By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Editor

THE Cappelle la Grande tournament was held from March 3 to 10 in the eponymous French town near Dunkirk (or Dunkerque), site of one of the most famous World War II battles. More than 600 players participated in the annual, nine-round Swiss tournament, including 87 GMs, 81 IMs and 465 FIDE rated players, coming from 56 different countries.
The winner was Chinese GM Wang Yue on tiebreak, ahead of five other players with 7/9 points. Twenty-seven other players scored 6.5/7 and tied for 7th-33rd places.
Game of the week. GM Lubosh Kavalek annotates the following sparkling win of the top-rated Azerbaijani GM — who tied for first — against his Croation opponent who defended with an opening that has a reputation of being dull, uninspired and drawish.
White: Vugar Gashimov (2658)
Black: Bogdan Lalic (2522)
Petroff Defense
Cappelle la Grande 2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 (Popular in the 1970s, but undermining the black knight on e4 with either 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c4; or 8.c4 is preferable.) 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.h3 (Limiting black’s light bishop.) 10...h6 11.Re1 Bd6 12.Ne5 Qh4 13.Rb1 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bc5 15.Qf3 b6 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Rxe3 Be6 (Unable to play c7-c5 earlier, black faces an onslaught.) 18.Rb4! (Swinging the rook to the kingside.) 18...Qe7 (Black should have included 18...Qg5 19.h4 and only now 19...Qe7 to limit white’s heavy pieces.) 19.Rf4 c5 (Preparing an exit for the black monarch with 19...Rfc8!? [But not 19...Rfd8? because after 20.Rf6! gxf6 21.Qf4! white’s attack is decisive, for example 21...Kf8 [or 21...fxe5 22.Qxh6!] 22.Qxh6+ Ke8 23.Bb5+! Bd7 24.Qh8+ Qf8 25.exf6 mate.] does not help after 20.Rf6! gxf6 21.Qf4! Kf8 22.exf6 Qd6 23.Qxh6+ Ke8 24.Qh7! Kd7 25.Rxe6! Qxe6 26.Bf5 and white should win.) 20.Rf6! (The white rooks begin walking through the minefield at will, ignoring the danger.) 20...Rfd8 (After 20...gxf6? 21.Qg3+ Kh8 22.Qh4 wins. White can ignore 20...c4 with 21.Qh5! cxd3 22.Rg3 g6 23.Rgxg6+ fxg6 24.Rxg6+ Qg7 25.Qxh6 Qxg6 26.Qxg6+ Kh8 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Qxe6+ Kg7 29.cxd3 winning. Amazingly, after 20...Rfc8 21.Qh5 Kf8 22.Rg3 gxf6 the devastating punch comes from the other side with 23.Bb5!, ending with neat mating pictures either after 23...Qc7 24.Qxh6+ Ke7 25.exf6+ Kd6 [25...Kd8 26.Qh8 mate.] 26.Qf4 mate; or 23...Qb7 24.Qxh6+ Ke7 25.exf6+ Kd8 26.Rg8+ Kc7 27.Qf4 mate.) 21.Qh5 (Allowing the other rook to join the attack.) 21...Kf8 (After 21...gxf6 [21...Qf8 22.Rg3!] 22.Rg3+ Kf8 23.Qxh6+ Ke8 24.Bb5+! Bd7 25.Rg8+ Qf8 26.Qxf8 mates.) 22.Rg3 c4 (After 22...gxf6 23.Qxh6+ Ke8 24.Bb5+ Bd7 25.Rg8+ Qf8 26.Qxf8 mates.) 23.Rxg7! (Smashing the resistance.) 23...cxd3 (After 23...Kxg7 24.Qxh6+ Kg8 25.Qh7+ Kf8 26.Qh8 mates.) 24.Rg8+! (An elegant mating finale.) 24...Kxg8 25.Rxh6 (Black is getting mated, for example 25... Qa3 26.Qg5+ Kf8 27.Rh8 mate; or 25...Kg7 26.Rh7+ Kg8 27.Rh8+ Kg7 28.Qh6 mate.) Black resigned.
Puzzler.
White — pawns on g3, h4; Nb4, Qb8, Nf6, Kf7, Bg1
Black — pawns c3, c4, d7, e5, g6; Na5, Rc5; Bd1, Kf5; Nf8
White to play and mate in four moves.
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