Horvath,Ad 6.5/9 at Balaton GM

30th Balaton GM 2012-09
Horvath,Ad won with 6.5/9 but narrowly missed the GM norm.

                                                1  2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   0
1 Horvath,Ad      2495  +84     *  1  ½  ½  ½  ½  1  1   ½   1           6.5/9
2 Ashwin,J          2473 +63      0  *  ½   ½  ½  1  1  ½  1    1           6.0/9
3 Bures,J             2381 +123    ½  ½  * ½   ½ ½   1  ½   ½  1          5.5/9
4 Nemeth,Mi1     2454 +2        ½   ½  ½ *  ½  ½  ½  ½  1  ½          5.0/9
5 Czebe,A           2491 -77      ½   ½   ½  ½  * ½  0  ½   ½  1          4.5/9
6 Varga,Zo          2455 -37      ½   0  ½  ½   ½ *  ½   ½  1   ½         4.5/9
7 Hoelzl,F           2321 +111    0    0  0  ½   1  ½  * 1  ½  1              4.5/9
8 Vertetics,A       2409 -64      0    ½   ½   ½   ½   ½  0  * 0  1         3.5/9
9 Popovics,A      2423 -121     ½   0    ½   0  ½  0  ½  1   *  0          3.0/9
10 Tate,A           2314 -98       0    0   0     ½  0  ½  0   0  1  *          2.0/9  

Here is a game by the winner

Horvath,Ad(2495) - Vertetics,A (2409)
Philidor[C41]
30th Balaton GM Heviz HUN (8.2), 30.09.2012
The game starts with the popular Philidor Defence
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0–0 0–0 7.a4 a6 8.Re1 b6  

Critical Position 
The game is position in nature. What is white's plan? Is there a hidden tactic? How do you play?


 White to play

 

Toronto Chess News(new e-zine-Pdf and ChessBase)

Here is a game from the latest issue(1-5) of Toronto Chess News.

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Bob Armstrong,Editor

Sharpe,Sam (1970) - Lamb,Bryan (2111) [C02]
Scarborough CC Howard Ridout (>1800) (5), 11.10.2012

Critical Position 1
The position looks equal so do you trade rooks? or is there something better?

White to Play

Critical Position 2
Again the position looks harmless. What is white's plan? Massage? Gain space on the kingside? Or something else?

White to Play

Critical Position 3
Deep into the endgame, the f-pawn is under attack. What should white do?

White to Play

Huebner on the Huebner 4.e3 c5 Nimzo-Indian(E41)

The featured instructive game features GM Huebner and shows black's defensive maneuvering potential.

The position under consideration arises from and is known as the Huebner Variation(4...c5)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 8.e4 e5 9.d5 Ne7

'At his strongest in the mid-seventies to early eighties, Hübner participated in many of the elite tournaments of the day, such as Tilburg 1978 and Montreal 1979 (The Tournament of Stars), playing alongside Anatoly Karpov, Mikhail Tal, and Jan Timman. There were tournament victories at Houston 1974, Munich 1979 (shared with Ulf Andersson and Boris Spassky), Rio de Janeiro Interzonal 1979 (shared with Lajos Portisch and Tigran Petrosian),[2] and Linares 1985 (shared with Ljubomir Ljubojević). He remained active on the international circuit into the 2000s, but has never been a full-time chess professional due to his academic career.

GM Huebner

He served as a second to Nigel Short in his efforts to win the World Chess Championship match against Garry Kasparov in 1993. In 2000 he won, with the German team, a silver medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. His International Master (IM) title was awarded in 1969 and his Grandmaster (GM) title in 1971.'-Wikipeida

Najdorf,Miguel (2560) - Huebner,Robert (2590) [E41]
Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee (7), 01.1971

Critical Position 1
White has just played 18.Ne3. How do you assess the position? White has more space, the semi-open b-file but who is better? is the position a delicate equality?
What is black's plan? Is it consistent with the assessment?

What move do you propose for black?

Black to play

Critical Position 2
The strategic race is well underway. What is the next step for black? Is it a hidden combination? Or perhaps something mundane like opening the h-file? Maybe the e-file possibilities catch your attention? Is it something to do with the ...e4 break?

Black to play

Trends in the 4.e3-9...b6 Nimzo-Indian(E54)

The rock solid 9...b6 Karpov Variation is a tough nut to crack. The main position arises after

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 d5 7.0–0 cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Re1

Sokolov,I examines this position deeply in The Stratgic Nimzo-Indian(NIC 2012). Let us examine a key recent game. to see the impact on published analysis.

Potkin,V (2684) - Harikrishna,P (2665) [E54]
74th Tata Steel GMB Wijk aan Zee NED (7), 21.01.2012
Sokolov considered 18..e5 but black played 18...Qd6 which resulted at least an equal game.


Critical Position 1 The position is tense. The long diagonal has been blocked with f3. The Nh5 looks offside and perhaps deserves a bigger role. Is the time for quiet play or concrete play? Perhaps there is a combination based on the inconvenient lineup of Re8 vs Qe2 on the e-file. What should black do?

Black to play

Vintage Portisch 4.e3-11.Ba2 Nimzo-Indian(E59)

This is the line under consideration.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 d5 7.0–0 0–0 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 11.Ba2

This old game is still of some relevance in 2012 but the 14.Ne1 idea should not be considered dangerous for black.


Portisch,Lajos (2630) - Sosonko,Gennadi (2575) [E59]
Tilburg (4), 1978

Critical Position 1
White is passively placed after the Ne1/f3 idea. What is the plan for black? How do you play?

Black to play

Critical Position 2
Ne5 and Rd2 are under attack. How do you react?

Black to play

RIP Paul Arvaj(2011)

• 'Paul Arvaj passed away sometime in 2011 (age 73? - according to his background info in his book) but no one I spoke to knows the month, and also apparently there was no obituary published. I played Paul many games over the span of some 30 years and the first one was also the first game in one of his books "About Chess". In his last game against me - a celebrity active event at the Germania Club in Hamilton organized by IM Brian Hartman, Paul shocked me by beating me in crushing style - 2003? - maybe. Paul Arvajs last known residence was a nursing home at the corner of Main and Victoria in downtown Hamilton and for many years he enjoyed kibitzing, casual chess, speed chess, and recounting chess memories at the Hamilton Public Library.'-Hans Jung

From Chesstalk.com message board. Chesstalk

Hans Rudolf Jung (2139) - Paul Arvaj [A12]
Hamilton Open Hamilton YMCA (2), 01.05.1976
Black had chances in this game.

  

Black to play

Trends in the 4.e3-11.Bb2 Nimzo-Indian(E59)

The following position is well known to Nimzo-Indian theory.

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.d4 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0–0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nc6 9.a3 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qc7 11.Bb2

The Strategic Nimzo-Indian by GM Ivan Sokolov(New in Chess 2012) gives some deep insights into this position and to the 4.e3 Rubinstein Variationl.

GM Ivan Sokolov

Member of  the Chess-Evolution.com Team

• Best World ranking on the FIDE ELO list 12th (several times).
• Won many GM top events out which most important are Hastings, Sarajevo, Selfoss, Reykjavik, Hoogeveen, Lost Boys, Staunton memorial, etc.
• With Chess Club Bosna won European Clubs 4 times.
• Participated in 10 Chess Olympiads and 6 European National Team Championships.
• 1988: Yugoslav Champion.
• 1995, 1998 : Dutch Champion.
• 1994 : Won with Bosnian team silver medal on OL Moscow.
• 2005 : Won with a Dutch team gold on European teams 2005 in Gothenburg. 

Now it is time to see how recent practice responds. Let us examine a key recent game to follow the recent trends.

Hracek,Z (2619) - Swiercz,D (2594) [E59]

40th Olympiad Open Istanbul TUR (10.5), 07.09.2012

Critical Position 1

White has just played Bxc6. How do you recapture? This is a question of understanding and taste, not tactics. What is white up to? What plan(s) are available to black? These are the key considerations in picking a move. How do you play?

Black to play

Critical Position 2

The position is complicated. White has a big decision to make but the situation on the board is not so clear cut. Is it even? Is one side better? Is black threatening something? What is the plan? Attack? Defend? Maneuuver? How do you play?

White to play

TWIC 938(CAN) IM Piasetski,L at Unive Open 5/9

IM Leon Piasetski got 5/9 at the Unive Open.

16th Unive Open 2012
L'Ami,E and Nijboer,F tied for first 7/9. Piasetski,L was part of a large group at 5/9.

                                        1 2      3 4      5 6      7 8 9
1 L'Ami,E              2631 -1 +1 -1 +½ -0 +1 -½ +1 -1        7.0/9
2 Nijboer,F           2525 +0 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1 +1 -1 +0         7.0/9
3 Ernst,S                2554 -1 +1 -½ +1 -0 +1 +½ -1 -½      6.5/9
4 Timman,J            2578 -0 +1 -½ +1 -1 +1 -½ +1 -½       6.5/9
5 Van Kampen,R   2570 +1 -½ +½ -1 +1 -0 +1 -1 +½      6.5/9
31 Piasetski,L        2298 -1 +½ -0 +0 -1 +1 -0 +1 -½        5.0/9  

Here is an exiting game from Piasetski played in Rd2 against Van Kampen,R(2570).

Piasetski,L (2298) - Van Kampen,R (2570) [D12]
16th Unive Open Hoogeveen NED (2), 20.10.2012
White had been in some trouble but now had a chance for a big turnaround. 

White to play