Russia scores hat-trick at Chess Olympiad

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): The 32nd Chess Olympiad in Yerevan, Armenia, was another show of Russia's dominance over world chess. They won the men's Olympiad for the third time making a sweet hat-trick.

Russia's strength in chess is so enormous that they could easily field three different gold medal winning teams. But, they did not rest of their laurels won last two years. They had spells of immense preparation and made just one change from the gold medal winning combine of Moscow 1994. Sergey Rublevsky replaced Sergey Tiviakov.

Packed with players like PCA World Champion Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexey Dreev, Peter Svidler, Evgeny Bareev and Sergey Rublevsky, the Russian saw nothing but gold from the first round. China which took the initial lead faded in the face of tough competition and were beaten by Russia in the fifth round. Since the fifth round until the end, the Russians accelerated to win the Olympiad by three and a half point margin. They scored 38,5 victory points for the team gold.

Three of six Russian players also got the individual board prizes. Kasparov with 7 victory points from 9 rounds got silver medal on the top board. Svidler with 8,5 VP from 11-rounds took bronze on the fourth board, and Bareev with 7,5 VP from 10-rounds took silver on the fifth board. Dreev who got 5 VP from 8-rounds and Rublevsky with 6 VP from 9-rounds contributed heavily to the score and Kramnik's nine draws (4,5 VP from 9-rounds) was seen as a failure.

Final top 20 teams placings as follow: 1. Russia 38,5 VP; 2. Ukraine 35 VP; 3-4. USA and England 34 VP; 5-7. Armenia 1, Spain and Bosnia 33,5 VP; 8-12. Georgia, Bulgaria, Germany, Sweden and Iceland 33 VP; 13-15. China, Holland and Argentina 32,5 VP; 16- 20. Croatia, Israel, Hungary, Uzbekistan and Latvia 32 VP.

Below is a game from Russian team player, the young Peter Svidler (21 year old), who give the most points to their team. He beat Grandmaster Manuel Apicella from French in round three.

White: GM Manuel Apicella Black: GM Peter Svidler Sisilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 g6

In the Moscow Olympiad 1994 Kramnik played 6...e5 and won after a lengthy struggle.

7.0-0 Bg7 8.Nb3 0-0 9.Bg5 a6 10.f4 b5 11.Bf3 Bb7

The best move in this position probably was 11...b4 as game Apicella-Santo Roman, Clichy 1993, where Black won easily after 12.Ne2? Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Ng4.

12.Kh1 Nd7 13.Rb1 Re8 14.Nd5 f6!

A very powerful idea. In game Xie Jun-Tisdall, San Francisco 1995, Black played 14...Qb8 and did not equalize.

15.Bh4 e6 16.Ne3 g5!

This is the point of the Black's fourteenth move. Black obtains square e5 for his knights.

17.Bg3

May be 17.fxg5 fxg5 18.Bg3 was better, and after 18...Nde5 19.Bh5 Rf8 20.Qe2 Qe7 21.c3 the game is unclear, although Black is very comfortable

17...gxf4 18.Bxf4 Nde5 19.Bh5 Rf8 20.c3 Qe7 21.Qe2 Ng6! 22.Bg3

If 22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Qg4 g5 24.Bg3 Rae8! the position is better for Black.

22...Nce5 23.Nd2

The only move, since after 23.Ng4 f5! 24.exf5 exf5 Black breaks through.

23...Kh8 24.Rf2 Rad8 25.Rbf1 Bh6

This position is very spectacular. Black isn't threatening anything yet, but White is unable to improve his position, while Black may think about Bg5-h4 or Bg5 and then Qg7-h6. With time- trouble loomimg, White tries to untie himself.

26.Ng4?! Nxg4 27.Bxg4 d5!

Black is threatening to eliminate the pawn on e4 and start pushing his f-pawn.

28.Bh5 This probably loses. But 28.exd5 Ba8! 29.Nb3! f5 30.Bh5 Bxd5! 31.Bxg6 hxg6 also good for Black.

28...dxe4 29.Nxe4 f5! 30.Bxg6 hxg6 31.Nd6 Ba8!

See diagram. Black played very good defensive move. Look more attractive was 31...Bd5 but in fact very weak because of 32.c4! and White can maintain the balanced. Now Black is winning, because White's Knight will be lose.

32.Be5+

Because there was a threat 32...f4. The alternative 32.Qe5+ was no good, for example 32...Kg8 33.Rd1 Bg7 34.Qc5 e5 35.Rfd2 f4 36.Bf2 Qg5.

32...Kg8 33.Rd1 Rd7 34.Qd3 Rfd8 35.Qg3

Both 35.Qh3 Bg7 and 35.Rfd2 Bd5 36.Qh3 Bg7 lose too.

35...Qg5 36.Qxg5 Bxg5 37.Rd3

On 37.b3 is met by 37...Bd5 38.c4 bxc4 39.bxc4 Bxc4. 37...Be4 38.Rh3 Rxd6 39.Rh8+ Kf7 40.Rh7+ Ke8 41.Rh8+ Kd7

White resigned. 0-1