Garry Kasparov: ‘Not playing chess is a disaster.’
Peter Svidler and the Crown of the Russian Empire.
Etienne Bacrot seems unbeatable in the French Champion-
ships.
‘King’ Yasser Seirawan and his ‘Queen’ Zhu Chen.
SOS: 6.Nb5, Blumenfeld-Cohn, Berlin 1904.
| CONTENTNAO EUROPE'S BEST
In their first attempt Madame Ojjeh's NAO Chess Club stumbled in the last round, but now, in Crete, they were back with a vengeance. With dazzling wins and one memorable blunder Garry Kasparov was without the shadow of a doubt the star of the European Club Cup, but the winners were Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Michael Adams, Joel Lautier, Paco Vallejo, Etienne Bacrot and Laurent Fressinet. INTERVIEW: GARRY KASPAROV
He should have been in Yalta, playing a match against Ponomariov, but instead he found himself in Crete, desperately looking for an opportunity to test his strength. 'I want to demonstrate that I am still capable of beating the young generation.' SVIDLER RUSSIAN CHAMPION (AGAIN)
Evgeny Atarov's report of the 58th Russian Championship reads like the script for a movie called Peter Svidler and the Crown of the Russian Empire. The scene is faraway Krasnoyarsk where the main hero fought a breath-taking duel with Alexander Morozevich to claim his fourth Russian title. ETIENNE V
In Aix-les-Bains the former prodigy of French chess, Etienne Bacrot, won his fifth national title in six consecutive attempts when he outplayed both Lautier and Sokolov in the tie-breakers. GOLDIN WINS CONTINENTAL AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
At the Continental American Championship in Buenos Aires, Alexander Goldin finished equal first with Giovanni Vescovi, but took the title thanks to a better progressive score. A report by the Brazilian grandmaster, who is enjoying an excellent year, with analysis by both top finishers. THE TIME OF HIS LIFE
With great enthusiasm Luke McShane spent a gap year before he entered Oxford University playing chess, chess and more chess. His Elo was never higher (2649) and he won a lot. At the Lausanne Young Masters he beat Etienne Bacrot in the final. KINGS AND QUEENS TOUR CHINA
'Dear friends from abroad. Welcome to China. Please teach us chess.' Was he still in our strife-torn chess world?, Yasser Seirawan wondered as he listened to these diplomatic words of Lin Feng, the General Secretary of the Chinese Chess Association. JAN TIMMAN S.O.S.: A SURPRISE IN THE SCOTCH SADLER ON BOOKS BLUMENFELD GAMBIT
Hans Ree took part in the gambit tournament that the Staunton chess club in Groningen organises every year and learned that thinking is a practice not easily regained. JUST CHECKING
Guess what's Alexandra Kosteniuk's all-time favourite movie? Did they play your opening?In this issue games with the following openings were annotated by world class players: Sicilian
Vescovi-Dominguez, by Vescovi
Bacrot-Lautier, by Bacrot
Motylev-Dvoiris, by Dvoiris
Dominguez-Kudrin, by Vescovi
Svidler-Bologan, by Svidler
Vydeslaver-Fressinet, by Fressinet
Vescovi-Gulko, by Vescovi
Xie Jun/Evgeny Bareev-Zhu Chen/Yasser Seirawan, by Seirawan
Morozevich-Dvoiris, by Morozevich Pirc
Lautier-Degraeve, by Lautier French
Svidler-Volkov, by Svidler
Morozevich-Shipov, by Morozevich Petroff
Svidler-Morozevich, by Svidler Ruy Lopez
Sokolov-Bacrot, by Sokolov King's Pawn
McShane-Bacrot, by McShane Queen's Gambit Accepted
Lautier-Markowski, by Lautier Nimzo-Indian
Goldin-Milos, by Goldin
Kasparov-Grischuk, by Dokhoian Queen's Indian
Franco Ocampos-Goldin, by Goldin
Speelman S-King J, by Timman Grünfeld-Indian
Malakhov-Svidler, by Malakhov
Sakaev-Belov, by Sakaev Dutch Defence
Zhao Xue/Nigel Short-Xie Jun/Evgeny Bareev, by Xie Jun |
