Four-way tie in 1997 Las Vegas Open

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): The 1997 Las Vegas Open, held April 11th through 13th at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, was the strongest and largest yet. Nine-hundred-and-thirty players showed up to play in the three-section event, attracted by a record US$36,000 in prizes.

GMs Alexander Baburin (Ireland), Dmitry Gurevich (USA), Julian Hodgson (England) and Ilya Smirin (Israel) battled their way through a brutally strong open section to share top honors at 5,5 MP, good for $2,937.50 apiece.

This year's Las Vegan Open was incredibly strong with 31 GMs. A combination of events produced the spectacle of all these GMs compete for four prizes. One factor was undoubtedly the lure of Las Vegas and the generosity of organizer Al Losoff in providing GM titleholders free entry fee and lodging.

This may be a common practice in Europe, but it's definitely not in the United States where GMs often have to play all their expenses. The offer of a vacation in Vegas for only the cost of an airline ticket was a strong inducement, even though the chances of winning money were only 1 in 7.75 (31 GMs and four prizes).

"Well I got lucky this time, but my impression was that the surrounding casinos offered better odds for participants than our tournament in Europe. Those who dropped a single point in Las Vegas lost all their chances. I managed to come into the last round with 4.5 from five and was very happy to tie for first after winning the last round," Baburin said.

Below is his last winning game:

White: GM Alexander Ivanov

Black: GM Alexander Baburin

Alekhine Defense

1.e4 Nf6

According to Baburin, he discovered that Alexander Ivanov did not get to play against Alekhine's Defense too often, so his preparation was easier. Besides that, in the last round it's not the opening that really matters, but the nerves.

2.e5 Nd5 3.g3 d6 4.exd6 Qxd6!?

The text is not any better than 4...cxd6 or 4...exd6, it just gives the game a new direction. One good point was that Ivanov began to spend a lot of time, he took fifteen minutes on his next move.

5.Bg2 e5

The text preparation ...Nc6, ...Bg4 (after Nf3 or Ne2) and ... 0-0-0 with good formation.

6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c6 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Nh4 Nd7 12.0-0 0-0-0

The semi-open b-file gives White some chances to attack on the queenside, but he does not have a pawn on the b-file to hit the c6-pawn, which is like a wall against the g2-Bishop.

13.d3 Qc7 14.Qf3 Nc5 15.Nxg6 hxg6 16.Be3 Bd6

The opening is over and Black got a good position, he has a more sound pawn formation and chances on the kingside with his Rook in the semi open h-file.

17.a4 f5 18.a5 a6 19.gxf5 Rdf8 20.f6 gxf6 21.Bxc5 Bxc5 22.d4 Bd6

Here there is an interesting idea to put the Bishop on the b8- h2 diagonal behind the Queen by playing 22...exd4 23.cxd4 Ba7 (of course not 23...Bxd4 because of 24.Qg4+ f5 25.Qxd4 White win a piece) with ... Bb8 will follow.

23.Rab1 Rh4!

As White is activating his Rooks, Black needs to do the same and the text is the right answer. The Rook puts pressure on the d4-pawn, helps to manage ...e5-e4 and might be preparation for doubling Rooks on the h-file.

24.Rfe1 exd4 25.Re6?

See diagram. This move looks active, but White's forces start to lack coordination. More testing would have been 25.cxd4 Rxd4 26.Rb3 though Black has a nice choice: A) 26...Bc5 27.Reb1 Rf4 28.Qe2 (28.Rxb7 Qxb7) 28...Bxf2+ (28...Rxf2 29.Qe6+ Qd7 30.Qxd7+ Kxd7 31.Rxb7+ Kd6) is also good; B) 26...Qxa5 27.Reb1 Re8 (but not 27...Rf7? because of 28.Rxb7 Rxb7 29.Qxc6+ Kd8 30.Qxb7) 28.Rxb7 Re1+ 29.Bf1 Qg5+ 30.Qg2 Qxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Rxb1 32.Rxb1 a5 with advantage.

25...Rf4! 26.Qe2

After 26.Qd3 Black would have attacked the Rook by 26...Qd7 with a big advantage.

26...dxc3

At this point my opponent had only six minutes left, moreover, he spent five of them on the following.

27.Re8+ Rxe8 28.Qxe8+ Qd8

White is objectively lost here.

29.Qe6+ Kc7 30.Qf7+ Qe7 31.Qxg6 Bc5 32.Kh1 Rxf2 33.Qg3+ Qe5

Here White played 34.Qg7+, but his flag fell. 0-1