Round 4 (April 14, 2000)

Ward, Christopher  -  Pert, Nicholas     1/2   36  A80  Dutch defence
Krush, Irina       -  Aagaard, Jacob     1-0   44  A07  Reti (1.Nf3)
Hummel, Patrick    -  Gormally, Daniel   1-0   31  D85  Gruenfeld indian
Afek, Yochanan     -  McDonald, Neil R   0-1   39  C02  French; Advance
Norris, Alan J     -  McNab, Colin A     1/2   50  E92  Kings indian; Classical


Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (ENG), 11-19 iv 2000cat. VII (2406)
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                                 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
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 1 Ward, Christopher  g ENG 2509 * . = . . 1 . 1 . 1  3.5  2715
 2 Gormally, Daniel   m ENG 2504 . * = 1 . 0 . . 1 .  2.5  2455
 3 Pert, Nicholas     f ENG 2396 = = * . . . = . . 1  2.5  2553
 4 Krush, Irina      wm USA 2399 . 0 . * = . 1 1 . .  2.5  2516
 5 McDonald, Neil R   g ENG 2438 . . . = * 0 . 1 1 .  2.5  2444
 6 Hummel, Patrick      USA 2347 0 1 . . 1 * . 0 . .  2.0  2450
 7 Aagaard, Jacob     m DEN 2396 . . = 0 . . * . = 1  2.0  2380
 8 Afek, Yochanan     m ISR 2349 0 . . 0 0 1 . * . .  1.0  2230
 9 Norris, Alan J     f SCO 2301 . 0 . . 0 . = . * =  1.0  2247
10 McNab, Colin A     g SCO 2424 0 . 0 . . . 0 . = *  0.5  2078
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Oakham round 4

One of the stars of the Oakham Millennium Masters is 16-year-old Irina Krush, a determined young woman with a big future in the game. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, on December 24 1983, Irina was five when her parents Boris and Luba emigrated to the USA and settled in Brooklyn, New York.

Irina Krush

After gaining American master status at only 12-years of age, her big breakthrough came in 1998 when she became the youngest ever winner of the US Women’s Championship at 14. Recently, she burst on to the world stage by being the leading light in the Kasparov vs. The World Microsoft match, where for just about all of the game, the world competitors followed her recommendations that made the Kasparov team sweat for a few months.

Her personal goal is to become the best chessplayer she can be. And, she says, “If I can achieve that, I believe that many wonderful things could happen to me.” It’s no secret that she’s not especially concerned about the title of WGM – her goal is to become a Grandmaster!

Over the past two years she has been involved in a number of “Krush Challenge Matches” – all designed to help “toughen” her up on the long road to the Grandmaster title. In 1998, 2-2 with GM Arthur Bisguier (her first win against a GM); 1.5-2.5 against US junior Jay Bonin; 1.5-2.5 to GM John Fedorowicz. Followed in 1999 with matches against GM Walter Browne (0.5-3.5) and the former world junior champion, Tal Shaked (2-2).

Over the years, Irina considers herself fortunate to have worked with a number of excellent trainers. From the past, her childhood trainer, Mikhail Trosman and, in the present, Ron Henley, who “has assisted me in preparing for specific matches and has provided me with a steadying influence” and GM Giorgi Kacheishvili.

However, on arrival at Oakham, I quickly spotted her new trainer - a blast from the past, none other than GM Nikolai Krogius, the legendary Soviet chess psychologist.

Nikolai Krogius

Krogius twice held the title of RSFSR (Russian Federation) Champion and was a regular participant in the USSR Championship and various international tournaments. He wrote several books on the psychology of chess (his best perhaps being the 1976 RHM book, “Psychology in Chess”), advising the chess masters how they should prepare themselves for competitive play. In 1972 in Reykjavik, he got a chance to test his theories when he was appointed to assist Boris Spassky in his match against Bobby Fischer. Recently, he appeared on a BBC documentary “Clash of the Titans”, that told the inside story of that infamous match.

Jacob Aagaard

Krush,I (2399) - Aagaard,J (2396) [A07]

1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 c6 4 b3 g6 5 Bb2 Bg7 6 0–0 0–0 7 d3 a5 8 a3 Nbd7 9 Nbd2 Re8 10 c4 b5!? [A rather strange move that hasn't been seen in this position before. More usual, according to the latest ChessBase Mega 2000, has been occupying the centre with: 10 ..e5 ] 11 cxb5 cxb5 12 Ne5! [Occupying e5 before Black decides to opt for e5. This beautifully placed knight now becomes the lynchpin for White's game.] 12 ..Qb6 13 Rc1 Bb7 14 Ndf3 Nxe5 15 Nxe5 b4 16 a4 Rec8 17 Qd2 h5 18 Bh3! [Another nice touch. The bishop wasn't going to have much of a life on g2, so Krush places it where it can be of more use.] 18 ..Rxc1 [18 ..e6 19 Qg5! and all of a sudden White has an impressive attack.] 19 Rxc1 d4 20 Qf4 Rd8 21 Bg2 Bxg2 22 Kxg2 Qe6 23 Rc4

[White had a much clearer route to victory with 23 Nc6! A) 23 ..Nd5 24 Qf3 Rd6 25 Nxa5; B) 23 ..Qxe2 24 Nxd8 e5 (24 ..Qxb2 25 Rc8 Kh7 26 Nxf7 Qxb3 27 Ng5+ Kh6 28 Ne6+ Kh7 29 Qe5!) ; C) 23 ..Rd6 24 Nxd4 Qd7 25 Nb5] 23 ..g5 24 Qxg5 Nh7 25 Qxh5 Bxe5 26 e4! [The pawn roller now becomes a serious problem for Black -especially when it's coupled with Black's queenside pawns being weak.] 26 ..Kg7 [Basically, Black has a serious problem trying to defend his weak pawns. Also promising for White is: 26 ..Ra8!? 27 f4 Bg7 28 Qf3 Nf8 29 e5 Rd8 30 Bxd4 Qd5 31 Qe4] 27 f4 Bb8 [Since the retreat to f6 looked totally hopeless, Black tries to confuse the issue by looking for some cheapos by placing the bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal.] 28 Bxd4+ f6 29 Qxa5 Rxd4 30 Rxd4 Bxf4 31 Qf5! [31 gxf4? Qg4+ 32 Kf2 Qxf4+ 33 Ke2 Qxh2+ draws.] 31 ..Qb6 32 Rc4 Be5 33 Qf2 Qb7 34 h4 Nf8 35 Qf5 Qb6 36 Qf2 Qb7 37 h5 Bd6 38 Qe2 Qd7 39 Qf3 Be5 40 a5 Kf7 41 h6 Ng6 42 h7 Qd8 43 d4 Bb8 44 Qf5 1–0

Afek,Y (2349) - McDonald,N (2438) [C02]

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 a3 c4 7 Bf4 [7 Be3 is also an option. White's dilemma is this: if Black is going to play ..Na5, then Be3 is good; if he plays ..f6, then Bf4 is good. Unfortunately, White has to decide on the placement of the bishop now.] 7 ..Na5 8 Nbd2 Bc6 9 h4 Qd7 10 h5 Ba4 11 Qc1 [11 Qb1! is better] 11 ..h6 12 g4 Ne7 13 Be3 Nc8 14 Nh4 Nb6 15 f4 Be7 16 Qb1 Nb3 17 Nxb3 cxb3 18 f5 0–0–0 19 Bd3 [19 fxe6 Bxh4+ (19 ..fxe6 20 Ng6!) 20 Rxh4 fxe6 21 Rh2 Bb5] 19 ..Bxh4+ 20 Rxh4 Bb5 21 Rh2! (A prophylactic move. From h2, the rook is ideally placed to defend b2 and for the possible doubling of rooks on f2 or g2.) 21 ..Bxd3?! [What was wrong with not exchanging? By leaving the bishop on b5, White would have had to play Qd1 to get the queen and rook into play - and only then take on d3 as Black would have gained a move.] 22 Qxd3 Nc4 23 Bf4 Kb8 24 0–0–0 Rc8 25 Kb1 [I thought White had the better of it after 25 f6 but Black has more than enough resources by breaking open the queenside: 25 f6 gxf6 26 exf6+ Ka8 27 Rg1 b5 28 g5 hxg5 29 Rxg5 Qd8 30 Be5 a5 31 Rg7 b4] 25 ..Ka8 26 Rf1 b5 27 Bc1 a5 28 fxe6 fxe6 29 Rhf2 b4 30 cxb4 axb4 31 Qxb3 bxa3 32 Rf7 Qc6 33 R1f3 [Also looking a bit suspect was 33 Qb4 Rhe8 34 R1f3 (34 b3 Rb8 35 Qc3; 34 Rxg7 axb2 35 Bxh6 Qa6) 34 ..Qa6] 33 ..Na5 34 Qd1?

[34 Qc3!? looks as if it saves White with very careful play: A) 34 ..Nc4? 35 Qb4 Qa6 36 bxa3 Rb8 37 Rf8 Qc8 38 Rxc8 Rhxc8 39 Rf7!; B) 34 ..a2+? 35 Kxa2 Qa6 (35 ..Qa4+ 36 Qa3 Qc4+ 37 b3 Qc2+ 38 Bb2) 36 Qd3 Rc4 (36 ..Nc4+ 37 Kb1 Rb8 38 Rxg7 Rb5 39 Rgf7 Rhb8 40 Rf8) 37 Kb1 Rhc8 38 Bd2; C) 34 ..Qxc3! 35 Rxc3 axb2 36 Bxb2 Nc4 37 Rxg7 Rb8 38 Ka1 Rb6 39 Bc1 Rhb8 40 Rc2 Rb1+ 41 Ka2 R1b5 42 Ka1] 34 ..axb2 35 Bxb2 Nc4 36 Qd3? [36 Ba3 Rb8+ 37 Ka1 Qa6] 36 ..Nxb2 37 Qd2 Qa4 38 Rb3 Nc4 39 Qa2 Nd2+ 0–1

Hummel,P (2347) - Gormally,D (2504) [D85]

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Nf3 c5 8 Rb1 0–0 9 Be2 b6 [Regarded as a bit passive, but crucially, there's no refutation been found yet for this set-up.] 10 0–0 Bb7 11 Qd3 Ba6 12 Qe3 Qd7! [This is much better than 12 ..e6 preventing d5, which delays Black's development.] 13 Bxa6 [13 dxc5 bxc5 14 Rxb8 Raxb8 15 Bxa6 Qa4 16 Qe2 Bxc3 17 Bc4 e6 18 e5 Rb4 19 Bb3 Qb5 20 Qe3 c4 21 Qxc3 cxb3 22 Ba3 Rc4 23 Qxb3 Rb8 24 Qe3 Kg7 25 Be7 h6 26 Bf6+ Kh7 27 Qxa7 Rb7 28 Qe3 Qc5 29 Qd3 Rb2 30 h4 Rc1 31 Kh2 Rc3 32 Qd8 Qc8 33 Rd1 Rb8 34 Qd4 Rc4 35 Qe3 Rc3 36 Rd3 1–0 Gelfand,B-Sokolov,I/Oakham 1988/TD (36); 13 d5 Qa4 14 Bxa6 Nxa6 15 e5!? Qxa2 16 Qe4 is unclear.] 13 ..Nxa6 14 Qd3 Qa4 15 Bg5 Rfe8 16 d5 c4 17 Qe3 Nc5 18 Nd4 e6 19 d6 f6 20 Bh4 e5 21 Nb5 Rad8 22 Rfd1 Re6 23 Qe2 Nd3 24 Rxd3 cxd3 25 Qxd3 Qxa2 26 Rd1 Rd7 [Black should have bite the bullet here by kicking the knight and heading for the endgame - despite the fact that its hard to make any progress from it: 26 ..a6! 27 Qd5 Qxd5 28 exd5 Rexd6 29 Nxd6 Rxd6 30 c4 Kf7 31 f3 a5 32 Kf1 Ke8 33 Bf2 Kd7 34 Ke2 Bh6 35 Kd3 Bf4 36 Kc3 h5 37 h4] 27 c4 a6?

[A dreadful mistake that costs Black dearly. It's now too late to kick the knight and instead should have gone for: 27 ..Re8 28 Qd5+ Kh8 29 f3 (29 Nc7 Red8 30 c5 Qxd5 31 Rxd5 bxc5 32 Ne6 Rc8) 29 ..Qa4 30 Rd3 Red8 31 Be1 Bf8 32 Qe6 Kg7 33 Kf1 a6 34 Ra3 Qd1 35 Rxa6 Bxd6] 28 Qd5 Kf7 29 Qc6 Rde7 [The knight infiltration makes Black's position untenable. The alternative didn't fair all that better: 29 ..Ree7 30 Nc7 Kg8 31 Nd5 Rf7 32 Nxb6 Qb3 33 Rf1 Rd8 34 c5 a5 35 Nd5 a4 36 f4! Rdf8 37 d7 exf4 38 Qc8 Qb8 39 Qxb8 Rxb8 40 c6 is hopeless] 30 Nc7 Qb3 31 Qd5 1–0