The Daily Telegraph (LONDON)
June 3, 2006 Saturday
Armenia in the ascendant
by Malcolm Pein
ARMENIA look unstoppable now after a 10th round win over their
nearest rivals, China, at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin. Armenia
increased their lead to two points with three matches to play.
The holders, Ukraine, saw their chances of gold medals disappear
after a 1-3 loss to Russia. Peter Svidler and Evgeny Bareev won.
The United States and France drew 2-2 after Etienne Bacrot defeated
Gata Kamsky, but Laurent Fressinet, the French hero against Russia,
let Hikaru Nakamura escape with a draw in a lost endgame two pawns
down.
Scotland had a good result in defeating Australia 2.5-1.5, although
John Shaw lost his unbeaten record and their reward was an 11th round
match against England. That is not the only all-British tie in the
next round because Guernsey are playing Jersey.
England lost 1.5-2.5 to Belarus. Danny Gormally was beaten again
after outplaying his highly rated opponent with black, but going
wrong near move 40. He has lost his last three and is flying home
early.
With the Fide presidential election imminent, both “The Right Move”
ticket, led by Bessel Kok, and the incumbent, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
were campaigning hard. There have been allegations of irregularities
already, with the Afghanistan delegation being replaced at the start
of the event.
The supermodel Carmen Kass, who is president of the Estonian
federation, jetted in, apparently to replace her Fide delegate, who
it was thought was going to vote for Ilyumzhinov.
Leaders: 1 Armenia 29; 2 China 27; 3-4 Russia, Czech Republic 26.5; 5
France 26; 6 US 25.5; 39 England 22.5; 47 Scotland 22; 53 Ireland
21.5; 92 Wales 19; 133 Guernsey 15; 135 Jersey 15; 148 teams.
P Svidler – A Volokitin
37th Olympiad, Turin (10)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5
8.0-0 Nf6 9.Qe2 Be7 10.b3 0-0 11.Bb2 c5 12.Rad1 Bb7 13.Na4 (Odd, but
it avoids any possible pawn d5-d4 with tempo followed by e6-e5 and
prepares to play pawn c2-c4. Also the Bb2 is opened up) 13…Qc7
(13…c4!? 14.bxc4 Qa5 15.e5 Nd7 16.Nc3 d4 17.Ne4 Nxe5 18.Bxd4 is
good for White) 14.exd5 Nxd5 (14…exd5 15.Rfe1 is annoying because
if 15…Rfe8 16.Bxf6 forces gxf6 because of the bank rank. If
14…Bxd5 15.Be5 Qc6 16.f3 threatens c2-c4 trapping the bishop and if
16…Qb7 17.Qe3 intending Bxf6 and c2-c4 with an edge) 15.Be5! Qc6
(15…Bd6 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.c4 Nf4 18.Bxh7+ Kh8 19.Qe3 Nxg2 20.Rxd6
Nxe3 21.fxe3 Kxh7 22.Nxc5 with total domination, 22…Rab8 23.Rb6)
16.Be4 f6 (16…Nf4 17.Qg4! wins) 17.c4! Rfd8 (17…fxe5 18.cxd5 and
Black cannot recapture; or 17…Nf4 18.Bxf4 Qxe4 19.Qxe4 Bxe4 20.Bd6
wins a pawn) 18.Qh5! fxe5 (18…g6 19.Bxg6 hxg6 20.Qxg6+ Kh8 21.Rd3)
19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.cxd5 exd5 21.f4! exf4 (21…dxe4 22.fxe5+ wins)
22.Bg6 (Threat Qh8 mate) 22…Qe6 23.Qh8+ Qg8 24.Rxf4+ Bf6 25.Rxf6+!
1-0
Volokitin
Svidler
Final position after 25.Rxf6+! and if 25…gxf6 26.Qxf6+ Qf7 27.Qxf7
mate