8/2/2016 – Parallel to the Masters Challenge was the Juniors Challenge, following a similar format. There were two matches involving two Swiss juniors Noel Studer and Nico Georgiadis against guest youths Francesco Rambaldi and Benjamin Bok repsectively. In both cases they played four rapid games, followed by six classical games for a through workout and valuable experience gain in match play. The games were all hard-fought with dynamic play.
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The 49th International Chess Festival Biel is taking place from Saturday, July 23 until Wednesday, August 3 2016. The exact schedule and further information are published on the official website. Here are the main links:
Parallel to the Masters Challenge was the Juniors Challenge, following a similar format. Just as the elite players Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Peter Svidler faced off in four rapid games followed by four classical games, there were two matches involving two Swiss juniors against guest talented youths. In both cases they played four rapid games, and in the followup there were six classical games for a through workout and valuable experience gain in match play.
Benjamin Bok - Nico Georgiadis
Although the foreign guests took the matches, these were all dynamic encounters with fighting opening choices and enjoyable chess to watch. In one match, GM Benjamin Bok, hailing from the Netherlands, dueled IM Nico Georgiadis. Bok enjoyed a significant ratings advantage of 143 Elo over Georgiadis and the final result ultimately reflected this quite accurately as he won by a 4.0-2.0 score in the classical games. It was far from lopsided though as the Swiss player struck hard in their 5th classical game (game nine of the overall match), threatening to level the entire classical match should he win the 6th as well.
Georgiadis - Bok, Game 10
[Event "49th Biel Juniors Challenge"] [Site "Biel"] [Date "2016.08.01"] [Round "10"] [White "Georgiadis, Nico"] [Black "Bok, Benjamin"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A62"] [WhiteElo "2470"] [BlackElo "2613"] [PlyCount "92"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [EventCountry "SUI"] [Source "ChessBase"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. d4 {0} Nf6 {0} 2. c4 {0} e6 {0} 3. g3 {1} c5 {0} 4. d5 {29} exd5 {1} 5. cxd5 {6} d6 {4} 6. Nc3 {10} g6 {6} 7. Bg2 {6} Bg7 {5} 8. Nf3 {7} O-O {4} 9. O-O {9} Re8 {3} 10. Bf4 {10} Bf5 {4} 11. Nh4 {9} Bc8 {1} 12. Nf3 {11} Bf5 {4} 13. Nh4 { 12} Bc8 {2} 14. Qd2 {112} Qb6 {32} ({Via a different move order, the two players have transposed into Moiseenko-Cordova played just a few months ago. In it, Cordova played instead} 14... Na6 15. h3 Bd7 16. a4 c4 17. Bh6 Bh8 18. Qf4 Nc5 19. Qxc4 Rc8 20. a5 Nce4 21. Qb4 Rxc3 22. bxc3 Nxd5 23. Qxb7 Ndxc3 24. Kh2 g5 25. Nf3 Bb5 26. Qxa7 Bxe2 27. Rfe1 Qf6 28. Bxg5 Nxg5 29. Nxg5 Qxg5 30. a6 Nb5 31. Rxe2 Nxa7 32. Rxe8+ Kg7 33. Rb1 Qc5 34. Rbb8 Qxf2 35. Rxh8 Nc6 36. Rhg8+ Kh6 37. Rb1 Ne5 38. Rf1 Qb6 39. Rf6+ Ng6 40. Rxd6 Qf2 41. Rf6 Qa2 42. Rf8 {1-0 (40) Moiseenko,A (2668)-Cordova,E (2610) Moscow 2016}) 15. Rab1 {1033} Nbd7 {898} 16. Nf3 {242} Ne4 {451} 17. Qc2 {468} Ndf6 {196} 18. Nd2 {261} Nxd2 {76} 19. Bxd2 {82} Bd7 {363} 20. h3 {490} ({Komodo 10 suggests instead a more frank battle with f3-e4-g4 for White, while Black counters with} 20. f3 Qa6 { freeing the path for ...b5 followed by ...Qb6 and ...a6}) 20... Qc7 {317} 21. e4 {483} b5 {72} 22. Rfe1 {356} Rac8 {550} 23. Nd1 {387} c4 {88} 24. Ne3 {297} Qb6 {441} 25. Rbd1 {958} Rc7 {914} 26. a3 {446} a5 {372} (26... Bc8 {was an interesting alternative, with the idea of freeing the d7 square so the knight can maneuver to c5 with Nd7-c5.}) 27. Bc3 {416} b4 {323} 28. Bd4 {51} Qb5 {21} 29. axb4 {79} axb4 {1} 30. b3 {190} c3 {106} 31. Bf1 {128} Qb8 {10} 32. Nc4 {14 } Rcc8 {115 [#]} 33. e5 $2 {139 A serious tactical oversight that will soon compromise White's position.} (33. Ra1 {was straightforward and best.}) 33... Bf5 {77} 34. Bd3 {69} Rxc4 $1 {473} 35. bxc4 {5} (35. Bxf5 $4 Rxd4 36. Rxd4 dxe5 37. Rc4 gxf5 38. Qxf5 Nxd5 $19) 35... dxe5 {5} 36. Be3 {198} e4 {275} ({ Also worth considering was} 36... Bxh3 {gaining a pawn, and weaking the light squares around the king. There is really no obvious downside to this since the black e-pawn will always be free to advance later, and the passed queenside pawns were not in any danger.}) 37. Bf1 {3} b3 {4} 38. Qxc3 {29} Nxd5 {1} 39. Qa5 {82} Nxe3 {378} 40. Rxe3 {7} Bh6 {276} 41. Re2 {1476} (41. f4 {was forced here, trying to limit the scope of the bishops.} b2 (41... exf3 $4 {loses to} 42. Rxe8+ Qxe8 43. Rd8) 42. Qa4 {preventing b1:Q due to Rxb1 Qxb1 Qxe8+} Re6 43. Rb1 {but things would still be very grim for White.}) 41... e3 {574} 42. Qe1 {1262} b2 {359} 43. Rb1 {11} exf2+ {31} 44. Kxf2 {10} Qa7+ {19} 45. Kg2 {15 } Rxe2+ {5} 46. Bxe2 {6} Qa2 {69} 0-1
Georgiadis fought hard but was outclassed by...
... Benjamin Bok who dominated affairs
Classical games
With the classical games worth twice a rapid, the final score was 10.5 - 5.5 for Bok.
Francesco Rambaldi - Noel Studer
The second match was certainly less obvious though not reflected in the score. On the surface, Francesco Rambaldi outrated his rival Noel Studer by 88 Elo, and the final classical score of 3.5-2.5 in favor of Rambaldi reflected this almost to the T. However, that was just on the surface. The games were mostly in favor of Studer, who achieved great positions that seemed destined to give him victory, but time and time again that win eluded him from both a lack of technique and from resourcefulness from the Italian.
Studer - Rambaldi, Game 10
[Event "49th Biel Juniors Challenge"] [Site "Biel"] [Date "2016.08.01"] [Round "10"] [White "Studer, Noel"] [Black "Rambaldi, Francesco"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A62"] [WhiteElo "2462"] [BlackElo "2544"] [PlyCount "119"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [EventCountry "SUI"] [Source "ChessBase"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. d4 {0} Nf6 {0} 2. c4 {0} e6 {0} 3. g3 {0} c5 {23} 4. d5 {0} exd5 {6} 5. cxd5 {0} d6 {18} 6. Nc3 {0} g6 {7} 7. Bg2 {0} Bg7 {7} 8. Nf3 {0} O-O {11} 9. O-O {2} Re8 {13} 10. Bf4 {7} Bf5 {44} 11. Nh4 {5} Bc8 {10} 12. Nf3 {12} Bf5 {9} 13. Nh4 {7} Bc8 {5} 14. Qd2 {7} a6 {135} 15. a4 {16} Qe7 {7} 16. Rfe1 {422} Nbd7 {80} 17. Nf3 {13} Rb8 {287} 18. Rab1 {32} Ng4 {83} 19. Qc2 {1071} Nde5 {663} 20. Nxe5 {1847} Nxe5 {53} 21. b4 {146} cxb4 {421} 22. Rxb4 {171} Bf5 {274} 23. Ne4 {1267} a5 {1232} 24. Rb5 {7} Ng4 {455} 25. Bxd6 {60} Qxd6 {222} 26. Nxd6 {5} Bxc2 {2} 27. Nxe8 {4} Rxe8 {3} 28. Rxb7 {211} Bxa4 {92} 29. h3 {45} Ne5 {73} 30. Rc1 {19} Nd7 {598} 31. e3 {445} Bf8 {105} 32. Ra1 {8} Nc5 {688} 33. Ra7 {28 } Bg7 $2 {43 Until now the tense game had been more or less balanced. There were undoubtedly minor fluctuations here and there but nothing that could be deemed a true swing in the balance of power. Until now that is.} (33... Bd6 { among others was better.} 34. Rxa5 Bd7 $11) 34. Rc1 {66} Bf8 {5} 35. Ra1 $4 { 91 Missing a golden opportunity to level the classical match.} (35. Rxc5 $1 { was simple.} Bxc5 36. Rxa5 Bxe3 37. fxe3 Bc2 {and White is up a pawn with a powerful passer as well.}) 35... Bg7 {37} 36. Rc1 {624} Bf8 {2} 37. Rc3 $2 { 7 Both players are suffering from mutual blindness, rpeating the position that would lead to a decisive advantage for White. However, both seem oblivious to it.} Nd7 {338} 38. Rcc7 {138} Bc5 {59} 39. Rxa5 {352} Bb6 {48} 40. Rxa4 {4} Bxc7 {6} 41. Ra7 {3001} Rc8 {3146} 42. d6 {36} Bxd6 {8} 43. Rxd7 {4} Rc1+ {187} 44. Kh2 {0} Rd1 {0 Things are much less clear now since although White is up a pawn, the opposite-colored bishops are very drawish.} 45. Bc6 {0} Kf8 {0} 46. Kg2 {0} Rd2 {0} 47. e4 {0} Bb4 {0} 48. Bd5 {0} Be7 {0} 49. h4 {0} h6 {0} 50. Kf3 {0} g5 {0} 51. h5 {0} Rc2 {0} 52. Rb7 {0} Rd2 {0} 53. Rc7 {0} Rb2 {0} 54. Ke3 {0} g4 {0} 55. e5 {0} Bg5+ {0} 56. f4 {0} gxf3+ {0} 57. Kxf3 {0} Be7 {0} 58. Rc4 {0} Rb3+ {0} 59. Kf4 {0} Rb4 {0} 60. Ke4 1/2-1/2
Although Francesco Rambaldi emerged victorious...
... Noel Studer had more than his fair share of opportunities.
Classical Games
With two points per classical game, and one per rapid, the final match was win by Francesco Rambaldi by 9.0 - 7.0
GM Daniel King provides a quick wrap-up of the Junior matches with post-game comments by the players
The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Albert SilverBorn in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.
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