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Issue 29 (20 Nov. 08) |
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(Hey Jim, The 4th photo with the girls - did we employ cheerleaders for the team??! From, Larry & Collin) Round 7
We have fully settled into
our routine. Our team manager, Ibrahim Abu Bakar will come knocking on
our doors at 8:00 AM to wake us for breakfast. Then a quick discussion
on the team line-up for the day. After breakfast Mok and Mas usually
go for a morning walk
while the rest of us retire to our rooms to prepare for the day's
game. At noon , we will have our lunch, then a one hour rest and it's
time to get ready to go to the tournament hall. We usually catch the
1:58 PM bus which takes around 20 minutes to reach the hall. There is
still plenty of time to take some photos before the round begins at
3:00 PM. After about an hour and half of play, I observed everyone was in some trouble. Mas was caught off-guard by a pawn sacrifice right in the opening. He spent half an hour trying to figure what white had for the pawn, could not find any, and accepted the sacrifice. His opponent looked very well prepared and almost blitzed off the next moves. Mas entered an inferior rook and bishop ending which the Egyptian converted with some slick rook moves. After the game Mas found some drawing lines with Yee Weng. Bassem
(Black) to move
Yee Weng marched his king
to the center where his opponent had a surprise waiting for him.
25. .... Nxe4! 26. Bd3 Ng3 27. Bxg3 e4 28. Bxe4 Bxe4
29. fxe4 fxg3. Somehow he managed
to bring his king back to safety. After Re2 white may even be winning
with the strong passed e-pawn. As Yee Weng related later he thought he
was threatening mate on f7 with Ne5, forgetting that the king still
have the g7 square. Yee Weng suffered his first defeat with this
unfortunate mistake.
Edward's opponent quickly
exchanged pieces into an ending where the young boy had little
experience. The key to this ending is to limit the black bishop's
activity. It was
surprising how quickly Edward got to a lost position. Round 8
The weather is turning colder
since we arrived. As I write this, it is 7:00 in the morning and snow
is falling outside my hotel window. I put my hand outside the window
to feel how cold it really is. Imagine opening your refrigerator and
putting your hand in the freezer (the section where you make your ice
cubes. Leave it there for five minutes. That's
how cold it is. Mas, Yee Weng and Edward
reached endgames where they were lost or in the process of losing. Mas
pulled off a swindle winning back a pawn for nothing to hold the draw.
Yee Weng had a typical Bishop against Knight ending. The side with the
knight cannot defend both sides of the board. Yee Weng had to move his
knight to g8 to stop the white king incursion on the king-side. Now
white created a passed pawn with 50.c6 bxc6 51.b6 and the pawn cannot be
stopped. I completely misplayed a King's Gambit. 11. g3 is necessary to free the queen bishop and co-ordinate my pieces at the cost of a weakened king-side. After 21...Re6 it is really unpleasant for me as the e-pawn is hanging. Yarmonov
I tried the unexpected 22. Bxg5 giving up the exchange with two strong bishops and a passed g-pawn for compensation. Unfortunately the e-pawn still falls as 24. Re1 is answered with 21...Rfxf6 and the e-pawn is pinned. Black's 25...Qd6 is a mistake allowing me to get back into the game. The pin on the h3-c8 diagonal is difficult to contain and 28. Re2 even wins for white. I missed a chance to push the passed pawn with 29. g6 since 29... Rxg4 30 Qxg4 Rxf6 31. g7 wins. Else 29...Rxf6 30 Qxd7+ Qxd7 31 Bxd7+ Kxd7 32. Rxf6 and white has the better ending. Yarmonov
(Black) to move
In time pressure my opponent blundered with 32... Rg3 losing a piece.
Instead 32...Re4 33. Bxd7 Qxd7 34 Be5+ Rxe5 35. Qxd7+ Kxd7 36. Rxf8
Rxg4 gives him an extra pawn in the rook
ending Our Games from Round 7
Our Games from Round 8
Last updated 23 November 2008 |
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