John Henderson Dortmund Reports

Round 8 Friday 20th July 2001

BUY THE BOOK

WHAT does the son of a Bavarian wallpaper-hanger and Manny Lasker have in common? Well, if you believe the Le Mecca Chess Encyclopaedia (http://www.maskeret.com/mecca/index.shtml), then it’s a book called Mein Kampf.

According to Italian chessplayer Maurizio Mascheroni, his site is “the first real Encyclopaedia of Chess on the Internet”. There, you can find entries on more than 3,300 players (most with photographs – some of which I seem to recognise!), on over 1,500 events and on nearly 2,300 website links. It’s a nice idea – but it comes nowhere near the standard of a must-have Encyclopaedia for your library: The Oxford Companion to Chess by David Hooper & Ken Whyld. What a journalist on the road would give to have this on tap on CD-Rom.

The problem with Le Mecca is that volunteers around the world send in a majority of the entries, and therefore you should be a tad sceptical of the accuracy. I would imagine that Edward Winter would have an aneurysm if he went to this site. In fact I know of several authors who have personally asked him to check the website out.

Le Mecca’s entry on Lasker, for example, states that the name of the great champion’s 1907 work was Mein Kampf (My Struggle) rather than the correct Kampf, and that Adolf Hitler, looking for a good title for a little pot-boiler he was working on at the time when he was holed up in prison for his involvement in the “beer hall putsch”, stole the title, forcing poor old Manny to change his. You could see Manny’s thinking here: It was either change the title or, chessplayer’s, thinking they were going to improve their game, getting the National Socialist doctrines, propaganda techniques, and plans for the conquest first of Germany, and then of Europe.

However this misconception over the title can actually be traced to a certain player famed for his wit, who in reality should have been Britain’s first grandmaster: Bill Hartston, who these days earns a crust by writing for one of the UK’s biggest porn publishers, The Daily Express.

Bill made a harmless little joke in his 1985 Harper and Row book Kings of Chess, which many people have, literally, taken as the gospel.

One of the officials here in Dortmund certain has a copy of Kampf in his chess library – not to mention another 30,000 or so titles to boot! He’s none other than our chief arbiter: the redoubtable Lothar Schmid.

Apart from being famous for being the man-in-the-middle of the Fischer-Spassky match of 1972 in Reykjavik (and a glutton for punishment with their return match in 1992 and the Karpov-Korchnoi match 1978), Lothar has amassed an amazing chess library – reckoned to be the third largest in the world behind the Cleveland Public Library in Ohio and the Royal Library in the Hague.

The difference with Lothar’s is that his is a private library, thus making him the biggest private collector of chess books – with no catalogue! It’s housed in 7 rooms on the top 2 floors of his house in Bamberg, Germany. On the ground floor you can find his publishing business (Karl May-Verlag) and his living quarters are on the 1st floor.

He started collecting in the 1950s, when he was offered the personal library of Rogmann. Since then, he has spent his time buying up other people’s libraries, with over 50 other collections including that of Tarrasch!

It’s often said that the collection looks chaotic, but Lothar, and only Lothar, knows where to find everything!

His early chess works include some unbelievable titles: It including one of the 10 extant copies of Lucena (1497) and all eight editions of Damiano (1512-64). And, of course, no library is complete without the works of Keene and Schiller! Yes: Lothar admits to having all of their works, too!

Apart from being an arbiter of repute and a well-known bibliophile, Lothar is one of the few players in the world who holds dual GM titles. He won several minor events in the 1950s, but his best result was saved for a tournament to celebrate the centenary of the chess club of his hometown, Bamberg, in 1968. There, in a field of 16 (eight top Germans and eight foreign masters) he scored 10-5 and shared second with world champion Tigran Petrosian; with first going to Paul Keres.

Before turning his hand seriously to OTB play, he had great success in correspondence chess: winning the Dyckhoff Memorial CC tourney of 1956 and finished =2nd with O'Kelly behind Ragosin in the CC world championship of 1958.

Well, so much for the man in the middle. How about the player’s and the tournament he’s in charge of?

Round eight of the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting saw Kramnik being eclipsed by Veselin Topalov who now has the sole lead. In epic battle, Anand had yet another disaster (just when was the last time he lost 3?) to give the Topalov, who has brought this tournament to life, a half-point lead over Kramnik.

Anand,V (2794) - Topalov,V (2711) [B51]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 d6 4 0–0 Bd7 5 Re1 Nf6 6 c3 a6 7 Bf1 Bg4 8 d3 e6 9 Nbd2 Nd7N [The main move is 9 ..Be7 ; or alternatively, 9 ..d5 ] 10 h3 Bh5 11 g4 Bg6 12 d4 cxd4 13 cxd4 e5 14 d5 Ncb8 15 b4 h5 16 g5 a5! The only way for black to complete his development. 17 bxa5 Be7 18 Nb3 [Black gets more than enough counter-play after 18 Nh4: 18 Nh4 Bxg5 19 Nxg6 fxg6 20 Nc4 0–0 21 Nxd6 Bh4 22 Be3 Qf6] 18 ..0–0 19 Qd2 [19 Bd2!? Na6 20 Rc1 Ndc5 21 Rc4! Rc8 22 Qe2 f5] 19 ..Na6 20 Nh4 Nac5 21 Bg2 b6 22 Nf5 f6 23 Nh4 Qe8 24 Nxc5 Nxc5 25 axb6

25 ..fxg5 [Taking the exchange is wrong: 25 ..Nb3 26 b7! Nxd2 27 bxa8Q Qxa8 28 Nxg6 Nb3 29 Nxe7+ Kf7 30 axb3 Qxa1 31 Nf5 Rd8 32 Bd2 Qa2 33 Bb4 Qxb3 34 Bxd6 Rd7 (34 ..g6 35 Nh6+ Ke8!) 35 Rc1] 26 Nxg6 Qxg6 27 Qe2 Rfb8 28 Rb1 Bd8 29 Be3 Bxb6 30 Rec1 g4 31 hxg4 hxg4 32 Rb4 Ba5 33 Rxb8+ Rxb8 34 Bxc5 dxc5 35 d6 Qxd6 36 Qc4+?! [Anand was probably concerned that the c-pawn goes up the board quickly, so decides to take it off. With hindsight, he'd probably opt for the g-pawn as it seems to be the best route to equality as it opens lines to the black king: 36 Qxg4! Bd2 37 Rd1 c4 38 Bf1! c3 39 Bc4+ Kh7 40 Be6 g6 (40 ..c2?? 41 Qh5+) 41 Qh3+ Kg7 42 Qxc3 Bxc3 43 Rxd6] 36 ..Kh8 37 Qxc5 Qh6 38 Rd1 Bb6 The pressure on f2 is unrelenting. 39 Qxe5 Rf8 40 Rf1

40 ..Qh4 [The time control comes just one move too soon for Topalov. With a bit more time to think, he may well would have found the winning move!: 40 ..Rf4! This gives more of a headache as it stops the exchange of queens - and threatens g3 mating! 41 Qc3 (What else? 41 Qe8+ Kh7; 41 a4 g3 both are mating) 41 ..Qh4! and white can resign now - there's simply no defence to the numerous threats.] 41 Qh2 Bxf2+ 42 Kh1 Qxh2+ [42 ..g5!? was also good. Topalov decides though to exchange queens, leaving Anand wondering how to regroup from this mess.] 43 Kxh2 g5 44 Bh1 g3+ 45 Kg2 g4 46 Rd1 Kg7! Threatening Rh8. 47 Kf1 Bd4+ 48 Ke2 Be5 49 Rd2 Ra8! [49 ..Rf2+ 50 Kd3 Kf6 51 Rxf2+ gxf2 52 Bg2 Kg5 53 Ke3 g3 54 Kf3 Kh4 55 Bf1 draws.] 50 Bg2 Kf6 51 Kd3 Kg5 52 Ke2 [It's too difficult to assess, but perhaps white should have tried to blockade with 52 Rc2. However, I dare say there will be a way through for black: 52 Rc2 Kf4 53 Ke2 Ra3 54 Ke1 Ke3 (54 ..Re3+ 55 Kd1 Rf3 56 Re2) 55 Re2+ Kd3 56 Rd2+ Kc3 57 Kd1 (57 Bh1 Bf4 58 Re2 Kd3 59 Rb2 Rc3) 57 ..Bf4 58 Rc2+ Kd3 59 Rb2 Rc3 60 Rb1 Kc4 61 Bf1+ Kd4 62 Bg2 Rf3 63 Rb2 Be5! (63 ..Kxe4? 64 Ke2 Bd6 65 Rb3 Bc5 66 a4 Kf4 67 Bxf3 gxf3+ 68 Rxf3+ Kg4 69 Rf6 g2 70 Rg6+ Kh3=) 64 Re2 Kd3 65 Rd2+ Kxe4 66 a4 Kf4] 52 ..Kf4 53 Rc2 Ra3 54 Rd2 Re3+ 55 Kd1 Ra3 56 Re2 Ra7 57 Rc2 Rb7 58 Re2 [58 Ke2 Rb1 59 Kd3 Rg1 60 a4! Ra1 (60 ..Rxg2? 61 Rxg2 Kf3 62 Rg1 g2 (62 ..Kf2 63 Rb1 g2 64 a5 Bc7 65 a6 Bb6 66 e5 g1Q 67 Rxg1 Kxg1 68 e6 Bc5 69 a7 winning.) 63 a5 Bh2 64 Rxg2 Kxg2 65 a6 Bb8 66 e5 g3 67 e6 Kh3 68 e7 g2 69 e8Q g1Q 70 Qe3+ Qxe3+ 71 Kxe3=) 61 Rc8 Ra3+ 62 Ke2 Ra2+ 63 Kf1 Bd4! is mating.] 58 ..Rb1+ 59 Kc2 Rg1 60 Kd3 Rc1

61 Rd2 [The alternative is no better - black always manages to engineer a breakthrough: 61 Kd2 Ra1 62 Kd3 Rg1 63 a4 (Black has gained an extra temp - the exchange sac works this time: 63 Rd2 Rxg2! 64 Rxg2 Kf3 65 Rg1 g2 66 a4 Kf2 67 Rd1 g1Q 68 Rxg1 Kxg1 69 a5 g3 70 a6 Bb8 71 e5 g2 72 e6 Kf2 73 e7 g1Q 74 e8Q Qd1+ 75 Kc4 (75 Kc3 Be5+!) 75 ..Qc2+ 76 Kb5 Qb3+ 77 Kc5 Ba7+ 78 Kd6 Qd3+ wins.) 63 ..Ra1 and the a-pawn falls.] 61 ..Rc3+ 62 Ke2 Rf3! 63 Kd1 Bc3 [63 ..Rf2? 64 Rxf2+! The opposite coloured bishop ending comes to white's rescue: 64 ..gxf2 65 Ke2 g3 66 a4 Bc3 67 Kf1 Ke3 (67 ..Ba5 68 Ke2 Bc7 69 Kd3=) 68 Bh1 Kd3 69 Bf3=] 64 Re2 Ke5 65 Kc2 Bd4 66 Kd1 Rf8 67 Rd2 Rb8 68 Ke2 Bc3 69 Rd5+ [69 Rc2 Kd4 and white's starting to run out of moves.] 69 ..Ke6 70 Kd3 Be5 71 Rc5 Rb1 72 Rc6+ Kd7 73 Rc2 Rg1 74 a4 Ra1 75 Kc4 Ke6 76 Kb3 Bd4 77 Ra2 Rg1 78 a5 Bf2 79 a6 Ke5 [79 ..Rxg2? 80 a7=] 80 Ra5+ Kf6

81 e5+? [It's obvious what Anand was doing: he was trying to give some life to the bishop. However, perhaps 81 Ra2! Ba7 (81 ..Rxg2 82 a7 Bxa7 83 Rxg2 Bf2 84 Kc4 Ke5 85 Kd3 Kf4 86 Ke2 Bd4 (86 ..Kxe4 87 Rxf2 gxf2 88 Kxf2=) 87 Kf1 Kf3 88 Ra2=) 82 Kc4 Ke5 83 Ra5+ Ke6 (83 ..Kf4?? 84 Kd3!!) 84 Ra2=] 81 ..Ke6 82 Bd5+ Kxe5 83 Bb7+? [83 a7 Bxa7 84 Ba8+ Kf4 85 Ra4+ Kg5 86 Rxa7 g2 87 Bxg2 Rxg2 and Black is soon going to be doing a bit of bridge building in the Lucena position.; 83 Ba8+! Kf4 (83 ..Kd6 84 Ra2 g2 85 Ka4 g3 86 Bxg2! Rxg2 87 a7=; 83 ..Ke6 84 Ra2) 84 Ra2 Ba7 (84 ..Rc1 85 Bg2; 84 ..Kg5 85 Bc6 Kh4 86 Ka4 Kh3 87 Ra3 Kh2 88 Ra2=; 84 ..Ke3 85 Ra4=) 85 Kc4 Rf1 86 Rg2=] 83 ..Kf6 84 Ra4 g2 0–1

The treat for today for TWIC readers is the annotation of the Leko-Morozevich game from the Russian\Irish GM, Alexander Baburin - Alexander Morozevich’s second.

Alex moved to Ireland from Russia in 1993 (there’s no truth in the rumour that at the time he thought he was heading for the chess Mecca of Iceland), and is the inspiration-cum-creator of a fantastic daily chess newsletter, Chess Today - the first daily chess newspaper on the Net delivered to you by email.

It provides news, annotated games, tactical puzzles, coaching tips, interviews, book reviews, etc. The paper comes in PDF format, which can be easily printed out. Annotated games also come attached in ChessBase and PGN formats.

CT started in November 2000 and currently has 5 people working for it. All their journalists come from Russia - GM Ruslan Scherbakov, GM Alexander Baburin and IM Vladimir Barsky - while the two editors are Graham Brown (England) and Ralph Marconi (Canada). You can find some samples of the high quality of work at: http://www.chesstoday.net , where you can also subscribe. Take it away, Alexander…

[Alexander Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)]

This is not an easy game to annotate. First, it's long and second there are so many mistakes in it, that it might sound like the commentator understands chess much better than the players themselves! :-)

Morozevich,A (2749) - Leko,P (2730) [C28]

1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 What to say... It's not going to be the over-solid Petroff today. This bit is good, but objectively the text move does not pose serious problems for Black. 2 ..Nf6 3 d3 Nc6 4 Nc3 Na5 5 Nge2 Be7 6 0–0 0–0 7 Ng3 d6 8 a4 Nxc4 9 dxc4 Be6 10 b3 c6 11 Bb2 Qc7 12 Qe2 Rfe8 13 h3 Rad8 14 Rad1

14 ..a6! I like Black's position: he has solid pawn structure and if he can open the position up, his two bishop's would county for something. Black's last move is very interesting: he is preparing to break in White's most covered point - b5. 15 Rd2 [I wonder whether 15 Rfe1 would be any better - trying to discourage ...d6-d5.] 15 ..b5! 16 axb5 axb5 17 cxb5 d5 Now White has to be careful as Black has awesome centralisation. 18 b6! [This is correct as after 18 bxc6 d4 Black might be better.] 18 ..Qxb6 19 Na4 [Perhaps 19 exd5 was safer.] 19 ..Qa5 20 exd5? Played after 20–minutes thinking. This move opens up the position too much, which is dangerous for White. Of course, Morozevich understood it, but his decision was based on a miscalculation. [Better was 20 Bxe5 ] 20 ..Nxd5 21 Rfd1 [Originally Alexander planned 21 c4 Nf4 22 Qxe5 Qxe5 23 Rxd8 but then he saw to his horror the line 23 ..Nxh3+! 24 gxh3 Qxg3+ 25 fxg3 Rxd8 where Black is winning in the ending. Thus, White had to back off, but the damage to his position was already done.] 21 ..f6 22 c4? Hard to explain this move... After 7 rounds the players are obviously tired. 22 ..Nf4 23 Qe3 Rxd2 24 Rxd2 Bxc4 25 bxc4 Qxa4 26 Qe4 Rd8 27 Rxd8+ Bxd8 28 Kh2 Qa8

29 Nf5 [This is when I came back to the playing hall. First I saw that Alexander was struggling a pawn down, but then I discovered the following wonderful line: 29 Bxe5!! fxe5 30 Qxe5 Ng6 31 Qe8+ Nf8 and now after Ne5! Black has no satisfactory defence. Alas, When I showed this line in the press-room, somebody pointed out to me that knight don't usually move like bishops, so the move Ng3-e5! is not very likely. Why some people have to ruin everything?!] 29 ..Qb7 30 Bc1 Ne6 31 Qg4 Kh8 [Of course, Leko does not fall for 31 ..Qd7? 32 Nxg7!] 32 Qd1 Be7 33 Nxe7!? During the game I did not like this move, but then Alexander explained that otherwise after ...Bf8 Black would be ready to drive away and seriously limit the white knight with ...g6 and ...f5. Good point! Now Black has a technically winning position, but he still needs to prove it. 33 ..Qxe7 34 Qa4 Qe8 35 Be3 Kg8 36 Qa7 Qd8 [36 ..h5!?] 37 Qb7 Qc7 38 Qa8+ Kf7 39 g4 This move is an achievement for White as he arranges his pawns in the best possible manner. 39 ..Qd7 40 Kg2 h6 After the game Alexander was rather critical of this move, which makes it harder for Black to play ...g6 in some endings. 41 Qb8 c5 42 Qb1 Qc6+ 43 f3 Nd4 44 Qe4! White is lost even after the queens come off, but clearly it was the best practical solution. Most likely Black should have kept the queens on the board, trying to attack the enemy king. But the temptation was too strong, so Leko played 44 ..Qxe4 45 fxe4 Ke6 Black is still winning, but some technical problems remain. 46 Kf2 g5 47 Bd2 Kf7 48 Ba5 Nb3 49 Bc7 Nd4 [Black had a forced win after 49 ..Nd2! 50 Ke3 Nxc4+ 51 Kd3 Na3 52 Bb6 Nb5 53 Bxc5 Nc7 54 Bf2 Ne6 55 h4 gxh4 56 Bxh4 Nf4+ 57 Kd2 Kg6 followed by ...Ng2 and ...Kg5.] 50 Bb6 Ne6 51 Kg3 Ke7 52 h4

52 ..gxh4+? This is tempting, but probably wrong as now White's king becomes active. [It looks more logical to keep the position closed by playing 52 ..Kd6 Then after 53 h5 Black has to worry about the h6-pawn, but he can drive the bishop away. The critical position arises after 53 ..Kc6 54 Ba5 Kb7 55 Kf3 Ka6 56 Bc3 Nd4+ 57 Ke3 Nc6 58 Kd3 Now it looks like White might be holding in the pawn ending arising after 58 ..Nb4+ 59 Bxb4 Otherwise Black will advance his king with ...Ka6-a5-a4. 59 ..cxb4 60 Kc2 Kb6 61 Kb2! But the extra pawn could be put to good use here after 61 ..Kc6 62 Kc2 Kd6! 63 Kb2 f5! 64 exf5 e4 and Black wins - his pawns are more advanced and the enemy king cannot stop them. At the same time White's pawns are not going anywhere...] 53 Kxh4 Kd6 54 Kh5 Ng5 55 Kxh6 Nxe4 56 Kg6 Ke6 57 Ba7 I am not sure about this ending, but feel that it should be a draw. 57 ..Nf2 58 g5 fxg5 59 Bxc5 Ne4 60 Be3 g4 61 Kh5 Kf5 62 Kh4 Nf6 63 c5 Nd5 64 c6 Ke4 65 Bc5 Kf3 66 Bd6 e4 67 c7 Nxc7 ½–½

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@cableinet.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.