Kamsky v Gelfand
The Mikhail Tal Memorial Tournament is being played (August 17-31) in Moscow. The players are former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich, currently the world’s second highest ranked player, Vassily Ivanchuk (4th), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (8th), Alexei Shirov (9th), Peter Leko (10th), Gata Kamsky (17th), Boris Gelfand (18th), Ruslan Ponomariov (19th and Evgeny Alekseev (26th).
In today’s feature game from the tournament, Kamsky has a clear win against Black (see diagram). He plays inaccurately however, and allows his opponent to secure a draw.
Kamsky,G (2723) – Gelfand,B (2720)
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (3), 20.8.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.0-0 Nxe5 7.dxe5 Nc5 8.f4 g6 9.Be3 Be7 10.Be2 0-0 11.Kh1 f6 12.exf6 Rxf6 13.c4 Be6 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Nc3 Qxd1 16.Raxd1 Rf7 17.b4 Bf6 18.Bd4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Nd7 20.Re4 Bf5 21.Re3 Nb6 22.Rd1 Kf8 23.Kg1 Re7 24.Kf2 Rxe3 25.Kxe3 Re8+ 26.Kf2 c6 27.Rd4 Be6 28.Bf3 Nd5 29.Ne4 Re7 30.Nc5 Nc3 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.Rh8 Kg7 33.Rb8 Bd5 34.Nxb7 Ne4+ 35.Kg1 Bxa2 36.Nc5 Bd5 37.Bxe4 Bxe4 38.Kf2 Bd5 39.g4 Kf6 40.Rd8 Rc7 41.Ke3 Ke7 42.Rb8 Kd6 43.Nb7+ Ke6 44.Kd4 h5 45.Nc5+ Kf6 46.h3 hxg4 47.hxg4 Rh7 48.Rd8 Rh1 49.Rd6+ Kg7 50.g5 Rc1 51.Rd7+ Kh8 52.Ke5 Rc4 53.Kf6 Rxf4+ 54.Kxg6 Rxb4
Here White has a win: 55.Re7! and now for instance 55…Bg8 56.Nd7 Re4 57.Rg7 (57.Rxe4? Bh7+=) and the threat of Nf6 cannot be adaquately met. However, Kamsky goes for the pawn. 55.Rxa7? Bg8 56.Re7. Now it is too late. 56…Rh4 57.Re8 Rd4 58.Re7 Rd6+ 59.Kh5 Bh7 60.Nd7 Rd1 61.Re8+ Draw. 1/2 —1/2.
A great day for India
Four years ago, English grandmaster and world championship title challenger Nigel Short won the Commonwealth Chess Championship. At the end of that event he said: “In the second round I drew with some 15-year-old boy… from some village somewhere. I think his name was Abhijeet Gupta.”
A few days ago, Abhijeet won the prestigious World Junior Chess Championship in Gaziantep, Turkey, in what was a clean sweep of junior titles for his home country, India. International Master Harika Dronavalli took the Girls Junior Championship title.
Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi, also from India, placed second in the Boys Championship with Arik Braun from Germany in the third spot. Similarly, in the Girls’ section of the World Juniors, Women’s International Master Mary Ann Gomes from India tied for second place with three other players from the Ukraine, Turkey and Georgia.
The World Junior Championships ended gloriously for India on their Independence Day, August 15. India is one of the fastest chess developing nations in the world. A number of young talents have emerged, led by grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran, Pentala Harikrishna and Koneru Humpy.
On the local chess circuit, the Guyana Chess Federation is continuing its programme of instruction to youths at the Malteenoes Sports Club. Interest in the game has been high and there is a genuine desire to learn among the students. President of the Malteenoes Sports Club Lance Hinds wants to make chess a regular feature of the club’s activities, in addition to hosting a first tournament for those who are currently receiving instructions.