Blind in Bilbao

This week Judit Polgar and Veselin Topalov are playing a rapid match in Bilbao, Spain. Not so comfortable extra: they play blindfold chess. Always big fun for non-chess players, but is the chess world still waiting for these kind of events? Doesn't it lead to too many mistakes that just don't go together with strength of these players? But well, even that is entertaining sometimes.

Yesterday the first two of a total of six games were played. The rate of play is 25 minutes plus 10 seconds a move. The venue is the world famous Guggenheim Museum and typically Spanish, the games only start at 17.30 hrs, after the almeurzo and finishid in time for the cena. In the first game Judit was moving her rook around in an original manner but it led to nothing. Veselin played a convincing game and actually did punish her severely.

Topalov-Polgar Bilbao blind (01), 2006



White has just played 13.b4. 'Very nice, all that Rh8-h5-e5-a5, but what do you play now?' he seems to have been thinking here. Black answered with 13...Nxb4 where 13...dxe4!? was also possible: 14. Qxd8+ (14. bxa5 Qxa5 15. Bd2 exf3 16. Bxf3 Nd4 is about the same but with the queens still on) 14... Bxd8 15. bxa5 Bxa5 16. Bd2 exf3 17. Bxf3 Nd4 18. Bd1 Bd7 with interesting compensation think. In the game it went wrong quicly for Black although only after the real mistake 16...Rxa1 .

Also in game 2 it was Topalov who had winning chances in a rook ending but Judit held the draw.

>> replay game 1 (analysed) and 2

The official website has traditionally Spanish quality but in the meantime some photos were published at Chessbase.