erstwhile leader Peter Leko of Hungary losing .5-1.5. to Russia’s Alexander Morozevich. This allowed Aronian to overtake Leko in the final standings, winning first prize by half a point.
Meanwhile, in Foros, Ukraine, Norway’s GM teen sensation Magnus Carlsen coasted to sweet victory by winning five games — against Ivanchuk, Eljanov, Shirov, Nisipeanu and Van Wely — and drawing six.
Carlsen’s overall performance in the tournament was 2877, and according to ChessBase, if the FIDE world rankings for July were published today he would be second in the world — “seven points behind Anand and one point ahead of (can you guess?) Vassily Ivanchuk! Yes, the Ukrainian GM has overtaken Vladimir Kramnik, who is 2788 and now number four on the list. Alexander Morozevich is a point (actually a tenth of a point) behind Kramnik and Veselin Topalov is number six, 11 points behind Morozevich.”
But, asks ChessBase, will Foros be rated?
Game of the week. Here is the 17-year-old Norwegian against Romania’s top player and former European champion who, in the 1999 FIDE championship matches, beat Ivanchuk and Shirov to reach the semis.
According to our annotator, IM Malcolm Pein, “I would have liked to have reported that Nisipeanu boldly sent his cavalry forward into the attack before losing gallantly but this was no Charge of the Light Brigade on the chess board. The white knights were meekly exchanged before battle could be properly joined and then white’s foot soldiers were cut down by the black bishops as Carlsen won easily. Nisipieanu is a very strong player…yet he was easily outplayed despite having the advantage of the white pieces.”
White: L.D. Nisipeanu (2684)
Black: M Carlsen (2765)
Sicilian Dragon
Aerosvit Foros 20081.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 (White has avoided the sharp lines with f2-f3, Be3, Qd2, 0-0-0 etc) 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Nb3 0–0 9.Kh1 a6 10.f4 b5 11.Bf3 Bb7 12.a4 b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Na5 15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 Rc8 (16…Bxc3 17.Rb1 Rb8) 17.Rb1 Ba8 18.Nd2 Nc4 19.Nxc4 Rxc4 20.Bd2 Qa5 (Black is already clearly better and a pawn must fall) 21.Qe1 Bxd5 22.Be2 (White was relying on this tactic. If the rook retreats pawn c3-c4 wins a piece. However Carlsen had foreseen this and gives up the rook to create a strong passed pawn. If 22.Qxe7 Bxf3 23.Rxf3 Qd5 24.Qe3 Rxa4) 22…Qxa4! 23.Bxc4 Bxc4 24.Rf2 e6 (Material is roughly level, Black has bishop and two pawns for rook. However White has problems as Black will dominate the white squares, the pawns on c3 and f4 are weak and the a6 pawn poised to advance) 25.Be3 Bd5 26.Rfb2 Qe4 27.Qd2 h5 (Avoiding any back rank problems) 28.Bd4 Bh6 29.Be3 a5 30.Rb8 Kh7 31.h3 Rxb8 32.Rxb8 Bg7 33.Bd4 Bxd4 34.cxd4 a4 (White cannot defend g2 and block the a pawn) 35.Kh2 a3 36.Rb4 a2 37.Ra4 Qb1 0-1 After 38.Qc3 Qf1 wins the f4 pawn then 39.Qb2 Qxf4+ 40.Kg1 Qe4 41.Kh2 Qb1 42.Qc3 Qd1 43.Ra5 Qe2 44.Qg3 Qf1 forces the pawn home.
Puzzler.
White — pawns on b3, b4, h2; Qa8, Ke1, Be4, Ne7
Black — pawns on a5, b5, e5, g5; Na7, Bb6, Ke3
White to play and mate in three 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 or editor@mvariety.com.
