Combinations by Keres, Timman, Andersson

Simple chess tactics of the day, White to move in all positions:

  Timman – Polugaevsky, 1973. Can White Trap Black’s queen?

Andersson – Kostro, Can White take on e4, or Bf5 will trap the queen?

Keres – Alekhine, the game between the two greats ended dramatically. 1. ?

The video shows me solving these and other puzzles:

Keres Memorial 2009

I am planning to play in the Paul Keres Memorial 2009 Open chess tournament this coming weekend. It is a nice annual tournament ran by BC chess enthusiasts to commemorate the fact that Paul Keres’ last tournament win was held in Vancouver in 1975. Even though my last year’s preparation for the tournament was far from perfect, this year it was even worse as in the last couple of months I barely looked at chess. I hope to write a mini-report similar to the one I did last year, but for now I decided to please myself with the collection of little combinations from my own games that I played over the years in the Keres Memorial tournament. In a couple of the diagrams I don't give the solution so you can try to figure out the answer (not very difficult).

Fullbrook – Jiganchine, 2000

Black to move – full details here - http://roman-chess.blogspot.com/2007/09/game-against-nigel-fullbrook.html

Jiganchine – Huber, 2001
  White to move. 26. Ng4 (with a double attack on h6 and e6) was enough for White to break through.

Jiganchine – Maheux, 2002

White to move. White gives forced checkmate, I let you figure out this one yourself.

Jiganchine – Erichsen, 2007

  White to move. 28. Nxh6 gave White a winning advantage, which I later managed to spoil and the game was drawn.

Jiganchine – Poitras, 2008

White to move. 28. g4 traps the queen – Black has to sacrifice a piece to rescue the royal lady.

Keres Memorial 2007 - decisive game

Georgi Orlov (2497) - Bindi Cheng (2215) [D13]

Keres mem 32nd/Vancouver (6) 2007

Keres memorial 2008 is less than two months away, so here is the most interesting and important game from last year's open. Georgi Orlov won the tournament yet again, with this game against Bindi Cheng being clearly the decisive battle.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 a6 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Rc1 Bf5 8. Ne5 e6 9. e3 Nxe5 10. Bxe5 Nd7 11. Bf4 Qb6 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Qxb2 14. O-O Qa3

15. e4 White logically opens up the center - Black king is still in the center. 15... Bd6 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. exd5 exd5 18. Rfe1+ # 18... Kf8 Black's rooks are disconnected and can't be developed easily, so it's obvious that white has quite sufficient compensation for the pawn. 19. Qf5 Nb6 20. Rb1 h5

21. Na4!? This sacrifi ce is a logical conclusion of White's play, but is far from easy to calculate all the consequences. 21... Nxa4 22. Rxb7 Qf6 22... Qg6 23. Ra7! 23. Qxd5 The idea is that White has several excellent targets - f7, loose rook on a8 (Rf7+ is the threat), unprotected knight on a4, and in some variations - even the rook on h8 can be a target. 23... Kg8

24. Qb3! 24. Rxf7 Nb6!? 25. Qxa8+ Nxa8 26. Rxf6 gxf6 27. Re6 Nc7 28. Rxf6 24... Rd8 Taking on d4 is impossible: 24... Qxd4 25. Qxf7+ Kh7 26. Qxh5+

26... Kg8 27. Re8+ Rxe8 28. Qxe8+ Kh7 29. Qh5+ Kg8 30. Rb8+

30... Qd8 31. Rxd8# 25. Qxa4 Rxd4 26. Qe8+ Kh7

27. Qxf7 White regains material with dividents. 27... Qxf7 28. Rxf7 Ra4 29. Re2 Kg6 30. Rd7 Rf8

31. g3 The win now is the matter of technique! 31... Kh6 32. Kg2 Rf6

33. h4 g5 34. hxg5+ Kxg5 35. f4+ Kg6 36. Kh3

36... Ra5 37. Rde7 Rc5 38. R7e5 Rc1 39. Rg5+ Kh6

40. Re8 A classical example of attacking a king that stayed in the center for too long. 1-0