Gibraltar Rocks!

Submitted by SonofPearl on Mon, 02/01/2010 at 11:46am.

The 8th Gibraltar Chess Festival is currently in full swing, with excellent coverage available at the official website (see previous report here).

After 6 completed rounds of the 10-round Swiss "Masters" competition, there is a four-way tie on 5/6 between (clockwise below from top left) Michael Adams of England, Jan Gustafsson of Germany, Chanda Sandipan of India, and Natalia Zhukova of Ukraine (pictures from the official site).

Games start daily at 3pm local time (2pm GMT), with free, live commentary provided at the official website by former British Champion Stuart Conquest. Live webcams of the playing room and commentary room are also available!

Tournaments using the Swiss system provide opportunities in the early rounds for giant-killing acts and unexpected results. One of the most notable games so far saw a Norwegian amateur (rated 2093 Elo) hold GM Ivan Cheparinov (rated 2660 Elo) to a draw in round three. Victor Havik may never have his name in the headlines again, but he deserves it for his inspired finish to this game which guaranteed himself the draw.

Black to move and draw in style!

» more Chess event coverage

| 3315 reads | 14 comments |

4 votes:

Comments:

by Sundhar - 2 years ago
Kochi India

Member Since: Dec 2009
Member Points: 45

Its just draw, because white can take the black pawn easly..

by kaushikdr - 2 years ago
London United Kingdom

Member Since: Sep 2008
Member Points: 183

brilliant game

by SonofPearl - 2 years ago
Wales

Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 11925

@ Pricey - good point! Corrected now, thanks.

by IM dpruess - 2 years ago
California United States

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 3349

chess.com members sam shankland and vinay bhat and gn gopal are playing. anyone know any other members who are there?

by Pricey - 2 years ago
Taunton England

Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 134

I think Stuart Conquest is the ex British Champion (as David Howell is the current Champion).

by limburg439 - 2 years ago
Netherlands

Member Since: Dec 2009
Member Points: 83

Nice draw

by spank_the_bishop - 2 years ago
London United Kingdom

Member Since: Sep 2009
Member Points: 83

King 43

Because as played it is a draw by repetition. The only winning try for white deviates at move 64, but this ends in a draw as well.

Instead of Kh2 -

64.Kh4?, Bg5+!!, 65.Kxg5, Ne4+, 66.Kf5, Nxd6, 67.Ke5, Nxc4, 68.Kd5, Nd2!, 69.Kxc5, Ne4+ (again!) followed by Nxg3 and an easy draw (white pawns going nowhere, and black could eventually win them, but with just a knight there is insufficient material to win).

I might have missed a better line for black though

by dandof - 2 years ago
Doha Philippines

Member Since: Dec 2009
Member Points: 294

despite black handicapped in pieces,he hold white to draw with this position..

by unclemike - 2 years ago
Barbados

Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 63

beautiful. the knight can win the pawn but his pawn on the other hand can be stopped by the king . Once that is achieved black has to settle for a draw because he can neither leave white's pawns to queen, neither can he capture, since the unprotected pawn will hasten to queen. Interesting!

by Jiam3Norm - 2 years ago
England

Member Since: Jan 2010
Member Points: 4

I saw Boris Spassky commentating with Conquest from a link at Chessbase recently. He was very instuctive regarding tactics, patience, and position.

by Beroz - 2 years ago
Stockholm Sweden

Member Since: Jul 2009
Member Points: 63

Very instructive game! The sacrifices (two!) were brilliant but the whole idea rested on the knowledge that the end-position is a draw. King_43: the black king has to make sure that the white pawns dont advance so he cant come and assist his knight in promoting the pawn. The white king on the other hand has to rush in order to stop the black pawn from promoting and cant help his own pawns. The black knight kan defend the pawn but not allowing it to promote at the same time (basic endgame rule!). Perfect harmony!

by staggerlee - 2 years ago
United States

Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 891

Black probably won't be able to promote his one pawn, and since you can't checkmate with just a knight and king, all he can do is stop whites pawns, making it a draw.

by thesexyknight - 2 years ago
West Lafayette, Indiana United States

Member Since: Nov 2009
Member Points: 1262

brilliant by black!

by king_43 - 2 years ago
Nicosia Cyprus

Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 105

Why is this a draw? isnt black winning?

^ Back to top