KASPAROV’S STAR SLOWLY FADES
by Deen Hergott, Citizen Special
Ottawa Citizen, Canada
April 15, 2006 Saturday
Final Edition
It has been a full year since former world champion Grandmaster Gary
Kasparov announced his retirement at the annual Linares tournament in
2005, and he has finally dropped off the FIDE rating list as top-rated
in the world (FIDE 2812) through inactivity.
Current ranking leaders are Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov and Indian
GM Viswanathan Anand, at 2803 and 2802 respectively. Both have passed
the phenomenal 2800 mark, and are in striking distance of Kasparov’s
record. Third place belongs to rising star Armenian GM Levon Aronian,
with 2756, nearly 50 rating points behind the leaders. There are 17
players over 2700 on the April 2006 list.
Top Canadian is GM Kevin Spraggett, who has made his home in Portugal
for nearly two decades — he is at 2578.
Topalov played a match with top Romanian GM Dieter Nisipeanu
earlier this month in Bucharest. There were four games at standard
tournament time controls. Topalov won both games with the White pieces
convincingly to post a 3-1 match victory.
– – –
The 7th European Individual Chess Championships run to April 17 in
Kusadasi, Turkey. Leaders at the midway point (after seven rounds):
1-3. GMs Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Zdenko Kozul (Croatia), and
Predrag Nikolic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), all 5.5 points. There are
nine players in the chasing group on 5/7.
GM Thomas Luther (Germany) –Ivanchuk: Sicilian, Taimanov
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7
This particular move order is actually the Bastrikov variation
named after the Soviet player born in the 1910s, but Russian GM Mark
Taimanov, a 1970s world championship candidate, did much to popularize
it, so it is generally known after him. The Open Sicilians with 2…e6
are highly transpositional, and the Taimanov is closely linked to
the Paulsen and Kan variations as well.
6.f4 a6 7.a4 Nf6 8.e5 Nd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Nf5 d6!? 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Nxd6+
While not crystal clear, Luther makes a practical decision as 12.Nxg7+
Kf8 13.Nh5 Bf5! leaves Black with many active pieces and an open
e-file to begin a King hunt.
12…Qxd6 13.Bd3 Qc5 14.Qe2+ Kd8!
Of the top players, Ivanchuk is one of the most creative. Sometimes
his profoundness lands him in trouble, but his ideas are nearly
always fascinating.
15.Qf2 Re8+ 16.Kf1 d4!
Whose King is more exposed? Ivanchuk intends to find out and spurns
the Queen trade.
17.Qh4+ f6 18.Qxh7 Nb4 19.Bd2 Nxd3 20.cxd3 Bf5 21.Qxg7 Bxd3+ 22.Kg1
Rc8 23.h4 Re2 24.Rh3 Be4!
Ever vigilant, Black carefully avoids 24…Rxd2? 25.Rxd3! Rxd3 26.Qh8+,
and 27.Qh7+ forking the rook on d3.
25.Qxf6+ Kc7 26.Rc1 Bc2
Only move, but White’s bishop is in mortal danger now.
27.b4 Qc4 28.Rg3 Rxd2 29.Qe5+ Kb6 30.Rg7 Ka7 31.b5 d3 32.Kh2 Re2!
33.Qd6 Re6 34.Qd7 Qxf4+ 35.g3 Qf2+ 36.Kh1 Qf3+ 37.Kg1 Re2
With mate on b7 covered, Black weaves his own net.
38.b6+ Kb8 White Resigns.
Write to international chess master Deen Hergott c/o The Citizen,
1101 Baxter Rd., Box 5020, Ottawa K2C 3M4. E-mail: [email protected] .