‘g’ file exposes the Black king even more. Jakovenko, D- Illescas Cordoba, M January 6th 2007 24.g2xf3 Kg8-h7 Pamplona 2006 25.Rc1–d1 Qd5xa2 The young Russian player Black is forced to win has menacingly massed his another pawn, but the pieces on the kingside so queen is driven offside. Illescas tried to bring his knight over to aid the 26.Ke1–f2 Rf8-f6 defence. 27.Rh1–g1 Ra8-f8 Christmas in 24… Nc7-e8 The hazardous nature of Pamplona Black's position is If 24...Ra8-d8 25.Re3-g3 demonstrated by the fact sets up a decisive sacrifice for the that this natural move loses on g6. by force. Correct was running of 27...Qa2-b3 inching the 25.Ne5xf7 queen back into the game. White has a choice of the pawns 28.Bf4-e5 Nd7xe5 strong moves, 25.Bd3xg6 Chess professionals don’t 29.Qe2xe5 Nb6-d7 f7xg6 26.Re3-g3 was also always get to put their very tempting. feet up over Christmas, as There is no good alternative some tournaments are but this meets with a brutal 25...Rd4xd3 traditionally held during response. this period. This year all XABCDEFGHY Capturing the knight doesn’t eyes were on Pamplona, 8-+-+-tr-+( work: 25...Qg7xf7 where the organisers 7zpp+n+-+k' 26.Re3xe6 Rd4xd3 27.Qh4- assembled an attractive 6-+-sNltr-zp& h8+ Qf7-g8 28.Re6xe8+ field with many strong, 5+Lzp-wQp+-% Ra8xe8 29.Re1xe8+ imaginative, attacking 4-+-+-+-zP$ Kf8xe8 30.Qh8xg8+ leaves players. 3+-+-+P+-# White a queen to the good. Some of the 2qzP-+-mK-+" So Miguel desperately tries participants may wish 1+-+R+-tR-! to distract some of the they had stayed at home xabcdefghy White forces. for turkey and minced pies, but at least the 30.Bb5xd7 Be6xd7 26.Re3xe6 players get a day off on 31.Nd6-e4 Christmas Day, with or Jakovenko ignores the rook without good behaviour. This crafty withdrawal and continues to target the Here are two interesting opens the path for the Black king. games from the early White rooks. XABCDEFGHY rounds. 8r+-+nmk-+( In the first, from 31… f5xe4 7+l+-+Nwq-' Christmas Eve, 6pzp-+R+p+& Morozevich gifts Shirov a If 31...Rf6-f7 32.Ne4-f6+ 5+-zp-+-+-% couple of pawns, but his Rf7xf6 33.Rd1xd7+ Rf8-f7 4-+P+-zP-wQ$ generosity contains a 34.Qe5xf6 leads to mate. 3+-+r+-+P# sting in the tail. 2PzP-+-+P+" XABCDEFGHY 32.Rd1xd7+ Kh7-h8 1+-+-tR-mK-! 8r+-+-trk+( 33.Rg1–g6. Black resigned xabcdefghy 7zpp+n+-+-' as after 33…Qa2-e6 34. 6-sn-sNl+-zp& Rg6xh6+ Kh8-g8 35.Qe5– 26…Qg7-d4+ 5+Lzpq+p+-% g5+ is decisive. 4-+-+-vLpzP$ XABCDEFGHY The capture 26...Qg7xf7 3+-+-+P+-# 8r+-+-mk-+( 27.Qh4-h8+ transposes to 2PzP-+Q+P+" 7+lsn-+pwq-' the variation above, and 1+-tR-mK-+R! 6pzp-+p+p+& 26…Kf8xf7 27.Re6-e7+ is xabcdefghy 5+-zp-sN-+-% no better. 4-+Ptr-zP-wQ$ Morozevich, A – Shirov, A 3+-+LtR-+P# 27.Kg1–h2 Bb7xg2 Pamplona 2006 2PzP-+-+P+" Shirov has an extra pawn, 1+-+-tR-mK-! Aiming to open up the but the White pieces are xabcdefghy White monarch, but White’s much more actively placed attack strikes first. and the Black kingside In this game, we see black’s resembles Swiss cheese. kingside nastily gored by 28.Qh4-e7+ Kf8-g8 White’s forces rather like a 29.Nf7-h6+ Kg8-h8 23...g4xf3 laggardly competitor in the 30.Qe7-f8+ Kh8-h7 running of the bulls, that 31.Qf8-g8+ and Black I would have preferred takes place in this city every resigns as 31...Kh7xh6 23...Rf8-f6 as opening the year. 32.Qg8xg6 is mate. The king runs for cover as The king goes via the 22...a5xb4 23.Bh3xd7 scenic route as after Rd8xd7 24.Qe3-c5+ is 35...Ke7-f8 36.Qe4-b4+ January 13th 2007 rather nasty. Kf8-e8 37.Qb4-d6 there is 23.Bh3xd7 Rd8xd7 no escape. 24.Qe3-c5+ Rd7-e7 36.Qe4-f4+ 25.Ng3-f5 Now Simon really gets White quickly plays a few into his stride with this checks to reach the time brilliant sacrifice. control. 25... a5xb4 36... Kf6-e6 Black doesn't accept 37.Qf4-e4+ Ke6-f6 Pearly immediately and tries to 38.Qe4-f4+ Kf6-e6 accelerate his queenside 39.Qf4-d6+ Ke6-f5 kings take play. 40.Qd6-c5+ Kf5-f6 26.Rh1–h8 g6xf5 41.Qc5-d4+ the air at Now Black is forced to remove the steed as The win was still available Hastings 26...b4xc3 27.Nf5xe7 with the subtle 41.Rd1– Qc7xe7 28.Rh8xg8+ wins d6+ Kf6-g7 42.Rd6-d3 the queen. when Black must give up Congress 27.e4xf5 b4xc3 his queen, or get caught Shortly after Christmas, 28.f5-f6 Ra8-e8 in a mating net for thoughts turn to the example 42...Qg8-h7 traditional Hastings Going on the defensive as 43.Rd3-g3+ Kg7-f6 Congress which is in its White's attack comes first 44.Qc5-d6+ Kf6-f5 nd 82 year. Although the after 28...Ra8xa2 45.Rg3-f3+ Kf5-g5 tournament no longer 29.f6xe7+ Qc7xe7 46.Qd6-f6+. has the grandeur of the 30.Rd1–d8+ Kf8-g7 41... Kf6-f5 past, it still receives 31.Rd8xg8 mate. 42.Qd4-d3+ loyal support from the 29.Qc5xc3 e5-e4 42.Qd4-c5+ would have local council and this There is no way for the set White back on the year several other Black king to escape, so winning path. sponsors. the queen is transferred Most importantly over to aid the defence. 42... Kf5-f6 however, Hastings 43.Qd3-f3+ Kf6-e6 provides a very valuable 30.Qc3-h3 Qc7-f4+ 44.Qf3-h3+ Ke6-f6 opportunity for young 31.Kc1–b1 Qf4xg5 45.Qh3-f3+ Kf6-e6 players from around the 32.Qh3-h7 46.Qf3-e4+ UK to pit their wits Now Black jumped at the against international XABCDEFGHY opportunity to claim a opposition. 8-+-+rmkntR( draw by threefold In a very exciting game 7+l+-trp+Q' repetition. ½–½ from the event, Simon 6-+p+-zP-+& Williams produces the 5+p+-+-wq-% XABCDEFGHY sadly flawed ‘Pearl of 4-+-+p+-+$ 8r+l+-+k+( Hastings’ against the 3+-+-+-+-# 7+p+-+-zpp' top seeded Georgian 2P+P+-zP-+" 6p+-zp-tr-wq& Merab Gagunashvili. 1+K+R+-+-! 5zP-+Pzpp+n% XABCDEFGHY xabcdefghy 4R+-+P+-+$ 8r+-+-trn+( 3+-sN-+P+-# 7zplwqnmkp+p' 33… Re8-a8 2-zP-+-wQPzP" 6-+p+-+p+& 1+-+-+LtRK! 5+p+-zp-zPP% Unfortunately, the rook xabcdefghy 4-zP-+P+-+$ has to move to give the 3+-sN-+-sN-# Black king breathing Finally, an unusual tactic 2P+PwQ-zP-+" space as if 32...Re7-c7 from a game in the first 1+-mKR+L+R! 33.Rh8xg8+ Qg5xg8 round: xabcdefghy 34.Qh7-h6+ leads to Narayanan,S - mate. Ikonnikov,V Williams, S - 33.Rh8xg8+ Qg5xg8 2006-7 Hastings Gagunashvili, M 34.f6xe7+ 2006-7 Hastings 26… Nh5-g3+ As we join the game both After an inspired 26.Qf2xg3 f5-f4 kings are well ventilated, sequence of play Simon When White was forced to but the more actively starts to lose the thread, give up his queen, as placed White pieces give the simple 34.Qh7xg8+ 26.Qg3-f2 Qh6xh2+ him the edge. Kf8xg8 35.f6xe7 would 27.Kh1xh2 Rf6-h6 leads have been a fitting to mate. The game 19... Rf8-d8 conclusion to a great continued: 20.h5xg6 h7xg6 game. 21.Qd2-e3 a7-a5 27.Qg3-h3 Bc8xh3 but 22.Bf1–h3 Ke7-f8 34... Kf8xe7 Black had no problems in 35.Qh7xe4+ Ke7-f6 securing victory. Rublevsky, S - Leko, P Leko, P - Gelfand, B ACP Rapid Odessa 2007 ACP Rapid Odessa 2007 January 20th 2007 Leko had already won the This tiebreak game was first game of this mini match played at the much faster and only needed a draw to rate of 3 minutes plus 2 progress. However, in the seconds a move. The second game Rublevsky is players are contesting a exerting some pressure due critical line of the Nadjorf to the bishop pair and variation, Gelfand has powerful passed ‘d’ pawn. advanced his ‘h’ pawn at an Odessa Now Peter conjures up an early stage to impede a inspired tactical sequence. White pawn storm on that steps to a 17... Ne7xd5 side. In this game Leko is 18.Bg2xd5 Qf6-e5 able to counter the plan landmark classically and effectively by If 18...Bf5-e6 19.Be3-d4 blasting open the centre. win for wins material so this is the 11... Ra8-c8 only way to regain the 12.Bf1–d3 Nd7-b6 piece. Now or on the previous Hungary’s 19.Bd5xf7+ move would have been a The bishop doesn’t die in good time to continue number one vain as the Black king is development with 12...Bf8- The Association of Chess drawn out into the open. e7. Professionals has been in 19... Kg8xf7 13.h2-h3 h5-h4 existence since 2003, and 20.Qd1–h5+ Kf7-g8 14.f3-f4 recently achieved the 21.g3-g4 White’s forces are much highpoint of their brief Now the Black bishop is better mobilised so it’s time existence by holding a pinned, this time crossways, for action. major event, a 16 player but Peter has it all under 14... b5-b4 knock-out rapid control. This makes matters worse, tournament, which took 21... Qe5-e4 better were 14…Bf8-e7 or 22.g4xf5 Rf8xf5 14…Nb6-c4.