
Laznicka Wins World Open
By GM Lubomir Kavalek
On his first journey to America, Viktor Laznicka won the traditional World
Open at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and the $20,000 first prize on Monday. Grabbing
pawns and sacrificing Exchanges (rooks for light pieces), the 22-year-old Czech
grandmaster showed a great fighting spirit and was very comfortable on his risky
path to victory. He played the Swiss open strategy to perfection. With a rocket
start, winning the first six games, he coasted to victory with three draws.
Laznicka scored 7,5 points in nine games, edging grandmasters Pentala Harikrishna
of India, Ilya Smirin of Israel and Luke McShane of England by a half point.

Laznicka played his most dramatic game against IM Bryan Smith, who won the
Philadelphia International tournament just prior to the World Open. It was a
see-saw battle in the Sicilian Najdorf with Smith sacrificing a pawn for powerful
pressure. The Czech GM didn't back off with the black pieces and accepted every
challenge thrown at him. What began as innocent firecrackers quickly turned
into a mine field where every step could have been the last. It was a great
game for the spectators, watching both Kings under fire. Each player had a few
chances to win the game and Smith was the last to err. The win was encouraging
for Laznicka. He began playing with a lot of energy, kept winning and never
looked back.
Note that in the replay windows below you can click on the notation to
follow the game.
For those interested in the opening played in this game, IM James Rizzitano's
new book
Play the Najdorf Sicilian is a great guide. The New England
master was able to keep the defense up- to-date, highlighting the important points
as well as the pitfalls. He chose the illustrative games with great care and his
research is remarkable. The book was recently published by
Gambit
Publications and could be extremely handy for club players.
Original
column here – Copyright
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