CONTENTSBOLOGAN UPSETS ELITE
‘Everyone wanted a new face and that’s what they got’, Viktor Bologan drily commented on his sensational victory at the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting in Dortmund. Going into the event as the rather non-descript surprise qualifier from the Aeroflot Open, the 31-year-old Moldovan grandmaster dominated the proceedings right from the start to finish one point clear of top seeds Vladimir Kramnik and Vishy Anand. TWO CUPS FULL OF CHESS
The highlights of the Danish chess summer were the category 15 North Sea Cup in Esbjerg and the 25th Politiken Cup in Copenhagen. Peter Heine Nielsen played in both and saw that both Krishnan Sasikiran and Luke McShane were in excellent shape. MOROZEVICH HORS CONCOURS
‘What was it, in the 36th Biel Festival, that made the players fight like lions?’, Yannick Pelletier wonders. The local participant tries to provide the answer and relates why after two weeks of intense battle Alexander Morozevich emerged as the Lion King. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
Joel Benjamin reveals his survival strategies to get through the World Open ordeal in Philadelphia. Yet, despite his resourcefulness our reporter dropped out well before the end, but stayed on to watch a logjam of ten players enter the winner’s circle. THE ‘BRITISH’
At the British championships in his favourite city of Edinburgh, Jonathan Rowson posted a perfect score against the British opposition he ran into. Did that make him the 2003 British champion? Not really, as our Scottish correspondent explains in an instructive exposé crammed with geopolitical facts and lively chess. CHESS REACHES GREENLAND
In Hrafn Jökulsson’s world view a country without chess is a sad country. Following in the footsteps of his countryman Eric the Red, the tireless president of the Hrokurinn Chess Club led an expedition from Iceland to Greenland, the biggest chess-less country in the world, to spread the news that skakki aliikkutaalluarpoq! Right, chess is fun. S.O.S.: SPANISH EXCHANGE VARIATION
Annoyed or worried when they start swapping pieces on move 4? Maybe you shouldn’t be. THE OMNISCIENT ONE
Hans Ree commemorates Ken Whyld (1926-2003), a great scholar who generously shared his knowledge with all callers. JAN TIMMAN SADLER ON BOOKS
Is John Watson’s Chess Strategy in Action as good as his acclaimed Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy? Let’s ask Matthew! JUST CHECKING
Guess what’s Viktor Bologan’s biggest fear? Did they play your opening?In this issue games with the following openings were annotated by world class players: Sicilian
Ehlvest-Sadvakasov, by Ehlvest
Ziatdinov-Coleman, by Benjamin
Oral-McShane, by McShane
Anand-Radjabov, by Radjabov
Smirin-Kosteniuk, by Benjamin
Rowson-Kunte, by Rowson
Harikrishna-Hossain, by Rowson King's Fianchetto
Kotronias-Rahman, by Rowson French
Morozevich-Kortchnoi, by Pelletier
Morozevich-Pelletier, by Pelletier
Rowson-McDonald, by Rowson
Smirin-Pelletier, by Smirin Caro-Kann
Anand-Bologan, by Anand
Bologan-Anand, by Bologan Scandinavian Defence
Zatonskih-Sulskis, by Benjamin Ruy Lopez
McShane-Bruzon, by McShane Nimzo-Indian
Kramnik-Bologan, by Bologan
Carlsen-Chirs Ward, by Carlsen Queen's Indian
Krasenkow-Sakaev, by Krasenkow
Dreev-Sasikiran, by Dreev Grünfeld Indian
Bacrot-Smirin, by Pelletier
Nielsen-McShane, by Nielsen English Opening
Morozevich-Lutz, by Morozevich
Ginsburg-Yudasin, by Benjamin Réti
Motwani-Bakre, by Rowson Sokolsky
Lapshun-Sinn, by Benjamin Modern Opening 1.e4 g6
Sasikiran-Skytte, by Nielsen
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