Chess (#980)

The European Team chess Championships (ETCC) has uniformly high standards unlike the more unevenly competitive Olympiad. As in soccer, the ETCC also features many trans-Caucasian nations like Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia and also Israel.

The 18th edition is being played in Halkidiki, Greece. It’s a 9-round Swiss with 38 teams in the open and 28 in the women’s section. After 7 rounds, the Azeris lead with 12 match points (5 wins, two draws) ahead of Armenia (11) and Germany (11). Rating favourites Russia are behind with 9 points. Russia leads in the women’s section with 13 ahead of Poland (11).

There have been a sequence of upsets. Olympiad champions Ukraine have lost thrice and the Russians have lost twice. The lead changed between Bulgaria, Romania, Germany before the Azeris nosed in front.

Meanwhile in Chennai, Mary Ann Gomes of Kolkata won her first national championships and completed the requisite norms for the IM title. It was especially commendable, given that the 20-year-old’s mother is very seriously ill.

The November ratings list show inflation effects. Kramnik is 2800 at no:4, behind Carlsen, Anand and Aronyan. New top 10 entrants are Alexander Morozevich (9) and Teimour Radjabov (5). Jonathan Bone in Chessbase “The first FIDE list in July 1971 had precisely one 2700+ player – Fischer, at 2760, with Bruno Parma tied with five others for 47th at 2530. The July 1981 list still had but one 2700+ player – Karpov, at exactly 2700. There was a four-way tie for 45th-48th places at 2540. In July 1991, there were three 2700+ players: Kasparov at 2800, Karpov at 2725, and Gelfand at 2700. 47th was Gavrikov at 2580. In July 2001, there were twelve 2700+ players, with Kasparov at 2838 and Kramnik at 2802. 47th was Vallejo Pons at 2630. The current November 2011 list has all of 47 players over 2700.”

In the diagram, BLACK TO PLAY, (Gashimov Vs Cheparinov, Aze Vs Blg, ETCC 2011), Black has normal tries like 16.--- Rh5 or Ng4. Instead he gambled on 16. --- Rxc2 !? 17.Bxc2 Qxc2 18.Ne1 Qd1 19.b3 Ng4 ? This is an error – 19.--Rc8 keeps compensation after 20. Bb2 Qd2 21. Qf2 Qxf2+ 22. Rxf2 Ng4 23. Re2 e5!

Now 20.Qxe7 Bc6 21.h3 Re8 22.Qxd6 Bf8 23.Qxd4 Rxe4. The “point” – Qd4 and Ne1 are attacked. Now 24.Qh8+ Kxh8 25. Bb2+ or 24. Qc3 are ok. But the killer is the forcing 24.Bb2! Rxd4 25.Rxd1 Bc5 26.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 27.Kh1 Ne3 28.Nf3 Bxf3 29.gxf3 Kg7 30.Rfe1 Nxd1 31.Rxd1 Bc5. This is totally won. 32.Rc1 b6 33.Rc4 Kf6 34.b4 Bd6 35.b5 Ke6 36.Kg2 Kd5 37.Kf1 f5 38.Ke2 (1–0). An interesting case of black seeing very far but not quite far enough.

Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player