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This year's national championship in Spain features a nice mix of strong experienced players and young ambitious rising stars. This fact becomes apparent just by looking at the leading pack after six rounds. Top seed Paco Vallejo and former world number two Alexei Shirov are joined by former Andalusian champion Jose Cuenca and two younger talents, Miguel Santos Ruiz and Pedro Ginés. A large 18-player group stands half a point behind, led by heavy-hitters David Antón and Iván Salgado.
When we last reported after round three, Shirov was the one player that managed to maintain a perfect score on the fourth day of action. On top board, he defeated Jaime Santos with the black pieces. Shirov unsurprisingly went for the initiative on the kingside, showing astounding tactical alertness against his younger opponent:
And Action! - How to crown positional play by tactics
There are few names which, like that of Alexei Shirov, can be associated with fantastically imaginative and tactically influenced play. Now the Latvian grandmaster is presenting a DVD on precisely that element of the game of chess. And one that is completely based on his own games.
The Soviet-born grandmaster spent over twenty minutes analysing the aftereffects of 18...♝h3. Of course, Black cannot capture the bishop with 19.gxf4 due to 19...♞xf4, with the queen joining a decisive attack on the open g-file. Santos responded with 19.♖fe1, and Shirov once again ploughed ahead with 19...e3. The tactical sequence continued 20.♗h5 ♞xc3 21.♗xe8 ♞xb1 22.♖xb1.
The evaluation of the engines gave Black an edge, but over the board having the initiative tends to be a much larger benefit. A couple of moves later, Santos cracked under pressure:
Instead of going for a miserable endgame with 25.♖e1 or 25.♕b3 forcing the queen trade, Santos completely gave up the game with 25.♖xb7. Shirov found 25...♛f3, and resignation came after 26.♕a2+ ♚h8, as White would need to give up material to prevent mate.
After reaching a perfect 4 out of 4, the author of the Fire on Board series drew direct rivals for the title David Antón and José Cuenca in rounds five and six.
Alexei Shirov has returned to represent Spain | Photo: FEDA
The youngest player in the leading pack is International Master Pedro Ginés. The boy from Zaragoza won the U-14 World Championship last year in Halkidiki and is currently closing on the 2500 rating mark. In round six, when draws were the rule among those fighting for first places, he won the only decisive game from the top ten boards. He beat Ángel Espinosa with Black, after outplaying his opponent from a highly tactical middlegame:
The Fashionable Caro-Kann Vol.1 and 2
The Caro Kann is a very tricky opening. Black’s play is based on controlling and fighting for key light squares. It is a line which was very fashionable in late 90s and early 2000s due to the successes of greats like Karpov, Anand, Dreev etc. Recently due to strong engines lot of key developments have been made and some new lines have been introduced, while others have been refuted altogether. I have analyzed the new trends carefully and found some new ideas for Black.
The black queen is trapped for all practical purposes — the best way to give it up would be with 27...♛xc3 28.♕f2 ♝xa1 29.♗xe3 ♝xe3. Instead, Ginés played 27...♝xa1 directly, a mistake according to the engines. But this was not a computer match, so after 28.♗xb3 cxb3 White was obliged to find 29.f5, the only move that maintained his advantage. Espinosa went for 29.♕e3 instead, when Ginés' 29...b2 completely turns the tables in Black's favour.
The tactical skirmish continued, with White putting all his hopes on his connected passers on the d and e-files. Espinosa did manage to promote to a queen, but by then Ginés had a lethal mating attack on tap:
White has just played 44.d8♕, getting a second queen, but Black had prepared for this by advancing his pawn to f6 in the previous move. The game ended in mate after 44...♝h5 45.♕2xd4 ♝g4+ 46.♔h4 g5#. Just the kind of game that would make Shirov proud.
Master Class Vol.2: Mihail Tal
On this DVD Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Karsten Müller present the 8. World Chess Champion in video lessons: his openings, his understanding of chess strategy, his artful endgame play, and finally his immortal combinations.
Co-leader José Cuenca from Granada | Photo: FEDA
In round seven, Vallejo will be playing White against Cuenca on top board. Shirov v Santos Ruiz and Ginés v Marc Narciso will be the other encounters featuring the leaders. The chasing pack will be looking forward to those games finishing drawn, as they will try to climb up the standings table on the final three days of action.
Among the women, the top scorers have so far — Mónica Calzetta, Cecilia Guillo, María Adela Perera and Inmaculada Hernando — have collected 4 points. .
