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MICHAEL ADAMS TAKES GOLD AS ENGLAND STRUGGLE AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Leonard Barden
guardian.co.uk
Friday 11 November 2011 17.20 GMT
3227 G Kasparov v J Timman, Wijk aan Zee 2000. The all-time No1s
last move was Kd3xPc4. Can you find (a) a tactical shot for Black
(to move) and (b) how the game ended? Photograph: Graphic Michael
Adams's individual gold medal was the standout of an uneven and sub-par
England performance at the European team championship which ended at
Halkidiki, Greece on Friday. The British champion scored an unbeaten
6.5/9, outplayed Ukraine's star Vasily Ivanchuk in the decisive final
round, and nosed out Armenia's Levon Aronian for the top board gold.
Gawain Jones, 23, added to his growing reputation with zestful play
and a 6/9 total, but David Howell, arriving straight from the middle
of his university term, had four defeats in his five games. Overall
England, seeded No 8, ended only 22nd among 38 teams.
Germany were the shock teamwinners, beating the Olympiad champions
Armenia in the final round. Azerbaijan won silver and Hungary bronze,
leaving top-seeded Russia, which lost twice early on, back in fifth
place.
England's target now is to do better at the 150-nation World Olympiad
at Istanbul 2012. The key will be fielding a maximum strength squad
including Luke McShane and Matthew Sadler who have full-time jobs
and were unavailable for the Euroteams.
Armenia's world No3 Levon Aronian, who plays in the London Classic
at Olympia on December 3-12, here shows how to cash in a central
passed pawn. His 8 Qb3!? rather than the routine 8 bxc3 is a trick
to remember, loosening Black's pawns.
Aronian's Croatian opponent then weakened his king by 19...h5?! while
at moves 21-22 swapping pawns then trying to blockade with his queen
was a big error. Aronian advanced his passer to d7 then swamped the
black king. At the end if Ke7 36 Rd4 with Nc6+ and the win is routine.
L Aronian v H Stevic
1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 g6 4 e3 Nf6 5 d4 cxd4 6 exd4 d5 7 cxd5 Nxd5
8 Qb3!? Nxc3 9 Bc4 e6 10 bxc3 Bg7 11 Ba3 Bf8 12 Bxf8 Kxf8 13 O-O Kg7
14 Qb5 Qc7 15 Be2 Rd8 16 Rfd1 b6 17 c4 Ne7 18 Qb2 Kg8 19 Ne5 h5?! 20
Rac1 Bb7 21 d5 exd5? 22 cxd5 Qd6? 23 Nc4 Qf4 24 d6 Nf5 25 d7 Qg5 26
g3 h4 27 g4 Ng7 28 Qe5 Ne6 29 Qxg5 Nxg5 30 Ne5 Kg7 31 Rc3 Ne6 32 Re3
Nc5 33 g5 f6 34 gxf6+ Kxf6 35 Rd6+ 1-0
Short ran into a new opening idea as White's h pawn push undermined
the black king's defences. At the end Short preferred mate to Nxh6
with a piece down.
D Mastrovasilis v N Short
1 e4 c6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Nf3 Bg4 4 h3 Bxf3 5 Qxf3 e6 6 d3 Nd7 7 Bd2 Bc5 8
0-0-0 Ne7 9 h4! b5 10 h5 b4 11 Ne2 0-0 12 Qg3 dxe4 13 dxe4 Kh8 14 h6
g6 15 Bf4 Qe8 16 Bd6 f6 17 Nd4 Qf7 18 Bc4 Bxd4 19 Rxd4 c5 20 Rd2 Nb6
21 Qb3 Nxc4 22 Qxc4 Rfc8 23 Bxc5 Ng8 24 Rhd1 Qc7 25 Bf8! Qxc4 26 Bg7
mate 1-0
3227 (a) 1...d3 2 Kxd5 d2. (b) 3 g4+! Kxg4/f4 4 Rc4+ and 5 Rd4 wins.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Leonard Barden
guardian.co.uk
Friday 11 November 2011 17.20 GMT
3227 G Kasparov v J Timman, Wijk aan Zee 2000. The all-time No1s
last move was Kd3xPc4. Can you find (a) a tactical shot for Black
(to move) and (b) how the game ended? Photograph: Graphic Michael
Adams's individual gold medal was the standout of an uneven and sub-par
England performance at the European team championship which ended at
Halkidiki, Greece on Friday. The British champion scored an unbeaten
6.5/9, outplayed Ukraine's star Vasily Ivanchuk in the decisive final
round, and nosed out Armenia's Levon Aronian for the top board gold.
Gawain Jones, 23, added to his growing reputation with zestful play
and a 6/9 total, but David Howell, arriving straight from the middle
of his university term, had four defeats in his five games. Overall
England, seeded No 8, ended only 22nd among 38 teams.
Germany were the shock teamwinners, beating the Olympiad champions
Armenia in the final round. Azerbaijan won silver and Hungary bronze,
leaving top-seeded Russia, which lost twice early on, back in fifth
place.
England's target now is to do better at the 150-nation World Olympiad
at Istanbul 2012. The key will be fielding a maximum strength squad
including Luke McShane and Matthew Sadler who have full-time jobs
and were unavailable for the Euroteams.
Armenia's world No3 Levon Aronian, who plays in the London Classic
at Olympia on December 3-12, here shows how to cash in a central
passed pawn. His 8 Qb3!? rather than the routine 8 bxc3 is a trick
to remember, loosening Black's pawns.
Aronian's Croatian opponent then weakened his king by 19...h5?! while
at moves 21-22 swapping pawns then trying to blockade with his queen
was a big error. Aronian advanced his passer to d7 then swamped the
black king. At the end if Ke7 36 Rd4 with Nc6+ and the win is routine.
L Aronian v H Stevic
1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 g6 4 e3 Nf6 5 d4 cxd4 6 exd4 d5 7 cxd5 Nxd5
8 Qb3!? Nxc3 9 Bc4 e6 10 bxc3 Bg7 11 Ba3 Bf8 12 Bxf8 Kxf8 13 O-O Kg7
14 Qb5 Qc7 15 Be2 Rd8 16 Rfd1 b6 17 c4 Ne7 18 Qb2 Kg8 19 Ne5 h5?! 20
Rac1 Bb7 21 d5 exd5? 22 cxd5 Qd6? 23 Nc4 Qf4 24 d6 Nf5 25 d7 Qg5 26
g3 h4 27 g4 Ng7 28 Qe5 Ne6 29 Qxg5 Nxg5 30 Ne5 Kg7 31 Rc3 Ne6 32 Re3
Nc5 33 g5 f6 34 gxf6+ Kxf6 35 Rd6+ 1-0
Short ran into a new opening idea as White's h pawn push undermined
the black king's defences. At the end Short preferred mate to Nxh6
with a piece down.
D Mastrovasilis v N Short
1 e4 c6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Nf3 Bg4 4 h3 Bxf3 5 Qxf3 e6 6 d3 Nd7 7 Bd2 Bc5 8
0-0-0 Ne7 9 h4! b5 10 h5 b4 11 Ne2 0-0 12 Qg3 dxe4 13 dxe4 Kh8 14 h6
g6 15 Bf4 Qe8 16 Bd6 f6 17 Nd4 Qf7 18 Bc4 Bxd4 19 Rxd4 c5 20 Rd2 Nb6
21 Qb3 Nxc4 22 Qxc4 Rfc8 23 Bxc5 Ng8 24 Rhd1 Qc7 25 Bf8! Qxc4 26 Bg7
mate 1-0
3227 (a) 1...d3 2 Kxd5 d2. (b) 3 g4+! Kxg4/f4 4 Rc4+ and 5 Rd4 wins.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress