Zurich Jubilee 2009 Open under way – Pein on Giri

The activities of the 200-year anniversary celebrations of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich have begun with the Jubilee Open at the Kongresshaus Zürich. For seven days, some 600 chess enthusiasts – world class players among them – are competing for CHF 100,000 in prize money. The Jubilee-Open, which lasts from 9 –15 August 2009 and takes place in the Kongresshaus Zürich, has brought participants from 43 countries together. In the Alois Nagler Memorial (Master Tournament) 45 grandmasters und 48 International Masters are competing for CHF 75,000 in prize money offered by the Alois Nagler Foundation. The event is open to the public, and the top games are being broadcast live over the Internet and on Playchess.com.

The event started on Sunday at 2 p.m., followed by two rounds, at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday. At that stage a group of twelve grandmasters, with Super-GM Alexander Morozevich setting the pace, had scored a perfect 3.0/3 points. After round four, played on Tuesday at 2 p.m. their number had dwindled to two GMs, with 19 half a point behind.

Standings after four rounds

From the games played so far, many of which were closely followed by members of the Playchess community, there was one which particularly delighted IM Malcolm Pein, head of the London Chess Center. Malcolm called us late at night to enthuse over the moves of a 15-year-old grandmaster, incidentally currently the youngest in the world.

Grandmaster Anish Giri, 14, just after the game that brough him the final norm on January 30, 2009

Sutovsky,Emil - Giri,Anish [B48]
Jubilee Open Zuerich SUI (3), 10.08.2009 [Pein,Malcolm]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Be3

6...a6. A very flexible system. Black may enter the Taimanov Siclians with an early b5 or the Scheveningen with d6 and Nf6 or something else depending what White plays. White also has to watch out for Bf8-b4, another line. Black avoids some of the nasty stuff that can be thrown at his position involving an early g2-g4. 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Be7 9.f3 h5. That puts paid to g4 for a while. For a good example of this plan in a Najdorf setting see Eggeleston-Gordon from last week's British Championships.

10.Qf2 d6 11.Kb1 Ne5 12.h3 b5 13.Bd3 b4 14.Nce2 h4 15.Nb3 Nfd7. Covering b6 and perhaps contemplating g7-g5 securing the Ne5. 16.f4 Nxd3 17.cxd3 a5 18.Rc1 Qb7. Black is justifiably claiming both his rooks are in play!

19.g4 a4. 19...hxg3 may be okay but gives White some chances to attack, for example 20.Qxg3 Qa6 21.Rhd1 a4 22.Nbd4 Bb7 23.Qxg7 Rxh3 24.f5 e5 25.Qg8+ Bf8 26.Ne6! 20.Nd2 Qa6 21.Nc4 d5! When Black plays this liberating move in the Sicilian it is nearly always good.

22.exd5 exd5 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.fxe5 b3. 24...Qxd3+ 25.Ka1 a3 26.b3 0-0 27.Nd4 with Rc7 coming did not appeal instead Giri finds an exquisite combination. 25.a3 Qxd3+ 26.Ka1

26...Bxa3!! 27.Rc3. 27.bxa3 b2+ 28.Kxb2 Rb8+ 29.Bb6 Qb3+ 30.Ka1 Qxa3+ 31.Kb1 Rh6 would be an amusing finish. I told you those rooks were actually playing. 27...Bxb2+! 28.Kxb2 a3+ 29.Ka1 Ba6. A lovely idea, but these confounded computers tell us it was not objectively correct: 29...b2+ 30.Ka2 Qe4 31.Rf1 0-0 with Ba6 to follow should win. 30.Rxd3 Bxd3 31.Rd1. The beastie proposes 31.Bd4 0-0 32.Qe3 b2+ 33.Ka2 Bc4+ 34.Kb1 Rfb8 35.Kc2. But we can forgive both players for deciding they had had enough excitement and presumably time was a big factor as well. 31...b2+ 32.Ka2 Bc4+ 33.Kb1 Bd3+ 34.Ka2 Bc4+ 35.Kb1 Bd3+

Now 36.Rxd3 a2+ 37.Kxb2 a1Q+ leads to mate. 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

Anish Giri during his third round game against Emil Sutovsky

Links Official Jubilee 2009 web site Selection of games in PGN A selection of games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!

Previous ChessBase articles on the Jubilee 2009