By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Editor

THE world’s sixth highest rated player, Hungary’s Peter Leko, won the 1st ACP World Rapid Cup held in Odessa, Ukraine on Jan. 4-8. The sponsor was the Bank Pivdennyi in Odessa and the games were played at the Hotel Londonskaya. The total prize fund was $136,000 which drew the participation of 16 grandmasters in the knockout tournament. Time control was 20 minutes for each game with an increment of 5 seconds per move, with blitz games (3 minutes + 2 seconds per move) to settle ties.
Besides Leko who earned $40,000 for his victory, the participants were Alexander Morozevich of Russia; Boris Gelfand, Israel; Teimour Radjabov, Azerbaijan; Alexei Shirov, Spain; Etienne Bacrot, France; Sergey Rublevsky, Russia; Evgeny Bareev, Russia; Arkadij Naiditsch, Germany; Pentala Harikrishna, India; Ivan Sokolov, the Netherlands; Victor Bologan, Moldova; Hikaru Nakamura, U.S.; Farrukh Amonatov, Tajikistan; Vasily Ivanchuk, Ukraine; and Ilia Smirin, Israel.
This a formidable group of GMs indeed, and Leko won the grand prize by beating Ivanchuk 2.5-1.5 in their finals match.
Game of the week. Here is Hungary’s super-solid super GM in a crushing 1st round win against the two-time Dutch champion. IM Malcolm Pein annotates.
White: P. Leko (2749)
Black: I. Sokolov (2652)
Ruy Lopez Classical
Odessa 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 f5 5.d4 White opens up the game hoping to exploit Black’s weakened position. This is all well known. 5...fxe4 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nxe5 Qd5 Black is relying on his white square control and active pieces to compensate for his weak pawn on e4. This move indirectly defends the Bc5 by an attack on the e5 knight. 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Bf4 Bd6 10.c4 Qe6 11.c5 Be7? Black does not have to retreat and in doing so he hands the initiative to his opponent. [11...0-0 was better and if 12.Nc3 (12.cxd6 cxd6 traps the knight and after regaining the piece Black stands quite well.) 12...Nd5] 12.Nc3 Qf5 13.Bg3 Be6 [13...0-0] 14.f3! exf3? The only way to fight on was to accept the loss of a pawn after [14...e3 15.Qe2 Nh5 16.Qxe3 Nxg3 17.hxg3 0-0 but this is grim.] 15.Rxf3 Qh5 16.Qe2! Black is lost because he cannot castle on either side. 16...Bf5 [16...0-0 17.Rxf6 Qxe2 18.Rxf8+; 16...0-0-0 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Qxe6+ Rd7 19.Qxc6] 17.Raf1 g6 18.Qc4 Rf8 [18...0-0-0 19.Rxf5 gxf5 20.Qe6+ Kb8 21.Qxe7] 19.d5 Nd7 [19...cxd5 20.Qb5+ is crushing.] 20.Nxd7 Bxd7 21.d6 21...Rxf3 22.Rxf3 Bg5 23.Qg8 mate 1-0.
Puzzler. Our friend Glenn Orlina solved last week’s puzzle — all the way from the Middle East where he now works. Bravo Glenn! The solution: 1. Nxb2+ Kb4, 2. Qf8+ Kxa5 3. Qa3+ Kb6 4. Qc5++
Like our other former CNMI chessmates John Villamin, who now lives in Canada, and Ding Lavilla, now in California, Glenn says hi to the rest of the island’s chessnuts and friends of chess.
For this week, try this:
White — pawns on a2, b3, d4, e3; Kc5, Qf2, Bf5.
Black — pawns on a3, a7, b4 d5, g7; Ka5, Nf1, Rg1
White to play and mate in four moves.
Send your answers to “64” c/o Marianas Variety, P.O. Box 500231, Saipan MP 96950. Our fax no. is 670-234-9271. You can also e-mail <idlasts@lycos.com>.