World Universities Chess Championships 2010 (9)
Poobalasingam makes IM norm in the World Universities
IM Malcolm Pein - Thursday 16th September 2010
Malcolm Pein reports that Peter Peter Poobalasingam scored an IM norm at the World Universities Chess Championships.
Congratulations to Peter Poobalasingam who scored an International Master result while representing England at the World Universities Chanpionship in Zurich. The other members of the squad were: Vedantha Kumar (3/9), Sarah Hegarty (4/9) and Hannah Dale (3.5/9). All benefited from the presence of IM Lorin D'Costa as team manager and coach. Poobalasingam scored 50% against a strong field, including three grandmasters.
A fine attack from Sarah Hegarty who manages to bring all her forces to the kingside before the opponent's counterplay can interfere. A knight sacrifice demolishes the black defences.
S Hegarty - I Kadek
11th WUCC Zurich
Sicilian Scheveningen
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 a6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a4 Qc7 9.Be3 0-0 10.f4 Nbd7 11.a5 b5 12.axb6 Nxb6 13.Qd3 Bb7 14.Nb3 d5 15.e5 Nfd7 16.Na5 Nc5 17.Qd4 Bc8 18.Kh1 Rd8 19.Rf3! Ncd7 20.Rh3 Bc5 21.Qd3 Nf8 22.Bxc5 Qxc5 23.Nb3 Qc7 24.Nd4 Bb7 25.Qf3 Nc4 26.Bd3 g6
(26...Nxb2 27.Bxh7+ Nxh7 28.Qh5; 26...Qb6!? 27.Bxh7+ Nxh7 28.Qh5 Qxd4 29.Qxh7+ Kf8)
27.Nd1! Qb6 28.c3 a5 29.Qg3 a4 30.f5! exf5 31.Nxf5 Qe6 32.Nh6+ Kg7 33.Ne3 Nxe3 34.Qxe3 Nd7? 35.Rf1 Rf8 36.Nf5+!
I Kadek
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Sarah Hegarty
Position after 36.Nf5+!
36...gxf5 37.Bxf5 Qxe5 1-0
It's mate after 38.Qg5+ Kh8 39.Rxh7#
Bent Larsen, whose death was announced at the weekend, was boundlessly creative in the opening. He consistently went his own way and popularized off-beat variations like 1.b3 which bears his name and also the unfashionable Bishop's Opening. Here is a game from his second world title campaign which featured what was then a new idea, 5.Nge2! Black never breaks White's hold on d5 and f5.
B Larsen - L Portisch
Candidates QF Porec 1968
Bishop's Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Na5 5.Nge2! Nxc4 6.dxc4 Be7 7.0-0 d6 8.b3 0-0 9.Ng3 c6 10.Bb2 Qa5? 11.Qe1!
(Threat Nc3-d5!)
11...Qc7 12.a4 Be6 13.Rd1 a6 14.Qe2 Bg4 15.f3 Bd7 16.Kh1 Rab8 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Rfe8 19.Rd2 Rbd8 20.Rfd1 Nh5 21.Ba3! Nf4 22.Qf2 Qa5 23.Ne4! d5 24.Bxe7 Rxe7 25.Qh4! Red7 26.g3 Ne2
(26...dxe4 27.Qxd8+!! Qxd8 28.Rxd7 but not 27.Rxd7? Rxd7 28.Rxd7?? Qe1#) )
27.f6! Qb4 28.Qg4! 1-0
Lajos Portisch
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Bent Larsen
Final position after 28.Qg4! heading for g7.
