By Junior Tay  

When I first got the pairing list for this tournament (CM-096), I made an attempt to work a system for winning the tournament. Naturally, I mentally chalked up points from the bottom half of the field (those who are below ELO 2250 at the beginning of the tourney [actually, that includes me!]) and half-points from the top half. Ironically, I managed to win against the top half and only drew against all the "underdogs" in winning the tourney. This proves that:

1. ratings are only a rough estimate of one's strength
2. the lower rated players in the tourney may be hungrier…as they have just been promoted from Class 1 and are raring to scalp the favourites
3. it is easy to underestimate these players
4. lower rated players can play good chess too!

In the following game against the lowest rated player in the tournament (Markus Reinchart), I obtained a substantial theoretical advantage and started to relax and play second rate moves…Big mistake. He unleashed a stunning combination which allowed him to draw with relative ease. If not for that initial advantage I had, who knows what might have happened… So you have been warned…beware the underdog!

Tay,J (2066) - Reinchardt,M (1987) [B81]
IECG CM-1999-096

Here we go! The razor sharp Keres attack which top OTB GMs like Kasparov and Anand steadfastly avoid by playing the Najdorf move order 5…a6 and later playing 6…e6 against 6.Bc4,Be2,Be3, Bd3, f4, g3 and a4.

8…d5 is a complex alternative favoured by the world's highest ranked CC player GM Ulf Anderssen in his beautiful win over GM Timmerman in 1996.

A sharp alternative to the usual 11. Qd2 and endorsed by Garry Kasparov.

Here's my homework…[12.h5 A) 12...Qb6 13.Nb3 Qc7 14.h6 Nd7 15.hxg7 Bxg7 16.Qd2 b6 (16...b5 17.0-0-0 b4 18.Na4 Bf8 19.Rh1 Rg8 20.Bf4 Nde5 21.Bh6 Bxh6 22.Rxh6 Ke7 23.f4 Nd7 24.f5 Nf6 25.Qf4 Ne8 26.Qh4+ Kf8 27.fxe6 Bxe6 28.Rxe6 1-0 Rasik,V-Antoniewski,R/CZE-chT9798 1998/EXT 99) 17.0-0-0 Bf8 18.Rh1 Rxh1 19.Rxh1 Bb7 20.Rh7 Be7 21.Bxe7 Nxe7 22.Bh5 0-0-0 23.Bxf7 Nf8 24.Rg7 Kb8 25.Bh5 e5 26.Bg4 Bc8 27.Bxc8 Kxc8 28.Nd5 Nxd5 29.Rxc7+ Nxc7 30.Qb4 b5 31.Na5 Nfe6 32.Nc6 Rd7 33.Qd2 Nf4 34.f3 Kb7 35.Nb4 a5 36.Nd3 Nxd3+ 37.Qxd3 Ruxton,K-Rodriguez,A/WchJM U20 1989/TD/1-0 (59); B) 12...Be7 13.Qd2 (13.Be3 Rh7 14.Qd2 Bd7 15.0-0-0 Qc7 16.f4 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Nxh5 18.Bxh5 Rxh5 19.Rxg7 Bf8 20.Rg5 Rxg5 21.fxg5 Be7 22.Kb1 0-0-0 23.Qf2 Re8 24.Rg1 Qa5 25.a3 Bxg5 26.Qxf7 Qd8 27.Qf1 Be7 28.Qc4+ Qc7 29.Qd3 Bc6 30.Rg7 Qd8 31.Qe3 Rg8 32.Rh7 Qf8 33.Ka2 Bf6 34.Bxf6 Qxf6 35.Qa7 Rg7 36.Rh8+ Kc7 37.Qb8+ Kb6 38.Qxd6 Rd7 39.Nd5+ 1-0 Berg,K-Isaksen,B/Copenhagen op15 1993/EXT 99) 13...Bd7 14.0-0-0 b5 15.Nxc6 Bxc6 16.Qe3 Qd7 17.h6 gxh6 18.Bxh6 Qa7 19.Qxa7 Rxa7 20.Be3 Rc7 21.f3 b4 22.Nb1 Bb7 23.Nd2 d5 24.Bf4 Rc8 25.Be5 Rh5 26.Bxf6 Bxf6 27.exd5 exd5 28.Nb3 Kf8 ½-½ Gorelov,S-Balashov,Y/Wisla BES op 1992/TD; C) 12...Bd7 C1) 13.Qd2 C1a) 13...Qb6 14.Nb3 Nxh5 ½-½ Ruxton,K-Pedzich,D/EU-chJ U20 1989/TD (14...Nxh5 15.Rh1 g6 16.0-0-0 Be7 17.e5 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 d5 19.Bxh5 gxh5 20.Qf6 Rf8 21.Rxd5 Ne7 22.Rxd7 Kxd7 23.Rd1+ Ke8 24.Ne4 Ng8 25.Qg5 Rd8 26.Nd6+ Rxd6 27.Rxd6 Qc7 28.Nc5 Ne7 29.Nd7 Qxd7 30.Rxd7 Kxd7 31.Qxh5 Nc6 32.c3 Ke8 33.Kc2 Rg8 34.b4 Rg1 35.a4 Ra1 36.b5 axb5 37.axb5 Nd8 38.Qh8+ Kd7 39.Qh4 Belotti,B-Sokolov,A/SUI-chT 1996/CBM 55 ext/1-0 (61)) ; C1b) 13...b5 C1b1) 14.a3 Rb8 (14...Qb8 15.h6 b4 16.axb4 Qxb4 17.Ndb5 Qxb2 18.Ra4 Rb8 19.hxg7 Bxg7 20.Nxd6+ Kf8 21.Nc4 Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Rb1+ 23.Bd1 Nxe4 24.Be7+ Kxe7 25.Qxg7 1-0 Tischbierek,R-Vegh,E/Sankt Augustin 1990/CBM 20 ext) 15.0-0-0 Be7 16.f4 b4 17.axb4 Rxb4 18.Nxc6 Bxc6 19.e5 Qa5 20.Na2 dxe5 21.Qc3 Bd5 22.Qc8+ Bd8 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Nxb4 Qxb4 25.f5 Ke7 26.Rg7 Re8 27.Rxd5 Kf8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Qxd8+ Kxg7 30.h6+ Kxh6 31.Qxf6+ Kh7 32.Qxf7+ Kh8 33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Qg6+ Kh8 35.Qh6+ 1-0 Riemersma,L-Nicholson,J/Lugano op 1989/TD; C1b2) 14.Nxc6 14...Bxc6 15.a3 Qb8 16.Qd4 Nd7 17.Be3 Rh7 18.0-0-0 Qb7 19.f4 Rc8 ½-½ Anand,V-Sax,G/Wijk 1989/CBM 11; C2) 13.Nb3 13...b5 14.a3 Rc8 (14...Rb8 15.Qd2 Ne5 16.0-0-0 a5 17.f4 Nc4 18.Qe1 Be7 19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5 Nxe5 21.Bf4 b4 22.Bxe5 bxc3 23.Bxb8 cxb2+ 24.Kxb2 Qxb8 25.Qxa5 Nd5 26.Rxd5 exd5 27.Qxd5 Qa7 28.Rd1 Bxa3+ 29.Kb1 Rh6 30.Bb5 Bd6 31.Re1+ Be7 32.Nd4 Bxb5 33.Qxb5+ Qd7 34.Rxe7+ Kxe7 35.Nf5+ Kd8 36.Qb8+ Qc8 37.Qxc8+ Kxc8 38.Nxh6 gxh6 39.Kb2 Kd7 40.Kc3 Kd6 41.Kd4 f5 42.c4 f4 43.Ke4 Kc5 44.Kxf4 Kxc4 45.Ke5 Kc5 ½-½ Yagupov,I-Barskij,V/Moscow-ch 1992/EXT 97) 15.Qd2 Ne5 (15...Rb8 16.Qf4 b4 17.axb4 Nxb4 18.Bd1 e5 19.Qd2 Be7 20.h6 gxh6 21.Bxh6 Qc7 22.Bg7 Rh2 23.Nc1 Bc6 24.Nd3 Nxd3+ 25.Qxd3 Rxb2 26.Qg3 Bb7 27.Ra3 d5 28.Bxf6 Bxa3 29.Bxe5 Qc5 30.Qxh2 d4 31.Rg8+ Kd7 32.Bg4+ 1-0 Barcenilla,R-Ye Jiangchuan/Asia zt 1990/EXT 97; 15...Be7 16.Be3 Kf8 17.0-0-0 Ne5 18.h6 g6 19.f4 Nc4 20.Bxc4 bxc4 21.Nd4 e5 22.f5 exd4 23.Bxd4 Be8 24.fxg6 fxg6 25.Qf4 Kg8 26.Bxf6 Bxf6 27.Rxd6 Qe7 28.Rxf6 Rxh6 29.Nd5 Qg7 30.Rf1 Bc6 31.Rf7 1-0 Nikolenko,O-Ageichenko,G/Moscow Alekhine op 1996/EXT 98) 16.0-0-0 (16.Qf4 Be7 17.0-0-0 Nc4 18.Rg3 a5 19.Nd2 Nxd2 20.Rxd2 Rc5 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.h6 Rg5 23.Nxb5 Rxb5 24.Bxb5 Bxb5 25.f3 d5 26.Rh2 f5 27.Rgg2 Bf1 0-1 Werner,M-Weber,M/BL8889 1989/GER-chT; 16.Nd4 Nc4 17.Bxc4 Rxc4 18.f4 Rxh5 19.0-0-0 Rxc3 20.Qxc3 Nxe4 21.Qf3 Rxg5 22.fxg5 Nxg5 23.Qb7 Nh3 24.Rge1 Qc8 25.Qf3 e5 26.Rd3 Ng5 27.Qh5 Ne6 28.Nxe6 Bxe6 29.Rc3 Qb7 30.Qg5 f6 31.Qg6+ Ke7 32.Rg1 d5 33.Qh7 Kd6 34.Rcg3 Qe7 35.Rxg7 Bxg7 36.Rxg7 Qd8 37.Ra7 Bc8 38.Qf7 Qh8 39.Qe7+ 1-0 Bailey,D-Southam,D/Canada zt 1989/EXT 97) 16...Nc4 17.Qd4 Be7 18.f4 e5 19.Qd3 Bc6 20.fxe5 dxe5 21.Qf3 Nd6 22.h6 gxh6 23.Bxf6 Bxf6 24.Kb1 Bg5 25.Qd3 Ke7 26.Na5 Ba8 27.Nb3 Qc7 28.Ka1 Nc4 29.Bh5 Rhf8 30.Nd5+ Bxd5 31.exd5 f5 32.Rge1 e4 33.c3 Qe5 34.Qf1 Rfd8 35.Nd4 Rxd5 36.Ka2 Ne3 37.Rxe3 Bxe3 38.Qe1 Bxd4 39.cxd4 Rxd4 40.Qh4+ Kd6 41.Rg1 Rd2 0-1 De Firmian,N-Suba,M/Tunis izt 1985/IZT]

instead of 13.Nb3 in view of De Firmian's defeat against Suba.

[In my view, Black's best square for the rook has not been determined yet. Even 14…Rb8 might be a better alternative to deter White's eventual 0-0-0. The main line is 14...Be7 15.Be3 Nxh5 16.0-0-0 with good compensation for the pawn. There is no safe haven for the black king. Kasparov-Sax, Tilburg 1989]

[ better than IM Nasib Ginting's 17...Qb6?! which got hit by 18.h6!± Luther, T-Ginting, N - Liechtenstein 1992 ]

[18.Bxf6 gxf6 (18...Qxf6 19.Nf5 Rc6 20.f4 unclear) 19.Nb3 a5 20.Qe3 Qc7 21.Qf3 f5 22.Nd2 Ba4 23.Rc1 Bd7 24.exf5+=/ unclear; 18.Nf5?! Bxf5 19.exf5 d5! Black is already better]

18...Be6 19.f4 Bxb3 20.cxb3 Be7 ±

White has a substantial advantage here but needs to be extremely tactically alert

Here I begin to go astray, missing Black's pretty combination. I had already begun to chalk up a mental point on the scoretable when I played the lousy

strengthening the Queenside (or so I thought) and fixing a target on f7 after the eventual Rxg7

[21.Bf3! White retains control over the central squares, the e4 pawn and calmly prepares his Kingside assault A) 21...Qa5 22.fxe5 Qxe5 23.Bf4 Qa5 (23...Qe6 24.Rxg7Nxh5 25.Bg4 Qxb3 26.Bxc8 Nxg7 27.Bxd6 0-0 28.Bf5+-) 24.Rxg7±; B) 21...Rc6 22.Rh1± intending h6]

To my surprise, Markus unleashed the amazing

a move I thought was impossible when I played Bc4 because of

and Black's king has nowhere to go when suddenly, the floodgates opened up with his stunning

Now, I began to understand his idea but could not do a thing about it as…

The ending is just drawish as White's silly looking c-pawns and Black 's active king compensate for the loss of exchange. What a marvelous concept by Markus!

Incidentally, the lowest rated players Tay, Quadri, Reinchart and Coclet finished the tournament unbeaten! So beware the underdog!