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Friday, June 21, 2013

Blog Activity June 22-30 2013

Blog Activity June 22-30 2013
Updates will be limited as I will be playing in a RR tournament.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Benko Gambit g3-12.Re1 Qb6 13.h3[A59]-TWIC 965

More on GM Ramirez at the US Ch 2013
GM Ramirez defended with the popular Benko Gambit in the feature game. Here is more on the young GM.

'As the Armageddon Playoff happens live right now, we bring you another exclusive pre-playoff match interview with the underdog, GM Alejandro Ramirez! FM Mike Klein reporting from St Louis!'


TWIC 965
GM Holt played a thematic and instructive good knight vs bishop game against the popular Benko Gambit.

Holt,C (2513) - Ramirez,Alej (2551)

Benko Gambit g3-12.Re1 Qb6 13.h3[A59]
ch-USA 2013 Saint Louis USA (3), 05.05.2013


Position 1
White has taken a strong good knight vs bishop middlegame going. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play
37...Qa5

Benko Gambit g3 12.a4[A59]-TWIC 962

More on GM Pal Benko
IGM Pal Benko speaks about Bobby Fischer.


TWIC 962
GM Sokolov used the 'modern' g3-12.a4 wrinkle and achieved an early bind against the topical Benko Gambit.

Sokolov,Ivan (2643) - Shoker,S (2480) 
Benko Gambit g3 12.a4[A59]
15th Dubai Open 2013 Dubai UAE (8.9), 14.04.2013


Position 1

White has taken effective prophylactic measures on the queenside. What do you recommend for white now?

White to Play

17...h6

Monday, June 10, 2013

QI 4.g3 Bb7-9…f5[E19]-TWIC 962

More on Martinique Fort-de-France
The feature game was played in the Martinique Open. Here is more on this  city by the sea. 



TWIC 962
GM Stefanova had a slight edge but let it slip away until GM Fedorchuk managed to grind out a tough B-N ending.

Stefanova,A (2525) - Fedorchuk,S (2652) 
QI 4.g3 Bb7-9…f5[E19]
Main Line 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0–0 0–0 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.Qxc3 f5
2nd Martinique Open Fort-de-France FRA (4.1), 04.04.2013


Position 1

Black has a long-range bishop and the more distant passed pawn. What do you recommend for black?

Black to Play

56.Kf3

Sunday, June 9, 2013

QID 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 [E15]-TWIC 966

More on Team Armenia in the Istanbul 2012 Olympiad
The feature game is a nice victory by GM Sargissian who plays regularly on the Armenian national team.

Here is more on the Armenian team's performance in Istanbul
Comments by GM Alejandro Ramirez

If China won their final round match, they would, for the first time, be Olympiad champions in the Open section. It looked as if the dream was possible -- in fact China could win the Open and the Women's sections at the same time. But it was not to be. Vassily Ivanchuk came to the board with nothing but brilliancy, and slayed that dream before it even began to take off.



In the Open section, since China was out of the race by losing, it came down to the matches between Hungary-Armenia and Russia-Germany. In what I can only describe as a strange game Kramnik beat Naiditsch, Karjakin beat Fridman after being up a pawn the whole game, and Russia took a 3-1 in a typical "let's draw with black and win with white" approach to chess.

Armenia would not give up, however. In a very unclear match both Leko and Polgar were easily neutralized by Aronian and Akopian.

So it was all up to Sergei Movsesian (above), who had by any definition had a bad Olympiad, and who was arguably the villain in the European Team Championship, when his loss against Meier cost Armenia Gold. But this time he came through, he had his shining moment, defeating Almasi and winning first place and Gold for his team with the narrow 2.5-1.5 victory.

TWIC 966
GM Sargissian(ARM) used a massive space advantage to press for the victory against the solid Queen's Indian.

Sargissian,G (2667) - Parligras,M (2570)
QID 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 [E15]
14th Euro Indiv 2013 Legnica POL (3.29), 07.05.2013

Position 1
White has more space and black is going nowhere on the kingside. What do you recommend for white?


White to Play

29...Nf8

QID 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4 [E15]-TWIC 968

More About Wheeling, Chicago
BrickWorld Wheeling Chicago 2010.



TWIC 968
GM Akobian used pawn power and 5.Qa4 to overcome the solid Queen's Indian.

Akobian,V (2616) - Yang,D (2485)
QID 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4 [E15]
Chicago Open 2013 Wheeling USA (7.5), 26.05.2013

Position 1
The position is complicated as black has attacked white's central pawn chain with 33...f5. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

33...f5

Saturday, June 8, 2013

QID 4.g3 Bb7;7.Na3 [E15]-TWIC 949

More on Wijk aan Zee, Holland



More on Tiviakov(Dutch Language)



TWIC 949
GM Tiviakov fought back creatively with BN for R+P for the victory.

Naiditsch,A (2708) - Tiviakov,S (2655)

QID 4.g3 Bb7; 7.Na3 [E15]
75th Tata Steel GpB Wijk aan Zee NED (2.6), 13.01.2013

Position 1

The position is tense. What do you recommend for black?

Black to Play

32.Rc8

QID 4.g3 Bb7;7…Na6[E18]-TWIC 944

More About Kolkata,India



TWIC 949
GM Tiviakov used his trademark ...Na6 plan to equalize but lightening struck later.


Debashis,D (2464) - Tiviakov,S (2663)
QID 7…Na6[E18]
5th Kolkata Open Kolkata IND (3), 05.12.2012

Position 1
Black looks almost equal. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play
21..Nb7