Underdog Overachievers in Chennai

by Albert Silver
8/22/2022 – Robocop. This was what GM Yermolinksy dubbed IM Conor Murphy as he followed his superlative result. While the 2022 Olympiad was dominated by the performance of the youthful and brilliant Gukesh, and other stars on the rise, it is also much more than a collection of super grandmasters, so let us sing the praises of the unlikely heroes who rose to the occasion.
The new Komodo Dragon 3 engine has gained 100 Elo points in playing strength over its predecessor when using a processor core in blitz. That's a huge improvement for a program that already reached at an Elo level of over 3500!

It is impossible to do credit to every heroic performance by a player, so any omissions made are by no means meant to diminish them. That said, what follows are a few of the amazing results by players who are not beneficiaries of the grandmaster title.

'Robocop'

Such was the title given tongue-in-cheek by GM Alex Yermolinsky to the brilliant run by Irish IM Conor Murphy. The sobriquet was in reference to the classic science fiction film from 1987 in which the cyborg discovers he was once a police officer named Murphy.

GM Yermolinsky's comment after IM Murphy's 7.0/7 start

For many years now, the Irish team has enjoyed the stature and strength of one grandmaster, Alexander Baburin, the editor of the excellent, but defunct, daily Chess Today.

IM Conor Murphy in deep thought (photo: Madelene Belinki/Olympiad)

It seems quite clear now that he will be rejoined soon by Ireland's first homegrown grandmaster, whose performance in Chennai deserves nothing but praise. The 23-year-old International Master not only scored a GM norm he did so with generous excess. Indeed his ratings performance of 2704 Elo was a 'mere' 300 Elo above his actual 2404 FIDE rating. An absolutely stellar performance which Leonard Barden called "the finest Olympiad performance by an Irishman".

 
IM C. Murphy vs GM L. Lodici
White played 37. Nb5 and the win of material is unstoppable as the d-pawn is the only protection the rook has.

9 in 9

Such was her run, that after Gukesh finally gave up a draw in round nine, WIM Oliwia Kiolbasa from Poland became the only player to stretch that perfect score to a full nine rounds. Her performance was beyond stellar and not only did she earn an IM norm, but her tournament ratings performance of 2565 Elo was the highest in the Women's competition.

This is what perfection looks like (photo: Stev Bonhage/Olympiad)

One of her most spectacular results was precisely in round nine when Poland faced the top rated Team India. 

Here is the deep analysis provided by Wolfram Schön and published in Karsten Mueller's wonderful roundups of the brilliant endgames in Chennai. 

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Bc5 5.c3 Nge7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 d5 9.0-0 dxe4 10.Nxe4 0-0 11.a3 Bd6 12.h3 Bf5 13.Re1 Bg6 14.Bg5 f6 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Bh4 Bf7 17.Bg3 Qd7 18.Rc1 Rad8 19.b4 Nf5 20.Bf4 Kh8 21.Qd3 b5 22.Bc2 Bg6 23.Qc3 Ncxd4 24.Nxd4 Nxd4 25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.Qxc7 Rf7 27.Qxd7 Rfxd7 28.Be3 Nf5 29.Bb6 Rb8 30.Rc6 Rd3 31.Ra1 Ne7 32.Re6 Nd5 33.Bc5 Nc3 34.Rxa6 Na4 35.Rd6 Nxc5 36.bxc5 Rc3 37.c6 Rc8 38.Rb1 R3xc6 39.Rxc6 Rxc6 40.Rxb5 Rc1+ 41.Kh2 Ra1 42.Ra5 g5 43.Kg3 Ra2 44.Kf3 Kh7 45.Ke3 Kg6 46.Ra7 Kf5 47.g3 Ke5 48.Kf3 Kf5 49.a4 Ra3+ 50.Kg2 Kg6 51.a5 Kh6 52.a6 Kg6 53.Ra8 Kf5 54.Kf1 Ra2 55.a7
A rook ending with an extra outside passed pawn and the rook in front of its a7-pawn. So the mobility of both rooks is largely restricted and there is no shelter for the white king on the queenside. White can only succeed by winning a second pawn, while keeping the f-pawn. As Black has no weakness in the pawn structure, the position is a theoretical draw. However, in practise the black player has to be careful not to fall into a tactical trick based on the a7 and she has to decide where to park her king longterm. Because it is now on f5, White has one winning idea: Bring the white king into the back of Black's pawns to f7, via Kf1-b1-b4-e7. 55...Kg6! The right direction. At the moment Black has plenty of time to choose a safe set-up, so many moves don't lose. It is more about having the right ideas. For a demonstration let's see a line where the black king remains on f5 for too long. 55...Ra1+ 56.Ke2 Ra2+ 57.Kd3 Ra3+ 58.Kc4 Ra4+?! 58...Kg6 59.Kb5 Ra2 60.f3 Rb2+ 61.Kc6 Ra2 62.Kd7 Ra6 63.Ke7 Ra3? 63...g4‼ 64.hxg4+ Kg6!= Last chance for salvation, but this is already very artificial. White's doubled pawns are unconvertable. 64.Kf7! g6 65.Kg7 Ra6 66.Kh6 Ra3 67.Re8! Rxa7 68.Re4!+- Winning by mate. This is all very similar to Unzicker-Lundin. 56.Ke1 Kf7?! The wrong direction, as the black king is unstable on f7. Without the pawn on g7 White could use the skewer trick on the 7th rank by Ra8-h8-h7+. In fact, this motif will come to the fore much sooner than Black would like. The safest set-up is: 56...Kh7! 57.Kd1 g6! 58.Kc1 Kg7! No skewers on the 7th, no white king to f7 and all black pawns protected. In a word: a wonderful defence! 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 Ra5 61.Kb3 Ra1 62.Kb4 Rb1+= The white king has no prospects. White can try to exchange some pawns on the kingside, but it is just a harmless test for Black. 57.h4?! The clever idea is to push this pawn to h6, trying to deflect the black g7. However, objectively the game-move makes life easier for the defender, allowing an active use of the black king. On the other hand it forces Black to decide on her king's set-up quickly, so it might have been the best practical try. 57.Kd1 I think, I would prefer to improve the king first and only later try h3-h4. Kg6 58.Kc1 Kf7 Let's assume, Black just waits. 58...Kh7 Of course Black could use White's slowplay to go for the safe set-up. But usually players don't switch their system of defence when playing on increment, if no obvious reason is apparent. 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 g6= 59.Kb1 Ra6 60.Kb2 Kg6 61.Kb3 Kf7 62.Kb4 Kg6 63.Kb5 Ra2 64.f3 So far everything is ok for Black, but this is a critical moment. Kf7? 64...Kh7! Not the only way, but the most easy again. 65.h4 gxh4 66.gxh4 g6! 67.Kb6 Rb2+ 68.Kc6 Ra2 69.Kd6 Kg7! 70.Ke7 Re2+= 65.h4! Now this is a winner. The difference to the game-move is the activity of White's king, important in the following critical line. gxh4 66.gxh4 Kg6 67.h5+! Kf5 68.Kb6 Rb2+ 69.Kc6 Ra2 70.Kd7 As the white king started from b5 (instead of e1), it can go for the black g7-pawn now and Black's couterplay comes too late. Kf4 71.Ke6 Kxf3 72.Kf7 f5 73.Kxg7 f4 74.h6+- 57...Kg6? A mistake, that will cost Black dearly. The evidence that Black is already theoretically lost after this is everything but obvious. However, from a practical point of view Black missed a better alternative, based just on general arguments. 57...g4?! This black pawn set-up is possible and has been from the start. But I think, Black should avoid it if possible. The g4-pawn is separated from the other black forces. The plus side is, the white f-pawn is now fixed on f2. 58.h5 Ra1+ 59.Kd2 Ra3 60.Kc2 60.h6 Kg6! Important counter-trick, please remember. 60...Ra2+ 61.Kd3 So the white king tries to approach the weak g4. Ra3+ 62.Kd4 Ra5 63.Ke4 Ra2! Black's basic defensive idea. If the white king moves to f4 or f5, the f2 can be taken with check. 63...Ra4+?! 64.Kf5 g6+! 65.hxg6+ Kg7 Black holds because of mutual zugzwang. 66.Rb8 Rxa7 67.Kxg4 Kxg6 68.Rb6= However, White could try two vs one for some time. 64.h6 At some point White has to try this. 64.Ke3 Ra4 64...Kg6! 65.Kd5 65.Rg8 Ra4+! 66.Kd5 Ra5+ 67.Kc6 Rxa7= 65...Kh7! Forcing the nasty white h-pawn off the board. 66.hxg7 Kxg7 67.Ke6 Re2+! Checking the white king away from good squares is the most easy. 68.Kd5 Rd2+ 69.Ke4 Re2+ 70.Kd3 Ra2 71.Ke3 Ra4= 57...gxh4! Following one of the endgame guidelines established by Reuben Fine many decades ago: "The defender should try to exchange pawns". In this case Black's king can massively profit from the reduced pawn mass. 58.gxh4 Kg6! 59.h5+ Kf5! The black king is back, where it started. However, after the disappearence of the pair of g-pawns, all the squares in front of its f6-pawn are save now. 59...Kg5?! Although not losing, this is way weaker. 60.h6 Kg6! Another nice version of trick and counter-trick, also very worth knowing. 61.Kd1 Kh7! 62.hxg7 Kxg7= White can't win against a black pawn on f6. However, Black's king has to stay passive on g7/h7 and it is mandatory to keep the white king away from e7, as we will see later in another line. 60.Kf1 Kf4 61.Kg2 f5= Black's king puts pressure onto the white f2-pawn. So the position is really balanced and White will have to liquidate to a draw quickly. 58.h5+! The point that makes this a winner is: Wherever the black king goes, it will be fixed there and White can improve her position to the extreme. Kf7 58...Kf5 59.f3! Because of the presence of the white g3-pawn, the black king is stuck now on the undesired square f5. Thus White can force a win with the plan shown in the beginning. The white king goes for a long march to f7. Ra1+ 60.Kd2 Ra3 61.Kc2 g4 At least Black can avoid the mating net. 62.f4 Ra1 63.Kb3 Ra6 64.Kb4 Ra1 65.Kb5 Ra3 66.Kc6 Ra1 67.Kd7 Ra3 68.Ke7 Ke4 Only after the white king covers the e-file, the black king can become active and go for the g3. However, Black will lose the race of the passed pawns. 69.Kf7 Kf3 70.Kxg7 Kxg3 71.h6+- 58...Kh7! In the CB article from 08.08. this has been correclty pointed out as the best defence. White can win, but it is a long run. The first steps are not so difficult, the critical moment comes later. First White pushes her f-pawn to f5 and then moves the king over towards f7. 59.f4! 59.Kd1? g4!= 59...gxf4 60.gxf4 Ra1+ 61.Kd2 Ra3 62.f5 Ra1 63.Kc3 Ra4 64.Kb3 Ra1 65.Kb4 Rb1+ 66.Kc5 Ra1 67.Kd6 Ra2 68.Ke7 The white king has come into contact with Black's f6, so now things are getting interesting again, as h5-h6 is in the air once more. Ra5 68...Ra6?! This runs into a zugzwang. 69.Kf7 Ra4 70.h6! gxh6 71.Kxf6 h5 72.Ke7 h4 73.f6+- White's passed pawn is faster. 69.h6! White would like to play this pawn thrust with the king on f7, but it is impossible. However, there is still a deep win. 69.Kf7 Ra6! Now White is in zugzwang and has to revert to the previous position. 70.Ke7 Ra5 69...Ra6! Because of the threat g7xh6 this gives White no time for the desired Ke7-f7. 69...Ra1?! 70.Kf7! gxh6 71.Kxf6+- 70.hxg7 Kxg7 A theoretical position, but not so well-known. Before tablebases, Sergey Dolmatov found the fine solution. 71.Kd8! Ra1 71...Rd6+ 72.Kc7 Ra6 73.Kb7+- The vertical checking distance of the black rook is too short. A drama for Black, but for the protection of the f6-pawn it had to be moved to the 6th rank before, as seen. 72.Rc8! The final trick: A transition to a winning pawn ending. Rxa7 73.Rc7+ Rxc7 74.Kxc7+- 59.f4! White is well aware of what she is doing. The skewer trick is the way to go, but it has to be prepared. Not 59.h6? Kg6! 60.f4 gxf4 61.gxf4 Ra4 62.f5+ Kh7! 63.hxg7 Kxg7= Also not 59.Kd1? g4!= Black can hold with this pawn structure as seen before. 59...gxf4 60.gxf4 f5 A sad necessity, but now this black f5-pawn is without the protection of the king or g-pawn. This new weakness will cause Black's downfall. Otherwise White will play f4-f5 herself, taking the crucial g6-square away from the black king. 60...Ra1+ 61.Kd2 Ra3?! 62.f5! Ra5 63.h6! Sufficiently prepared. gxh6 64.Rh8+- 61.Kd1 Ra1+ 62.Ke2 White steers her king towards g5 in preparation of h5-h6. A clear concept and a clean win, as there is nothing Black can do with her immobile Kf7. 62.Kc2 Alternatively the white king can also come from the left side. Ra3 63.Kb2 Ra6 64.Kb3 Ra1 65.Kb4 Ra2 66.Kb5 Ra1 67.Kb6 Rb1+ 68.Kc6 Ra1 69.h6! Just exchanging the pawns, but it enables the white king to approach the f5. Kg6 70.hxg7 Kxg7 Now this is a theoretical position, given in many books. White wins because of zugzwang. 71.Kd6 Ra2 72.Ke5! Ra5+ 73.Ke6 Kh7 74.Kf6+- 62...Ra2+ 63.Kf3 Ra3+ 64.Kg2 Ra2+ 65.Kg3 Ra4 66.Kh3! Ra3+ 67.Kh4 Ra4 68.Kg5 Ra5 69.h6! Good things take time. gxh6+ 70.Kxh6 Ra6+ 71.Kg5 Because of the skewer threat Ra8-h8, Black's f5-pawn is doomed now. The rest is a demonstration, why a second extra pawn on the f-file wins, while on the g- or h-file it would be useless. Kg7 72.Kxf5 Ra1 73.Ke5 Re1+ 74.Kd4 Rd1+ 75.Ke3 Re1+ 76.Kd2 Ra1 77.f5 Ra2+ 78.Kc3 Ra3+ 79.Kb2 Ra6 80.f6+! A very fine and instructive display by White. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kiolbasa,O2376Vaishali R24421–0202244th Chess Olympiad Women 20229.1

Chess Tactics are the art of combat command. When tactics dominate concrete action is required immediately in order to put a plan into practice or to grab an opportunity. However in complicated positions and with determined resistance basic tactics are often insufficient and intuition, imagination and precision are necessary.

Board no.1 and untitled

One of the surprises of the Olympiad was unquestionably the top board of the women's Dutch team, Eline Roebers. The 16-year-old rated 2344 FIDE has been on the fast track to rise and showed her chops once again.

Again? In 2020 she became the first female Dutch player to win a category in a World Youth even taking gold in the Under-14 section, but what has really made her stand out is her fighting ability and nerves.

Eline Roebers (photo: Lennart Ootes/Olympiad)

Consider this: in August 2021, rated just 2173, she took clear first in the overall Bruges Open ahead of several IMS and a GM, thanks to a clutch win in the last round against IM Niels Ondersteijn. Then in November she scored 7.0/9 for the Dutch team in the European Women's Team Championship for her first IM norm with a 2504 performance. In January she won the West German Open, again ahead of several IMs and a GM thanks to a crucial last round win. Now at the Olympiad, the young female warrior once again brought that spirit and scored 7.5/10 for a 2532 performance (another IM norm) and a silver medal for board one, losing gold to the legendary GM Pia Cramling on tiebreak. 

An overview of her games shows that same spunk that has brought her so far, with dramatic swings but somehow always managing to avert capsizing the ship.

Zhemba from Zimbabwe

In the list of norms achieved at the Olympiad, one stands out in the Open section: Jemusse Zhemba, board four of the team from Zimbabwe. The 26-year-old is not only untitled, but with a rating of 2162 FIDE, one would be forgiven for expecting nothing to write home about. However this untitled hero for his team will be able to do just that, because he not only notched up 7.5/10 points but even scored an IM norm for his trouble with a 2421 FIDE performance.

Jemusse Zhemba went above and beyond his duty with a stellar result (photo: Mark Livshitz/Olympiad)

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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, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.
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