Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival

I was able to call into the Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival today and I was really impressed. What a remarkable achievement - to organize a GM and a IM event side by side. Eamon Keogh and Michael Crowe really deserve all our praise and acknowledgement. The event is being controlled by Gerry Graham and he is being assisted by Herbert Scarry and others. The above names should be familiar to every Irish chess player - their contribution to chess could not be calculated.

I don't think people realize or appreciate what some people do for Irish chess. Some people are criticizing these people from a position of ignorance. I hope that these people fail to realize the effect their words have upon other people. But I can say now that their words are deeply hurting people who have done immeasurable things for Irish chess.

I just wanted to get that off my chest. Back to the Dun Laoghaire Chess Festival, today was round five and it was really fantastic to be able to watch such tremendous chess players in action. I felt I was taking part in a little piece of chess history. I decided to make the day special for myself and requested the autograph of all participates. I was really impressed by how genuine and nice all these players were. I got all but one autograph, hopefully I'll get that tomorrow.

Some of the participates have agreed to contribute material for the soon to be relaunched ICJ. I won't comment on the results etc, as I think the ICU site is doing a fantastic job of reporting on the event.

Chess Puzzle

Here is today's puzzle:


Can Black still win? Yes: Black found the one move which secures the full point for him. Can you?

Solution to last puzzle:
A.A. Ponelis - B. Kerr
Inter-Union Congress, Randburg 1978
White played 1.Rh3+! and Black resigned because of 1...Kxh3 2.Qf3+ Kh4 3.Qg3 mates.

Chess Puzzle

Today's puzzle:


White found a neat way to exploit the insecure situation of Black's king in this position, bringing the game to a quick end. How did he do so?


Solution to the last puzzle:
R.F. Griffiths - J. Wolpert
SA Championship, Pretoria 1963
Griffiths came out with 2.Rc3! Now if 2...a2 there follows 3.Qxe5+ Ka7 4.Qc5+ Kb8 5.Qf8+ Ka7 6.Ra3+ Kb6 7.Qd6+ Kb5 8.Qa6+ followed by 9.Rxa2 and wins. So Black played 2...Qb1+ 3.Kh2 Qf5 4.Rxa3 Rb2 5.Qa7+ Kc8 6.Rf3! and resigned. A fine piece of adjournment analysis by Griffiths. Going back to the diagram, any move by White's queen allows 2...Qxc1+ 3.Qxc1 a2 and the pawn queens, while any other move, other than 2.Rc3, allows 2...a2. Hence White's optimism!

Chess Puzzle

Today task:


In the above ending Black sealed the forced 1...Kb8 and confidently declared he would win. But White was equally confident of victory! On resumption he produced a problem-like move which validated his optimism. What was it?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Ivanov - Vitolinsh
URS-FL Frunze 1979
At first sight it seem that Black can hold on, but the strike 83.Rg5+!! clarifies the situation: 83...Kxg5 84.h7 Re1 (84...Rf6+ 85.Ke7 Kg6 86.h8Q Rxf7+ 87.Ke6) 85.Kd7 Rd1+ 86.Ke8 Re1+ 87.Kf8 Rh1 88.Kg7 1-0

Sean Coffey came up trumps again and provided the composer and solution to the query in the last post. Readers should look at the comments to see Sean's brilliant explanation of the strategy required for White to win. It makes the whole problem!

Chess Puzzle

Today's chess exercise:


At first sight is seems that Black can hold on, but White finds a surprising resource. Can you find it?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Szabo - Hort
Wijk aan Zee 1972
Black played the correct 1...Ke5, and White, after thinking for 55 minutes, resigned. He considered these possibilities: 2.Ke2 Rd3! 3.Re7+ (or 3.Ra3 Kd5 followed by Kc4) 3...Kf5 (not 3...Kd5? because of 4.Rd7+ Kc4 5.Rxd3 exd3+ 6.Kd2! with a draw) 4.Rf7+ Ke6 and Black wins the pawn and the game. After 2.Kc2 Black can quite simply push the passed e-pawn-try it yourself! The poor position of White's Rook on the 7th rank makes Black's win easy because the Rook, as in the first variation, has little scope. If the Rook stood on its best square, a8, Black could not have made progress. It's not for nothing that Rook endgames are considered among the most difficult ones!

That puzzle's solution required quite a lot of quotation from the source so I think it's only fair that I should name my references! It was taken from "the Best Move" by Vlastimil Hort and Vlastimil Jansa, 1980. Quite an interesting book, very difficult as the positions aren't really puzzles in the usual meaning of the word.

Stephen Short presented a very interesting position in the Cork Chess Club last night. He wouldn't tell us the solution - he has an evil side!! I have seen it before, but can't find it at the moment.



I'm sure Sean Coffey will give me the composer and solution!

Chess Puzzle

Well today I'm introducing a slightly different concept. The position below requires more work from the solver. The win isn't a tactical twist or combination but an appraisal of the position and the formulation of a plan.


What is the best way for Black to realize his advantage?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Fischer - Unzicker
World Team Championship, 1970
Fischer did play 1.Nf6 and after 1...Kg7 2.Kf2! Bd1 (if 2...Kxf6 3.Kxf3 is an easy win) 3.Nd7! c4 (if 3...Bxg4 4.f6+ and wins after 4...Kg8 5.f7+! or 4...Kg6 5.f7 Kxf7 6.Ne5+ and 7.Nxg4) 4.Kg3 Unzicker resigned. White wins with his supported passed pawn.

Chess Puzzle

Today's test:



(White to move) is a pawn up, but Black threatens to regain it at once by Bxg4, while if White plays 1.Nf6 then Kg7. What did White play in the diagram, and how did the game end?

Solution to last puzzle:
Hartston - Whiteley
Cambridgeshire v Middlesex match 1973
1.Qg6+! and wins. If 1...Qxg6 2.Rexe7+ Kd8 3.Rbd7 mate.

Sam Collins has done it!

Sam Collins has achieved his second grandmaster norm. In the last post I mistakenly claimed he needed one point from his last two games. Thankfully I was wrong - Kevin O'Connell on the Leinster Chess Blog cleared it all up and showed that only half a point was required against the right opponents.

Well he did it, now to complete the grandmaster requirements Sam requires a third norm and a rating of 2500. No pressure, but he has a chance in the Dun Laoire Tournament at the end of the month and also at the Olympiad.

Here is the game which helped Sam achieve the second grandmaster norm.

Hopefully it won't be too long before we can say he has achieved his third and final norm.

Sam Collins getting closer to the Grandmaster goal!

IM Sam Collins is having a fantastic performance at the 2010 Artic Chess Challenge, held in Norway!

After seven rounds his score stands at an undefeated 5.5/7. This after playing one Woman International Master and five Grandmasters!! The talk is that if he achieves one point out of his last two games he could get his second grandmaster norm.

I don't think I will ever have to worry about these formula so I will just cross my fingers for Sam and hope he achieves whatever is required. 

Against the five Grandmasters Sam scored three draws and two wins. I provide below his fine win against GM Ivan Ivanisevic (2611)

I for one will be following Sams performance for the rest of the tournament. You can to at the following link provided by Alex Lopez.

These feel like magical times for Irish Chess - between the fine performances at the British Championship, the closed tournaments in Dublin at the end of the month, the plans John Delaney and others have for junior chess, and now maybe a home grown Irish Grandmaster. I hope this leads to an Irish chess explosion.

The Irish at the British

Well the British championship concluded tonight and I must say that the Irish players did very well.

Firstly, in the under 13 championship, Ronan Magee took clear second with a score of 5.5/7 - and a performance rating of 175 BCF (2125).

Pete Morris had a great performance in the Senior championship and finished on 4.5/7. He final score does not reflect how close he was to winning.  He was in with a shout till the very last round - he played on board two in this round. He had some good wins against J. Dodgson (2125) in round two and Jim Vickery (2135) in round six. (Many thanks to Pat Twomey for bringing this to my attention.)

In the championship proper Ryan R Griffiths was unlucky in the last round: in trying to avoid a draw by repetition he walked into a mating net. I think Ryan will be glad to see the back of this championship as he didn't appear to be firing on all cylinders. His performance at the last Hastings tournament shows he is capable of so much more than this. Definitely better things to come.

You can view their individual results at the following link. Well done to all those who took part - you did us proud!

Chess Puzzle

Today's mental exercise:


It took White some time to spot a win in this position. White has sacrificed a knight for the attack; how should he continue?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Partos - Planin
Balkaniade, 1974
Plannic got the draw on his grandmaster reputation. After 1...Rxd4 White has a forced win by 2.Kxd4 a1(Q) 3.Rxa1 Nc2+ 4.Kc3 Nxa1 5.Kb2 Kg6 6.h4 Kh5 7.Kxa1 d4 8.Kb1 when White's king can catch the black pawn and then help his own pawns to queen.

Griffiths takes Grandmaster Scalp!

Today in the British Championship in Canterbury, Ryan Griffiths played a fine game and beat GM Summerscale (2428). This is a great result and must be some consolation for Ryan who appeared to be playing well below par so far in the championship.

 

Well done Ryan, and best of luck in the rest of the championship.

Chess Puzzle

Here is another puzzle to flex your chess muscles:


(Black, to move) played 1...Rxd4. His opponent, pondered, then offered a draw, which Black accepted.
Was White justified in offering a draw, and did Black act wisely in taking it?

Solution to the last puzzle:
If Black, whose opponent was the great player Samisch, expected Bxd6+ and exchanges, and a draw (since both Kings control both opposing Pawns) he was disappointed.
What happened was:
1.Rxd6 Rxd6 and now there is no hurry about recapture. Immediate recapture is automatism.
2.f6+! Ke6 3.Bxd6 Kxd6 4.c5+! and now one of White's Pawns will be uncontrollable.

Chess Puzzle

Today's puzzle:


White to play. What result?

Solution to the last puzzle:
Schone - Nunchert
Potsdam, 1982
The solution given actually loses to the brilliant 2...Nb3+!!. Now there are only 3 possibilities: (a) 3.axb3 Rd1+ 4.Kc2 Rc7 mate. (b) 3.Kc2 Rc7+ 4.Kb3 Be6+ 5.Ka3 Ra4 mate. (c) 3.Kb1 Rd1+ 4.Kc2 Na1+ 5.Kc3 Rc7+ 6.Kb4 Rd4+ 7.Ka3 (7.Kb5 Rc5 mate) Ra4 mate.

Sorry about the slow posting of late. Destroyed my laptop during the week and trying to get myself organized again.