For me, chess is life and every game is like a new life. Every chess player gets to live many lives in one lifetime – Eduard Gufeld
Playing in his first chess tournament at the senior level, national junior champion Taffin Khan has sent a direct and unambiguous message to his competition countrywide. By beating the current national champion Kriskal Persaud, Taffin has signalled to us that he intends to play tough and serious chess for the rest of 2009.
Kriskal and Taffin ended the Mashramani Topco Juice seven-round swiss system tournament on six points each, but Kriskal was adjudged the overall winner on the Sonneborn Berger tie-break system. Kriskal lost one game and Taffin lost to myself. For a junior player to appear suddenly among the seniors, and to defeat some of them, including the national champion, borders a bit on the outside of the ordinary. Obviously, a talent is being exhibited to which we should pay some attention.
The big question is whether there is similar talent languishing around the country. At the moment we cannot know, but as time goes by, and with the continuing development of the game, we should have a fair idea. This is why the schools should organise their individual tournaments, as West Demerara Secondary did recently.
During the December schools’ championship, representatives of both Linden and Berbice demonstrated their seriousness about the game due to their approach and discipline.
A number of those players were girls, and this is what the Guyana ChessFedera-tion requires to develop the female aspect of the game. Both Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados sent female teams to the chess Olympiad in Germany last November.
Taffin Khan’s father is his personal trainer. He is one of the strongest players in the country, and is respected for his knowledge of the game. To his advantage also, he maximises the use of the personal computer to learn new systems and increase his knowledge of chess.
Last Sunday, in the closing stages of the DDL sponsored Topco Juice tournament, the computer paired Taffin to play against his father. Taffin won that game handsomely and in a convincing manner.
Some time soon perhaps, Taffin may have to secure a new trainer.
Congratulations to both Taffin and Kriskal for their excellent performances during the recent Mashramani tournament.
Topalov v Kamsky
Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov won his Candi-dates match against Gata Kamsky by a 4.5-2.5 margin in game seven of their eight-round match. Topalov will meet world champion Vishy Anand later in the year for a shot at the title.
Topalov played the Tarrasch defence and sacrificed a pawn for active play. Kamsky found himself in some serious time trouble and soon forfeited the game. Here is the game.
Topalov, V (2796) – Kamsky, G (2725)
World Chess Challenge Sofia BUL (7), 26.2.2009
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Re1 Be7 9.Nb3 Nc6 10.Nbxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 0-0 12.c3 Bd7 13.Qf3 Qb6 14.Bb3 a5 15.Be3 Bc5 16.Rad1 a4 17.Bc2 Qxb2 18.Bg5 Nd5 19.c4 Bxd4 20.Qd3 f5 21.Qxd4 Qxc2 22.cxd5 Qxa2 23.Qb6 a3 24.Be7 Rfe8 25.Qd6 Ba4 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Ra1 Qc4 28.Rec1 Bc2 29.Qd7 a2 30.d6 b5 31.Qb7
The last chance Kamsky had in this match: 31…b4 32.d7 Reb8 33.d8Q+ Rxd8 34.Qxb4 Qxb4 35.Bxb4 Bb1 and Black can hope to win. Instead after 31…Reb8 32.Qc7 Rc8 it is White who is calling the shots. 33.Qxc4 Rxc4 34.d7 Bb1 35.Rd1 Kg8 36.d8Q+ Rxd8 37.Bxd8 Bc2 38.Rdc1 b4 39.Rxa2 b3 40.Ra8 Kf7 41.Rb8 Ke6 42.Re1+ Kd5 43.Be7 Ra4 44.Bf8 Ra7 45.h4 Black Resigns! 1-0.