Round 8 22nd January 2001
EUWE MUST REMEMBER THIS...
NO - not the opening line of the classic song from Casablanca, where chess-fiend Humphrey Bogart asks his nightclub pianist, Sam, to play As Time Goes By, in memory of his lost love, Ilsa. It is, in fact, former Candidate Mark Taimanov giving us a recital to mark a special day at the Corus Tournament – Max Euwe Day.
2001 marks a significant year for chess in the Netherlands. The country celebrates the first centenary of the birth of their former world champion Max Euwe, who was born on the 20th of May 1901. In 1935, much to the surprise of everyone, Euwe caused a sensation when he defeated Alekhine to become the 5th World Champion. Despite Euwe’s ‘reign’, lasting just two years until 1937, it led to a spectacular growth in the popularity of chess in the Netherlands and also – albeit indirectly – to the start of the Corus Chess Tournament, or the “Hoogovens Schaaktoernooi”, as it was then known.
Just to add a bit more glamour to their “little” work tournament during the depression of the war, the employees of the Hoogovens Steel Works decided to invite Dr Max Euwe, as a special invitee to the 1940 tournament. The invitation of Euwe indirectly led to the tournament being opened up to a wider, international field, which has now grown into one of the finest Festivals that the game of chess has to offer.
Professor Max Euwe, who died in 1981, is the only chess world champion the Netherlands has ever had – yet the growth in popularity in the game in this small country, with a population of just 16 million, can be directly traced to 1935 when he became a national Dutch hero after beating Alekhine.
Euwe is also honoured by having the only chess museum in the world (naturally based in Amsterdam) named after him: the Max Euwe Centre (http://www.maxeuwe.nl), a library, museum, research centre and meeting place for chessplayers. Unfortunately, one of the highlights of his centennial year could see them being kicked out of their home at the Max Euweplein, a beautiful little square in Amsterdam. (Take the main exit of the Vondelpark, cross the Jan Hein Donner Bridge, and you're there. Incidentally, it’s also the only chess related visit to be listed in those wonderful travel guides, A Rough Guide To Amsterdam.) The rent has been raised 250%, and the Centre’s benefactors cannot meet the new demands. However, it may not come to that as there’s now intense lobbying going on with politicians and officials to save the museum.
Taimanov with Sosonko.
Originally, two of Euwe’s former opponents, Vassily Smyslov and Mark Taimanov, were invited as special guests on the 22nd and 23rd of January to Wijk aan Zee to help commemorate the special Euwe Day’s at the tournament by providing commentary on the matches and of course share their memories of Euwe. Unfortunately, due to health problems, Smyslov had to withdraw at the last minute, leaving just Taimanov.
For those that don’t know, Taimanov, despite a glittering career over the chessboard, was blessed by also being a highly gifted pianist who also celebrated international triumphs in the concert hall with his first wife, Lyubov Bruk. Usually when I’m sent a CD to review it tends to come from the ChessBase factory in Hamburg, which unfortunately doesn’t do anything to relax me when I put it in my hi-fi and sit back in my favourite armchair with a glass of whiskey. Can you imagine my surprise then last year when I was sent from Philips, as chess correspondent for my newspaper, The Scotsman, a CD that actually played music?
A double album from the series entitled Great Pianists of the 20th Century, it featured the piano duets of Bruk (who died in 1996) and Taimanov, in recordings from when they were at their height between 1959 and 1968. Sadly, they both split up personally and professionally in the early seventies, just prior to their debut in the West. Whether this had any connection with Taimanov’s 6-0 defeat to Fischer, we’ll never know. Taimanov fell from favour with the Soviet chess authorities, not just because of the drubbing to Bobby, but also because he returned home with a large amount of foreign currency and a copy of a book by Solzhenitsyn. “At least I still have my music,” he said at the time, but, alas, it wasn’t for long due to the ending of the partnership.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first and only time any of Taimanov’s musical works have been released in the West. Featuring concertos by Mozart and Poulenc, and music for two pianos by Rachmaninov, Arensky, Poulenc, Milhaud, Busoni and Chopin, the CD received rave reviews on its release last year. I’m no critic (though I seem to have a few!), but the whole production was sheer bliss – one not to be missed for all you chess playing music lovers out there. If you want to hear for yourself, rush down to your nearest high street record shop and ask for Philips 456 736-2PM2.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch so to speak, someone else is making sweet music at Wijk – Alexei Shirov!
For the second time in the tournament the Spanish\Latvian maestro increased his lead to one point. His victory over back-marker Sergei Tiviakov also earned him his third Spectators’ Prize of the tournament (moving him closer to reaching a new record of five). However, celebratory drink in hand to conduct his second press conference also of the tournament, it wasn’t, shall we say, in perfect pitch!
“More Shirov Please!”, was the main gist of your many emails to clog up my inbox after Mark Crowther foolishly published my email address for you to write to me. So, sit back and once again enjoy the maestro at his best with these notes based on his press conference. Take it away, Alexei!
Shirov,A (2718) - Tiviakov,S (2597) [E20]
1 d4 I wanted to take a rest from my normal 1 e4, to avoid any preparation - Tiviakov is usually a very organised opponent. 1 ..Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 f3 An old favourite! I played my last serious games with this line in Biel 1992, when I lost to Georgiev, Beliavsky and Karpov. But in my preparations I noticed that Tiviakov plays 4 ..Nc6, which I had always thought favoured White - After today's game I'm not so sure now! 4 ..Nc6 4 ..d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 Qd3 b6 9 e4 Ba6 10 Qd2 Bxf1 11 Kxf1 Ne7 12 Ne2 Nbc6 13 dxc5 Qc7 14 Qf4 e5 15 Qg4 0–0 16 Kf2 Na5 17 cxb6 Qxb6+ 18 Be3 Qc6 19 Rhd1 Nc4 20 Bg5 f6 21 Bc1 Qb6+ 22 Kg3 f5 23 exf5 Nxf5+ 24 Kh3 Nce3 25 Bxe3 Nxe3 26 Qe4 Qe6+ 27 Kg3 Nxd1 28 Rxd1 Rad8 29 Re1 Qf5 30 Qxf5 Rxf5 31 Kf2 Rd2 32 Rb1 Ra2 33 Rb5 Rxa3 34 c4 Rf6 35 Rxe5 Rc6 36 c5 Ra5 37 Re7 Rcxc5 38 Nf4 Re5 39 Rc7 Ra4 0–1 Shirov,A-Karpov,A/Biel 1992/CBM 31. 5 e4 d5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e5 Ng8 8 f4 Nh6 9 Nf3 Bg4 It's much like the French - Black's playing against the d4-pawn. 10 Be3 Nf5 11 Bf2 Bxf3 12 gxf3 I had foreseen this position and thought I would have compensation for my bad pawn structure with my bishop pair and the half-open g-file. Unfortunately, I underestimated his sacrifice on d4 - it came as a shock, I didn't think it worked! 12 ..0–0 13 Rg1?!
13 ..Ncxd4! Only now did it hit me. I have to play very correct here as I'm in grave danger of losing very quickly. 14 Bxd4 Qh4+ 15 Bf2 Qxf4 16 Bd3 Of course, 16 Qxd5? Bxc3+ 17 bxc3 Rad8 18 Rg4 Qh6! 16 ..d4? Tiviakov gets a bit too over ambitious. I feel for sure he would have drawn easily after 16 ..Qxe5+! 17 Kf1 (17 Be2 d4!; 17 Qe2 Bxc3+!) 17 ..Bxc3 18 bxc3 Ne3+ 19 Bxe3 Qxe3 - he has three very good pawns for the piece, he has the better pawn structure, and he has the safer king. I would have happily have agreed a draw in this position. 17 Rg4!
Even after the slip, White still has to be very careful: 17 a3? dxc3 18 axb4 cxb2 19 Rb1 Rad8 and Black's winning. My saving grace is that I have good compensation in my active pieces - they have to start working now. 17 ..Qxe5+ 18 Qe2 Again the only move - 18 Kf1 dxc3 19 Rxb4 Rad8 and Black is much better. 18 ..Qa5 18 ..Rae8?! 19 Qxe5 Rxe5+ 20 Kf1 and I must be winning. 19 0–0–0 dxc3 20 Bxf5 20 Qe4?! Qxa2 21 Qxb4 Qxb2+ 22 Qxb2 cxb2+ 23 Kxb2 and Black has four pawns for the piece, which must be enough. White is very active, but four pawns are four pawns! 20 ..Qxf5?! He missed his chance here. He should have played: 20 ..cxb2+ 21 Qxb2! Bc3! (21 ..Ba3?? 22 Rxg7+ Kh8 23 Rg8+ Kxg8 24 Rg1#) 22 Qc2 g6 23 Ra4 Qxf5 24 Qxc3 - but White is still better. 21 Rxb4 Black is simply lost now, and although I eventually won, I'm not sure I played the best moves. 21 ..Rae8 22 Re4 cxb2+ 23 Kxb2 Rxe4 24 Qxe4 Qb5+ 25 Ka1 b6 26 Bd4?! Yes, maybe here I had better: 26 Qd5 Qe2 27 Bg3 26 ..Qd7 27 Rd2?! I played for a trick that didn't work - again I underestimated one of his moves. I should have played 27 Rg1 27 ..Re8 28 Bc3 Qb5 29 a4 Rxe4 30 axb5 Ra4+!
I had quickly dismissed this possibility when playing 27 Rd2. It now makes the win much more complicated - if possible at all! 31 Kb2 f6? The decisive blunder! Tiviakov claimed that 31 ..Kf8 was a draw. I don't necessarily agree, but it definitely was his best chance. 32 Kb3 Rf4 33 Rd8+ Kf7 34 Rd7+ Kg6 35 Rxc7 Rxf3 36 Rxa7 Rf5 37 Kc4 Rc5+ 38 Kb4 Rd5 39 Rb7 Rd6 40 Kc4 h5 41 Bd4 He cannot stop the b-pawn from promoting. 1–0
Well, how do you follow that? How about Morozevich vs Ivanchuk! The inbox was also inundated with request for more Morozevitch! So much so, if I didn't, one Texan even threatened to invite me round to his ranch and barbecue my ribs (or was to offer me barbecued ribs if I did?). Well, OK. Here he is, despite this loss to big Chucky, that dedicated follower of fashion himself, Weird Al Morozevich!
Morozevich,A (2745) - Ivanchuk,V (2717) C26
1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 g3 A quieter line of the Vienna, that was popularised in the 1890s by Mieses, and again in the 1960s by our absent friend, Vassily Smyslov. 3 ..Bc5 4 Bg2 c6 5 Qe2!?
A highly unusual continuation. More common has been 5 Nge2 But then again, it's not unusual for Weird Al to go his own way in the opening now, is it? 5 ..d5! 6 d3 6 exd5 cxd5 7 Qb5+ (7 Qxe5+? Be6) 7 ..Nbd7 8 Nxd5 Nxd5 9 Bxd5 0–0 and Black has a big lead in development for the pawn. 6 ..0–0 7 Nf3 Nbd7 8 0–0 Re8 9 Nh4 dxe4 10 dxe4 g6 11 Bg5 Be7 12 Rad1 Qb6 13 Na4 Qb5 14 Qxb5 cxb5 15 Nc3 a6 16 Nf3 Kg7 17 a3 h6 18 Bc1 18 Be3! with Nd5 to follow looked better. 18 ..b6 19 b4 Bb7 20 Bb2 Bc6 21 Bh3! Kf8 22 Rfe1 Ra7!
The best square for the rook. Not only does it protect d7, it can take up an active role on c7 also. From here in Morozevich seems to be outmaneuvered by Chucky. 23 Nd5 Bxd5 24 exd5 Bd6 25 Nd2 Rc7 26 Bxd7 I don't think for one minute Morozevich would have considered batten down the hatches with 26 c3 - It's not in his character. 26 ..Nxd7 27 Ne4 Ke7 28 f4 Rxc2 29 Rd2 29 Nxd6? Kxd6 30 fxe5+ Nxe5 31 Rxe5 Rxe5 32 Bxe5+ Kxe5 33 d6 Rc8! and the d-pawn falls. 29 ..Rxd2 30 Nxd2 Kd8!
31 f5 The endgame after 31 fxe5 Bxe5 32 Bxe5 Nxe5 is hopeless for White - Black has the dominant knight on e5, and will easily pick up the d-pawn. Morozevich therefore gambles on complicating the game in an effort to salvage something. 31 ..gxf5 32 Rf1 f4 33 gxf4 exf4 34 Nf3 Re3! 35 Nd4 Rd3 White now has to contend with a rampant rook. 36 Re1 f3 37 Nc6+ Kc7 38 Rc1 Rd2 38 ..Bf4! 39 Ne5+ (39 Be5+ Nxe5 40 Nxe5+ Bxc1 41 Nxd3 Be3+ 42 Kf1 Kd6!) 39 ..Bxc1 40 Nxd3 Bxb2 41 Nxb2 Kd6 42 Kf2 Ne5! 39 Be5 Nxe5 40 Nxe5+ Kb7 41 Nxf3 Rxd5 Not only is Chucky two pawns to the better, he's also got the active pieces too! 42 Rc3 a5 43 Rb3 Kc6 44 Kf2 Be7 45 Ke3 Bf6 46 Rb1 Kd6 47 h4 Bc3!
Look how the bishop not only limits the scope of the White knight (covering d2, d4, e5 and e1) but also hampers the White rook, which cannot move from the b-file as it will cost an other pawn. 48 Rb3 Bg7 49 Rb1 h5! In effect, that little sortie by the bishop has gained a tempo, and now he's threatening Bh6. Still all the knight squares are covered. 50 Ke2 Bh6 51 Rg1 Ke7 52 Rb1 Bf4 53 Rb3 Bd6 54 Ke3 f5 55 Rb1 Kf6 56 Rb3 axb4 57 axb4 Rd1 58 Ke2 Rc1 59 Nd2 Bf4 60 Nb1 Be5 61 Na3 Rh1 62 Nxb5 Rxh4 63 Na7 Rh2+ 64 Kf1 h4 65 Nc6 Bg3 66 Nd4 Rf2+ 67 Kg1 Ke5 68 Nf3+ Kf4 69 Ne1 Kg4 0–1
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.
You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@cableinet.co.uk