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11th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Chess International 28 Sept - 6 Oct 2002
Round 2 - 29 September
John Saunders reports: Round Two Results
Round 2 (2002.09.29) Goloshchapov, Alexander - Dautov, Rustem 1/2 16 B19 Caro-Kann Hebden, Mark - Neverov, Valeriy 1/2 11 A46 Queen's pawn Fridman, Daniel - Ward, Christopher 1/2 26 E10 Nimzo Indian Williams, Simon - Zapata, Alonso 0-1 46 A53 Benoni Orr, Mark J L - Ulibin, Mikhail 0-1 58 C02 French Advance Epishin, Vladimir - Hanley, Craig 1-0 43 D17 Slav Marchand, Francois - Rotstein, Arkadij 1/2 58 E14 Queen's indian Sulskis, Sarunas - Palus, Ryszard 1/2 62 A16 English 1 c4 Rayner, Francis - Lalic, Bogdan 1/2 16 B30 Sicilian Shulman, Yuri - Grant, Alan 1-0 28 A17 English 1 c4 Stocek, Jiri - Vuilleumier, Alex 1-0 25 B66 Sicilian Gordon, Stephen J - Kogan, Artur 0-1 32 A20 English 1 c4 e5 Felgaer, Ruben - Blackburn, Jonathan L 1/2 26 C17 French Winawer Miezis, Normunds - Van Kemenade, Rudy 1-0 37 A88 Dutch defence Peralta, Fernando - Lutton, J.Ezra 1-0 48 E92 Kings Indian Classical Harborne, Matthew - Tyomkin, Dimitri 0-1 46 B22 Sicilian 2 c3 Grunberg, Mihai - Lutton, E Josiah 1-0 59 A40 Queen's pawn Gladyszev, Oleg - Kunte, Abhijit 1/2 81 E39 Nimzo Indian Pert, Richard G - Palliser, Richard 1/2 10 B25 Sicilian Closed Ledger, Andrew - Brady, Stephen 1/2 66 C06 French Tarrasch Daly, Colm - Ansell, Simon 1/2 60 B30 Sicilian Welling, Gerard - Burrows, Martin 1/2 45 A47 Queen's pawn Fox, Anthony - Cioara, Andrei Nestor 1/2 32 B10 Caro-Kann Cooper, Lawrence - Kelly, David 1-0 27 C07 French Tarrasch Ormsby, Alan - Hinks-Edwards, Thom 0-1 28 B13 Caro-Kann Dougherty, Michael - Shepherd, Michael 1-0 29 A46 Queen's pawn Hanley, James L - Collins, Sam 1-0 56 B22 Sicilian 2 c3 Hutchinson, Norman - Purton, Ben 1/2 43 B22 Sicilian 2 c3 Goodger, Martyn - Spanton, Timothy 1/2 60 B14 Caro-Kann Waugh, Jonathon C - Ellison, Derek George 0-1 60 B26 Sicilian Closed Cheshire, Paul L - Cafolla, Peter 0-1 26 B33 Sicilian Sveshnikov Bennion, David - Kermeen,Robert J 1-0 48 B98 Sicilian Najdorf
Small Earthquake in Port Erin
Rather like that earthquake in Birmingham a week or so, there were no great shocks, but a few minor tremors, in the second round of the 11th Monarch Assurance International. Already a sole leader has emerged: the 44-year-old grandmaster from Colombia, Alonso Zapata, followed up his bright win against Gerard Welling in the first round with a steady demolition of IM Simon Williams. Alonso has been on the chess scene for a very long time, mainly on the opposite side of the Atlantic, but he has also turned out for a few European competitions over the years. He has come to the Isle of Man straight from a big swiss tournament in Madrid where he scored 7/9 to finish half a point behind the winner on tie-break, Ruben Felgaer, who is also playing here, of course. Williams-Zapata.
The
top three boards didn't see much by way of action, and what blood there
was shed was predominantly British. Edinburgh-based Irishman Mark Orr
was gradually worn down by Mikhail Ulibin (pictured left). Mikhail
was a modest and popular winner of last year's Monarch and we are getting
to know and appreciate his style. He likes to use all the time at his
disposal and keep the arbiters busy watching his flag. The overall impression
is of someone who is slightly nervous on the outside but basically calm
and controlled on the inside. At the end of the game he always hands in
an immaculately completed score sheet, making him particularly popular
with me, the games inputter. Orr-Ulibin.
Top
seed Vladimir Epishin looked in good shape, outplaying Craig Hanley (Epishin-C.Hanley),
but Craig's younger brother James (pictured right) had a red-letter
day, beating Irish champion Sam Collins. This was the only game of the
day in which a lower-rated player beat a higher one. Sam has got off to
a bad start here, losing a drawn king and pawn ending in round one and
this time playing a bishop sacrifice which was both unnecessary and unsound.
Despite being a piece up, it wasn't a complete formality to finish off
this game, but James showed himself to be as calm and unflappable as his
big brother and completed the job very effectively. J.Hanley-Collins.
There
were a couple of other shocks, as two Welsh players chalked up noteworthy
half-points. Bogdan Lalic rather unexpectedly offered Francis Rayner (pictured
left) a draw on move 16. Francis decided to accept but regretted it
later as he had found a very promising continuation from the final position.
Rayner-Lalic.
Ruben Felgaer seemed to be building up an overwhelming position but allowed
a nice tactic from Jonathan Blackburn, capturing a pawn and threatening
a deadly pin of the Argentinian champion's queen. A pawn down and with
much of his initiative gone, Ruben offered a draw on the next turn and
Jonathan decided to accept. Felgaer-Blackburn.
Lithuanian
grandmaster Sarunas Sulskis (pictured right) always seems to have
a look of puzzlement on his face as he plays. Today his brow was more
furrowed than ever as he tried, and failed, to grind down Ryszard Palus
of Poland for a win. Perhaps he was puzzled by his opponent's name and
its close similarity to that of his first round adversary, Richard Palliser.
Come to think of it, I cannot remember if I have ever seen Palus and Palliser
in the same room at the same time. Must remember to check that this afternoon.
Palliser certainly didn't hang around for long today: a two-minute, ten-move
draw with Richard Pert. The arbiter showed his sense of humour by setting
the two English flags to half-mast (picture below). Sulskis-Palus.
.
©2002 Text and Photos, John Saunders. Not to be used without permission.