Election of the executive officers of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) will take place on Sunday, March 26 at its Annual General Meeting. Only financial members would be allowed to vote. The GCF has extended the time to March 22 for persons to complete their registrations, thereby enabling them to vote on Election Day. Details are available on the GCF’s Facebook page.
This column has learnt the financial registration of members to allow voting has not been enthusiastic. But probably, things would improve as the deadline approaches. If they do not, and persons turn up at the venue for the AGM, the current executive would decide on a favourable course of action. The underlying idea, in the column’s view, would be to attract as many followers as possible for chess. Perhaps something meaningful can be worked out if persons fail to register.
Chess games
The four featured rapid games were played at the Tal Memorial in Jurmala, Latvia, from March 5 – 7, 2017. The tournament was won by Vladimir Onischuk.
White: Vladimir Onischuk
Black: Jiri Stocek
- e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 dxe4 4. Bxe4 Nf6 5. Bf3 Nbd7 6. Nc3 e5 7. Nge2 Bd6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 O-O 10. O-O Re8 11. Qd3 exd4 12. Qxd4 Ne5 13. Bd5 Ng6
- Bxf6 Qxf6 15. Qxf6 gxf6 16. g3 c6 17. Bg2 Bc7 18. Rfe1 Ba5 19. Nd4 Bd7 20. Nb3 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rad8 22. f4 Kg7 23. Kf2 Bf5 24. Nd4 Bc8 25. Rxe8 Rxe8 26. c4 Ne7 27. Rb1 Rd8 28. Ke3 c5 29. Nb5 a6 30. Nc3 Nf5+ 31. Ke2 Nd4+ 32. Kf2 Nxc2 33. Bd5 Nb4 34. a4 Be6 35. Rd1 Bxd5 36. cxd5 b5 37. axb5 axb5 38. d6 c4 39. Nxb5 Nd3+ 40. Ke3 Rb8 41. Nd4 Kf8 42. Ra1 Rd8 43. Nf5 1-0.
White: Loek van Wely
Black: Jaan Ehlvest
- Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. d4 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d6 7. g3 Nbd7 8. Bg2 e5 9. O-O Re8 10. b4 Bf8 11. Bb2 exd4 12. Nxd4 Ne5 13. Qc2 c5 14. Nf5 cxb4 15. axb4 g6 16. Ne3 Bg7 17. h3 Bd7 18. f4 Nc6 19. b5 Nb4 20. Qb3 a5 21. e5 Nh5 22. Ne4 dxe5 23. fxe5 Bxe5 24. Bxe5 Rxe5 25. g4 Rxe4 26. Bxe4 Ng3
- Bxb7 Rb8 28. Bd5 Nxf1 29. Rxf1 Be8 30. Qc3 Qg5 31. Qd4 h5 32. Kg2 Rd8 33. Kg3 h4+ 34. Kg2 a4 35. Qa7 Nxd5 36. Nxd5 Rxd5 37. cxd5 Qxd5+
- Kg1 Bxb5 39. Qb8+ Kg7 40. Re1 Qd4+ 41. Kg2 Qd2+ 0-1.
White: Evgeni Ellinovich Sveshnikov
Black: Daniel Fridman
- e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 5. Ne2 Qb6 6. d4 e6 7. Ng3 c5 8. c3 Nc6 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 f5 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Be3 O-O 14. Ne5 Bd6 15. Nh5 Qc7 16. Nxf6+ Rxf6 17. Nxc6 bxc6 18. Rc1 Bd7 19. g3 Raf8 20. Kg2 e5 21. dxe5 Bxe5 22. f4 Bxb2
- Rb1 Bc3 Qb6 27. Qc2 Bxe3 28. Rxb6 axb6
- Bxh7+ Kh8 30. Rc3 d4 31. Ra3 g5 32. Ra7 R6f7 33. Bg6 Bh3+ 34. Kxh3 Rxa7 35. fxg5 c5 36. Kg4 Rg7 37. h4 c4 38. h5 b5 39. Qe4 b4 40. Qe5 Kg8
- Qe6+ Kh8 42. Qxc4 Bd2 43. Qc5 Kg8 44. Qd5+ Kh8 45. Qd6 Rfg8 46. Qe5 d3 47. h6 Bc3 48. hxg7+ Rxg7 49. Qd6 1-0.
White: Igor Kovalenko
Black: Maksim Vavulin
- c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nge7 4. e3 g6 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O d6 8. d3 h6 9. Rb1 a5 10. a3 Be6 11. b4 axb4 12. axb4 Qd7 13. b5 Nd8 14. Bb2 Bh3 15. d4 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 exd4 17. Nxd4 Ne6 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 19. Qd3 Rfd8 20. Nd5 Bxb2 21. Rxb2 Rac8 22. Ra1 c6 23. Nxe7+ Qxe7 24. Ra7 Rc7 25. Qd4 Rcd7 26. bxc6
bxc6 27. Ra6 Rc7 28. Rbb6 Rdc8 29. h4 h5 30. Ra5 Qe6 31. Qf4 Re7 32. Raa6 Rec7 33. Rb2 Qe5 34. Rd2 Qxf4 35. gxf4 Rd7 36. c5 d5 37. Rb2 f5 38. Rb4 Kf7 39. Kf3 Re7 40. Rbb6 Rec7 41. Ke2 Kg7 42. Kd3 Kf7 43. Kd4 Kf6 44. Rb3 Re7 45. Kd3 Kf7 46. Rba3 Rb7 47. Ra7 Rcc7 48. Rxb7 Rxb7 49. Ra6 Rc7 50. Kd4 Kf6 51. Ra8 Re7 52. Rc8 Re4+ 53. Kd3 Rc4
- Rxc6+ Kf7 55. Rc8 Kg7 56. c6 Kh7 57. c7 Kg7 58. f3 Rc1 59. Kd4 Rc4+ 60. Ke5 d4 61. exd4 1-0.
Odd Mikalsen vs Valentina Gunina, Kalottumeringen, 1999.
Black to play and win
We regret that the solution to last week’s puzzle is unavailable at this time. We will endeavor to publish it next week.