc6 20.b4; 19...e6 20.b4 c4 21.Nd4)
20.b4! c4 21.Nd4 Bd7 22.b5 e6 23.b6 Qb8 24.Nc2 Ra6 25.b7 Ra7
If Black can round up the b7 pawn he will be able to fight on. How did White secure a decisive advantage?
Daan Brandenburg
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Wouter Spoelman
Position after 25...Ra7
Answer:
26.Qd4!
(Threat Qxa7!)
Ra4
(26...Rxb7 27.Rxb7 Qxb7 28.Qxf6!)
27.Nb4 Rxb4
(27...Qxb7 28.Nxd5)
28.Rxb4 Bc6 29.Qxc4 1-0
Disaster can occur in even the quietest opening
Z Martic - I Zaja
Croatian Championship 1994
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Qe7+ 8.Be3 Qb4+ 9.Nc3 Qxb2 10.Kd2 Bb4 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Bf4 Nf6 13.Rab1 Qxc3+ 14.Qxc3 Ne4+ 0-1
