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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 6 (4 October 2001)
The Russians Have Taken Over
View of the Milner
Tower and the Calf of Man, Bradda Head, Port Erin
There we are, a beautiful, desolate seascape, just thirty minutes' walk from the tournament hall. Your editor braved the elements yesterday (there was a stiff breeze blowing) to capture this view. The 19th century tower commemorates William Milner, a local benefactor. The Isle of Man is a fantastic place for sea walks and there are plenty of lovely places in easy reach of The Cherry Orchard hotel. The above photo shows the Calf of Man, a small island in the background, which is uninhabited by man other than the warden of a nature reserve. It is a bird sanctuary of international importance. Our tournament director, Dennis Hemsley, used to work in the lighthouse service and came to the Isle of Man to look after the lighthouse on the Calf of Man. So, but for the existence of that lonely island in the south-west corner of the island, we might not have the Monarch Assurance chess tournament today.
Once out of Port Erin I saw
only one person in my one and a half hour walk. Returning to the tournament
hall about an hour after the start, there was even less humanity visible on the
two 'show-boards' and a couple of the other high ones. Kiriakov-Brodsky and
Lalic-Tiviakov were both 16-move draws, Galkin-Cherniaev 17 moves, and the old
'Midlands derby' Flear-Hebden, 23 moves. But all the other games were well
contested. Shaw-Stocek may have looked like a short draw, but wasn't - it went
right to the end of the session when both players decided against what would
otherwise have been an horrendous time scramble. It was a round of tough,
attritional play, so there are no dazzling displays of grandmasterly tactics to
put before you. The game of the round was probably Gleizerov-McNab, where the
38-year-old Russian showed that his grinding powers were superior to those of
Scotland's Colin McNab (no slouch in the grinding department himself).
Gleizerov (pictured left) showed superb control. Looking back on his
tournament so far, the only time he has been remotely in trouble was against
Cherniaev. Though physically reminiscent of Geller, in style he is perhaps more
like Petrosian. Perhaps, though, he is more overtly aggressive than the great
Armenian. The photo shows him to have a fierce stare, worthy of the great Tal.
Did Soviet coaches give lessons in staring, I wonder? I look forward to the
definitive work, Secrets of Chess Staring (by Mark Dvoretsky).
Tiger Hillarp Persson came unstuck against
another Russian, Mikhail Ulibin (pictured left). The Swedish
grandmaster's opening did not look very convincing, but one imagines he would
have wormed his way out against many a lesser player. This was the 20th game I
have seen him play in the flesh, but the first time I have seen him lose.
Ulibin played with some vigour, though he looked nervous in time trouble and
his hand visibly shook. But it was Hillarp Persson who buckled, blundering a
rook in a position that was admittedly very poor. Incidentally, I sense Ulibin
has been trying to avoid me taking photos of him all week, using the old
hands-over-face trick (see an earlier report). Well, I got him today, sneaking
up behind him and pressing the shutter before he could put his shutters
up.
Yakovich beat Kirsanov in another game which affected the situation at the top. This was another controlled performance by the Russian coach, though his untitled opponent gave a good account of himself. Joe Gallagher is finding the Monarch Assurance tournament a lot harder than the British Championship. Yesterday he went down in 61 moves to Alex Baburin. The Russo-Irishman played a few tactical tricks in the middlegame (which Fritz did not seem to believe, by the way). This netted him a material advantage though it was a long and tricky process to realise it.
Craig Hanley took a big step towards an IM norm, beating Simon Williams in a game that lasted 69 moves but only went on for about 3½ hours in total. Williams did not look to be in his best form, and Hanley took a grip on the position. A neat tactical breakthrough on move 30 broke through to secure him a material advantage which took a number of moves to realise. There were some surprising blunders in other games. Ukraine's Petr Marusenko came unstuck against Ireland's Sam Collins, who now has beaten two IMs in the space of three rounds. The 19-year-old was well up to the task of finishing off the game, doing so in some style. Robert Willmoth probably wished he hadn't got out of bed. He made two pawn-losing blunders on moves 9 and 12 against Martyn Goodger, and that was that. For the 2136-rated player from Ely (not Ealing, as I said previously - I misheard Martyn!), this must have come as a welcome respite after a tough three rounds battling unsuccessfully with the likes of Tiviakov, Flear and Crouch. He is now running at 2370 x 6 for the tournament.
So we now have five leaders on 4½/6: Kiriakov, Yakovich, Gleizerov, Ulibin (of Russia), and Baburin (of Ireland). The Russian army of occupation has thus strengthened its hold. Will it be broken? It seems unlikely.
Gleizerov,E (2587) - McNab,C (2437) [A42]
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (6.3), 04.10.2001
1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c4 Bg7 4 Nc3 c6 5 e4 Bg4 6 Be2 Bxf3 7 Bxf3 Qb6 8 d5 Nd7 9 0-0 Ngf6 10 Rb1 White has circumvented Black's usual opening lines, and avoided anything too theoretical. 10 ..0-0 11 Be3 Qc7 12 Be2 [To keep an eye on c4. Less convincing was 12 Qd2 cxd5 13 cxd5 Ne5 14 Be2 Nc4 15 Qd3 Nxe3 16 Qxe3 Rfc8 17 Rfc1 Qc5 and Black was well on his way to equality in Hantel-Fegebank, Germany 1992.] 12 ..Rfc8 13 Qd2 cxd5 14 exd5 a6 [14 ..Ne5 can be safely parried with 15 b3 . Had White captured on d5 with the c pawn (14 cxd5), this would not have been possible.] 15 Rfc1 Qd8 16 h3 Nc5 17 Qc2 [17 b4 Nce4 18 Nxe4 Nxe4 19 Qd3 Nf6 also looks good, but Gleizerov prefers to keep the extra knights on, perhaps to keep Black's position cramped.] 17 ..Ncd7 18 Qd1 This little triangulation of the queen is an indication of Gleizerov's dry style of play. He prepares to play b4, but wants to avoid major exchanges. 18 ..Rab8 19 b4 h5 20 Qb3 Qf8 21 Rc2 Rc7 22 a4 b6 23 Qa2 Qc8 24 Rbc1 Kh7
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25 a5 The first incision is made. White is now targeting the very weak a-pawn. 25 ..Bh6 [Whether the pawn capture occurs on b6 or a5 makes no significant difference: 25 ..bxa5 26 Qxa5 and the pressure against a6 is the same.] 26 axb6 Nxb6 27 Bxh6 Kxh6 28 c5 dxc5 29 Bxa6 Qd8 30 Nb5! Nbxd5 [30 ..Rd7 31 bxc5 Nbxd5 32 Qc4 , preparing c6, is very strong] 31 Nxc7 Nxc7 32 Bf1 A sign of Petrosian-like ultra-caution. White enough material to be going on with. 32 ..Rxb4 33 Qxf7 Rf4 34 g3 Rf5 35 Qc4 Stopping the c7 knight from providing protection for the c5 pawn. 35 ..Nce8 36 Qe2 Qd6 37 Qe3+ Kg7 38 Rxc5 e5 39 Bb5 A very smooth performance by Gleizerov. 1-0
Hillarp-Persson,T (2438) - Ulibin,M (2583) [A34]
Monarch Assurance International Port Erin (6.6), 04.10.2001
1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 e6 4 e4 Nc6 5 Be2 d5 6 e5 Nd7 7 cxd5 exd5 8 Bb5 [Tiger varies from an earlier Ulibin game: 8 Nxd5 Ndxe5 9 Nxe5 Qxd5 10 Nxc6 Qxc6 11 0-0 Be7 12 d4 cxd4 13 Qxd4 and a draw was agreed five moves later in Savon-Ulibin, Nizhnij Tagil 1998.] 8 ..d4 9 Bxc6?! [This runs foul of a little tactic: 9 Ne4 and now if 9 ..Ndxe5 10 Nxe5 Qd5 11 Nxc6 Qxe4+ (11 ..bxc6?? 12 Qf3! wins) 12 Qe2 Qxe2+ 13 Kxe2 Bd7 14 Nxd4 is equal.] 9 ..bxc6 10 Ne4 [10 Na4 Be7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Re1 Nb6 was better for Black in Wendt-Beckemeier, Germany 1998.] 10 ..Nxe5 11 Nxe5 Qd5 12 Qe2 [12 0-0 Qxe5 13 Re1 Be7 doesn't frighten Black particularly, but perhaps offers just a little more compensation for the pawn.] 12 ..Qxe5 13 f4 Qe7 [13 ..Qxf4 allows a forced draw after 14 Nf6+ Kd8 15 Qe8+ Kc7 16 Qxf7+ and the king has to return to d8 because of the threat of Nd7+.] 14 f5 [White wants to restrict the light-squared bishop, but might have done better to develop with 14 0-0 etc.] 14 ..d3!
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This, in conjunction with Black's next move, makes it next to impossible to develop White's queenside pieces. The opening has worked out very badly for White. 15 Qe3 Qe5 16 0-0 [16 Qxd3 is never possible because of 16 ..Bxf5 , of course.] 16 ..Be7 17 f6 [17 Qxd3 is now possible: 17 ..0-0 and White can try 18 f6!? gxf6 19 Qf3 though Black still has the edge.] 17 ..gxf6 18 Nxf6+ Bxf6 19 Rxf6 Qxe3+ 20 dxe3 Be6 21 b3 White made a draw offer. 21 ..a5 22 Bb2 Rg8 23 Rd1 Rd8 24 Rf4 Rg4 25 Rxg4 Bxg4 26 Rd2 Bf5 27 Kf2 Be4 28 Kg3 Rd5 29 Kf4 [29 Bc3 c4 30 bxc4 Rc5 and the c6 pawn will soon become passed and consequently hard to stop.] 29 ..Bxg2 White is willing to permit this tactic as it allows him to round up the a-pawn. 30 Bc3 Bf1 31 Bxa5 c4 32 Bc3 cxb3 33 axb3 Kd7 34 Ra2 Be2 35 b4 Rh5 36 Ra7+ [Better 36 Kg3 after which, one plan for Black is to force the pawns to Black squares and then infiltrate with the king to attack the opposing monarch, e.g. 36 ..Rf5 37 e4 Rf3+ 38 Kg2 Rf4 39 e5 Ke6 etc.] 36 ..Ke6 37 Ra6? [A major blunder but White will be lost after 37 Kg3 Rg5+ 38 Kf2 Rf5+ 39 Kg2 Bf3+ 40 Kg3 Be4 etc.] 37 ..d2 38 Rxc6+ Kd7 39 Bxd2 Kxc6 0-1
Collins,S (2194) - Marusenko,P (2362)
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (6.14), 04.10.2001
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Sam Collins' (pictured left) second
win against an IM in the event came as the result of a surprising blunder by
Marusenko: 22 ..f6?? Though White had played well and is better, Black
was still in the game to this point. 23 Bxg6 R5h6 24 Bxh6 Rxh6 25 Be4 Kf7 26
g4 Rh8 27 a5 Nf8 28 h5 Nh7 29 Bxd5 exd5 30 Ng3 Ng5 31 Nf5 Bf4 32 Rae1 Ne6 33
Re2 Re8 34 Rhe1 Bc7 35 h6! A neat finish. 35 ..g6 36 Ng7 Nxg7 37 Rxe8
1-0
Goodger,M (2136) - Willmoth,R (2239) [B07]
Monarch
Assurance International Port Erin (6.17), 04.10.2001
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Be3 c6 5 Qd2 Qa5 6 Bd3 Nbd7 7 Nf3 Ng4 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bh4
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9 ..Bg7? 10 Bxe7! Qc7 [10 ..Kxe7 allows 11
Nd5+!] 11 Bh4 0-0 12 0-0 Nb6? 13 h3! A second pawn-winning tactic inside
three moves. 13 ..Nf6 [13 ..g5 14 Bxg5 hxg5 15 hxg4 f6 16 Nh2 with a
miserable life in prospect for Black's dark-squared bishop.] 14 Bxf6 Bxf6 15
Qxh6 Bg7 16 Qh4 The game continued for another 26 moves, but Black remained
two pawns down for nothing. 1-0 (Picture of Martyn Goodger,
right)
Bd WHITE Result BLACK 1 KIRIAKOV,Petr 2548 (4) 1/2 BRODSKY,Michail 2528 (3½) 2 LALIC,Bogdan 2528 (3½) 1/2 TIVIAKOV,Sergei 2618 (3½) 3 GLEIZEROV,Evgeny 2587 (3½) 1-0 MCNAB,Colin 2437 (3½) 4 GALLAGHER,Joe 2516 (3½) 0-1 BABURIN,Alexande 2584 (3½) 5 GALKIN,Alexander 2583 (3½) 1/2 CHERNIAEV,Alexan 2437 (3½) 6 HILLARP-PERSSON, 2438 (3½) 0-1 ULIBIN,Mikhail 2583 (3½) 7 YAKOVICH,Yuri 2577 (3½) 1-0 KIRSANOV,Oleg 2365 (3½) 8 FLEAR,Glenn C 2489 (3½) 1/2 HEBDEN,Mark 2559 (3½) 9 SHAW,John 2478 (3½) 1/2 STOCEK,Jiri 2530 (3½) 10 GORMALLY,Danny 2481 (3) 1-0 CROUCH,Colin S 2407 (3) 11 SOWRAY,Peter J 2334 (3) 1/2 ARAKHAMIA-GRANT, 2446 (3) 12 AFEK,Yochanan 2381 (2½) 1-0 JACKSON,Adrian 2230 (2½) 13 HANLEY,Craig A 2278 (2½) 1-0 WILLIAMS,Simon 2369 (2½) 14 COLLINS,Sam 2194 (2½) 1-0 MARUSENKO,Petr 2362 (2½) 15 YURENOK,Maria S 2088 (2½) 0-1 RYAN,Joe 2305 (2½) 16 VALENTI,Richard 2143 (2½) 1/2 BISBY,Daniel L 2285 (2½) 17 GOODGER,Martyn 2136 (2) 1-0 WILLMOTH,Robert 2239 (2½) 18 SMITH,Andrew P 2234 (2) 1-0 MAY,Frank 2125 (2) 19 SIMONS,Martin 2215 (2) 1-0 BOLT,Graham 2124 (2) 20 CLARK,Stephen P 2112 (2) 1-0 HOWELL,David WL 2193 (2) 21 MCNALLY,Bruce 2010 (2) 1/2 SPENCE,David 2185 (2) 22 ISHERWOOD,Paul 2172 (2) 1-0 ORMSBY,Alan 1720 (2) 23 BOUSBOURAS,Spiro 2102 (2) 1/2 COATHUP,Roger 2130 (2) 24 ALLEN,Keith 2289 (1½) 1-0 STUART,E Leslie 2039 (1½) 25 ELLISON,D George 2104 (1½) 1/2 KEMENADE,R van 1992 (1½) 26 SPANTON,Tim 2051 (1) 0-1 LUTTON,J Ezra 2093 (1½) 27 NICHOLSON,John 1865 (1) 1/2 BENSON,PJ 2046 (1) 28 WAUGH,Jonathan 1672 (0) 1/2 DOSSETT,Chris 1768 (1)
Results after Rd 6
Isle Of Man (ENG), IX 2001 - X 2000
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
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1 Ulibin, Mikhail g RUS 2583 +12 - 9 +19 +24 =14 +16 . . . 4.5 /6 2600
2 Baburin, Alexander g IRL 2584 =16 +29 + 9 - 5 +19 +17 . . . 4.5 /6 2605
3 Gleizerov, Evgeny g RUS 2587 +23 = 6 = 7 =12 +34 +22 . . . 4.5 /6 2650
4 Yakovich, Yuri g RUS 2577 +26 =10 +34 = 8 = 6 +18 . . . 4.5 /6 2656
5 Kiriakov, Petr g RUS 2548 =34 +38 +35 + 2 =13 = 7 . . . 4.5 /6 2633
6 Stocek, Jiri g CZE 2530 +18 = 3 +20 =16 = 4 =14 . . . 4.0 /6 2596
7 Brodsky, Michail g UKR 2528 +24 =11 = 3 +29 = 9 = 5 . . . 4.0 /6 2583
8 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2618 =14 +28 +27 = 4 =10 =15 . . . 4.0 /6 2532
9 Gormally, Daniel m ENG 2481 +31 + 1 - 2 =30 = 7 +26 . . . 4.0 /6 2546
10 Flear, Glenn C g ENG 2489 +43 = 4 =11 +27 = 8 =13 . . . 4.0 /6 2585
11 Galkin, Alexander g RUS 2583 +22 = 7 =10 =18 +35 =12 . . . 4.0 /6 2561
12 Cherniaev, Alexander m RUS 2437 - 1 +30 +40 = 3 +21 =11 . . . 4.0 /6 2495
13 Hebden, Mark g ENG 2559 =20 +48 =16 +28 = 5 =10 . . . 4.0 /6 2505
14 Shaw, John m SCO 2478 = 8 =21 +36 +48 = 1 = 6 . . . 4.0 /6 2495
15 Lalic, Bogdan g ENG 2528 =35 +39 =22 =25 +38 = 8 . . . 4.0 /6 2490
16 Hillarp Persson, Tiger g SWE 2438 = 2 +41 =13 = 6 +25 - 1 . . . 3.5 /6 2514
17 Gallagher, Joseph G g SUI 2516 +25 -34 +21 =38 +39 - 2 . . . 3.5 /6 2377
18 Kirsanov, Oleg RUS 2365 - 6 +50 +32 =11 +28 - 4 . . . 3.5 /6 2417
19 Hanley, Craig ENG 2278 =36 +26 - 1 +41 - 2 +34 . . . 3.5 /6 2428
20 Afek, Yochanan m ISR 2381 =13 +40 - 6 -21 +45 +39 . . . 3.5 /6 2328
21 Collins, Sam IRL 2194 +55 =14 -17 +20 -12 +35 . . . 3.5 /6 2427
22 McNab, Colin A g SCO 2437 -11 +46 =15 +47 +30 - 3 . . . 3.5 /6 2389
23 Arakhamia, Ketevan m GEO 2446 - 3 -27 +54 +46 +29 =24 . . . 3.5 /6 2262
24 Sowray, Peter J f ENG 2334 - 7 +37 +50 - 1 +48 =23 . . . 3.5 /6 2371
25 Ryan, Joseph IRL 2305 -17 +54 +46 =15 -16 +42 . . . 3.5 /6 2321
26 Crouch, Colin S m ENG 2407 - 4 -19 +51 +32 +27 - 9 . . . 3.0 /6 2244
27 Goodger, Martyn ENG 2136 +52 +23 - 8 -10 -26 +38 . . . 3.0 /6 2370
28 Smith, Andrew Philip f IRL 2234 +32 - 8 +42 -13 -18 +46 . . . 3.0 /6 2276
29 Simons, Martin ENG 2215 +42 - 2 +37 - 7 -23 +50 . . . 3.0 /6 2296
30 Valenti, Richard FRA 2143 +45 -12 +55 = 9 -22 =31 . . . 3.0 /6 2266
31 Bisby, Daniel L ENG 2285 - 9 -45 +57 +44 =42 =30 . . . 3.0 /6 2201
32 Clark, Stephen P ENG 2112 -28 +51 -18 -26 +52 +48 . . . 3.0 /6 2172
33 Isherwood, Paul ENG 2172 -37 -35 +52 -42 +51 +49 . . . 3.0 /6 1927
34 Williams, Simon m ENG 2369 = 5 +17 - 4 +45 - 3 -19 . . . 2.5 /6 2352
35 Marusenko, Petr m UKR 2362 =15 +33 - 5 +36 -11 -21 . . . 2.5 /6 2297
36 Bousbouras, Spyridon GRE 2102 =19 +43 -14 -35 =41 =40 . . . 2.5 /6 2230
37 McNally, Bruce SCO 2010 +33 -24 -29 =40 =50 =41 . . . 2.5 /6 2136
38 Willmoth, Robert ENG 2239 +47 - 5 +44 =17 -15 -27 . . . 2.5 /6 2263
39 Jackson, Adrian ENG 2230 +44 -15 =47 +43 -17 -20 . . . 2.5 /6 2261
40 Coathup, Roger ENG 2130 +51 -20 -12 =37 =49 =36 . . . 2.5 /6 2039
41 Spence, David ENG 2185 +54 -16 =45 -19 =36 =37 . . . 2.5 /6 2101
42 Yurenok, Maria S ENG 2088 -29 +57 -28 +33 =31 -25 . . . 2.5 /6 2093
43 Allen, Keith IRL 2289 -10 -36 +53 -39 =44 +54 . . . 2.5 /6 2109
44 Lutton, J.Ezra ENG 2093 -39 +52 -38 -31 =43 +55 . . . 2.5 /6 2128
45 Van Kemenade,Rudy ENG ---- -30 +31 =41 -34 -20 =47 . . . 2.0 /6 2119
46 May,Frank WLS ---- +49 -22 -25 -23 +47 -28 . . . 2.0 /6 2065
47 Ellison, Derek George ENG 2104 -38 +53 =39 -22 -46 =45 . . . 2.0 /6 2151
48 Howell, David WL ENG 2193 +53 -13 +49 -14 -24 -32 . . . 2.0 /6 2065
49 Ormsby,Alan IOM ---- -46 +55 -48 =50 =40 -33 . . . 2.0 /6 2062
50 Bolt, Graham ENG 2124 +57 -18 -24 =49 =37 -29 . . . 2.0 /6 1909
51 Dossett,Chris ENG ---- -40 -32 -26 +53 -33 =57 . . . 1.5 /6 1933
52 Nicholson, John IRL 2021 -27 -44 -33 +55 -32 =53 . . . 1.5 /6 1908
53 Benson, Paul J ENG 2046 -48 -47 -43 -51 +58 =52 . . . 1.5 /6 1829
54 Stuart, E. Leslie ENG 2039 -41 -25 -23 +57 =56 -43 . . . 1.5 /6
55 Spanton, Timothy ENG 2051 -21 -49 -30 -52 +57 -44 . . . 1.0 /6
56 BYE1 ---- . . . . =54 . . . .
57 Waugh,Jonathan IOM ---- -50 -42 -31 -54 -55 =51 . . . 0.5 /6
58 Maher,Frank IOM ---- . . . . -53 . . . . 0.0 /1
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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.
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.