White to move. How can White save this game?
k7/2p5/1p3R1p/4q1pP/1NP2pP1/1P3K2/8/8 w - - 0 1
White to move. How can White save this game?
k7/2p5/1p3R1p/4q1pP/1NP2pP1/1P3K2/8/8 w - - 0 1
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Useful tactic pattern
White to move. How can White save this game?
k7/2p5/1p3R1p/4q1pP/1NP2pP1/1P3K2/8/8 w - - 0 1
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9th World Chess Champion Zhu Chen Chess Academy construction in China
The formal part of the ceremony was held in the premises of the primary school. After the welcoming speeches of honorable guests including the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Zhu Chen, Mohammad Al-Modiahki, Chinese Grandmasters Ye Jiangchuan and Xie Jun, the guests played the simultaneous games on 50 boards with pupils. Then the officials arrived to the area of future academy construction for the foundation stone laying ceremony.
www.fide.com
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International Chess Day
FIDE congratulates millions of chess admirers all over the world wishing a wonderful International Chess Day!
International Chess Day is marked on July 20 all over the globe. July 20th is the 88th anniversary of the founding of FIDE in Paris, France in 1924
“Chess is a special game that unites people all over the world. I hope that once all battles and wars will take place only on chess boards. I wish you good health, success, new professional achievements, optimism and prosperity!
My best chess wishes to all of you!”
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
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GM Boris Savchenko convincing in Kavkaz-Сhess Blitz
Grandmaster Boris Savchenko from Krasnodar walked through the 4th blitz tournament Kavkaz-Сhess to take a clear first place with 10/11 points in the competition of 50 players.
Grandmaster Alexander Lastin is second with 8,5 points. Standings below.
The 4th blitz tournament Kavkaz-Сhess 2013 was held on 14th July at the resort-city Teberda in Karachay–Cherkess Republic, Russia. The event was organized by www.kavkaz-chess.ru website.
GM Alexander Lastin and GM Boris Savchenko in action (video)
Final standings (top finishers):
1 GM Savchenko Boris RUS 2689 – 10
2 GM Lastin Alexander RUS 2514 – 8.5
3 IM Akbaev Kazbek RUS 2475 – 7.5
4 IM Prizant Jaroslav RUS 2575 – 7.5
5 IM Eraschenkov Denis RUS 2492 – 7.5
6 Tekeyev Zaur RUS 2236 – 7.5
7 IM Garakov Mikhael RUS 2448 – 7
8 IM Yandarbiev Ruslan RUS 2369 – 7
9 Kovenko Alexander RUS 2250 – 7
10 Belotserkovsky Andrey RUS 2371 – 7
11 Popov Andrey RUS 2113 – 7
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SPF Girls Invitational begins on International Chess Day
On International Chess Day, the players arrive in St. Louis for the 2013 SPF Girls' Invitational at Webster University. Before the official activities tomorrow, some took the opportunity to visit downtown St. Louis.
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Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation by GM Perelshteyn ... and more
The Janisch Gambit by GM Leonid Kritz
The Janisch Gambit by GM Leonid Kritz
Posted on July 15,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The Janisch Gambit is one of the most aggressive systems that black can play against the Ruy Lopez, closely resembling a reverse Vienna Gambit or King's Gambit as black offers a very early pawn sacrifice with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5!? The Janisch Gambit (also known as the Schliemann Defense) is an extremely effective way for black to immediately fight for the initiative and put the pressure on white. The Janisch Gambit may look completely c[...]
Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation by GM Perelshteyn
Posted on July 08,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The Caro-Kann Defense is an extremely tough nut to crack with the white pieces. Although it is certainly not one of the most popular chess openings ever played, you will see this eclectic system pop up from time to time at the Grandmaster level (and beginner/intermediate levels as well!). Notable Super-GMs playing the Caro-Kann Defense these days are Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Hikaru Nakamura, and they are achieving some pretty good results with i[...]
Ivan Sokolov vs Peter Leko – Tata Steel 2013 (GM Damian Lemos)
Posted on July 05,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, Tournament Updates, All Articles w/ Videos, General Chess Articles. GM Damian LemosToday we’re going to review a game from the 10th round of the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, played between GMs Ivan Sokolov and Peter Leko. This game is an excellent example of the Nimzo-Indian Defense with the main line 4. e3, demonstrating a very aggressive plan for the white pieces by GM Sokolov who rapidly sought to expose the defects in Leko’s solid defensive set-up. The main factors in Sokolov’s attack are the various sho[...]
FM Alisa Melekhina - Stunning Your Opponent in the 9.Nbd2 Gambit
Posted on July 03,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, General Chess Articles. The rare 9. Nbd2 gambit in the Advanced French is an unexplored line that produces powerful positions for White, rich with tactical opportunities. Reminiscent of the c3 Sicilian, White utilizes a double-bishop piece attack coupled with a strong pawn on e5. The main game and its accompanying exciting sample miniatures demonstrate typical themes in the opening. White sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and devastating control of the c-file. A f[...]
OnlineChessLessons.net is a producer of thousands of free chess articles and free chess videos by FIDE chess masters. They recently released the renowned Empire Chess series that has been taking the chess world by storm. Please consider checking out their chess blog and chess shopwith tons of free updated previews.
The Janisch Gambit by GM Leonid Kritz
Posted on July 15,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The Janisch Gambit is one of the most aggressive systems that black can play against the Ruy Lopez, closely resembling a reverse Vienna Gambit or King's Gambit as black offers a very early pawn sacrifice with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5!? The Janisch Gambit (also known as the Schliemann Defense) is an extremely effective way for black to immediately fight for the initiative and put the pressure on white. The Janisch Gambit may look completely c[...]
Caro-Kann, Exchange Variation by GM Perelshteyn
Posted on July 08,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos. The Caro-Kann Defense is an extremely tough nut to crack with the white pieces. Although it is certainly not one of the most popular chess openings ever played, you will see this eclectic system pop up from time to time at the Grandmaster level (and beginner/intermediate levels as well!). Notable Super-GMs playing the Caro-Kann Defense these days are Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Hikaru Nakamura, and they are achieving some pretty good results with i[...]
Ivan Sokolov vs Peter Leko – Tata Steel 2013 (GM Damian Lemos)
Posted on July 05,2013 By William in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, Tournament Updates, All Articles w/ Videos, General Chess Articles. GM Damian LemosToday we’re going to review a game from the 10th round of the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, played between GMs Ivan Sokolov and Peter Leko. This game is an excellent example of the Nimzo-Indian Defense with the main line 4. e3, demonstrating a very aggressive plan for the white pieces by GM Sokolov who rapidly sought to expose the defects in Leko’s solid defensive set-up. The main factors in Sokolov’s attack are the various sho[...]
FM Alisa Melekhina - Stunning Your Opponent in the 9.Nbd2 Gambit
Posted on July 03,2013 By OnlineChessLessons.NET Contributor in Strategy & Game Review, Chess Openings, All Articles w/ Videos, General Chess Articles. The rare 9. Nbd2 gambit in the Advanced French is an unexplored line that produces powerful positions for White, rich with tactical opportunities. Reminiscent of the c3 Sicilian, White utilizes a double-bishop piece attack coupled with a strong pawn on e5. The main game and its accompanying exciting sample miniatures demonstrate typical themes in the opening. White sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and devastating control of the c-file. A f[...]
OnlineChessLessons.net is a producer of thousands of free chess articles and free chess videos by FIDE chess masters. They recently released the renowned Empire Chess series that has been taking the chess world by storm. Please consider checking out their chess blog and chess shopwith tons of free updated previews.
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I. World Chess Championship for Disabled
The invitation is now online at: http://www.schachfestival.de/www_festival/ad0578a527187de255ab445a7e7fde0c.php
The official website will be launched soon. Already a good number of participants did register for the Championship.
Official website http://ipca.sweb.cz/
Regulations
Prospectus
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Chess, chess, and more chess in Tromsø
Pay particular attention to the weekend of August 16-18 when an international tournament weekend will be held right after 96 strong chess players are knocked out of the tournament! Many of these players will participate in the tournament! (Tournament calender (norwegian only)
Don't miss this unique opportunity and sign up to play in this tournament.
Scandic Hotel, the venue for the World Cup, is offering fantastic room rates for chess players!
The legendary TSKU chess cafe will be operating outside the playing venue throughout the tournament.
Arctic Chess NGP
August 16 - 18 : 7 rounds swiss (3 rounds 20 5 + 4 rounds 90 30)
Prize Fund: 5.000 EURO!
A Main: 1000-600-400 Elo -2300: 500-300-200 Elo –2000: 250-150-100
B Main: 500-300-200 Elo -1500: 250 150 100
Group A Elo 1750+ Start fee: NOK 700,- Free:All participants in the FIDE World Cup
Group B: Elo -1750 Start fee: NOK 350,-
Players with -1750 can apply to the organizer to participate in Group A.
=> Registration
Playing schedule:
August 16: (Rapid 20 5)
Round 1: 19.30 Round 2: 20.45 Round 3: 22.00
August 17: (Classical chess 90 30)
Round 4: 10.00 Round 5: 18.00
August 18: (Classical chess 90 30)
Round 6: 10.00 Round 7: 15.00
=> Registration
Chief Arbiter: Trond Romsdal
Arbiter: Øyvind Pedersen
Organizer: Jan Sigmund Berglund (+47 992 79 489)
SHOWCHESS
During Arctic Chess NGP, we are staging a SHOW tournament of blitz chess in a cup format at the Jekta Shopping Centre, which is adjacent to Scandic Hotel. (Free entry!):
Saturday, August 17, 14.30 - 16.30 : Jekta Shopping Centre (Blitz cup 5 0)
CHILDREN CHESS
At noon on the same day, the BGP tournament will be played at the same venue. Five rounds of 15-minute rapid chess.
All participants receive prizes. Just turn up at Jekta.:
Saturday, August 17, 12.00 : Jekta Shopping Centre (BGP 15 0)
In the last weekend of the World Cup, a great childrenstournament - the Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge's Children's Chess Olympiad - will be played at Scandic Hall. Check the tournament pages for more info via: www.tromsosjakklubb.com
Saturday August 31 and Sunday September 1: Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge's Children's Chess Olympiad
BLITZ CHESS
Every third day under the World Cup it's a "Play-off" day, and new Grandmasters will be "knocked out" of the tournament.
At this days Tromsø Chess Club arranges blitz chess tournaments with nice prizes.
There also a blitz tournament in one weekend. Three of these tournaments have NGP-status (Norwegian Grand Prix).
Tue August 13 - 19:00 : Ishavsbyen Blitz 12 rounds 3 2
Mon August 19 - 19:00 : Arctic Chess Blitz NGP 12 rounds 3 2
Tur August 22 - 19:00 : Blåmannen Blitz 12 rounds 3 2
Sat August 24 - 12:00 : Scandic Rapid NGP 6 rounds 20 5
Sun August 25 - 12:00 : Scandic Blitz NGP 12 rounds 3 2
Wed August 26 - 12:00 : Tromsdalstinden Blitz 12 rounds 3 2
Entry fee for the tournaments at Scandic Hall is NOK 200/100.
Non-Norwegians NOK 50.
Title holders and World Cup participants free.
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Joao Braga Open in Brazil
The Chess International Open Profesor Joao Braga was played on 5th-13th July at the UNIP University, Rua Vergueiro 1211 – Paraíso, Brazil.
The event was a 9-round Swiss open with a classical time control. It was valid both for FIDE and CBX ratings calculations.
Paraguayan GM Neuris Delgado finished clear first after getting 7.5 points. A draw against Brazilian IM Roberto Molina was enough to edge GM Everaldo Matsuura, who fell against American IM Daniel Fernandez.
Santiago Yago de Moura took advantage of these results, won his last game and took home the silver medal thanks to his tiebreak score.
The first three positions were awarded with 10.000 R$ (approx. 4.500 US dollars), 3.000 R$ and 2.000 R$, respectively.
Official website
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Stathes Gazis is leading Ikaros International Open
Standings after the 7th round has as follows: 1) Gasis (FM, Greece, 2263) 7 p. in 7 games, 2-3) Velicka (GM, Czech Republic, 2433), Kanellos (Greece, 1986) 6 p., 4-9) Kiselev (Russia, 2210), Rigopoulos-Tsigos (Greece, 2085), Nester (IM, Ukraine, 2307), Malikentzos (FM, Greece, 2347), Kondou (WIM, Greece, 2182), Frendzas (IM, Greece 2363) 5,5 p.
Eva Kondou (of S.O.Santorinis) seems to have secured the title of female Aegean Champion while the title of the Aegean Champion will be contested among Frendzas (S.O.Santorinis, 5,5 p.) and Poundzas, Heropoulos and Lazaridis (S.O.Ikarias, 5 p.).
Dances, Sightseeing and Exhibitions
After the very dense schedule of the first days of the tournament, the participants at last had plenty of free time on the afternoon of the 17th of July, the day of the celebrations for the liberation of Ikaria from Ottoman occupation and had a very good time at the local “panigiri” (festivities).
On the previous day some members of the local cultural club “Ioannis Melas” had taught the chess players the local dances and especially the widely famous “Ikariotikos” (the traditional dance of Ikaria). Members of “Ioannis Melas” also offered to the chessplayers a guided tour at the Cultural Museum of Aghios Kirykos.
On top of these activities, the organizes of “Ikaros 2013” with the help of the local cultural clubs staged at the playing venue an exhibition of photos and documents that aims to introduce the tournament participants to Ikaria, its beauties, history, culture and its unique traits.
The same material has been presented before during the Exhibitions of the Greek Popular Culture in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the stand of the Ikarian Culture Clubs of Athens and were twice awarded with distinctions. The text accompanying this material was written by Marina Moula while the photos belong to Christos Malahias.
More events!
The last round of the 36th International Chess Tournament “Ikaros” 2013 – Aegean Open Championship will take place on Saturday morning.
The closing ceremony and the prize giving as well as the honorary awards to the past and present mayors of Aghios Kirykos and Ikaria will take place at 7.p.m.
After the closing ceremony the 4th Mediterranean Rapid Team Tournament will take place.
On Sunday and Monday there will be friendly matches between the teams of Ikaria and Samos as well as some events in the memory of the first Ikarian candidate master Manolis Stavrinadis.
All chess events of “Ikaros” 2013 are organized by the Municipality of Aghios Kirykos and Ikaria Chess Club at the Sports Center of Aghios Kirykos.
This year the promotion of the tournament has surpassed all previous records, with TV and radio spots on nationwide stations, articles in major newspapers (double-page article in the Friday, July 19, issue of the “Ethnos”), and extensive references at Ikarian and chess websites in Greece and worldwide!
More info about the 36th International Chess Tournament “Ikaros” 2013 can be found at: http://www.ikaroschess.gr
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Russian tactic
Source: ChessToday.net
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China wins again
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Alexey Dreev first in Altai Rapid 2013
Altai Krai and its capital Barnaul have celebrated the International Chess Day with a rapid tournament at the Altai Youth Theatre.
European Rapid Champion Alexey Dreev won the tournament with 7,5/9 points ahead of 40 players in the field.
Dreev was earlier announced as top seed in the Pacific Meridian in Vladivostok, but he took a stop in Barnaul, halfway from Moscow.
Final standings (top finishers):
1 Dreev Aleksey 2740 – 7.5
2 Belozerov Andrei 2576 – 7
3 Boiarintsev Vitaly 2294 – 6.5
4 Guempel Viktor 2241 – 6.5
5 Shlauzer Andrey 2143 – 6
6 Smikovski Ivan 2534 – 6
7 Dibrov Ilya 2287 – 6
8 Maletin Pavel 2664 – 5.5
9 Khabarov Sergey 2282 – 5.5
10 Barskij Vladimir 2422 – 5.5
11 Cherchnev Anatoli 2276 – 5.5
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Shevchenko Park stages blitz tournament, grandmaster simuls on chess day
July 21, 2013, 11:39 a.m. | Sports — by Mark Rachkevych
The usual chatter of kibitzing at Shevchenko Park’s chess pavilion gave way on July 20 to the successive clanks of chess clock buttons being pressed.
Many of the park’s regulars were there, including some of the hustlers, but they were interspersed with other chess enthusiasts to compete in an eight-round, 5-minute blitz tournament organized by the Ukrainian Chess Federation to celebrate International Chess Day.
In the end, 23-year-old FIDE Master Valeriy Grinyov, a part-time professional chess player and coach, won the grueling event in which players are given five minutes to beat their opponents in games that usually feature tactics, quick calculation, and traps in lieu of long-term strategic play.
Adjacent to the pavilion, two chess masters each gave a 10-player, simultaneous chess match exhibition: Grandmaster Zakhar Yefymenko and FIDE Master Yulia Osmak.
Osmak went undefeated, while Yefymenko won 8 and drew 2 to some strong candidate chess masters.
This was the second time that Ukraine commemorated International Chess Day, following parliament’s recognition of the holiday in a Nov. 1, 2011 vote – FIDE, the world’s chess governing body, designated July 20 the international day of chess in 1966.
Last year organizers staged a simultaneous exhibition match, but this year added an exciting blitz tournament as the main attraction that featured the young and old, men and women, amateurs and semi-professional players.
Source: http://www.kyivpost.com
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SPGI Updates on Twitter
The 1st official day of the 10th annual SPF Girls Invitational starts today. Updates will be made throughout the day at https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar
The budget for this most prestigious all-girls event is approximately $250,000, making it by far the largest all-girls event in the United States, and most likely in the world.
More information here: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2013/07/big-10th-anniversary-surprise-for-girls.html
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3rd China Rapid Chess Tournament
Eight of the strongest players from the Oriental country will battle in a round-robin event with a rapid time control.
First seed Wang Yue will travel to this tournament right after the USA-China match that is taking place in Ningbo. The Chinese star is going through a very heavy schedule, as he just finished his participation at the Grand Prix in Beijing.
Former women’s world champion Hou Yifan is among the participants. She will play against Ukrainian Anna Ushenina looking to recover his crown in September.
The very young GM Wei Yi is already a regular member at these elite tournaments.
Participants:
GM Wang Yue 2705
GM Li Chao 2686
GM Ni Hua 2661
GM Yu Yangyi 2657
GM Hou Yifan 2600
GM Zhou Jianchao 2609
GM Wei Yi 2557
GM Xiu Deshun 2556
Official website
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Interview with FIDE President
July 20th is the 89th anniversary of the founding of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, in honor of which we posed a few questions to its President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
VoR: Let’s begin with what we might call a demographic question. It seems to me that elite chess players have been getting a lot younger over the last half century. Is that just my imagination, or have you noticed the same?
Ilyumzhinov: Well, yes, chess has gotten younger, because of technology, meaning computers and the internet. Whereas formerly you needed to have a sizeable chess library to properly analyze top-level games, nowadays all you need is a computer. It is no accident, therefore, that the age of players has been dropping, akin to what we saw in gymnastics a while back, for instance. Elite players can be very young, age 15 to 20. For example, a few years ago 16 year-old Hou Yifan of China became women’s world champion, and in London just a few months ago 22 year-old Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the right to play a match for the world title. Young elite grandmasters like Sergei Karjakin and Ian Nepomniashchii, among others, are only about 20, and you can’t compare 40-50 year old players with them. Chess has indeed gotten a lot younger, both women’s and men’s chess.
VoR: Chess fans are much better acquainted with world champions than they are with players who haven’t achieved that level of glory, and I assume that when growing up as a chess enthusiast you were similar. It would be interesting to hear who was the first world champion with whom you were able to meet and have a real conversation. And what you may remember of that meeting.
Ilyumzhinov: The first world champion I met was Mikhail Tal, from Riga. He became champion very young, when he was not yet 25 [he was 23 –D.K.]. The two of us met in Kalmykia, of course. I’ve met Vassily Smyslov, Boris Spassky, and others, including Garry Kasparov, and Anatoly Karpov. But more than any of them, I remember meeting Bobby James Fischer, or Robert Fischer. I got acquainted with him in Budapest, in December 1995, and I played four games against him. I consider Fischer a chess genius. His games are all very interesting, and he is a genuine gold standard of chess for many, for several generations of chess players.
VoR: Of all your predecessors as President of FIDE, who was the most senior one to give you advice, and do remember much about that advice?
Ilyumzhinov: Well, let me say that FIDE exists since 1924, so we’ll be celebrating its 90th anniversary next year. We have had six presidents, I being the sixth. I had a close relationship since 1994, before I became FIDE president, with President Florencio Campomanes, from the Philippines. At that point he had already been atop FIDE for 12 years. We had met briefly in Moscow once, but then I spent time with him in Manila in 1994, and I couldn’t help but see how this man devoted his life so fully to chess, to propagating chess. When Campomanes was president, chess was still not very popular in Africa and in many countries in Asia. He went to those countries himself; he opened chess clubs and chess schools. His motto was “Chess for me is not just a game. It’s not just a hobby. It is all of my life.” He lived by chess, and perhaps you could say he died with it.
Source: http://english.ruvr.ru
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Epic battle of the Cold War
Steve Bunce
Sunday 21 July 2013
The Cold War was raging when the Russians and the Americans started arriving in Reykjavik in the summer of 1972 for the greatest chess match in the history of the sport.
Bobby Fischer, the American challenger, was the first player from outside the Soviet Union since 1948 to earn the right to challenge for the world chess championship. Fischer was insolent, rude, brilliant, vain, vulgar, fanatical and quite ruthless: he was the perfect chess player.
Boris Spassky, the Russian, was the world champion and equally savage on the chessboard; he was also considered the greatest player ever. The scene was set for the showdown, the preparations in place after a year of strategic planning. The world's media gathered, putting the build-up on the front pages and at the top of television news bulletins.
The first move was scheduled for July 1 and Spassky was there, shadowed by his KGB minders, ready to go to war. Fischer was missing, presumed lost. There was not a problem with the cruel genius; he was in New York studying a 1000-page document that held every single game and move that Spassky had ever played. The thumbed and grungy book of moves, its annotated pages proof of intense scrutiny, was Fischer's companion into battle.
In Iceland there was a dreadful but familiar impasse; it was, after all, the Cold War and the chess masters were simply unarmed soldiers. The tension was building, the Soviets were demanding victory by default. Not Spassky; he wanted to crush the American.
It was at this point that Henry Kissinger was asked to get involved and intervene. Kissinger tracked down Fischer and called him. "This is the worst player in the world calling the best player in the world," Kissinger said when Fischer answered the telephone. President Richard Nixon – Tricky Dicky, noted chess fan and sponsor of aerial death – also called the fugitive and then David Frost found an extra sponsor. The combined forces of the men in power worked and the game was on.
The lights went up in the arena on July 11, the crowd silent when Spassky sat down, moved his queen's pawn two places and reclined in his chair. Fischer was in Reykjavik but not in his chair at the table. The seconds ticked, the silence was malevolent and then after six minutes Fischer walked in, shook hands with his great rival and the match started.
Fischer and Spassky were not normal men. They had never had a childhood and had instead crushed older men in days and nights of chess annihilation. They had been two tiny boys ruining the lifetime learning of gnarled chess masters, both being taught to crush even the weakest foes; the sport is like that, which is something that Spassky recognised: "When you play Bobby, it is not a question of whether you win or lose. It is a question of whether you survive." In Reykjavik in 1972 both men came very, very close to the edge of destruction.
The Cold War operatives were in full force during the best-of-24 match as the days, weeks and months slipped by. They had started on July 11 and it would end on September 1. Never have two sporting warriors gone at each other for so long and so relentlessly without breaks; this was a chess fight to the death. They each had spells in control and away from the playing room there was an endless storm of intrigue, with claims and counter claims of every sort. Chess was the biggest story in the world that summer – the Munich massacre at the Olympics took place after Fischer and Spassky had finished fighting.
After one crushing win for Fischer the Daily Mirror filled its back page with this telling headline: "Spassky Smashski". It was gripping stuff and the involvement of the world's two superpowers formed a backdrop of potential Armageddon. Fischer was paranoid from first move to last, believing that the Soviets wanted him dead (he was, it turns out, right about that). He kept asking for changes, delays and even insisted on watching his orange juice being squeezed to avoid poisoning.
However, it was Spassky who started to fade, trailing the American and upsetting the men back in the Kremlin. August was a cruel month for the defending world champion and there was nothing he could do to break Fischer's hold on the game. It was a crisis and something had to give when they sat down for game 21. The previous seven games had ended in soul-sapping draws. Neither of the men had much left.
Fischer started the game with a Sicilian Taimonov variation and after 41 moves it was all over. Spassky phoned in his resignation. It was September 1, the war was done and Fischer had won 12.5 to 8.5 and was the world champion.
After the match Fischer toured the world, offending people and upsetting the American government, living in exile from 1992, after playing an unofficial rematch against Spassky in Yugoslavia, then under a UN embargo.
In January 2008, he completed the circle and died, aged 64, in isolation and loneliness in Reykjavik after becoming an Icelandic citizen. Spassky never fully recovered from the mauling and lives in Paris, another exiled victim of a harsh regime.
Spassky visited Reykjavik on March 12, 2008. He stood alone sobbing at his great rival's grave. "Do you think the spot next to him is available?" Spassky asked. It is, he was told. They will face each other again one day.
Source: http://www.heraldscotland.com
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More practical tactic
Source: ChessToday.net
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Bondarevsky Memorial in Rostov-on-Don
Rapid tournament dedicated to the memory of legendary Grandmaster Igor Bondarevsky was held on 19-20th July at the VertolExpo Сongress & Еxhibition Сentre in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
The event was completed over 11 rounds of swiss pairings with the rapid time control 15′+10”. The results are valid for the Rapid Grand Prix Cup of Russia.
Grandmasters Ivan Popov, Vladimir Belous, Alexander Riazantsev and Sanan Sjugirov have shared the first place with 8,5/11 points each. Ivan Popov took the winner’s trophy on best Buchholz score. Standings below.
129 players competed for the prize fund of 11,800 EUR. There were 15 regular awards, and also prizes for women, veterans and juniors.
Tournament website
Final standings (top 20 finishers):
1 GM Popov Ivan RUS 2583 – 8.5
2 GM Belous Vladimir RUS 2495 – 8.5
3 GM Riazantsev Alexander RUS 2660 – 8.5
4 GM Sjugirov Sanan RUS 2690 – 8.5
5 GM Potkin Vladimir RUS 2673 – 8
6 GM Panarin Mikhail RUS 2643 – 8
7 GM Chadaev Nikolai RUS 2621 – 8
8 GM Galkin Alexander RUS 2599 – 8
9 Nazaretyan Tigran RUS 2210 – 8
10 IM Kotenko Pavel RUS 2398 – 8
11 GM Lastin Alexander RUS 2546 – 7.5
12 GM Kuzmin Gennadi P UKR 2433 – 7.5
13 IM Fomichenko Eduard RUS 2444 – 7.5
14 FM Tekeyev Zaur RUS 2277 – 7.5
15 IM Kornyukov Alexey RUS 2362 – 7.5
16 GM Kryakvin Dmitry RUS 2473 – 7
17 GM Matjushin Gennady UKR 2505 – 7
18 GM Evdokimov Alexander A. RUS 2587 – 7
19 IM Tsyhanchuk Stanislav BLR 2417 – 7
20 Musalov Ruslan RUS 2376 – 7
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