Finding a way to defeat a GM

Players are focusing hard to score a win against GM Harikrishna Pentala in the charity simul at Texas Tech University.

Akobian, Mikhalevski lead SPICE Cup

Standings after 6 rounds:

1-2. Mikhalevski, Victor GM 2592 ISR 4.0
Akobian, Varuzhan GM 2610 USA 4.0

3-6. Kritz, Leonid GM 2610 GER 3.5
Onischuk, Alexander GM 2670 USA 3.5
Becerra, Julio GM 2598 USA 3.5
Pentala, Harikrishna GM 2668 IND 3.5

7. Kaidanov, Gregory GM 2605 USA 3.0

8. Miton, Kamil GM 2580 POL 2.0

9-10. Perelshteyn, Eugene GM 2555 USA 1.5
Stefansson, Hannes GM 2566 ISL 1.5

GM Pentala (2668) - GM Miton (2580) [D31]
SPICE Cup 2008 (6), 25.09.2008

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Bf5 7.g4 Be6 8.Bd3 Nd7 9.h3 Nb6 10.Qc2 Bd6 11.Nge2 Ne7 12.0–0–0 g6 13.Kb1 Bxf4 14.exf4 Qd6 15.f5 gxf5 16.gxf5 Bd7 17.Ng3 Qf6 18.Nh5 Qh6 19.f6 Qxh5 20.Rhe1 Nbc8 21.fxe7 Nd6 22.Qd2 Bf5 23.Bxf5 Qxf5+ 24.Ka1 Kd7 25.Re5 Qxh3 26.Qf4 Rhg8 27.Rde1 Rae8 28.a3 Rg4 29.Qd2 Qh4 30.Nxd5 cxd5 31.Rxd5 Rg6?? (31...Re4 -+ from a winning position to a losing position in one move) 32.Qb4 Rxe7 33.Qxb7+ Kd8 34.Qb8+ Kd7 35.Qxa7+ Ke8 36.Qb8+ Kd7 37.Rc1 Re8 38.Qc7+ White wins 1–0

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The game below is the most brilliant game of the tournament so far!

GM Stefansson (2566) - GM Akobian (2610) [D34]
SPICE Cup 2008 (6), 25.09.2008

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 c4 10. Ne5 Be6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. e3 Nd7 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Na4 Rab8 15. Qc2 Rb4 16. b3 Rfb8 17. Rfd1 g6 18. Qc1 Qd6 19. Rd2 Bf5 20. Nc3 cxb3 21. axb3 Rxb3 22. Rda2 Qb4 23. Ra3 Rb2 24. Ra4 Qb3 25. R4a3 Rc2 26. Qe1 Qb4 27. Bf3 Rb7 28. g4 Be6 29. Na4 Qe7 30. Be2 h5 31. Bd3 Qh4 32. Bxc2 Qxg4+ 33. Kf1 Qf3 34. Qa5 Nb6 35. Ke1 Nc4 36. Qd8+ Kg7 37. Qg5 Bg4 {Black wins} 0-1

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White GM Kaidanov (2605) - GM Perelshteyn (2555) [B27]
SPICE Cup 2008 (6), 25.09.2008

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c3 Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 d5 6. e5 Bg4 7. Bb5+ Nd7 8. Nbd2 e6 9. O-O Ne7 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Nxf3 a6 12. Bd3 Nc6 13. Be3 O-O 14. Rc1 Qb6 15. Qd2 f6 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Bb1 Bg7 18. Rfd1 Rae8 19. Nh2 Ne7 20. Ng4 Nf5 21. Bxf5 exf5 22. Ne5 Qd6 23. Nd3 Rc8 24. Bf4 Qb6 25. Be5 Rfe8 26. Bxg7 Kxg7 27. Nc5 Nf6 28. f3 Rc7 29. Re1 Rce7 30. Rxe7+ Rxe7 31. Re1 Qd6 32. Rxe7+ Qxe7 33. Kf2 b6 34. Nxa6 Nh5 35. Qe3 Qh4+ 36. Kg1 Nf4 37. Nc7 Nxh3+ 38. Kf1 Ng5 39. Qe5+ Kh6 40. Ne8 Qh1+ 41. Kf2 Qh4+ 42. Ke2 Kh5 43. Nf6+ Kh6 44. Ng8+ Kh5 45. Qg7 {White wins} 1-0

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Young RI chess players set for Dresden

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Official Dresden Olympiad Website: www.Dresden2008.com

Indonesia will send teams made up of young crops to the Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, in November, an official from the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) announced Thursday.

The men's squad will be spearheaded by national Grand master Susanto Megaranto. The other members are Irwanto Sadikin, Johanes Simbolon, Farid Firmansyah and Edhi Handoko.

With the exception of Farid and Edhi, the players were picked to the team because of their strong performances at the recent National Games in East Kalimantan.

"Farid deserves his berth in the team after winning the student world chess championship in Thessaloniki (Greece) last year," Percasi deputy secretary general Sebastian Simanjuntak said.

Veteran Edhi has been named team captain, but may play as a substitute, Sebastian said.

The women's team also abounds with young talent, with Irene Kharisma expected to play a key role and inspire teammates Evie Lindiawati, Dewi Citra, Kadek Iin and Desy Rahmawati.

Sebastian said the next Olympiad, the biennial world chess team competition, would see a change in playing format, with organizers allowing an equal number of men and women players.

"Each country fields five players each in the men's and women's categories. We used to have six men and four women. So there is no disparity between men and women. The number of rounds will also drop from 13 to 11," he said.

In the 2006 competition in Turin, Italy, national chess No. 1 Utut Adianto guided Indonesia to 40th place in the men's division. The women's team also finished in 40th position.

Utut, who has never missed out on Indonesian Olympiad team, will not be going to Dresden because Percasi, which received a pledge of financial support from the sports ministry, has chosen to give preference to younger players.

Here is the full story.

Canberran Beats Icelandic FM

It had to happen sooner or later. GM Wesley So finally faltered in the World Juniors losing his eleventh round game to the surging international master Arik Braun of Germany. But the Filipino recovered somewhat by then drawing his penultimate game in the event against GM Eltaj Safarli to raise his score to 8 points.

England's GM David Howell and Indian grandmasters A. Gupta and Parimerjan Negi share the lead on 9 points, while Braun and Safarli are close behind on eight and a half.

Canberra's Gareth Oliver can be happy with his 5.5 points so far going into the last match tonight against yet another FM, Shaj Grover of India. In the eleventh round, Oliver beat Iceland's FM Gudmundur Kjartansson.

2008 World Junior Chess Championship
Kjartansson, Gudmundur
Oliver, Gareth
E71

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Be3 e5 8. d5 Na6 9. Bd3 Nh5 10. Qd2 Nc5 11. Bc2 Nf4 12. Bxf4 exf4 13. Qxf4 f5 14. Nge2 fxe4 15. Qe3 Nd3+ 16. Bxd3 exd3 17. Qxd3 Qh4 18. g3 Qh5 19. f4 Bf5 20. Qd2 Qf3 21. Rf1 Qd3 22. g4 Bxc3 23. bxc3 Be4 24. Qxd3 Bxd3 25. Rd1 Bxc4 26. Rd4 b5 27. a4 Rae8 28. Rf2 a6 29. Kd2 Re7 30. Ng3 Rfe8 31. Rf3 Re1 32. axb5 axb5 33. f5 g5 34. Rf2 Kf7 35. f6 Rb1 36. Ne4 Bxd5 37. Rxd5 Rxe4 38. Kc2 Ree1 39. Rdf5 b4 40. cxb4 Rxb4 41. Kd3 Ree4 42. Rc2 Rbd4+ 43. Kc3 Rc4+ 44. Kd3 Rxc2 45. Kxe4 Rc4+ 46. Ke3Rf4 47. Rxf4 gxf4+ 48. Kxf4 Kxf6 49. h4 c5 0-1

Australia's only rep in the girls section has 4 points.

Arise King Magnus

Melbourne's The Age newspaper boldly declares, "The search for Bobby Fischer is over."

Now, for those of you who argue that chess is a game, not a sport, and therefore has no more right to be discussed in these pages than, say, the world cluedo championships, you're probably right.

Regardless, the rise of "Magnificent Magnus" has chess fans hopping. They've needed a new Bobby Fischer ever since the last one was exiled to Iceland after being excommunicated from the US for lauding the twin tower attacks. True story.

From 'Magnificent Magnus' one move from checkmate.

Frankly, I don't know. The kid's talented alright, but the new Fischer (whatever that means)?