Old news and good news | CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

The good news are that Cellavision Cup starts today, with a very strong field. I’m rated number 7, but if I can survive the first four rounds of rapid chess, then I’m optimistic about my chances. The old news I’m referring to are concerning the Swedish Championship, which I promised to cover in my last post. I didn’t play well there, but I had my moments and since I hadn’t played a lot in the months before my expectations weren’t that great. The winner, Erik Blomqvist, started out with three draws, but then he’d had enough and won the last six games. It was an impressive run. Here is a game from round 6, that illustrates an important aspect of his style:

   [Event "Swedish Championship Top group"]  [Site "Uppsala"]  [Date "2016.07.21"]  [Round "6"]  [White "Blomqvist, Erik"]  [Black "Smith, Axel"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "D11"]  [WhiteElo "2531"]  [BlackElo "2513"]   1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 {Axel challenges Erik in "his own" opening, the  Slav. I tried a similar challenge later in the tournament, when I played the  French against Hans Tikkanen. The outcome was not encouraging.} 4. e3 Bg4 $5 {This is a bit less common than Bf5, but has the advantage of being somewhat less  explored.} 5. h3 Bh5 {An ambitious line.} ({Stasticially speaking, White is  doing well in the lines after} 5... Bxf3 6. Qxf3 e6 7. Nc3 Bb4 (7... Nbd7 8.  Bd3 Bd6) 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. O-O O-O {, but it seems to me that Black has a decent  position here.}) 6. Nc3 e6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Nbd7 9. Nxg6 (9. h4 dxc4 $1 10.  Nxc4 h5 11. g5 Nd5 12. Bg2 N5b6 13. b3 Bb4 {was fine for Black, in Van Wely,L  (2640)-Giri,A (2795) 78th Tata Steel GpA 2016.}) 9... hxg6 10. g5 {So we come  to see one of Blomqvist's strengths up close: he avoids the more complex  middle game and heads for an endgame that looks to be quite balanced.} ({  The main line goes} 10. a3 {A game from lately went:} g5 11. Bd2 Bd6 12. Qf3  Qe7 13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. Kb1 Bc7 15. Bd3 Nf8 16. Rhe1 dxc4 17. Bxc4 Ng6 18. Ne4  $5 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Rxh3 20. Rh1 Rxh1 21. Rxh1 Kb8 22. Bc3 {and White didn't have  quite enough compensation for the pawn, although the result was a draw, in  Levin,E (2505)-Goganov,A (2600) Chigorin Memorial 2015.}) 10... Ne4 11. Nxe4  dxe4 12. h4 Qa5+ 13. Bd2 Bb4 14. a3 Bxd2+ 15. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 f5 17. Bg2 $1  ({After} 17. gxf6 gxf6 18. Be2 Kf7 19. b4 f5 {The semi-blockaded nature of the  position favours the knight somewhat, partly since there is a good square for  it on d5, but also since it supports an important pawn break, e6-e5, that will  further improve Black's pawn structure while weakening White's.} 20. c5 Rad8  21. Rab1 e5 22. Kc3 exd4+ 23. exd4 Nf6 {White was struggling to hold the  balance, in Anton Guijarro,D (2635)-Vallejo Pons,F (2686) Linares 2015.}) 17...  Rh7 $5 {At first I didn't like this move thinking that o-o-o would be more  flexible. However, in case Black is to leave the king in the center, it is  quite a good idea to move the rook first, keeping White guessing. White's  pawns are a bit loose, so the correct thing to do must me to mix threats to d4  and h4. I'd play 0-0-0 and e5 (or c5, although that is probably worse).} (17...  O-O-O {Here is a sample line of what might happen had Black played this way:}  18. Kc3 e5 19. f3 (19. b4 {is premature since} Rh7 20. Rh3 $6 exd4+ 21. exd4  Nf8 $1 {lead to big problems for White. The knight is headed for either d4 or  f4, and Nf8-e6xg5 will be a third possibility if the bishop moves from g2.})  19... exd4+ 20. exd4 exf3 (20... e3 21. f4 e2 22. Rae1 Rhe8 23. Rh3 {and Black  is running out of good moves.}) 21. Bxf3 Rde8 22. Rad1 {Only try to win.} Kc7  23. c5 Re3+ 24. Rd3 Rxd3+ 25. Kxd3 Rd8 26. Ke3 Nf8 27. b4 Ne6 28. Rd1 Rh8 29.  d5 cxd5 30. Rxd5 Rxh4 31. Re5 Nxg5 32. Bd5 {and it is still a mess.}) 18. f3 $1  (18. Kc3 e5 $1 19. f3 (19. Raf1 $5 Ke7 20. f3 exf3 21. Rxf3 e4 22. Rfh3 c5)  19... exf3 20. Bxf3 Ke7 21. Rh3 e4 22. Be2 Rah8 23. Rah1 Nf8 {leads to a  position that Black cannot complain about.}) 18... exf3 19. Bxf3 O-O-O (19...  Ke7 20. Rh3 e5 {is another interesting possibility.}) 20. Rh3 Ne5 21. Be2 Nf7 {  This seems to be the beginning of Black's trouble. The knight threatens to  take on g5 in some variations, but it is not really better off than it was on  d7.} ({A good chance to play for a draw was} 21... Ng4 $5 22. Bxg4 fxg4 23. Rg3  Rxh4 24. Rag1 e5 25. Rxg4 Rh2+ 26. Kc3 exd4+ 27. exd4 Rdh8 {and White will  hardly be able to use his extra queenside pawn for something tangible.}) 22.  Rah1 c5 $5 {There is nothing wrong with this if you see a good way to follow  it up.} (22... e5 {still looks better.}) 23. Kc3 cxd4+ $6 {This is a slight  mistake that turns an easy-to-defend position into a hard-to-defend one.  White's bishop becomes strong and the endgame is something of a slippery slope  for Black. It's not the first time I see Erik whip up this kind of scenario.} (  23... e5 $6 24. dxc5) ({The best continuation seems to be} 23... b6 {,  planning to take a stand on c5 and walk the king to e7.} 24. Bf3 Kd7 (24... e5 25. Bd5 $1) 25. b4 Ke7  {seems like the best defence. It's not clear how White can improve his  position.} 26. Bg2 Rc8 27. Rc1 {with a balanced game.} (27. bxc5 bxc5 28. Rb1  Nd6 {and c4 is weak.})) 24. exd4 Rdh8 (24... e5 25. dxe5 Nxe5 26. Re3 {,  followed by Bf3, is very good for White.}) 25. Bf1 b6 26. b4 $1 Kd7 $6 (26...  e5 $1 27. dxe5 Nxe5 28. Bg2 Ng4 29. Re1 Rxh4 30. Rxh4 Rxh4 31. Re7 {is clearly  better for White, but Black can fight on.}) 27. c5 Kc7 (27... e5 28. dxe5 bxc5  29. bxc5 Nxe5 30. Re3 Nc6 31. Bg2 Rxh4 32. Rd1+ Kc7 33. Rd6 {and the Black  king is caught in a terrible draught.}) 28. Bg2 Nd8 29. a4 Nf7 30. Re1 Nd8 31.  d5 bxc5 (31... exd5 32. Re7+ Kc8 (32... Kc6 33. Bxd5+ Kxd5 34. Rd3+ Kc6 35.  Rd6#) 33. Bxd5 $18) 32. dxe6 Re8 33. bxc5 $2 (33. e7 Nc6 34. Bxc6 Kxc6 35. b5+  Kc7 36. Kc4 {won easily. Now Black gets a second chance.}) 33... Rxe6 34. Rhe3  Rxe3+ 35. Rxe3 Rxh4 $6 (35... Kd7 $1 36. Bf1 $1 (36. Rd3+ Kc8 37. Rd6 Rxh4 38.  Rxg6 Rxa4 39. Rxg7 Ne6 40. Bc6 Ra3+ 41. Kb4 Nxg7 42. Kxa3 Kd8 43. Bd5 Ke7 44.  Kb4 {is less clear, although White has some winning chances.}) 36... Rxh4 37.  Bb5+ Nc6 38. Rd3+ Kc7 39. Rd6 Rh3+ 40. Kc2 Nb4+ 41. Kd2 a6 42. Bxa6 Nxa6 43.  Rxa6 {and White should be able to win.}) 36. Re7+ Kc8 37. a5 (37. Rxg7 $1 Rxa4  38. Rxg6 f4 39. Kd3 Ra3+ 40. Ke4 Kd7 41. Bf1 f3 {and Black is fighting on.})  37... Ra4 (37... Rg4 $1 38. Bd5 a6 39. c6 f4 40. c7 Rxg5 {and Black should  draw.}) 38. Bd5 Rxa5 39. Kb4 Ra1 40. Rxg7 Rb1+ $2 {Time trouble ruins  everything...} (40... a5+ $1 41. Kb5 a4 42. Rxg6 a3 43. Ra6 Rb1+ 44. Kc4 Rg1 {  is still a bit tricky for Black, but should draw.}) 41. Kc4 a5 $2 42. c6 (42.  Rxg6 Rb4+) 42... Rc1+ (42... f4 $1 {and the win is still far from straight  forward. White has to find:} 43. Re7 $1 (43. Kc5 $2 f3 44. Bxf3 $4 Ne6+) 43...  Rc1+ (43... a4 $2 44. Kc5 a3 45. Kd6 {and there is no defence against Ra7.})  44. Kb5 a4 45. Kb6 a3 46. Ra7 Nxc6 47. Bxc6 Kd8 48. Rd7+ Kc8 49. Re7 Rb1+ 50.  Bb5 Rd1 51. Re8+ Rd8 52. Re4 Rd1 53. Kc6 $3 Rc1+ (53... Kd8 54. Kb7 $1) (53...  Kb8 54. Re8+ Ka7 55. Kc7 Rh1 56. Re4) 54. Bc4 {and Black is caught in a mating  net.}) 43. Kb5 a4 44. Kb6 a3 45. Ra7 {Compared to the 42...f4-line above White  has an extra tempo (no f5-f4).} Nxc6 46. Bxc6 Kd8 47. Rd7+ Kc8 48. Re7 Rd1 49.  Re8+ Rd8 50. Re3 Rf8 51. Rd3 Rf7 52. Re3 Rf8 53. Rxa3 Kd8 54. Ra8+ Ke7 55. Rxf8  Kxf8 56. Kc5 Ke7 57. Kd5 Kf7 58. Kd6 Kf8 59. Ke6 Kg7 60. Ke7 {Black resigned.}  1-0

After the weekend I’ll cover Cellavision Cup and my match against Morozevich.