The 38th Chess Olympiad began last Wednesday in Dresden, Germany. A record 152 countries are participating in the event.
Today’s game is taken from the Aerosvit 2008 tournament which was played in June, in the Ukraine. Van Wely falters against Alexei Shirov.
Van Wely, L (2677) – Shirov, A (2740)
Aerosvit Foros UKR (1), 8.6.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Na5 11.Bd3 b6 12.Rc1 e5 13.dxc5 Be6 14.c4 bxc5 15.Bxc5 Bh6 16.Rc3 Re8 17.Ba3 Qc7 18.Qc2 Rab8 19.c5 Red8 20.c6 Rb6 21.Rb1 Rxc6 22.Rxc6 Nxc6 23.Bc1 Bxc1
Black has just taken a bishop on c1. White recaptures with the wrong piece (24.Nxc1 was required): 24.Rxc1? Qd6 25.Qxc6 Qxc6? 25…Qxd3 followed by 26…Rc8 looks like it is winning. 26.Rxc6 Rxd3 27.f4 Bg4 28.Nc3 exf4 29.Nd5 Rd1+ 30.Kf2 Rd2+ 31.Kf1 Be2+ 32.Ke1 Rxa2 33.Nxf4 Bb5 34.Rc8+ Kg7 35.Rc7 Ra4 36.Ne6+ Kf6 37.Nc5 Ra2 38.g4 Re2+ 39.Kd1 Rxh2 40.g5+ Ke5 41.Rxf7 a5 White Resigns! 0-1
Novelty move
Interest in the National Chess Championships has been heightened to an almost unprecedented level due to the ferocious battles which are being fought on the battlefield of the 64 squares.
It is still anybody’s championship. At the conclusion of today’s games, we would have reached the half-way mark of the tournament and then perhaps we can begin to predict who may or may not win. The games have been close, sometimes too close for comfort.
What is evident is that the level of play is way above that of the standard which we experienced last year. The hosting of regular tournaments by the Chess Federation during the year has increased the strength of play of the participants.
Newcomers to the championships, Dennis Dillon, Frankie Farley and Omar Sharif are proving by the quality of their play that their qualification for “this signature event,” to borrow a phrase from Minister Dr Frank Anthony, is deserving and not accidental. Although one might win a game from either of the three, believe me, it’s not easy to do so.
Dillon missed a forced draw with me and Farley took me to the water’s edge before I was able to grab and claw my way back to safety on dry land. It was only when I suddenly, and without warning, switched from Kingside to Queenside play that I caught Farley napping and was able to gain a decisive advantage. Farley, so far, has been the surprise of the tournament.
In the Junior segment of the tournament, it is West Demerara’s Taffin Khan who is the favourite to win. I believe Taffin will score 14 wins from the 14 games which are to be contested. His strength of play is way above that of his opponents. Taffin’s trainer is his father, David, who is participating among the seniors. At his age, sixteen, Taffin is ready for international competition. In a previous tournament we tested his mettle by placing him among the seniors, and he managed a draw with the current national champion.
Today’s games would be played with a bit of ‘difference’ and an element of satisfaction for the players. Clinton Urling, Managing Director of the popular German’s Restaurant, is providing lunches for the players and officials of the tournament beginning today, and continuing until the tournament ends on Sunday, November 30. Mr Urling’s unprecedented generosity is based on the view that kids and teenagers are now playing the game who had never played before, and he wants to encourage this new development. He is excited at the prospect of young minds embracing chess, and because he is a strong advocate of extra-curricular activities in the school system, he feels that the game could be considered a pastime, but simultaneously used as a learning tool for academic studies. Chess, he says, helps you to think constructively.
In chess, we call a new move that was never played before, a ‘novelty.’ Urling’s move is a novelty in local chess. I cannot recall a previous instance in a tournament when a restaurant provided free lunches for chess players. Now, for the National Championships, we are having meals prepared by Guyana’s finest creole, and internationally renowned restaurant.
Some more goodwill has been directed towards the federation with the visit from Canada of Raymond Singh, a former National Chess Champion of Guyana. Raymond has donated a demonstration chess board to the federation. Demonstration boards are used as teaching aids during chess instruction, and are especially useful to kids when they are learning to play the game. The boards are also popularly used during important chess matches to explain moves to a paying ticketed audience.
Play begins today at 10 am at the King’s Plaza Hotel and continues at 3 pm. There is a two hour lunch break from 1 pm.
