Volume 141

MARCH
2021
02003

044000
ISSN 0007-0440

770007
9

BCM & ACM EXCLUSIVE

THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER

CHESS IS
BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE
AND YET SO COMPLICATED

A MUST READ!
BCM INTERVIEW
ARKADY DVORKOVICH
THE FUTURE OF
CHESS AND FIDE AFTER COVID
INSIDE: OPENINGS ADVICE FOR AMATEURS, ENDGAME STUDIES, PROBLEMS AND PUZZLES
 IMPRESSUM
Contents
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Founded 1881

www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk

Chairman Shaun Taulbut

Director Stephen Lowe

Editors

Milan Dinic and Shaun Taulbut
Photo editor
David Llada
Prepress Specialist
Milica Mitic
Photography
David Llada,
Netflix Official, Wikipedia,
Shutterstock
Advertising
Stephen Lowe
Enquiries
editor@britishchessmagazine.co.uk
ISSN 0007-0440
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UK: £55 | RoW: £85
Printed in the UK: by Lavenham Press Ltd
Cover photography:
Courtesy of Netflix
169
BCM & ACM
Exclusive INTERVIEW:
Thomas Brodie Sangster
132 BCM interview: Arkady Dvorkovich
Players in the Candidates
can get the Russian vaccine
if they want to
By Milan Dinic
141 Mental meltdowns at Meltwater
Champions Chess Tour
By GM Aleksandar Colovic
156 What does Carlsen’s purchase of
NIC mean for chess?
By Peter O’Brien
160 Salamanca Rapid won by Shirov
By GM Aleksandar Colovic
176 Herding Goats
By GM Ray Keene OBE
180 Openings for Amateurs
How Nimzo-Indian Players
can play against the London System
By Pete Tamburro
184 Endgame Studies
by Ian Watson
186 Quotes and Queries
Philidor’s Defence
makes a comeback
By Alan Smith

130 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

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BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 131

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BCM interview: Arkady Dvorkovich,

President of the International chess federation, FIDE

132 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

Players in the Candidates

can get the Russian vaccine
if they want to
By Milan Dinic; Photo: David Llada

In an exclusive, in-depth interview for the British Chess Magazine, FIDE President
Arkady Dvorkovich talks openly about the upcoming Candidates tournament,
the future of chess after Covid, online cheating, making FIDE financially stable,
and summarises his two and a half years in office.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 133

03/141
FIDE has recently announced the second
leg of the Candidates tournament which
will take place from 19th to 29th April in
Yekaterinburg, Russia. The event was cut
short last March, after half of the games
had been played, due to the coronavirus
pandemic. Whilst the news of the event
resuming have been widely welcomed
by the chess community, the questions,
however, remain: how will the security of
the participants be ensured?
- There is never a 100 percent guarantee,
that’s for sure. However, I think both we
and the whole world have now learnt how
to deal with such events, says Arkady
Dvorkovich.
Whilst the Candidates is one of the most
important global events, it includes a
couple of dozen people. FIDE is betting
that testing should be enough to prevent
any negative scenario. ‘We will require
players to be tested before coming to
Russia and upon arrival – where they will
have to be in isolation for a few hours until
the results come back - and one more
time in the middle of this leg of the event’,
Dvorkovich notes.
In terms of whether spectators will be
allowed, the decision will be made just before
the tournament is due to resume. ‘We will
make the decision based on the situation in
Russia at the moment, and in Yekaterinburg
in particular. We will lead by facts on the
ground, not some abstract models’.
Despite western scepticism about the
Russian Sputnik Five vaccine (it is not
available in the UK nor the EU, excluding
Hungary), a recent Lancet peer review has
confirmed it has 91.6 per cent efficacy
against symptomatic Covid-19.
FIDE president says that the players can get
the Russian Sputnik vaccine if they want to.
134 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
‘We will require players to be
tested before coming to Russia
and upon arrival – where they
will have to be in isolation for
a few hours until the results
come back - and one more
time in the middle of this
leg of the event’
‘We are completely open to that. However,
to do that, they should come earlier so they
can receive both doses. I know that one
of the players has already taken another
vaccine [Wang Hao has confirmed that he
has been vaccinated – note, BCM], and I
know that one of the players took the first
dose of the Sputnik vaccine.’
- I am sure that most of them want to be
vaccinated. If they want Sputnik, we will
find a way to arrange it. They certainly
have an option, says Dvorkovich.
WE WILL HAVE A MATCH FOR THE
TITLE IN DUBAI, EVEN IF THE
EXPO IS CANCELLED AGAIN
Whilst the global situation regarding
coronavirus seems to be improving thanks
to the vaccination process, the world is
by no means out of the woods. There are
new strains of coronavirus appearing –
the UK strain, the South African as well
as the Brazilian one (which has caused
particular concern as it has a high level
of resilience to existing vaccines) and
others are likely. If the world starts again
to go heading towards lockdowns and
countries closing, will that mean that the
match for the title of World Champion will
have to be postponed again?
- We are now concentrating on the
Candidates and for us that is crucial, says
Dvorkovich. ‘If we’re able to do this on time,
in April, I don’t see a real risk for the match

Dvorkovich with Maia Chiburdanidze and Nona Gaprindashvili
for the title of World Champion taking place
at the end of the year. The match requires
the involvement of even fewer people. Of
course, if for some reason the Dubai Expo
[the venue for the match – note, BCM]
is postponed again, we will have some
changes, of course. Hopefully, that won’t
happen. But even in the unlikely scenario
that the Dubai Expo is cancelled, we can
still have the match in Dubai’.
Given the recent move to online, BCM
asked the FIDE president if he will ever
consider having the match for the title of
World Champion played online.
- I don’t see any reason to do that. We can
have some different festivals online, but
not world championships.
AI TO HELP FIDE
TACKLE ONLINE CHEATING
One of the questions raised about online
events regards the problem of cheating.
FIDE already has algorithms that give a
reasonable degree of certainty whether there
March 2021
is cheating or not. The plan is to work more
on this and rely on the help of AI and tech
companies - many of which have expressed
interest in helping us in this, according to
Dvorkovich - with the use of machine learning
tools that will analyse the behaviour of the
players and their moves based on the most
important factors. The hope is that this way
FIDE will significantly increase the probability
of catching cheaters and have solid grounds
to ban them.
- However, the probability of cheating
will be one of the reasons for potential
banning but not the decisive factor since
the algorithms should be tested more and
more, Dvorkovich stressed.
‘Still, with the growth of data which is
available and greater analysis of it, the
algorithms will improve and will weigh
more in decisions to ban those who we
have reasonable grounds to assume they
have cheated’.
The problem is more complicated when
it comes to top players. Some have
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 135
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suggested that it’s almost impossible to
check if top players are cheating. Given
their exceptionally high level of play, it’s
impossible to assess whether they found
certain moves themselves or had help
from a computer. We, therefore, asked
Dvorkovich: if someone in the chess elite
does decide to cheat, does he think it
would be a problem catching them and
proving that they’ve done wrong?
- This is a bigger problem than identifying
low-level cheaters. But, still, a sufficient
number of games played and the analysis of
them will help us track any signs of abuse.
Given such uncertainties, however, we are
still very doubtful about the possibility of
allowing online events to award standard,
over-the-board rating points.
The FIDE President notes that the
organisation can’t put all of its resources into
anti-cheating: ‘Anti-cheating is a very serious
thing, but we can’t spend all our time on that.
We have to work on other tracks. So, online
chess for us is not a top priority. The priority
is still the over-the-board [OTB] events. The
majority of our resources are concentrated
on getting over-the-board events back to
normal’, says Dvorkovich.
THE IMPACT OF THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON CHESS
Nobody thought that the coronavirus
pandemic which brought the whole world
to a halt would also launch a boom for
chess, but it happened. Since the world
went into lockdown, the membership of
online chess communities has increased
tenfold, and following the Netflix series
‘The Queen’s Gambit’, chess got another
kick, creating a wave of popularity and
attention it hasn’t had for decades.
Thanks to the global vaccination process
which seems to be picking up speed, the
136 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
SHOULD
CHESS PROFESSIONALS
BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN
NON-PROFESSIONAL EVENTS?
FIDE has just finished the World
corporate team championships. But
one thing happened which seems quite
ridiculous: you had Magnus Carlsen –
who is clearly a chess professional –
playing for a company, Kindred, which is
actually his sponsor and he doesn’t work
there. The same thing happened with
Anish Giri, who played for a Dutch trading
firm that has supported him, and so on.
Is that fair and should that be allowed?
Isn’t it a point to get new faces, from a
non-chess professional background,
appearing rather than having the same
old faces everywhere?
- It was a choice. We did think about this
but we concluded that it was a good
thing both for the promotion of chess
and those companies which took part,
if each team was allowed to have one
person who will act as the team captain
and who isn’t working there. We also
thought that for amateur players from
weaker teams to have a chance to
play someone like Carlsen or top world
grandmasters will be an important event
in their lives and that they would enjoy it.
The slightly bigger problem is that
certain companies have too many titled
chess players working there. It doesn’t
mean we should change the system,
but maybe we can consider restricting
the number of titled players who can be
on each team. We are also considering
creating leagues – where you would
have, say, a Premier League with more
titled players, and anther league which is
more for players who are not titled. But
this is something to discuss.

world is preparing to get back to normal
some time soon. Will this mean a return
to the old days for chess, or will the
pandemic have a long-lasting effect on
the game?
- Hopefully, we’re not going to have any
long-lasting effect of the coronavirus
on chess. We are hopeful that strict
lockdown measures won’t be around for
much longer, says Dvorvkocih.
When asked directly when he thinks this
whole situation regarding Covid and
lockdowns will be over, Dvorkovich said
– ‘by next spring, assuming nothing new
happens. I also expect that in the future
people will be more prepared for a repeat
of the pandemic.’
- However, it would be naïve to say that
we’re not going to see long-lasting effects
in terms of the share of online chess. There
will also probably be a more cautious
attitude towards mass tournaments, in
terms of precautionary health measures.
Chess has been one of the rare sporting
activities to flourish in the pandemic
thanks to the fact that it can be played
online. It provides access for millions of
people to training, watching and playing
chess, which is crucially important for
growing the chess audience. Also, it’s
fun to connect with people all over the
world without the need to spend money
on travelling. ‘But, for the lovers of mass
chess events, coronavirus will have a big
consequence’, notes Dvorkovich.
Dvorkovich says that he sees
online chess as the driving
force which will attract more
people and more sponsors for
both online and over the board
events as well
March 2021
In terms of which are more difficult
to organise – online or OTB events
- Dvorkovich says the challenges are
different for both: ‘For the OTB events, you
have logistical issues – the venue, travel,
accommodation, safety and similar. For
online, the key challenges lie in the field
of anti-cheating and the stability of the
internet connection.’
PRIORITY IS OVER-THE-BOARD
CHESS, NOT ONLINE
Despite the boom in online chess and
even the world chess body orienting
more to events on the Internet, the FIDE
President insists that online is ‘in no way
a substitute to over-the-board chess and
that’s the point I’d like to stress.’
Dvorkovich insists that, as soon as the
pandemic is behind us, over-the-board
[OTB] events will be front and centre in
FIDE’s activities.
- As soon as the restrictions are
lifted we will see a big return to OTB
tournaments, especially when it comes
to major events. But for other levels
of competitions – student festivals,
corporate tournaments and similar, they
will be mostly online. OTB will come
back but it doesn’t mean that online will
go away.
So, what will be the ratio between the two?
70-30, in favour of OTB, says Dvorkovich.
‘That’s why it’s important to think of a
harmony of OTB and online events at the
top level, so the two go well together for
professional players’.
Dvorkovich says that he sees online
chess as the driving force which will
attract more people and more sponsors
for both online and over the board
events as well.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 137
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ATTRACTING SPONSORS – SOLVING Dvorkovich notes that there are currently

THE ACHILLES' HEEL OF CHESS
During the 23-year-long reign of
the previous FIDE president, Kirsan
Ilyumzhinov (1995-2018), the international
chess federation went down a turbulent
path where tournaments and big events
depended on charity or state sponsorship
and were often under the shadow of
suspicion of corruption. In his bid to
take over the organisation during the
2018 race, Dvorkovich vowed to change
this and to put chess on financially solid
grounds.
Dvorkovich and his team have made
progress, by involving big private
companies such as the French energy
giant Total or signing deals with Coca-
Cola, Mercedes and similar. Still, many
of the top FIDE events are sponsored by
Gazprom, which is a Russian state-owned
gas company. There are, however, hopes
that the growth in chess interest during
the pandemic will help bring more private
sponsors in.
processes taking place aimed at getting
more sponsors.
- First, FIDE is trying to work professionally
in the area of marketing. We have
invested in getting more people doing
marketing, to get companies connected.
On the other hand, we are working much
more on analysing the data we have
– on the number of active players, on
children participating in ‘Chess in schools’
programmes and similar – so we’re able
to present a clearer picture to sponsors.
In a split from what has for years been the
practice and expectation in chess circles,
Dvorkovich notes that sponsors are not
about help or charity but that they always
look for a commercial return on their money.
- For years chess was not able to show its
commercial value and attract sponsors,
but it was more based on donations. We
have just started to show that chess can
bring commercial returns and that made
a difference. We started seeing chess on

WE NEED MORE LOWER-RATED PLAYERS IN ONLINE EVENTS

BCM: Since the lockdown there have been many high-level online events, mostly featuring
the same top players. Many found it difficult to track what’s happening. Do you think
having that many tournaments can have a negative impact, in the sense that events
featuring top players may lose meaning if there isn’t a defined/limited number of them?

A.D: I think the key is to find the balance and bring more middle-level players into
competitions. As in tennis, where you have competitions on an almost weekly basis, such
as the ATP tours, and even top players playing every two to three weeks. But we need a more
open approach, where other, lower-rated players, can qualify to join the elite. In tennis, the
entire system works in an integrated way. We don’t have such a system in chess because
online activities happen spontaneously, given the pandemic. I firmly believe we should
come to some kind of integrated system between online and OTB events.

But, you are right, people are losing track of things and are tired of seeing the same
people, while the mid-level professionals are kept out of major activities. That is a big
risk for the chess world and that is why FIDE has pledged to help open tournaments
this year, to get the mid-level competition going.

138 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

TV and the internet more. We’re on the
right track but still not there. Before, it was
mostly based on charitable donations
from countries and individuals. Now, it’s
different, Dvorkovich stressed.
about chess, but it was done in a much
more attractive way, both commercially
and chess-wise. Netflix did a great job,
both for themselves and for us, says
Dvorkovich.

There is also a very positive atmosphere
in the chess world, says Dvorkovich. ‘We
have good commercial stories from the
Play Magnus Group. Also, online platforms
– from Chess.com to Twitch and others
- have helped raise the interest in as well
as the profile of the game. Streaming is
now another booming thing – Twitch had
record numbers in February. So, on the one
hand, we have much more effective and
organised work on the side of FIDE, and, on
the other - strong market trends in favour of
chess’.
FIDE is also poised to use the effect of
the Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’,
although it recognises that the boost from
the series is a temporary one.
- The series was a really important moment
for chess. It was not the first movie/series
However, it is not just online chess and
Netflix which have given a boost to the
game. Positive trends are appearing
across the world. China has expressed
interest to host more chess events, and
the US – thanks to the support of Rex
Sinquefield – is continuing on its path to
becoming the new chess centre of the
world. Uzbekistan has now introduced
a huge chess development project
and Israel has increased its Chess in
schools programme.
‘For years chess was not able
to show its commercial value
and attract sponsors, but it
was more based on donations.
We have just started to
show that chess can bring
commercial returns and that
made a difference’

SHOULD CHESS PLAYERS BE ALLOWED TO SWITCH NATIONAL FEDERATIONS?

BCM: Do you agree that the Olympic Games and European championships, for
example, are events that are meant to showcase a nation’s chess or sports tradition.

A.D: Yes, I agree.

BCM: We just had the news of Aronian switching from the Armenian chess federation
to the US chess federation. His circumstances are specific, so he might not be the
best example. However, what is the point of nation events if we have foreign-born
and raised chess players – usually from the former USSR – playing for other nations?

A.D: Traditions differ from sport to sport. In some sports switching countries is
allowed, in others, it isn’t. It’s a thing to discuss. I don’t have any strong opinion on
that. Now itis allowed, based on the active rules. But I think that is a thing to discuss.
We should not make slaves out of chess players if they don’t feel welcomed or
supported in their own native countries. However, we should talk about national team
competitions, not club competitions including people from all over the world. This is
something to discuss both with players and federations.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 139

03/141
- Nice things are happening for chess.
Overall, countries are investing more and
that’s good, says Dvorkovich.
FIDE is also placing hopes on the greater
involvement of tech companies. Apart
from the involvement of Demis Hassabis
and Google's ‘Deep mind’ (which lead
to the development of AlphaZero), we
are seeing other players in the field take
centre stage, with the PlayMagnus Group
aiming to position itself as a chess-
tech company. In India – which is now
one of the leading chess nations of the
world – the recent announcement by the
Mahindra tech group about organising its
own Chess League brings new hopes.
FIDE hopes to see more competition among
chess companies in the years to come and
has no concerns of them ever posing as a
competitor to the official chess body.
- The role of FIDE is to run official
events such as Olympiads and world
championships and the International
Olympic Committee recognises FIDE as
the only body which can run those events.
Our second priority is to promote chess
all across the world – from kids to adults
and professionals, and we want to do that
will all the sponsors and chess actors.
We, therefore, see big private actors in the
chess sphere more as partners and not as
competition to us, says Dvorkovich.
SUCCESS AND FAILURE
It’s nearly two and a half years since
Arkady Dvorkovich became FIDE president
(in October 2018). BCM asked him what he
considers to be his greatest success, and
what his biggest failure, so far.
- The biggest success inside FIDE was
to have built a strong and well-organised
management team. We now have people
140 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
THE ATHLETES COMMISSION
BCM: What is currently happening with
the Athletes Commission and what are
some immediate plans?
A.D: We just completed the preparation
process and we have the composition of
the commission. We have three people
who will chair the commission on a six-
month rota. Dinara Saduakassova will
be the first one to chair it.
who are knowledgeable and experienced
in this type of work, people who are ready
and capable of running and managing
projects globally. That was crucial for us in
the last two years. Externally, the biggest
success is that despite the pandemic,
we were able to go up, not down. We are
probably the only IOC member which
managed to increase its activities during
this pandemic, says Dvorkovich.
Among the successes, he also notes that
FIDE managed to attract more support
from sponsors, despite the match for the
title of world champion being postponed,
and proving that chess is viable from a
business perspective.
Like any experienced manager and
politician (and Dvorkovich is both),
instead of calling them ‘failures’, the FIDE
President spoke about things that ‘still
haven’t been achieved.’
- We still didn’t achieve what we want in
terms of long-term financial sustainability,
but we’ve made a lot of progress. We
are proving, however, that chess is now
sustainable – you can devote your life
to chess and it can provide you with the
opportunity to live a stable life, therefore
making it attractive enough for thousands
of people. We’re not at the end of this
process yet. There is more to come!
 March 2021

MENTAL MELTDOWNS AT
MELTWATER CHAMPIONS CHESS TOUR
(AS WESLEY SO TAKES FIRST PLACE AND POCKETS $30,000)
By GM Aleksandar Colovic / www.alexcolovic.com
Photo: David Llada
MAGNUS CARLSEN’S FLYING CIRCUS CONTINUED ITS TOUR
WITH THE OPERA EURO RAPID TAKING PLACE FROM 6 TO
14 FEBRUARY
The format of this regular tournament (as Something is rotten in
opposed to Majors) was 16 players in an all−
play−all, when half qualified for the knock− the state of Meltwater
out stages. In the knock−out (KO), two as the players seem not
matches were played; in case of a tie, the tie− able to either stand the
break consisted of two blitz games followed
by Armageddon. The time control was 15 accumulated tension or the
minutes + 10 seconds from move one. unforgiving rhythm that
forces them to keep playing
The mixed field included several three
newcomers who joined the usual suspects.
against each other every
These were Matthias Bluebaum, Samuel single month
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 141
03/141
Shankland, Santosh Vidit. None of them
qualified for the KO, but Shankland’s last
round win over Nakamura from a lost position
prevented his compatriot from qualifying for
the first time since the series started.
The first round already set the tone of the
tournament. In the duel of the finalists of
the Skilling Open the younger player was
again more successful.
Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen
Opera Euro Rapid Prelim
chess24.com INT (1.2)
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.¥b5+ This is Wesley
So’s proposed repertoire for White against
the Sicilian that he published on the
Chessable platform (which belongs to
Magnus Carlsen’s company!). As we shall
see, Carlsen didn’t bother to check his
opponent’s theoretical work not only in this
game but also in the final!
3...¥d7 4.¥xd7+ £xd7 5.c4 ¤f6
6.¤c3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.¤xd4 ¥g7 9.f3
0–0 10.¥e3 ¦c8 11.b3 ¤c6 12.0–0
£d8 13.£d2 £a5 14.¦fd1 In the
aforementioned course So recommends
putting the other rook on d1.
14.¦ad1
14...¤d7 15.¤de2
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+r+-+k+0
9zpp+nzppvlp0
9-+nzp-+p+0
9wq-+-+-+-0
9-+P+P+-+0
9+PsN-vLP+-0
9P+-wQN+PzP0
9tR-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
White enjoys the typical Maroczy space
advantage. What is better for White than the
142 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Maroczy is that he doesn’t have the light-
squared bishop, which can easily turn out
to be a bad one in view of being limited by
its own pawns.
15...a6 16.a4 Preventing ...b5. It is not
easy for Black to obtain counterplay while
White probes for weaknesses.
16...e6 Controlling the d5–square, but now
the pawn on d6 will need constant attention.
17.¦ab1 Moving the rook from the long
diagonal and defending White’s only
weakness, the pawn on b3.
17...¦d8 18.¥g5 Forcing the rook to
move from the d-file, thus making it more
problematic for Black to defend the d6–
pawn in the future (for now it is taboo as
the knight on c3 is hanging).
18...¦e8 19.¥f4 ¤de5 Closing the h2–b8
diagonal.
20.h3 So intends to improve his king’s
position by playing h2.
20...¦ad8 21.¢h2 £b4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-trr+k+0
9+p+-+pvlp0
9p+nzpp+p+0
9+-+-sn-+-0
9PwqP+PvL-+0
9+PsN-+P+P0
9-+-wQN+PmK0
9+R+R+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now Black will be forced to play the ugly-
looking move ...f6.
The engine proposes to put another piece
on the same square, but the play seems
rather vague. The only concrete idea is to
liberate the c6–square for the knight on e5,
which doesn’t have squares to go to. For

example, 21...¤b4 22.¥g5 ¦d7 23.¤a2:
exchanging one pair of knights. Generally
speaking, with fewer pieces Black’s
counterplay is more difficult to organise.
23...¤ec6 24.¤xb4 ¤xb4 25.¦bc1, when
White keeps pressing a little, thanks to his
safer position.
22.¥g5 f6 Black cannot avoid this move
that softens his central structure and leaves
the bishop on g7 closed.
The problem is that 22...¦d7 Is met by
23.f4. And again the only way to save the
knight is to play 23...f6 Which doesn’t
bring too much happiness after 24.¥h4
¤f7 25.¥f2.
23.¥e3 ¤f7 24.f4 f5 Carlsen doesn’t want
to be strangulated and opens the bishop at
the expense of the further weakening of
his structure.
25.exf5 gxf5 26.¤d4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-trr+k+0
9+p+-+nvlp0
9p+nzpp+-+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9PwqPsN-zP-+0
9+PsN-vL-+P0
9-+-wQ-+PmK0
9+R+R+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Natural, centralising move. It loses almost
all of White’s advantage.
26.£c1!? This sly move is the engine’s
proposal. The idea is an impossible one
for a human being! After the planned 26...
d5 27.cxd5 exd5 White should, actually,
go for 28.¤xd5! allowing Black to get
two pieces for a rook after 28...¦xd5
29.¦xd5 £e4, attacking both the rook
on d5 and the bishop on e3. A human
would stop calculating here, but the point
is that after 30.¦d7 £xe3 31.£xe3 ¦xe3
March 2021
32.¤g3 With the pawns on b7 and f5
hanging and Black’s poor coordination
White has a solid advantage (the engine
says winning, but I’d be more careful
with that evaluation).
26...d5 27.cxd5 exd5 28.¥g1 Avoiding
tactics based on ...¦xe3.
28...¤d6 Bringing the knight to e4.
29.£d3 ¤e4 30.¤ce2 White has excellent
control over the blockading d4–square
and he also has the better pawn structure.
But Black’s pieces are active and the
knight on e4 is particularly influential.
Now the pawn on f5 is hanging so Black
takes on d4.
30...¤xd4 31.¥xd4 White wants to
exchange the dark-squared bishops because
then Black’s king will be weaker in the
absence of the good defender on g7.
31...¥xd4 32.¤xd4 The common logic is
that the side with a safer king should keep
the queen on the board.
Still, there were arguments for the endgame
after 32.£xd4!? £xd4 33.¦xd4 As Black’s
weak pawns on d5 and f5 require attention.
32...¢h8?!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-trr+-mk0
9+p+-+-+p0
9p+-+-+-+0
9+-+p+p+-0
9Pwq-sNnzP-+0
9+P+Q+-+P0
9-+-+-+PmK0
9+R+R+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A move based on general considerations,
moving the king from the exposed position
on the g-file. However, there was a more
direct way for Black to solve his problems.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 143
03/141
32...¤c3! was critical, going after the
exchange. 33.£xf5 And now Black has
several satisfactory moves. 33...¤xd1
(33...£f8 This is also fine: 34.£g4+ £g7
35.£h4 ¤xd1 36.¤e6 £e7. And attacking
with only two pieces White can only hope
to regain the exchange after 37.£xe7
¦xe7 38.¤xd8, with an equal endgame.)
34.£g5+ ¢h8 35.¤e6 £e7 Is similar
to the line 33...£f8 as the endgame after
36.¤xd8 ¤e3 37.£xe7 ¦xe7 gives Black
good compensation for the pawn, given
White’s stranded knight on d8 and Black’s
passed d5–pawn.
33.¦bc1 Preventing ...¤c3 and activating
the rook.
33...£d6 34.£e3 Defending the pawn on
f4 and threatening ¤xf5.
34...¤g5?! This only helps White activate
his queen.
34...£g6 Looked more logical, using the
g-file for counterplay. After 35.¦c7 ¦g8
36.£f3 ¦g7 Black is fine.
35.£f2 ¤e4 36.£h4 ¦f8
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-tr-mk0
9+p+-+-+p0
9p+-wq-+-+0
9+-+p+p+-0
9P+-sNnzP-wQ0
9+P+-+-+P0
9-+-+-+PmK0
9+-tRR+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Defending the pawn on f5.
37.¦c2! A very nice move, calmly
intending to double on the c-file.
37...£g6? This comes too late now. A certain
indecisiveness can be observed in Carlsen’s
play, for example on moves 32, 34 and 37.
144 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
37...¦f6! is a concrete move, threatening
...¦h6 - when the white queen can no
longer defend the pawn on f4. 38.¦f1
¦g8 39.£e1. The queen had little to do
on h4 once Black put his pieces on the
kingside: 39...¦ff8, planning ...£g6,
with good counterplay.
38.¦c7 Of course, White activates the rook
immediately.
38...¦g8 39.¦g1 Black has nothing on the
kingside while the pawn on b7 is difficult
to defend. White also has the positional
idea of ¤f3–e5 at his disposal.
39...¦c8 40.¦xb7 ¦c3 41.¤e6! The knight
goes to g5 to close the g-file.
41...¦c2 42.¤g5 ¦g7 42...¤xg5 43.fxg5
Is also winning for White, who now
threatens £d4.
43.¦b8+ ¦g8 44.¦xg8+ ¢xg8 45.¤xe4
dxe4 46.¢h1?!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-+-+-+p0
9p+-+-+q+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9P+-+pzP-wQ0
9+P+-+-+P0
9-+r+-+P+0
9+-+-+-tRK0
xiiiiiiiiy
White is a pawn up and has the safer king,
so he takes the time to remove his king
from the second rank, but it is a tad slow.
46.£d8+ ¢g7 47.b4 was a more
direct way, immediately advancing on
the queenside.
46...¢g7? Missing the last chance.
46...¦d2 was more resilient. 47.b4 (47.
g4? £c6! threatens ...e3 and Black is out

of danger.) 47...e3 48.£e7 e2 And it’s not
easy for White to untangle.
47.g4! White immediately takes advantage
of the position of Black’s pieces on the
g-file.
47...¢f7 48.gxf5 £xf5 49.¦g5
Attacking the queen that defends the
pawn on h7. Black gave a few checks
before resigning.
49...¦c1+ 50.¢g2 ¦c2+ 51.¢f1 ¦c1+
52.¢e2 ¦c2+ 53.¢e1
1–0
Carslen’s (not so?)
poor form
The game was a typical example of what
was to come. Carlsen wasn’t playing badly,
but he was less consistent and much more
blunder-prone, while So was solid and not
allowing any chances.
Carlsen’s poor form in recent months
seemed concealed after he won the next
four games and then qualified joint first
with Giri. But in the KO phase, the cracks
started to appear again.
On the other hand, Giri’s good form saw
him easily through the qualification stage,
but then he was knocked out by the ever-
solid Radjabov (who qualified by beating
March 2021
Shankland and drawing the other 14).
We can observe a tendency here, with
Radjabov’s ultra-solid approach winning
the Airthings Masters and So winning both
the Skilling Open and the Opera. It seems
that the recipe for success is to be safe and
allow as little chances as possible.
Why Nakamura’s failure
isn’t a surprise
For most, the biggest surprise from the
qualification phase was Nakamura’s
failure to go to the next stage. He
was uncharacteristically unstable,
immediately losing a game after winning
one. In the last round he outplayed
Shankland and was winning, but he
misplayed it and even lost.
Hikaru Nakamura – Sam Shankland
Opera Euro Rapid Prelim
chess24.com INT (15.4)
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+nmk-+0
9sNl+-wq-zpQ0
9-vL-+pzp-zp0
9zpL+pzP-+P0
9-vl-+-+P+0
9+-+-+P+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
9+K+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
White is winning as he dominates on both
sides of the board.
35.£h8+? Premature.
It was necessary to prepare the check by
playing 35.¥d3 first as now the threat
is £h8 and ¥g6 mate. Black is helpless
against it as, for example, 35...£f7 allows
36.¥g6 £g8 37.£xg8+ ¢xg8 38.¥xe8
winning a piece.
35...¢f7 36.¥d3? Inverting the move-order
when precision is required is never good.
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Nakamura’s performance
is not a surprise. He is no
longer a chess professional,
but a professional streamer
and businessman.
I, therefore, expect to see
him less as real competition
to the proper professionals

36.f4 still kept White’s advantage. a professional streamer and businessman

36...£f8 Now Black managed to defend
and the position is equal. White has
compensation for the pawn, but not more,
and out of frustration he pushed further -
but this had the opposite effect.
and it is impossible to be successful at the
highest level if you do not dedicate 100%
of your time to prepare. As things stand,
Nakamura doesn’t even intend to do that.
I, therefore, expect to see him less as real
competition to the proper professionals.

37.£h7? 37.¥g6+ ¢e7 38.£xf8+ ¢xf8 Ding Liren’s last place

39.f4. Given the blockade on d4 White
shouldn’t lose.

37...fxe5 38.¥d8 e4!

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-vLnwq-+0
9sNl+-+kzpQ0
9-+-+p+-zp0
9zp-+p+-+P0
9-vl-+p+P+0
9+-+L+P+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
Another failure was Ding Liren’s last
9+K+-+-+-0 place, with five out of 15. He did beat
xiiiiiiiiy Carlsen in a game that was irrelevant for
And Black is already taking over. He won both (Carlsen was already sure to qualify
in 58 moves. and Ding Liren didn’t stand a chance) but
the rest was simply atrocious. I see the
0–1 main reason as the starting time for the
player in China. The first round of the day
would start at midnight in China so every
Contrary to popular opinion, I wouldn’t day he was playing until 3 or 4 am, quite
call Nakamura’s failure a surprise. While an inappropriate time for serious chess
he remains a very strong chess player he activity. In normal conditions, Ding Liren
is no longer a chess professional. He is would certainly show his real strength.

146 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

A note on Grischuk After the game, Grischuk admitted that

From the qualification phase, I’d like to
show the beginning of the game from the
first round between Grischuk and Giri and
what Grischuk said afterwards.
he always maintained that there is no
difference between online and over−the−
board chess, but that was only until the
moment he played 4.¢f1 in the game with
Giri.

Alexander Grischuk – Anish Giri The anticipated duel:

Carlsen - Dubov
Opera Euro Rapid Prelim
chess24.com INT (1.8) The knock−out phase saw another Carlsen−
XIIIIIIIIY Dubov match−up. It appeared that Carlsen
finally got serious about Dubov and won
9r+lwqkvl-tr0 the first match 2.5−0.5. Then came the next
9zppzpp+pzpp0 day and the following happened.
9-+n+-sn-+0 Magnus Carlsen - Daniil Dubov
9+L+-zp-+-0
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
9-+-+P+-+0 chess24.com INT (1.22)
9+-+-+N+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9PzPPzP-zPPzP0 9r+l+-+k+0
9tRNvLQmK-+R0 9zppzp-+-zp-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+-+q+0
In this well−known position Grischuk
mouse−slipped: 9vL-+-zp-+-0
9-+P+ptr-+0
4.¢f1 Though he managed to save the
game. 9+-+P+-+-0
9P+P+QzPPzP0
½–½ 9tR-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy

Daniil Dubov
Photo: David Llada

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 147

03/141

White is a pawn up and he only needs Daniil Dubov – Magnus Carlsen

to take care of Black’s threats on
the kingside. Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (1.23)
18.¥d2?? An awful blunder. XIIIIIIIIY
18.dxe4 was the simplest. After 9-+-+-trk+0
18...¦xe4 19.£d3 White continues to 9+r+-+pzpp0
play for a win though the opposite-
coloured bishops give Black some 9-zp-wQ-sn-+0
chances; 18.f3 was an alternative; the 9zp-+-wq-+-0
point is that after 18...exf3 19.¦xf3 9-zpP+-+-+0
¥g4 White has 20.¦g3, leaving him a
pawn up in the endgame after 20...¥xe2 9+-+-sN-zP-0
21.¦xg6. 9PzP-+-zP-zP0
18...¥g4 Now the threat is ...¥f3 and 9+-+RtR-mK-0
White is defenceless. xiiiiiiiiy
21...£xb2? It’s difficult to say what
19.f3 Too late. Carlsen missed after White’s next move.

19...¥xf3 20.£f2 ¦g4 21.g3 ¦f8 Black’s 21...£xd6 was better, as the endgame after
attack is decisive as he attacks with all 22.¦xd6 ¦e8 left Black with good saving
his pieces. chances.

22.¦ae1 ¦f6 23.dxe4 £h5 24.¦e3 ¥xe4 22.¦d2 £c3 22...£a3 was somewhat
25.£e2 ¦xg3+ better but White should still win after
XIIIIIIIIY 23.¤g4! ¤e8 24.£d8.
9-+-+-+k+0 23.¤d1!
9zppzp-+-zp-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-tr-+0 9-+-+-trk+0
9+-+-zp-+q0 9+r+-+pzpp0
9-+P+l+-+0 9-zp-wQ-sn-+0
9+-+-tR-tr-0 9zp-+-+-+-0
9P+PvLQ+-zP0 9-zpP+-+-+0
9+-+-+RmK-0 9+-wq-+-zP-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9P+-tR-zP-zP0
A nice final touch.
9+-+NtR-mK-0
0–1 xiiiiiiiiy
Threatening the cute £xf8, using the
weakness of Black’s back rank.
This blunder seemed to break Carlsen’s
stride and in the next game he blundered 23...¦e8 Basically resigning the game.
again.
Maybe Carlsen thought that 23...£xc4
refuted White’s idea? If so, he missed the

148 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


pretty 24.£xf8+! ¢xf8 25.¦d8+ ¤e8
26.¦exe8#.
24.¦xe8+ ¤xe8 25.¤xc3
1–0
Dubov won the second match with the same
score of 2.5-0.5. The two blitz games were
equally hollow, with Carlsen being lost but
winning the first one and then missing a
draw in the second one.
In the Armageddon, playing with White,
Carlsen kept it more or less under control
after obtaining a pleasant advantage after
the opening.
The other matches
The other matches saw Radjabov eliminate
Giri by winning the blitz tie-break 1.5-0.5.
Vachier beat Aronian 2.5-1.5 and 2-2 (once
the player in the lead secured a draw in the
second match the match was stopped) and So
dominated Duda 2.5-1.5 and 2-0. A curious
position was seen in the first game of the
second match between Radjabov and Giri.
Teimour Radjabov - Anish Giri
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (1.21)
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+-+0
9+-tr-+-mk-0
9-+-+-zp-zp0
9zp-zp-wqPzpP0
9PzpRzpPsnP+0
9+P+P+L+-0
9-+-wQ-mK-+0
9+-+-+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
38.¢f1 Solidity unbound. Draw agreed.
½–½
March 2021
The semi-finals
The semi-final pairs were Carlsen-Vachier
and Radjabov-So.
Carlsen won the first match 2.5-0.5. He
won a scholarly game against Vachier’s
Grunfeld.
Magnus Carlsen –
Maxime Vachier Lagrave
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (2.11)
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+-+0
9+pzp-+pmkp0
9psn-+l+p+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-tRP+-+0
9zP-sN-+-+P0
9-zP-+LzPP+0
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A typical position of 4 vs 3 in the centre
for White and 3 vs 2 on the queenside for
Black. Since White is better prepared to
advance his majority it made sense to stop
it by playing 20...g5.
20...¢f6?! 21.f4 Now White advances
freely.
21...¢e7 22.¢f2 ¦d8?! This was Black’s
plan, to exchange rooks as soon as possible,
but it allows White to activate his king.
22...f6 still kept Black’s position reasonably
solid.
23.¢e3 ¦xd4 24.¢xd4 f6 25.h4 Black’s
problem is his lack of counterplay. Given
White’s centralised king, he cannot
advance his queenside majority, which
leaves him with little to do. However,
these positions are never won on just
one wing. Usually the side with an
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 149
03/141

advantage, in this case, White advances XIIIIIIIIY

on the whole board.
9-sn-mk-+-+0
25...¤d7? Again (as on move 20) Black 9+-zp-+-+-0
allows White to advance too easily.
9-+-+-+-zp0
25...a5! was necessary, to limit White’s 9zpL+P+p+P0
queenside expansion. Now after 26.b4 9P+-mK-zP-+0
axb4 27.axb4 ¤d7. With only one white
pawn on the queenside Black can defend 9+-+-+-+-0
more easily. 9-+-+-+-+0
26.b4!
9+-+-+-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
The king comes to e5 next.
9-+-+-+-+0
1–0
9+pzpnmk-+p0
9p+-+lzpp+0
The third game of the match showed that
9+-+-+-+-0 Carlsen didn’t manage to shake off the
9-zP-mKPzP-zP0 blunders that plagued his play.
9zP-sN-+-+-0
Magnus Carlsen –
9-+-+L+P+0 Maxime Vachier Lagrave
9+-+-+-+-0 Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
xiiiiiiiiy chess24.com INT (2.13)
Now White demonstrates his famous
technique as he advances on the whole
XIIIIIIIIY
board. 9-+-tr-+-mk0
26...h6 27.a4 g5 28.g3 gxf4 29.gxf4
9+-tR-+-+p0
¤b8 30.¤d5+! ¥xd5 31.exd5 White 9-+-+L+-+0
wins because of domination as he has 9+-+-+-+-0
threats on the kingside with e4–f5–g6
and the queenside with a5, fixing the b7–
9r+p+-+-+0
pawn on a light square. 9+-zP-vLK+-0
31...b6 32.h5 Fixing the h6–pawn.
9-vl-+-+PzP0
9+-+-+-+-0
32...a5 Now the a5–pawn is difficult to xiiiiiiiiy
defend, but otherwise the knight is stuck on After a nice exchange sacrifice, Carlsen
b8, defending the pawn on a6. outplayed Vachier, but now he missed a
relatively simple tactic to finish the game
32...¢d6 33.¢e4, with f5 next, wins for on the spot.
White.
34.¥d4+?? 34.¦c8! wins immediately, the
33.bxa5 bxa5 34.¢c5 f5 35.¥b5 The point being 34...¦xc8 35.¥d4#.
knight is dominated on b8.
34...¦xd4 35.cxd4 ¥xd4. The position is
35...¢d8 36.¢d4 drawn. The Frenchman managed to lose it,

150 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

but this was just the first sign of what was

to come for him. Magnus Carlsen -
Maxime Vachier Lagrave
1–0
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (2.24)
Then, on the next day, we had a reprise of XIIIIIIIIY
the match with Dubov. After two draws 9-+rtr-+k+0
Carlsen continued with the blunders.
9+p+-+pvl-0
Maxime Vachier Lagrave – 9-+-+p+pzp0
Magnus Carlsen
9zp-zP-zP-+-0
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021 9Psn-sNqzP-+0
chess24.com INT (2.23)
XIIIIIIIIY 9+P+-vL-+P0
9r+-+-trk+0 9-+-+-+P+0
9+lwq-+pzpp0 9+-tRQ+RmK-0
9-zpn+p+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
White is under pressure, but the next move
9zp-vl-zP-+-0 is just another proof that online chess is
9-+-zp-zP-+0 very different from OTB chess.
9zPP+-+N+-0 24.£d3 And Carlsen resigned.
9-vLP+L+PzP0
0–1
9tR-+-wQR+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
The position is balanced, though that The blitz tie-break
doesn’t mean that Black cannot lose in one
move. The blitz tie-break saw both players win
with White and in the Armageddon Carlsen
17...¤e7?? Trapping his own bishop. After again, like in the match with Dubov, chose
any sensible move (17...¦fd8, 17...h6) White and won.
Black is more than fine.
In the other semi-final So beat Radjabov
18.b4 The bishop on c5 has nowhere to go. twice, 2.5-1.5 and 2-1. In the battle of the
most solid players, the American was the
1–0 more incisive one.

The final and the match for 3 rd place

If things weren’t bad enough, the match produced meltdowns which raise
finished with a mouse slip. certain questions about the players and
the format.

Carlsen continued with his highly

volatile play with a lot of blunders and,
perhaps surprisingly, didn’t stand a
chance against the ultra-solid So. The
problem with volatility in one’s play

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 151

03/141

is that even when chances occur it is XIIIIIIIIY

almost impossible to take advantage
of them. 9r+l+-trk+0
9zp-+-+-+p0
Although there was a full week since
their first game Carlsen didn’t find the
9-+pvlnwq-+0
time to check So’s preparation that is 9sn-+-+p+-0
publicly available on Chessable. 9-+PzP-+-+0
Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen 9+-wQ-+-+-0
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
chess24.com INT (3.12) 9tRNvL-tRLmK-0
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥c4 ¤f6 4.¤g5.
xiiiiiiiiy
So’s improvement over his own game.
The Two Knights leads to a very sharp play
according to the latest analysis. 18.c5?! ¤xd4? (18...¥c7! Is strong as
now 19.£c3 Can be met by 19...£xd4!
4...d5 5.exd5 ¤a5 6.¥b5+ c6 7.dxc6 Was this the reason why Carlsen
bxc6 8.¥d3 ¤d5 9.¤f3 ¥d6 10.0–0 0–0 played 21...£xd4 in the game, mixing
11.¦e1 f5! up the lines?) 19.£c3 ¥c7 20.b4, with
XIIIIIIIIY initiative for White in: 1–0 (29) So,W
(2770)-Abdusattorov,N (2627) chess.com
9r+lwq-trk+0 INT 2020
9zp-+-+-zpp0
9-+pvl-+-+0 18...¤b7 19.c5 ¥c7 20.b4 a5 21.b5
£xd4?
9sn-+nzpp+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0 9r+l+-trk+0
9+-+L+N+-0 9+nvl-+-+p0
9PzPPzP-zPPzP0 9-+p+n+-+0
9tRNvLQtR-mK-0 9zpPzP-+p+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-wq-+-+0
This is more or less Black’s only way
to obtain compensation. He sacrifices a 9+-wQ-+-+-0
second pawn but obtains strong initiative 9P+-+-zPPzP0
on the kingside.
9tRNvL-tRLmK-0
12.¤xe5 £f6 13.¤f3 g5 14.c4 ¤f4 xiiiiiiiiy
15.¥f1 g4 16.d4! In order not to come The winning move! Objectively the move
under attack White sacrifices a piece is a bad one and should lose, but since
and obtains 3 pawns for it. In addition the engine doesn’t show it (as being
to the queenside pawn mass, it gives him a bad one) So didn’t analyse it and he
excellent play. misplayed the position immediately. The
main question is why Carlsen messed
16...gxf3 17.£xf3 ¤e6 18.£c3 up the opening while still in theory, not
even to mention the fact that this was
So’s recommended line for White in the
aforementioned course.

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 March 2021

This is the only move, with a messy position
after 21...cxb5 22.¥xb5 a4 Liberating the
a5–square.
22.£xd4? Missing a big chance.
22.¥c4! was close to winning for White.
22...£xc3 23.¤xc3 ¤bxc5 24.¥a3, when
White regains the material and keeps a
strong initiative.
Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen
Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (3.21)
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 e6 4.0–0 ¤ge7
5.c3 a6 6.¥a4 b5 7.¥c2 ¥b7 8.¦e1 ¦c8
9.a4 b4 9...¤g6 May be a better alternative.
10.d4 cxd4?!

22...¤xd4 23.¥c4+?! 23.¤c3 was better

XIIIIIIIIY
as 23...¤c2? doesn’t work in view of 9-+rwqkvl-tr0
24.¥c4+ ¢h8 25.¥b2! And Black’s king 9+l+psnpzpp0
is under decisive attack.
9p+n+p+-+0
23...¥e6 24.¥xe6+ ¤xe6 25.¦xe6 ¤xc5 9+-+-+-+-0
26.¦e2 ¦fe8 27.¤c3 cxb5 28.¥e3 ¥e5 9Pzp-zpP+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-zP-+N+-0
9r+-+r+k+0 9-zPL+-zPPzP0
9+-+-+-+p0 9tRNvLQtR-mK-0
9-+-+-+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9zppsn-vlp+-0 This is already dubious. It was better to keep the
9-+-+-+-+0 c-file closed and play 10...¤g6 immediately.
9+-sN-vL-+-0 After 10...¤g6 11.¤bd2 (11.d5 is likely
9P+-+RzPPzP0 better, but Black should be fine after
11...¤a5) 11...bxc3! 12.bxc3 cxd4 13.cxd4
9tR-+-+-mK-0 a5! Thanks to the double exchange of the
xiiiiiiiiy pawns on the queenside Black obtained the
Black’s queenside majority is much more good b4–square for his pieces.
threatening than White’s on the kingside.
Carlsen won in 55 moves. 11.cxd4 Now Black would prefer not to
have a pawn on b4!
0–1
11...¤g6 12.¤bd2 ¤a5 13.g3!
XIIIIIIIIY
It must have been extremely unpleasant to 9-+rwqkvl-tr0
lose a game after getting his preparation in,
but an unperturbed So managed to equalise
9+l+p+pzpp0
the score in the 4th game after again Carlsen 9p+-+p+n+0
followed So’s White repertoire and ended 9sn-+-+-+-0
up worse.
9Pzp-zPP+-+0
The second match started with Carlsen’s 9+-+-+NzP-0
meltdown.
9-zPLsN-zP-zP0
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 153
03/141

A typical move when Black has a knight on Maxime Vachier Lagrave –

g6. The idea is to limit it by taking away the Teimour Radjabov
h4 and f4-squares and if possible to harass
it by h4-h5. Opera Euro Rapid KO 2021
chess24.com INT (3.22)
13...¥e7 14.h4 ¥xh4 I cannot explain XIIIIIIIIY
this with any other word than − meltdown.
It shows a complete lack of patience and 9-+-+-+-+0
belief in one’s ability to defend. 9+-+-+-+-0
Though Black is worse and under pressure, 9-+-+-zpk+0
the game still goes on after 14...0-0. 9+-+-+-tr-0
15.gxh4 ¤xh4 16.¤xh4 £xh4 17.¦e3
9-+-+-+R+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-+-mK-0
9-+r+k+-tr0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+l+p+pzpp0 9+-+-+-+-0
9p+-+p+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
Apart from leaving the rook en prise, there
9sn-+-+-+-0 is just one move that loses here for White.
9Pzp-zPP+-wq0 Vachier was playing the whole game a
tempo: from the starting 15 minutes he now
9+-+-tR-+-0 had 19 left on his clock. What he does next
9-zPLsN-zP-+0 is unacceptable even for beginners.
9tR-vLQ+-mK-0 46.¦xg5+?? ¢xg5 Thanks to the
xiiiiiiiiy opposition Black wins now.
Including the rook in the defence via g3.
With a knight on a5, the bishop on b7, 47.¢f3 ¢f5 48.¢f2 ¢f4
rooks on c8 and h8 Black is simply lost.
The game ended in 28 moves. 0–1

1–0

How to explain these decisions by the best

The other games were drawn, with Carlsen
missing chances in the third and fourth
games. A deserved win for So, who shows
that good nerves are even more important
in online chess.
The fight for 3rd place
players on the planet?
Something is rotten in the state of Meltwater
as the players seem not able to either stand
the accumulated tension or the unforgiving
rhythm that forces them to keep playing
against each other every single month.

The match for 3rd place was no contest. Next month, starting on 13 March, the
Something was seriously wrong with Vachier show goes on with a Major.
who couldn’t hold the technical endgames in
the Anti−Grunfeld in the first match and then
lost interest (!!) in the second match with the
following example being a screaming sign
that something is amiss.

154 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

Problem
World
by Christopher Jones
cjajones1@yahoo.co.uk
Grandmaster of Chess Composition
Solutions are given on page 190

1XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tR-+-vL0
9+-vl-tr-+-0
9-+-+-+n+0
9+-+NsNr+-0
9-zP-mkL+-tR0
9+-+-+P+-0
9K+-+-zP-+0
2 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+K+-+0
9+p+-sN-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+RzPL+-+-0
9-+-mk-+N+0
9+Psnr+p+-0
9-+Qvl-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
Kabe Moen (USA) David Shire (Canterbury)

3 4
Mate in 2 Mate in 2
Original ORIGINAL
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+L+-+R+0 9-+-tRL+lvl0
9+-+-+-+-0 9mK-zpr+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+k+-+-+0
9+-+-mKp+r0 9+-sn-+-+q0
9-+-zp-tR-sN0 9-+-+r+-+0
9+-+PsN-vLk0 9sN-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+PzP-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
John Rice and Michael Lipton Christer Jonsson (Sweden)
(London / Brighton)
Mate in 2 Helpmate in 2 - 2 solutions
Original Original

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 155

03/141
CHESS AS A BUSINESS
WHAT DOES
CARLSEN’S PURCHASE OF NIC
MEAN FOR CHESS? By Peter O'Brien
No sooner were we shifting the gaze
onto chess AS a business, when we hear
the excellent news that New In Chess
(NIC) has become part of the Play
Magnus Group (PMG). This brings
under one roof, as it were, a whole
series of chess focused educational
devices for players of all levels. Since
its beginnings in 2013, PMG has taken
into its portfolio Chess24, CoChess,
Chessable, and iChess.net. To put this
double exclamation mark move into
context, a tiny look back is useful.
156 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
NIC itself was founded some 37 years ago.
During its lifetime till now, management has
succeeded in delivering high-quality material
which the world’s leading players contribute
to and from which they, and countless others,
can benefit. PMG was of course set up far more
recently, in 2013. The focus was on streamlining
chess coverage and chess education into the
digital technology world. Here too the results
have been excellent. So much so that PMG
was launched on the Oslo stock exchange late
last year, with a market capitalization then of
some $33 million. The IPO was taken up by

more than 250 shareholders, both institutional
and individual. It is now, therefore, a publicly
traded entity, with the share price hovering in
the range $3/4.
At the very start of this year, it announced
a linkage with the long-standing
Meltwater Group. This firm delivers high
level advice to leading business groups
on issues linked with strategic decision
making. Founded by a Norwegian, it has
now been running for 20 years and has
its HQ in California. It has taken over
the financing of the new “Grand Tour”,
the first stage (Rapid Chess) of which is
taking place as these lines are written.
This last point is important – it means
that funding of certain top level events
is being provided by an established firm
which itself has linked with a chess
conglomerate (PMG) that, one way or
another, has drawn in all of the world’s
leading players and more or less every
version of electronics driven chess.
PMG is not only a sound
business capitalizing on expert
knowledge in a field where the
many business ventures over
the years have operated in a
rather piecemeal fashion. It
is also, and above all, based
on a world-famous brand –
Magnus himself. His presence
at the centre of things offers
strong guarantees to investors
PMG is not only a sound business
capitalizing on expert knowledge in a field
where the many business ventures over the
years have operated in a rather piecemeal
fashion. It is also, and above all, based on a
world-famous brand – Magnus himself. His
presence at the centre of things offers strong
guarantees to investors. While he will not
be world champion indefinitely, the brand
will live on. So a sound growth strategy
March 2021
plus the brand can create both sustainability
and leverage. The incorporation of NIC
is just the latest in a process of prudent,
incremental growth which has the hallmark
of risk prudence. In today’s world of
exceptional uncertainty, where unknown
unknowns seem to be the most visible
category of items in the known/unknown
matrix, the PMG approach offers real
assurance to the investor.
As a symbol of the power of the name,
Magnus in early 2020 became the global
brand ambassador for UNIBET. This
firm, founded in 1997 and based in
Malta, is part of the Kindred Group. It
specializes in online betting, at the same
time emphasizing the importance of the
statistics-based, careful computation,
“no luck” approach to betting. When
the role of Magnus was announced, he
commented that it was this approach
which he also believes in. The Kindred
Group was founded by a Swede, Anders
Strom, who graduated in Mathematics
and Statistics. Overall, therefore, it could
be said that Magnus has perhaps become
the standard bearer for the “rational
calculation” approach to forecasting
outcomes of events in the sports and
games world.
Whenever a business move of this kind is
made, it raises two standard questions. One
is the internal benefits for the businesses
that come together. The other is the
advantages that such a linkage can offer to
users/consumers.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 157
03/141

Whenever a business move

of this kind is made, it raises
two standard questions. One
is the internal benefits for the
businesses that come together.
The other is the advantages
that such a linkage can offer to
users/consumers.

The internal benefits in this case would not,

at least on the surface, appear to be of the
standard varieties, namely economies of
scale and scope, other sorts of cost savings,
production of new things, better research. I
hazard this guess for two reasons. The first
is that, in practice, many of the key people
involved at the operational level have
actually been working pretty closely together
for several years. Good relations have long
since been established, and there seems to be
a genuine “common chess language” which
all speak. Maybe this business fluidity can be
improved through the new closer ties, though
probably any financial and knowledge gains
will not be great.
The second is that, in the digital era, the ways
in which fusions are assessed is very different
from those used in older technology ventures.
Some years back we entered fully into the
realm of business where real knowledge
distilled from sound information became
THE PRODUCT. Crudely put, an enterprise
gathers information through generating and
distilling information into knowledge bundles
which can be marketed both to people and to
other entities. In contrast to earlier periods of
history, when business relied on extracting
resources from nature, now it is we ourselves
that constitute both the raw material and the
end user. To put this in current political terms
the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson,
famously campaigned on a slogan of “you can
have your cake, and eat it too”. This affirmation
overlooked, along with its other demerits, the
basic point that, in today’s world, YOU are also
the prime ingredient of the cake.
Alexander Grischuk (left), Magnus (centre)
and Dirk Jan (right) playing foosbal
Credit: Courtesy of PMG/NIC
The chess world is ideally suited to harness
these benefits. The game operates within
a closed domain where, as Bobby Fischer
famously remarked, “truth will out”. Fake
news will get you precisely nowhere
when it comes to winning games (David
Smerdon’s splendid demonstration of the
art of swindling over the board is a tribute
to ingenuity, courage and discipline –
it bears no relation to the astronomic
quantities of drivel flashing through the
air under the guise of “alternative truth”).
By working together under a single
umbrella, PMG and NIC can optimize the
knowledge benefits.
For players at all levels, there
is the promise of a mostly
electronic supermarket for
chess knowledge where
the cost of obtaining that
knowledge could perhaps be
reduced because the buyer is
entering into arrangements to
obtain, should she so wish, all
product varieties at once

158 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


Benefits for users/consumers can be
considerable. For players at all levels,
there is the promise of a mostly electronic
supermarket for chess knowledge where
the cost of obtaining that knowledge
could perhaps be reduced because the
buyer is entering into arrangements to
obtain, should she so wish, all product
varieties at once. Even if, as is the case,
the vast majority of players are amateurs,
this prospect of staying up to date at
low cost and through a single entity is
appetizing. When PMG went public a few
months back, Magnus commented that
one of the benefits of the umbrella group
might be that it could make it possible
for many more people to earn a living
from chess, whether as players, teachers,
communicators or otherwise.
For entities which consider that chess
knowledge can somehow be valuable to
their own operations, the prospects might
be even better. In effect, they have a single
source where they can examine what in
chess might be helpful to them. This was
no doubt the initial idea driving the original
formation of the PMG group. The fact that
the World Champion himself, who is the
immense force modernizing the game, is at
the centre of PMG offers a terrific guarantee
to the non-chess users. They can be very
confident indeed that through this business
March 2021
entity they can obtain the ultimate in the
game. And things work in reverse fashion.
In the future, if this is not already the case,
PMG/NIC can offer business consultancy
services to groups outside chess. The game
continues to enjoy a huge aura when it comes
to thinking. Let us not forget that, when the
great Alan Turing was called to try and
unravel the Enigma Code during the 1939-
1945 War, his team drew on some of the
outstanding chess minds in England in that
epoch – Alexander, Golombek, and Milner-
Barry all spent plenty of time at Bletchley.
Any business initiative looks to future
markets. What are the prospects? In my
earlier BCM pieces on “Chess as Business”,
I suggested that rough calculations indicate
there is a potential buyers market of several
hundred million players which is at present
served in a rather piecemeal fashion. Hence
there is an existing gap to be filled. But
two additional factors hint that the market
potential might be much greater.
One factor stems from the crucial steps
taken by, among others, Kasparov to
promote chess as a useful educational tool.
It appears that enough establishments in
many countries have been convinced by this
campaign. So the future “embedding” of
chess in the schools curricula goes firmly in
the direction of market expansion. A second
factor is COVID. This author’s view, based
on substantial experience in public health
management and an assessment of the
health risks posed by prevailing patterns
of economic and social change, is that
COVID and its effects will continue for a
substantial period of time. Even if COVID
led to a turbocharged sudden spurt in the
popularity of chess which is very unlikely
to be repeated, the longer-term effects will
still drive market growth.
It was Shakespeare who immortalized that
tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the
flood, can lead on to fortune. Our friends in
Norway and Holland, both countries with
exemplary records in seamanship, have
well and truly seized the flood – bravo!
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 159
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SALAMANCA RAPID WON BY SHIROV
By GM Aleksandar Colovic / www.alexcolovic.com
Photo: Salamanca Chess Festival Official
Four men (Topalov, Shirov, Iturrizaga –
playing his first tournament as a Spanish
player after switching federations
from his native Venezuela - and Anton
Guijarro) and four women players
(Salimova, Paehtz, Skripchenko and
Vega Gutierrez) faced off in a 7-round
all-play-all
The Spanish Federation was one of the
most active ones during the whole period of
the pandemic and it doesn’t seem to want
to slow down. From 3rd to 6th February they
organised a rapid OTB (over-the-board)
tournament with a very interesting format.
The event - in an unusual and dare we
say refreshing gender-mixed, all-play-
all format - was won by Shirov with an
impressive six out of seven.
160 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Things were, however, far from smooth for
the Latvian-born Spanish representative. In
the following game against the only player
from the field whom he regularly met
throughout his career he was on the brink
of defeat.
Veselin Topalov – Alexei Shirov
Salamanca Uni Masters Salamanca ESP (4.3)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 Shirov’s repertoire is
quite limited nowadays. It is the Semi-Slav
against 1.d4 and the Ruy Lopez against 1.e4
where he plays the Yurtaev/Arkhangelsk
Variation after 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 a6 4.¥a4
¤f6 5.0–0 b5 6.¥b3 ¥c5.
3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.e3 In his match with Kramnik
in Elista 2006 Topalov used this move-order

to avoid the Semi-Slav. The idea is to keep
the knight on b1 and in case of 4...e6 White
has various options to develop it on d2 or
to c3 under more favourable circumstances.
4...¥f5 This is one of the main replies to
White’s set-up. It was also used by Kramnik
in Elista though there Topalov managed
to pose problems with some interesting
opening ideas.
5.¤c3 e6 6.¤h4 The only way to fight for
an advantage is to take the bishop pair.
6...¥e4 Kramnik played 6...¥g6. Shirov’s
move aims to provoke f3 before dropping
to g6. This has both pros and cons: the pro
is that White’s pawn structure is looser,
while the con is that with a pawn on f3 the
e4–square is controlled and the e4–push is
easier to achieve.
7.f3 ¥g6 8.£b3
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9zpp+-+pzpp0
9-+p+psnl+0
9+-+p+-+-0
9-+PzP-+-sN0
9+QsN-zPP+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9tR-vL-mKL+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
This is generally played, as the queen puts
pressure on Black’s queenside, though at
last year’s Candidates in the game Giri-
Caruana White employed the idea of 8.¥d2
with the idea of taking on g6 and develop
the queen to c2. In this year’s Wijk Caruana
improved on that game in his game against
Donchenko.
8.¥d2!? ¥e7 9.¤xg6 hxg6 10.£c2 ¤bd7
11.0–0–0 a6 Caruana’s improvement over
the artificial-looking 11...¤b6 12.c5 ¤bd7
that he played against Giri in Yekaterinburg.
12.g4 dxc4 13.¥xc4 b5 14.¥e2 c5, with
March 2021
Social distance and masks –
the playing venue
complex play as in the game: 0–1 (32)
Donchenko,A (2668)-Caruana,F (2823)
Wijk aan Zee NED 2021
8...£c7 9.¥d2 ¥e7 10.0–0–0 An ambitious
plan. The alternative is to finish the
development of the kingside first.
10...dxc4 Black immediately opens the
queenside in order to start his counterplay
there. After a move like 10...a6 (intending
to take on c4 and then quickly follow up
with ...b5 and ...c5) White can consider
11.c5, closing down the queenside.
11.¥xc4 b5 12.¥e2 a6 13.¤xg6 White
captures the bishop in order to secure
access to the e4–square.
13...hxg6 14.£c2
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+k+-tr0
9+-wq-vlpzp-0
9p+p+psnp+0
9+p+-+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sN-zPP+-0
9PzPQvLL+PzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 161
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This is a rare choice by Topalov. The most
often played move is the immediate 14.¤e4.
With the queen move White intends to take
on e4 with the queen after Black takes
...¤xe4.
14...c5 Taking the pawn on h2 is rarely
good in these lines. After 14...¦xh2?!
15.e4 White threatens e5 and after the
exchange on h1 to play ¦h8. 15...¦xh1
16.¦xh1 ¤fd7 17.f4 , which gives White
excellent compensation as Black’s
king lacks a safe haven and White has
a full pawn centre and the bishop pair;
14...¤bd7 was perhaps more precise,
preparing the c5–push after 15.¤e4
¦c8 when Black may consider short
castle before pushing ...c5 and starting
queenside activities.
15.¤e4 ¤xe4 16.£xe4 £c6?! The
endgame here is better for White.
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-+k+-tr0
9+-+-vlpzp-0
9p+q+p+p+0
9+pzp-+-+-0
9-+-zPQ+-+0
9+-+-zPP+-0
9PzP-vLL+PzP0
9+-mKR+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
16...cxd4+ 17.¢b1 ¤c6 was better. The pin
on the c-file appears dangerous, but Black
manages to control it. 18.¦c1 ¦c8 19.f4!?
Threatening ¥f3 to attack the pinned knight
on c6. (19.exd4?! £d7 is comfortable for
Black as he has good play against White’s
isolated queen’s pawn.) 19...£d6 20.¥f3
f5 The only way to alleviate the pressure on
the knight on c6. 21.£d3 ¢f7, connecting
the rooks. The position is complicated and
both sides have their chances here.
17.¢b1 £xe4+ 18.fxe4 White is better
here thanks to the pair of bishops and the
mobile pawn centre.
162 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
18...¤d7 19.e5 Putting the pawns on
the squares of the same colour as the
opponent’s bishop as this limits the
bishop and increases the scope of White’s
unopposed light-squared bishop.
19...cxd4?! Shirov opens the c-file though
it was possible to keep it closed after
19...¦c8. The problem is that it is White
who can use it.
20.¥f3 ¦b8 21.exd4 0–0?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-+-trk+0
9+-+nvlpzp-0
9p+-+p+p+0
9+p+-zP-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+L+-0
9PzP-vL-+PzP0
9+K+R+-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy
The king leaves the centre and this leaves
Black’s pieces on the 7th rank exposed.
21...¤b6 was better, trying to establish
control over the light squares. 22.¦c1 ¤c4,
shutting the c-file. 23.¥c6+ ¢f8 24.¥e1
¥g5 25.¦c2 White is still pressing, but for
now Black keeps the position closed, thus
not allowing White to use the power of his
bishops.
22.¦c1 ¤b6 23.¦c7 ¤c4 A bit too late, as
the rook already made it to c7.
24.¥c3?! This allows the bishop to be
activated via g5. Topalov’s idea is to defend
the e5–pawn after White pushes d5, but
there was a better way.
24.¥c1! prevents ...¥g5. Now, after
24...¥d8 25.¦c6 a5, 26.a4! Is the strong
move that destroys Black’s queenside.
With the pawn on b5 and the knight on
c4 left without support Black is close
to losing.
 March 2021

The semi-retired Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov finished on “only” 50 percent

24...¥g5 Black takes the chance. wasn’t easy to calculate, especially in a

rapid game.
25.d5
XIIIIIIIIY 26.d6! was natural, but White had to see
that after 26...¦xc7 27.dxc7 ¦c8 28.b3! Is
9-tr-+-trk+0 the only move to justify the pawn push. The
9+-tR-+pzp-0 point is that the knight has no good squares
to go to. 28...¤d2+ (28...¤b6 29.¥a5 And
9p+-+p+p+0 when the knight moves White wins with
9+p+PzP-vl-0 ¥b7; 28...¤a3+ 29.¢b2 ¦xc7 30.¥a5
9-+n+-+-+0 wins the knight on a3.) 29.¥xd2 ¥xd2
30.¦d1 ¥a5. It appears that Black is safe
9+-vL-+L+-0 as he picks up the pawn on c7 and controls
9PzP-+-+PzP0 the d8–square, but after 31.b4! ¥b6 (Or
31...¥xc7 32.¦c1) 32.¦d6 ¥xc7 33.¦c6
9+K+-+-+R0 the pin on the c-file is deadly and White
xiiiiiiiiy wins a piece after ¦c5 and ¥b7.
Black is still under pressure here.
26...¦xc8 27.dxe6 Now 27.d6 is met by
25...¦fc8? 25...b4! was the only way to 27...¤a3+ and White must take the knight
stay in the game. After the forcing line as 28.¢a1? b4! is good for Black as the
26.¦xc4 bxc3 27.¦xc3 ¥f4 28.dxe6 ¥xe5 bishop on c3 is short of squares in view of
29.exf7+ ¦xf7 30.¦c2 White is a pawn the fork after ...¤c2.
up, but the opposite-coloured bishops give
Black some drawing chances. 27...fxe6 The endgame is equal now as
Black has the ...¤a3 trick at his disposal.
26.¦xc8+? Missing the chance.
Admittedly, the following winning line 28.¥g4

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 163

03/141

XIIIIIIIIY The position is sharp as White wants to

attack on the kingside but Black is very
9-+r+-+k+0 solid.
9+-+-+-zp-0
21.f5?! The direct way, but it doesn’t
9p+-+p+p+0 bring much.
9+p+-zP-vl-0
9-+n+-+L+0 21.£h5 was better as the threat of f5 is
now stronger because Black cannot move
9+-vL-+-+-0 the knight from e6 with tempo, as she could
9PzP-+-+PzP0 in the game.
9+K+-+-+R0 21...¤c7 Escaping with tempo and on the
xiiiiiiiiy next move Black can blockade White’s
28...¤a3+! Black sacrifices the pawn on e6 advanced pawns.
but his activity and the opposite-coloured
bishops easily save the draw. 22.£d2 f6?! This is possible, but there was
no need for such drastic measures.
29.bxa3 ¦xc3 30.¥xe6+ ¢h7 31.¥b3
¥e7 Attacking the pawn on a3 and 22...¥f6 was much more harmonious,
threatening ...¦e3. achieving the same blockade but activating
the bishop at the same time. 23.¤h5 ¥e5
32.¦e1 ¥xa3 33.e6 ¥e7 34.¦c1 ¦xc1+ is perfectly safe for Black as after 24.f6 g6
35.¢xc1 g5 25.¤f4 ¦xa2 Black is taking over while
White has nothing on the kingside.
½–½
23.¤h5 d5 24.e5? Shirov goes forward,
but this is premature.
Things were not clear-cut even when
playing the lower-rated female opponents.
Alexei Shirov playing Almira Skripchenko
Here’s an example that could have made
the tournament completely different for
both players.

Alexei Shirov – Almira Skripchenko

Salamanca Uni Masters Salamanca ESP (5.2)
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-tr-+k+0
9+-+-vlpzpp0
9-wq-zpn+-+0
9+-zpQ+-+-0
9-zp-+PzP-+0
9+-+-vL-sN-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9+-+R+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
164 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

24.£e2 was better as now the queen can
go to g4 to support the kingside threats. For
example, 24...d4 25.¥h6! gxh6 (25...¥f8?
26.£c4+ ¢h8 27.£f7 gxh6 28.¦f3
Threatening ¦g3 shows White’s attacking
potential.) 26.£g4+ ¢f7 27.£g7+ ¢e8
28.¦de1: preparing e5 with a complete
mess that Shirov would have enjoyed.
24...¤e8 Strengthening the kingside.
25.¥h6?
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-trn+k+0
9+-+-vl-zpp0
9-wq-+-zp-vL0
9+-zppzPP+N0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzP-wQ-+PzP0
9+-+R+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This move should have lost the game as,
objectively speaking, White has nothing
to show for the piece. However, there is
also a thing called "The Shirov Factor" –
March 2021
intimidating opponents with aggressive
sacrifices, even though they’re not always
justified. Sometimes, the players are so
stunned that they can’t find the right
response on the board.
25.exf6 ¤xf6 26.¤f4 was better, though
Black is well on top after 26...¦xa2.
25...gxh6 26.¦de1 Keeping the tension
would be the right plan here, only the
problem is that White doesn’t have threats
that he enhances by keeping this tension.
26.£xh6 Can be met by 26...c4+ 27.¢h1
¥f8 28.£f4 ¢h8 and Black’s king is safe.
26...¥f8 27.exf6 ¦d6 This is still fine,
though there were other good moves too
that were also simpler.
27...¤xf6 Nothing wrong with taking the
pawn as after 28.¦e6 Black has 28...¤e4
and the knight controls everything. After
29.£f4 ¦d6 Black has nothing to worry
about; 27...£a7, removing the queen from
¦e6 attacks was also possible.
28.f7+ ¢xf7 29.f6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+nvl-+0
9+-+-+k+p0
9-wq-tr-zP-zp0
9+-zpp+-+N0
9-zp-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzP-wQ-+PzP0
9+-+-tRRmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
29...d4?? A very bad move that allows
White to use the b1–h7 diagonal because it
blocks the g1–a7 diagonal so Black cannot
give the discovered check with ...c4. "The
Shirov Factor" in action.
29...¤c7 was still winning for Black
30.£c2 (30.£f4 ¦e6 and again White
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 165
03/141
has no threats.) 30...¢g8 defends the
pawn on h7 and since the knight has
left the e8–square the check after f7 is
not dangerous.
30.£d3 Suddenly it’s game over.
30...¤xf6 30...¢g8 31.f7+ is the problem
with leaving the knight on e8.
31.£xh7+ Black is mated on the next
move.
1–0
The semi-retired Topalov was perhaps
the pre-event favourite, but he lost to
the young Spanish players Anton and
Iturrizaga and couldn’t beat Salimova and
Vega Gutierrez, which meant he finished
on 50 per cent.
The ladies put up a serious fight. As we
saw above, Skripchenko could have beaten
Shirov, Vega and Salimova drew with
Topalov and Paehtz drew with Anton.
The young Bulgarian talent Nurgyul
Salimova (born in 2003) is already an
International Master and has a very sound
positional style. She improves quickly and
I expect her to enter the elite of women’s
chess soon. Here is a smooth game that also
shows her as a good psychologist.
Nurgyul Salimova –
Sabrina Vega Gutierrez
Salamanca Uni Masters Salamanca ESP (2.3)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤f3 c6 4.g3 Salimova’s
style is positionally-oriented so her
repertoire includes openings like the
Catalan with White and the Caro-Kann
with Black.
4...dxc4 5.¥g2 b5 6.¤e5 ¥b7 7.0–0 ¤f6
8.¤c3 The alternatives are 8.a4 and 8.b3.
8...a6 9.b3 b4 10.bxc4!?
166 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
Nurgyul Salimova (born in 2003) is
already an International Master and will
likely enter the world’s elite very soon
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9+l+-+pzpp0
9p+p+psn-+0
9+-+-sN-+-0
9-zpPzP-+-+0
9+-sN-+-zP-0
9P+-+PzPLzP0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
A very good practical decision for rapid
chess! While the sacrifice isn’t entirely
correct, to prove that in a rapid game with no
preparation is an incredibly difficult task. The
theoretical moves are 10.¤a4 and 10.¤e4.
10...¤fd7? The risk paid off immediately.
Black had no choice but to take the knight.
10...bxc3: the only game played in this line
shows how complicated the position is even
after careful analysis. 11.¦b1 ¦a7 Now
Black needs to make several only moves. This
is the first one. (11...£c7? This gives White
tremendous compensation after 12.£b3 ¥c8
13.c5, when Black can barely move. 13...¥xc5
This attempt to liberate her position leads to
a bad endgame after 14.dxc5 £xe5 15.¥f4
£xc5 16.¥xb8 0–0 17.¦fc1 when Black will

be likely to lose both pawns on the c-file.)
12.d5!? Is a more direct attempt and it appears
to be an improvement. 12.¥e3 ¥d6 13.d5
c5 Again the only move. Now White has a
wider choice, but none of the moves offer
satisfactory compensation. 14.£a4+ (14.dxe6
This is probably White’s best bet. 14...¥xg2
15.¤xf7 ¦xf7 16.exf7+ ¢xf7 17.¢xg2 ¥e5
18.£xd8 ¦xd8 when White can try to fight in
the endgame.; 14.¤xf7 ¢xf7 15.dxe6+ ¢xe6
16.¥xb7 ¦e8 and Black will consolidate.)
14...¤bd7? Black falters. (14...¢e7 was the
correct move. After 15.¤xf7 ¢xf7 16.dxe6+
¢xe6 17.¥xb7 £d7 White doesn’t have
compensation for the piece.) 15.dxe6 fxe6?
(After 15...¥xg2 16.exd7+ ¤xd7 17.¤xd7
£xd7 18.£xd7+ ¢xd7 19.¢xg2 ¢c6 the
endgame is equal as Black’s king covers the
pawn on c5 and the entry points along the
b-file.) 16.¥xb7? White also errs, showing
how complex the position is as even very
strong players couldn’t see through the
complicated variations. (16.¤xd7 £xd7
17.£xd7+ ¢xd7 18.¥xb7 leaves White
with the bishop pair and the better chances.)
16...¥xe5 17.¥xc5 ¦xb7! 18.¦xb7 £c8
19.¦a7 £xc5 20.¦a8+ ¢e7 21.¦xh8 ¤e4
The curious material imbalance of two rooks
and a pawn for three light pieces is in Black’s
favour as his pieces are well-coordinated
and he has a dangerous passed c-pawn.
½–½ (39) Li,C (2697)-Ankit,R (2455) Graz
2014) 12...¥d6 13.¤xc6 ¤xc6 14.dxc6 ¥a8
15.¥e3 ¦c7 16.¦b6 0–0 17.¦xa6 2ith an
unclear position as the pawn on c6 paralyses
Black’s bishop on a8.
11.¤e4
XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0
9+l+n+pzpp0
9p+p+p+-+0
9+-+-sN-+-0
9-zpPzPN+-+0
9+-+-+-zP-0
9P+-+PzPLzP0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
March 2021
Now White is practically winning. Black
doesn’t have compensation for the
wrecked queenside structure and White’s
central preponderance.
11...¥e7 12.¤d3 White can proceed in
different ways, but Salimova’s choice is a
characteristic one - she keeps it controlled
and rounds up Black’s b4–pawn.
12.¤xd7 ¤xd7 13.¥f4, with the threat of
¤d6, is a good alternative.
12...a5 13.a3 ¤a6 14.c5 Cutting off the
bishop’s connection with the pawn on b4,
fixing the pawn on c6 and making the
bishop on b7 a really bad one.
14...¤f6 15.¤xf6+ ¥xf6 16.e3 Stabilising
the centre. Now the pawn on b4 is doomed.
16...0–0 17.axb4 ¤xb4 18.¤xb4 axb4
19.¥d2 e5 Black tries to liberate her
position but White remains a pawn up after
taking on a8, e5 and eventually on b4.
20.¦xa8 £xa8 21.dxe5 ¥xe5 22.¥xb4
¥a6 Finally activating the bishop.
23.¦e1 £b7 24.¥a5 The bishop wants to
come to b6 from where it defends the pawn
on c5. Then White can combine the attack
on the pawn on c6 with the advance of the
central pawns.
24...£b5 25.£d2 £xc5? A blunder, but
Black’s position was not one to be envied.
26.¥b4 £b6 27.¥xf8 ¢xf8 28.¦c1 c5
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-mk-+0
9+-+-+pzpp0
9lwq-+-+-+0
9+-zp-vl-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-zP-zP-0
9-+-wQ-zPLzP0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 167
03/141

29.¦xc5! Black cannot take on c5 in view manoeuvre in the game Bondarevsky−

of the mate on d8.
1–0
I was impressed by the following
example. I don’t know if Vega has
studied the classics, but if she came up
with the queen manoeuvre herself it is
even more impressive!
Botvinnik from the absolute championship
of the USSR in 1941.
16...£d8 The queen is en route to the
kingside.
17.¤g5 a4 Threatening ...a3.
18.a3 £f8 19.¥f1 White’s attack has come
to a standstill and Skripchenko marks time.

Almira Skripchenko – 19...h6 20.¤f3 ¢h8! Liberating the path

Sabrina Vega Gutierrez for the queen.
Salamanca Uni Masters Salamanca ESP (4.4) 21.¤fh2 £g8 22.£f3 £h7 Completing
XIIIIIIIIY the manoeuvre. The queen is active on
9r+r+-+k+0 the b1-h7 diagonal and successfully fends
off any attempts White may try on the
9+-wq-vlpzpp0 kingside. After many adventures eventually
9lsnn+p+-+0 Black won the game.
9zp-zppzP-+-0 0–1
9-zp-+-vLNzP0
9+-zPP+NzP-0 It is always good to see an over−the−board
9PzP-+QzPL+0 tournament, even if players are playing
9tR-+-tR-mK-0 with masks.
xiiiiiiiiy The Spanish Federation already announced
In a typical King’s Indian Attack (a its calendar and the summer looks pretty
Skripchenko favourite) Vega initiates busy on the Iberian Peninsula. Let’s hope
an instructive manoeuvre. I first saw this it all goes well!

SALAMANCA MASTERS
FINAL STANDINGS
Rk Name Rtg. Pts. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TB Perf.
1 GM Alexei Shirov 2662 6.0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 17.50 2837
2 GM David Anton Guijarro 2679 5.5 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 15.25 2755
3 GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli 2607 5.5 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 13.75 2766
4 GM Veselin Topalov 2735 3.5 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 8.50 2517
5 WGM Elisabeth Paehtz 2467 3.0 0 ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ 7.00 2506
6 WGM Nurgyul Salimova 2397 2.5 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 3.75 2464
7 WGM Sabrina Neide Vega Gutierrez 2392 1.5 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 2.25 2336
8 WGM Almira Skripchenko 2418 0.5 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1.50 2141

168 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


BCM EXCLUSIVE: THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER
(BENNY WATTS FROM THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT), ON CHESS AND THE NETFLIX HIT-SERIES:
CHESS IS BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE
AND YET SO COMPLICATED
By Milan Dinic; Photo: Netflix
- The beauty in such a simple game which
is also hugely complicated, and the whole
history of chess which revolves around a
simple fact of two people sitting around a
board and trying to beat each other using
beautifully carved pieces of wood which
represent hierarchies and politics, is just
fascinating, says Thomas Brodie-Sangster
in his interview for BCM
Benny Watts is the unconventional, Indiana
Jones-dressed, chilled, slightly arrogant,
hippie/outlawish American chess prodigy and
champion, from the Netflix series The Queen’s
Gambit. Next to Beth Harmon (played by Anya
Taylor-Joy), he is one of the chief protagonists in
March 2021
the mini-series about chess and the life struggles
of an orphaned girl in the 1950s/1960s America.
The role of Benny Watts is, in the view of the
author of these lines, marvellously played by
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (30), whose first
major appearance was in Love Actually (2003).
He also played the role of Paul McCartney in
Nowhere Boy (2009), a biographical drama
about John Lennon. In 2018, Variety described
him as one of ‘the most exciting and versatile
young British actors working today’.
BCM caught up with Thomas in London
in February. We discussed his role in the
Netflix series, chess and acting.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 169
03/141

British Chess Magazine: How are you dealing

with the lockdown? You’re in London.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster: I’m getting on with

it. I got a bit more used to it this time, unlike the
previous lockdowns. I’m not a huge socialite
who needs to go out so I don’t mind it too much.
But I understand it’s necessary. However, I’m
here with my mum, my sister, my best mate and
her boyfriend. There’s quite a few of us in the
house but we seem to be dealing with it OK and
we’re not getting on top of each other too much.

BCM: Many have found it difficult to work

and function under these circumstances.
How has this impacted your work so far?

TBS: I’m still getting used to having a Covid

test three times a week and everyone wearing
masks. It can be hard to know who’s who and
what’s what. Keeping distance is important, but
during rehearsals is hard to be reading a scene
and communicate properly with masks. I’m just
happy that we’re able to work. It’s nice to be
back on the job doing what we want to do and
still staying safe. There’s a lot of precautions in
place but it doesn’t feel too restrictive.

BCM: Talking about chess, what’s your

connection to the game – where did you
learn how to play it, who taught you?

TBS: I thought about this. I asked my parents

who taught me, and they said it wasn’t them. I
don’t really know. I played checkers with my
mum when I was a kid, so I had the board.
At some point, my mum got me some chess
pieces. They came in a solid box which was a
puzzle and you had to work out how to open
it. Once I did there were loads of chess pieces
inside and I arranged them on my board.

I don’t, however, remember how I learnt to

play chess. I did play a chess prodigy as a
young boy, for another role. But it wasn’t about
chess but more about WW2. Chess was more
a metaphor there. I could have learnt it then,
but really can’t remember. I only know what
Benny’s appearance – in black, with a
the pieces do and how they move around, but hat, coat and a knife which he never uses
I don’t know any of the openings, defences or - is aimed at provoking and unsettling
anything like that. his oponents, say Thomas Brodie

170 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


BCM: Do you have a chess set at home?
TBS: I do, I have several now.
BCM: Since the Queen’s Gambit have you
been playing chess?
TBS: I played quite a bit. My sister’s boyfriend
is very good, and he plays quite a bit. He takes
quite a bit of pride in saying he beat the ‘US
champion’ in the fictional world. I play with
my girlfriend but also with anyone who wants
to play. It’s a nice thing to do.
When I was filming the series I’d often get
up in the morning with my girlfriend, make
myself a coffee and slowly wake up. It was
during the summer, so we had beautiful
mornings and could slowly wake up. We
just sat in silence and played chess. It was a
really nice way to start a day.
BCM: Who’s better – you or your girlfriend?
TBS: I’d say we’re even. I do, however,
remember that one time she beat me four
games in a row, which I wasn’t very happy
about. I actually got a bit annoyed!
BCM: In one of the interviews you said that
you noticed how the chess professionals
you met during the filming of the series got
really annoyed when losing a quick game
behind the set. How did you pick up on
that and what does that say to you?
TBS: Even the director, Scott Frank, would
play quite a lot and he hated losing. Also,
some people involved in the shooting were
playing chess behind the scenes and it was
occasionally an effort to get them up to
do their job. They were playing on boards
which we were supposed to use so we had
to reset their games and they weren’t so
happy about this.
The games were not serious, but you could see
from their body language and the words they
used that they were really engrossed in the
games. Even though the situation was light,
you could tell the underlining seriousness in
March 2021
THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT WINS THE
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
The success of the Netflix series The
Queen's Gambit has been formally
crowned by: the series won the Golden
Globe for best miniseries or television
film, while Anya Taylor-Joy, who played
the main character Beth Harmon, won
the Golden Globe for best actress in a
miniseries or television film.
the background and that they were craving to
win the game they played. I’m not a hugely
competitive person so I don’t really feel that,
and I found it interesting that chess can bring
that out in you.
BCM: Apart from the games on set, did
you play chess amongst yourselves during
the filming of the Queen’s Gambit? Who
was the best player among the crew?
TBS: We did it a bit. Chess takes quite a bit of
time so there weren’t a lot of opportunities. I
think Scott, the director, was the best.
BCM: Who are the chess experts you
worked with during the filming? I know [the
famous US chess coach] Bruce Pandolfini
worked with you [check out his interview
in the December 2020 issue of BCM!], but
was Garry Kasparov on the set as well?
TBS: I didn’t work with Kasparov personally.
I know that he helped in terms of positions and
setup. I was mostly working with Pandolfini
whilst we were in Canada. One we moved the
filming to Germany I didn’t really see him
much. The initial introduction to chess, and
the way Benny plays – his style and games –
was with Bruce. That was in Toronto.
I don’t remember how I learnt to play
chess. I only know what the pieces
do and how they move around, but
I don’t know any of the openings,
defences or anything like that
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 171
03/141
BCM: How did you practice with Pandolfini?
TBS: We sat down and spoke about chess in
general and the characters. Pandolfini talked
about some of his students and the differences
in how he teaches them depending on their
personality traits. He said to me ‘I can’t teach you
to be a Grandmaster, but what I can teach you
how a Grandmaster might play’. He showed me
certain dos and don’ts. A lot of it was building
the confidence in moving the pieces like a pro. It
wasn’t even working on the game. It was about
moving pieces and developing a certain style in
how you move the pieces around the board.
We also looked into the gestures around the
board – writing down the moves, pressing
the clock, what do you do with your hands. It
was less about the practical side of the game
and more about the nuances and the style.
BCM: Based on the experiences you had,
how has your opinion about chess changed
during the Queen’s Gambit?
TBS: It has changed a lot. I didn’t know
much about it. Chess wasn’t something
Friends, adversaries and lovers: Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) and
Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster)
172 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
that particularly inspired me or grabbed
me hugely. However, spending time with
the character who is inclined that way
is a lovely thing. You are forced to dive
into and explore the chess world with
the eyes of someone very passionate
about it.
It’s a beautifully simple game and yet so
complicated. The beauty in such a simple
game that is also hugely complicated, and
the whole history of chess which revolves
around a simple fact of two people sitting
around a board and trying to beat each
other using beautifully carved pieces of
wood which represent hierarchies and
politics, and how people find it intriguing
as they did hundreds of years ago, it’s all
just fascinating. And the fact that the game
hasn’t changed so much over centuries is
just amazing.
I still don’t have a deep connection with
chess. It’s not something that floats my boat.
But, it’s like when you see anyone good at
anything – it’s just mesmerising. I got to see
and experience that with chess and I love it.

BCM: When you saw the script, did you
think it was going to be a big success or
did you think it would be more niche?
TBS: I certainly thought that it was going to
be good but very niche. The script was very
good, the story is great, I’ve worked with the
director before and the key crew. So I knew
it would be of good quality especially when
I saw the set and the costumes – I fell in love
with this slightly polished, postcard version
of the 1960s. I knew it was going to be
beautiful and well-acted. And at that point,
you realise why people might think the same.
Surprisingly, for a pretty niche subject, it
was really well received. This is not always
easy, especially with something which is a
bit weird, unusual.
BCM: Have you had people sending fan
mail or coming up to you on the street?
TBS: Yes, and from a big, diverse group of
people. But every time it was not so much
about me, but about the whole show and
how they enjoyed it and it helped them get
through the lockdown.
BCM: How difficult was it for you to
transition the accent from English to
American?
TBS: As an English actor you have to learn
some American anyway. Benny is originally
from New York, so I wanted to do an East
Coast accent, but Scott then said that because
Benny moves all across the country, he didn’t
really want him to become too ’accenty’.
I worked with the dialect coach who was
involved in other projects I was on before, so it
was good. She helped me with that southern,
Oklahoma accent which is a bit weird.
BCM: When it comes to the way Benny
is dressed – why is he dressed like that?
Almost like Indiana Jones?
TBS: I think it’s to provoke. He’s into music
and is rebellious.
March 2021
THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ACTING
AND BEING YOURSELF
BCM: When you appear on a set and the
first time everyone comes together, is there
a hierarchy there among actors? Do the
main actors have the tendency to act as
if they have most authority? How is the
chemistry between the actors established?
TBS: Usually you have a good 200-300
people coming together to work on one
scenario. It’s a personality thing, not an actor
thing. On a good, productive set there isn’t
any competition or hierarchy. But, then, the
leads/the protagonists are the ones that the
story is about, the important ones. And the
supporting actors are just as key to the story
of the main actors, as much as the main
actors’ performance is. So there is an attitude
of wanting to get behind someone and back
them to tell the story in the most effective
way, but on a healthy set it doesn’t come
from an egotistical point of view, but from a
collaborative point of view.
BCM: As an actor – how easy or difficult
is it to step out of the role? For example,
if you’re playing a very negative character,
does the need to fully embrace the role affect
how you behave as a person in general?
TBS: It depends on the person. However,
you do take on certain character traits and
maintain them naturally. Nearly every actor I
know does that to a certain extent. However,
it’s also important to switch off and just chill
with the other people who you are supposed
to be quite close with during the filming. It’s
important to hang out after the workday has
ended, go out for a drink and socialise. It’s
important to leave the script and the work
behind. You can take on a bit of the character
that you’re playing; however, even if it’s
someone who is nasty, it doesn’t mean you
have to be a nasty person at all.
You have to find a way to sympathise with
the role of a person you’re playing and
sympathise with how they see the world, in
order to better portray them. That doesn’t
necessarily equate to your being like that to
people you’re working with. It’s a job and it’s
pretend – that’s important to remember.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 173
03/141

HOW ACTORS DEAL WITH FANS AND HOW FANS SHOULD DEAL WITH ACTORS
BCM: How do you deal with fans in general – when they approach you in public?

TBS: The way to deal with it is quite

easy these days – you just wear a mask
so that hides quite a lot and people don’t
want to come up to you anyway because
of Covid. In general, I try to be nice and
try to see things from people’s point of
view. Even if I’m not in the mood I don’t
blame the people who approach me. I
get it that it’s weird. You almost feel like
they know you because you’ve allowed
them to see a part of you and yet it’s not
really you. It’s you through someone
else. It’s a strange situation when you
meet someone who you see on TV.

Although, sometimes it’s really hard;

when you don’t want to be that person on TV but just hang out with your mates and
someone keeps bringing up the fact that you’re not a ‘normal’ person, you end up
feeling almost like some kind of a caricature. It could be a bit alienating and a bit
strange at first. However, it’s part of the job and sometimes it affects you and sometimes
you brush it off. Most of the time people come up to you to give you a compliment and
that’s really nice.

BCM: From the perspective of a fan, what should they do when they see a TV personality
they like?

TBS: Respect is the number one thing. If you come up and are a bit cocky, arrogant or
assume that I might be because of my position, and you bring some kind of unnecessary
provoking attitude, that’s not cool. Treat people with respect, across the board, before you
get to know them.

The other rule I have is just a personal one but I think it applies to most people who have
any kind of level of fame or recognition would probably agree: if you’re eating it’s not
nice to be interrupted. Especially if I’m on a date or with my family or girlfriend, and if
we’re in a middle of a meal, I don’t like being interrupted. Don’t go up to someone while
they are eating.

If you’re gone go up to anyone, just be nice to them and most of the times they will be
nice as well.

BCM: How does this affect your friends?

TBS: They just get a bit bored to constantly have to take photos of you. It happens quite
a lot that people ask for a photo and my friends, instead of taking the picture, they would
take a selfie instead. They find a way of having fun with it. I just feel a bit guilty because
it all comes back to me. You’ve just got to get on with it.with. It’s a job and it’s pretend
– that’s important to remember.

174 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE


BCM: Is he a hippie?
TBS: I think so. He’s got an element of hippie
about him. I still think he would try to retain a
part of him and wouldn’t jump on a bandwagon
of a general social movement of any kind. He
might be inspired by it, but he wants to make
sure he always wants to make sure he’s himself.
He’s also got a dark side – he wears a lot of
black and dark stuff.
BCM: What happened to his knife?
TBS: I wanted to keep that knife! It’s funny
why he has it as he never uses it. There was
never a scene where he ever uses his knife for
anything, it was just – again – broadcasting
his difference from anyone else. The knife
and the way he dresses emphasise how
different he is from the rest of the chess
world, where everyone is in tweed jackets
and dressed nicely. He wants to completely
stand out but also to intimidate or unsettle
his opponent because he is so relaxed and
comfortable in his own skin. He wears that
almost ridiculous clothing, like some kind
of Indiana Jones or a pirate.
BCM: What’s the relationship between
Benny and Beth – are they friends,
adversaries, lovers, or all of this together?
TBS: They are all that together. I think
they meet in certain points of life where
they drink really heavily and are close and
then they really heavily clash. Therefore,
there is an attraction of some kind. I think
that’s quite true of life too. Sometimes
A THANK YOU TO THE CHESS WORLD
Thomas Brodie-Sangster had a special
message for the readers of BCM who
watched the series and the chess fans of
the series:
- I’d like to thank the chess community for
accepting the show and us as characters.
We are all very happy that it’s gone down
well within the chess community.
March 2021
you meet someone, and you know that
there is a real link there and again it’s
not necessary to be in a relationship with
them, it’s just something about being
around them. Even though you live
different lives there is a link there that
brings you together and helps both of you
to make sense of the world. I think that’s
what the relationship between Beth and
Benny really is about. I think it can be a
bit confusing at first.
BCM: Given your background and
experience, how big of a challenge is it
to portray chess on the big screen and
make it interesting to the general – non-
chess - audience?
TBS: I’m familiar with those issues as
even the people involved in the shooting
discussed it. The question was how to make
chess look cool, sexy, but the challenge is
how to make a connection with someone
who isn’t that much into chess.
When we started I asked Scott, the director,
how are we going to make this given that
in every episode there is at least one chess
game in it?! How do you make it look
different and exciting every time, so people
are enthralled?
I’m not really entirely sure I know the
answer. For example, I like Formula
One, but if you look at it it’s just a lot
of cars running around making noise
and the only bit of human you see is the
part of the face underneath the helmet.
It’s hard to feel the connection to the
human part as all you see is cars with
sponsored adverts on them. But when
you get to know the individual drivers
and what makes them tick this changes
the perspective.
Bringing out the human aspect of it and
developing character and giving individual
players the opportunity and stage to put on a
show, and bringing more theatre to it, helps
raise interest. Use the personalities of each
individual to bring that out.
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 175
HERDING GOATS
03/141

By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE

176 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

In 1987 I worked with master statistician,
Professor Nathan Divinsky of The
University of British Columbia, on  our
book  Warriors of the Mind  (still in print
with Hardinge Simpole Publishing) in
an attempt to ascertain the grandest of
Grandmasters. We used a sophisticated
algorithm worked out by the Professor
and came to the conclusion that Kasparov,
Karpov and Fischer were the top three,
sometimes irreverently described as The
GOATS (Greatest of All Time).
However, when we performed the
calculations, Kramnik and Anand had
barely launched their careers, while Magnus
Carlsen was not yet even born.
Accordingly, this month, in the absence of
Professor Divinsky, who passed in 2012, I
have resorted to a less complex method of
separating the goats from the sheep.
In the charts which follow, I have given
all of the World Champions’ results
against other World Champions (in
classical time limit games only). The
charts have all results between World
Champions, in chronological order,
the overall list, also in chronological
sequence, and a final table of results, in
descending order of percentages from
the highest to the lowest.
Points to note are the extraordinary
dominance of Emanuel Lasker and the
uniform score, slightly sub-fifty percent,
of all the cadre of Soviet World Champions
whose reigns occurred entirely between
1957 to 1972 (Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian and
Spassky). In those days, it was commonly
thought that the World Champion should
be regarded as primus inter pares, instead
of seeing the kind of domination from the
days of Lasker, or Alekhine’s first reign
(1927-1935).
After the relative calm of the Soviet
quartet, both Karpov and Kasparov broke
through the fifty percent barrier. The
latter decisively.
March 2021
The score of Steinitz also requires some
elucidation. Steinitz himself dated the
commencement of his reign from the
moment when he defeated Adolph
Anderssen, world leader at the time,
in London 1866. Conversely, most
authorities identify the Steinitz vs.
Zukertort clash of 1886 as the start of
Steinitz’s official dominion. Since both
players had claims to be the world’s
leading exponent at the time, I have
decided to include the results of Steinitz
against both Anderssen and Zukertort in
my figures, not just the outcome against
Lasker.
This month’s game is a clash from
Hastings, in the first great international
tournament held in that iconic town.
Emanuel Lasker - Wilhelm Steinitz
Hastings Tournament, 1895
1.e4 e5  2. ¤f3 ¤c6  3. ¥b5 a6 4. ¥a4
d6 5. O-O ¤e7 6. c3 ¥d7 7. d4 ¤g6
White has a well-supported, ideal pawn
centre, but Steinitz has created a resilient
defensive structure.
8.¦e1 ¥e7 9. ¤bd2 O-O 10. ¤f1 £e8
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+qtrk+0
9+pzplvlpzpp0
9p+nzp-+n+0
9+-+-zp-+-0
9L+-zPP+-+0
9+-zP-+N+-0
9PzP-+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQtRNmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Commencing a somewhat artificial
manoeuvre, the point of which, ultimately,
is to provoke White into blocking the
centre by pushing his d-pawn to d5.
Steinitz plans later to counterplay based
on the thrust …f7-f5. This strategy is now
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 177
03/141

well known from such defences as the

King’s Indian, but in 1895 its subtlety was
nothing short of revolutionary. Sadly for
Steinitz, his splendid strategic conception
is marred by some unnecessary toing and
froing with his pieces. He could have
achieved an identical goal by playing the
immediate 10…¥g4.
The top of the very best
The Charts of World Champions’ results
in classical time list games only against
other World Champions they have played.
The scores are 1 point for a win; ½ a point
for a draw; 0 points for a loss.

11. ¥c2 ¢h8  12. ¤g3 ¥g4  13. d5 To achieve any score over 50% against
¤b8  14. h3 ¥c8  15.¤f5 ¥d8 16. g4 a field entirely consisting of World
¤e7 17. ¤g3 ¤g8 Steinitz’s strategy has Champions is highly praiseworthy!
been spectacularly retrograde, as can be
seen from the fact that he has retreated Below is the overall table in ranking order
all of his pieces to the back rank. His by percentage (descending):
plan, though, is a sound one. Ultimately, % against
he intends to play …g6 followed by …f5 Ranking
World Champion other World
to break out on the kingside and exploit Order
Champions
White’s weakness
XIIIIIIIIY 1st Emanuel Lasker 60.59

9rsnlvlqtr-mk0 2nd Bobby Fischer 54.67

9+pzp-snpzpp0
3rd Jose Capablanca 54.59
9p+-zp-+-+0
9+-+PzpN+-0 4th Garry Kasparov 53.74
9-+-+P+P+0 5th Magnus Carlsen 52.58
9+-zP-+N+P0
Michael
9PzPL+-zP-+0 6th
Botvinnik
51.16
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0 7th
Alexander
51.09
xiiiiiiiiy Alekhine
18.¢g2 ¤d7  Steinitz mistakenly 8th Anatoly Karpov 50.48
believes that he has all the time in the
world to effect his desired flank advance 9th Vladimir Kramnik 50.00
…f5, but this is not the case. If the
mass retreats carried out by Steinitz’s 10th Tigran Petrosian 49.35
minor pieces from moves 13 to 17 were
justified, his coming knight manoeuvre 11th Mikhail Tal 48.51
must, in contrast, be condemned as
a pure waste of time. The American 12th
Viswanathan
48.09
Grandmaster Reuben Fine pointed out Anand
in his collection of Lasker’s games that
18…g6 at once, followed by ¥f6−g7 and 13th Vasily Smyslov 47.46
¤e7 and the prompt …f5, would have
14th Boris Spassky 47.06
granted Black a playable position. Now
Lasker takes control.
15th Wilhelm Steinitz 46.79
19.¥e3 ¤b6 20. b3 ¥d7  21. c4
16th Max Euwe 41.60
¤c8  22.£d2 ¤ce7  Preferable here is

178 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

22… g6 followed by …¥f6 and then 27.…fxg4  28.hxg4…  Black’s next

…¥g7. Once the bishop is securely move is a tragic blunder which loses
placed as a defender to Black’s king then material in unfavourable conditions. The
the intended …f5 will come with greater right way to continue would have been
force. 28…¢g8 to relieve the devastating pin
along the a1-h8 diagonal.
23.c5 g6 24.£c3 f5  
XIIIIIIIIY 28.… ¥xg4 29.£g5 £d7 30. ¥xf6+ ¢g8
31. ¥d1 ¥h3+ 32.¢g1 ¤xd5 A desperate
9r+-vlqtrnmk0 attempt to gain counterplay. 
9+pzplsn-+p0  
33. ¥xd8 ¤f4 34. ¥f6 £d2
9p+-zp-+p+0
9+-zPPzpp+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+P+P+0 9r+-+-trk+0
9+PwQ-vLNsNP0 9+pzp-+-+p0
9P+L+-zPK+0 9p+-+-vLp+0
9tR-+-tR-+-0 9+-zP-+-wQ-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-+Psn-+0
Having waited for so long Black could 9+P+-+-sNl0
have deferred this for just one more 9P+-wq-zP-+0
move and played 24…h6, to give his
king a little more space. As played, 9tR-+LtR-mK-0
Lasker, who controls more space and xiiiiiiiiy
dominates the centre, was able to 35.¦e2 …Rather than cling to an extra
sacrifice a piece and drag Black’s king piece Lasker gives back material to break
into the firing line. the back of Black’s counterattack and seize
  the initiative. 
25.¤xe5 dxe5  26.£xe5+ ¤f6  27.  
¥d4… This accurate move wins the 35.…¤xe2+  36. ¥xe2 £d7  37.¦d1
game. Lasker had only to avoid the trick £f7 38. ¥c4 ¥e6 39. e5 ¥xc4 40.¤f5 
27.g5? which would have been parried
by 27…¤xd5. Now Black is without a Black resigns.
satisfactory defence.
XIIIIIIIIY 1-0
9r+-vlqtr-mk0  
9+pzplsn-+p0 A whirlwind finale by Lasker. 
 
9p+-+-snp+0 As Harry Golombek once said of
9+-zPPwQp+-0 opening play similar to that of Steinitz
9-+-vLP+P+0 in this game: “Black played with the
cumbrous slowness of another era. The
9+P+-+-sNP0 contrast between the two players’ styles
9P+L+-zPK+0 presents the aspect of some antediluvian
monster being annihilated by a modern
9tR-+-tR-+-0 weapon of destruction.”
xiiiiiiiiy

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 179

03/141
Openings
for Amateurs By Pete Tamburro; ptamburro@aol.com
How
NIMZO-INDIAN players
can play against the
London System
From what I can infer from all the London
System players I meet online, Cyrus
Lakdawala’s "Play the London System"
must be a best seller. About 250 pages of very
thorough and understandable explanations
make this a very enticing choice. Just think
of the advantages: No Sicilians, no Benko
Gambit, no Winawer, et al.
For Black, equalising isn’t that hard, though
you have to study some King’s Indian or
Gruenfeld set-ups or maybe the All-Purpose
Defence. What if you want to get away
from your opponent’s comfort zone? I was
playing over an Alekhine brilliancy prize
game against Rubinstein from Dresden,
1926, and found a remarkably interesting
system for Black. Now we are told that
Rubinstein made an early mistake (h3)
and Alekhine capitalised on it. The closer I
180 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
studied it, it became apparent that no matter
what White played, it was worth a try to
create winning chances in what would be
unfamiliar territory for White.
Akiba Rubinstein -
Alexander Alekhine [A46]
Dresden, 1926
1.d4 ¤f6 2.¤f3 e6 3.¥f4 b6 4.h3 Everyone
from Alekhine to Lakdawala agrees that
White should not play h3. Alekhine’s
comment (Games 1924–1937): "It was
certainly not necessary to prevent Black’s
¤h5 at this moment. The weakening of
the square g3 gave me the idea of a quite
unusual but, as the following proves, very
effective system of development." 4.¤bd2
¥b7 5.e3 ¥d6 6.¥g3 ¥xg3 7.hxg3 h6,
 March 2021

7.¥d3 ¥xg3 8.hxg3 d6 9.c3 £e7 10.a4

a6 11.£e2 e5 12.dxe5 ¤xe5 13.¤xe5
£xe5!? 14.¤f3 £e7) 5...¥d6 6.¥g3 £e7
7.¤bd2 ¤c6 And now we are quite ready
to play e5 with not only an equal game, but
chances to complicate and Black can castle
on either side. Thus, White plays the knight
to e5 to prevent that, but then h5 upsets
the apple cart and White just falls apart.
8.¤e5 h5! 9.h4? ¥xe5! 10.dxe5 ¤g4
11.¥e2? (11.£e2 ,to castle queenside,
was better as we shall see.) 11...¤cxe5
12.¥xe5 ¤xe5 13.¥xh5?? ¥xg2 14.¦g1
£xh4 15.¥e2 £h2 I found this position
comical - no pawns and only one piece on
either 4th rank on move 15. 16.¦xg2 £xg2
17.¤f1 ¦h1 18.f4?? ¤f3+ 0–1. Thus, all
this means is that you can as Black still
play the Bd6 idea with ¤c6 or ¤d7 and
e5 and be an equal contestant in the quest
for the win whether White plays an early
h3 or not.

4...¥b7 5.¤bd2 ¥d6

XIIIIIIIIY
9rsn-wqk+-tr0
giving Black the option to castle kingside. 9zplzpp+pzpp0
(Lakdawala gives a game, J. Andersen-S.
Christensen, where Black played 7...d6 9-zp-vlpsn-+0
8.¥d3 ¤bd7 9.£e2 e5 10.e4 £e7 11.0–0–0 9+-+-+-+-0
0–0–0 12.¥a6 , but then went with 12...¤b8
(12...¥xa6 13.£xa6+ ¢b8=) 13.¥xb7+ 9-+-zP-vL-+0
¢xb7 14.d5 and didn’t handle the light- 9+-+-+N+P0
square defence very well.) 8.¥d3 ¤c6 9.c3 9PzPPsNPzPP+0
£e7 10.£e2 e5=.
9tR-+QmKL+R0
On chess.com, I encountered a London xiiiiiiiiy
System fellow who knew all the typical
moves, but didn’t understand that the
position was different. Leonardo-Tamburro, I was playing over an Alekhine
Move/3 Day, 2020: 4.e3 ¥b7 5.¥d3 (I just
received Chessbase 16 this past week and brilliancy prize game against
was pleased to find a 2600+ player using Rubinstein from Dresden,
this system and winning: Shimanov, A.- 1926, and found a remarkably
Martirosyan, H.M., Titled Tuesday Internet
Open, 2020: 5.¤bd2 ¥d6 6.¥g3 ¤c6 interesting system for Black
BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 181
03/141
Alekhine had much to say of an instructional
nature at this point: "After this, White
has the unpleasant choice between (1)
the exchange, which strengthens Black’s
position in the middle (2) 6.e3, which
would spoil, after a ¥xg3, his pawn
position and (3) 6.¥g5 after which Black
would secure the advantage of the pair of
bishops by means of h6." He might have
added that, after the exchange on d6, Black
would not only be able to play d5, but he
could then still play d6, thus keeping the
knight out of e5 if he so chose!
6.¥xd6 cxd6 7.e3 0–0 8.¥e2 d5 9.0–0
¤c6 10.c3 An easy equality arises from
10.c4 dxc4 11.¤xc4 £e7 12.¤ce5 d6
13.¤xc6 ¥xc6 14.¦c1 ¦ac8. Black is
even threatening to double the rooks on the
c-file ahead of White, who has a queen in
the way, so White might just play 15.¥a6
¥b7 16.£d3 h6 17.¤d2 ¥xa6 18.£xa6
£d7 and, in hindsight, Rubinstein would
have been better off, just not better.
10...¤e4! Students who start with the
Dutch in my lessons find this easy to
understand as Alekhine sets up a Dutch
formation, which can happen, when
next learning the Nimzo, in the regular
Nimzo-Indian as well.
11.¤xe4 Based on the theory that the
fewer pieces Alekhine has, the better off
you are.
11...dxe4 12.¤d2 f5
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9zpl+p+-zpp0
9-zpn+p+-+0
9+-+-+p+-0
9-+-zPp+-+0
9+-zP-zP-+P0
9PzP-sNLzPP+0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
182 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
One of those engine-evaluated "equal"
positions where in practical play the
action will be on the kingside and White
will be defending. Even a Rubinstein
found the task too much.
13.f4 g5! Quite good is 13...exf3 14.¥xf3
d5 15.£e1 ¥a6 16.¥e2 ¥xe2 17.£xe2
£e7 Black can even look to play on
the queenside with ¤a5 and ¦c8 and
a pawn advance à la minority attack.
Alekhine played more energetically, he
wrote, not to give White a chance to
properly coordinate his pieces.
14.¤c4 d5 15.¤e5 ¤xe5 16.dxe5 ¢h8
A tTypical preparatory Dutch king move.
Alekhine will build a super-highway on
the g-file.
17.a4 A lame attempt at counterplay.
17...¦g8 18.£d2 gxf4 19.¦xf4
Alekhine points out that Black can’t
recapture with the pawn because of
19.exf4 £h4, threatening both £xh2
and ¦xg2+.
19...£g5 20.¥f1 £g3
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-+-+rmk0
9zpl+-+-+p0
9-zp-+p+-+0
9+-+pzPp+-0
9P+-+ptR-+0
9+-zP-zP-wqP0
9-zP-wQ-+P+0
9tR-+-+LmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Now starts an extremely instructive
manoeuvre using alternating attacks on
two weak points (White’s king position
and the isolated e5 pawn) to basically
pick up a tempo!
21.¢h1 £g7 22.£d4 ¥a6 23.¦f2
£g3 Back again! With the king absent
 March 2021

from g1, the attack on the rook gains is demonstrated time and again: the
a move. people who play the London System,
Colle System, Colle-Zukertort, King’s
24.¦c2 ¥xf1 25.¦xf1 ¦ac8 Note that Indian Attack are looking for a formula
the isolano on e5 is under observation by to follow, and as soon as they run
the queen, and the threat is ¦c4. into something different or run out of
opening moves, they start to go awry.
26.b3 ¦c7 Nice option arises: Black can Don’t misunderstand, it’s a help to
double on the c-file or triple on the g-file. have a system, but you have to know
Easy to figure out which one Alekhine why you’re doing your moves.
would pick.
I was part of a forum discussion on
27.¦e2 ¦cg7 28.¦f4 ¦g6 29.£b4 ¦h6 Facebook when someone had asked about
30.h4 £g7!? the Benko Gambit and whether it was
XIIIIIIIIY good or not. This was part of my answer:
"I was reading my 2012 volume of British
9-+-+-+rmk0 Chess Magazine when I ran across this
9zp-+-+-wqp0 comment from IM Andrew Martin "What
does Black get for his pawn in the Benko
9-zp-+p+-tr0 Gambit Accepted? 1. 10–15 free moves 2.
9+-+pzPp+-0 Open queenside files 3. Strong pressure
9PwQ-+ptR-zP0 against White’s queenside pawns 4.A
rock-solid pawn structure, which often
9+PzP-zP-+-0 leads to better endgames 5.A safe king
9-+-+R+P+0 6.Strong piece activity." It’s more than
just reason 1. Thus, if you’re a Nimzo-
9+-+-+-+K0 Indian player, and a London System
xiiiiiiiiy player shows up, take him for a little walk
Alekhine calls this "much better than the in less charted waters!
prosaic" 30...¦xh4+. Looks exciting to
me! 31.¦xh4 £xh4+ 32.¢g1 f4 33.exf4
£xf4 34.£d4 £c1+ 35.¢h2 ¦g6
36.£e3 ¦h6+.

31.c4 ¦g6 32.£d2 ¦g3 33.£e1 ¦xg2 It’s

mate in four.

0–1

One of the benefits of playing over

old games is that you run into obscure
lines like this. At amateur levels, it

A sad personal note: Our condolences to the family and friends of David
Everington of Shropshire, who passed away this past December 28th.
Mr. Everington early on contributed to my column a fascinating club
game of theoretical importance, and it wasn't even his! From what I
read online, he was a remarkable man.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 183

03/141

Endgame Studies
by Ian Watson
ian@irwatson.uk

1 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+ntr0
9+-+-+P+-0
9PzPPzPPzP-+0
9sN-+-+-zpk0
9-+-+-zp-+0
9+-+-+p+-0
2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-+-zp-zP-0
9-+p+Pzp-mK0
9zp-+p+pzp-0
9r+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9R+-+-zPlmK0 9pzPPzPPzPPtR0
9tR-+-+-vL-0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
M Zinar M Zinar

3 4
Olympia Dunyasi 2013 Selivanov−50 Ty 2017
win win
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+k+-+-+0
9zPk+p+-+p0 9+-+-+pzpp0
9pzP-zP-zpp+0 9-+-+pzP-+0
9zP-+-+-+-0 9+-+pzP-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+pzP-+-+0
9zP-+-+P+-0 9+pzP-+-+P0
9r+-+-+-zp0 9PzP-+-+K+0
9+-mK-+l+Q0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
M Zinar & P Bondarenko M Zinar
Nadareishvili JT 1983 Sochi−2014 2014
win Black to move, White draws

184 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

Memorial to the Master

In February, we lost one of the greatest of study composers, Mikhail Zinar. I wrote about
him in this column last year, presenting four of his pawn endgames, a field in which
Mikhail was the master − far above all his contemporaries. He did, however, also compose
other endgames, so here are some of his other works. Tributes to him have recently
appeared on websites, quoting several of his masterpieces, so instead I’ve chosen studies
that you may not know.

Zinar had a love of multiple promotions, particularly underpromotions, and the website
tributes I’ve seen have included five bishop promotions in one study, six rooks in another,
but not the first study we give here, which has seven queen promotions.

Those queenings were all sacrifices, six of them with two moves by the pawn; the second
Zinar study has six pawn sacrifices, each a double move.

The third was a joint composition with another well−known composer, Bondarenko, who
like Zinar was Ukrainian. It’s not about promotions or sacrifices, rather it’s a king−walk
study - the solution is twenty−four moves long, but as eighteen of White’s moves are by
his king, it is humanly solvable.

Oh, alright, I can’t stop myself … one pawn endgame. Some of Zinar’s compositions were
humorous; you wouldn’t imagine a pawn ending could be funny, but look at what Zinar
did. I think being remembered for your sense of humour is the best memorial you can have.

The solutions are given on page 189.

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QUOTES AND QUERIES

PHILIDOR’S DEFENCE
MAKES A COMEBACK By Alan Smith
6194 Philidor’s Defence, 1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 d6,
is making a comeback. Magnus Carlsen’s
choice of the defence surely heralds a
new era for a much−maligned system. I
find it heartening that a defence that has
been played, with success, by Morphy,
Harrwitz, Nimzowitsch, Alekhine, Tal and
Larsen is not yet ready for the scrapheap.

Philidor’s Defence may seem passive, but

it is not a pushover. Castling long against
it is especially risky, as the following
game demonstrates.
Carlsen's choice of Philidor heralds a
new era for a much-maligned system
Photo: David Llada

Szymon Winawer – 5...¥e7 6.¥g5 0-0 7.0-0-0 ¤c6 8.£d2

Joseph Henry Blackburne ¥e6 9.a3? Not a good idea after castling long.

Vienna 1882 9...a6 10.h3 b5 11.¥xf6 ¥xf6 12.¤d5

¥xd5 13.exd5 ¤e7 14.g3 ¤g6 15.h4 ¦e8
1.e4 e5 2.¤c3 ¤f6 3.¤f3 d6 Avoiding the 16.h5 ¤e5 17.¤d4 b4!? A thematic pawn
symmetry of the Four Knights. offer to open lines.

4.d4 exd4 5.£xd4 5.¤xd4 is usual. 18.£xb4 18.axb4 puts up a better fight.

186 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

18...¦b8 19.£a4 ¤f3! 20.¤b3 20.¤xf3

¥xb2+ 21.¢d2 £f6!

20...£e7 21.¥d3 ¦b6 22.c3 ¦fb8

23.¥c2 £e2 24.¦hf1 ¥g5+ 25.Kb1
¤d2+ 26.¦xd2 ¥xd2 27.¦d1 ¦xb3!
28.¥xb3 ¥xc3! 29.¥c2 Of course
29.bxc3 £xd1+.

29...¦xb2+ 30.¢c1 ¦b8 31.£e4 White

may hang on if he can force the exchange
of queens.

31...¦b1+! 32.¢xb1 32.¥xb1?? £b2#

32...£b5+ 33.£b4 ¥xb4 34.axb4
£xb4+ 35.¢c1 a5 36.¦d2 a4 37.¥b1
a3 38.¥a2 f5 39.¢d1 £g4+ 40.¢e1
£xh5 41.¦c2 £h1+ 42.¢d2 £f3
43.¢e1 £e4+ 44.¢d1 f4 45.gxf4 £xf4
Two passed rook’s pawns are too much
to hold.

46.¢e1 £e4+ 47.¢d1 h5 48.¦c4

£h1+ 49.¢e2 £a1 50.¦c2 h4 51.f4 h3
52.¢e3 £g1+
0-1
Illustrated London News, 17th June 1882
Players of the Philidor do not have to be
ready only for 3.d4 but also to meet 3.¥c4.
Here is how a world champion played.
Henry Grob – Alexander Alekhine
Zurich 1934
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥c4 d6
Transposing back into the Philidor. This
line dates back to Horwitz but has never
been fashionable.
Alexander Alekhine
Source: wikipedia.org
10.0-0 h6 11.¤f3 ¥d6 12.¤bd2 0-0
13.£c2 ¤c6 14.b4 a6 15.a4 £e8 16.¥b2
¤e7 17.¦ad1 ¤g6 18.g3 £c6! 19.¦fe1? A
blunder: 19.£d3 holds his position together.
19...¥xb4 20.¢g2 ¢h7 21.h3 ¥d6 22.c4
¤d7 23.h4 b6 24.h5 ¤e7 25.¦e2 £b7
26.£c1 ¤c6 27.£a1 ¦f7 28.¤h4 ¤e7
29.¤df3 £c6 30.¤xe5 ¤xe5 31.¥xe5
£xc4 32.¦1d2 ¥xe5 33.£xe5  ¤c6
34.£a1 ¦d8 35.¦c2 £d4 36.£c1 ¤e5
37.¦xc7 ¤d3 38.£c3 ¦xf2+ 39.¦xf2
£xf2+ 40.¢h3 £f1+ 41.¢h2 41.¤g2
¤f2+ 42.¢h4 £h1#.
41...£e2+ 42.¢g1 42.¤g2 £xh5+.

4.c3 ¥e6 5.¥xe6 fxe6 6.£b3 £c8 42...£f2+ 43.¢h1 £xg3 44.¤g6 renews
7.¤g5 ¤d8 8.d4 8.0-0 ¥e7 9.d4 ¥xg5 the threat of mate but allows 44...¤f2#.
10.¥xg5 ¤f7 Lowcki – Tartakower
Jurata 1937. 0-1

8...¤f6 9.dxe5 dxe5 Are the doubled e Times Literary Supplement, 11th October 1934
pawns weak? Well, not really.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 187

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There are many transpositions that can lead
to the Philidor: the opening can arise via
the Petroff, Ruy Lopez, Vienna, Pirc, even
the King’s Indian.
In the following game, White avoids
transposition to the Philidor.
 
Ferenc Chalupetzky – Jacques Mieses
Hungary 1908
1.d4 d6 2.e4 ¤f6 3.¤c3 ¤bd7 4.f4 4.¤f3
e5 transposes to the Hanham Variation.
4...e5 5.¤f3 White can force a series of
exchanges with 5.fxe5 dxe5 6.dxe5 ¤xe5
7.£xd8+ ¢xd8 but Black’s compact
position should be able to withstand
White’s slight initiative.
5...exd4 6.£xd4 ¥e7 7.¥c4? Gunsberg
thought 7.¦d2, intending 0-0-0, and 7.e5
were both better tries.
7...0-0 8.h3 8.0-0?? d5 and the threat of
...¥c5 nets a piece.
8...c6 9.¥e3 d5! 10.exd5 ¥c5 11.£d3
¦e8 12.¤d4 12.¤d1.
12...¤b6 13.¢d2 13.¥b3 ¤fxd5 14.¤xd5
¤xd5 15.¥xd5 £xd5 and White finds
castling either wing loses material.
13...¤fxd5 14.¥xd5 ¤xd5 15.¦ae1
15.¥f2 ¤xf4 16.£c4 ¤e6! Gunsberg.
15...¤xe3 16.¦xe3 ¦xe3 17.¢xe3 ¥f5!
18.£d2 18.£xf5 £xd4+ 19.¢f3 £f2+
20.¢g4 £xg2+ 21.¢h4 ¥e7+ 22.¢h5
g6+.
18...£xd4+! 19.£xd4 ¦e8+.
0-1
Manchester Guardian, 24th November 1908

Jacques Mieses
Source: wikipedia.org

188 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

 March 2021

Solutions to Endgames (See page 184)

Zinar - 2013

1.fxg8£ ¦xg8 2.f7 ¦h8 3.f8£ ¦xf8 4.e7 ¦h8 5.e8£+ ¦xe8 6.d7 ¦h8 7.d8£ ¦xd8
8.c7 ¦h8 9.c8£ ¦xc8 10.b7 ¦h8 11.b8£ ¦xb8 12.a7 ¦h8 13.a8£ and 13…¦xa8
14.¤c4 or ¤c6 wins.

1.fxg8¦? ¦h6. In the main line, 2.¤c4? ¦h8 3.¤e5 g4 4.¤f7 g3+ 5.fxg3 ¢g4+ 6.¤xh8
fxg3 mate (or in this line 4.¤xf3 ¥xf3 5.¦a5+ ¢g6+). Also in the main line, 12…¦a8
13.¤c6 g4 14.¦a5+ ¢g6 15.¤b8, or 14…¢h4 15.¦1a4.

Zinar - 2017

1.b4 ¦xb4 2.c4 ¦xc4 3.d4 ¦xd4 4.e4 ¦xe4 5.f4 ¦xf4 6.g4 ¦xg4 7.¢g6 ¦h4 8.¦b2 ¦b4
9.¦xa2 a4 10.¦h2 ¦h4 11.¦b2 ¦h7 12.¦b8 mate. Not 7.¦b2? ¦b4 8.¦xa2 ¦h4+ 9.¢g6 ¦h7.

Zinar & Bondarenko

1.f4+ ¦g2 2.¢d1 h5 3.¢e1 h4 4.¢xf1 h3 5.¢e1 ¢a8 6.¢d1 ¢b7 7.¢c1 ¢a8 8.¢b1
¢b7 9.¢a1 g5 10.fxg5 fxg5 11.¢b1 ¢a8 12.¢c1 ¢b7 13.¢d1 ¢a8 14.¢e1 ¢b7
15.¢f1 g4 16.¢e1 ¢a8 17.¢d1 ¢b7 18.¢c1 ¢a8 19.¢b1 ¢b7 20.¢a1 g3 21.a4 ¢a8
22.£b1 ¦g1 23.b7+ ¢xa7 24.b8£ mate. White’s king marches to the right to capture the
bishop, then to the left to clear the b1 square for the queen and thus preventing Black from
moving his king back to a8 so Black has to move his g-pawn. Then the king returns to the
right to threaten to capture on g2 and win the pawn ending, so Black has to play 15…g4,
and now Black has only one tempo move left, so when White returns his king to the left
he can use his own tempo move 21.a4 and put Black in zugzwang.

Zinar - 2014

1...gxf6 2.axb3 fxe5 3.bxc4 exd4 4.cxd5 dxc3 5.dxe6 cxb2 6.exf7 b1£ 7.f8£+ draws.
The Black g-pawn and White a-pawn ignore each other, just concentrating on gobbling
pawns. Pawns usually move forward, but here they both slide diagonally past each other.
This also shows a “Double Excelsior”, meaning that both White and Black march a pawn
all the way across the board to promotion.

Some sidelines (in case you’re unconvinced by those moves):

3.dxe5? cxb3 4.¢f3 ¢d7 5.¢e3 ¢c6 6.¢d2 ¢b5 7.¢e2 ¢c4 8.¢e3 h6 zugzwang 9.h4
h5 10. ¢e2 d4 11.cxd4 ¢xd4 12.¢d2 ¢xe5, or in this line 6.¢d4 ¢b5 7.h4 h5 zz 8.¢d3
¢c5 9.¢d2 d4 10.¢d3 dxc3 11.¢xc3 ¢d5. In the main line: 3…dxc4 4.dxe5 ¢d7 5.¢f3
¢c6 6.¢e4 ¢c5 7.h4 h5 8.¢e3 (or in this line 5…¢e7 6.¢e4 f5+ 7.¢d4); 4.cxd4? dxc4
5.¢f3 ¢d7 6.¢f4 ¢d6 7.¢e4 f6 8.¢f4 ¢d5 9.¢e3 h6; 4…exd5 5.cxd4 ¢d7 6.¢f3
¢c6 7.¢f4 ¢b5 8.¢e5 ¢c4 9.b3+ ¢xb3 10.¢xd5; 4…d3 5.dex6 fxe6 6.¢f3 e5 7.¢e3;
4…e5 5.cxd4 exd4 6.¢f3 f5 7.b4 h6 8.b5 ¢c7 9.h4 h5 10.¢f4 ¢c8 11.¢f3; and 5…fxe6
6.bxc3 ¢c7 7.¢f3 ¢d6 8.¢e4 ¢c5 9.¢e5.

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 189

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Solutions to Problems
This month’s originals
We have three 2-movers, all showing thematic play, and all also congenial, I should think,
to solve. The same could be said for our 4th problem, especially if you are getting into
solving helpmates! We’re looking for two collaborative BWBW sequences ending with
Black in mate.
All eyes are on e5
In Kabe’s 2-mover, there is a concentration
of force directed against e5. Sure enough,
the key, 1.¢b3!, threatens to mate by
2.¤c6, and so provokes Black to capture
the e5 knight. Each capture leads to a
self-pin, and each of these self-pins leads
to a different mate – 1…¤xe5 2.¥xf5;
1…¦fxe5 2.¥xg6; 1…¦exe5 2.¤xc7; and
1…¥xe5 2.¤xe7. There’s also 1…¦xf3+
2.¤xf3. It’s a real bonus to have that e5
knight give mate in this final variation,
having been cannon fodder in the other
four defences.
Threat correction…
…is a very popular theme these days.
See how it plays out in David’s 2-mover.
A move by the white bishop at d5 will
guard d5 and so threaten ¤f5. As the
Bishop wants to go on guarding e4
also, the obvious move is 1.¥xb7. Now
we aren’t worried about the defence
1…¤d5 because we have 2.£c4. But
1…¥e3!, pinning the white knight,
successfully defends. So what else to
try? It seemed that because we’ve been
relying on the white bishop to defend
e4 the only feasible square was b7, but
what if the bishop actually occupies e4?
After 1.¥e4, the unprotected bishop
means that we no longer threaten 2.¤f5,
but we do have a new threat (a ‘threat
correction’!) 2.£xd3. Now the capture
1…¢xe4 takes the black king away
from c5 and so allows 2.¦b4; and there
is also 1…¤xe4 2.£c4. But the star
190 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
variation is 1…¦e3 2.¤f5!. The
move 1…¦e3, which after 1.¥xb7
refuted the threat to play 2.¤f5,
has now become the very move that
enables White to mate with 2.¤f5!
This paradox, named after the Latvian
composer Dombrovskis, is one of the
most reliably satisfying elements in
composers’ ‘stock in trade’.
All eyes are on f5
It’s always worthwhile to familiarise
yourself with the set play, and in John
and Michael’s problem we note that if
the black rook moves up the h-file we
have 2.¥xf5, while if he captures at
h4 we have 2.¦xh4. But we can’t just
play a tempo move waiting for Black
to make one of those moves because
Black has two other moves, 1…dxe3
and 1…¦g5. As in our first problem
there is a concentration of force (this
time white force) directed against a
particular square, this time f5. If we
play 1.¤hxf5 then it looks as though we
can no longer mate after 1…¦h6 and
1…¦h7, but in fact we have new mates,
respectively 2.¤xh6 and 2.¤e7 (not
2.¤g7?, which would block the g-file);
and both 1…¦h4 and 1…¦g5 fail to
2.¦h4. But we haven’t done anything
about 1…dxe3, which accordingly is
the refutation. So why not get the other
knight away from the pawn at d4 and
play 1.¤exf5? This knight too can go to
h6 and e7 in response to moves up the
h-file by the black rook, and can also
meet 1…¦xh4 by 2.¦xh4; but we now

have no mate after 1…¦g5!. So finally
we look at 1.¦xf5. This gives the position
a more radical shake−up. No possibility
now of mating with ¦f4>h4; but we
do now have a set of four discovered
checkmates to deal with moves of the
black rook - 1…¦g5 2.¦xg5; 1…¦h4
2.¦h5!; 1…¦h6 2.¦f6; and 1…¦h7
2.¦f7. And as 1…¦xf5 allows 2.¥xf5
(one of four pieces we’ve seen capturing
on that square!) we do indeed have
the key. With only 12 men, a pleasing
strategy sees a range of responses to
the moves of the black rook over four
phases of play (the set play, the two tries
and the key).
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578
March 2021
(See page 155)
Back to helpmates!
In Christer’s helpmate it turns out that the black
rook at d7 will have to move in order to open the
d−file, and also to interfere with one of the black
bishops. Two mates will thus be facilitated, one
by the d2 pawn and the other by the knight.
However, each of these men requires two moves
to deliver its mate, so White doesn’t have time
to unpin the d7 rook. This mean that Black must
capture the white bishop. His choice of capturing
piece determines which of White’s possible two
mating squares will become unguarded, and
so which mating sequence must be played. So
(remember: Black plays first) 1.£xe8 d4 2.¦f7
d5 and 1.¦xe8 ¤b5 2.¦g7 ¤d4.
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