CHESS

Jan. 28, 2001

Position #5622: White to play and win. From the game J. Polgar - Miezis, Tallinn 2001.

Solution to Position #5621: Black wins with 1 . . . Bxc3 2 Qxc3 Nh4! 3 gxh4 Qxc3.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The title has changed, but the story remains the same: Garry Kasparov wins another elite event. With two rounds remaining in the Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, Kasparov has an oustanding score of 8-3. Alexander Morozevich and Alexey Shirov are tied for second at 7-4. Viswanathan Anand, Vassily Ivanchuk and Vladimir Kramnik have 6 1/2-4 1/2 and virtually no chance of overtaking Kasparov.

Kasparov won this tournament in 1999 and 2000, but his mystifying loss to Kramnik in November’s BrainGames Network world championship gave his rivals hope. However, neither Kramnik (who lost to Morozevich and nearly lost to Ivanchuk) nor new World Chess Federation champion Anand (undefeated, but unimpressive) displayed top form. Only Morozevich (an amazing 5 1/2- 1/2 as Black) and Shirov mounted a serious challenge to Kasparov.

Shirov held first place until his ninth-round loss to Kasparov. Then Kasparov caustically joked that Shirov built his lead by playing “the Dutch Open,” a reference to Shirov’s 4-0 sweep against the Dutch grandmasters. After nearly defeating Anand in the next round, Shirov lost to Ivanchuk, allowing Kasparov to move into sole possession of first place by winning against Jan Timman.

LOCAL NEWS

Anna Rudolf, a 12-year-old expert from Hungary, won the 15-player Region XI Women’s Championship in Menlo Park. Rudolf scored 3 1/2- 1/2, yielding a draw only to former U.S. Women’s champion Sharon Burtman. Next at 3-1 were Southern California residents Burtman, 2000 Region XI champion champion Chouchanik Airapetian and 1999 Region XI champion Colette McGruder. On tiebreak, McGruder will represent Region XI (California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada) as 2001 women’s champion.

Doug Shaker directed the event alongside the Sojourner Truth Tournament for Girls. The turnout of 164 entrants may set a national record for a girls-only tournament.

Colette McGruder has started the Paul Morphy Chess Club to promote chess in South Central Los Angeles. The club meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the Jessie Barbour Counseling Center, 6052 W. Normandie Ave. All ages are welcome to attend. McGruder hopes to encourage kids to learn chess and to play regularly. For more information, call her at (323) 732-9779.

The Southern California Senior Championship, a tournament for players age 50 and above, takes place Feb. 3-4 at The Chess Center, 2651 Irvine Ave. in Costa Mesa. The winner will be recognized by the sponsoring Southern California Chess Federation (SCCF) as state senior champion. Call Mike Carr at (949) 768-3538 for details.

Anthony Saidy swept the Foothills Open, a tournament of 40-mintue games, last Sunday in Pasadena with a perfect 5-0 score. Saidy defeated state champion Levon Altounian in the final round. Another state champion, Cyrus Lakdawala, finished second at 4 1/2- 1/2. Takashi Iwamoto and masters Varuzhan Akobian, Tim Hanks, Andranik Matikozian and Gregg Small tied for third place at 4-1. Iwamoto, rated only 1712, defeated four experts.

Bill Goichberg of the Continental Chess Assn. directed the 102-player tournament.

The 7th annual Warner Winter scholastic tournament takes place Feb. 3 at Warner School, 615 Holmby Ave. in Westwood. The tournament features separate sections for students in grades K-2, K-5 and K-12. For details, call Vicki Feldman at (310) 470-1868.

Chess Academy, run by grandmaster Eduard Gufeld, recently celebrated its third anniversary at its Hollywood location, 1335 N. La Brea Ave. As usual, the club plans a tournament and Gufeld simultaneous exhibition today. For information, call (323) 883-0164 or (323) 512-4564.

TODAY’S GAME

GM Kasparov (Russia) - GM Shirov (Spain), Wijk aan Zee 2001: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 The Petroff Defense, a vigorous counterattack that serves as a drawing weapon among grandmasters. 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0 8 c4 c6 9 Qc2 White has also tried 9 cxd5 cxd5 10 Nc3. Na6!? As 10 Bxe4 dxe4 11 Qxe4 Re8 offers Black fair compensation for the pawn. 10 a3 Bg4 Another aggressive choice, as the defensive 10 . . . f5 11 Nc3 cedes White an edge. 11 Ne5 Bh5 As White against Leko, Shirov met the more common 11 . . . Bxe5 12 dxe5 Nac5 with the wild 13 f3 Nxd3 14 Qxd3 Nc5 15 Qd4 Nb3 16 Qxg4 Nxa1 17 Bh6 g6 18 Nc3!? Qb6+ 19 Rf2, although Black managed to draw. 12 cxd5 cxd5 13 Nc3 Nxc3 14 bxc3 Kh8 Kasparov intended to refute 14 . . . Bxe5? by 15 Bxh7+ Kh8 16 dxe5 g6 17 Qd2! Kxh7 18 Qh6+ Kg8 19 Bg5 f6 20 Bxf6 Rxf6 21 exf6 Qxf6 22 f3! and g2-g4, trapping the Bishop. Safer is 14 . . . Bg6 15 Nxg6 hxg6, although 16 Re1 Qc7 17 g3 Rac8 18 Bd2 still favors White. 15 f4 Now 15 Bxh7? g6 16 Qd2 Kxh7 17 Qh6+ Kg8 18 Bg5 Be7 does not worry Black. Bxe5? Opening the f-file proves fatal. Kasparov suggested 15 . . . f6 16 Nf3 Qd7, welcoming 17 Bxh7? f5. 16 fxe5 Bg6 17 a4 White’s “bad” Bishop finds a home at d6. Qd7 18 Ba3 Rfe8 19 Bxg6 White plans to double Rooks and invade at f7. Black is already lost. fxg6 20 Qb3 b6 21 Bd6 Nc7 22 Rf3 Rac8 23 Raf1 h6 Weakening g6, but Black needed relief from back rank problems such as 23 . . . Ne6 24 Qxd5 Qxa4 25 Qxe6! Rxe6 26 Rf8+ and 23 . . . b5 24 Rf7 Qc6 25 Bxc7 bxa4 26 Qa3 Rxc7 27 Rf8+. 24 Qc2! The tempting 24 Rf7 Qc6 25 Qc2 lets Black hang on with 25 . . . Ne6 26 Qxg6 Qxc3 27 Be7 Qxd4+ 28 Kh1 Qxe5 29 Bf6 Qe4! 30 Qxh6+ Qh7. Qg4 This time, 24 . . . Ne6 allows a winning attack by 25 Qxg6 Qxa4 26 Rf6!, anticipating 26 . . . gxf6 27 exf6 or 26 . . . Ng5 27 Bf8 Qd7 28 Rf7 or 26 . . . Qd7 27 Rf7 Qa4 28 Be7 Qc6 29 Bf6. And 24 . . . Re6 runs into 25 Rf7 Qc6 26 R1f6! Rxf6 27 exf6 Ne6 28 Qxg6 Qxc3 29 fxg7+ Kg8 30 Rf8+ Nxf8 31 gxf8Q mate. 25 Rg3 Qh5 26 Rh3 Qg5 27 Rg3 Qh5 28 Bxc7! Rxc7 29 Rxg6 Qh4 After 29 . . . Rec8 30 Rg3 or 29 . . . Rxc3 30 Rxh6+, White preserves his extra pawn. 30 h3 If 30 . . . Rec8 31 Rg4, Black drops material by 31 . . . Rxc3? 32 Qxc3 Qxg4 33 Rf8+! Rxf8 34 hxg4, while 31 . . . Qe7 32 Rf3 Qa3 33 Qg6 Qxa4 34 Rf7 Rxf7 35 Qxf7 Rg8 loses routinely to either 36 Qxd5 or 36 e6 Qe8 37 Rxg7. Qxd4+ 31 cxd4 Rxc2 32 Rf7 Rg8 33 Rd6 Rc4 34 Rxd5 Rxa4 35 Rdd7 White’s passers are unstoppable. Ra1+ 36 Kf2 Ra2+ 37 Kf3 Kh7 38 e6 Kg6 39 d5 Rc8 40 Rc7 No counterplay! Re8 Or 40 . . . Rxc7 41 Rxc7 Rd2 42 Ke4 a5 43 Ke5 a4 44 Ra7 b5 45 d6. 41 g4 a5 42 Rxg7+ Kf6 43 Rgf7+ Ke5 44 Rf5+ Kd4 Avoiding 44 . . . Kd6 45 Rc6+ Ke7 46 Rf7+ Kd8 47 Rd7 mate. 45 e7, Black Resigns.