Yerevan, Armenia, which is about to be won either by Peter Leko or local boy Levon Aronian. Leko has a half-a-point lead with two rounds left. The event has been renamed the “Karen Asrian Memorial” following the tragic death of top Armenian GM Karen Asrian on June 9 at the age of 28. Asrian was driving when he apparently had a heart attack in Yerevan.
Game of the week. For this week, we’ll feature one of the games played by Russian GM Alexander Morozevich in Sarajevo, Bosnia where he finished a convincing first, winning five games and drawing five in the six-player double round robin tourney.
According to ChessBase, “At the end of seven rounds Morozevich had scored 6 points with a performance of 2987. He was on track to becoming number two in the world, overtaking Kramnik in the FIDE rating list. There was even a theoretical chance that he could catch Anand in the number one slot. But then came three draws in the final rounds and the dream (probably not of Morozevich but certainly of many chess fans) came to an end. Morozevich’s performance was a modest 2869 (it is not easy to type in those words) and he has to settle for number three.”
Born on July 18, 1977, Moro is known for employing unusual openings and for preferring complicated rather than clear positions. The Russian champion last year, he has played in world championship events and is considered the best blindfold player on the planet.
IM Jack Peters annotates.
GM Alexander Morozevich (2774)
GM Ivan Sokolov (2690)
Scotch Game
Sarajevo 2008
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 The Scotch Game, one of the oldest openings. Bb4+ Less investigated than 4…Nf6 or 4…Bc5. 5 c3 Bc5 6 Nxc6 Black has fewer worries after 6 Be3 Bb6. bxc6 7 Bd3 Ne7 8 0-0 0-0 9 Bg5 f6 10 Bh4 d6 The evaluation depends on the worth of Black’s doubled pawns. At the moment, they are an asset protecting useful squares. 11 Nd2 Ng6 12 Bg3 f5! Destroying White’s center. 13 exf5 Bxf5 14 Bxf5 Rxf5 Black has equalized. 15 a4!? There is much more to this move than the threat to trap Black’s Bishop by 16 b4. Note that the immediate 15 Qb3+ Kh8 16 Qb7? fares poorly after 16…Rb8 17 Qxc6 Rxb2. a6 Not bad. Also playable is 15…a5, although White will have the chance to create a passed a-pawn by advancing b2-b4 in the endgame. Best appears 15…d5 16 Nb3 Bf8 17 Nd4 Rf6, when 18 f4!? c5 19 f5 cxd4 20 fxg6 Rxg6 21 cxd4 Bd6 produces equality. 16 Qb3+ Kh8 17 Qb7! Morozevich, a notorious gambiteer, unexpectedly assumes the role of pawn grabber. Rb8?! Black should accept a tolerable disadvantage in the endgame reached by 17…Ne7 18 Ne4 Bb6 19 Bh4 Qc8! 20 Qxc8+ Nxc8. 18 Qxa6 Rxb2 19 Ne4 Black’s problems have grown. His pawn at c6 is vulnerable and White has a dangerous passed a-pawn. Worst of all, White can repel Black’s threats against f2. h5 20 h4 Relying on 20…Nxh4?? 21 Bxh4 Qxh4 22 Qc8+ Kh7 23 Qxf5+. Rb6 White meets 20…Qd7 by 21 Qa8+, inviting 21…Rf8 22 Nxc5 dxc5 23 Qa5. If 21…Kh7, simply 22 a5 is strong, not letting Black counterattack by 22 Ng5+?? Rxg5 23 hxg5 h4 24 Bh2 h3. 21 Qc4 Saving the h-pawn (because 21…Nxh4?? loses to 22 Nxc5) and threatening to invade with 22 Qe6. Qg8 After 21…Nf8, White causes trouble on both wings by 22 a5 Rb7 23 a6 Ra7 24 Nxc5 Rxc5 25 Qf7. Then 25…Qc8 fails to 26 Rfe1 Rf5 27 Re8! Rxf7 28 Rxc8 Kh7 29 Rb8, intending 30 Rb7. 22 Qe2 Rb8 Nor can Black stand 22…Qe6 23 Rfe1. 23 Ng5 Winning. Morozevich’s magic has rendered another formidable opponent helpless. Nf8 24 Qxh6+ Nh7 25 Rae1 Bb6 If Black guards e7 by 25…d5, either 26 Be5 or 26 Bxc7 Rbf8 27 Re2 wins. 26 Re7 Rbf8 27 Kh2 Welcoming 27…Bxf2 28 Rxf2 Rxf2 29 Bxf2 Rxf2 30 Re8 Rf8 31 Rxf8 Qxf8 32 Qxh7 mate. R5f6 28 a5! and Black Resigns.
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.
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