2007/05/18

Kasparov and any other business

Poor Garry! After being detained during the “Dissenters march”, one month ago, today Police prevented him from boarding a flight to the city of Samara, where he planned to take part in a protest march coinciding with a Russia-EU summit. Kasparov told Ekho Moskvy radio that police at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport “have simply stolen our passports. They refuse to return them and have given no grounds”. The summit participants included Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. With EU concerns about Russia’s record on democracy and human rights among the many issues shadowing the meeting, Germany has urged the Kremlin to allow the rally and authorities in Samara have given approval for a demonstration. But activists have said they were being harassed even before the summit. So Garry couldn’t take part in any march, but I’m sure he will fight even harder after this episode…
In yesterday’s post I wrote I wouldn’t have been surprised if Sasikiran had lost to Kamsky. And so happened… Indian GM still leads on 4.5/8, but four players now have just half a point less: Kamsky himself, Mamedyarov, Topalov and Nisipeanu, who beat Adams and relegated him to the last place on 3.5. Now every game should be decisive till the end of the tournament: tomorrow’s pairings are Sasikiran-Nisipeanu, Kamsky-Topalov and Mamedyarov-Adams. I stand firm on my opinion: Veselin can do it… Official site: http://www.mtelmasters.com. Updated news in Italian, games and on-line viewer on my Italian site www.messaggeroscacchi.it (direct link to the Mtel section: http://www.messaggeroscacchi.it/mondo/mtel07.html).
The strong Bosna 2007 tournament (http://www.skbosna.ba/skbosna/index.php) and the Porto Mannu (Italy) open (http://asd.caissa.it/) are starting tomorrow. About the latter, four games will be broadcasted live every day. As I wrote a couple of days ago, Fabiano Caruana has another good opportunity to score his third and last GM norm. Good luck, boy! You would become the youngest Italian GM ever and one of the youngest in the whole world: you are strong enough now not to fail this target.
The “Match of the Hopes” took place today in Porto-Vecchio (Corsica) between two young superstars, Teimour Radjabov and Magnus Carlsen. Radjabov won the first rapid game (10 3), Carlsen took an immediate revenge in the second one. The next two (blitz) games ended with draws. Radjabov won the fifth and final game in Armageddon style. Official site: http://www.corse-echecs.com/porto-vecchio/porto_vecchio2007.html.
Tomorrow I will attend to the chess stand of “Lilliput”, a traditional fair for children and families in my home town, Bergamo, until 8 pm, so I will update my Italian site with Mtel Masters results and others news quite late. I will obviously post one or two photos taken at “Lilliput” on this Blog :-)
Now let’s see the critical moment of the Nisipeanu-Adams game, played today in the 2007 Mtel Masters.

Nisipeanu,LD (2693) - Adams,Mi (2734) [C96], Sofia 18.5.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6
During the press conference, Adams was asked why he didn't use his favorite Marshall attack. “I wanted to try something else”, he replied. No doubt he is saving his opening secrets for the candidate matches…
8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7 12.Kh1 Re8 13.d5 Nb6
Graf and Romanishin, both against Bologan, played 13...Nf8 at this point. But I’m not sure this is a novelty.
14.b3 Bd7 15.Be3 Qc7 16.g4 c4 17.b4 Nb7 18.Nbd2 a5 19.a3 Ra6 20.Nf1 Rea8 21.Bc1 Nd8 22.Ne3 axb4 23.cxb4 f6 24.Nf5 Bc8 25.Rg1 Nf7 26.h4 Bd8 27.Rg3 Kh8 28.g5 g6 29.Ne3 fxg5 30.hxg5 Kg8 31.Kg2 Na4 32.Qe1 Bd7 33.Qh1 Qc8 34.Qh2 Nc3 35.Kf1 Be7 36.Bb2 Na4 37.Bc1 Bf8 38.Qh4 Be7 39.Qh2 Bf8 40.Qh4 Be7
Both players have just reached the first time control and this is the critical moment...
41.Nf5!?
Nisi is just trying to scare his opponent. 41.Ng4 was an alternative to be considered.
41...Qf8?!
Adams is afraid of ghosts. 41...Bd8 42.Nh6+ (to prevent ...h5) 42...Nxh6 43.Qxh6 Be7 was a far more precise defence; if 41...gxf5? then 42.Qh5 and White has a powerful attack.
42.Nh2 h6?
42...h5 was much better.
43.Ng4! hxg5
43...gxf5 44.exf5 hxg5 45.Bxg5 Nxg5 46.f6 would have easily won anyway.
44.Bxg5 Nxg5
After 44...Bxg5 White wins on the spot: 45.Nf6+ Bxf6 46.Rxg6+ Bg7 47.Ne7+ Qxe7 48.Qxe7+-
45.Ngh6+ Kh7 46.Nf7+ Kg8 47.N7h6+ Kh7 48.Nf7+ Kg8 49.Nxg5 Bxg5 50.Rxg5 Be8
50...Kf7 was not better, e.g.: 51.Qh7+ Ke8 52.Bxa4 bxa4 53.Rxg6 Bxf5 54.exf5 R6a7 55.Re6++-
51.Kg2 R8a7
Black had no good defence, but this loses immediately.
52.Rh1 Qf6 53.Nh6+ 1–0
After 53...Kg7 (53...Kf8 54.Rf5+-) 54.Ng4 Black can't survive.

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