Teenage newcomer wins best junior player prize
Chess with Errol Tiwari
Stabroek News
May 6, 2007
Fresh talent was evident during the Guyana Chess Association's seven-round Swiss system tournament held last Sunday at the YMCA.
Teenage newcomer T. Khan from West Demerara, playing in his first-ever chess tournament, surprised many by winning the prize for the Best Junior player and tying for third place with five points from the seven games which were played.
Khan's games were not without errors, but these were never too glaring as to cause him to lose major ground in the tournament. It became clear after a while that he understood the themes behind his openings. His father David Khan, who also played in the tournament, was a strong player in the eighties. David knew the openings well and specialized in the Caro-Kann defence.
The number of participants have been increasing with each tournament. More young people are demonstrating an interest in playing the ancient game competitively, and the association is seriously contemplating having a summer camp for beginners during the August holidays.
At Sunday's tournament, it was noted that some senior players who have been playing competitively for years did not have chess sets.
Having a chess set is of crucial importance if one intends to pursue the game, and especially, participate in tournaments. The association wishes to urge tournament players without sets to acquire same, so that they can practice easily, replay the games of the old and current masters and improve their chess.
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On the international circuit, world champion Vladimir Kramnik, 32, completed a match with World Cup holder Levon Aronian, the 25-year-old sensation from Armenia in a six-game 25-minute per player Rapid chess match. Aronian is ranked fifth in the world at 2,759 points, 13 behind Kramnik. The games are not as yet available, so I chose a game from a previous Kramnik--Leko eight game Rapid match that was played at Miskolc in Hungary. This game was played Sunday, April 29.
Kramnik demonstrated his mastery of positional chess by nurturing the tiniest of advantages to victory in the fifth game. He went ahead 3/12 to 1/12, but Leko, who almost captured Kramnik's crown in 2004, hit straight back with his first win to cut the deficit to a one-point lead with two to play. After six games the score was : Kramnik 3/12 - Leko 2/12.
Leko, P (2738) - Kramnik,V (2772) Rapid Match, Miskolc, Hungary
Game 6
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Ruy Lopez ( Spanish Game).
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 b4 11.Ne2 c5 12.Ng3 0-0 13.Nh4 g6 14.Bh6! Re8 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.f3 Be6 17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.f4 exf4 19.Bxf4 Nc6 20.Nf3 Nd7 21.c3 bxc3 22.bxc3 Nde5!? 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Qc2 Ra7 25.Rfd1 Bf8 26.Nf1! Bh6 27.N1d2 Bxd2 28.Rxd2 Rd7 29.Rb1 Kg7 30.h3 Qc7 31.Rf1 Nd8 32.Rdf2 Qd6 33.Qc1 Nf7 34.Nh2 h5 35.Qe3! Ree7 36.Rf3! Covering d3 and preparing Rg3, pawn g2-g4 or just a slow rerouting of the knight as Black can only look on. Kramnik decides to sacrifice a pawn for activity 36...c4 37.dxc4 Qd2 38.Qb6 Ng5 39.Re3 Rf7? 40.h4 Rb7 41.Qc5 Rb2 42.Qxe5+ Kh7 43.Qxg5 Rxf1+ 44.Nxf1 Qf2+ 45.Kh2 Qxf1 46.Rg3 Qf7 47.c5 Black cannot stop the passed pawn and defend his king at the same time 47...Re2 48.Qe5 Qb7 49.Rxg6! (DIAGRAM). Black resigns! 1-0.