The Russian, however, had the best tie-break score and was awarded the gold. Wojtaszek finished second while the strongest female player in history got the third prize. The four scored 8.5 points in the 11-round Swiss tourney.
The strong event drew the participation of 393 players from 41 countries. There were 167 grandmasters, and 63 international masters. Potkin, the 43rd seed, won his first five games and never faltered.
The championship was also a qualifier for the next World Chess Cup. The top 23 head to Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia for the August-September tournament.
Game of the week. Judit Polgar, mother of two, made history, again, this time by becoming the first woman to finish in the top three of the male championship. She won 3 and drew 2 games in the first five rounds before losing to Austrian GM Markus Ragger, 23. She then won 4 straight games before drawing her final round assignment against Potkin. Here she is in the penultimate round against a 33-year-old Moldovan GM. Annotations are from ChessBase.
White: J. Polgar (2686)
Black: V. Iordachescu (2626)
Caro-Kann Defense
European Ch, Aix-les-Bains 2011
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nd2 e6 5.Nb3 Nd7 6.Nf3 Bg6 7.Be2 Nh6 8.0-0 Nf5 9.c3 Rc8N 9…Be7 10.g4 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.f4 f5 13.Be3 Be7 14.c4 Nb6 15.Na5 dxc4 16.Nxb7 Qd7 17.Na5 fxg4 18.Nxc4 Nxc4 19.Bxc4 Bf5 20.Bd3 g6 21.Qc2 Kf7 22.Be4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qd5 1/2-1/2 (23) Erenburg,S (2582)-Sakaev,K (2668)/Khanty Mansiysk 2005/CBM 111 10.Bf4 c5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.Bb5+ Nd7 14.Bg5 Qc7 15.c4! This seemingly innocuous move carries a great deal of venom in it. 15…a6. Taking with 15…dxc4? would flat out lose to 16.Rc1 and there is no defense against Rxc4. 16…Ne7 To try Rxc4 Nc6 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.Rxc4 Nc5 (18…Qd8 19.Qd6+ Ke8 20.Rd1) 19.b4 16.cxd5! axb5 17.Rc1 Qb8 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Qb3 Nf8?! Black panics now that he can no longer castle and under such pressure from a renowned attacker. 19…0-0? 20.Qxe6+ Rf7 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 22.Rc1 Qb8 23.Qb3! with e6 to follow.; 19…Rc4! 20.Qxb5 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Rf8= 20.Qxb5+ Kf7 21.Rxc8 Qxc8 22.Rc1 Qb8 23.g4! Nh6 24.Qb4 Kg8 25.Bxh6 gxh6 26.Qe7 Qe8 27.Qxb7. Black is completely tied up and can barely move a piece. 27…Qa4 28.b4 Be8 29.Qe7 Qd7 30.Rc7 Qxe7 31.Rxe7 Bc6 32.Nd4 Bd5 33.b5 Ng6 34.Rc7 Nxe5 35.f4 Nf7 36.f5! exf5 37.Nxf5 with Rc8+ in the air. 37…Be6 38.b6 Bxf5 39.gxf5 Kg7 40.b7 Rb8 41.a4 Kf6 42.a5 Nd6 43.a6 Kxf5 One has to ask oneself what exactly he is hoping for here. 44.a7 Rg8+ 45.Kf2 Nxb7 46.Rxb7 Ra8 47.Ke3 Ke5 48.Rxh7 Rc8 49.Kd3 Kd5 50.Rxh6 Kc5 51.Ra6 Ra8 52.h4 Kb5 53.Ra1 Kb6 54.Ke4 and 1-0.
Puzzler.
White: Ka5, Nb5, Qc1, Bd3, pawn on d4
Black: Kd5, Ne5, pawns on a6 and f3
White to play and mate in three moves.
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