Historic success for Ivanchuk

May 25, 2008

Position No. 6004: Black to play and win. From the game Bu Xiangzhi-Ivan Cheparinov, Sofia 2008.

Solution to Position No. 6005: White gains a Rook by 1 Bf6+ Bg7 2 Bxg7+ Kxg7 3 Nf5+ Kf8 (the Queen falls after 3 … Kg8 4 Ne7+ or 3 … Kh8 4 Rh6+ Kg8 5 Ne7+) 4 Rh6! f6 5 Qxd5 (also 5 Qa6 wins) Rxd5 6 Rh8+ Kf7 7 Rxa8.

Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine overwhelmed a stellar field to win the fourth M-Tel Masters in Sofia, Bulgaria. Ivanchuk’s undefeated score of 8-2 ranks as the highlight of his career and one of the best performances in history. He played at a level of 2977, about 200 points above his usual strength.

The hometown favorite, Veselin Topalov, finished second at 6 1/2 -3 1/2 , an excellent 2841 performance. He matched his winning score in the 2005 and 2006 tournaments and improved on his 2007 result, when he won with 5 1/2 -4 1/2 . However, he had little chance of overtaking Ivanchuk, who coasted after winning his first five games.

Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, who complained of fatigue from three consecutive tournaments, started 2-3 but improved to 5 1/2 -4 1/2 after a day off. Ivan Cheparinov, Topalov’s 21-year-old protégé, scored a creditable 4-6 in only his second elite event. Levon Aronian (Armenia) and Bu Xiangzhi (China) tied for last place at 3-7, a disappointment for Bu and an inexplicable debacle for Aronian, a favorite.

To allay fears of cheating, the players competed inside a glass-walled room dubbed the aquarium. Spectators could see them, but the players could not see or hear the audience. Is this the future of chess?

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia defeated the best Czech grandmaster, David Navara, 5 1/2 -2 1/2 , in a match of rapid games in Prague.

A report on the 2008 U.S. Championship will appear in next Sunday’s chess column. For results and games, see www.monroi.com.

Local news

The Memorial Day Classic continues today and Monday at the Hilton Hotel, 5711 W. Century Blvd. in Los Angeles. Fans may watch the games free. Entries are still open for two side events Monday. See westernchess.com for details.

Chess Palace, 12872 Valley View Ave. in Garden Grove, will host the Southern California Junior Qualifier on Saturday. Players under age 21 are eligible. The winner earns an invitation to the qualifying tournament for this summer’s state championship. Call (714) 899-3421 for more information.

The Exposition Park Chess Club plans a free tournament at 1 p.m. Sunday in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles.

John Cachay won the Spring Swiss, a 59-player tournament at the West Valley Chess Club. Tournament director Jerry Yee (best under-1900) and 9-year-old David Minasyan (best under-1500) led their sections. The club begins the Dan Wong Memorial on Thursday in the Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St. in West Hills. Contact Yee at (818) 915-5572 or at jyee6@socal.rr.com.

Expert Craig Faber scored 5 1/2 - 1/2 to win the 42-player Once a Pawn a Time tournament at the La Habra Chess Club. Joseph Bellinger, Yoshio Dupree, Joanne Koong and Carlos Gomez earned class prizes. The club meets Friday evenings in Central Park, 7821 Walker St. in La Palma. See lapalmachess.741.com for information and photos.

The Pasadena City Championship at the Pasadena Chess Club drew 37 players. Tianyi He took first prize with 5-1, a half-point ahead of Randy Hough, Antonio Martin, Ike Miller and Jesse Victoria. For information about the five-round Mount Wilson Open, which begins Friday, call Neilen Hultgren at (818) 243-3809.

Today’s games

GM Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria)-GM Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2008: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3 Qc7 Taimanov’s variation of the Sicilian Defense. 6 Be3 a6 7 Qd2 The latest fashion, a sort of English Attack. Nf6 8 0-0-0 Bb4 9 f3 Ne5 Black has abandoned 9 … d5 because 10 a3 Bxc3 (or 10 … Ba5 11 Nb3) 11 Qxc3 dxe4 12 fxe4 Nxe4 13 Qd3 Nf6 14 Nxc6 bxc6 15 Bc5 is too unpleasant. 10 Nb3 b5 11 Bd4 Be7 12 Qf2 d6 13 g4 0-0 14 g5 White could insert a2-a3 hereabouts, but it would make … Ne5-c4 more annoying. Nfd7 15 Rg1 Bb7 16 Kb1 Rfc8 17 Rg3 b4 18 Na4 Not fearing 18 … Bc6?! 19 Nb6. Bd8! Possibly Cheparinov underestimated this idea. Now the threat of 19 … Bc6 forces a concession. 19 Nc1 Bc6 20 b3 Bxa4 21 bxa4 Nc6 Even better appears 21 … Qa5. 22 Be3 Not 22 Bb2? Nc5. Qb8 Planning … Bd8-b6. 23 Rh3 This should fail, but Black slips. Nb6?! The right way is 23 … Nce5. 24 Qh4? And White misses his opportunity! After 24 Bxb6! Bxb6? 25 Qh4 h6 26 gxh6 Bd8 27 Qg3, he picks up the d-pawn. Black would have to enter the endgame by 24 … Qxb6 25 Qxb6 Bxb6, when 26 f4 (better than 26 Rxd6 Be3) Bc7 27 a3 should save White. h6 25 Qg3 Nxa4 As 26 gxh6 Nc3+ 27 Ka1 Bf6 wins for Black. 26 Rxd6 hxg5 Calmly securing his Kingside. White is lost. 27 Bd3 Bf6 The deadly threat of 28 … Be5 persuades White to go for a swindle. 28 e5 Bxe5 29 Rh8+ Kxh8 30 Qh3+ Kg8 31 Qh7+ Kf8 32 Rd7 Threatening 33 Qh8 mate, but Black strikes first. Nc3+ 33 Ka1 Against 33 Kb2, simply 33 … Ke8 escapes. Nb5+, White Resigns.

GM Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)-GM Bu Xiangzhi (China), M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2008: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 The main line of the Slav Defense to the Queen’s Gambit. 6 e3 e6 7 Bxc4 Bb4 8 0-0 0-0 9 Qe2 Ne4 Most common is 9 … Nbd7 10 e4 Bg6 11 Bd3. Black has also tried 9 … Bg6 and 9 … Bg4. 10 Ne5!? Rare. White gets little from 10 Na2 Be7 11 Bd3 Ng5, but the sacrifice 10 Bd3 has a good reputation. Nd7 Prudently avoiding 10 … Nxc3?! 11 bxc3 Bxc3 12 Ra3 Bb4 13 Rb3 a5 14 e4 Bg6 15 Rd1 Nd7 16 Nxg6 hxg6 17 Rh3, which gives White ample compensation. 11 Nxd7 Qxd7 12 Na2 Be7 13 f3 Nf6 Accepting a slightly passive position. Black should fight back with 13 … Nd6 14 Bb3 Bf6!? 15 Rd1 e5 16 e4 Be6, nearly equalizing. 14 e4 Bg6 15 Be3 Qc7 16 Nc1 a5?! Letting White dominate the center. Much better is 16 … c5 or 16 … Nd7 17 Nd3 e5. 17 Nd3 Nd7 18 Rac1 Rfe8 Now 18 … e5 19 d5 is not attractive for Black. 19 g3 Bd6 This time, 19 … e5?! permits 20 f4! Bxe4 21 fxe5, with tremendous threats against f7. 20 Nf4 e5? Too late! Black’s last chance is 20 … Bxf4 21 Bxf4 e5. 21 Nxg6 hxg6 22 f4! exd4 Black cannot save his King. If 22 … exf4, then 23 Bxf4 Bxf4 24 Rxf4 takes aim at f7. 23 Bxd4 What Bishops! b6 The computer suggests 23 … Bf8 24 Qd3 Rad8 25 Bxf7+! Kxf7 26 Qb3+ Ke7 27 e5, leaving Black helpless against f4-f5. 24 f5! g5 Neither 24 … Ne5 25 fxg6 nor 24 … gxf5 25 Rxf5 Ne5 26 Bxe5 offers any hope. 25 Qh5 Nf6 Giving White a chance to err by 26 Qxg5? Be5. Instead, 25 … Ne5 is smashed by 26 f6 g6 27 Qh6 Bf8 28 Bxe5 Rxe5 29 Qxg6+. 26 Bxf6 gxf6 27 Qg6+ Kf8 28 Qxf6 Be5 29 Qxg5 Qe7 If Black stops f5-f6 by 29 … f6, White picks up material with 30 Qg8+ Ke7 31 Qf7+ Kd8 32 Rfd1+ Bd6 33 Qxf6+. 30 f6 Bd4+ Hoping to linger a while after 31 Kg2 Qxe4+ 32 Rf3 Qh7. 31 Rf2!, Black Resigns. As 31 … Bxf2+ 33 Kf1 wins convincingly.