Global Chess Festival with the Polgars (2/2)

by Manuel Weeks
10/16/2016 – The chess highlight of the Global Chess festival was the Highlander Cup which was an eight player knockout rapid event. The participants consisted of many of the top Hungarian players versus last year’s winner Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Boris Gelfand. There was the theme “There can only be one”, which was also reflected in the event’s single prize, US$15 thousand at stake so there was plenty of motivation among the players. Illustrated report with games.

Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

The ceremonial first move was done by Dr Tunde Szabo, Hungarian Secretary of State for Sport for last year's champion, Uzbekistani GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov. His opponent is GM Hoang Thanh Trang who was board one for the Hungarian ladies team at the Baku Olympiad and has dual citizenship in Hungary and Vietnam. This talented lady is also an economics graduate as well as a full-fledged grandmaster! In the end Kasimdhanov came out the winner in a tight match.

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Training Position
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nd2 cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5 7.Ngf3 e6 8.Qb3 Qc8 9.Be2 h6 10.h3 Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rac1 Ne4 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.Rfe1 Re8 15.Ne5 a6 16.Bf1 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Qd7 18.a4 Rac8 19.Qa2 Bg5 20.Rcd1 Qc6 21.Bd3 Bxd3 22.Rxd3 Qc4 23.Qxc4 Rxc4 24.Ra1 Be7 25.Bf4 Rec8 26.Bd2 R4c6 27.Re1 Rb6 28.b4 a5 29.b5 Rc4 30.Ra1 Rd6 31.Kf1 Rd8 32.f4 Bd6 33.g3 f6 34.Re3 Kf7 35.Kg2 Re8 36.Kf3 e5 37.dxe5 fxe5 38.fxe5 Rxe5 39.Rd3 Rf5+ 40.Kg2 Re4 41.Re3?
The game was still equal but 'Kasim' was slowly making some progress. White's 41st move offered an exchange of rooks to alleviate the pressure but missed an important idea. Can you see it?
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hoang Thanh,T2470Kasimdzhanov,R26910–12016D00Highlander Cup, 20163.1

According to Boris Gelfand, his first round encounter with young 17-year-old Hungarian GM Benjamin Gledura was his hardest match

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Armageddon! White has five minutes to Black's four but has to win or yet again face the axe for the event! 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qb6 6.Nb3 e6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e3 0-0 9.Be2 Rd8 10.0-0 d6 11.Rc1 Qc7 12.e4 a6 13.Be3 b6? Looks a normal move but allows a typical blow.
The configuration of certain pieces allows the good player to know, to feel that the following small combinataion will lead to a huge advantage. White to play and obtain a serious advantage.
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gelfand,B2743Gledura,B25851–02016A31Highlander Cup, 20165.3

Boris Gelfand had come straight from the Tal Memorial, an event he would probably rather forget. After a slightly longer walk from his hotel to the playing venue he turned up just a half hour before the first round. After a loss with white to the very dangerous youngster Benjamin Gledura it looked like an early exit for the affable super grandmaster from Israel was on the cards. Gelfand then showed his fighting spirit and managed to win a long game as black where he was on the edge of being knocked out for most of the game.

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qb6 6.Nb3 e6 7.Bg5 Bb4 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.e3 a5 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 a4 12.Nd4 Qc5 13.Be2 Rg8 14.0-0 b6 15.Rb1 Bb7 16.Bf3 Rb8 17.g3 Na5 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Rb5 Qxc4 20.Qb1 Nb3 21.Rb4 Qxc3 22.Nxb3 axb3 23.Rc1 Qd2
It is a fast rapidplay time control, you can play 24.Rc8+ and win a rook! Surely the game is then over? Think for a minute since that is all Boris Gelfand would have had!
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gelfand,B2743Gledura,B25850–12016A31Highlander Cup, 20161.3

After the next two games the pattern continued as Black won both games culminating in a bliz Armageddon where Gelfand had White and five minutes to Black’s four but with Black having draw odds. Here Gelfand showed his class to win a one-sided game but the young 17 year old Gledura showed that Hungarian chess has another talented young player coming through the ranks to join Richard Rapport in the world’s upper chess echelons.

The move 14.Nd5! can see above on the electronic demonstration board. With this move he gained the decisive advantage in his toughest match!

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.0-0 Nd7 5.d3 e6 6.c4 Bd6 7.Nc3 Ne7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Qc2 0-0 10.e4 Rc8 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxe7 Bxe7 13.h3 dxe4 14.dxe4 Bh5 15.Nd4 Re8 16.Nf5 Bf8 17.g4 Bg6 18.Rad1 Qc7 19.f4 Nc5 20.e5 Rcd8 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 Kh8 23.Kh1 Qb6 24.b3 Bb4 25.Qc4 a5 26.Kg2 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Rd8 28.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29.Qd3 Qb6 30.Nd6 Bxe4+ 31.Nxe4 Qc7 32.Qd4 Not a bad move but there is better! 32.g5! would have put the boot into Black's position. 32.g5! hxg5? 33.Nxg5 Here it comes, like in all the tactical books! g6
This move is the reason why 32,g5! is the killer move. This well-known tactic decides the game and the theme of 'double attack' is always lurking.
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gledura,B2585Gelfand,B27430–12016A11Highlander Cup, 20162.3

Benjamin Gledura may have lost to Boris Gelfand but showed that he will be a man to contend with in future years

In the game Gelfand–Berkes, White had had a small edge for most of the game due to Blacks bad bishop but had been finding it hard to breakthrough until the following moment.

Gelfand – Berkes

White played the excellent 70. Bd7! which he then positions on b5 cutting off the protection to the Black b-pawn followed by Be1 forming a battery that wins the aforementioned pawn and the game soon afterwards. Little effective moves like this allowed Gelfand to win the event with an extra slice of luck needed in some critical moments. Maybe it is true that the good players just play the big moments better. There were a large number of tactical mistakes made in many games and while that is due to the rapid play time control maybe Boris made fewer errors then his fellow competitors.

Mention should be made of the other finalist Zoltan Almasi who beat two very dangerous opponents: Gergely Antal and last year’s winner, Rustam Kasimdzhanov. Coming off a fantastic Baku Olympiad this recently turned 40-year-old has crept above 2700+ to show that age is no barrier! In fact the two oldest participants were also the finalists!

While the Highlander Cup was being played, Judit had her own chess struggles although she was victorious in nearly all of the simul games

There were a number of young female players who were keen to match wits with the only woman ever to break the top ten

All ages were represented, as chess is a truly inclusive game. Some players had come from other countries to see the festival and play in the simul as well as take part in the many other activities.

There was an excellent artist who painted a chess related painting completely during the simul. Very Impressive!

The youngest competitor was a young lady from England!

Age is no barrier to playing a game of chess!

The winner of the Highlander Cup Boris Gelfand with four of the Hungarian participants

The winner of the event Boris Gelfand with the main organiser!

Two Hungarian chess legends in one photo, Pal Benko visited the festival and was an interested spectator for the Highlander Cup!

After a long day the two sisters should be allowed some cake? In fact after the photo above was taken the cake quickly disappeared as the many children present were each allowed a square or two of the chessboard!

In the evening there was a formal gala dinner with Hungarian President Janos Ader as guest of honour. There were various chess related paintings and sculptures auctioned off as everyone relaxed after a long but very satisfying day. One man who should be mentioned was Loek Van Wely who came to the Global Chess Festival and helped make the day the success it was, and then came with his lovely wife, Lorena, to the evening dinner.

An event like this cannot be run without the help of numerous people, such as Judit’s husband Gustav and her sister Sofia who worked tirelessly throughout the day. Anna Rudolf not only helped to organise but did interviews as well as some online commentary. Special guests who came to Budapest to help out were Loek Van Wely and Jeroen Van den Berg from the Netherlands, Daniel Yarur and his lovely daughter, Juga from Chile, as well as all the participants of the Highlander Cup. Add in the huge production team, the arbiters and you can see that chess can truly bring people together and connect them!

Links

The 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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.


Manuel has been an international arbiter, a national coach at various world Juniors, a press officer, the Director of various tournaments and has been to eleven Olympiads as captain of the Australian Open team. Straight after the last Olympiad a small group went immediately from Tromso to Mainz to see Manuel get married to his lovely wife Brigitta. They live in London.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.