Grandmasters are getting younger
Position No. 6098: White to play and win. From the game Joel Banawa-Lawrence Stevens, U.S. Amateur Team West, Woodland Hills 2010.
Solution to Position No. 6097: White wins with 1 Ra5! (not 1 Kc8?? because 1 . . . Kd5 2 c7 Kxc5 3 Kd7 Rd2+ draws) Rc2 2 Kb7 Rb2+ (routine is 2 . . . Rxc5 3 Rxa2) 3 Kc8 Ke7 4 c7 Ke8 5 Rxa2! Rxa2 6 Kb7 Rb2+ 7 Kc6. If 3 . . . Kd5, easiest is 4 Kd7 Rh2 5 c7 Rh7+ 6 Kc8 Kc6 7 Ra6+ Kxc5 8 Kb7, winning.
Richard Rapport of Hungary just completed the requirements to become a grandmaster at age 13 years, 11 months, 15 days, the fifth-youngest ever. A thrilling accomplishment, no doubt. But chess fans have grown numb to the exploits of adolescent wonders.
The inimitable Bobby Fischer stunned the world by becoming a grandmaster in 1958 at age 15 years, 6 months, a record that lasted until 1991. In the last two decades, though, 23 players have surpassed Fischer’s mark. Sergey Karjakin, the Ukraine star who now plays for Russia, holds the current record at 12 years, 7 months.
The World Chess Federation’s March rating list includes 1,248 men and 21 women who hold the grandmaster title. There are 37 players (about 3% of GMs) rated over 2700. Of these, 12 acquired the title at age 16 or younger and 21 achieved it at age 17 or 18. The eldest of the four outliers, Boris Gelfand, was already among the top 20 in the world when he belatedly received the GM title at age 21 in 1989.
One could argue about the effects of rating inflation, open tournaments, Internet play and a flood of sophisticated instructional material. What’s indisputable is that, to reach elite status, a player today must earn a GM title in his teens.
Amber Tournament
One of the most entertaining annual events, the Amber Tournament, continues through March 25 in Nice, France. This year’s edition, the 19th, offers 216,000 Euros (about $293,000) to a powerful field including eight of the world’s top dozen grandmasters. The most notable absentees are Viswanthan Anand and Veselin Topalov, who are preparing for their world championship match next month.
The tournament features two-game matches of 25-minute chess. In one game, both players must play blindfolded. Most games are high quality, but the occasional blunder delights spectators.
Games are displayed at amberchess2010.com.
Local news
The second Kern County Open Championship, a five-round tournament, will be held Saturday and Sunday in the East Hills Mall, 3000 Mall View Road in Bakersfield. For information about the tournament or the accompanying scholastic event, call Kenneth Poole at (661) 304-7468.
The AAA Spring Scholastic attracted 89 players March 6 in Glendale. Ishan Bose-Pyne (grades K-12), Alexander Chakhmakian (K-7) and Yuri Badalyan (K-3) led their sections. Harut Keshishian directed for the AAA Chess Club.
There were 22 players at the Exposition Park Chess Club’s tournament last Sunday. Section winners were Tyrone de los Santos, Luis M. Brioso, Antonio Malapira, Frank Jones, Will Marshall and Rodel Zorilla. For more about the club, which meets at 1 p.m. Sundays in the public library at 3900 S. Western Ave. in Los Angeles, see chess.expoparkla.com.
The Beverly Hills Chess Club, 8950 W. Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles, will conduct a Multigenerational Chess Festival next Sunday afternoon. Parents and children are encouraged to participate. For details, see bhchessclub.com or call (310) 274-7873.
The 2010 Riverside Gambit tournament, for students in grades K-12, takes place Saturday at La Sierra High School, 4145 La Sierra Ave. in Riverside. For more information, call Bruce Bartholomew at (951) 687-5302.
Today’s games
GM Alexander Beliavsky (Slovenia)-GM Ljubomir Ftacnik (Slovakia), Hungary 2010: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 The Gruenfeld Defense. 4 e3 Bg7 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 Nxd5 Qxd5 7 Ne2 A quiet system that should not disturb Black. 0-0 8 Nc3 Qd7 9 Be2 c5 All right, as is 9 . . . Rd8 10 0-0 c5 11 d5 Bxc3 12 bxc3 Qxd5. 10 d5 b6?! Black can equalize with 10 . . . e6 11 e4 exd5 12 exd5 Na6. 11 0-0 Ba6 12 e4 Now White has the edge, thanks to his secure center. b5 Maybe 12 . . . f5 improves. 13 a3 Bd4? Stopping Bc1-e3 but allowing the Bishop to reach a more threatening post. Black should continue 13 . . . b4 14 axb4 cxb4, although White develops smoothly by 15 Na4 Qd6 16 Be3 Bxe2 17 Qxe2 Nd7 18 Rfc1. 14 Bh6 Re8 15 Qd2 e6 16 Rad1 White’s pieces are ready for battle. Meanwhile, Black’s Queenside slumbers. Qb7 Black cannot stand 16 . . . exd5 17 Nxd5 Rxe4? 18 Qg5!, when 18 . . . Qd6 loses the Queen to 19 Rxd4! Rxd4 20 Nf6+ Kh8 21 Bg7+ Kxg7 22 Ne8+. 17 b4! Undermining Black’s only active piece. e5 18 bxc5 Bxc5 19 Rb1 Winning a pawn. Black finds the trickiest reply but fails to bamboozle White. b4 20 axb4 Bxb4 21 Qg5! Suddenly Black has trouble on both flanks. Qe7 22 Rxb4! Seeing 22 . . . Qxb4 23 Qf6. f6 24 Qh4 Bxe2 Useless is 24 . . . g5 25 Qh5, while 24 . . . Qxb4 24 Bxa6 Nxa6 25 Qxf6 Qb7 loses material to 26 Rb1 Qc7 27 Qxa6, as 27 . . . Qxc3 gets mated by 28 Qb7. 24 d6! Qxd6 25 Rb7 Eyeing g7 and h7. Black cannot guard his King and save his Bishop. Bxf1 After 25 . . . Bh5 26 Nd5 Re6, both 27 Rg7+ Kh8 28 Nc7 and 27 Qh3 f5 28 Nf6+! Rxf6 29 Qb3+ Qe6 30 Rg7+ Kh8 31 Qb7 clinch victory. 26 Nd5 Re6 Not 26 . . . Nd7 27 Rxd7. 27 Rg7+ Kh8 28 Rf7! Nd7 If 28 . . . Kg8 29 Bf8 Kxf7 30 Bxd6, Black must yield a Rook by 30 . . . Rxd6 31 Qxh7+ Kf8 32 Qe7+ or 30 . . . Kg7 31 Nc7 Rxd6 32 Ne8+. 29 Bf8!, Black Resigns. After 29 . . . Nxf8 30 Qh6, Black cannot prevent 31 Qg7 mate.
Yu Lie (China)-IM Richard Rapport (Hungary), Budapest 2010: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6 An invitation to the Meran variation, 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Bd3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 b5. 5 cxd5 exd5 6 Bg5 White prefers a standard position from the Exchange variation of the Queen’s Gambit. h6 7 Bh4 Bf5!? 8 e3 Theory currently regards the sharp 8 Qb3 g5 as good for Black after 9 Bg3 Qb6 or 9 Qxb7 gxh4 10 Qxa8 Qb6. Nbd7 9 Bd3 Bxd3 Eliminating his bad Bishop and securing even chances. 10 Qxd3 Be7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Qc2 Nor does 12 Rab1 a5 13 a3 Re8 offer White anything special. Nh5 13 Bg3 Simpler is 13 Bxe7 Qxe7 14 e4. Nxg3 14 hxg3 Bd6 15 Rab1 Dreaming of b2-b4-b5, which Black will squelch. White should aim for a central breakthrough, such as 15 e4 dxe4 16 Nxe4. Qe7 16 a3 a5 17 Nh4 Qe6 18 Rfe1?! Missing his last opportunity for activity in the center. Either 18 e4 or 18 Qb3 b5 19 e4 maintains equality. f5! 19 Qb3 b5 20 a4 Now 20 e4 works poorly. After 20 . . . a4 21 Qa2 fxe4 22 Nxe4 Bc7 23 Nf3 Qf7 24 Ned2 Rae8, White’s Queen is far removed from the action on the e- and f-files. b4 21 Ne2 g5 22 Nf3 White’s position still looks solid, making a draw plausible. However, the prodigy builds up a decisive Kingside attack without any obvious errors by White. Nf6 23 Nc1 Ne4 24 Qc2 Rac8 25 Nd3 Observing c5 and e5. If 25 Nb3, Black can ignore White’s threat to the a-pawn, as 25 . . . Rc7 26 Nxa5? c5! 27 Nb3 c4 28 Nbd2 b3 29 Qd1 Ra7 recovers the pawn and plans an invasion at a2. h5! 26 Qe2 Kg7 27 Rbc1 Rh8 28 Nde5 Probably White imagined counterplay from 28 . . . g4? 29 Nh4 Bxe5 30 dxe5 Qxe5 31 Qa6, but Black need not abandon his attack for a measly pawn. The alternative 28 Nc5 also receives harsh treatment from 28 . . . Bxc5 29 dxc5 Qf6 30 Nd4 g4! 31 Qa6 Kg6 32 Qxa5 h4, when White’s King will not survive. h4! 29 gxh4 White retains a little hope after 29 g4!? fxg4 30 Nd2. However, Black should proceed 29 g4 h3! 30 g3 fxg4, when 31 Nd2 Nxd2 32 Qxd2 Bxe5 33 dxe5 h2+! 34 Kg2 Qf5! 35 Qe2 Qe4+ 36 f3 gxf3+ 37 Qxf3 Qxe5 leaves White’s Kingside in tatters. g4 30 Ng5?! Losing quickly. White lasts longer with 30 Nd2 Bxe5 31 dxe5 Rxh4 32 Nxe4 fxe4, but he cannot handle the threats on the f- and h-files. Fleeing, by 33 Qd2 Qf5 34 Kf1, is thwarted amusingly by 34 . . . Qf3! 35 gxf3 gxf3. Black would promote a Queenside pawn after 33 g3 Rh6 34 Kg2 Qf5 35 Rh1 Rch8 36 Rxh6 Rxh6 37 Rh1?! Qf3+. Toughest is 33 Qa6 Rh6 34 Kf1 g3 35 fxg3 Rf8+ 36 Ke2 Qxe5 37 Rc2 Qxg3 38 Kd1, avoiding mate but not saving the game. Qh6! Welcoming 31 Ngf7 Qxh4 32 Nxh8 Rxh8. 31 Nxe4 Qxh4 Seeing 32 Ng3 Qh2+ 33 Kf1 Qh1+ 34 Nxh1 Rxh1 mate and 32 f3 fxe4 33 Nxg4 Bg3. 32 f4 dxe4 Threatening 33 . . . g3. 33 Qc4 Bxe5 34 fxe5 g3 35 Kf1 Qg4! 36 Kg1 Rh2!, White Resigns. Checkmate follows 37 Qe2 Qxe2 38 Rxe2 Rch8 and 37 Qe6 Rxg2+! 38 Kxg2 Qf3+.