Armenian GM Levon Aronian dominated last month’s Amber Tournament in Nice, France, besting an elite field by 2½ points in the event’s unique blindfold/rapid combined format. Reigning world champ Viswanathan Anand of India, a multiple winner of this event, managed only a tie for sixth with a final score of 11-11.
The blindfold competition, in which the players enter their moves by mouse onto a blank computer screen, can produce some mind-boggling oversights and, on occasion, a true gem. Azerbaijan GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov visualized a marvelous final combination in his game against Ukrainian star Vassily Ivanchuk in Nice.
In a tricky middlegame, White picks up a pawn on 19. Bd5 f5 20. Qxc4, only to give it back on 28. axb3 Qg1+ 29. Ke2 Qxg2+ 30. Ke3. Ivanchuk may have had dreams of using the h-file to mate the Black king, but even with no pieces to look at the Azeri GM manages to “see” that it is the White king that is in greater danger.
Black finds a winning tactic with 30…Bf8! 31. Rh8+! Kxh8 32. Nxf7+ Kg8! (and not 32…Kg7??, when White wins after 33. Nxd8 Bc5+ 34. Qxc5 Qg1+ 35. Kd3 Qxc5 36. Nxe6+ Kg6 37. Nxc5) 33. Nxd8 Bc5+! 34. Kd3 (Qxc5 Qg1+ 35. Kd3 Qxc5 and, with the Black king on g8, there’s no knight fork) Qf3+ 35. Kd2 Be3+, and Ivanchuk resigns facing 36. Kd3 (Ke1 Qf2+ 37. Kd1 Qd2 mate) Bxf4+ 37. Kd4 Qe3 mate.
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Some familiar names and some surprises were among the seven players who qualified last weekend for slots in the May U.S. national championship tournament to be held in Tulsa, Okla.
In a strong 104-player qualifying tournament, also held in the Oklahoma City, GMs Jesse Kraai, Alex Yermolinsky, John Fedorowicz and IM Dean Ippolito all secured an invitation to the 24-player national title field, scoring 5½-1½. GM Julio Becerra also tied for first, but had already earned a spot in the title tourney based on his rating.
Also punching their tickets at 5-2 were IM David Pruess and two less familiar names — 17-year-old Florida FM Daniel Ludwig and 16-year-old San Francisco master Sam Shankland.
NM Iryna Zenyuk grabbed a spot in the U.S. women’s invitational championship in Tulsa.
Titled players and masters made up nearly 70 percent of the field, producing a string of fine games. Young Florida IM-elect Ray Robson saw his qualifying hopes hurt by a tough loss to veteran Louisiana NM John Bick.
In fact, Robson as White is winning for much of this game, but Bick shows a Micawberish ability to keep hope alive until something turns up — a critical defensive lapse by White just as he was about to clinch the victory.
In a Petroff’s, Black’s attempt to unbalance the play backfires on 15. Qc4 0-0 16. Rhe1 b5?! 17. Qb3 (Qxb5? Nxa2+ 18. Kb1 Nc3+ 19. bxc3 Rfb8 wins material for Black) a5 18. Bd2 Qd8 19. a3, when Bick’s options are the game’s highly speculative piece sacrifice or the insipid 19…Nc6 20. Qxb5 Qd7 21. Qd3 g6 22. Ne4, when White is just winning.
The insecure position of White’s king gives Black some faint hopes, but by 27. Bxd6 Rfd8 28. Ke2, White has survived the threats and need only consolidate his position to collect the point.
But White’s win evaporates as time clocks wind down: 35. Ke2 Rd8 36. c3!? (not losing, but more compelling was the file-blocking 36. Bd4!, when 36…Rxd4? loses to 37. Re8+ Kh7 38. Qg8+ Kg6 39. Re6+ Kh5 40. Qf7+ Kh4 41. Rxh6+! gxh6 42. Qf6+ Kg4 [Kh5 43. Qxf5+ Kh4 44. g3 mate] 43. h3+ Kf4 44. g3+ Ke4 45. Qe6 mate) f4 37. Re7 Qa6+ 38. c4 Qc6 39. Bxb4 Qxg2 (see diagram), when 40. Qf3 Qg1 41. Be1 Qg6 42. Re4 snuffs out Black’s attack.
Instead, White is tempted by the threat on g7 and pays the price: 40. Bc3?? f3+! (suddenly the mating net falls into place) 41. Ke3 (Ke1 Qh1 mate) Qg5+ 42. Kxf3 Rf8+ 43. Ke2 Qxe7+, and Black finally regains his lost material.
Having lost the win, a dejected White has no stomach to fight for the draw: 44. Kd1 Rd8+ 45. Kc1? (losing — 45. Bd2 Qf7 46. Ke1 soldiers on a while) Qg5+ 46. Kc2 Qf5+ 47. Kc1 Qf4+ 48. Kb1 Qe4+ 49. Ka2 (Kc1 Qh1+ 50. Kc2 Qd1 mate) Ra8+, and the White queen is lost. Robson resigned.
Amber Blindfold Tournament, Nice, France, March 2008
IvanchukMamedyarov
1. d4g619. Bd5Bf5
2. e4d620. Qxc4e6
3. Nc3Nf621. Be4Rfd8
4. Be3c622. Bxf5gxf5
5. h3Nbd723. Rh3Qa5
6. f4b524. Nd4Rbc8
7. Bd3b425. Nb3Qb6
8. Nce2c526. Rd1Nxb3
9. Nf3Bg727. Rxd8+Rxd8
10. dxc5Nxc528. axb3Qg1+
11. Bxc5dxc529. Ke2Qxg2+
12. e5Nd730. Ke3Bf8
13. Be4Rb831. Rh8+Kxh8
14. h4Qc732. Nxf7+Kg8
15. h5c433. Nxd8Bc5+
16. Qd40-034. Kd3Qf3+
17. hxg6hxg635. Kd2Be3+
18. Ng5Nc5White resigns
Frank Berry U.S. Championship Qualifier, Tulsa, March 2008
RobsonBick
1. e4e526. Nd6Bxd6
2. Nf3Nf627. Bxd6Rfd8
3. d4Nxe428. Ke2b3
4. Bd3Nc629. Qxb3+Kh8
5. dxe5d530. Bxc5b4+
6. exd6Nxd631. Rd3Re8+
7. Nc3Bf532. Kf1Rxe1+
8. Bf4Bxd333. Kxe1Re8+
9. Qxd3Qe7+34. Re3Qa1+
10. Be3Nb435. Ke2Rd8
11. Qe2Ne436. c3f4
12. Nxe4Qxe437. Re7Qa6+
13. 0-0-0Bd638. c4Qc6
14. Ng5Qe739. Bxb4Qxg2
15. Qc40-040. Bc3f3+
16. Rhe1b541. Ke3Qg5+
17. Qb3a542. Kxf3Rf8+
18. Bd2Qd843. Ke2Qxe7+
19. a3Qc844. Kd1Rd8+
20. axb4axb445. Kc1Qg5+
21. Be3h646. Kc2Qf5+
22. Ne4Be747. Kc1Qf4+
23. Bf4c548. Kb1Qe4+
24. Qg3Qa649. Ka2Ra8+
25. Kd2f5White resigns
David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e-mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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