Keres Memorial - ACP Open: David Howell leads

by Johannes Fischer
1/9/2016 – Chess legend Paul Keres was born on 7th January 1916. To celebrate his 100-year jubilee a strong rapid tournament is played in Tallinn, in which world class players such as P. Svidler, Boris G. or P. Eljanov take part. But after eight rounds the English GM David Howell leads the field with 7.0/8. Half a point behind follow Duda, Svidler, Kovalenko and Gelfand.
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The Keres Memorial - ACP Open is organised by the Association of Chess Professionals, the  Estonian Chess Federation and the Kalev Sports Association.

Eleven rounds will be played in Tallinn, four on Friday, four on Saturday and the final three on Sunday. Each player has 15 minutes for the whole game and gets an additional 10 seconds per move. With a current rating of 2685 three times British Champion David Howell is currently England's number two (narrowly ahead of Nigel Short with 2684 and behind Michael Adams with 2744) and started the Keres Memorial as number ten on the ranking list. But he showed good form and with six wins and two draws he finishes day two as the sole leader of the tournament.

Howell finished day two in style and won with a fine attack:

 
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1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Ne5 8.Bg2 White ignores the threat against his c-pawn and prefers to develop instead. a6 9.Na3 Bxa3 10.bxa3 Nxc4 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bg5 d5 13.Rc1 White wants to open the position with e4 and does not bother to lose time by protecting the a-pawn. Nxa3 14.e4 d4 15.e5 Nd7 16.Ne4 Nxe5 Taking one pawn too many. More prudent were 16...Nb5 or 16....Qb4. 17.Nf6+! Leading to a forced win. gxf6 Rejecting the knight does not help: 17...Kh8 18.Qh5 h6 19.Bxh6 gxf6 20.Bxf8+ Kg8 21.Qh6 and White mates next move. 18.Bxf6 Ng6 19.Qh5 e5 20.Rc6! This fine interference move crowns White's attacking play. Qd8 21.Qh6 Qxf6 22.Rxf6 Bg4 23.Bd5 Be2 24.Rxg6+ hxg6 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Be4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Howell,D2685Jumabayev,R26071–02016A33Paul Keres Memorial 20158.1

Standings after 8 rounds

Rg. Snr   Name Land Elo Pkt.  Wtg1 
1 10 GM Howell David W L ENG 2646 7,0 38,0
2 14 GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof POL 2603 6,5 39,5
3 2 GM Kovalenko Igor LAT 2734 6,5 37,5
4 1 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2736 6,5 36,0
5 3 GM Gelfand Boris ISR 2733 6,5 34,5
6 16 GM Miton Kamil POL 2597 6,5 34,0
7 12 GM Georgiev Kiril BUL 2612 6,0 39,5
8 6 GM Berkes Ferenc HUN 2685 6,0 38,0
9 27 GM Kosteniuk Alexandra RUS 2514 6,0 37,5
10 29 IM Sveshnikov Vladimir LAT 2467 6,0 37,0
11 17 GM Jumabayev Rinat KAZ 2590 6,0 36,0
12 20 GM Tregubov Pavel V. RUS 2566 6,0 35,5
13 11 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar IND 2615 6,0 35,5
14 26 GM Romanov Evgeny RUS 2529 6,0 34,0
15 19 GM Neiksans Arturs LAT 2579 6,0 33,5
16 9 GM Motylev Alexander RUS 2651 5,5 40,0
17 8 GM Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2665 5,5 39,5
18 18 GM Mikhalevski Victor ISR 2590 5,5 39,0
19 22 GM Lintchevski Daniil RUS 2549 5,5 38,0
20 4 GM Fridman Daniel GER 2688 5,5 37,5
  31 GM Volodin Aleksandr EST 2457 5,5 37,5
22 23 IM Kantans Toms LAT 2547 5,5 37,5
23 5 GM Matlakov Maxim RUS 2686 5,5 37,0
  54 IM Seeman Tarvo EST 2303 5,5 37,0
25 38 GM Balashov Yuri S RUS 2423 5,5 37,0
26 24 GM Goganov Aleksey RUS 2545 5,5 36,5
27 13 GM Sutovsky Emil ISR 2604 5,5 36,0
28 33 GM Sveshnikov Evgeny RUS 2455 5,5 35,0
29 37 FM Mustaps Matiss LAT 2429 5,5 34,5
30 21 GM Rakhmanov Aleksandr RUS 2564 5,5 34,0
31 56 IM Nyysti Sampsa FIN 2287 5,5 31,0
32 42 IM Padmini Rout IND 2392 5,5 29,5
33 35 GM Yevseev Denis RUS 2442 5,0 38,0

...177 players

Some of the participants: E. Sveshnikov, I. Kovalenko, D. Fridman,
E. Sutovsky, B. Gelfand, P. Svidler, P. Eljanov (Photo: Russian Chess Federation)

Games

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Re1 Nh6 7.c3 0-0 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Bg4 11.Nbd2 f6 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Nxf3 fxe5 14.Bxh6 Bxh6 15.Rxe5 Bg7 16.Re6 Qd7 17.Qe2 Rfe8 18.Re1 Bf6 19.Qd2 Rac8 20.b4 Kg7 21.Nh2 Rf8 22.Ng4 Rf7 23.h4 Rd8 24.h5 g5 25.h6+ Kf8 26.Ne5 Bxe5 27.R1xe5 Rf6 28.Qxg5 Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxe6 30.Qf5+ Rf6 31.Qxh7 Ke8 32.g4 Kd7 33.g5 Rff8 34.g6 Rh8 35.Qxh8 Rxh8 36.g7 Rg8 37.Kf1 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Svidler,P2751Narva,M20851–02016B31Paul Keres Memorial 20151.1
Rauk,T2152Kovalenko,I26800–12016A40Paul Keres Memorial 20151.2
Gelfand,B2735Zhuk,I20561–02016E17Paul Keres Memorial 20151.3
Muutnik,V2098Fridman,D26240–12016D45Paul Keres Memorial 20151.4
Matlakov,M2682Sarapik,K20321–02016B00Paul Keres Memorial 20151.5
Makin,K1918Berkes,F26520–12016B14Paul Keres Memorial 20151.6
Eljanov,P2760Grinblat,A21411–02016D30Paul Keres Memorial 20151.7
Kopsa,P2035Vitiugov,N27210–12016B40Paul Keres Memorial 20151.8
Motylev,A2656Linik,Y21221–02016C19Paul Keres Memorial 20151.9
Medar,M1984Howell,D26850–12016A47Paul Keres Memorial 20151.10
Kashtanov,R2346Svidler,P27510–12016B90Paul Keres Memorial 20152.1
Kovalenko,I2680Putka,V23071–02016C42Paul Keres Memorial 20152.2
Krupenski,J2406Gelfand,B27351–02016E46Paul Keres Memorial 20152.3
Fridman,D2624Kazakovskiy,V23871–02016E11Paul Keres Memorial 20152.4
Petursson,M2509Matlakov,M26820–12016B14Paul Keres Memorial 20152.5
Berkes,F2652Vovk,I22871–02016D00Paul Keres Memorial 20152.6
Kukk,S2201Eljanov,P27600–12016A01Paul Keres Memorial 20152.7
Vitiugov,N2721Haimovich,T23771–02016C55Paul Keres Memorial 20152.8
Mastrokoukos,G2309Motylev,A26560–12016D12Paul Keres Memorial 20152.9
Howell,D2685Shishkov,A23701–02016A13Paul Keres Memorial 20152.10
Svidler,P2751Kulaots,K25710–12016A04Paul Keres Memorial 20153.1
Sveshnikov,V2371Kovalenko,I26801–02016B06Paul Keres Memorial 20153.2
Ladva,O2404Fridman,D26240–12016D43Paul Keres Memorial 20153.3
Matlakov,M2682Novik,M2477½–½2016D80Paul Keres Memorial 20153.4
Volodin,A2484Berkes,F2652½–½2016A90Paul Keres Memorial 20153.5
Eljanov,P2760Cramling,P2523½–½2016E17Paul Keres Memorial 20153.6
Sveshnikov,E2504Vitiugov,N27210–12016C02Paul Keres Memorial 20153.7
Motylev,A2656Balashov,Y2408½–½2016C95Paul Keres Memorial 20153.8
Yevseev,D2526Howell,D26850–12016A35Paul Keres Memorial 20153.9
Ganguly,S2660Mesropov,K24061–02016C10Paul Keres Memorial 20153.10
Fridman,D2624Tregubov,P25821–02016A05Paul Keres Memorial 20154.1
Vitiugov,N2721Lintchevski,D2563½–½2016D27Paul Keres Memorial 20154.2
Howell,D2685Kantans,T2513½–½2016A34Paul Keres Memorial 20154.3
Goganov,A2591Ganguly,S26601–02016A29Paul Keres Memorial 20154.4
Georgiev,K2624Romanov,E26171–02016A47Paul Keres Memorial 20154.5
Kulaots,K2571Sutovsky,E2647½–½2016B35Paul Keres Memorial 20154.6
Duda,J2660Kosteniuk,A25501–02016E18Paul Keres Memorial 20154.7
Mikhalevski,V2528Sveshnikov,V23711–02016E04Paul Keres Memorial 20154.8
Krupenski,J2406Matlakov,M26820–12016E46Paul Keres Memorial 20154.9
Berkes,F2652Lanka,Z2439½–½2016A46Paul Keres Memorial 20154.10
Duda,J2660Fridman,D26241–02016D35Paul Keres Memorial 20155.1
Mikhalevski,V2528Georgiev,K2624½–½2016A13Paul Keres Memorial 20155.2
Motylev,A2656Goganov,A25911–02016C67Paul Keres Memorial 20155.3
Matlakov,M2682Kulaots,K25711–02016A40Paul Keres Memorial 20155.4
Sutovsky,E2647Vitiugov,N27210–12016B12Paul Keres Memorial 20155.5
Lintchevski,D2563Howell,D26850–12016D02Paul Keres Memorial 20155.6
Kantans,T2513Svidler,P27510–12016B90Paul Keres Memorial 20155.7
Yevseev,D2526Kovalenko,I26800–12016E04Paul Keres Memorial 20155.8
Mustaps,M2308Berkes,F26520–12016B12Paul Keres Memorial 20155.10
Vitiugov,N2721Duda,J2660½–½2016E21Paul Keres Memorial 20156.1
Howell,D2685Matlakov,M26821–02016A14Paul Keres Memorial 20156.2
Georgiev,K2624Motylev,A2656½–½2016D12Paul Keres Memorial 20156.3
Kovalenko,I2680Mikhalevski,V2528½–½2016A20Paul Keres Memorial 20156.4
Svidler,P2751Goganov,A25911–02016C65Paul Keres Memorial 20156.5
Romanov,E2617Gelfand,B27350–12016A32Paul Keres Memorial 20156.6
Fridman,D2624Gunina,V24961–02016D17Paul Keres Memorial 20156.7
Berkes,F2652Kosteniuk,A2550½–½2016A07Paul Keres Memorial 20156.8
Miton,K2612Ladva,O24041–02016E00Paul Keres Memorial 20156.9
Lanka,Z2439Jumabayev,R26070–12016C90Paul Keres Memorial 20156.10
Duda,J2660Howell,D2685½–½2016D37Paul Keres Memorial 20157.1
Motylev,A2656Svidler,P2751½–½2016B48Paul Keres Memorial 20157.2
Gelfand,B2735Georgiev,K2624½–½2016E15Paul Keres Memorial 20157.3
Jumabayev,R2607Fridman,D26241–02016E11Paul Keres Memorial 20157.4
Mikhalevski,V2528Vitiugov,N2721½–½2016A06Paul Keres Memorial 20157.5
Matlakov,M2682Miton,K26120–12016D11Paul Keres Memorial 20157.6
Volodin,A2484Kovalenko,I26800–12016D37Paul Keres Memorial 20157.7
Berkes,F2652Lintchevski,D25631–02016D00Paul Keres Memorial 20157.8
Ganguly,S2660Balashov,Y2408½–½2016E11Paul Keres Memorial 20157.9
Neiksans,A2607Mindlin,A24211–02016C84Paul Keres Memorial 20157.10
Howell,D2685Jumabayev,R26071–02016A33Paul Keres Memorial 20158.1
Miton,K2612Duda,J2660½–½2016C69Paul Keres Memorial 20158.2
Svidler,P2751Mikhalevski,V25281–02016C77Paul Keres Memorial 20158.3
Kovalenko,I2680Motylev,A26561–02016A11Paul Keres Memorial 20158.4
Vitiugov,N2721Gelfand,B27350–12016E21Paul Keres Memorial 20158.5
Georgiev,K2624Berkes,F2652½–½2016A47Paul Keres Memorial 20158.6
Fridman,D2624Neiksans,A2607½–½2016E20Paul Keres Memorial 20158.7
Kashtanov,R2346Ganguly,S26600–12016C07Paul Keres Memorial 20158.8
Tregubov,P2582Yevseev,D25261–02016D10Paul Keres Memorial 20158.9
Balashov,Y2408Rakhmanov,A2648½–½2016A48Paul Keres Memorial 20158.10

Paul Keres - always ready for a game.

Okay, let's go!

Addendum: Some readers wondered whether the position on the board was taken from a game Keres played or whether it is one of the studies he composed. The position on the board of the statue is almost identical to the final position of the game Walter Browne - Paul Keres, Vancouver 1975, the last tournament game Keres ever played. However, in the real Browne - Keres game the white rook was on g4, not on h3.

It is also slightly confusing that the statue of Keres plays with White whereas Keres had Black in the actual game.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.c3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0 Bd7 8.Re1 Re8 9.Nf1 Bf8 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Be7 12.Ne3 Ng4 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Nxg4 Bxb5 15.Nh4 Bd7 16.Re3 Kh7 17.Rg3 Ng8 18.Nf3 Bxg4 19.Rxg4 Nf6 20.Rh4 Kg8 21.Rh3 d5 22.Qe2 Qd7 23.Nh4 dxe4 24.dxe4 Rad8 25.Nf5 Qd2 26.Qf3 Re6 27.Rg3 g6 28.Rf1 Qf4 29.Rd1 Ree8 30.Ne7+ Kg7 31.Nd5 Qxf3 32.Rxf3 c6 33.Ne3 Rxd1+ 34.Nxd1 Rd8 35.Ne3 Nxe4 36.h3 Ng5 37.Rg3 f5 38.Nxf5+ gxf5 39.h4 f4 40.Rg4 Kg6 41.hxg5 hxg5 42.g3 Kf5 43.f3 Rd1+ 44.Kg2 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Browne,W-Keres,P-0–11975C66Vancouver

Final position of Keres' last tournament game.

Paul Keres

Official site...

The Keres Memorial - ACP Open on the website of the ACP...

Rapid tournament...

Chess-results...

Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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