Here is an annotated game from the 1972 Olympiad in Skopje, between Mikhail Tal and Denmark’s Ole Jakobsen:

[Event "1972 Olympiad"]

[Site "Skopje"]

[Date "1972.??.??"]

[Result "1-0"]

[White "Mikhail Tal"]

[Black "Ole Jakobsen"]

[ECO "B53"]

[PlyCount "88"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4!? Bd7 5.c4 Nc6 6.Qd2 Nf6 7.Nc3 g6 8.b3 Bg7 9.Bb2 O-O 10.Be2 Qa5 11.Rb1 (Castling by White allows 11. …Nxe4!) a6 12.a3 Rfc8 13.O-O (An interesting alternative is h3 to prevent Black’s next move) Bg4! 14.Rfe1 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Rab8 (Black should have tried to expand on the Queen-side with 15. …b5!)

16.Be2 Ne5 17.f4 Qb6+ 18.Kh1 Neg4 19.Bxg4 Nxg4 20.h3 (Black has equality after 20.Nd5 Nf7+ 21.Kg1 Nh3+ with a perpetual) Nf6 21.Nd5! Nxd5 22.exd5 Bxb2 23.Rxb2 Qc7 24.f5! (White is now obviously better)

b5 25.fxg6 (Interesting is 25.Qg5!? f6 26.Qh6!?) hxg6 26.Qg5 bxc4! 27.Rxe7 Qc5 (If 27. …c3 then 28.Rf2) 28.Qf6 Qxd5 (If 28. …Rf1, White would win with Re4!) 29.bxc4 Qxc4

30.Rf2 Rf8 31.Rf4! Qc1+ 32.Kh2 Qb2 33.Rxf7 Qxf6 34.R7xf6 Rxf6 (No better is 34. …Kg2 35.Rxf8 Rxf8 36.Rxf8 Kxf8 37.Kg3 and White wins the King & Pawn ending) 35.Rxf6 Kg7 36.Rxd6 a5 37.Rd5 Ra8 38.a4! (White now wins) Ra6 39.Kg3 Kf6 40.Kf4 Ke6 41.Rb5 Kf6 42.Rc5 Rb6 43.Rxa5 Rb4+ 44.Kg3 Rb3+ Black Resigns

Source: Chess Digest, February 1975

Dos Hermanas (Spain) was the strongest chess tournament of 1996 (Category 19) with an average ELO rating of 2715.  The only top 10 player in the world rankings not participating was Anatoly Karpov, who was busy preparing for his championship match with Gata Kamsky.

Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov shared first prize at 6/9, with Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov finishing just a half point behind them.  The rest of the field finished out as follows: Illesscas (4.5); Kamsky, Gelfand (4); Ivanchuk (3.5);  Shirov, Polgar (3). 

The round 5 meeting between Kramnik and Anand was an absolute classic and the telling difference as to where they respectively finished in the standings.  We are happy to share that game with you as shown below:

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]

[Site "Dos Hermanas"]

[Date "1996.05.26"]

[Round "5"]

[White "Kramnik,Vladimir"]

[Black "Anand,Viswanathan"]

[Result "1-0"]

[Eco "D85"]

1.Nf3 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0-0 Bg4 13.Bg5 h6 14.Be3 Nc6 15.d5 Na5 16.Bc5 Bf6 17.e5 Bxe5 18.Rb4 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Rae8 20.Be3 Nc4 21.Bxh6 Nd6 22.Bxf8 Rxf8 23.h4 Rc8 24.Be4 Qa5 25.Ra4 Qb5 26.Bb1 Rc5 27.Bd3 Qd7 28.Rxa7 Rxd5 29.Ra8+ Kg7 30.h5 Rd4 31.Qe2 Bf6 32.hxg6 fxg6 33.Bb1 Qg4 34.Qa2 Nc4 35.Qb3 b5 36.Re1 Rd2 37.Ra2 Rd5 38.Be4 Re5 39.Rae2 Qh4 40.g3 Qh6 41.Qd3 Nd6 42.Bd5 Rxe2 43.Qxe2 Qh3 44.Be6 Qh8 45.Qf3 Qb8 46.Kg2 b4 47.Rh1 Qb7 48.Bd5 Qb5 49.g4 Nf7 50.Bb3 Nh6 51.Re1 Qg5 52.Re4 Nf5 53.Qd1 Nh4+ 54.Kh3 Qc5 55.Qe2 g5 56.Qc4 Qxc4 57.Rxc4 Bc3 58.Rc5 Nf3 59.Kg3 Ne5 60.Rb5 Bd2 61.f3 Bc3 62.f4 gxf4+ 63.Kxf4 Nf7 64.Rd5 Bb2 65.Kf5 Bf6 66.Rd1 Ng5 67.Rd3 Nf7 68.Rd7 Nd6+ 69.Kf4 Nf7 70.Rb7 Be5+ 71.Ke3 Bd6 72.Ke4 Ng5+ 73.Kf5 Nf3 74.Bd5 Nh4+ 75.Kg5 Ng6 76.Ra7 Nf8 77.Kf5 Bc5 78.Rb7 Bd6 79.g5 Ng6 80.Ra7 Nf8 81.Bb3 Ng6 82.Ra8 Nf8 83.Kg4 Bc7 84.Kh5 Bd6 85.Rc8 Be5 86.Rc5 Ng6 87.Rc8 Nf8 88.Rc1 Bc3 89.Rf1 e6 90.Rd1 Kf7 91.Rd8 Ng6 92.Rd7+ Ke8 93.Ba4 Ne5 94.Rb7+ Kf8 95.g6 Nd3 96.Kh6 Nc5 97.Rb8+ Ke7 98.Bc2 Nd7 99.Rb7 Kd6 100.g7 Bxg7+ 101.Kxg7  1-0

Click HERE to replay the game.

Levon Aronian of Armenia and Magnus Carlsen of Norway shared first place in Group A, both drawing with their respective opponents in the final round.  India’s Viswanthan Anand could have had a piece of first place if he had defeated Vladimir Kramnik today, but had to settle for a draw against his Russian opponent for the world title later this year.

Sergey Movesian of Slovakia won Group B by a full point over Nigel Short of England and Etienne Bacrot of France.  All three players drew their final round games.

Fabiano Caruana of Italy won Group C by a full two points over second place finishers Parimarjan Negi and Dimitri Reinderman, both of the Netherlands.  That group came down to Caruana’s match against Negi today in which Caruana won in a 61-move Ruy Lopez.

Click HERE for crosstables, photos, and complete results.

Ljubomir Ljubojevic won the Honorary group of the 2008 Corus chess tournament today by defeating Lajos Portisch in the final round.  Victor Korchnoi and Jan Timman tied for second, followed by Portisch in last place.  This group of chess legends (with a combined ELO average of 2560) played six rounds, squaring off against each player twice.  Korchnoi was is control until consecutive losses in the last two rounds to Ljubojevic and Timman. 

Ljubojevic, now 57 years of age, was one of the most successful grandmasters of the 70’s and 80’s.  His highest ranking was number 3 in the world, back in 1983.  Some of his more notable tournament victories were Linares 1985, Belgrade 1987, and Barcelona 1989.  His most famous performance was at the SWIFT tournament in Brussels 1987, in which he tied Garry Kasparov for first place.  For more information and games on that tournament, visit our “Greatest Events” section at http://www.rookhouse.com/events/swift1987.html.

Below is todays game against Portisch that won the tournament for Ljubojevic:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.a3 Bxc5 7.b4 Be7 8.Nf3 b6 9.e4 Qc7 10.Bb2 O-O 11.Bd3 Qb8 12.b5 Na5 13.e5 Ng4 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Be4 Nxc4 16.Bxa8 Qxa8 17.Ne2 Nxb2 18.h3 Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Bf6 20.Ng4 Nd3+ 21.Qxd3 Bxa1 22.O-O f5 23.Nf4 Kg8 24.Ng6 Re8 25.Rxa1 fxg4 26.hxg4 a6 27.Rc1 axb5 28.Rc3 b4 29.axb4 Qb8 30.Qd4 d6 31.Rh3 e5 32.Qd5+ Be6 33.Qf3 1-0

Due to the unexpected death of Bobby Fischer, we have been erractic with our postings as of late and are ready to get back to a regular schedule as follows:

1. Mondays we will post some type of preview for the upcoming World Championship match between Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand.
2. Wednesdays will be the weekly puzzle / historical game.
3. Fridays will continue the past coverage and games of the 1992 Fischer-Spassky rematch.

The 2008 Corus poll still shows Kramnik as the favorite to win, but I have a feeling that opinion could be quickly changing. 

PLEASE respond to this posting or contact us at admin@rookhouse.com and give us some feedback on the website and any recommendations as to what you would like to see on our blog. 

Thank You,
RookHouse Admin

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Chess legend Bobby Fischer, who died in Iceland last week aged 64, was buried on Monday in a private ceremony near the city that hosted his famous victory over the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky 35 years ago.

Fischer’s spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said the American-born world chess champion was buried on Monday morning at a quiet ceremony attended by a few friends and his companion, Japanese chess player Miyoko Watai.

The Catholic burial was held on a cold, bright day at a small country church near the southern Icelandic town of Selfoss, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Reykjavik.

One of the attendees, who declined to be identified, said Fischer had requested that only a handful of people be at his funeral…….

Written By Kristin Arna Bragadottir

Click HERE to read the whole article.

Here are some of my favorite games played by Bobby Fischer in his earlier years, between 1958 and 1961.  All four of these particular games are also in Bobby’s famous book “My 60 Memorable Games”.

FISCHER – LARSEN

Portoroz 1958 (Interzonal)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. Bb3 Qa5 12. O-O-O b5 13. Kb1 b4 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Bxd5 Rac8 16. Bb3 Rc7 17. h4 Qb5 18. h5 Rfc8 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. g4 a5 21. g5 Nh5 22. Rxh5 gxh5 23. g6 e5 24. gxf7+ Kf8 25. Be3 d5 26. exd5 Rxf7 27. d6 Rf6 28. Bg5 Qb7 29. Bxf6 Bxf6 30. d7 Rd8 31. Qd6+ 1-0

FISCHER – OLAFFSON

Zurich 1959

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Bb7 14. Nf1 Rac8 15. Bd3 Nc6 16. Ne3 Rfe8 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Bg5 Nd7 19. Rc1 Qb8 20. Bb1 Nxd4 21. N3xd4 Rxc1 22. Bxc1 exd4 23. Nh6+ gxh6 24. Qg4+ Kh8 25. Qxd7 Bd5 26. Qf5 Re5 27. Qf3 f5 28. Bf4 Re8 29. Qh5 Bxe4 30. f3 Bc6 31. Rc1 Bd7 32. Bxh6 Re6 33. Bxf8 Qxf8 34. Qh4 Qf6 35. Qxf6+ Rxf6 36. Kf2 Kg7 37. Rc7 Rf7 38. Ke2 f4 39. Ra7 Kf6 40. Rxa6 Re7+ 41. Kf2 Be6 42. Rxd6 Ke5 43. Rc6 Bd5 44. Rh6 Rc7 45. Rh5+ Kd6 46. Rh6+ Ke5 47. Rh5+ Kd6 48. Rf5 Rc1 49. Bd3 Rd1 50. Ke2 Rg1 51. Kf2 Rd1 52. Ke2 Rg1 53. Rg5 Bxa2 54. Bxb5 Rb1 55. Kd3 h6 56. Rh5 Rxb2 57. Kxd4 Rxg2 58. Rxh6+ Ke7 59. Ke4 Rg5 60. Ba6 Bf7 61. Bc8 Rg6 62. Rh7 Kf8 63. Bg4 Rg7 64. Rh6 Rg6 65. Rxg6 Bxg6+ 66. Kxf4 Kg7 67. Kg5 Bd3 68. f4 Be4 69. h4 Bd3 70. h5 Be4 71. h6+ Kh8 72. Bf5 Bd5 73. Bg6 Be6 74. Kf6 Bc4 75. Kg5 Be6 76. Bh5 Kh7 77. Bg4 Bc4 78. f5 Bf7 79. Bh5 Bc4 80. Bg6+ Kg8 81. f6 1-0

FISCHER – EUWE

Leipzeig 1960

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qd7 15. Rb1 Rd8 16. Be3 Qxb5 17. Rxb5 Rd7 18. Ke2 f6 19. Rd1 Rxd1 20. Kxd1 Kd7 21. Rb8 Kc6 22. Bxa7 g5 23. a4 Bg7 24. Rb6+ Kd5 25. Rb7 Bf8 26. Rb8 Bg7 27. Rb5+ Kc6 28. Rb6+ Kd5 29. a5 f5 30. Bb8 Rc8 31. a6 Rxc3 32. Rb5+ Kc4 33. Rb7 Bd4 34. Rc7+ Kd3 35. Rxc3+ Kxc3 36. Be5 1-0

FISCHER – RESHEVSKY

New York 1961

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. f4 d6 9. Nb3 Be6 10. g4 d5 11. f5 Bc8 12. exd5 Nb4 13. Bf3 gxf5 14. a3 fxg4 15. Bg2 Na6 16. Qd3 e6 17. O-O-O Nxd5 18. h3 g3 19. Rhg1 Qd6 20. Bxd5 exd5 21. Nxd5 Kh8 22. Bf4 Qg6 23. Qd2 Bxh3 24. Rxg3 Bg4 25. Rh1 Rfe8 26. Ne3 Qe4 27. Qh2 Be6 28. Rxg7 Kxg7 29. Qh6+ Kg8 30. Rg1+ Qg6 31. Rxg6+ fxg6 32. Nd4 Rad8 33. Be5 Rd7 34. Nxe6 Rxe6 35. Ng4 Rf7 36. Qg5 Rf1+ 37. Kd2 h5 38. Qd8+ 1-0

Click HERE to play through these games in PGN viewer.

Fabiano Caruana, playing with the Black pieces, defeated Arik Braun of Germany today to take sole possession of the lead in Group C of the 2008 Corus chess tournament.   Their game is shown below:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Nh4 Qe7 10. f3 Rd8 11. Qb3 Bg6 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Na2 Ba5 14. Rb1 a6 15. Qc2 Nbd7 16. b4 Bc7 17. a5 e5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Be2 g5 20. Rb3 Nd5 21. g3 Bd6 22. Qb1 Bb8 23. e4 Ba7+ 24. Kh1 Nc7 25. f4 Ng6 26. e5 Nd5 27. Qe4 Re8 28. Bd3 Qd7 29. Qf3 Qh3 30. Nc3 Nxc3 31. Rxc3 Rad8 32. Bc4 gxf4 33. Bxf4 Rf8 34. Rd3 Rxd3 35. Qxd3 Bb8 36. Rf2 Qh5 37. Qe4 Nxe5 38. Be2 Qg6 39. Qd4 Ng4 40. Rf1 Bxf4 41. Rxf4 Nf6 42. Bd3 Qg5 43. Rf5 Qh6 44. Re5 Qh3 45. Kg1 Qc8 46. Bc4 Rd8 47. Qf2 Qd7 48. Re1 Qd4 49. Qxd4 Rxd4 50. Rc1 Kf8 51. Kf2 Ng4+ 52. Ke2 Ne5 0-1

The round 8 game to watch today at the Corus Chess Tournament actually comes from grandmaster “Group C”.  Fabiano Caruana (2598) of Italy is playing Arik Braun (2536) of Germany.  These two players are currently tied for first place in this group at 5.0 pts. each. Braun has the advantage of the white pieces today.

Below is the only known recorded game (that I could find) between the 15-year old Caruana and the 19-year old Braun, from the 2006 Mitropa Cup in Czechoslovakia:

[Event "Mitropa Cup"]
[Site "Brno CZE"]
[Date "2006.09.15"]
[EventDate "2006.09.07"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Fabiano Caruana"]
[Black "Arik Braun"]
[ECO "C18"]
[WhiteElo "2444"]
[BlackElo "2526"]
[PlyCount "113"]
 
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7
7. Qg4 f5 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qd1 cxd4 10. cxd4 b6 11. Bb5+ Bd7
12. Bd3 Nc6 13. Ne2 Nxd4 14. Bb2 Nxe2 15. Qxe2 Ne7 16. c4 dxc4
17. Bxc4 b5 18. Bb3 Qa5+ 19. Kf1 b4 20. Kg1 bxa3 21. Rxa3 Qb6
22. h4 a5 23. Kh2 a4 24. Rd1 Qb7 25. Qd2 Rf8 26. Bc4 Qc7
27. Rd3 Qxc4 28. Rxd7 Qxh4+ 29. Kg1 a3 30. Bc3 Kf7 31. g3 Qa4
32. Qg5 Rae8 33. Qf6+ Kg8 34. Qxe6+ Rf7 35. Qa2 Qc6 36. Bb4
Kf8 37. e6 Rg7 38. Bxa3 f4 39. Bb2 fxg3 40. Bxg7+ Kxg7
41. Qb2+ Kg8 42. Qf6 gxf2+ 43. Kh2 Rf8 44. Qxe7 f1=N+ 45. Rxf1
Qc2+ 46. Kg1 Rxf1+ 47. Kxf1 Qc4+ 48. Kf2 Qc2+ 49. Ke3 Qc3+
50. Ke4 Qc4+ 51. Ke5 Qe2+ 52. Kd6 Qa6+ 53. Kc5 Qa5+ 54. Kc4
Qa6+ 55. Kb3 Qb6+ 56. Qb4 Qe3+ 57. Ka4 1-0
 
 

Iceland media is reporting that former world chess champion Bobby Fischer has died at age 64.

Spokesman Gardar Sverrisson was quoted by one source as saying “I can confirm that he died yesterday in his home due to an illness”.  Other sources are quoting Sverrisson as stating that Fischer passed away in a Reykjavik hopsital.

Einar Einarsson, the chairman of a Fischer support group in Iceland, said the cause of death was kidney failure.  Einarsson was quoted as saying that Fischer “was not a man who wanted to seek medical attention. He didn’t believe in Western medicine.”

Fischer had been living in Iceland since being granted citizenship back in 2005.  He was reportedly hospitalized for a short period of time just last year. 

Reykjavik oddly enough, was the site of his greatest triumph in 1972, when he defeated Boris Spassky (then of the Soviet Union) for the World Chess Championship.  Spassky and Fischer would later have a rematch in Yugoslavia in 1992, also won by Fischer.

Spassky, now a French citizen, was reportedly notified of Fischer’s passing by phone and stated that he was “very sorry” to hear of Fischer’s death.

Fischer introduced revolutionary ideas into the world of chess.  He invented Fischer Random Chess (also called Chess960), which changes the position of the back row pieces for each game.  He also gave us the Fischer Delay clock, which is commonly used in tournaments all over the world.

Considered by many (including myself) to be the greatest player ever to sit at a chess board, Fischer had been seriously ill for some time.  Again, the chess world has lost a legend today, as Robert James Fischer has passed away.

I will continue to report on this article as more details are available.