Games from the Olympiad

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Starting this thread for discussing actual games from the Olympiad, as the discussions of games gets a bit lost in the other threads. I'm going to start off with the Ivanchuk-Jobava game from today, which was quite a spectacular game.

Ivanchuk (Ukraine) vs Jobava (Georgia)
28.09.2010 (Round 7, Chess Olympiad 2010)

1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. f3 Qb6
4. a3 e5
5. exd5 Nf6
6. dxe5 Bc5
7. exf6 Bf2+
8. Ke2 O-O
9. Qd2 Re8+
10. Kd1 Re1+
11. Qxe1 Bxe1
12. Kxe1 Bf5
13. Be2 Nd7
14. dxc6 bxc6
15. Bd1 Re8+
16. Ne2 Nxf6
17. Nc3 Bc8
18. a4 a5
19. Rf1 Ba6
20. Rf2 h5
21. Ra3 h4
22. g3 h3
23. g4 Rd8
24. Nf4 Nd7
25. Rb3 Qd4
26. Nfe2 Re8
27. Ne4 Qxa4
28. Bd2 Qa1
29. Bc3 Ne5
30. Ra3 Qb1
31. Nd2 Qc1
32. Rxa5 Ng6
33. Rxa6 Nf4
34. Ra8 1-0

I played through the game (without an analysis engine) and noted the following:

(1) White's first seven moves were with his pawns

(2) The White King is the first piece to be "developed" (move eight)

(3) By move 15, the White King is back on its starting square and White's king bishop has been "developed" to d1 via e2, with all White pieces still on the back rank. Black, in contrast, with his next move completes his development by activating his only undeveloped piece (the rook on a8). Trouble is, he only has four pieces left to White's six pieces (though of course one of them is his queen).

(4) On move 17, with Nc3, White puts a piece beyond the second rank for the first time in the game.

(5) On move 24, with Nf4, White puts a piece beyond the third rank for the first time in the game.

(6) By move 28, Black's Queen has reached the 1st rank (Black's 8th rank) and infiltrated the White position. Unfortunately, it is very much a case of the fly entering the spider's parlour.

(7) With the trap firmly shut, White deals the killer blow with three rook moves that thrust deep into the Black position, reaching the fifth, sixth and eighth ranks for the first time on moves 32 to 34, leaving White's pieces clustered around his King, and Black's pieces just looking silly.

(8) It was very much a case of Jobava's attack being broken utterly on the rocks of Ivanchuk's defence. Ivanchuk didn't need to go looking for the Black pieces, they (mostly) came into the White position, so that may be one reason why development wasn't so much of factor as it might have been. The pawn taking the knight on f6 did obviously help (i.e. looking at the piece development isn't that helpful when the pawns are taking pieces).

An amazing game to play through. I was wondering, though, how much of it was theory and by what point was Ivanchuk just completely winning? Like Roger, in another thread, I liked the way Ivanchuk handled his rooks, putting one on a3 and the other on f2! One other thing - is this game really as spectacular as it looked, or is it flawed by mistakes made by one side or the other or both?

[Alex Holowczak]

I played through the game (without an analysis engine) and noted the following:

(1) White's first seven moves were with his pawns

Sounds like a Mike Surtees opening!

To be fair though, he did win a piece and two pawns in those moves!

[Michael Jones]

I'll be the first to admit that I couldn't understand what Ivanchuk was doing half the time, but there's no arguing with the result!

[Roger de Coverly]

An amazing game to play through. I was wondering, though, how much of it was theory

Move 4 a3 may be a novelty. For what it's worth, Rybka on my "instant" setting suggests the line .. 4 dxe4 5 fxe4 e5 as a more "normal" approach - as if anything is normal in that rather mad line of the Caro.

It's been a good Olympiad for top level games with bizarre openings - there was the Short line of the Max Lange and the Carlsen North Sea defence as well.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

It's been a good Olympiad for top level games with bizarre openings - there was the Short line of the Max Lange and the Carlsen North Sea defence as well.

I wonder what goes through the minds of these top GMs when their opponents wheel out these openings. Probably a mental tearing up of their opening books. It would be great to have seen some of the body language and facial expressions after some of these moves!

[Alex Holowczak]

Maybe this will become the Ivanchuk Variation of the Caro-Kann? Could he even have prepared it?

[James Coleman]

There's not the slightest doubt in the world that he prepared it. The ...Qb6 move in that line has been fashionable lately, and would not have taken Ivanchuk by surprise. In fact I seem to recall a game not long ago in that position where Ivanchuk played it as Black. How much of the game followed his home prep would be interesting to know.

[Simon Williams]

Fascinating game. Blair Connell has done a report on it for gingergm http://www.gingergm.com/2010/10/01/rovi ... #more-3898 if anyone is interested.

[Keith Arkell]

The first time I saw 3...Qb6 was in the top board last round encounter between Nepomniachian('scuse spelling) and Jojoba.N had half a pint less than his opponent,but won the game,and thus the title.
I thought I'd give it a go myself,and manged to beat one of my main rivals with it at Warrington 5 months ago.It felt a little dubious though,and I shall only play the move sparingly