Round 7 photos set 2 (34 pictures): http://picasaweb.google.com/SPICEChess/2009SPICECupRound7Set2
2 players, both needed a win to keep the GM norm and title alive. IM Antal had an opening surprise against IM Robson. But Ray defended very well to hold on to keep his GM title chase alive.
Antal, Gergely (2486) – Robson, Ray (2527)
Spice Cup 2009 (7), 25.09.2009
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7 6.Bd3 f6 7.Ng5 Ndxe5 8.dxe5 fxg5 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Bxg6+ Kd7 11.c4 Nxe5 12.Bc2 Qf6 13.0–0 c6 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Nb3 Qf7 16.Qe2 Bd6 17.f4 gxf4 18.Bxf4 Qg7 19.Rae1 Re8 20.Qh5 Kc7 21.Re3 Bg4 22.Qh4 Nc4 23.Bxd6+ Nxd6 24.Rg3 h5 25.h3 Qxb2 26.hxg4 Qxc2 27.gxh5 Rad8 28.Rg7+ Kc8 29.h6 Qc3 30.Qf4 Re4 31.Qg5 Re5 32.Qg4+ Kb8 33.Qd4 Qxd4+ 34.Nxd4 c5 35.h7 cxd4 36.Rg8 Ree8 37.h8Q Rxg8 38.Qxd4 Nc4 39.Re1 Rd7 40.Qf4+ Ka8 41.Qg4 Rdd8 42.Qd4 Rd7 43.Qf6 a6 44.Re7 Rxe7 45.Qxe7 Rc8 46.g4 d4 47.Qd7 Rg8 48.Qxd4 Ne3 49.Qxe3 Rxg4+ 50.Kf2 Rc4 51.Qb3 Rc6 52.Ke3 a5 53.Qb5 a4 54.Qxa4+ Kb8 55.Kd4 Ra6 56.Qe8+ Ka7 57.a4 Rc6 58.Kd5 Ra6 59.Qe3+ Ka8 60.Kc5 Rc6+ 61.Kb5 Ra6 62.a5 Rc6 63.Qe4 ½–½
Standings after 7 rounds (B group):
1. IM Finegold 5.5 (needs .5 / 2 for GM title)
2-3. GMs Perelshteyn, Bhat 4.5
4. IM Robson 4.0 (needs 2/2 for GM title)
5. IM Antal 3.5
6-8. IMs Papp, Kuljasevic, FM Rensch 3.0 (needs 1 / 2 for IM title)
9. GM Diamant 2.5
10. IM Ippolito 1.5
Standings after 6 rounds (A group):
1-3. GMs Hammer, Kuzubov, Andreikin 3.5
4. GM Mamedov 3.0
5. GM So 2.5
6. GM Akobian 2.0
Please congratulate GM Finegold !
I’m sure its in the bag ay this point.
I don’t know this opening. Is there some free theory to learn here?
Robson’s defense against Antal was nothing short of heroic. I’ve not looked with an engine—just had it in the Monroi window while furiously typing up computer code this afternoon and playing thru it now after an evening out—but I believe he was lost at some point. Maybe White was too slow to attack before the time control. Nevertheless, these were two fantastic moves showing grit and maturity, well worth study:
() 20…Kc7!! not only hanging a Rook but looking like it hangs the Queen to an impending Rf7+, and
() the plan culminating in 48…Ne3! forcing off the g-pawn to reach a fortress. This may not have been urgent—maybe a Rc6 + Ng6 blockade can’t be jarred loose anyway—but it was forthright and knowledgeable.
The pushes …a5 and …a4 to get rid of the a-pawn impress the latter point all the more, even if they too were unnecessary. That the resulting six-piece position is drawn—and pretty dead-drawn—can be probed at the EGTB6 server maintained by Knowledge4IT (Eiko Bleicher et al) here. Is “EGTB6” as good a nickname as “007” for an aspiring endgame master? 🙂