Gonzalez ranks as GM

It’s a flock of sheep, a gaggle of geese, an exaltation of larks. How about a “combination” of grandmasters?

American chess actually hasn’t needed the plural form for the word in recent times, as U.S. players achieving the game’s highest title have been few and far between. But there’s been a bumper crop of new GMs this summer, with Miami IM Renier Gonzalez last month becoming the third American player to notch his third and final grandmaster norm.

IMs Jesse Kraai of Arizona and Vinay Bhat of California also crossed the norm finish line this summer to secure the title, and several promising American junior players may be next in line.

(While we’re handing out the bouquets, we should celebrate the achievement of Zambian-born IM Amon Simutowe, who secured his final grandmaster norm with a fine win at the Category 7 Euwe Stimulans invitational in the Dutch city of Arnhem last month. Simutowe, a familiar figure on the U.S. circuit who studies at the University of Texas at Dallas, needs only to get his international rating above 2500 to become the first the world’s sub-Saharan African grandmaster.)

Gonzalez achieved his title in style, tying for first at the Banyoles Chess Festival in Banyoles, Spain, last month. To celebrate, we offer a fine win by the new GM-elect over veteran GM Ildar Ibragimov at the 2005 National Open.

The Florida IM is probably the last player a grandmaster wants to see on the pairing chart at such events — a talented, hungry player with little to lose against his higher-rated opponent. In what transposes into a Modern Defense, Ibragimov as White comes to grief in an open position by being too cavalier about his king.

Black’s mini-tactic 14. Bf4 Re8 15. Bf3 (see diagram) Rxe4+! (d5?! 16. 0-0-0 Qb6 17. Nc3 saves the piece with at least equal prospects) 16. Bxe4 Qe8 17. f3 d5 18. 0-0-0 dxe4 19. Rhe1 e3 20. Bxe3 leaves material nominally level, but the scope of Black’s two bishops and the half-open b-file give him great attacking prospects.

White’s problems can be seen after 24. h4 (Qe7? Qxe7 25. Rxe7 Bh6) Bb7 25. f4 Bd4 26. Qe6+ Qf7!, when a queen trade only enhances the attacking power of the Black clerics. Ibragimov tries 27. Qd6 Rf8 28. Re7, but gets the worst of the bargain after 28…Qc4+ 29. Kb1 (Rc2 Qf1+ 30. Kd2 Qf2+ 31. Re2 [Kd3 Be4+! 32. Kxe4 Qxc2+] Qxf4+ 32. Qxf4 Rxf4, with the advantage) Bd5 30. b3 Qf1+ 31. Kc2 Qf3!, with nasty threats like 32…Qc3+ 33. Kd1 Bf3+ 34. Rde2 [Ke1 Qc1+ 35. Rd1 Qxd1 mate] Qd3+ 35. Kc1 Bb2+! 36. Kxb2 Qxd6.

White’s 32. Rxd4 (Rd3 Qg2+ 33. Rd2 Be4+ 34. Kc1 Qg1+ 35. Rd1 Qe3+ 36. Rd2 Qe1+ 37. Rd1 Qc3 mate) cxd4 33. Kb2 fares no better, as Gonzalez cashes in after 33…Qc3+ 34. Kb1 Be4+!, and 35. Rxe4 Qd3+ 36. Ka1 Qxe4 will be an elementary win for Black.

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The geriatrics made a game of it, but the young studs triumphed again in the annual “Rising Stars vs. Experience” team match that ended last weekend at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam.

Anchored by Ukrainian teen-age GM Sergey Karjakin’s 7-3 score, the youngsters edged the veterans 26½-23½. Pacing the senior squad were redoubtable German GM Artur Yusupov and Bosnian great Predrag Nikolic.

Serbian GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic, aside from boasting one of the game’s great unpronounceable names, was a legendary attacker in his prime. But he wound up on the business end of one of the tournament’s brilliancy prize candidates, falling in two dozen brutal moves to rising Dutch star GM Daniel Stellwagen.

The two had played this same Sicilian variation at last year’s event, but Ljubojevic’s innovation — 9…exd5 instead of 9…Nxd5 — doesn’t really pan out.

When Black proceeds to put his knight out of play with 11…Na5?! and neglect his king’s safety, White offers up a piece for a very promising attack: 14. Nf5! bxa4 15. Bg5 Nc6! (Be7 16. Rhe1 Nc6 17. Nxg7+ Kf8 18. Nf5 leaves Black with far more defensive headaches) 16. Qe2+!? (the tournament report reveals that White planned 16. Rhe1+ here but saw no good way to prosecute the attack after 16…Kd7!) Ne7 17. Rhe1.

Story Continues →