Round 2: The First Upsets
By GM Mikhail Golubev
In the second round of the Arcapita International Chess Championship, Grandmasters started to lose points. GM Amir Bagheri of Iran drew with Abdulla Al-Marzouqi of UAE. While another UAE player, FM Alhuwar Jasem, managed to take half a point in the game against the Swiss GM Yannick Pelletier. It was a big sensation: Pelletier is very experienced fighter who often faced the world top players in Biel, Switzerland and at other tournaments. A victory of GM Essam El Ghindy from Egypt was one of the tactical highlights of the round. Majority of favourites won their games and in the next, third round many players with international titles will face each other. In a way, a real fight would begin.
FM Alhuwar Jasem (UAE, 2270) - GM Yannick Pelletier (SUI, 2560)
Arcapita Int Open Championship Manama (2), 25.01.2009
[Golubev,M]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.d3 e6 5.0-0 Be7 6.c4 c6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Qb3 Qc8 9.Nd4 Bg6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.e4 Na6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Re8 14.Rfe1 Nc5 15.Qc2 Bh7 16.f4 Qd8 17.Rad1 Qb6 18.Kh1 Rad8 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.e5 Be7 21.f5? Nd7! 22.Qa4 Bc5 23.e6 Bxd4 24.exd7 Rf8 25.Ne2 Bf6 26.Qg4 Rxd7 27.Nf4 Qxb2 28.d4 Rd6 29.Nh5 Qc2 30.Rf1 Qxa2 31.Qf4 Rfd8 32.Rde1 Qa3 33.Rf3 Qb4 34.Rfe3 Rf8 35.Re8
In the previous fight Black gradually outplayed his opponent and won three pawns, one after another. However, White pieces are very active, and Black must play precisely.
35...Rd8?!
[Capturing the fourth pawn by 35...Bxd4! might have looked frightening for Black, but it is hard to propose a good continuation of the White attack there while Black is threatening with 36...Bc3!.]
36.Nxf6+ gxf6 37.R8e7!
Suddenly, White obtained a serious compensation for the material deficit.
37...Qd6?!
Not the best - the queen will be passive on d6.
38.Qg4+! Kh8 39.Qh5 Qb4 40.Qh4
40...Kg7
[Black agrees with a draw by the repetition of moves. Instead, 40...Qd2 41.Qxf6+ Kg8 (planning ...42...Qg5) would have been unsafe for him because of 42.R7e3 or 42.h4.]
41.Qg4+ Kh8 42.Qh4 Kg7 43.Qg4+ Kh8 0.5-0.5
GM Essam El Ghindy (EGY, 2527) - CM Ali Al-Ghasra (BRN, 2133)
Arcapita Int Open Championship Manama (2), 25.01.2009
[Golubev,M]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.0-0 Be7 6.c4 0-0 7.Nc3 d5 8.b3 Nbd7 9.Bb2 c5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Rc8 12.Bf5 cxd4 13.Nxd4 g6 14.Bh3 a6 15.Qe2 b5 16.a3 Rc7 17.Rfd1 Qb8 18.g3 Nb6 19.Nb1 Ne4 20.Nd2 Nc8? 21.Nxe4 dxe4
22.Nf5!
This sacrifice of the knight decides.
22...f6
[Black refuses to accept the offer, but it does not change the outcome. After 22...gxf5 23.Bxf5 White attack is unstoppable:
23...f6 24.Qg4+ Kh8 25.Rxc7! Qxc7 26.Rd7 Qc2 27.Qh5]
23.Rxc7! Qxc7 24.Nxe7+
Black resigned because 25.Rd7 on the next move wins a piece for White. 1-0
