The death of Vasily Smyslov, the 7th World Champion,created headlines on chess sites and there has been good coverage of his life and achievements.

Great artists live on through their works and there is no doubt whatsoever that Smyslov was one of the finest players in the history of the game.

Winning the World Championship in 1957 will naturally be remembered as is finest result and his remarkable run in the 1982-84 Candidates’ series (qualifying from the Interzonal, beating Hubner and Ribli before being stopped by Kasparov in the Candidates’ final – one step away from challenging Karpov for the title!) almost made for an incredible final chapter of a story which began with his participation in the 1948 World Championship tournament.

However, reaching such an advanced stage of the 1982-84 cycle qualified him for yet another Candidates’ events. This was the extremely strong Montpellier tournament of 1985. Yusupov, Vaganian, A. Sokolov (9 points each) and Timman (8.5) all qualified for the next stage, ahead of an all-star cast.  Smyslov finished in eight place (out of 16) with a score of 7.5 points.

The other participants were Tal, Spassky, Beliavsky, Chernin, Seirawan, Short, Portisch, Korchnoi, Ribli,Nogueiras and Spraggett.

Although Smyslov was never really in the running to qualify for the next stage, his score of +2, =11, -2 was admirable for a player in his mid-60s.

His two wins were both with the Black pieces. The first was shockingly brief. Smyslov rarely won quickly, and the same could be said of the Bogo-Indian Defence. The combination of the two made a brevity even more unlikely, but…

Spraggett – Smyslov

White played 13 h3? and after 13 …Bc5 he followed up with the blunder 14 Be3?? allowing 14 …Bxh3! White now resigned. An elementary tactic follows the possible 15 gxh3 Bxd4 16 Bxd4 Nf3+

His second Montpellier victory – and Smylov’s last in a very long World Championship history – came against high-flying Beliavsky.

Beliavsky – Smyslov

Black found the stylish 32 …Rd4!, exploiting tactical opportunities to target the c4 pawn. Beliavsky let it go with 33 Qe1 and went on to seek counter-play in a Queen and Rook ending. However, it was ultimately fruitless as Smyslov kept control to force an impressive win (0-1, 57).

Although Smyslov’s games generally aren’t as well known as those by the likes of fellow-champions  Tal, Botvinnik and Spassky, there is plenty of gold to be found and I recommend tracking down one or more volumes of his finest battles.

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a new ChessBase DVD covering the early chess career of GM Yasser Seirawan.

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2010/02/chess-reviews-128.html

At least two further volumes are potentially in the pipeline.

Seirawan rarely plays these days, which is a pity.  I always enjoyed seeing his games and for a period of time in the 1980s and 1990s he was a match for most players.  Reviewing the DVD brought back good memories of his fine games.

One of his best results came at the 1986 Dubai Olympiad, where he beat World Champion Garry Kasparov. (This game is not on the DVD, but it will almost certainly feature in one of the sequels.) It was the game which very nearly helped the USA seize the gold medals.

Seirawan – Kasparov

Dubai Olympiad 1986

There’s already been a lot of moves during which neither player was able to do very much at all.  Kasparov, in typical style, decided to head for risky complications to try and  play for the win.

54…Rh3?! (54…Rh1 55 Rd1 could – and probabaly should – lead to a trade of Rooks and a drawn King and pawn endgame)

55.g4 f4 (It’s not too late to try and keep the draw in hand with 55…fxg4 56.Rxg4 Rh5 but few people burned boats like Kasparov did. Unfortunately for him, the Armada of Kingside pawns he helps White to create end up being far stronger than anything he can muster elsewhere.) 56.exf4 Rxa3 57.fxg5 Ra2+ 58.Kf3 c3 59.Rd1 d4 60.g6 d3 61.Ke3 (There’s an interesting line here with 61…c2 62.Rh1 d2 63.Kxd2 c1Q+ 64.Kxc1 Ra1+ 65.Kc2 Rxh1

…and Black’s material advantage is only temporary due to 66.g7)

Kasparov found a stylish try with 61 …Rxf2

(If White takes the bait, the game is still very much alive. 62 Kxf2 c2

63 Ke1 cxd1+Q+ 64 Kxd1 a3 65 g7 a2

…and with two new Queens about to appear, it’s still close.)

In the game, Seirawan declined the sacrifice and had the presence of mind to play a stronger move.

62.g7 1–0

This win – which sealed a 2.5 – 1.5 match victory of the USSR – propelled the USA into the lead and they looked set to claim gold.  However, the final round brought a poor combination of results.  The USA could only draw 2-2 with Bulgaria, which let the USSR claim the title after all thanks to a 4-0 demolition of Poland.  England also won 4-0 to sneak ahead and take silver, so the USA had to make do with the bronze medals. So close!

Masters of Technique: The Mongoose Press Anthology of Chess Fiction is finally going to the printer in a few weeks. The book should be ready on or before its June publication date. An Amazon page can be found here.

The cover picture at Amazon is old, and so is the list of contributors. Our final list includes some terrific writers, including original chess stories from Katherine Neville (The Eight, The Fire), Stephen Carter (The Emperor of Ocean Park), Michael Weinreb (The Kings of New York), Edward Falco, Patrick Somerville, Mark Coggins (The Immortal Game), and Katie Kitamura, as well as already published gems from Michael Griffiths, Paul Eggers, Wells Tower, Steven Levery, and John Wheatcroft.

I’d be shocked if anybody has read all of these already published gems.

All of these  stories span genres, but it’s mostly just good literature centered around chess. From the front cover flap:

“Masters of Technique: The Mongoose Anthology of Chess Fiction is the first chess fiction anthology of contemporary stories, ever published. Mongoose Press has collected the best work from twelve of the most talented chess fiction writers of the past decade. In these rich and compelling stories, chess shines as a sophisticated metaphor, and fans of the game will applaud how chess is woven with technical accuracy into every narrative. To celebrate this historic achievement, chess fiction expert, Professor Mark N. Taylor has written an entertaining and erudite foreword. Every fiction lover with an interest in chess, either serious or en passant, should not pass on this opportunity to be entertained. ”

The advanced praise…

“Chess stories that are as sharp as a mating attack, as cheeky as a knight sacrifice, and as improbable as stalemate.”

–Paul Hoffman, author of King’s Gambit

“A marvelous gathering of literary intrigues…all in the name of chess.  Excellent for anyone who has ever picked up a pawn.”

–Frederick Barthelme, author of Waveland

“Chess and chess-like games are familiar enough in literature: think Nabokov, Hesse, Zweig, Kawabata. Masters of Technique, gathering the likes of Weinreb, Tower, Carter, and Eggers, proves that serious writers’ fascination with the royal game is not just a phenomenon of the past. This is a collection just as well-suited to those who read books as to those who read notation.”

- J.C. Hallman, author of The Chess Artist.

I was impressed by Hikaru Nakamura’s play at the London Chess Classic (December 2009), even though he didn’t win any games.

He has certainly made up for that aspect of his performance since then, with some really aggressive chess at the World Team Championship and Wijk aan Zee.

Here’s a few lively snippets with a recommendation to all readers: track down the original games and play them from start to finish.  And keep an eye on the H-Bombs!

Gelfand – Nakamura

World Team Championship

09.01.2010

 Gelfand is an extremely strong player but even he isn’t safe when Nakamura gets going. In this position, the American champion ripped a hole in the Kingside with 23 …Nxg2!

Gelfand – Nakamura

World Team Championship

09.01.2010

In this position, Black has just offered his Queen with 28 …Qd3!!  The game ended in a win for Black on move 33.

Nakamura continued to sacrifice throughout January.  His games at Wijk aan Zee (which is still going on) have been some of the most entertaining of all.  He hit van Wely very hard…

Nakamura – Van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 17.01.2010

The first bomb was a typical Sicilian sacrifice.  15 Nd5! and the e-file is prised open after 15 …exd5 16 exd5

Nakamura – Van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 17.01.2010

A few moves later, Black has been trying his best to keep the e-file closed. However, 22 Rxe5+!! blasted it wide open again. After 22 …Bxe5 23.Re1 Bg4 24.Qf4 0–0 25.Rxe5, White was no doubt hoping for 25 …Ra8 26 Rxh5!!, with threats against both the King and the Queen.

 

Nakamura – Van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 17.01.2010

(Analysis Diagram)

Black sidestepped that particular bomb but he was still far from safe.

Nakamura – Van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 17.01.2010

This time the Bishop gets in on the act: 29 Bxg6! Once again, Black struggled on… 29 …Qh1+ 30.Kb2 Qxd5

Nakamura – Van Wely

Wijk aan Zee 17.01.2010

…but Nakamura still wasn’t finished: 31 Bxf7+!  and 1-0 (39)

As I write this, Nakamura has just inflicted a fist defeat on tournament leader Shirov at Wijk aan Zee.

Expect some further examples from the H-Bomber in a future post here at Mongoose Times.

The Staunton Memorial tournament, which has run every year since 2003, is looking for a new sponsor.

See here for further details:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2010/01/save-our-staunton.html

A draw in the final game of the London Chess Classic was just enough to earn Magnus Carlsen first place after an exciting tournament full of entertaining chess.

Here are the final standings:

(All photos in this report are courtesy of  Robert Konieczny)

13 points: Carlsen – a sensational performance

12: Kramnik – just not quite enough!

9: Howell, Adams – both unbeaten

7: McShane – only one draw; the lowest non-decisive game rate by far

6: Ni Hua, Nakamura – both battled away throughout the tournament

5: Short – a last round victory against Carlsen would have changed so much

For full details of the Chess Classic, including game scores, please see the official site at:

http://www.londonchessclassic.com/

For more photos and reports by me, pop along to:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/

The London Chess Classic now moves into its final two rounds.

(Pictures courtesy of John Saunders)

Yesterday’s games saw two more decisive results, with McShane beating Nakamura and Carlsen outplaying Ni Hua.  The games Adams v Short and Howell v Kramnik were both drawn after very exciting battles.

With three points for a win, one for a draw and nothing for a loss, a single victory can make a huge difference to the tournament table.

Current Standings

11: Carlsen
8: Kramnik
7: McShane
5: Howell, Adams
4: Short
4: Nakamura
3: Ni Hua

For full details, including the games,  pop along to:

http://www.londonchessclassic.com/

Further updates will appear here at Mongoose Times and also here:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/

Here’s some photos from the first half of the Chess Classic.  All photos in this post are used with the kind permission of John Saunders.

First round games don’t get much tougher than this!

The American Champion Hikaru Nakamura

has drawn his first three games in London

Ni Hua

The view of the stage with all of the games in action

There’s more photos here:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2009/12/live-from-olympia_6523.html

Follow all the action and catch up with games from previous rounds here:

http://www.londonchessclassic.com/

More updates to follow!

The first three rounds of the Chess Classic have produced lots of good, fighting chess.  Quick draws are outlawed and the scoring system is unusual for chess:  three points for a win, one for a draw and nothing for a loss (just like football).

World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen got off to a flying start with two straight wins, including a significant victory over former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik.  Magnus looked set to run away with the tournament when he built up a winning ending against British Champion David Howell in the third round, but the latter battled away magnificently and managed to hold on to draw.

Meanwhile, Kramnik has recovered well from his loss and scored wins in rounds two and three.

Apart from the top two players, only Luke McShane has so far won a game.  That was against Nigel Short in the first round, in a game lasting over 160 moves!

David Howell, Michael Adams and Hikaru Nakamaru have drawn all their games to date.  Ni Hua and Nigel Short have each drawn two games and lost one.

Friday is a rest day for the top section but the battle in the Open tournament – featuring several Grandmasters and numerous other titled players – rages on.  Indeed, they will play two games today, making a potential 10-hour playing day for them.

Elsewhere, the chess festival includes lots of junior coaching sessions, blitz tournaments and Grandmaster commentary.

Coming up over the next few days:  a weekend congress, a junior tournament and two simultaneous displays by guest of honour, Viktor Korchnoy.

Event organiser Malcolm Pein opens the press conference

Nigel Short at the drawing of lots

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen picks the pawn he opened with in his first game

The big game – in the very first round!

For more of my photos and reports, please go to:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2009/12/live-from-olympia_11.html

To follow all the action, pop along to the official site:

http://www.londonchessclassic.com/

I am off to London this weekend to watch and write about the London Chess Classic.

The quality of the field is very impressive indeed.  Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik will be hoping to continue his recent excellent form but there will certainly be no easy games.

The last time I saw Kramnik play ‘live’ was in 2000 when he defeated World Champion Kasparov in a sensational title match.

I was fortunate in being able to witness this convincing demolition of the Black defences…

Kramnik – Kasparov

Game 10

BGN World Championship Match 2000

The opening was a Nimzo-Indian – never a particularly happy choice for Kasparov.  Detailed notes on the game are easy to find so I’ll just present a few key positions to whet the appetite.

14 Bxf6 Nxf6

I remember Kasparov looking very upset prior to playing this move and his mood didn’t get any better as the game went on.  After 14…Bxf6 Black must reckon on the annoying 15 Nb5, with ambitions against d6 and a7. However, subsequent analysis supported the notion that 14…Bxf6 was still Black’s best try.

15 Bxe6 fxe6

16 Qxe6+ Kh8

17 Qxe7 Bxf3

18 gxf3 Qxd4

19 Nb5

So the Knight lands powerfully on b5 after all.  The body language at the time clearly showed what each player thought of the position.  The atmosphere in the room felt electrically charged and there was a general feeling that something major was about to happen.

19…Qxb2    20 Rxc8 Rxc8   21 Nd6 Rb8

22 Nf7+ Kg8  23  Qe6 Rf8

Apparently 23…h5! would have given a glimmer of hope – but Kasparov was blatantly depressed by now.

24 Nd8+ Kh8 25 Qe7

When 25…Rxd8 is the best move, it’s time for: 1-0

An historic final position – the last game Kasparov lost in a World Championship final after an incredible adventure going all the way back to 1984.  Indeed, it was also his last decisive game in a World Championship final as the match against Kramnik concluded with a series of draws.