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We started with a brief description of Fano, to bring out just a fraction of its attractions, but being on the news pages the reason is obvious – it is connected to chess. The wonderful international chess festival, ‘Mare di Fano’ took place from 29 July to 5 August. The first thing that comes to mind is – a chess festival at the peak of summer?! Yes, this is a tournament where a splash in the sea, fresh fish, a taste of famed wines of the region and a chess fighting company of several GMs and IMs, gives the term ‘chess tourists’ the most literal meaning. It was only its second edition, but the Fano Chess Festival already showed all the marks of a professionally organised tournament that has the potential to grow into one of the most attractive in Italy and Europe.
Dario Pedini, an organiser ‘par excellence’, brought together 144 players that battled in three groups, a Major (above 1900), a B group (under 2000), a C group (under 1600), a Junior U16 and a rapid that carried a reasonable 1500 euro prize fund. Invited GMs and IMs were at hand to make the achievement of norms possible. A Fano local ‘boy’, Dario, got the appreciation of the community and the support of several sponsors including LUBE Kitchens, Grohe marbles, the Fano Marina Yacht Club, the banking group Carifano, BM Marmi and Net Level and got an initial prize fund of 6000 euro and other prizes in kind.
A highlight of the tournament was the guest of honour, the young Hungarian GM Richard Rapport, who made it over straight from the Biel Masters to play in the rapid, and give a simultaneous exhibition and lessons over the last three days of the festival.
Richard Rapport at the 25-board simultaneous exhibition
The organiser Dario Pedini and Richard Rapport bathed in the glow of a sunset
Richard next to the ‘Athlete from Fano’
The ‘Athlete from Fano’ was fished out by local fishermen in 1964. The two meter bronze sculpture is attributed to the famous Athenian artist, Lyssipos (IV Century BC), the personal sculptor of Alexander the Great. The original of this valuable work is found at the Getty Museum in California and is currently a subject of court proceedings with the Italian side claiming that it was illegally removed from the country and seeking its return to the homeland.
The winner of the tournament, Yuri Solodovnichenko (UKR), was awarded a replica of the ‘Athlete from Fano’
Here is a game annotated by the winner, GM Yuri Solodovnichenko:
[Event "2. Festival Internazionale "Mare di Fano"] [Site "Fano (Italy)"] [Date "2013.08.04"] [Round "9"] [White "Solodovnichenko Yuri (UKR)"] [Black "Rindlisbacher Lars (SUI)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B54"] [WhiteElo "2555"] [BlackElo "2315"] [Annotator "Solodovnichenko Yuri (UKR)"] [Source ""] [Remark ""] 1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 {!?} { I felt that this relatively unexplored line is a good choice for must-win situation which happened in the last round. I used to play this line with both colors and had some ideas in mind.} Nge7 7.Be3 a6 8.Nb3 b5 9.f4 Bb7 10.Qe2 Na5 11.Nxa5 ( 11.Nd2 {!?} {is an alternative way to fight for the opening advantage} ) Qxa5 12.Qf2 Rc8 13.Bg2 h5 {N} { Black's idea is to step-by-step get f5-square available for his Knight. On the other hand after g4-g5 White's pawn become one move closer to opponent's King for developing strong attack.} ( 13...Rc4 {Previous games continued} ) ( 13...Rc6 {(avoiding Bb6)} {or} ) ( 13...Ng6 {against GM Fedorchuk} {I personally used to play} ) 14.g5 ( 14.Bb6 {!} {Stronger was} Qb4 15.O-O-O Rxc3 16.bxc3 Qxc3 ( 16...Qa3+ {?!} {worse is} 17.Kb1 hxg4 18.Rd3 $16 ) 17.Bd4 Qc4 18.g5 {and despite approximate material equality White is better mainly because of Black's undeveloped kingside} ) d5 {?} {Black returns the favor.} ( 14...Rxc3 {!} {%05His previous move could be justified by} 15.Bd2 Bxe4 16.Bxc3 b4 17.Bd2 Bxg2 18.Qxg2 d5 $45 {and after Ne7-f5 Black finally finds a harmonious development} ) 15.f5 {?} {I made a wrong choice between 15.f5 and 15.0-0} ( 15.O-O {After} dxe4 ( 15...Rxc3 {also considerably better for White is} 16.bxc3 dxe4 17.a4 $16 ) 16.Nxe4 $16 {White's development advantage is much more important than Black's control over f5 and d5 squares, for example:} Nf5 17.Bb6 Qb4 18.c3 Qe7 19.Rad1 {with almost winning position} ) dxe4 ( 15...Rxc3 {!} {And again} 16.Bd2 dxe4 17.Bxc3 b4 18.fxe6 fxe6 19.Bd2 Nf5 20.Qa7 Bd5 $45 {let my opponent to get sufficient compensation for sacrificed exchange.} 21.Qb8+ {One illustrative line goes:} Kf7 22.Rf1 g6 23.a3 Bg7 24.Qxb4 Qxb4 25.axb4 e3 26.Bxd5 exd2+ 27.Kxd2 exd5 28.Rxa6 Bxb2 29.Ra7+ Ke6 30.Ra6+ Kf7 {=} {and White has nothing better than to make a perpetual check} ) 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.O-O ( 17.Bb6 {Alternatively, was a plan which included long castling:} Qb4 18.O-O-O {Then I show a few complex lines found with the help of engine:} e3 {!} ( 18...Nf5 19.a3 Qc4 20.Qd2 Nd6 ( 20...Bd6 21.Rhf1 $16 ) 21.Rhf1 Be7 22.Bh3 b4 ( 22...Rf8 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.Kb1 $16 ) 23.axb4 Qxb4 24.Bxe6 Qxb6 25.Bxc8 Bxc8 26.Nd5 Nc4 27.Nxb6 Nxd2 28.Rxd2 Bh3 29.Rg1 e3 30.Rd3 O-O 31.Nd5 (31.Rxe3 {?!} Bc5 ) Bxg5 32.Nxe3 $16 ( 32.Rxg5 {?} Rf1+ 33.Rd1 e2) ) 19.Bxe3 Bxg2 20.Qxg2 Qc4 21.Rd4 Qc6 22.Qxc6+ Nxc6 23.Re4 $14 ) Nf5 18.Nxe4 Rxc2 {??} {This horrible move completely ruins Black's position. But his choice was not easy:} ( 18...Be7 {?} 19.Bb6 Qa4 ( 19...Qb4 20.c3 Qc4 ( 20...Qa4 21.b4 $18 ) 21.b3 $18 ) 20.b3 Qa3 21.Rae1 {!} O-O 22.Nf6+ gxf6 23.Bxb7 Qd6 24.Bxc8 Rxc8 25.Ba7 {!$16} ) ( 18...Qc7 {?!} 19.Bb6 {!} Qxc2 20.Qe1 {!$16} ) ( 18...Qb4 {!} {The only move was} 19.c3 Qc4 20.b3 Qd3 21.Rfe1 ( 21.Bd4 Bxe4 22.Rad1 Qc2 23.Rd2 Bc5 24.Bxc5 ( 24.Rxc2 Bxd4 25.cxd4 Rxc2 26.Bxe4 Rxf2 27.Rxf2 Nxd4 28.Bg6+ Ke7 29.Rf7+ Kd6 30.Rxg7 Ke5 {=} ) Qxc3 25.Ba3 Bxg2 26.Rc1 Qxc1+ 27.Bxc1 Rxc1+ 28.Kxg2 O-O {and Black is more or less OK} ) Bxe4 22.Rad1 Qxe3 ( 22...Qc2 23.Rd2 Nxe3 24.Rxc2 Nxc2 25.b4 Nxe1 26.Bxe4 $14 {is unsafe for Black} ) 23.Rxe3 Bc5 24.Rd4 O-O 25.Rexe4 Nxd4 26.cxd4 Rxf2 27.Kxf2 Bb6 28.Rxe6 Bxd4+ 29.Kg3 $14 {and despite White has some initiative in endgame Black should be definitely able to hold} ) 19.Qxc2 Nxe3 20.Rxf8+ {!} {Simpler than} ( 20.Nf6+ gxf6 21.Qg6+ Kd7 22.Qf7+ Be7 23.gxf6 Bxg2 24.Qxe7+ $18 {which is also enough for win} ) Rxf8 21.Nd6+ {Again the simplest solution.} ( 21.Qc5 $18 {was strong but more complicated} ) Kd7 ( 21...Ke7 22.Qc5 $18 ) 22.Nxb7 Nxc2 ( 22...Qb6 23.Qc5 $18 ) 23.Rd1+ {!} {And finally, the important intermediate check finishes the game.} Kc7 24.Nxa5 Ne3 25.Rc1+ Kb6 26.b4 Nxg2 27.Kxg2 Rf5 28.Rc6+ Ka7 29.Rc7+ 1-0
Mother and son: Axel Rombaldoni and his mother Brigitta Banki Horvath Axel, who won second place, will relinquish his IM title in September when he is due to be awarded the GM title, thus bringing the number of GMs in Italy to ten.
Brigitta, originally a Hungarian, is running a club in the close-by city of Pesaro. She is a chess teacher in a school where chess is included in the main curriculum. A number of youngsters that she has trained had notable successes in junior competitions in Italy. This year the Italian Chess Federation awarded her for her services as Best Chess Instructor.
Brigitta very often acts as a ‘mother’ to a number of chess players whom she welcomes and cares for at her own home during a tournament.
Brigitta Banki surrounded by Axel’s guests and colleagues as well as her own: (from left) FM Allessandro Bonafede, Axel, GM Peter Prohaska (HUN) and GM Tamas Banusz (HUN) who won the rapid tournament.
The Serb GM Ivan Ivanisevic, a third place winner, chatting to Richard Rapport after the prize giving ceremony
WGM Karina Ambartsumova from Kazan, Russia with 5.5/9 won the best woman prize
Here is a game by Karina with her notes:
[Event "2nd open Fano 2013"] [Site "?"] [Date "2013.07.31"] [Round "4"] [White "Ambartsumova, K."] [Black "Csonciks, T."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B81"] [WhiteElo "2306"] [BlackElo "2205"] [Annotator "Karina Ambartsumova"] [PlyCount "55"] [SourceDate "2006.12.14"] {I chose this game to show you because it was played interesting and rare variation in Sicilian Defense with the pieces sacrifice.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 e5 { This move makes play into an opponent's variation} ({more popular variation is } 7... h6 8. Bg2 Nc6 9. h3 Ne5 10. Qe2 g5 11. O-O-O Bd7 12. f4 gxf4 13. Bxf4 Rc8 14. Rhf1 {with chances for both sides}) 8. Nf5 g6 (8... h5 {also possible} 9. g5 Nxe4 10. Nxg7+ Bxg7 11. Nxe4 d5 12. Ng3 d4 13. Bd2) 9. g5 ({A less played , but also interesting alternative, originating from Hungarian chess circles, is} 9. Bg2 $5 d5 10. Bg5 gxf5 11. Bxf6 (11. Nxd5 Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Qd8 13. Bg5 $11) 11... Qxf6 12. Nxd5 Qd6 13. exf5 Rg8 14. Qf3 h5 15. h3 Bh6 16. Rd1 Nc6 17. c3 Rb8 18. Qe4 Kf8 19. Bf3 Ne7 20. Ne3 Qf6 21. Nc4 Nc6 $44 { Szalanczi,E-Kocsis,L/HUN-chT/1998/}) 9... gxf5 10. exf5 (10. gxf6 $2 f4 11. Bd2 Nd7 $15) 10... d5 {Also forced, otherwise White's compensation is overwhelming. } (10... Nfd7 11. Qh5 $16) (10... Bxf5 11. gxf6 $36) 11. Qf3 ({An important critical position. White's move is now becoming popular again, but the first continuation played was} 11. gxf6 d4 12. Bc4 Qc7 13. Qd3 dxe3 {Be3 is a dangero us attacking piece, while the N by jumping to d5 would only close an important attacking file} (13... dxc3 14. O-O-O Nc6 15. Rhg1 $44) 14. O-O-O exf2 15. Bxf7+ Kxf7 16. Qd5+ Kxf6 17. Ne4+ Ke7 18. Nd6 Bh6+ 19. Kb1 Kf6) 11... d4 { A logical move} ({alternative are not so good} 11... Ne4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxe4 Nc6 14. Bc4 Qd7 15. g6 fxg6 16. fxg6 Qe7 17. Rg1 hxg6 18. Qxg6+ Kd7 19. O-O-O+ Kc7 $40) (11... Bd7 12. O-O-O Bc6 13. gxf6 d4 14. Qe2 Qxf6 15. Bxd4 $16) 12. O-O-O Qa5 $2 {An useless move, black needs in Qc7 in the many lines. It possible Qa5 is decisive error.} ({the main and best line is} 12... Nbd7 { and here are two interesting alternatives} 13. Bc4 (13. Bd2 Qc7 14. gxf6 dxc3 15. Bxc3 Qc6 16. Qg3 Bh6+ (16... Qxh1 17. Bg2 Bh6+ 18. Bd2 Bxd2+ 19. Kxd2 Qxg2 20. Qxg2 a5 $18) 17. Kb1 Bf4 18. Qd3 O-O 19. Rg1+ Kh8 $44) 13... Qc7 14. Bxd4 exd4 15. Rhe1+ Be7 16. gxf6 Nxf6 17. Nd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Kf8 $40) 13. gxf6 dxc3 ( 13... dxe3 14. Bc4 h5 (14... Qc7 15. Be6 $1 fxe6 (15... Nc6 16. Nd5 Qb8 17. Bxf7+ Kxf7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Rhg1+ Bg7 20. Qe8#) (15... Bxe6 16. fxe6 h5 17. e7 Nd7 18. fxe3 $18) 16. Qh5+ Qf7 17. Rd8+ Kxd8 18. Qxf7 $18) 15. Qg3 $16) 14. Bc4 h5 (14... cxb2+ 15. Kb1 h5 16. Qg3 $18) (14... Qc7 { the show that 12...Qa5 is big loss-tempo} 15. Qd5 $18 {superior position}) ( 14... Nd7 15. Qh5 Kd8 16. Qxf7 $40) 15. Qg3 $1 $18 Nd7 ({I calculated this variation} 15... Bxf5 16. Rd5 Qb4 17. Rxe5+ Be6 18. Rxe6+ $1 (18. Bxe6 Qxb2+ 19. Kd1 fxe6 20. Rxe6+ Kd7 21. Rb6 $18) 18... fxe6 19. Qc7 $3 Qxb2+ 20. Kd1 Nd7 21. f7+ Kxf7 22. Qxd7+ $18) (15... cxb2+ 16. Kb1 Bxf5 17. Rd5 Bxc2+ 18. Kxc2 $18) 16. Bxf7+ Kd8 17. Rd5 $1 Qb4 18. bxc3 ({The won in short} 18. Qxe5 $1 Qxb2+ 19. Kd1 Qb1+ 20. Ke2 Qxc2+ (20... Qxh1 21. Bb6#) 21. Kf3 Qb2 22. Qe6) 18... Qa3+ 19. Kb1 Kc7 20. Rhd1 {the won position also, white has a very strong attack} Rh7 ({after h4 was very nice variation} 20... h4 21. Rxd7+ Bxd7 22. Qxe5+ Bd6 23. Rxd6 Qxd6 24. Bb6+ Kc6 25. Bd5+ Qxd5 26. Qc7+ Kb5 27. Be3 $3 ({or} 27. c4+ Qxc4 28. a4+ Kb4 29. Ba5+ Kxa4 30. Qxc4+ Kxa5 31. Qc7+ b6 32. Qxd7 $18) 27... Qc6 ( 27... a5 28. c4+ Qxc4 29. a4+ Kb4 30. Bd2+ Ka3 31. Qxc4 Bxf5 32. Qb3#) 28. Qe5+ Ka4 29. Qd4+ Kb5 30. Qb4#) 21. Bg8 h4 22. Qg6 Qxc3 23. Qxh7 Ba3 24. Rxd7+ Kb8 25. Bc1 Qb4+ 26. Bb3 a5 27. Bxa3 Qxa3 28. Qe7 1-0
Father and son: Ernst and Lars Rindlisbacher from Switzerland
Ernst runs a chess club in Bern and is a chess trainer. He is also a passionate cyclist and took thirteen days to reach Fano by bike! Only, going back might prove more difficult. As a winner of the B group, he was a recipient of a special price donated by the sponsor Bargnesi di Cascioli: a bike!
The younger Rindlisbacher is an FM and at this tournament made his second IM norm.
Mother and daughter: WGM Tunde Csonkics and Eszter Vujosevics
Tunde, a former Hungarian Olympic player, is steadily returning to competitive chess. Eszter, trained by her mother, is making a successful entrance in the chess scene, and won the U16 tournament with 7.0/7.
Ludovico Serloni, one of the best U10 of the Marche region, won third prize in the U16 group
IMs Andrea Stella (5.5/9) and Luca Shytaj (6.0/9) provided chess lessons throughout the tournament. Luca recently was the subject of an article about another worthy cause.
19-year-old Italian IM Guido Caprio (5.5/9)
From Nubia to Fano: Fathi Hassan (4.0/9), a successful painter and a successful chess player in the making. Having won a scholarship to study art in Naples in the 80s, Fathi Hassan abandoned his native Cairo, Egypt, and moved permanently to Italy. Eventually he settled in Fano where he has been living for the last 30 years. He is a professional artist, represented by Rose Issa Projects (London)) with numerous exhibitions worldwide including the Venice Biennial, and works included in the collections of the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Smithsonian Institute.
Italians Giulia Tonel (4.5/9) and WFM Chierici Marianna (2.5/9)
Andreas Persson (5.0/9) from Sweden
A sumptuous dinner with local products and wine under the stars on a hill in the Fano countryside.
This year the Fano Chess Club, founded in 1988 and presided by the young Fano’s chess ‘entrepreneur’ Dario Pedini (32), celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Dario Pedini with the celebratory cake
Dario is also behind the very successful Italian National Rapid Championships, for men, women and juniors, which under his organisation over the last three years, have reached above 500 players. In addition, he has been entrusted the organisation of the Italian Senior Championship, to run concurrently with the Rapids in April, 2014.
Under Dario’s able hand a couple of more tournaments should be noted: in the first week of January 2014, the second edition of ‘Mare d’Inverno Deluxe‘ (Winter Sea Deluxe) will take place. ‘Deluxe’ means exactly that – a tournament in a five-star hotel by the sea, with a swimming pool and saunas, but, astonishingly affordable prices! Starting on the 2nd Jan, enterprising chess players can continue the New Year celebrations with a tournament in style.
Later on, in April, he will be adding an Open International Tournament to run alongside with the traditional Italian Championships in rapid, and the Italian Senior Championship, all in Fano, thus bringing even more fortune to the Fanum Fortunae.
Click here for final standings
Pictures by Diana Mihajlova
LinksYou can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs to replay the games in PGN. You can also download our free Playchess client, which will in addition give you immediate access to the chess server Playchess.com. |
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