Open and Shut
By Shaun Press
Continuing on from the last “Open and
Shut” column, I continue with more
disasters from the 2002 Olympiad.
Gajadin,D (2192) - Gwaze,R (2280)
[C42]
Olympiad Bled SLO (7), 01.11.2002
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3
Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0–0 Bg4
8.Re1 Be7 9.c3 f5 10.Nbd2 0–0
11.Qb3 Kh8
12.Ne5? The first deviation from book,
and already a mistake [12.Qxb7 Rf6
13.Qb3 Rb8 14.Qc2 Bd6 15.Bf1 Nxd2
16.Nxd2 Bxh2+ 17.Kxh2 Rh6+ 18.Kg1
Qh4 19.f3 Qxe1 20.Nb3 Rh1+
21.Kxh1 Qxf1+ 22.Kh2 Bxf3 23.Bf4
(23.gxf3 Qxf3µ) 23...Be4 24.Rxf1 Bxc2
25.Bxc7= may be the correct way to
play this.] 12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bc5
[13...Nxf2 picks up a pawn as capturing
on f2 is fatal 14.Kxf2 Bc5+ 15.Kf1
Qh4–+] 14.Rf1 Nxf2 15.Rxf2 Qh4
16.g3 Bxf2+ 17.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 18.Kf1
f4! the open f file spells the end for
White. 0–1
Volpinari,D (2048) - Besse,T [B84]
Olympiad Bled SLO (11), 06.11.2002
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4
Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0–0 Be7
8.Be3 b5 9.Bf3 e5 10.Nf5 0–0 11.Nd5
For the previous 10 moves both players
have followed established theory,
which on the lower boards of the
Olympiad is quite impressive. This
move for White is a novelty, although
Fritz chose it after a mili-seconds
thought. 11...Nc6 [11...Nxd5
12.Qxd5+-] 12.Ndxe7+ Nxe7 13.Nxd6
h6 14.Qd2 Be6 15.Rfd1 Qc7 In the
problem world the idea of moving a
pawn from its starting position to
promotion is known as Excelsior. It is a
much rarer occurrence in over the board
play.
16.a4 Rfd8 17.axb5 Bc4?? [17...Nc8
18.b6 Nxb6 19.Qb4 Nbd7 allowed
Black to hold on.] 18.b6 Qc6 19.b7
Rxd6 Allowing the pawn to fulfil its
destiny 20.bxa8Q+ 1–0
 Krakops,M (2530) - Azarov,S (2520)
[C51]
Olympiad Bled SLO (12), 07.11.2002
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6
5.b5 Nd4 [5...Na5 6.Nxe5 Bxf2+!
Novelty by Fritz 7.Kxf2 Nxc4 8.Nf3=
(8.Nxc4 Qf6+ 9.Qf3 Qd4+ (9...Qxa1
This is bad. 10.Bb2 Qxa2 11.Qe2!!
(11.Nba3 nets the Queen but isn't as
strong as the alternative.) 11...Qa4
(11...Nf6 12.Nc3 traps the Queen)
12.Bxg7+-) 10.Qe3 Qf6+ is a quick
way to draw.) ] 6.Nxd4 [6.Nxe5 Qg5!
7.Bxf7+ Kf8–+] 6...Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6
8.d4 Qe7 9.0–0 Nf6N This obvious
developing move hasn't been played
before.
10.f4?! A risky attempt to go onto the
attack. 10...exd4 11.e5 White doesn't
fear the check. 11...Ne4 [11...dxc3+
12.Kh1 c2 13.Qxc2 Ng4 14.Nc3 Qh4
15.g3 Qh5 results in an unclear position
for both sides.] 12.Kh1 0–0 13.Qf3
Nxc3 14.Nxc3 Qc5 15.Nd5 Qxc4
16.f5! Blacks Queen sortie gives White
enough time to launch his attack.
16...Re8 17.f6 Black is certainly lost at
this point. 17...d6 [17...Rxe5 18.Ne7+
Rxe7 19.fxe7 Qe6 20.Ba3+-; 17...c6
18.Ne7+ Rxe7 19.fxe7 Qe6 20.Bg5 d5
21.exd6 Bd7 is the best defence but
who would want to defend this
position?] 18.fxg7 1–0
Franco Ocampos,Z (2504) -
Domingos,C (2247) [D30]
Olympiad Bled SLO (13), 08.11.2002
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.e3 Be7
5.Nc3 0–0 6.b3 c5 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.0–0N
h6 9.Bb2 cxd4 10.exd4 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7
12.Rad1 Rc8 13.Rfe1 Nb4 14.Bb1
Ba6 15.Ne5 Nc6 16.Qf3 Bb7 17.Qh3
Inviting Black to blunder 17...Re8
Which he does. 18.Nxf7 and taking the
knight allows a mate in three starting
with Qxe6+ 1–0
Pace,C (2171) - Chau,S [C02]
Olympiad Bled SLO (14), 10.11.2002
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3
f6 Nimzowitsch believed that this
approach was a mistake but modern
pawn theory isn't so dogmatic. 6.Bd3
Be7 7.0–0 f5?! An odd choice. Black
avoids the exchange on e5 which
seemed to be the point of his 5th move.
8.Be3 h6 9.Ne1 g5? Completely
misjudging the position.
10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.f4 g4 12.h3 White
aims for open lines at all costs.
12...gxh3 13.g4 fxg4 14.f5 Bf6 15.exf6
Nxf6 16.fxe6 Ke7 17.Qf7+ 1–0