Chess news
Posted on July 05, 2012 09:02:12 PM
For the Philippines, our top 10 players are:
1. GM Wesley So 2650
2. GM Oliver Barbosa 2575
3. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr 2548
4. GM Joseph Sanchez 2541
5. GM Julio Catalino Sadorra 2525
6. GM John Paul Gomez 2524
7. GM Mark Paragua 2513
8. GM Rogelio Barcenilla 2501
9. GM Darwin Laylo 2489
10. GM Roland Salvador 2484
Take note that for the first time since the rating list was started in 1970, Eugene Torre is out of the Philippines’ Top 10. His disastrous showing in the Asian Continental Championship (53rd place with 4/9, conceding draws even to 2100 and 2200 rated players for a rating performance of 2256 — he easily lost around 25 rating points there) really took him down.
WESLEY SO
Someone who I am proud to call my friend, Tito Mendoza of Toronto, wrote to share some news about Wesley So. Wesley’s chess schedule for July is:
July 1-8, World Open in Philadelphia
July 15-21, Toronto International Open
July 21-28, Quebec Open, Montreal
July 29, Blitz match with GM Ray Robson
Wesley’s opponent in the blitz match, GM Ray Robson, is the 7th-ranked player in the USA and also the 20th youngest GM in history, earning that title in 2009 at the age of 14 years 11 months and 16 days. This also makes him the youngest US GM ever (Hikaru Nakamura and Bobby Fischer were both 15 years old when they got their titles).
So far Wesley and Robson have met twice over the board, and both times the Filipino ace has won. Here is one of them.
So, Wesley (2668) — Robson, Ray (2539) [B76]
SPICE Cup GMA Lubbock USA (3), 30.10.2010
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
Both players are experts in the Sicilian Dragon.
6.Be3
If White intends to castle queenside then Be3 is correct. Be2 is only to make way for kingside castling, as the bishop is normally better placed on f1 than on e2.
6…Bg7 7.f3 0 — 0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0 — 0 — 0
One of the most influential books on the Sicilian Defense in the 80s and 90s is the series “Beating the Sicilian” by John Nunn. The series went up to the third edition where GM Joe Gallagher collaborated with Nunn. I make no secret of the fact that when I was still active in correspondence chess this was my main source of research whenever one of my opponents played the Sicilian.
He had this to say about the Dragon: “Beating the Sicilian 2 proposed the main line of the Yugoslav Attack, 9.Bc4 followed by attempting to mate Black down the h-file, but this time (Beating the Sicilian 3) we are opting for 9.0 — 0 — 0 followed by attempting to mate Black down the h-file. The advantage of this approach is clearest if Black insists on getting involved in aa mutual king-hunt, when the tempi White has saved on Bc4 — b3 are very valuable. The slight catch is that Black can reply 9…d5, somewhat changing the character of the game.”
9…d5 10.exd5
“Beating the Sicilian 3” suggests 10.Kb1 or 10.Qe1. It also says that White should not even consider taking the sacrificed pawn on d5. “After 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Qxd5 Qc7! Black has too much for the pawn.”
Well, that line is exactly what Wesley goes for. Perhaps because of this game Nunn’s assessment might need to be re-evaluated.
10…Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Nxd5!? cxd5 13.Qxd5 Qc7
This is the position that Nunn is talking about and he claims that Black’s compensation is too much. I remember arriving at this position against Erven Perlas (Black) in an Executive week-end tournament many years ago. Erven, a leading insurance agent/broker in the country, represented the Philippines in a few World Student Team Championships during his younger years. Anyway I had a rather dim view on Black’s attacking prospects here, but was forced to take a second look when he mated me within 10 moves.
I don’t remember the moves anymore but that is why I looked at this So-Robson game with such interest.
14.Qc5
Taking the rook doesn’t work: 14.Qxa8?! Bf5 15.Qxf8+ Kxf8 White has two rooks and a pawn for the queen, but he is probably not going to survive the attack. An example: 16.Bd3? Qe5 17.Kd2 Bxd3 18.Kxd3 Qb5+ 19.Kd2 Qxb2 etc
14…Qb7
[14…Qb8 can also be played but it allows Ba6 in certain lines, keeping an eye on the c8 square]
15.b3
Dearing (“Play the Sicilian Dragon” Gambit Publications) points out that 15.Bd4?! is dubious because of 15…Bf5. Here is how the game might continue 16.Qa3 (16.Bd3 Rfc8 17.Qa3 when 17…Bxd4 18.Bxf5 Rc3 is just a transposition of moves) 16…Rac8 17.Bd3 Bxd4 18.Bxf5 Rc3! 19.Be4 Qb6 20.bxc3 Be3+ 21.Rd2 Rd8! 22.Bd3 Rb8 23.Kd1 Bxd2 24.Kxd2 Qf2+ 25.Be2 Rd8+ wins; Also not 15.Qb5?! Qxb5 16.Bxb5 Rb8 17.Bc4 Bxb2+ 18.Kd2 a5 when Black has regained the sacrificed pawn with a better position.
15…Bf5
This is probably the critical position for the whole line.
16.Bd3 Rfc8?
The wrong rook, he should have played 16…Rac8. I will show you later why. Also, Inadequate for Black is 16…Bxd3?! 17.Rxd3 Qa6 18.Kb1 and if 18…Rac8 19.Qxa7!
17.Qa5 Qc6
The “brilliant” 17…Rc3 does not work because of 18.Bxf5 Rxe3 19.Be4 winning the exchange. Here is the point behind the “wrong rook” comment earlier — If Black had played 16…Rac8 instead of 16…Rfc8 this resource would not have been available for White.
18.Bxf5 gxf5 19.c4
[19.Qxf5 Qc3!]
19…Qe6
What to do?
19…e5 20.Rd5 Qg6 21.Rhd1 Moranda, W (2452) -Petrosian, T (2599) Warsaw 2005 White was winning. Black cannot take the pawn because of 21…Qxg2 loses to 22.Rg1 Qxf3 (22…Qh3 23.Rd7!) 23.Bh6;
Another attempt to regain the pawn by 19…Qf6 20.Bd4 Qg5+ 21.Kb1 (don’t fall for 21.Qd2? Qxd2+ 22.Rxd2 Bh6) 21…Bxd4 22.Rxd4 Qxg2 but now comes 23.Qe1! Kf8 24.Rg1 Qxh2 25.Rd7! Re8 26.Rd2 1 — 0 Hennings,A-Lee,P Oerebro 1966. Lee resigns because after 26…Qb8 27.Rdg2 e6 28.Qh4 he is mated
20.Rhe1 Rab8
The rook sacrifice 20…Rxc4+ 21.bxc4 Qxc4+ 22.Kd2 Rb8 23.Rc1 Rb2+ 24.Kd1 Qd3+ 25.Bd2 Black has no adequate follow-up. For example if 25…Bh6 then 26.Rc8+ Kg7 27.Qe5+ Kg6 28.Rg8+ Kh5 29.g4+ Kh4 30.Qg3#
21.Bf4! Qf6
Or 21…Rxc4+ 22.Kb1!
22.Be5 Bh6+ 23.Kb1 Qb6 24.Qxb6 Rxb6 25.Rd7 Rxc4 26.Bd4 Rbb4 27.Bb2 1 — 0
Winning the e7 pawn, so Robson resigns. Black has to remember to play 16…Rac8 next time.
Apparently Wesley will be staying abroad for a while — he took the entrance examinations at Webster University and will be competing for the SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute of Chess Excellence) team in all collegiate and Pan-American events. Interestingly, Ray Robson will be among his teammates (and roommate) there.
Source: http://www.bworldonline.com
This should be a good match.
Torre is already 60 years old! Give him a break man. How many 60 year olds can still maintain this kind of rating other than Korchnoi? Look at Karpov, even his rating has plummeted to the depths of no return.