11th European Individual Champiolnships 2010 (Start)
Adams and Howell compete for European Title
IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 6th March 2010
English GMs Michael Adams, David Howell and Keith Arkell compete in the European Individual which starts today at Rijeka in Croatia.
English GMs Michael Adams, David Howell and Keith Arkell compete in the European Individual which starts today at Rijeka in Croatia. The event is a world championship qualifier with places in the next World Cup at stake and consequently it is immensely strong with forty six of the world's leading one hundred players competing. Adams is seventh seed.
The final game of the Sicilian Defence Theme Tournament between Judit Polgar and Gregory Kaidanov was a Scheveningen Sicilian. Polgar levelled the four game contest with a lovely attack, sacrificing a pawn to reach a position where Black is devoid of counterplay.
J Polgar - G Kaidanov
Sicilian Theme Match Hilton Head (4)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6
(The Scheveningen Sicilian and now 6.g4 is the Keres Attack. Polgar develops first then attacks)
6.Be3 Nc6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0-0
(9.0-0 could lead to the lines we saw on Thursday in Anand - Kempinski)
9...a6 10.f4 e5
(Black has four alternative moves 10...Qc7 ; 10...Nd7; 10...Nxd4; 10...Bd7 this looks dubious)
11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Qa5 13.Kb1 Rfd8 14.Bf3!
(Taking control of the centre and sacrificing a pawn 14.g4 exf4 15.Bxf4 d5 16.g5 d4! is good for Black)
14...exf4
(14...d5 15.Nxd5 Qxd2 16.Rxd2)
15.Bxf4 Qxf5 16.g4! Qa5
(16...Nxg4 17.Rhg1 Nge5 18.Be4 Qe6 19.Nd5 with excellent compensation for example Rac8 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Bf5! or 20...Qxe5 21.Rde1 Qh5 22.Qg2 g6 23.Bf3)
17.g5 Nd7 18.Bd5 Nce5 19.Qf2 Rac8 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Ne4 Kh8 22.h4
Gregory Kaidanov
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Judit Polgar
Position after 22.h4
White's bishop is beautifully placed and a pawn storm is underway.
22...Nc4 23.Rhe1 Nb6
( 23...Qb5 24.Bxc4 Qxc4 25.Rd4 Qc7 26.Nc3 Bf8 27.Nd5 with a dominating position)
24.Bxb7 Rb8 25.Qxf7 Na4
(25...Rxb7 26.Nxd6 wins 26...Bxd6 27.Re8+)
26.Qxe7 Qb6 27.b3 Rxb7 28.Qe6
(White is a pawn up and the knight dominates)
28...Qb4
(28...d5 29.Rxd5! Qxe6 30.Rxd8+ Qg8 31.Rxg8+ Kxg8 32.Kc1)
29.Nxd6 Nc3+ 30.Ka1 Rf8
(30...Nxd1 31.Qe8+ Rxe8 32.Rxe8#)
31.Nxb7 Nxd1
(31...Qa3 32.b4!)
32.Rxd1 Qxb7 33.Kb2 1-0
Gregory Kaidanov
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Judit Polgar
Final position after 33.Kb2
Viktor Korchnoi was predictably too strong for most of his opponents at the European Senior Team. However in this game White speeds his downfall with an unsound sacrifice.
M Wahlbom - V Korchnoi
European Senior Team Ch Dresden
French Classical
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.e5 Be7 8.Qd2 b6 9.0-0-0 Bb7 10.Kb1 Na5 11.h4 a6 12.Qf4 Qd7 13.Rh3 Bc6 14.Ng5 f6 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Nxe6 Qxe6 17.Re3 Qd6 18.Qf5 0-0 19.Bd3 Rf7 20.Qh5 Raf8 21.Rde1 Kh8 22.Re6 Qd8 23.Nd1 Bd7 24.R6e2 c6 25.g4 Nc4 26.g5 fxg5 27.hxg5 Bxg5 28.Rh1 Nd2+ 29.Rxd2 Bxd2 30.Bxh7 Qg5 0-1
Viktor Korchnoi
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M Wahlbom
Final position after 30...Qg5 White can win back rook for bishop but will remain a piece down.
