Wild draw

It’s just not the same any more. Not since the growing popularity of computer chess programs, anyway. 

Way back in the past when we talked about blindfold chess, it would mean just that: two players who were literally blindfolded. It was great publicity. I remember that in the early 1990s, this newspaper even once published a colour picture of two blindfolded players on the front page. 

It’s not so dramatic nowadays. Players in blindfold games are now more inclined to sit at a laptop computer. Some people say that the players stare blankly at an image of an empty chessboard on the computer’s monitor but there is much more going on than that. You see, their brains are whirring along – thinking, calculating and assessing – and the chessboard, though empty, helps them in the visualization process. And they are still required to record their every move.

So to the experienced chess players, an empty chessboard is not a hindrance at all; not when there are still the visible game scores to follow. These reminders are more than sufficient in allowing them to play normally. 

How normal or accurate could their games be, you may ask? Well, very normal indeed. For example, at the Amber tournament in Monaco last month, half of the games were played in this so-called blindfold fashion and I tell you, there were games of sheer accuracy and brilliancy. 

This week, I would like to show you one rather remarkable game from this event. 

Vladimir Kramnik (rated 2785) – Vassily Ivanchuk (rated 2779)

20th Amber Blindfold, Monaco, 2011

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d4 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.Qc2 0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Bf4 Bb7 11.Ne5 Rc8 12.Nc3 Nh5 13.Bc1 f5 14.Qa4 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qc7 (Something new from Ivanchuk which left Kramnik wondering how to refute.) 16.cxd5 (Later, Kramnik commented that he should have played the immediate 16.Bf3.) 16…cxd5 17.Qxa7 (And finally, White decides to take the offered a-pawn. So the queen is offside but it’s not so simple for Black to trap it with 17…Ra8 immediately. There is bigger game on the kingside.) 17…Bc5 (To support the b-pawn just in case the black queen needs to move away but more importantly, the bishop occupies the diagonal and gets aimed at White’s king.) 18.Bf3 f4 19.g4 (If 19.Bxh5, then 19…fxg3 rips into the white kingside. White sidesteps this but now comes a stunning move.) 19…Ng3! 

(See diagram) 20.b4 Ra8 21.Nxd5 Nxe2+ 22.Kf1 Rxa7 23.Nxc7 Bxf3 24.Nxe6 Nc3 (Possibly, 24…Bxb4 could have won the game. After Ivanchuk misses that, Kramnik steers the game into safe waters.) 25.bxc5 Nxd1 26.cxb6 Ra4 27.Nxf8 Kxf8 28.Rb1 Rxa2 29.b7 Rxf2+ 30.Ke1 Re2+ 31.Kf1 (Of course, not 31.Kxd1 Rb2+ 32.Ke1 Rxb1 and the white b-pawn falls.) 31…Rf2+ 32.Ke1 ½-½

Up next

Perak grand prix

The Perak International Chess Association informs me that the first leg of this year’s Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng chess grand prix tournament in Taiping a fortnight ago was a remarkable success with 217 participants. There could have been more players but the last-minute entries were turned away due to space constraints of the venue.

The second leg of the grand prix will be held at the Sekolah Menengah Teknik Kerian, Jalan Siakap, Bagan Serai this Sunday. Like the Taiping leg, this second leg will be contested over seven rounds with a 25-minute time control. The other three legs will be played in Slim River on May 15, Kampar on Jun 19 and the grand final in Ipoh on July 10. Other than cash prizes, points are awarded to the top 10 winners of each leg and these would accumulate till the final leg. 

Entry fees for the Bagan Serai tournament: RM25 (open section), RM15 (under 16 years old), RM10 (under 12 years old). For PICA members and Perak residents: RM20 (open section), RM10 (players under 16 years old). To register, call Yunus (013.3908129), Kamaruddin (019.4316793) or Mas’ud Hamzah (012.4681665). Alternatively, visit the PICA blog at http://perakchess.blogspot.com for details. 

Percawi Labour Day team

The Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Chess Association (Percawi) will organize a Labour Day team tournament at the Datuk Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur this Sunday. Six rounds, 30-minute games, four players per team. Entry fee: RM160 (companies and government departments), RM80 (schools, colleges and universities). Details available from Collin Madhaven (016.2123578) and Bob Yap (012.2878378).

Selangor open

The Chess Association of Selangor (CAS) will organize their 38th Selangor open chess tournament at the Datuk Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur from Apr 28 to May 2.

This nine-round, Fide-rated tournament will have 10 main cash prizes totaling RM7,000 with the winner receiving RM2,500. There are also various minor category prizes. Entry fees: RM70 (CAS members with Fide ratings), RM80 (CAS members without Fide ratings), RM90 (non-CAS members with Fide ratings) and RM100 (non-CAS members without Fide ratings). Grandmasters and international masters play for free. Universities, colleges and schools that submit four players or more will receive a 20 percent discount. Entries received after Apr 21 will be charged an extra RM20.

For enquiries, contact Lim Tse Pin (012.2984922, selangorchess@gmail.com), Mat Zaki Yeop (017.2032051) or Yeoh Chin Seng (012.6199816). More information available from http://selangorchess.blogspot.com 

Perlis events

In conjunction with the 68th birthday of the Raja of Perlis, there will be two tournaments in Perlis on Apr 30 and May 1. On Apr 30, the Perlis Chess Academy will organize the Perlis open tournament with cash prizes totalling RM1,610. Entry fees: RM10 (players under 18 years old), RM15 (Perlis residents) and RM20 (non-Perlis participants). 

Then on May 1, Kilang Gula Felda Perlis will organize the Gula Perlis open chess challenge. The cash prizes for the Gula Perlis event amount to RM5,555. Four DGT digital chess clocks are also given as lucky draw prizes. Entry fees: RM15 (players under 18 years old) and RM20 (adults). 

Venue for both events will be the Dewan Belia in Kangar, Perlis. More details available from Syaifulzamani (013.3939838), Darwis (012.4128207), Abdul Aziz (019.5700828), Azrul Sani (019.4651122).

Chess camp

The Creative Chess Enterprise will hold a two-day chess champ at the Sekolah Sri Bestari in Bandar Sri Damansara, Kuala Lumpur on Jun 6-7. Entry fees: RM140 (elementary level), RM160 (players with national chess ratings below 1200 points) and RM180 (players with national rating above 1200 points). Discount of RM20 applies to anyone registering before May 15. Closing date: May 22. For inquiries, call Balendran (012.3547011) or Lim Tse Pin (012.2984922).