Potkin, who has a black belt in judo, started playing chess at the age of six. His father is a master and a chess trainer. He also played hockey and tennis, but found the king of games “much more enjoyable.” Asked to describe his chess style, he replied: “It is always difficult to characterize oneself. I think I am distinguished by my striving for the initiative. And, of course, the fact that I attended sessions of the Dvoretsky School also influenced my style: I improved my technique and calculating skills quite significantly.” Mark Izrailovich Dvoretsky, 63, is the famous Russian chess trainer, writer and international master. Among his students were Yusupov, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Bareev, Lautier and Van Wely.
Asked about his plans in a 2007 interview, Potkin said: “I just keep learning chess, keep playing, enjoy my life and am glad when I can show some progress. What else can be wished?”
Games of the week. IM Malcolm Pein, who annotates our featured partie, calls it a masterpiece. It was from the penultimate round, and Potkin had to face a very strong 27-year-old Georgian grandmaster — Olympiad gold medalist (in 2010, he beat Carlsen in the Georgia-Norway match), two-time champ of his nation, and the winner of the 2005 Samba Cup (ahead of Ivanchuk, Bruzon, Nisepeanu and a very young Carlsen) and the 2006 Aeroflot Open, the strongest open tournament in the world.
White: B. Jobava (2707)
Black: V. Potkin (2653)
European Ch, Aix-Les-Bains 2011
Slav Defense
1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qb3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc2 Bb7 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.e4 Qb6 11.Be2 Nh5!? 12.d5 [12.a4 b4?! 13.a5 Qc7 14.a6! Bc8 15.Nb5 Qb6 16.Rc1! g5 17.Qxc6) 12…Nf4 13.dxe6 Nxe6 14.0-0-0 (14.0-0 was safe and good) 14…Bb4 15.Kb1 Ndc5 16.Rd6 0-0 17.Nd5 cxd5! 18.Rxb6 axb6 19.a3 (19.Be7 Rfc8 20.Qd1 d4! with good chances) 19…dxe4! 20.axb4 (20.Ne5 Nd4 21.Qd1 Ncb3! 22.axb4?? Ra1#) 20…exf3 21.bxc5 (21.Bxf3 Bxf3 22.bxc5 Bh5! Wins) 21…fxe2 22.c6 Nd4 23.Qd3 Nxc6 24.f3 (24.Qxe2 Ra4! 25.Bg3 Rfa8 wins) 24…Ra4 25.Qd7 Rxh4 26.Qxb7 Rd4 and 0-1. 37…Rxe8 38.Qxf7+! Qxf7 39.Rxe8+ wins.
In round five, Potkin demolished his 25-year-old compatriot in great style, according to ChessBase, which annotated the game. Potkin “took advantage of his opponent’s hesitant play which he punished with vigor and precision in 24 moves.”
White: V. Potkin (2653)
Black: B. Savchenko (2616)
Budapest Gambit
European Ch, Aix-les-Bains 2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.e3 Ngxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Be2 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Nf3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Rd8 13.Be2 Bd6 14.Qc2 h5!? The biggest problem isn’t that this is too ambitious or weakening, but that Black plays this and then refuses to commit to his plan of action. 15.Rad1 c6? Now is not the time to start playing quiet and positional. 15…g5! was the logical continuation. In for a penny, in for a pound. 16.Rd4 Bc7 17.h4 g6? Savchenko’s wishy-washiness is now going to cost heavily. 18.Bg5 f6 19.f4!! Potkin continues his sizzling form with this razor precise play. This not only counter attacks the knight, but also threatens g6 with the queen once the knight is removed from its defense. 19…fxg5 20.fxe5 Qg7 21.Rf6! Bxe5. There is little else. 21…Rg8 22.Bd3 22.Rxg6 Qe7? A game-ending mistake, but the alternative wasn’t much more enticing. 22…Bxd4 23.Rxg7 Bxg7 24.Qg6+ Kf8 25.Bxh5 23.Bxh5! Bh2+. 23…Rxh5 24.Rg8+ Kf7 25.Qg6# 24.Kh1 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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