The Return of Chess Rimau

Recently i return to play chess tournament after "hibernation"(bertapa)...First tourney was The Sultan Kedah Open, on 17 Jan 2010. I managed to get 4/7 point. I lost to Lee Kah Meng (12th ranking), Syedchess and one chinese student from Penang. I am not dissappointedwith the result but at least i renew my chess skill.

The second tourney was The 16th USM Chess Open Tournament 2009/2010..Di sini aku telah berjumpa semula kawa-kawan lama dan mendapat ramai kawan2 baru..Maklumlah banyak memori2 lama kat USM ni.. sebab dulu aku student engine kat USM Tronoh(sekarang UTP)..aku pernah mewakili USM untuk SUKMAS(sukan antara Univ Malaysia)..

Untuk Pertandingan ni, aku mewakili Persatuan Catur Kedah yang baru dihidupkan semula oleh Tuan Haji Yahya( Abang Ismail Ahmad). Aku hanya menjadi pemain simpanan board ke 5. Team ni diberi nama Percak Seniors...terdiri daripada Yew Chor Han, Amrie, Syedchess, Cikgu Rosli(Jurulatih Utama Catur MSS Kedah). Puas hati juga kerana dapat bermain 5 kali. Aku berjaya menang 4/5. Not bad!

Baru-baru ini aku menyertai Pertandingan Catur Terbuka MRSM Merbok.(15 minit dari rumah aku). Kali ini permainan aku menjadi. Aku dapat tempat ketiga. Tempat pertama Amrie, kedua Muhammad Nurislam bin Haji Yahya...gambar-gambar akan diupload nanti...

 

World Championship Results
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	32	D14	Slav Exchange
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	32	E25	Nimzo Indian Saemisch
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	41	D49	Queens Gambit Meran
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	29	D37	QGD 5.Bf4
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	35	D49	Queens Gambit Meran
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	1-0	47	E34	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	36	D19	Slav Defence
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	39	D39	QGD Ragozin
Anand, Viswanathan	-	Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	45	D43	Anti-Meran Gambit
Kramnik, Vladimir	-	Anand, Viswanathan	1-0	29	E21	Nimzo Indian 4.Nf3

Kramnik 1-0 Anand Game 10. Commentary IM Malcolm Pein

1.d4

Kramnik has promised to fight to the end but after his admittal that he was overlooking 1 move mates in his analysis we can only assume that he is not himself. Indeed his 2 year unbeaten run and rise to power was ascribed to his ability to eliminate blunders and here he has missed quite a few shots

1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, for what may be his last stand Kramnik plays the Kasparov Variation

5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Qb3

I might have known, a long and highly analysed line where White plays for a small edge and grinds away. Expect a flurry of moves now

9...Qa5 10.Bd2 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6 14.Rfd1 Qc5 15.e4 Bc4 16.Qa4 Nb6 17.Qb4

Now Qxb4 is thought to be slightly better for White. Vishy played Qh5. against Kasparov at Wijk aan Zee 2000 and drew but with difficulty #

17...Qh5 18.Re1

A new move that anticipates Be2. I guess Anand may have a think now


[18.Be3 Be2 19.Rd2 Rab8 20.Bxb6 axb6 21.Qd6 Bf3 was Kasparov - Anand but 18...Rfc8 was played subsequently by Short and Leko]

18...c5

This seemed obvious as otherwise Be3 creates some instability for the knight and bishop on the queenside

19.Qa5

I guess Rfc8 or Be2 here

19...Rfc8 20.Be3 Be2

Now the question is what has Kramnik come up with ?

21.Bf4 e5 22.Be3

Putting the question to the c5 pawn. If you are not inspired by this bear in mind White is playing for a small edge in a static position but I agree where it comes from is far from obvious


[22.Bxe5 Nc4 23.Qa6 Qxe5 24.Rxe2 Qxc3 25.Rd1 Rd8=]

22...Bg4

Now White may seize the vacant f1-a6 diagonal or grab the pawn Bxc5. Kramnik thought this inaccurate.

[22...Bg4 23.Bxc5 Nc4 24.Qb5 Be6 Black has good control of the queenside and this may ensure equality]

23.Qa6!

I like this creeping move it controls key squares

23...f6?

Virtually the decisive mistake according to Kramnik [23...Be6 24.Bf1 Qf3] and the game will continue on.

24.a4!

Black is gradually being driven back here, very nice play from Kramnik this is his kind of position

24...Qf7 25.Bf1!

Kramnik takes control of c4 tactically and a5 comes next #


[25.Bf1 Be6 26.Reb1 Bc4 27.Bxc4 Qxc4 28.Rxb6; 25.Bf1 Be6 26.Reb1 Bc4 27.Bxc4 Nxc4 28.Rb7 wins]

25...Be6 26.Rab1 c4?

I don't understand this but the position already looks unpleasant. How does Black hang on to his a pawn ? Qa6 was a lovely move


[26...Rab8 27.a5]

27.a5 Na4

[27...Nd7 28.Rb7]

28.Rb7 Qe8 29.Qd6!

The threats are Re7 and Qb7 they can't both be prevented, what a nice game by Kramnik, he got his kind of position and played it beautifully #


[29.Qd6 Bf7 30.Qb4 with the simple plan of a6 and taking on a7 with total control; 29.Qd6 Rd8 30.Qb4 Rab8 31.a6 when Black can hardly move and a7 falls]

1-0

Chess Opening : Sicilian Defence Video 1

Svenderlunk vs. GM Hikaru Nakamura

Nakamura is amazingly skilled at speed chess, and has been called "easily the best blitz player in America" by the United States Chess Federation. The video was taken in a side room before the final round of the National Chess Congress 11/26/06.Nakamura went on to win the tournament. I finished second in my section, and my team (Penn State) won the team competition

Levon Aronian Defeated Kramnik!!! 4-2 in rapid 25min

Levon Aronian defeated the World Champion Vladimir Kramnik 4-2 in a fine display of active play, tactics, and execution. After losing the first game, the young Armenian reeled off three wins in a row, and then held a dramatic game 5 draw to win the match.

m1 Kramnik, Vladimir - Aronian, Levon 1-0 45 C89 Ruy Lopez Marshall
Gm2 Aronian, Levon - Kramnik, Vladimir 1-0 76 D17 Slav Defence
Gm3 Kramnik, Vladimir - Aronian, Levon 0-1 77 A30 English Symmetrical
Gm4 Aronian, Levon - Kramnik, Vladimir 1-0 43 D45 Anti-Meran Variations
Gm5 Kramnik, Vladimir - Aronian, Levon 1/2 47 A60 Modern Benoni
Gm6 Aronian, Levon - Kramnik, Vladimir 1/2 55 D12 Slav Defence

Levon Aronian of Armenia was born on October 6, 1982. He currently is ranked fifth in the world with a rating of 2759. The latest in the long line of Armenian chess stars, the 24 year old Levon Aronian has recently catapulted himself into very top circle of the chess elite with victories in the 2006 Category XX Morelia/Linares Super-GM tournament.

Other major accomplishments include top finishes at Gibraltar, Nagorno-Karabakh, the Tal Memorial, Wijk-aan-Zee and victory at the World Cup tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. In addition, among Aronian’s most memorable achievements must be his role in helping lead his Armenian compatriots to a deserved gold medal at the Turin Olympiad in 2006 where he anchored the Armenian team on board one. Despite the fact that he is relatively new to the elite stage, the young grandmaster is a two time World Junior Champion (under-12 in 1994 and under-20 in 2002) and maintains a light, positive attitude under all circumstances.

Levon Aronian’s playing style is difficult to characterize and easy to misunderstand. However, this much is certain: his games are unconventional and exciting, while his attitude is engaging and uncompromising. As he prepares for the World Championship Candidate Matches to be held in Elista, Russia later in May, Aronian is one opponent that is sure to elicit discomfort for all potential adversaries across the board.

Chess- I Know Him So Well