Your judgement, please - Pt. 47

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

Fire on board...
04.02.2010 – ... has become Alexei Shirov's trademark. In the tournament in Wijk aan Zee, which Shirov started with five wins in a row, the 37-year-old chess magician from Riga once more justified this reputation. In many middlegame positions he managed to put his opponents under pressure with inventive attacking play. And even in the endgame, one always has to take into account that Shirov might set the board on fire. This happened in the eleventh round in his game against Vladimir Kramnik, where he played 35.c5! in the diagram position. GM Karsten Müller has analysed the endgame for ChessBase Magazine Online.

With 35.c5! Shirov set the board on fire

Analysis Shirov-Kramnik by GM Karsten Müller

Shirov's DVD Endgame Fireworks in the Shop

Your judgement, please - Pt. 46

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

The wrong choice of ending
27.01.2010 – In round 7 in Wijk, Nigel Short was within touching distance of a win over Ex-World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. In the position in the diagram he had to decide whether to exchange queens or to gobble up another pawn with Qxc5. Short chose 50.Qxc5, but after 50...Be6! 51.g4 Bxf5 52.Qxf5 Qb2+ the activity of the black queen turned out to be the decisive drawing factor, despite Black being two pawns behind. But how should the minor piece ending after 50.Qxf6 gxf6be evaluated? Can the extra pawn be made to tell in the struggle of knight against bishop? Yes, says GM Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine Online.

What should White play: 50.Qxc5 or Qxf6? Analysis Short-Kramnik by GM Karsten Müller

Your judgement, please - Pt. 45

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

Wijk aan C
28.01.2010 – Seeing all these superstars at the Corus Tournament 2010, one can easily forget that also the C-group provides a wealth of highly interesting chess. For example this game, where White after Black's last move 23...Bg7-f6 had to parry the attack on his queen. The strike 24.Rxf5 in your opinion leads to what?
A) advantage for White;
B) balanced play;
C) advantage for Black.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

The strike 24.Rxf5 in your opinion leads to what?
A) advantage for White;
B) balanced play;
C) advantage for Black.

Your judgement, please - Pt. 44

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

A stunning exchange sacrifice...
24.01.2010 – ...in the Marshall Attack was unleashed by Peter Leko in the 4th round in Wijk aan Zee versus Lenier Dominguez. Playing black, here he was facing the question of whether it would be advisable to immediately occupy the long diagonal with 23...Bc6 despite the riposte 24.d5, blocking it with tempo. What do you think?
A) this wins for White;
B) Black prevails;
C) the position eventually remains balanced.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

How do you assess the position after 23...Bc6 24.d5?
A) this wins for White;
B) Black prevails;
C) the position eventually remains balanced.

Magnus Carlsen: ’O garoto de meio milhão de jogadas’

Retirado do site Revista Veja.

A revista Veja publicou em sua edição de número 2149, de 27 de janeiro, reportagem sobre o GM Magnus Carlsen: ’O garoto de meio milhão de jogadas’.

Leia a reportagem na íntegra pelo link: http://veja.abril.com.br/270110/garoto-meio-milhao-jogadas-p-106.shtml

Your judgement, please - Pt. 43

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

El caballo es mal defensor
Si tiene que actuar él solo, el caballo muchas veces tiene problemas en el final para defender uno de los flancos. Si los peones no tienen una posición muy particular que le favorezca, normalmente no suele servir para ello. A eso se debe el sacrificio de pieza 35.Txc4!? Txc4 36.Cxc4 Rxc4 37.Re4!, jugado en la partida Lock vs. Webb en el torneo magistral de Hastings. Las blancas causaron serios problemas prácticos al oponente negro. ¿Cuál es su valoración de la posición tras dicha secuencia? ¿Aún podrán empatar las negras o triunfarán los peones del bando blanco? El GM Karsten Müller ha analizado la posición para ChessBase Magazine Online...- Análisis de la partida Lock vs. Webb por el GM Karsten Müller... - DVDs de entrenamiento de finales en la tienda de ChessBase...

Las blancas intentaron 35.Txc4!? Txc4 36.Cxc4 Rxc4 37.Re4!

¿Aún podrán empatar las negras o triunfarán los peones del bando blanco?

Your judgement, please - Pt. 42

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

To sacrifice or not to sacrifice?!
19.01.2010 – A complicated position arose during time trouble in Tomashevsky (2708) vs Fier (2653). The pawn structure leaves us in no doubt: it was a King's Indian. The sacrifice 35...Bxg4 is on the cards, but calculating through all the consequences accurately is hardly possible. What does your intuition tell you?
A) The sacrifice is unsound. Black does not get sufficient compensation.
B) The sacrifice is playable. The position remains balanced.
C) 35...Bxg4 decides the game in Black's favour.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

Black to move
How do you assess 35...Lxg4

A) The sacrifice is unsound. Black does not get sufficient compensation.
B) The sacrifice is playable. The position remains balanced.
C) 35...Bxg4 decides the game in Black's favour.

Your judgement, please - Pt. 41

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

'The best game of the last 20 years'...
16.01.2010 – ... Jan Timman wrote about this encounter between two absolute top grandmasters of the 70s and 80s. Here Black played 21...Bb5 and later succumbed in a remarkable attack. How would you assess the position after 21...Nxc7 instead?
A) The second player maintains his plus pawn without risk;
B) White gets the advantage;
C) the result is a draw by perpetual check.

The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

How would you assess the position if Black played 21...Nxc7 in the diagrammed position?

A) The second player maintains his plus pawn without risk;
B) White gets the advantage;
C) the result is a draw by perpetual check.

Your judgement, please - Pt. 40

Retirado do site Chessbase.com.

The automatic recapture...
09.01.2010 – ... of the bishop was what White expected in this position after 25.Bxg7, yet immediately after his move he suddenly realised the possibility 25...Qxb3 26.axb3 Rba6. How would you assess the situation after that?
A) Black checkmates;
B) this eventually leads to a position with equal chances;
C) White gets the advantage.

The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a larger version of the diagram.

Position after 25.Bxg7

How would you assess the situation after 25...Qxb3 26.axb3 Rba6.

A) Black checkmates;
B) this eventually leads to a position with equal chances;
C) White gets the advantage.

Calendário de eventos enxadrísticos - Janeiro/2010

Retirado do site Clube de Xadrez.

Calendário de janeiro/2010

Atualizado em 05/01 às 10h41 (horário de verão) - Retrospectiva2009 - bom dia, João Paulo Mendes Parreira! - IRT da Final do Campeonato Mineiro inaugura, logo mais e com rodada dupla, o Calendário 2009 - Jornal "O Estado de São Paulo" está sob censura há 158 dias

5 a 10: IRT Final do Campeonato Mineiro Absoluto 2009 - 12 finalistas - premiação: R$600,00 ($200,00 ao campeão) - Belo Horizonte - logo mais 13h: Laerte da Carvalho x José Carlos da Silva, Lucas de Oliveira x João Paulo Marques, Frederico Gazel x Daniel Castro, Bruce Ramos x José Antonio Nery Junior, Osmar da Silva Junior x João Carlos da Costa e Gilmar Machado x MF Roberto Junio Molina. Às 18h: José Carlos x Molina, João Carlos x Gilmar, Nery Junior x Osmar, Castro x Ramos, Marques x Gazel e Laerte x Lucas. Amanhã haverá nova rodada dupla, nos mesmos horários.

8 a 10: IRT Auriberto Ticianelli - fechado, 12 jogadores - Maceió

9: 2º Torneio Início Galeria Borba Gato - premiação: R$300,00 ( $100,00 ao campeão ) - São Paulo

10: 1º torneio da série do Restaurante Frango Assado - ritmo 21 minutos - Sumaré - SP

12 a 17: 2º IRT Casa do Xadrez - fechado, 12 jogadores, 7 com rating Fide - Belo Horizonte

14 a 17: IRT Magistral Aberto Petrolina - PE

16 e 17: Campeonato Cearense Feminino 2009 - premiação: R$300,00 ( $150,00 à campeã ) - inscrições gratuitas - Fortaleza

16 e 23: 7º Aberto de Verão Galeria Borba Gato - relógio digital de xadrez ao campeão - São Paulo

16 a 24: IRT Memorial Vanderley Cason de Melo - fechado, 14 jogadores - Campinas - SP

16 a 24: IRT Campeonato Fluminense Absoluto 2009 - Rio de Janeiro

16 e 17: Semifinal e Final Feminina do Campeonato Absoluto Alto Paranaíba e Triangulo Mineiro de Xadrez Pensado 2009 - Valendo 6 vagas para a Final - 500,00 para Semifinal e 100,00 para a Final Feminina - camisetas do evento aos 30 primeiros inscritos - Araxá

17 e 18: Campeonato Cearense Feminino 2009 - inscrições gratuitas - Fortaleza

22 a 24: 2º IRT Memorial Bobby Fischer - premiação: R$2.000,00 ($800,00 ao campeão) - João Pessoa

23 e 24: Campeonato Cearense do Interior - Quixadá

24: 2º torneio da série do Restaurante Frango Assado - ritmo 1 minutos - Sumaré - SP

25: 4º Campeonato de Duplas Inter-Bairros de São Paulo

25: Torneio Relâmpago Cidade de São Paulo, agora valendo pelo Campeonato Estadual da modalidade

31: - Torneio Mensal de Xadrez do Sesc Interlagos/1ª Etapa do Grand Prix. Inscrições antecipadas até 30/01, 13 h, pelo e-mail xadrez@interlagos.sescsp.org.br