13th Monarch Assurance

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13th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International
25 Sept - 3 Oct 2004

Last updated: Monday, August 21, 2017 5:46 PM

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Round 1 - 25 September 2004 - "My Bath Runneth Over..."

John Saunders reports: Round One is always packed with incident at the Monarch Assurance, even before the chess starts. The fire alarm went off around noon, and it turned out that the problem was that the no.2 seed Ilia Smirin had allowed his bath to overflow, causing the room to flood, and the ceiling to fall in. Even more calamitous - Viktor Korchnoi's computer malfunctioned and he couldn't even turn it off. But did it put Viktor off his game? Not a chance. After all, he lived through the 'Great Patriotic War', didn't he? He took out his frustration on his opponent, wiped him off the board and then asked the controller "is there a computer doctor in the house?" "Well, actually there isn't", replied Stewart Reuben, "but will our webmaster do?" Thus, your webmaster accompanied Korchnoi back to his room to try and fix the problem. On the way there Viktor and I had a brief philosophical discussion as to whether one should refer to a computer with the pronoun "he" or "it". I rather ungallantly suggested "she" (I don't think my wife reads this, so I should be OK). Anyway, by pushing a few random buttons on Viktor's computer, Homer Simpson-style, I managed to bring the thing back to life. Viktor's opponents should consider themselves warned: he's back in business. Now I have to hide out somewhere, just in case the hotel manager catches me and asks me to fix Ilia Smirin's floor... (pictured right, Tea Bosboom-Lanchava, who beat GM Ian Rogers)

There were a number of surprise results. There was a chance of another when new British champion Jonathan Rowson seemed in some danger of losing to the promising young player from Manchester, Stephen Gordon, but managed to draw. Dutch woman grandmaster Tea Bosboom-Lanchava scored a grandmaster scalp, beating Ian Rogers of Australia. This was probably the game of the day.

Bosboom-Lanchava,T (2370) - Rogers,I (2588) [E54]
Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Port Erin IOM (1.11), 25.09.2004

1 d4 e6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4 d5 6 Nc3 Bb4 7 Be2 0-0 8 Bg5 dxc4 9 Bxc4 b6 10 0-0 Bb7 11 Ne5 Nc6 12 Bxf6 Qxf6 (Giving up the exchange for some positional pressure and a pawn. It has been played before) 13 Nd7 Qh4 14 Nxf8 Rxf8 15 a3 Bd6 [15 ..Be7 16 d5 Bd6 17 f4 exd5 18 Nxd5 Ne5 19 Qe2 Ng4 20 h3 Bc5+ 21 Kh1 Ne3 22 b4 Bd4 ½-½ Krush-Wells, Hastings 2002] 16 h3 Qf4 17 g3 Qh6

18 Re1!? [18 Kh2 Rd8 is another way to play, but White decides to let the h-pawn go in order to keep the initiative.] 18 ..Qxh3 19 Bf1 Qf5 20 Bg2 (Now the white bishop exerts pressure on the long diagonal and keeps the knight tied down on c6) 20 ..h5 21 Qb1 Qg5 22 Ne4 Qe7 23 Nxd6 Qxd6 24 Qe4 (Strengthening the grip on the long diagonal) 24 ..Rd8 25 Rad1 g6 26 Qh4

26 ..Rd7? [26 ..Na5 is necessary, though White would be clearly better. Now White has a tactic] 27 d5! exd5 28 Rxd5 Qxd5 [28 ..Qc7 29 Re8+ Kg7 30 Rxh5! is crushing] 29 Bxd5 Rxd5 30 Qf6 Ne5 31 f3 1-0

This was a very good round for the English players. Simon Williams and Andrew Greet started where they left off in Scarborough, and both beat tough GM opposition. Simon has actually played one tournament in between, in Austria - and he made a GM norm there as well as at Scarborough. So he is now seeking his final norm.

Williams,S (2427) - Kotronias,V (2608) [E92]
Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Port Erin IOM (1.5), 25.09.2004

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 Be3 c6 8 d5 Na6 9 Nd2 Ne8 10 h4 f5 11 f3 f4 12 Bf2 c5 13 Nf1 Nf6 14 a3 Nh5 15 Rb1 Bd7 16 b4 b6 17 Bd3 Qe7 18 Bc2 Rfc8 19 Qd3 Qe8 20 Qe2 Bf6 21 Nb5 Be7 22 Bd3 Qd8 23 Kd1 (White offered a draw at this point) 23 ..Nc7 24 Nc3 Ne8 25 Qa2 Kh8 26 Rb3 Rab8 27 Qb2 a6 28 a4 b5 29 axb5 axb5 30 bxc5 bxc4 31 Bxc4 dxc5 32 Nd2 Nd6 33 Ke2 Rb4 34 Kd3 Rcb8 35 Rxb4 cxb4 36 Ncb1 Bf6 37 Rc1 Ng3 38 Ba7 Rb7 39 Bc5

(Fritz gives Black a big plus at this point) 39 ..Ndf5!? [39 ..Qc7! is probably better. If then 40 Bxb4? Qb6! is a killer.] 40 Qa2 [I must admit that I stared uncomprehendingly at this for a minute or two, trying to work out what would happen after 40 exf5 Bxf5+ 41 Ne4 - until the penny finally dropped. Black actually plays 40 ..e4+! and then takes the queen on b2 with his bishop, of course.] 40 ..Nxh4 41 Nb3 (A handy move. The queen now defends the g2 pawn, and Black's h4 knight cannot retreat to f5 now because the white king has an escape square on d2 if the black bishop checks from f5. Perhaps White's game is not as bad as Fritz makes out.) 41 ..Rb8 42 Bd6 Rc8 43 Nc5 Bh3 (Suddenly Black's game looks very strong again. If he can take the d6 bishop, he will be able to commandeer the a7-g1 diagonal) 44 Qa6 Nxg2 [44 ..Bxg2 looks better. If 45 Nb7 Qg8 46 Bxb4 Bg7 and now 47 d6 Black can coolly play 47 ..Bxf3! and if 48 Bxg8?? Be2+ 49 Kd2 Nf3# is a rather surprising mate.] 45 Nb7 Qe8? [A blunder. 45 ..Qd7 or 45...Qg8 are much better.] 46 Bxb4 Bg7? [Black probably rejected 46 ..Be7 because of 47 Bc3 and a strong threat against e5, but he can now play 47 ..Ne3! with some vicious threats of his own, based on Bf1+] 47 Nd6 Qf8 48 Nxc8 Qxb4 49 Qb6 Qf8 50 Nd6 Ne3 51 Nd2 (Now White has the advantage, based on the potential of his d5 pawn) 51 ..h5 52 Qc7 Qa8 53 Nb5 [53 Nf7+! Kg8 54 Ng5 wins quickly] 53 ..Kh7 54 d6 Nxc4 55 Rxc4 Qa1 [55 ..Qe8 56 Nc3 followed by Qe7 wins] 56 d7 Bf1+ 57 Nxf1 Qb1+ 58 Rc2 Qxb5+ 59 Kc3 Ne2+ 60 Rxe2 Qxe2 61 Nd2 Qe3+ 62 Kc2 1-0

Andrew Greet beat Joe Gallagher, who by his own admission is playing more poker than he is chess these days. But despite that, Joe has won his last four tournaments. Andrew Greet made an IM norm in Scarborough and has started well here.

Greet,A (2310) - Gallagher,J (2541) [E68]
Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Port Erin IOM (1.17), 25.09.2004

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 Nf3 d6 6 0-0 Nbd7 7 Nc3 e5 8 e4 a6 9 Re1 exd4 10 Nxd4 Ng4 11 f4 c6 12 h3 Qb6 13 Nce2 Ngf6 14 Qc2 Re8 15 Be3 Qc7 [15 ..c5 16 Nb3 Nxe4! 17 Bxe4 Nf6 18 Nc3 Nxe4 19 Nxe4 Bf5 20 Bf2 Qc6 21 Nbd2 Bxh3 and Black had counterplay in Wojtkiewicz-Vogt, Altensteig 1995, which was later drawn.] 16 Nc3 Rb8 17 a4 c5 18 Nde2 b6 19 g4 h6 20 Ng3 Bb7 21 Rad1 Rbd8 22 Rd3 Nb8 23 Qd1 Nc6 24 h4 Qc8 25 Bf3 Nd4 26 g5 Nxf3+ 27 Qxf3 Ng4 28 Kg2 Nxe3+ 29 Rdxe3 Bd4 30 Rd3

(Black looks to be doing pretty well here) 30 ..hxg5 31 hxg5 Qe6 32 Nd5 f5?! [Too risky? 32 ..Bxd5 33 cxd5 Qd7] 33 gxf6 Bxd5 34 cxd5 Qxf6 35 Qg4 (Black's kingside is now a little vulnerable) 35 ..Qg7 36 Rb3 c4 [36 ..Rb8 looks safer] 37 Rb4 Rc8 38 Rc1 b5 39 axb5 axb5 40 Rxb5 Bxb2 41 Rc2 Ba3 [41 ..c3 42 Rb6! with the idea of e5, when the rook exerts indirect pressure on g6.] 42 Ra5 Bc5 43 Rxc4 Rb8 44 Ra2 Rb1 45 e5! (White is not afraid of the threats against his king) 45 ..Rg1+ 46 Kh2 Re1 [46 ..Qh8+ 47 Qh3 Qxh3+ 48 Kxh3 Kg7 49 Rb2 is very good for White.] 47 Rg2 Qh6+ 48 Nh5 (Qh4! is the threat) 48 ..Bg1+ 49 Rxg1 Rxg1 50 Kxg1 Qxh5 51 Qxh5 gxh5 52 e6! Rf8 53 Rc6 Kg7 [53 ..Rxf4 54 Rc8+! wins quickly] 54 Rxd6 Rxf4 55 Rd7+ Kf8 56 d6 Rd4 57 Rd8+ Kg7 58 e7 1-0

Round  1

Bd  WHITE                      Result  BLACK
  1 SKRIPCHENKO,Almi 2453 (0)   ½ - ½  MILOV,Vadim      2683 (0)
  2 SMIRIN,Ilya      2671 (0)   1 - 0  ARAKHAMIA-GRANT, 2446 (0)
  3 SARAKAUSKAS,Gedi 2442 (0)   ½ - ½  IORDACHESCU,Vior 2633 (0)
  4 VOLKOV,Sergey    2625 (0)   1 - 0  MCNAB,Colin      2427 (0)
  5 WILLIAMS,Simon K 2427 (0)   1 - 0  KOTRONIAS,Vassil 2608 (0)
  6 ZHONG,Zhang      2603 (0)   1 - 0  GRAFL,Florian    2411 (0)
  7 RUOFAN,Li        2414 (0)   ½ - ½  AGREST,Evgenij   2602 (0)
  8 NAKAMURA,Hikaru  2601 (0)   1 - 0  PERT,Richard     2407 (0)
  9 PEEK,Marcel      2406 (0)   0 - 1  BAKLAN,Vladimir  2595 (0)
 10 KULAOTS,Kaido    2593 (0)   1 - 0  HOUSKA,Jovanka   2375 (0)

 11 BOSBOOM-LANCHAVA 2370 (0)   1 - 0  ROGERS,Ian       2588 (0)
 12 KORCHNOI,Viktor  2568 (0)   1 - 0  ARMBRUSTER,Alexa 2351 (0)
 13 GORDON,Stephen   2338 (0)   ½ - ½  ROWSON,Jonathan  2558 (0)
 14 KIRIAKOV,Petr    2555 (0)   1 - 0  HOWELL,David W   2334 (0)
 15 MANNION,Steve R. 2333 (0)   0 - 1  SPEELMAN,Jon     2555 (0)
 16 GHAEM MAGHAMI,Eh 2552 (0)   1 - 0  GOTTSCHLICH,Cars 2382 (0)
 17 GREET,Andrew N   2310 (0)   1 - 0  GALLAGHER,Joseph 2541 (0)
 18 CHANDLER,Murray  2531 (0)   ½ - ½  KOLBUS,Dietmar   2303 (0)
 19 RAMSAWAMY,Aarthi 2299 (0)   0 - 1  PAVLOVIC,Milos   2498 (0)
 20 WELLS,Peter      2494 (0)   1 - 0  BANNINK,Bernard  2280 (0)

 21 BIGG,Andrew J    2275 (0)   0 - 1  HOLZKE,Frank     2492 (0)
 22 CONQUEST,Stuart  2488 (0)   ½ - ½  ZAWADZKA,Jolanta 2272 (0)
 23 ASHTON,Adam      2270 (0)   ½ - ½  RAMESH,Ramachadr 2484 (0)
 24 SPRENGER,Jan Mic 2477 (0)   1 - 0  RENDLE,Thomas    2258 (0)
 25 GROFFEN,Hans     2244 (0)   0 - 1  BERZINSH,Roland  2455 (0)
 26 SCHNEIDER,Dmitry 2454 (0)   1 - 0  ALLEN,Keith      2241 (0)
 27 COX,John         2314 (0)   ½ - ½  HANDKE,Florian   2461 (0)
 28 SPENCE,David     2236 (0)   1 - 0  HORTON,Justin    2091 (0)
 29 WERNER,Gert      2085 (0)   ½ - ½  HUTCHINSON,Paul  2216 (0)
 30 WALTON,Alan J    2208 (0)   ½ - ½  HENRICHSEN,Jens  2084 (0)

 31 FRASER-MITCHELL, 2082 (0)   0 - 1  SMITH,Andrew P   2205 (0)
 32 GRANT,Alan       2193 (0)   1 - 0  MILLIGAN,Helen   2077 (0)
 33 CANNON,Richard   2060 (0)   ½ - ½  DUNN,Andrew      2192 (0)
 34 HUTCHINSON,Norma 2176 (0)   0 - 1  PYM,Thomas W     2059 (0)
 35 FAIRBAIRN,Steve  2057 (0)   0 - 1  MCPHILLIPS,Karl  2172 (0)
 36 COLLIER,David O. 2168 (0)   ½ - ½  BENNION,David A. 2052 (0)
 37 TRUMAN,Richard G 2023 (0)   1 - 0  ALMOND,Richard J 2158 (0)
 38 GOODGER,Martyn   2136 (0)   ½ - ½  WEBSTER,Richard  2008 (0)
 39 SPANTON,Tim      2004 (0)   0 - 1  LUTTON,J Ezra    2134 (0)
 40 ADAMS,Phil       2124 (0)   1 - 0  DE LAGONTRIE,Jea 1968 (0)

 41 MARKS,Ian        1884 (0)   0 - 1  FOX,Anthony      2123 (0)
 42 PIMMINGSTORFER,C 2116 (0)   1 - 0  PEMBERTON,Clive  1883 (0)
 43 GORKA,Carl       1882 (0)   0 - 1  PLANT,Paul R     2107 (0)
 44 HAGESAETHER,Arne 2101 (0)   ½ - ½  GUINEY,James     1881 (0)
 45 NICHOLSON,John   1880 (0)   0 - 1  NOORDHOEK,Henk   2095 (0)
 46 AFEK,Yochanan    2325 (0)   1 - 0  VAN KEMENADE,Rud 2107 (0)
 47 DOSSETT,Christop 1886 (0)   ½ - ½  MURTAGH,Dermot   1889 (0)
 48 JONKMAN,Harmen   2425 (0)   1 - 0  WAUGH,Jonathan C 1885 (0)

    MOISEENKO,Alexan 2640 (0)   ½ - ½  Bye
    TWITCHELL,Nevill 2003 (0)   ½ - ½  Bye

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