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10th Monarch Assurance International Chess Tournament, 29 Sept - 7 Oct 2001
The Monarch Assurance 10th International Chess Tournament is being held at the Cherry Orchard Hotel, Port Erin, Isle of Man, from 29 September to Sunday 7 October 2001.
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Round 1 Report, Results and Games
Report by John Saunders
Morozevich, Radjabov and co might not be playing here at the Monarch Assurance International, but it is still a phenomenal line-up. Try to imagine the British Championship, with a group of Russians replacing the Commonwealth competitors, and you get something of the picture. After the traditional opening ceremony, at which Patrick Taylor, the managing director of the main sponsors, Monarch Assurance, went round and was introduced to each of the players in turn, it was straight down to action. There were two early peace treaties: Tiviakov had only just arrived, having had considerable travel difficulties in getting to the Isle of Man from the Netherlands, so offered Scotland's John Shaw a quick draw. Marusenko-Lalic also ended in a draw at about the same time. But thereafter no quarter (or half) was given. By and large, the strong massacred the weak, with only one lower-rated player scoring a win "against the head" on one of the lower boards - well done, Bruce McNally. The strength of the tournament meant that, even in the first round, there were some mighty grandmaster encounters (e.g. Baburin-Hillarp Persson and McNab-Galkin). Here is a taste of the first-round action:
Arakhamia,K (2446) - Gleizerov,E (2587) [C11]
Monarch Assurance International Port Erin (1.2), 29.09.2001
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 Nce2 In his new book, "The Classical French", Steffen Pedersen call this relatively new line "the Shirov/Anand variation" after its two leading protagonists. 5 ..c5 6 c3 cxd4 7 cxd4 f6 8 Nf4 Bb4+ 9 Bd2 Qb6 10 Bxb4 Qxb4+ 11 Qd2 Qxd2+ 12 Kxd2 Ke7 13 exf6+ [Conceding Black a big centre. Finkel, in his notes to the game referred to below, prefers 13 Nf3 Nc6 etc.] 13 ..gxf6 14 Re1 Nb6 15 Nf3 Kd6 16 Bd3 Nc6 17 Nh5
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17 ..Rf8! Without this, Black would have had to start back-tracking. But he can safely let the h-pawn go. 18 Bxh7 e5 19 dxe5+ [Finally leaving the beaten track: 19 Ng3 e4 20 Nh4 Nxd4 21 f3 Rh8 22 Nhf5+ Bxf5 23 Nxf5+ Ke5 and White wasn't having much fun in Bezgodov-Sakaev, Russian Championship 1999. Sakaev won in 40 moves.] 19 ..fxe5 20 Kc1 [It gives some idea of the difficulty of this position that even the materialistic Fritz wants to surrender a piece for three pawns with 20 h3 e4 21 Bxe4 etc.] 20 ..Bg4 21 Ng3 Bxf3 22 gxf3 Nd4 There's no hurry: Black will get his pawn back with interest, whenever he wants it. 23 h4 Rxf3 24 h5 [24 Ne2!? looks a reasonable alternative, though still very difficult.] 24 ..Rxf2 25 Ref1 Rg2 26 Nf5+ Nxf5 27 Bxf5 Nc4 28 h6 Ne3 29 Rf3 [After this Black soon mops up; 29 Bh3!? Nxf1 30 Bxg2 Rc8+ 31 Kb1 Nd2+ 32 Ka1 e4 is good for Black.] 29 ..Nxf5 30 Rxf5 Rc8+ 31 Kb1 Rcc2 32 Rfh5 [32 h7 Rxb2+ 33 Kc1 Rxa2 34 Kb1 Rgb2+ 35 Kc1 Rh2 and there is no time for 36 Rh5 because of the mate in one threat.; Fritz comes up with an ingenious try that doesn't quite work: 32 Rf6+ Ke7 33 Rg6!? Rxb2+! (33 ..Rxg6? 34 Kxc2 Rg8 35 h7 Rh8 36 Rh5 Kf6 37 Kd3 is unwinnable for Black) 34 Kc1 Rxa2! 35 Rxg2 Ra1+ wins.] 32 ..Rxb2+ 33 Ka1 Rxa2+ 34 Kb1 d4! Gleizerov is a cool customer, not fearing the unstoppable h-pawn. 35 h7 d3 36 Rd1 [36 h8Q Rgb2+ 37 Kc1 d2+ 38 Kd1 Ra1+ 39 Ke2 d1Q+ and it's mate next move.] 36 ..Rgb2+ 37 Kc1 Rh2 38 Rxd3+ Ke6 39 Rxh2 Rxh2 40 Ra3 a6 0-1
Crouch,C (2407) - Yakovich,Y (2577) [D02]
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (1.6), 29.09.2001
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13 ..Be7! Black is happy to surrender the exchange. White has hardly started his development, so Black counts on being able to exploit his huge advantage in terms of tempi. 14 b7 [White wasn't obliged to take the material. He could start developing with 14 e3 and leave the b-pawn in place. That might have been a better in the long run.] 14 ..Qxc7 15 bxa8Q Rxa8 16 e3 Ne4 17 Qc2 [17 Nxe4 dxe4 and the bishop on e7 will come to f6 with some force.] 17 ..Bf6 18 Rc1 [18 Ra2 would probably be answered by 18 ..Nc3 There are no quick fixes for White.] 18 ..Rxa3 19 Nxe4 dxe4 20 Qxe4 Qa5+ 21 Nd2 Bc3 22 Qd3 Ne5 23 Qd6 [23 Qc2 f5! and 24...Ba4 will be deadly.] 23 ..g6 24 Rb1 [24 Be2 Ra2 25 0-0 Rxd2 26 Qa6 Bc6 wins comfortably.] 24 ..Ra1 25 Qb8+ [25 Bd3!? is best answered by 25 ..Rxb1+! 26 Bxb1 Qb5 with the twin threats of ...Qxb1+ and ...Nc4.] 25 ..Kg7 26 Rxa1 Qxa1+ 27 Ke2 Qa2 28 Qd6 Bb5+ 29 Kd1 Qa1+ 30 Kc2 Ba4+ 0-1
McNab,C (2437) - Galkin,A (2583) [A13]
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (1.4), 29.09.2001
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 Alexander Galkin - with Mikhail Ulibin breathing down his neck... |
19 f4 This turns out to be a mistake, though one is hard put to suggest an improvement. The former world junior champion is clearly better here. 19 ..bxc4 20 bxc4 Nxe4! In the long term this doesn't win any material as Black is obliged to give the pawn back; but what it does do is lead to a position where the a1-h8 diagonal is miraculously unblocked and the dark-squared bishop comes to life. 21 Ba5 [Without his dark-squared bishop, life will get very difficult for White. But not much better is 21 Bxe4 Bxe4 22 dxe4 d3 23 Qd1 dxe2 24 Qxe2 g6 25 Nh4 Qd4 etc.] 21 ..g6 22 Nh4 Qd6 Breaking two pins. Now a lot of material has to come off. 23 Bxb6 Rxb6 24 dxe4 d3 25 Qd2 dxe2 26 Qxe2 exf4 27 Rxf4 [If 27 gxf4 simply 27 ..Bxe4! 28 Bxe4 Qd4 with a number of horrid threats. Black will soon win a second pawn.] 27 ..Bg7 Now it is quite clear that White's position has been fatally undermined. 28 Rd1 Qe6 29 Nf3 [29 Rf2 Rb2 30 Qf1 Rxf2 and the c-pawn falls. But nothing can save it anyway.] 29 ..Rb2 30 Rd2 Rxd2 31 Nxd2 Bh6 32 Rf2 Bxd2 33 Qxd2 Qxc4 34 Rf4 Qd4 35 Qa5 Qc4 36 h4 Bd7 37 Rf6 Be6 38 a3 Rb8 39 Qc7 Rb2 40 Qd8+ Kg7 41 e5 Qd5 0-1
Stocek,J (2530) - Kirsanov,O (2365) [C34]
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (1.9), 29.09.2001
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 Jiri Stocek looks friendly enough - but you should see him play... |
White has sacrificed some pawns for an attack in a King's Gambit. 15 Bb5! An ingenious way to increase the pressure on d5. 15 ..g5 16 Nxd5 Qxh6 17 Qe3 Qd6 18 Rhe1 Kf8 19 Qc3! This also would have won quickly on move 17. 19 ..f6 20 Nxe7 Qf4+ 21 Kb1 g2 22 Qh3 [More forceful is 22 Ng6+ hxg6 23 Rd8+ Kf7 24 Qb3+ etc.] 22 ..cxb5 23 Ng6+ Kg7 24 Nxf4 1-0
Round 1 (Saturday 29 September 2001) - click on links for javascript play-through
Bd WHITE Result BLACK 1 TIVIAKOV,Sergei 2618 (0) 1/2 SHAW,John 2478 (0) 2 ARAKHAMIA-GRANT, 2446 (0) 0-1 GLEIZEROV,Evgeny 2587 (0) 3 BABURIN,Alexande 2584 (0) 1/2 HILLARP-PERSSON,T2438 (0) 4 MCNAB,Colin 2437 (0) 0-1 GALKIN,Alexander 2583 (0) 5 ULIBIN,Mikhail 2583 (0) 1-0 CHERNIAEV,Alexan 2437 (0) 6 CROUCH,Colin S 2407 (0) 0-1 YAKOVICH,Yuri 2577 (0) 7 HEBDEN,Mark 2559 (0) 1/2 AFEK,Jochanan 2381 (0) 8 WILLIAMS,Simon 2369 (0) 1/2 KIRIAKOV,Petr 2548 (0) 9 STOCEK,Jiri 2530 (0) 1-0 KIRSANOV,Oleg 2365 (0) 10 MARUSENKO,Petr 2362 (0) 1/2 LALIC,Bogdan 2528 (0) 11 BRODSKY,Michail 2528 (0) 1-0 SOWRAY,Peter J 2334 (0) 12 RYAN,Joe 2305 (0) 0-1 GALLAGHER,Joe 2516 (0) 13 FLEAR,Glenn C 2489 (0) 1-0 ALLEN,Keith 2289 (0) 14 BISBY,Daniel L 2285 (0) 0-1 GORMALLY,Danny 2481 (0) 15 BOUSBOURAS,Spiro 2102 (0) 1/2 HANLEY,Craig A 2278 (0) 16 WILLMOTH,Robert 2239 (0) 1-0 ELLISON,D George 2104 (0) 17 CLARK,Stephen P 2112 (0) 0-1 SMITH,Andrew P 2234 (0) 18 JACKSON,Adrian 2230 (0) 1-0 LUTTON,J Ezra 2093 (0) 19 YURENOK,Maria S 2088 (0) 0-1 SIMONS,Martin 2215 (0) 20 COLLINS,Sam 2194 (0) 1-0 SPANTON,Tim 2051 (0) 21 BENSON,PJ 2046 (0) 0-1 HOWELL,David WL 2193 (0) 22 SPENCE,David 2185 (0) 1-0 STUART,E Leslie 2039 (0) 23 MCNALLY,Bruce 2010 (0) 1-0 ISHERWOOD,Paul 2172 (0) 24 VALENTI,Richard 2143 (0) 1-0 KEMENADE,R van 1992 (0) 25 NICHOLSON,John 1865 (0) 0-1 GOODGER,Martyn 2136 (0) 26 COATHUP,Roger 2130 (0) 1-0 DOSSETT,Chris 1768 (0) 27 ORMSBY,Alan 1720 (0) 0-1 MAY,Frank 2125 (0) 28 BOLT,Graham 2124 (0) 1-0 WAUGH,Jonathan 1672 (0)
START OF PLAY : 1330 (1.30pm)
RATE OF PLAY : 40 moves
in 2 hours, 60 moves in 3 hours then 30 minutes to each player to complete the
game. 7 hour playing session
Monarch Assurance International, Port Erin, Isle Of Man (ENG), IX 2001 - X 2001
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1 Bolt, Graham ENG 2124 +55 . . . . . . . . 1.0
2 Brodsky, Michail g UKR 2528 +51 . . . . . . . . 1.0
3 Coathup, Roger ENG 2130 +42 . . . . . . . . 1.0
4 Collins, Sam IRL 2194 +52 . . . . . . . . 1.0
5 Flear, Glenn C g ENG 2489 +35 . . . . . . . . 1.0
6 Galkin, Alexander g RUS 2583 +47 . . . . . . . . 1.0
7 Gallagher, Joseph G g SUI 2516 +50 . . . . . . . . 1.0
8 Gleizerov, Evgeny g RUS 2587 +36 . . . . . . . . 1.0
9 Goodger, Martyn ENG 2136 +48 . . . . . . . . 1.0
10 Gormally, Daniel m ENG 2481 +38 . . . . . . . . 1.0
11 Howell, David WL ENG 2193 +37 . . . . . . . . 1.0
12 Jackson, Adrian ENG 2230 +46 . . . . . . . . 1.0
13 May,Frank WLS ---- +49 . . . . . . . . 1.0
14 McNally, Bruce SCO 2010 +44 . . . . . . . . 1.0
15 Simons, Martin ENG 2215 +56 . . . . . . . . 1.0
16 Smith, Andrew Philip f IRL 2234 +40 . . . . . . . . 1.0
17 Spence, David ENG 2185 +53 . . . . . . . . 1.0
18 Stocek, Jiri g CZE 2530 +45 . . . . . . . . 1.0
19 Ulibin, Mikhail g RUS 2583 +39 . . . . . . . . 1.0
20 Valenti, Richard FRA 2143 +54 . . . . . . . . 1.0
21 Willmoth, Robert ENG 2239 +43 . . . . . . . . 1.0
22 Yakovich, Yuri g RUS 2577 +41 . . . . . . . . 1.0
23 Afek, Yochanan m ISR 2381 =27 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2559
24 Baburin, Alexander g IRL 2584 =28 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2438
25 Bousbouras, Spyridon GRE 2102 =26 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2278
26 Hanley, Craig ENG 2278 =25 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2102
27 Hebden, Mark g ENG 2559 =23 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2381
28 Hillarp Persson, Tiger g SWE 2438 =24 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2584
29 Kiriakov, Petr g RUS 2548 =34 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2369
30 Lalic, Bogdan g ENG 2528 =31 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2362
31 Marusenko, Petr m UKR 2362 =30 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2528
32 Shaw, John m SCO 2478 =33 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2618
33 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2618 =32 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2478
34 Williams, Simon m ENG 2369 =29 . . . . . . . . 0.5 2548
35 Allen, Keith IRL 2289 - 5 . . . . . . . . 0.0
36 Arakhamia, Ketevan m GEO 2446 - 8 . . . . . . . . 0.0
37 Benson, Paul J ENG 2046 -11 . . . . . . . . 0.0
38 Bisby, Daniel L ENG 2285 -10 . . . . . . . . 0.0
39 Cherniaev, Alexander m RUS 2437 -19 . . . . . . . . 0.0
40 Clark, Stephen P ENG 2112 -16 . . . . . . . . 0.0
41 Crouch, Colin S m ENG 2407 -22 . . . . . . . . 0.0
42 Dossett,Chris ---- - 3 . . . . . . . . 0.0
43 Ellison, Derek George ENG 2104 -21 . . . . . . . . 0.0
44 Isherwood, Paul ENG 2172 -14 . . . . . . . . 0.0
45 Kirsanov, Oleg RUS 2365 -18 . . . . . . . . 0.0
46 Lutton, J.Ezra ENG 2093 -12 . . . . . . . . 0.0
47 McNab, Colin A g SCO 2437 - 6 . . . . . . . . 0.0
48 Nicholson, John IRL 2021 - 9 . . . . . . . . 0.0
49 Ormsby,Alan ---- -13 . . . . . . . . 0.0
50 Ryan, Joseph IRL 2305 - 7 . . . . . . . . 0.0
51 Sowray, Peter J f ENG 2334 - 2 . . . . . . . . 0.0
52 Spanton, Timothy ENG 2051 - 4 . . . . . . . . 0.0
53 Stuart, E. Leslie ENG 2039 -17 . . . . . . . . 0.0
54 Van Kemenade,Rudi ---- -20 . . . . . . . . 0.0
55 Waugh,Jonathan ---- - 1 . . . . . . . . 0.0
56 Yurenok, Maria S ENG 2088 -15 . . . . . . . . 0.0
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As well as Monarch Assurance plc, The Tournament is also sponsored by The Isle of Man Tourism, and The Cherry Orchard Hotel, plus the Erin Arts Centre, the Isle of Man Department of Tourism, Port Erin Commissioners and the Isle of Man Chess Association.