Blindfold play for fun and profit

March 30, 2008

Position No. 5996: Black to play and win. From the game Bjarni Magnusson-Vigfus Vigfusson, Reykjavik 2008.

Solution to Position No. 5995: White mates with 1 Qg7+! Rxg7 2 Nf6+ Kh8 3 Rd8+.

According to legend, when Francois-André Philidor, the great French champion of the 18th century, played two games simultaneously blindfolded, he needed the notarized testimony of witnesses to confirm the amazing feat. Today, almost any master and some nonmasters can play a game without looking at the board. Yet blindfold play remains the most impressive stunt in chess.

This year’s Amber tournament in Nice, France, continues its 17-year tradition of rapid and blindfold games between top grandmasters. Most of the players claim to do no special preparation for the unusual format, but they produce games of surprisingly high quality. Naturally, the occasional blunder adds spice to the event. This year, Vassily Ivanchuk spoiled a winning position against Alexander Morozevich by losing his queen when he captured a rook that he must have considered undefended.

The star-studded lineup and the generous prize fund (216,000 Euros, about $340,000) make the results relevant. With three rounds to go, Levon Aronian of Armenia had a one-point lead over Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen. For later results, see amberchess-2008.com.

Local news

California’s top player, GM Varuzhan Akobian, will give a lecture and simultaneous exhibition Monday evening at the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club. The first 30 people who pay $25 each will play against the grandmaster. The club meets at 7 p.m. in St. Andrew’s Church, 11555 National Blvd. in Los Angeles. Call Pete Savino at (310) 827-2789 for more information.

The public is invited to watch the Burning Boards, a tournament using lighted candles as pieces. Artist Glenn Kaino has assembled a 32-player field composed of artists, writers and a few chess pros, including IM Jeremy Silman. The show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday in haudenschildGarage in La Jolla. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Call Monica Jovanovich at (858) 454-4158 or write to monica@haudenschildgarage.com.

Brendyn Estolas and Aram Kavoukjian scored 4 1/2 - 1/2 to lead the Open section (grades K-12) of the AAA Chess Club’s scholastic tournament March 22 in Glendale. Artiom Ambartsoumian (5-0 in grades K-7) and Andrew Householder (5-0 in grades K-3) led their sections. Harut Keshishian directed the 94-player tournament.

The Exposition Park Chess Club, which meets every Sunday in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles, plans a free three-game tournament at 1 p.m. Sunday. For photos and advance registration, see chess.expoparkla.com.

Today’s games

GM Zoltan Almasi (Hungary)-GM Victor Mikhalevski (Israel), Hungary 2008: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 The Open defense to the Ruy Lopez. 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 Nbd2 The fashionable move, supplanting 9 c3 and 9 Qe2. Nc5 10 c3 d4 11 Bxe6 The verdict on 11 Ng5!? Qxg5 12 Qf3, introduced by Karpov 30 years ago, is still disputed. Nxe6 12 cxd4 Ncxd4 White may claim an edge, but Black scores well when he keeps control of d5 and d4. 13 a4 Bb4 Karpov called 13 … Be7 “most logical.” Black has also tried 13 … Bc5 and 13 … Rb8. 14 axb5 Nxb5 Black must accept split pawns, as 14 … axb5?? drops one to 15 Rxa8 Qxa8 16 Nxd4 Nxd4 17 Qg4. 15 Qa4 Mikhalevsky, a specialist in the Open defense, has faced this move and the alternatives 15 Qe2 and 15 Qb3. Be7?! Too slow. Black comes closer to equalizing with 15 … Bxd2 16 Bxd2 0-0 or 15 … c5 16 Rd1 0-0 17 Ne4 Qb6. 16 Ne4 0-0 17 Rd1 Qc8 A game Galkin - Mikhalevsky ended 18 Bg5?! Nxg5 19 Nexg5 Bxg5 20 Nxg5 h6 21 Ne4 Qe6, Drawn. But White can afford a more patient buildup. 18 Be3 Much better. Black has lost control of the center. Re8 Black could forestall White’s attack by 18 … f5 19 exf6 Bxf6, but 20 Nxf6+ Rxf6 21 Ne5 leaves him vulnerable everywhere. 19 h4 h6 20 Rac1 Qb7 21 Ng3! Opening the Queen’s path to g4. Black no longer has a defense. Red8 22 Qg4 Kh8 23 Qh5 Kg8 24 Rxd8+ Rxd8 25 Bxh6! gxh6 26 Nf5 Bf8 After 26 … c5 27 Nxh6+ Kg7 (worse is 27 … Kh8 28 Nxf7+ Kg7 29 Nxd8) 28 Qxf7+ Kxh6 29 Qxe6+ Kg7 30 h5, the exposed King has no chance. 27 Rc4! Precisely! If 27 Nxh6+?? Bxh6 28 Qxh6 Qe4, Black would win. Rd7 White’s Rook decides after 27 … Ng7 28 Rg4 or 27 … Kh7 28 Qxf7+ Ng7 29 Rg4. 28 Nxh6+ Bxh6 Avoiding 28 … Kh7 29 Ng4+ Kg7 30 Qh6+ Kg8 31 Nf6 mate. 29 Qxh6 Nbd4 30 Nxd4 Nxd4 White easily wins the endgame reached by 30 … Rxd4 31 Rxd4 Nxd4 32 Qg5+ Kf8 33 Qd8+ or 32 … Kh7 33 Qh5+ Kg7 34 Qg4+. 31 e6! Seeing 31 … fxe6 32 Rxd4 Rxd4 33 Qxe6+ Kh7 34 Qf7+ Kh6 35 Qf6+, recovering the Rook. Rd5 32 exf7+ Kxf7 33 Rxc7+!, Black Resigns.

GM Alexander Morozevich (Russia)-GM Viswanathan Anand (India), Amber Blindfold, Nice 2008: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e3 e6 5 Nf3 Nbd7 6 Bd3 dxc4 The Meran variation, a complicated line of the Semi-Slav Defense. 7 Bxc4 b5 8 Bd3 Bb7 Other ways to prepare … c6-c5 are 8 … b4 and 8 … a6. 9 e4 b4 10 Na4 c5 11 e5 Nd5 12 0-0 cxd4 13 Re1 A common position. White must attempt to capitalize on his quicker development. g6 The natural 13 … Be7 14 Nxd4 0-0 lets White attack with 15 Qh5 g6 16 Qh6. 14 Bg5 Qa5 Approved by theory. Instead, 14 … Be7 15 Bh6 Bf8 gives White an edge after either 16 Qd2 or 16 Bxf8 Kxf8 17 Bb5 Kg7 18 Qxd4. 15 Nxd4 a6 Prudent. Black suffers after 15 … Bg7? 16 Bb5. 16 Bd2 Preparing a2-a3. Black can parry the immediate 16 a3 by 16 … bxa3 17 bxa3 Bg7 18 Bd2 Qd8. Qd8 Was Morozevich bluffing? Black seems fine after 16 … Bg7 17 a3 Nxe5 18 axb4 Qc7. 17 Rc1 Bg7 18 Be4!? More aggressive than 18 f4. White invites 18 … Nxe5? 19 Nc5, which sets up 20 Qa4+. Bxe5 Too awkward is 18 … Rc8 19 Rxc8 Qxc8 20 Bxd5 Bxd5 21 Bxb4, but 18 … 0-0 19 Bxd5 (probably White should settle for 19 f4) Bxd5 20 Bxb4 Qg5! makes sense. If 21 Nf3, Black will recover the pawn by 21 … Bxf3 22 Qxf3 Rfd8. 19 Nf3 Bd6! Not 19 … Bg7? or 19 … Bf6? because 20 Bxd5 Bxd5 21 Bxb4 strands Black’s King in the center. 20 Bh6 N7f6 Such positions are nearly impossible to defend in a rapid game. The attacker can choose moves intuitively, while the defender must calculate to avoid pitfalls. Probably 20 … Be7 21 Qb3 Qb8 is best, when 22 Nd4 maintains pressure but does not guarantee White a win. 21 Qd4! Threatening to gain a piece by 22 Bxd5 Bxd5 23 Bg7. Rg8 Forced, as 21 … Be7? 22 Nc5 Qb6 costs Black a piece by 23 Nxb7 Qxb7 24 Bg5! 0-0 25 Bxf6 Bxf6 26 Qxf6 Nxf6 27 Bxb7. 22 Bg5 Be7 23 Nc5 Nxe4 24 Qxe4 Rb8?! Only 24 … Bc8 resists. Note that 24 … Bxg5? loses at least a pawn to 25 Nxb7 Qb6 26 Nxg5 Qxb7 27 Nxe6! fxe6 28 Qxe6+ Kf8 29 Re5! Qf7 (worse are 29 … Rd8? 30 Rxd5! Rxd5 31 Qf6+ and 29 … Ne7? 30 Qf6+ Ke8 31 Rce1) 30 Qd6+ Kg7 (not 30 … Ne7? 31 Re6) 31 Rxd5. 25 Nxe6! fxe6 Black cannot escape with 25 … Qd6, as 26 Nc7+! Kd8 27 Ne5! intensifies the assault. 26 Qxe6 Rf8 Similarly awful is 26 … Rg7 27 Bh6 Rf7 28 Ne5 Rf6 29 Qg8+ Bf8 30 Bxf8 Rxf8 31 Nxg6+. 27 Rcd1 Rf7 Against 27 … Qd7, either 28 Qxd7+ Kxd7 29 Rxe7+ or 28 Qe5 Kf7 29 Qxb8! Rxb8 30 Ne5+ works. 28 Ne5 Rg7 Or 28 … Rf8 29 Nc6. 29 Bh6, Black Resigns. A high quality victory over the world champion.