Tradewise Gibraltar Festival 2014

Monday 27 January - Friday 6 February 2014

Round 4 Report: 1 February by John Saunders

RODSHTEIN, B AND MARECO LEAD

The leader board at the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters, played at the Caleta Hotel, was whittled down from ten to three by the end of round four on 31 January. The three leaders with 4/4 are Maxim Rodshtein (), Li Chao B () and Sandro Mareco (Argentina), who are the 13th, 14th and 30th highest rated players in the tournament respectively. The leading female competitors are Jovana Vojinovic (Serbia), (China), Chen (), Viktorija Cmilyte (Lithuania), (), Guo Qi (China), Batkhuyag Munguntuul (Mongolia), (Kazakhstan) and Marie Sebag (France), a point back on 3/4.

There are some remarkable things about the leader board: one is the fact that as many as ten countries are represented, with only one country having more than one representative (China, with three); two, that major world powers Russia, India and USA are as yet unrepresented; and, three, there is only one player from western Europe amongst them. There are clear signs that the centre of gravity of chess is moving further into Asia. Of course, these are early days in the tournament and by the end it is quite possible that the traditional power bases of chess may have reasserted themselves. But interesting nonetheless: I suppose the thing that it demonstrates beyond question is that the popularity of this ancient game has never been higher: it stretches right across the globe.

Sandro Mareco is a new name on me. This is perhaps not surprising as South American chess, though very strong for many decades, has traditionally existed in a Southern hemispherical bubble of its own, with relatively little travel between Europe and South America amongst professional players (except for some South American chessplayers who have plied their trade in Spain). Sandro is a 26-year-old Argentinian who became a GM in 2010 and whose peak rating was 2628 in January 2011. He has twice qualified for the FIDE World Cup but was eliminated in round one on both occasions, losing to in 2011 and David Navara in 2013. Hence his pairing with the latter in Gibraltar brought him the chance to take his revenge.

Gibraltar Masters 2014, Round 4 S.Mareco (2582) - D.Navara (2702) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nh4 A relatively new idea, with the idea of making it hard for Black to develop his light-squared bishop. 10...e5 11.d5 Na5 11...Nb4 12.a3 Na6 13.Qc2 Qe7 has also been played here. 12.Rb1 h6 13.Qc2 Bg4 This looks doubtful. Maybe Black should play 13...Nac4 while he can. 14.b3! Now the future of the black knight becomes problematic as it has no squares and no obvious way of securing one. 14...Rc8 15.h3 Bd7 16.Bd2 c6 17.d6! White threatens 18.Ne2 and 19.Bxa5. 17...c5 18.Nd5 Nc6 18...Nxd5 19.Bxd5 Nc6 20.Qxg6 Be6 21.Bxe6 Rxe6 22.Qg4 Rxd6 23.Bc3 also looks quite strong for White. 19.Nc7 Rf8 19...Rxc7 20.dxc7 Qxc7 was worth thinking about: 21.Rfd1 Qc8 22.Kh2 g5 23.Nf3 e4 and at least Black has some play. 20.Qxc5 g5 21.Nf3 Bf5 21...Na8 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.Rfd1 is another way to play for Black but he will remain a pawn down with a difficult game. 22.Rbc1 Qd7 23.Bc3 Bxh3 Another difficult decision for Black. The alternative was 23...f6 but it would leave the dark- squared bishop on a bad square, particularly after 24.g4,etc. 24.Nxe5 Bxe5 25.Bxe5 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Qf5 27.Ba1 Exchanging queens improves White's position, but keeping them on increases the risk of something nasty happening on the a1-h8 diagonal if the white queen comes to c3. 27...Qxc5 28.Rxc5 Rfd8

29.Rh1! White finally surrenders the d-pawn to set up a winning finish on the king's flank. 29...Rxd6 30.Rxg5+! Kf8 31.Nb5 A very handy exit move for the knight. 31...Re6 32.Bg7+ Ke7 33.Rxh6 A second pawn drops: the end is nigh. 33...f6 33...Rxh6 34.Bxh6 a6 35.Nc3 Nb4 36.Ne4 Nxa2 37.Re5+ Kd7 38.Rf5 Ke6 39.Rf6+ Ke5 40.Kf3 is simply another way of losing. 34.Rgg6 Nd7 35.Rh7 Kf7 36.Rg4 1-0 The threat is 37.Bh6+ Ke8 38.Rg8+ Nf8 39.Rxf8 mate and there is little to done about it. A poor result for David Navara but he is a classy player and will no doubt bounce back.

Maxim Rodshtein is an Israeli GM, born in St Petersburg when it was still called Leningrad (he turned 25 a few days ago). His peak FIDE rating was 2683 in December 2013 and he is a former Israel Champion and was board five on the Israeli team which won silver at the 2008 Olympiad. At the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters he is ranked 13th. In the fourth round he was White against 23-year-old Danyyil Dvirniyy (sometimes known as Danilo Dvirni) of Italy, who is an IM but rated 2574 so I am guessing can't be too far away from a GM title. The game followed a long line of Spanish theory before coming to life as Rodshtein punished a couple of inaccuracies by his opponent.

Gibraltar Masters 2014, Round 4 M.Rodshtein (2682) - D.Dvirnyy (2574) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.axb5 axb5 11.Na3 Bg4 We're still well in the book, of course. One of the snags with this line for Black is that the b5 pawn drops off. The trick is not to worry too much and seek positional compensation elsewhere. Black cannot push 11...b4? because after 12.Nc4 White has major pressure against the e5 pawn. 12.Nxb5 0-0 13.Bc2 Bxf3 13...exd4 14.Nbxd4 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Bxf3; and 13...d5!? are both reasonable alternatives for Black. 14.gxf3 14.Qxf3 exd4 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxf6 gxf6 is also playable. 14...Nh5 Such is the power of opening fashion that I find this is the only move in position to be found on my database and yet it occurs 66 times. You would have thought someone might have given another move a try. 15.f4 Giving back the pawn. It's probably best if White wants to retain his initiative. Other moves allow Black to go on the counterattack with moves such as ...Qh4. 15...Nxf4 15...Qh4 16.Qf3 Nxf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Kh1 Ne7 19.Rg1 Ng6 20.b4 retains a small edge for White. 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Qg4 Qf6 18.Ra6 This has been played a few times before. There is a glimmer of a threat of Nxc7 though in practice it doesn't work until White has played b4, and in the meantime the c6 knight tends to relocate anyway. The move 18.b4 has been played more often, usually proceeding 18...g6 19.Kh1 Nd8 20.Rfe1 or 20.Rfb1. 18...g6 19.Kh1 19.Nxc7!? Bxc7 20.Rxc6 Rxb2 21.Bd3 Bb8 22.h4 was played in Sutovsky-Bok, in the Euro Club Cup last October. White went on to win. 19...Nd8 20.b4 Ne6 21.Bb3

This game is a pretty good example of what is often known as 'the Spanish torture'. White's opening edge persists well into the middlegame. Here White has established a solid grip on the queenside, the centre and the kingside, tying up most prospective inroads into his position. 21...h5 22.Qg2 Kg7 23.Rg1 f3 Staying solid with 23...Qe7 is another option. 24.Qg3 Ra8 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Re1 h4 This could be a serious positional error. This was Black's last chance to get in 26...Qf4 when a queen exchange relieves his position somewhat, e.g. 27.h4 Qxg3 28.fxg3 g5! with a reasonable game for Black. 27.Qg4 Qg5 Now 27...Qf4 is off the agenda as 28.Bxe6 wins a piece. 28.Bxe6 Qxb5 29.Rg1!? White could (and probably should) win a pawn here with 29.Bd5, e.g. 29...Ra3 30.Qxf3 Qd7 31.Rd1 c6 32.Bc4 Qe7 though Black has a degree of compensation for it. 29...Qe8! After 29...fxe6?? White mates in four. 30.Bd7 30.Bc4 Ra3 31.Qxf3 Bxd4 32.Bxf7 Qxf7 33.Qxf7+ Kxf7 34.cxd4 Rb3 leads to a level rook and pawn endgame. 30...Qe7 31.Bf5

31...Qf6?? Black used 15 of his remaining 21 minutes in playing this but I'm afraid it wasn't time well spent as it gives White a key tempo to spark his kingside attack. 31...Qe8! holds. If 32.Qxf3 Ra3! and something has to give in White's position, while 32.Qxh4 is met in the same way. 32.e5! dxe5 33.dxe5 Qxe5 Black has no choice but to take on e5. 33...Qc6 loses to 34.Be4 34.Bxg6! Bxf2 After 34...fxg6 35.Qxg6+ Kf8, the prosaic 36.Qg8+ Ke7 37.Qxa8 wins, much as in the game. 35.Be4+ Kf8 36.Qg8+ Ke7 37.Bxa8 37.Qxa8? Bxg1 38.Kxg1 Qg5+ would throw away the win. 37...Bxg1 38.Qxg1 1-0

Li Chao B – the 'B' signifies that he is the second Chinese player called Li Chao on the FIDE rating list (I'm pretty sure he's not related to Mel B) – is aged 24 and comes from , province. He became China's 23rd GM in 2007, having been a childhood friend of another top Chinese player, , who played in Gib in 2008. He currently stands fifth in the list of China's top rated players behind , , Wang Yue and .

I gave a quick pen picture of Thomas Henrichs in the round three report after he defeated , so Li Chao would have been keen to avenge his compatriot's defeat.

Gibraltar Masters 2014, Round 4 T.Henrichs (2477) - Li Chao B (2680) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Be3 Bg4 9.Rc1 0-0 10.Be2 Qa5 11.Qd2 Nd7 12.d5 c4 The 'book' move. It's fairly easy to see that, if White takes the c4-pawn, a rook will come to c8 to skewer the c3 pawn behind the bishop. 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Nc5 14...Ne5 15.Be2 e6 16.f4 Nd3+ 17.Bxd3 cxd3 18.c4 has been played here before but it looks suspect for Black. 14...e6 is another possibility. 15.0-0 Rfd8 16.Rc2 My analysis engine (Hiarcs) finds 16.Rb1!? here, with the idea of 16...Bxc3 17.Qc2 when White is certain of regaining his sacrificed pawn, with a good game. 16...Rac8 17.Rb1 b5 18.Bxc5 18.Bd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 a6 and it looks like the c5 bishop will eventually be stronger than White's bishop. 18...Rxc5 19.Qe3 Qc7 20.Rcb2 a6

21.a4 White had done pretty well until here but maybe 21.Rb4 is a bit more solid. The text may not be wrong but it becomes harder to find precise moves. 21...bxa4 22.Rb7 Qa5 23.e5 23.Rxe7 Rb5 and Black's queenside pawns look too menacing. 23...Rc7 24.e6 24.Rb8 looks acceptable for White, e.g. 24...Rcc8 25.Rxc8 Rxc8 26.e6 f5 and White has a reasonable choice between 27.Qa7 and 27.d6, when White's central pawns are as powerful as Black's advanced a-pawn. 24...Rxb7 25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.Rxb7 Bf6 27.Be2 Qxd5 28.Rb4 Qd7 29.Bxc4+ White was down to about 3 minutes to his opponent's 26 as he played this move. 29.Bg4!? looks a worthy alternative. White's still in the game, though it's getting harder to find good moves. 29...Kg7 30.g4 h6 31.Ba2 White spent most of his remaining time on this move. 31...a3 32.Re4 32.Rb3 loses to 32...Qd1+ 33.Kg2 Rd2! 34.Qe6!? and now 34...Qc2! is overwhelming. 32...Qb7! 33.h4 33.Qe2, covering the rook check on d1, is better but things are getting very difficult for White anyway. 33...Rd1+ 34.Kh2 34.Kg2 is better.

34...g5 Black was probably playing the clock as much as the board. There are some likely finishes here but Black preferred to maintain his grip and leave White to sweat rather than help him to make a decision by playing forcing moves. 35.Qe2 Ra1 36.Be6 a2 36...Qb1 is also very good here. 37.Qf3 0-1 Not waiting for 37...Re1, which wins material.

The sensation of the round was Nigel Short's rapid defeat to Kevin Spraggett of Canada. Nigel has only lost a handful of games before in Gibraltar so this was a particular surprise. Just for the record, before 2014 Nigel had played 66 games here, winning 44, drawing 22 and losing just four. Breaking it down further, his White record is +23, =10, -0 and his Black record +17, =12, -4. The four losses were to Kotronias (2003), Ivanchuk (2011), Teran Alvarez (2013) and a rapidplay tie-break game to Vitiugov, also in 2013. His second defeat last year was also something of a calamity but on that occasion he recovered his form to make the play-offs.

This year it is tempting to suggest that Nigel was distracted by his heavy involvement in FIDE presidential election politics at the moment (whilst recognising that, to a lesser degree, the same is true of his blog-writing Canadian opponent). However, looking closer at the game, it may simply be that Nigel was caught out on the day by an extremely fine innovation from his opponent, whom we must remember is a very strong GM who qualified for the World Championship Candidates' competition back in the 1980s. And, of course, it would be churlish to deny Kevin the full credit for a superb game.

Gibraltar Masters 2014, Round 4 K.Spraggett (2544) - N.Short (2683) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 exd4 7...Nxd4 is played more frequently but the text is considered respectable too. 8.c3 The oldest trick in the book is 8.Nxd4?? Nxd4 9.Qxd4 c5 and 9...c4 next move, winning a piece for two pawns, as played in NN-Noah, Ark Championship 10,000 years BC. 8...dxc3 9.Nxc3 Here Ghaem Maghami interpolated 9.Qd5 against Short in a 'talking blitz' game in 2013. Nigel replied 9...Qe7 and went on to win. 9...Na5

10.e5!! 10.Bc2 and 12.Bd5 have been played here before, but this looks like a very good new move, highlighting the lack of development on Black's kingside. 10...Nxb3 11.axb3 Be7 In view of the difficulties that arise in the game, perhaps Black could try 11...dxe5!? 12.Nxe5 Bd6 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Qe2+ Ne7 15.Nxb5 0-0 16.Nxd6 Qxd6, though he would still be a bit worse. 12.Re1 Kf8 The move of a man in a quandary, perhaps, but what to do? 12...Bc6 13.Nd4 Bb7 14.Bf4 also looks a bit shaky. 13.Bf4 Be6 14.Nd4 d5 15.Qf3! h5 16.h3 Ke8 16...c5 17.Nxe6+ fxe6 18.Bh6+ Ke8 19.Bxg7 Rh7 20.Bf6 is not too appetising either, but it might have offered more chances of survival. 17.Red1 Qd7 18.Ndxb5 Rb8? Black probably has to try 18...c6 19.Nd6+ Kf8 though 20.Na4 Bxd6 21.exd6 Qd8 22.Nc5 Nf6 23.Re1 looks really grim anyway. Now the end comes quickly.

19.Nxd5! axb5 19...Bxd5 20.Rxd5 Qc8 21.Nxc7+! Kf8 (21...Qxc7 22.e6! wins.) 22.e6 fxe6 and Black is getting mangled. 20.Nxe7! Qxe7 21.Ra8! Rc8 22.Qb7 1-0

______John Saunders Press Reporter, Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Congress - Twitter @GibraltarChess Official website: www.gibraltarchesscongress.com Personal Twitter Account @johnchess