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14th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International
22 Sept - 2 Oct 2005
Last updated: Monday, August 21, 2017 6:37 PM
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Round 5 - 28 September 2005
Round 5 starts: At tables from left to right - Cox v Gormally, Tiviakov
v Shabalov, Kobalia v Ikonnikov
Standing are Postny (far left) and current Manx Monarch Ghaem Maghami.
John Saunders reports: 9.30pm update of games ... all 46 games are downloadable, except that there are missing moves from Kobalia-Ikonnikov (which is impossible to decipher for the last 50 moves). Shabalov is the leader on his own with 4½/5, having beaten no.1 seed Sergei Tiviakov. Six players are on 4/5. David Howell managed to hold the draw against Victor Mikhalevski.
Today there is another tournament starting, many thousands of miles away from Port Erin - the FIDE world championship in San Luís, Argentina. Just before play started, I asked Sergei Tiviakov whom he expected to win in Argentina. "Leko has chances, also Anand." I asked him why not Topalov. "I don't think so. He is not sufficiently stable," said Sergei. You heard it here first.
Anyway,
back to Port Erin. I know this is the fifth round report but I am going
to cheat a bit by starting with a game played in the fourth round. Polish
player Piotr Bobras (pictured left) has submitted this one for
the best game prize. It does not start auspiciously but then there is
a very attractive and unusual double sacrifice. It also demonstrates the
amazing power of two knights when they get to operate in tandem.
Fairbairn,S (2065) - Bobras,P (2525) [A01]
Monarch Assurance Port Erin IOM (4.20), 27.09.2005
1 b3 e5 2 Bb2 Nc6 3 c4 Nf6 4 e3 d5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 a3 Bd6 7 Qc2 0-0 8 Nf3 Qe7 9 d3 Kh8 10 Be2 Bd7 11 Nbd2 a5 12 0-0 Rad8 13 Nc4 f5 14 Rad1 b5 15 Nxd6 cxd6 16 Nd2 Rc8 17 Qb1 Be6 18 Bf3 Qa7 19 Rc1 Nce7 20 e4 Nf4 21 Rxc8 Rxc8 22 exf5 Nxf5 23 g3 Nh3+ 24 Kg2
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24...Rc2!! 25 Qxc2 [A bombshell. Of course, White could try to ignore it and play 25 Bc1 but after 25...Qc7 he would have a very passive position.] 25...Qxf2+!! 26 Rxf2 [If 26 Kh1 Ne3 and, say, 27 Qc1 Black has 27...Qg1+! 28 Rxg1 Nf2#] 26...Ne3+ 27 Kh1 Nxf2+ 28 Kg1 Nh3+ 29 Kh1 Nf2+ [Gaining time.] 30 Kg1 Nh3+ 31 Kh1 Nxc2 [The net gain after Black's flamboyant temporary sacrifice of queen and rook is precisely one pawn. But he also has a positional advantage as th two knights continue to work together very well.] 32 Ne4 [32 d4 Nf2+ 33 Kg1 Nd3 34 Be4 Nxb2 35 Bxc2 exd4 wins a second pawn, albeit doubled ones.] 32...Ne1 [Notice how the king is penned into the corner by the two knights.] 33 Be2 b4! 34 axb4 [If 34 Nxd6 Bd5+ 35 Ne4 Nxd3! 36 Bxd3 Nf2+ 37 Kg1 Nxd3 threatening two pieces at once.] 34...axb4 [The other benefit of 33...b4 is that it further constricts White's pieces.] 35 Bc1 Bd5 36 Be3 Nc2 37 Kg2 [White could last longer with something such as 37 Bb6 ] 37...Nxe3+ 38 Kxh3 Bxb3 39 Nxd6 Be6+ 40 Kh4 b3 0-1
There were a number of bloodless games amongst the top boards, though some of the draws were hard fought. This all-Ukrainian clash between Malakhatko and Areshchenko caught the eye. It was one of the more combative games of the round.
Malakhatko,V (2556) - Areshchenko,A (2625) [A45]
Monarch Assurance Port Erin IOM (5.4), 28.09.2005
1
d4 Nf6 2 c3 g6 3 Bg5 Bg7 4 Nd2 d6 5 e3 0-0 6 Bd3 Nbd7 7 Ne2 [White
seems to be opting for the quiet approach, perhaps in awe of his fellow
countryman's aggressive reputation.] 7...b6 8 Bh4 [It seems unusual
to make this retreat without being obliged by the move h6. 8 0-0 and;
8 h4 have both been played here.] 8...Bb7 9 0-0 e5 10 Re1 h6 11 Qb3
Kh8 [A clear indicator, if one were needed, that Black intends to
advance his kingside pawns.] 12 Rad1 g5 13 Bg3 e4 14 Bb1 Qe7 15 c4
Nh5
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24...Nxg4!? 25 hxg4 [After this it is all over. Fritz now suggests 25 Bh4!? on the grounds that 25...Qxh4?? is answered by the knight fork 26 Ng6+ and wins. Fritz advocates the queen for two pieces sacrifice 25...Nxf4!? 26 Bxg5 Nxh3+ 27 Kg2 Nxg5 which looks unconvincing to the human eye; perhaps 25...Qf5!? 26 hxg4 Qxg4+ 27 Ng2 Rf3 which looks a likely way of gaining compensation for the material.] 25...Rxf4 [25...Nxf4 26 exf4 Qxg4+ also looks lethal.] 26 exf4 Qxg4+ 27 Bg3 [There is nothing better. 27 Kf1 Qh3+ 28 Kg1 (28 Ke2 Qf3+ 29 Kf1 Ng3+ 30 Kg1 Qh1#) 28...Rg8 wins; 27 Kh2 Nxf4 also wins quickly] 27...Qxg3+ 28 Kh1 [28 Qg2 Bxd4+! 29 Kh1 (29 Rxd4 Qxe1+ 30 Kh2 Qh4+ 31 Kg1 Nxf4 wins) 29...Qxf4 leads to a quick win.] 28...Qh3+ 29 Qh2 Ng3+ 30 Kg1 Qg4 31 Qg2 Qxf4 32 Qf2 Qg4 33 Kh2 [It is surprising that White, heavily under pressure, doesn't steer towards a potential threefold repetition with 33 Qg2 . Black would then have to find 33...e3! followed by Rf8 and Rf2, in order to demonstrate the win.] 33...Rg8 34 Qg2 Nf1+! 0-1 [White resigns just in time to avoid the second half of an attractive double discovery: Nf1+ followed by Be5+ to unleash the full force of queen and rook down the g-file.]
But I think that the star player of the round has to be Alexander Shabalov. His play with Black against the tournament's no.1 rating favourite was exemplary and shows he is in the right frame of mind to try and win this tournament.
Tiviakov,S (2678) - Shabalov,A (2593) [B22]
Monarch Assurance Port Erin IOM (5.1), 28.09.2005
1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 Bc4 Nb6 5 Bb3 c4 [In round two Danny Gormally played 5...Nc6 against Tiviakov.] 6 Bc2 Nc6 7 Nf3 Qc7 8 Qe2 g5 [Demonstrating that Black is committed to playing aggressively.] 9 h3 Bg7 10 0-0 Nxe5 11 Nxg5 d5 12 a4 [More in keeping with Tiviakov's play in the game against Gormally is 12 b3 , even though Black is likely to recapture on c4 with a pawn, thus holding up the d4 break. One continuation is 12...Bd7 13 a4 cxb3 14 Bxb3 Bf5 15 a5 Nbc4 16 d4 h6 17 dxe5 hxg5 18 Bxg5 Qxe5 19 Bxc4 dxc4 20 Qxe5 and a draw was soon agreed in Rozentalis-Hracek, Germany 1998.; 12 Re1 e6 13 Nf3 Nbd7 14 d4 cxd3 15 Bxd3 Nxd3 16 Qxd3 Nf6 17 Qd4 0-0 18 Qh4 was Tiviakov-Shneider, Bastia 2003.] 12...Bd7 [12...h6 13 Nf3 Nxf3+ 14 Qxf3 Be6 was tried in a recent game but 15 d4 cxd3 16 Bxd3 a6 17 Re1 Nd7 18 Bf4 Qb6 19 a5 Qc6 20 Nd2 looks good for White.] 13 a5 [13 Re1 has been played here a couple of times.] 13...Nc8 14 d4 cxd3 15 Bxd3 Nd6 16 Re1 0-0-0 17 Nf3 [17 Be3 Kb8 18 Nd2 h6 19 Ngf3 Nxf3+ 20 Qxf3 e5?! 21 Qxd5 Be6 22 Qf3 f5 was a risky pawn sacrifice in Pavasovic-Fedorov, Rabac 2004; White won.] 17...Nc6
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31 exd4?! [This looks dubious. White should probably now try 31 Nf3!? dxe3 (31...Rg3!? 32 exd4 Be4 33 Ra3!?) 32 Qxe3 Rg3 33 c5! when 33...Bxh3? loses to 34 cxb6 axb6 35 Bxc6 Bxg2+ 36 Rxg2 and White wins. There are of course better ways for Black to proceed.] 31...Be4 32 Rae1 [White can now do little about the threat to g2. For example 32 Nf3 Rxg2 33 Rxg2 Bxf3 34 Bxc6 Rxg2 35 Bb7+ Kd7 36 Qxg2 Bxg2+ 37 Kxg2 Qxc4 looks hopeless for White.] 32...Rxg2 33 Rxg2 Rxg2 34 Qxg2 Bxg2+ 35 Kxg2 Qd6 36 Nf3 Ne7 37 Re5 Qg6+ 38 Kf2? [Another slip. After 38 Kf1! if Black plays 38...Nf5 White can try 39 Re8+ Kc7 40 Ra8 with a little counterplay.] 38...Nf5 39 Bc6 [If now 39 Re8+ Kc7 40 Ra8 Black plays 40...Qg3+ 41 Ke2 Qg2+ and then captures the knight.] 39...Qg3+ 40 Kf1 Qxh3+ [White paused to make up his scoresheet after the time scramble. But it is clear that his position is now beyond redemption.] 41 Ke1 Kc7 42 Bd5 h4 43 Kd2 Qg4 44 Re4 Qg3 45 Nxh4 Qg5+ [Superior to 45...Nxh4 46 Re7+ Kd6 47 Rxf7 since it deprives White of the e7 checking square.] 46 Kc3 Nxh4 47 Bxf7 Nf3 48 Bd5 Qc1+ 0-1
BEWARE, THE GRINDER...
Tomorrow
(round six) it will be 'Shaba' versus 'the Grinder'. We've already seen
what Shaba can do, but just look out for Mikhail 'The Grinder' Kobalia.
That's him pictured left and I like to think that I have caught the essence
of the man. Looks pretty mean, doesn't he? Appearance, in this case, is
not deceptive. He's a quiet, tall guy, dresses nearly always in black,
and he keeps you at the board for a long, long time. For all I know he
is a nice guy, helps old ladies across the street and all that sort of
thing. But his presence at the board is almost sinister.
The Grinder doesn't just frighten grandmasters. In his last three games Mikhail Kobalia has played games of 127, 65 and 98 moves - every one of them illegible. I just couldn't face trying to decipher the moves of his 5th round game after move 48 - sorry. I'm told by the spectators that it was terribly dull stuff so you are not missing much. I was using Ikonnikov's scoresheet exclusively for most of the game anyway, but his scoresheet also became obscure after being subjected to five or so hours being ground away by Kobalia. That's the effect Kobalia has on grandmasters - and webmasters: he turns your brain to mush.
Let's hope 'Shaba' can stand up to him - but, please guys, not 100 moves...
Round 5 Bd WHITE Result BLACK PIN 1 TIVIAKOV,Sergei 2678 (3½) 0 - 1 SHABALOV,Alexand 2593 (3½) 1 9 2 KOBALIA,Mikhail 2614 (3½) ½ - ½ IKONNIKOV,Vyache 2560 (3½) 3 14 3 POSTNY,Evgeny 2559 (3½) ½ - ½ KORNEEV,Oleg 2594 (3½) 16 8 4 MALAKHATKO,Vadim 2556 (3) 0 - 1 ARESHCHENKO,Alex 2625 (3) 18 2 5 EPISHIN,Vladimir 2600 (3) ½ - ½ SULSKIS,Sarunas 2535 (3) 5 21 6 KRITZ,Leonid 2544 (3) ½ - ½ GALKIN,Alexander 2598 (3) 20 6 7 BOBRAS,Piotr 2525 (3) ½ - ½ DAVID,Alberto 2579 (3) 25 11 8 MIKHALEVSKI,Vict 2572 (3) ½ - ½ HOWELL,David W 2471 (3) 12 29 9 COX,John 2385 (3) 0 - 1 GORMALLY,Daniel 2557 (3) 45 17 10 KIDAMBI,Sundarar 2484 (2½) ½ - ½ BRODSKY,Michail 2554 (3) 28 19 11 KONONENKO,Tatian 2442 (2½) ½ - ½ GHAEM MAGHAMI,Eh 2603 (2½) 34 4 12 ERENBURG,Sergey 2595 (2½) 1 - 0 PALLISER,Richard 2389 (2½) 7 43 13 ZATONSKIH,Anna 2435 (2½) ½ - ½ FRIDMAN,Daniel 2566 (2½) 36 13 14 ROEDER,Mathias 2393 (2½) ½ - ½ YAKOVICH,Yuri 2560 (2½) 42 15 15 GUPTA,Abhijeet 2380 (2½) ½ - ½ KUZUBOV,Yuri 2535 (2½) 46 22 16 NEGI,Parimarjan 2376 (2½) ½ - ½ ULYBIN,Mikhail 2529 (2½) 47 23 17 ADLY,Ahmed 2503 (2½) 1 - 0 MANNION,Steve R. 2331 (2½) 26 54 18 GOLETIANI,Rusuda 2332 (2½) ½ - ½ LALIC,Bogdan 2491 (2½) 53 27 19 SAREEN,Vishal 2385 (2) ½ - ½ GLADYSZEV,Oleg 2436 (2½) 44 35 20 KOGAN,Artur 2580 (2) ½ - ½ ZIMMERMAN,Yuri 2375 (2) 10 48 21 WELLS,Peter 2529 (2) 1 - 0 PEEK,Marcel 2373 (2) 24 49 22 NEUBAUER,Martin 2468 (2) 1 - 0 HANLEY,Craig 2367 (2) 30 50 23 BOSBOOM-LANCHAVA 2363 (2) 0 - 1 NEELOTPAL,Das 2467 (2) 51 31 24 KUNIN,Vitaly 2448 (2) 1 - 0 RADOVANOVIC,Jovi 2357 (2) 32 52 25 MIRZOEVA,Elmira 2223 (2) 0 - 1 AAGAARD,Jacob 2442 (2) 60 33 26 PERIC,Slavisa 2280 (2) 0 - 1 GREET,Andrew N 2425 (2) 57 37 27 ZUDE,Erik 2424 (2) 1 - 0 SPENCE,David 2218 (2) 38 61 28 GRANT,Alan 2152 (2) 0 - 1 KOLBUS,Dietmar 2416 (2) 71 39 29 DWORAKOWSKA,Joan 2401 (2) 1 - 0 FAIRBAIRN,Steve 2065 (2) 40 82 30 ALLEN,Keith 2210 (2) ½ - ½ KLENBURG,Mikhail 2400 (2) 62 41 31 ZOZULIA,Anna 2314 (1½) 1 - 0 DE LAGONTRIE,Jea 1988 (1½) 55 87 32 SPANTON,Tim 2032 (1½) ½ - ½ ASHTON,Adam 2294 (1½) 84 56 33 ADAMS,Phil 2138 (1½) 1 - 0 VITOUX,Colomban 2264 (1½) 73 58 34 FOX,Pierre 1815 (1½) 0 - 1 GROFFEN,Hans 2210 (1½) 91 63 35 MARTIN,Katie 1953 (1½) 0 - 1 KIRSCHBAUM,Gunna 2204 (1½) 89 65 36 HUGHES,Howard R 2194 (1½) ½ - ½ GOODGER,Martyn 2162 (1½) 67 70 37 DUHAYON,Yves 2230 (1) 1 - 0 RUSTON,Mark 2116 (1) 59 75 38 SMITH,Andrew P 2204 (1) 1 - 0 HEYL,Thomas 2101 (1) 64 77 39 DUNN,Andrew 2197 (1) ½ - ½ BENNION,David A. 2074 (1) 66 81 40 HENRICHSEN,Jens 2075 (1) 1 - 0 WADEMARK,Helge 2182 (1) 80 68 41 WALTHER,Cliff 2175 (1) 0 - 1 WERNER,Gert 2047 (1) 69 83 42 NICHOLSON,John 2000 (1) ½ - ½ LOHOU,Stephane 2144 (1) 86 72 43 HICKMAN,John 2115 (1) 1 - 0 FOX,Anthony 2118 (½) 76 74 44 MARKS,Ian A 1889 (½) 0 - 1 FRASER-MITCHELL, 2098 (½) 90 78 45 YOUNG,Mel 1971 (½) ½ - ½ HUTCHINSON,Norma 2097 (½) 88 79 46 MCKENZIE,Mark 1249 (0) 0 - 1 HENDERIKSE,Bert 2028 (0) 92 85