European Championship attracts huge field

Position No. 6100: White to play and win. From the game Denis Khismatullin-Marin Bosiocic, European Championship, Rijeka 2010.

Solution to Position No. 6099: White wins with 1 Nxd5! Bxd5 2 Rxd5! Nxd5 (Black cannot escape with 2 . . . Kf7 3 Bc4) 3 Qg6+! (unconvincing is 3 Bd3?? Bf6) Kh8 (or 3 . . . Kf8 4 Bh5) 4 Bd3 Nf6 5 Qh6+ Kg8 6 Bc4+. No better is 1 . . . Nxd5 2 Qg6+ Kh8 3 Rxd5 Bxd5 4 Bd3 Bg8 5 Qh6+.

The 11th European Championship, which finished March 18 in Rijeka, Croatia, attracted a mammoth field of 408 players representing 41 European countries. A record 187 grandmasters competed. At stake were 23 places in the next World Cup, plus a prize fund of 120,000 Euros (about $163,000).

Ian Nepomniachtchi, a 19-year-old Russian grandmaster ranked a mere 35th at the start despite his formidable 2656 rating, took first prize with an undefeated score of 9-2. Next were Baadur Jobava of Georgia and Artyom Timofeev of Russia, each 8 1/2 -2 1/2 .

Veteran Pia Cramling of Sweden won the 158-player women’s tournament, which featured nine GMs. Cramling reached her 9-2 score by defeating former women’s world champion Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria) in the penultimate round and beating the tournament leader, Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania), in the final round.

Amber tournament

Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and the world’s top-rated grandmaster, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, battled for the lead last week in the 19th Amber tournament in Nice, France. Ivanchuk won their first-round meeting, 2-0, but Carlsen surpassed him thanks to victories in his next seven games. For the final results, see amberchess2010.com.

Local news

The Westwood Spring Open, a five-round tournament of 40-minute games, takes place next Sunday at the Los Angeles Chess Club, 11514 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles. Register at the site at 9:30 a.m. or in advance online at westernchess.com.

The Exposition Park Chess Club will be closed for Easter next Sunday. Its April tournament will be held at 1 p.m. April 11 in the public library, 3900 S. Western Ave. in Los Angeles. For more about the club, see chess.expoparkla.com.

State champion Enrico Sevillano scored 4 1/2 - 1/2 last weekend to win the Kern County Open in Bakersfield. Raul Bugnosen and Bakersfield Chess Club organizer Kenneth Poole tied for second at 3 1/2 -1 1/2 in the 16-player tournament. Solomon Ruddell, Numan Abdul-Mujeeb, Alexander Pearson and Isaac Ruddell earned class prizes. The club’s next weekender is scheduled for June 26-27. See bakersfieldchessclub.com.

Today’s games

GM Levon Aronian (Armenia)- GM Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Amber Blindfold, Nice 2010: 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 Ne1 The reliable Classical system against the King’s Indian Defense. Nd7 10 Nd3 f5 11 Bd2 Nf6 12 f3 Kh8 The main line is 12 . . . f4 13 c5 g5, with attacks on opposite wings. 13 g4!? Much less investigated. Now White welcomes 13 . . . f4 14 h4 because he can keep Kingside files closed. c6!? So Black fights on White’s side of the board! 14 Kg2 b5 15 b3?! Timid. Black does not get full compensation from 15 g5!? Nh5 16 cxb5 cxd5 17 exd5. a5 Preventing 16 Nb4. 16 Nf2 It’s too late for 16 g5?! Nh5 17 cxb5, as 17 . . . cxd5 18 exd5 Bb7 recovers the pawn and destroys White’s center. b4 17 Na4 Bb7 Broadcasting his intention to sacrifice at d5. 18 Rc1? Aronian ignores the message. White had to try 18 Kg1 fxe4 19 fxe4 cxd5 20 cxd5 Nexd5 21 exd5 Nxd5 22 Ne4. Then 22 . . . Nf4 23 Bxf4 exf4 24 Nxd6 Qe7 25 Nxb7 Qxb7 26 Bf3 Qa7+ 27 Kg2 Rad8 28 Qe1 Bxa1 29 Qxa1+ Qd4 leads to a drawish endgame. fxe4 19 fxe4 cxd5 20 exd5 Nexd5! 21 cxd5 Nxd5 22 Kg1 Not 22 Bf3? Rxf3. e4! Probably Aronian had foreseen the piece sac but not this powerful move. 23 Nxe4 Forced. White cannot stand 23 Nh3? Qh4 24 Nf4 Be5 25 Be1 Qh6 or 23 Be1 Ne3 24 Qd2 Nxf1 25 Bxf1 Qh4, threatening both 26 . . . Bh6 and 26 . . . Be5. Bd4+ 24 Rf2 If 24 Kg2, Black avoids 24 . . . Nf6?? 25 Bh6! Bxe4+ 26 Bf3 and takes charge of the important diagonals with 24 . . . Qe7! 25 Bf3 Rxf3! 26 Qxf3 Nf6 27 Rce1 Nxe4. Rxf2 25 Nxf2?! Losing quickly. White can reach an endgame by 25 Bg5! Bf6 26 Bxf6+ Rxf6 27 Qd4 Nf4! 28 Bf1! Bxe4 29 g5 Ne6 30 Qxf6+ Qxf6 31 gxf6, although Black should win anyway by 31 . . . Kg8 32 Re1 d5 33 Bg2 Kf7 34 Bxe4 dxe4 35 Rxe4 Kxf6. Qh4 26 Qe1 Or 26 Be1 Be5. Rf8 27 Bf3 Worth a try in a blindfold game. Rxf3 28 Qe4 Qxf2+, White Resigns. A cute finish is 29 Kh1 Ne3 30 Bxe3 Bxe4 31 Bxf2 Rg3 mate.

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)-GM Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia), European Championship, Rijeka 2010: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 d3 A quiet form of the Ruy Lopez. d6 6 c3 g6 7 Nbd2 Bg7 8 0-0 0-0 9 Re1 b5 10 Bc2 Re8 Black has reacted well to White’s harmless opening. 11 a4 Bb7 Natural, but 11 . . . b4 may improve. 12 b4! With Nd2-b3, White will take control of c5, discouraging both . . . c7-c5 and . . . d7-d5. Qe7 Black cannot find an active plan. The plausible 12 . . . Qd7 13 Nb3 Nh5 14 Bd2 f5 seems shaky after 15 axb5 axb5 16 Rxa8 Bxa8 17 exf5 Qxf5 18 d4. 13 Nb3 Rad8 14 Qe2 Qd7 15 Bd2 Rb8 16 axb5 axb5 17 c4! An unusual breakthrough, but correct. Less effective is 17 d4, as 17 . . . exd4 18 cxd4 Nd5! 19 Qxb5 Ndxb4 fights back. Ne7 18 cxb5 Qxb5 19 Na5 Qd7 20 Ba4 Inducing a weakening of Black’s pawn structure. However, Black’s position remains defensible, and White’s edge is small. c6 21 Rac1 Rec8 22 d4 Logical. exd4 23 Nxd4 Ne8? This passive response lets White’s advantage grow. Instead, 23 . . . d5! 24 exd5 Nfxd5 25 Ndb3 Ba8 26 Nc5 Qa7 hangs on while dreaming of counterplay with . . . Ne7-f5-d4. 24 Qd3 Ba8 25 h3 Rb6 Now 25 . . . d5 26 e5! Rb6 27 Nab3 is overwhelming for White. 26 Nf3 Nc7 27 Nc4 Ra6 28 Bb3 Eyeing f7. White threatens both 29 Nxd6 and 29 Nce5. Rd8 29 Bf4 Ne6 30 Bg3 Also strong is 30 Nxd6 Nxf4 31 Qxa6 Qxd6 32 Rcd1 Qc7 33 Rxd8+ Qxd8 34 Rd1, followed by 34 . . . Qe8 35 Ng5 or 34 . . . Qb8 35 Rd7 Bf8 36 Qa5. d5!? 31 Nce5 Qb7 32 Qe2? Preparing mayhem on the e-file, but the reply 32 . . . Qb5! would escape. White should strike at once with 32 Nxf7!! Kxf7 33 exd5 cxd5 (or 33 . . . Nxd5 34 Rxe6! Kxe6 35 Ng5+ Kd7 36 Ne4! Bf8 37 Nf6+, winning) 34 b5 Rb6 35 Rxe6! Kxe6 36 Rc7, forcing Black to give up his Queen. Rb6? 33 Nxf7! Kxf7 34 exd5 cxd5 35 Rc7! Rd7 If 35 . . . Qa6, White gains at least a piece by 36 Ng5+ Kg8 37 Qxa6 Rxa6 38 Nxe6 Re8 39 Nxg7. 36 Rxb7 Bxb7 Black has nearly enough material, but he cannot stop White’s threats. Against 36 . . . Rdxb7, most convincing is 37 Qa2! Rxb4 38 Ng5+! Nxg5 39 Bxd5+, leading to checkmate. 37 Ba4! Ba6 As 37 . . . Rd8 permits 38 Ng5+ Nxg5 39 Qxe7+. 38 Ne5+ Bxe5 Or 38 . . . Kg8 39 Qf3 Bxe5 40 Bxd7. 39 Qxe5 Ra7 White refutes 39 . . . Rd8 by 40 Bh4! Bc8 41 Bxe7 Kxe7 42 Qc7+. 40 Qh8 Threatening 41 Be8 mate. Nf8 41 Bh4 Planning the incursions 41 . . . Rxb4 42 Bf6 and 41 . . . Bc4 42 Bg5. g5 42 Bxg5 Rg6 43 Qd4 Rb7 44 Qf4+, Black Resigns.