CHESS #585

The Nalchik grand Prix is proving to be as hard-fought as any fan could have wished. After seven rounds, top seed Levon Aronyan is ahead with 4.5 points. Behind him, there's a pack of five including Peter Leko, Evgeny Alekseev, Sergei Karjakin, Alexander Grischuk and Peter Svidler, all with 4 points. There's another huge pile-up on 3.5 points. Gata Kamsky, Pavel Eljanov, Boris Gelfand and Vassily Ivanchuk are languishing below the 50 per cent mark.

Thus far, Leko and Alekseev have managed to avoid losses. Ivanchuk, who is having a terrible time, has lost three. The lead has changed hands between Aronyan and Grischuk, with Aronyan losing to Karjakin while Grischuk lost to Mamedaryov.

Most games have been hard fought with plenty of long endgames. There have been quite a few novelties but most have been countered adequately. This is one effect of computer-usage – preparation standards are equalised.

But play to the finish time controls are physically strenuous and can lead to continuous time-pressure. In effect, after move 60 assuming a game lasts that long, both players slog at 15-20 seconds a move. Quite often, they reach positions that have been fully worked out. This means a kibitzer with computer engines running sees evaluations of “Mate in 25”, coupled to massive howlers made in actual play.

That leads to much consternation occurs about declining standards in endgame play. The reality is somewhat different. As GM Jonathan Rowson points out, players always enter the endgame, tired, in time-pressure, and in a mood inevitably influenced by events earlier in the game. In pre-computer eras, they got a break after six hours to rest, recoup and analyse. They continued play the next day at a leisurely control of 16 moves/ hr.

Computers have (so far) solved all positions with less than six pieces so the perfect way to play all such positions are known. The perfect methods are often counter-intuitive, easy to forget and impossible to find at 30 seconds/ move. So mistakes increase in frequency and are highlighted.

One of the most impressive examples of preparation at Nalchik was the THE DIAGRAM, BLACK TO PLAY, (Mamedaryov Vs Grischuk, Nalchik GP 2009). It's an absolutely symmetrical pawn structure and black's only issue is defending b7, given white's slight lead in development. Grischuk found no way – GM Sergei Shipov says the best try is 24. --Bd6 25. Bd6 Rd8 26. Bc7 Rd2 27. Bxb7 Rf8 seeking counter-play after dumping the pawn.

Instead Grischuk tried 24...Bc7 25.Be3 Bd6 26.Red1 Be5 27.Rc5 f6 28.Rb5 a4 29.Bxb7 axb3 30.axb3 Ra3 – every white move has come with a threat leading to a loss of the pawn. Play continued 31.b4 Ra4 32.Bc5 Kf7 33.h4 Ra2 34.Rb6 Rb2 35.Re1 Ba2 36.f4 Bc3 37.Re7+ Kg6 38.Be4+ (1-0).