Simple chess by Tukmakov

Most of the time chess is a difficult game. But sometimes some players, usually very strong grandmasters, make it a very simple game :-) Have a look at this one, by chess legend Tukmakov, showing that more space can be enough to win a game!

Roemer, Ulrich(2250) vs. Tukmakov, Vladimir B(2580)
Zurich op-A 20th - Zurich - 1996

[Event "Zurich op-A 20th"] [Site "Zurich"] [Date "1996"] [Round "6"] [White "Roemer, Ulrich"] [Black "Tukmakov, Vladimir B"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A48"] [WhiteElo "2250"] [BlackElo "2580"] [PlyCount "78"] [EventDate "1996.12.26"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "SUI"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 Bg7 4. e3 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. Be2 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. a4 Nc6 9. Nbd2 Qe8 10. Nc4 a6 11. c3 Rd8 12. Qb1 Nd5 13. Bh2 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Ncxe5 dxe5 16. Rd1 Qe7 17. Qa2 e4 18. Nd2 Be5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. Bc4 Kg7 21. Nf1 Rd6 22. Rd2 Rfd8 23. Rad1 f5 24. a5 b5 25. Bxd5 Rxd5 26. Rxd5 Rxd5 27. Rxd5 Bxd5 28. Qa3 Bf7 29. b4 Bc4 30. Qc1 Kf7 31. Qd2 Ke7 32. h4 Bd3 33. f4 Qd5 34. Ng3 Qb3 35. h5 Ke6 36. hxg6 hxg6 37. Qc1 Kd5 38. Nf1 Bxf1 39. Kxf1 Kc4 0-1

1. d4 Cf6 2. Cf3 g6 3. Ff4 Fg7 4. e3 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. Fe2 b6 7. O-O Fb7 8. a4 Cc6 9. Cbd2 De8 10. Cc4 a6 11. c3 Td8 12. Db1 Cd5 13. Fh2 e5 14. dxe5 Cxe5 15. Ccxe5 dxe5 16. Td1 De7 17. Da2 e4 18. Cd2 Fe5 19. Fxe5 Dxe5 20. Fc4 Rg7 21. Cf1 Td6 22. Td2 Tfd8 23. Tad1 f5 24. a5 b5 25. Fxd5 Txd5 26. Txd5 Txd5 27. Txd5 Fxd5 28. Da3 Ff7 29. b4 Fc4 30. Dc1 Rf7 31. Dd2 Re7 32. h4 Fd3 33. f4 Dd5 34. Cg3 Db3 35. h5 Re6 36. hxg6 hxg6 37. Dc1 Rd5 38. Cf1 Fxf1 39. Rxf1 Rc4 0-1

Cmilyte - Demina WWCC

The Women World Chess Championship began yesterday in Turkey. Here is an easy positional win of the first round.

Cmilyte, Viktorija(2514) vs. Demina, Julia(2323)
WCh Women - Antakya TUR - 2010.12.05

[Event "WCh Women"] [Site "Antakya TUR"] [Date "2010.12.05"] [Round "1.2"] [White "Cmilyte, Viktorija"] [Black "Demina, Julia"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E11"] [WhiteElo "2514"] [BlackElo "2323"] [Annotator "SR"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ {Bogo-indian defense} 4. Bd2 a5 (4... Qe7 { is the main move}) 5. g3 d5 (5... b6 {switches to a Queen's indian}) 6. Bg2 O-O 7. Qc2 c6 {maybe not the best idea} (7... c5 {is more logical}) 8. O-O Be7 9. Bg5 {now it's like a semi-slav but with the weird move a5 for black} h6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Nbd2 {planning the typical advance e4} Nd7 (11... b5 $5) 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Be7 {this bishop lost a lot of tempi : Bb4-e7-f6-e7} 14. Rad1 { very comfortable play for white! With a good center and a better development} Qc7 {playing for the thematic e5} 15. Qc3 {stopping black's plan} b6 { what else?} 16. b3 Bb7 17. Ne5 Rad8 18. c5 $1 {that's really thematic! White block the bishop in b7. On the other hand it's important to check that black can't play an easy Nd7-f6-d5 (which could be met here by Nc4-d6).} b5 (18... Nf6 19. Nc4 {is nice for white}) (18... Nxe5 19. dxe5 bxc5 20. Nxc5 { almost with a dream positional advantage for white!}) 19. f4 {Consolidating. White's position is pleasant but now Cmilyte must find a way to advance.} (19. b4 $2 {with the idea to stop b5-b4 and thus locking up the bishop in b7, but it wouldn't work} axb4 20. Qxb4 Ra8 { with Ra4 coming, with undreamed-of counterplay for black}) 19... Rfe8 { black's position is really cramped.} 20. a4 Nf8 $2 { a mistake which gives a good opportunity to white} (20... b4 {was normal} 21. Qc4 Nf6 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Qe2 { with a solid edge for white, even if not so easy to turn into victory.}) 21. Nd6 $1 {Cmilyte doesn't miss the chance} Bxd6 22. cxd6 Rxd6 (22... Qxd6 23. axb5 {is even worse for black}) 23. axb5 { with a pin and too much pressure on c6} f6 24. Nxc6 { white won a pawn and keep better pieces} (24. b6 {was easier} Qd8 25. Nc4 { winning}) 24... Bxc6 $2 (24... Ng6 {was better}) 25. bxc6 { now this passed pawn, very well protected, is a monster} Ra8 26. Qc5 Ng6 27. d5 e5 (27... Rad8 {was the last (very small) hope}) 28. Be4 Ne7 29. fxe5 fxe5 30. Ra1 Nc8 31. Bf5 (31. b4 $18 {was simple and strong too}) 31... Qb6 32. Qxb6 Nxb6 33. Be6+ Kh7 34. c7 {as it could be forseen the pawn now costs the knight} e4 35. Rac1 h5 (35... Nc8 36. Rf8 {would end the game}) 36. c8=Q Nxc8 37. Bxc8 {black can't even take in d5 :-)} Rb8 38. Bf5+ Kh6 39. Rc6 1-0

1. d4 Cf6 2. c4 e6 3. Cf3 Fb4+ Bogo-indian defense 4. Fd2 a5 ( 4... De7 is the main move ) 5. g3 d5 ( 5... b6 switches to a Queen's indian ) 6. Fg2 O-O 7. Dc2 c6 maybe not the best idea ( 7... c5 is more logical ) 8. O-O Fe7 9. Fg5 now it's like a semi-slav but with the weird move a5 for black 9...  h6 10. Fxf6 Fxf6 11. Cbd2 planning the typical advance e4 11...  Cd7 ( 11... b5!? ) 12. e4 dxe4 13. Cxe4 Fe7 this bishop lost a lot of tempi : Bb4-e7-f6-e7 14. Tad1 very comfortable play for white! With a good center and a better development 14...  Dc7 playing for the thematic e5 15. Dc3 stopping black's plan 15...  b6 what else? 16. b3 Fb7 17. Ce5 Tad8 18. c5! that's really thematic! White block the bishop in b7. On the other hand it's important to check that black can't play an easy Nd7-f6-d5 (which could be met here by Nc4-d6). 18...  b5 ( 18... Cf6 19. Cc4 is nice for white ) ( 18... Cxe5 19. dxe5 bxc5 20. Cxc5 almost with a dream positional advantage for white! ) 19. f4 Consolidating. White's position is pleasant but now Cmilyte must find a way to advance. ( 19. b4? with the idea to stop b5-b4 and thus locking up the bishop in b7, but it wouldn't work 19... axb4 20. Dxb4 Ta8 with Ra4 coming, with undreamed-of counterplay for black ) 19...  Tfe8 black's position is really cramped. 20. a4 Cf8? a mistake which gives a good opportunity to white ( 20... b4 was normal 21. Dc4 Cf6 22. Cxf6+ Fxf6 23. De2 with a solid edge for white, even if not so easy to turn into victory. ) 21. Cd6! Cmilyte doesn't miss the chance 21...  Fxd6 22. cxd6 Txd6 ( 22... Dxd6 23. axb5 is even worse for black ) 23. axb5 with a pin and too much pressure on c6 23...  f6 24. Cxc6 white won a pawn and keep better pieces ( 24. b6 was easier 24... Dd8 25. Cc4 winning ) 24...  Fxc6? ( 24... Cg6 was better ) 25. bxc6 now this passed pawn, very well protected, is a monster 25...  Ta8 26. Dc5 Cg6 27. d5 e5 ( 27... Tad8 was the last (very small) hope ) 28. Fe4 Ce7 29. fxe5 fxe5 30. Ta1 Cc8 31. Ff5 ( 31. b4 +- was simple and strong too ) 31...  Db6 32. Dxb6 Cxb6 33. Fe6+ Rh7 34. c7 as it could be forseen the pawn now costs the knight 34...  e4 35. Tac1 h5 ( 35... Cc8 36. Tf8 would end the game ) 36. c8=D Cxc8 37. Fxc8 black can't even take in d5 :-) 37...  Tb8 38. Ff5+ Rh6 39. Tc6 1-0

Very nice study

To start this snowy December, here is a "not so simple not so hard" study of Herbstmann.

[Event "Niv 2"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Etude Herbstmann"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/4B1pp/8/pp1PppP1/b3p3/P7/P3KP1P/2k5 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "11"] 1. g6 $3 (1. Bb4 Bd1+ 2. Ke1 Bh5 3. d6 Be8) (1. d6 b4) 1... hxg6 2. Bb4 $1 Bd1+ (2... axb4 3. d6 $18) 3. Ke1 Bg4 4. Bd2+ Kc2 5. Bf4 $1 exf4 6. d6 $18 *

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 abcdefgh

White to play and win.

Hint : the first idea doesn't work immediately. The second idea does but you will have to find a third idea for that!