Turkish League hits midway point

by Albert Silver
8/10/2015 – After seven out of thirteen rounds, the Turkish Super League has reached the midway point and offers the only rest day of the tournament. Deniz Su Aquamatch, the team in which Wesley So plays, is leading with a perfect 7.0/7 followed by Besiktas, the team of Mamedyarov, just behind. This event also represents Wesley So's last games before Sinquefield.

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The remarkable tournament is as democratic as could be, with large teams of eight players

It isn't simply that the ratings vary so much, but the teams all include boards specifically for
female players, juniors under 20, juniors under 16 and female juniors under 16!

Alexander Moiseenko has played solidly for his team, with six draws and one win, which is
probably exactly what is expected of him. Many teams feature very high-rated players.

In round six he held Pentala Harikrishna (2740) to a draw

GM Mustafa Yilmaz is top board for Hataya Municipality, and has done quite well with 4.0/7...

...though he did run into a brick wall called Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in round seven.

[Event "TUR-chT Süperligi 2015"] [Site "Kocaeli"] [Date "2015.08.09"] [Round "7"] [White "Yilmaz, Mustafa"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D06"] [WhiteElo "2582"] [BlackElo "2735"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "TUR"] [WhiteTeam "Hatay Municipality Youth Sports Club"] [BlackTeam "Besiktas Gymnastics Club"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. cxd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qa5 6. Nxd4 Nf6 7. g3 e5 8. Nb3 Qc7 9. Bg2 Bb4 {This line has not been great for White in practice, with French GM Degraeve the most experienced in it with black.} 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 O-O 12. Ba3 Rd8 13. Qc2 Be6 {The battle lines are drawn: White hopes to compensate his weak c-pawn and structure with the bishop pair and open lines.} 14. c4 $1 {The c-pawn is not in danger since b7 is being attacked. This may weaken the d4 square, but in compensation it challenges control of d5 and prevents Black from setting up base on the c4-square.} Nc6 15. Rac1 Rac8 16. Qb2 $6 {The idea is to threaten Nc5 since e5 is not actually in any danger due to a small tactic.} b6 $1 {White is now in an uncomfortable position. He has effectively forced Black to play b6, but his queen is not well placed on b2, and is doing nothing for his position.} 17. Rfe1 ({Not only is} 17. Bxc6 $2 { impossible due to} Qxc6 18. Qxe5 Bh3 $1 {and Black wins the exchange since White must play} 19. f3 {to prevent mate,}) ({but even the attempt to rid himself of the c-pawn weakness with} 17. c5 {backfires after} b5 $1 {that threatens ...b4 winning the bishop, and the d5 square becomes open game for Black's pieces.} (17... bxc5 18. Nxc5 {is better for White.}) 18. Bxc6 Qxc6 19. f3 {forced since Bh3 was threatened.} Nd5 20. Qxe5 Qa6 21. Bb2 f6 22. Qe4 Bf7 { and Black is better.}) 17... e4 18. Qc3 Qe5 19. Bb2 Qxc3 20. Bxc3 e3 $6 { Extremely aggressive, but unnecessary. Black may have feared it was going down anyway due to Bxf6 and Bxe4, but there were alternatives.} ({Black had the counter stroke} 20... a5 $1 {with the point being that after} 21. Bxf6 gxf6 22. Bxe4 {He can reply with} a4 $1 23. Na1 {Dreadful, but the only square.} Ne5 $1 {and the c4-pawn falls in turn with stronger Black piece positions.}) 21. fxe3 Ng4 22. c5 $6 (22. Nd4 $5 {was better. Here the concept is easier to grasp. Even if the c-pawn is doomed, let Black spend time capturing it, instead of wasting time flinging it at him.} Nxd4 23. Bxd4 (23. exd4 Rxc4) 23... Rxc4 24. Rxc4 Bxc4 25. Bf3 Nf6 26. a4 {and White is fine thanks to the very powerful pair of bishops, not to mention monster Bd4.}) 22... Bxb3 23. axb3 bxc5 24. Bxc6 (24. Bh3 {would have protected the e3 pawn.} h5 (24... f5 {fails to} 25. e4 Nd4 26. exf5 Ne3 27. f6 {attacking the rook on c8.} Rc6 28. Bxd4 Rxd4 29. fxg7 Kxg7 30. Rc3 {and White is up a pawn.}) 25. Rf1 Ne7 26. Bxg4 hxg4 27. Rf4 f5 28. Rc4) 24... Rxc6 25. b4 Rdc8 26. Ra1 Nxe3 27. Rxa7 Nd5 28. Bd2 cxb4 29. Rb7 Rc2 30. Bxb4 $4 {Blundering the piece and the game.} Rb2 $1 31. Rd1 Nxb4 32. Rd4 Nc6 0-1

Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov has 3.0/5 and a 2714 performance thus far

WIM Khayala Isgandarova

Doğa Cihan Göksel playing for Tarsus Intelligence Club

Wesley So has played five rounds and scored 3.0/5

The arbiters who help keep the event running smoothly

Standings after seven rounds

Rk
Team
+
=
-
MP
Pts
SB
1 Sea Water Aquamatch Youth And Sports Chess Club 7     14 39.5 182.5
2 Besiktas Gymnastics Club 6 1   13 39.5 175.75
3 Turkish Airlines (Thy) Sports Club 6   1 12 34 139
4 Ts Wedding Rings Chess Club Sports 5 1 1 11 35.5 114.25
5 Istanbul Technical University Sports Club 4 1 2 9 35 91.25
6 Kayseri Sugar Sports Club 4 1 2 9 33.5 99
7 Kahramanmarab Municipality Sports Club 3 2 2 8 30 69.5
8 Hatay Municipality Youth Sports Club 3   4 6 26 61.5
9 Mediterranean Municipal Sports Club 2 1 4 5 24 65.5
10 Tarsus Intelligence Chess Club 1 2 4 4 26 53.25
11 Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club 1 2 4 4 24.5 37.5
12 Calli Sports Club 1 1 5 3 23 20.75
13 Ankara Demirspor Club     7 0 13 0
14 Pamukkale Intelligence Management Information Systems     7 0 8.5 0

Links

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Born 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.