A No - Introduction - Necessary Interview. Full Attention Needed. (Part II)

INTERVIEW

for:

the Official Magazine of the Catalan Chess Federation "El Butlletí d'Escacs"

by:

Ana Matnadze

Being a chess pro is tough. We are constantly traveling. What is your secret to deal with jet lag?

Sadly, I have no secret for jet-lag.  Throughout my career it has had a negative impact on my play at the start of events.  Terribly so I might add. 

And your secret as to how to recover from a bitter loss?

One can never overcome a ‘bitter loss.’  The way to deal with a loss is before the tournament.  I think most professional players simply have to accept that when they play in a tournament, to win it, they will have to take risks.  So if before a tournament a player mentally girds themselves and say, “Okay, I’m going to lose a game, two or three, but I’m going to play hard for a victory,” then ‘accepting’ a loss is easier.  Although the bitterness is long-lasting.  Secondly, losing is part and parcel of the game.  Get used to it.  It will happen!  Instead, we have to learn to take our losses in stride and learn from them.  What did we do wrong?  Why did we make the mistake we did?  And so on.  Losses will help us learn if we make the correct deductions. 

The number of Chess fans all over the world is growing every day, however, it is not yet meant as popular a sport as, for example, football or tennis… What do you think would be necessary to do to make chess more popular? What would be your strategy or ideas to attract more Sponsors?

My approach is far different than the questions imply.  In terms of ‘athletic sports’ one doesn’t have to be a golfer to understand the game.  Through simple observation we see there is a ball and a club.  The golfer uses his club to smash the tiny ball into a hole that is two hundred meters away.  Most athletic sports are simple to understand, soccer, the world’s most popular sport is simplest of all to understand.

Chess on the other hand is too complex for the public.  Someone may observe for hours and hours and still not understand the basic rules.  So we should not only ‘accept’ but ‘embrace’ this limitation.  Chess is a complex game appealing to a small but significant segment of our populations.

Salgado and Seirawan having a great time during the official closing dinner

Where chess fails is on several levels.  My experience tells me that in the case of the United States Chess Federation, for example, we need one hundred players who play and understand the game, to produce one USCF member.  The reality is that we ‘lose’ ninety-nine players because somehow – on the organization level – we are not doing enough to ‘appeal’ to the ninety-nine players we lose.  In short, our ‘retention’ levels for those who learn the game is simply abysmal failure.  We need to better understand how we can make ‘organized chess’ more appealing.

Recently, in August, I visited my sister in Phoenix Arizona. While there I hooked up with my friend Scott Frenaux who organizes a scholastics chess network.  Scott and his staff reach out to hundreds of schools and teach chess to about 25,000 children a year.  By the second year, half have dropped out.  By the third year, another forty percent.  Those that stay in the program eventually become champions and USCF members but the ‘attrition’ and turn-over rates are staggering if not at times depressing for the coaches.  Still, for all that effort, many lives are positively impacted.

The truth is that there really are untold millions of people world wide who have – at times – found chess to be enormously interesting.  We need to make greater efforts at ‘re-capturing’ those who have ‘left’ our sport and bring them ‘back into the fold.’  If we are successful at that, chess would be, instantly, the most popular board-game in the world.

As regards sponsors, I think this is a ‘top down’ approach.  Here what I have in mind is the ‘crown jewel’ of chess, the World Chess Championship title.  Universally acknowledged to be one of the most important ‘intellectual titles’ in the world.  This title has been the providence of FIDE for sometime.  Here FIDE has made a hash of its own title.  When the rules are without sense, the sponsors flee.  So even to begin to think about ‘how do we attract sponsors to chess’ we must first realize that our most important events, world and national championships must have sensible rules, sensible regulations and attract the best players.  Failure in this most obvious ‘top down’ approach means no or limited sponsorships for lesser events. 

What do you think about the “short draws phenomenon”? What would be the mechanism to avoid them?

Funnily enough, I don’t share the concern that ‘short draws’ are a problem.  Really, I see it as overblown hysteria.  The obvious solution is what was used in the Magistral event: No draw offers before move forty.  Simple.  End of discussion.

The greater concern is actually getting games with ‘content.’  Again, I refer back to my complaints regarding the advancement of opening theory.  Let us say to the players, okay, play till move forty at least!  Both players show us their homework coming out of a long theoretical dispute of say thirty moves, a late middlegame, endgame evolves where the ‘machines’ have judged a ‘small pull for white.’  The players continue playing ‘correctly’ and by the end of another ten, twenty moves the game is clearly drawn.  Well, that was nice.  Right?  Correct play by both players led to a draw.  But was the game either ‘fun’ for the players or ‘enjoyable’ for the spectators?  Were the players ‘just going through the motions’ for the last ten or twenty moves to meet the expectations of the rules?

This is what I worry about, that the opening theory has become so deep, that the levels of sophistication for the defender is reaching so high, it becomes harder and harder for the elite to gain victory.

I’m not saying that ‘chess is played out.’  No, no, no, not at all.  I do however worry that theory has made such rapid advances, half the players’ armies are reduced before the players are ‘playing on their own.’  

What is your opinion about cheating? It is becoming a very serious problem.

Cheating has always been a concern.  Long before computers ever became strong.  That is players receiving advice/information during a game.  In truth, at the most elite level charges of ‘cheating’ are simply ridiculous and don’t exist.  On the amateur levels however cheating, again even before the computer could have been a problem.  A coach telling his student what move to make.  Now with electronic devices, such charges, are far more worrisome.

Here I think there is a ‘disconnect.’  Again, at the elite level cheating is not a problem but there is a public perception that there could be a problem and then it gets blown well out of proportion.  A “possible” problem “becomes” a problem that doesn’t exist.

It was terribly unhelpful for the image of chess when Topalov accused Kramnik of cheating during ‘toilet-gate.’  Without any proof or any evidence whatsoever.  Just a charge of, “my opponent is a cheater!”  When Kramnik won in Rapid play, without leaving the board, Topalov explained that Kramnik’s method of cheating had simply been improved!  My goodness, how silly was that? Topalov damaged his own image and brought chess into disrepute.  What sponsor wants such an association?

Cheating is an ‘image’ problem for chess.  If the world ‘perceives’ that computers are better than humans and that humans ‘could get help at the board’ it would mean that there would be less and less interest in chess.  Even if no cheating at all is taking place.

In my view, chess authorities should take a ‘pro-active’ stance, to convince the public that there is simply no possibility of cheating at all.  Some simple suggestions include no electronic devices of any type by the player (a security wand before the start of play); as well as a time delay for the relaying of the moves.  These should more that suffice.  

                                                             To be continued...

A No - Introduction - Necessary Interview. Full Attention Needed. (Part I)

INTERVIEW

for:

the Official Magazine of the Catalan Chess Federation "El Butlletí d'Escacs"

by:

Ana Matnadze

Hello Mr. Seirawan, welcome to Barcelona. Could you please, describe to us your preparation process for the Magistral Casino Tournament? What chess analyzing program do you use?

Thank you very much.  It is a pleasure to have been in sunny Barcelona as I live in Amsterdam where it was windy and chilly when I left.

I use three programs Rybka, Fritz 12 and Houdini.  I like Houdini best.

The majority of the players in Barcelona were unknown for me.  My preparations were mostly to review their most recent games (last two/three years) and to get a feel for their style of play.  What types of positions they excell in and to see if they have favorite openings that I like to play as well.  

Whom were you expecting to be the most difficult opponent? Are you happy with your play here? Which was the best and the worst game and why?

Again as I wasn’t familiar with the players.  Before the start I thought that Smirin was the clear favorite.

Overall, I’m satisfied with my play.  It was consistent.

My game with Smirin was my worst for sure as I made a howler (a bad blunder) when I missed his Nf4-d5 stroke, which wins on the spot.

My best game was versus Peralta.  We played a main line Pirc and I played a very powerful strategic idea Nc3-b5, which my computer doesn’t find but gives me a long-term advantage of the two Bishops.  I kept a grip on the position and played very well throughout.  Really, Fernando was never given a chance to get into the game. 

Yasser analyzing his game with Peralta

You told me on the first day you had been to Barcelona before. Tell me more about that, please. Did you plan any sightseeing now? Has Barcelona changed much?

I played in Barcelona for the first time in 1989 during one of the GMA World Cup events.  It was extremely well organized and I had wonderful memories of Barcelona.  That event was much longer with several free days.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do any sight seeing during the Magistral event as there were no free days.  I did however enjoy my walks along the beach boulevard to and from the hotel to the casino.  If possible, Barcelona has become more beautiful than I remembered. 

Back to your extensive bio… you were born in Damascus. Do you still keep roots, family connection, there? What are your childhood memories?

Yes, I have an ‘extensive’ family of Seirawan’s living in Damascus.  This comes from my father’s side of the family.  Unfortunately, when I was nine years old my mother and father divorced and I lived with my mother, so much of my knowledge of my Syrian side has been ‘lost.’  Through my father I’m kept informed of what is happening there.

The family left Syria when I was four years old.  I have only two memories of Syria which I wrote in detail in my book, “Chess Duels.”  Those memories were of pain and pleasure.  An interesting twinning.  

Your career has been tremendously successful in all aspects. Apart from winning a lot of prestigious tournaments and having been the ninth highest rated player in the world, you succeeded in chess writing, publishing, organizing, founding, as a commentator. And I´m already lost. Do you ever sleep?  And, what is your primary occupation?

I’ve always enjoyed being busy and like working on projects.  These days I mostly do reading and writing and fewer projects.  I do some financial investing advising others but I’d say my primary occupation today is as a writer.  

How good are you at S-Chess? (Tell us more about that).

S-Chess or (Seirawan Chess) is a joint effort between Bruce Harper, a friend and strong chess master from Vancouver, BC, Canada and I.  It happened by accident, I was visiting Bruce and while we were in his kitchen preparing something to eat I was lamenting about the state of chess.  Specifically, the awesome advances taking place in opening theory.  Nowadays it is rather common to see elite players playing a theoretical line that is twenty moves deep and even longer.  In a recent game, Jakovenko made a novelty – h2-h3 – around the 34th move as White against Gelfand.  My goodness!  What is that?  I complained to Bruce that the “creativity” possible in a game between two elite players was being inexorably reduced, because of theoretical advances.

I also complained to him that as Black, against a well prepared opponent, it was becoming increasingly hard to ‘create play’ where the second player had a chance for victory.

While complaining I also noted my admiration for what Capablanca had called, “Capablanca Chess.”  He had created two additional pieces, what he called a “Marshall” and a “Chancellor.”  These two pieces had the power of a Rook and Knight in one case and the power of a Bishop and a Knight in the other.  Capablanca created a 10 x 10 board, which I don’t like.  I much prefer the 8 x 8 board.  Trinity College in Dublin suggested a 10 x 8 board which Capablanca accepted.  Otherwise, the armies are simply too far apart.  “Capablanca Chess” never really caught on – you don’t see to many 10 x 8 chessboards do you?  Yet I loved the movements of “Capa’s pieces.”

Bruce and I started to think how to place Capa’s pieces on an 8 x 8 board?  From the starting chess position should we ‘push’ the a2-pawn to a3 and tuck one of the new pieces on the a2-square?  And do the same for the h-pawn?  Well one look and you see what an artificial construction that becomes.

So we began to think that the starting position for chess is just fine – perfect in fact.  Capa’s pieces would have to remain “off” the board at the start of the game and be “introduced” into play as pieces come off the back rank and are “developed.”  As we understand from chess, it is very natural that all the pieces start from the back rank, protected by a pawn in front and then come into play.  In no time, we realized that was a perfect introduction for the new pieces.  A player would have eight opportunities to bring the two new pieces into play.  There would be no ‘symmetry’ of play as one player need not copy the opponent.  Each game would be unique.  We immediately became enthusiastic about our new find.

The next thing we did was to rename Capa’s pieces.  I mean think about it.  What exactly are a Marshall and a Chancellor?  When I try to create an image in my mind of these two titles, I think about men.  Specifically, in the case of a “Marshall” a military general and as for a Chancellor, a politician wearing a huge necklace of office.  Reducing these images into a chess piece, is simply confusing.  So we had to rename the pieces and create easily identifiable images.

Once you start along these lines, and recalling the history of chess, you immediately start to think of an elephant.  Chess ought to have an elephant!  Since, Bruce and I thought that the piece with the powers of Rook and Knight would be stronger than Bishop and Knight, we called it an Elephant.

The second piece a Bishop and Knight becomes more tricky.  What is it?  What should it become?  What image should we create?  Thanks to the power of the Bishop, in one sense, it can ‘fly’ across the board.  This conjured up the image of a ‘raptor’ or an eagle if you like.  The image of a bird, is of course, universal and some birds are fantastic predators.  I liked the image of an ‘eagle’ but eagles are mostly scavengers, preying on the dead or dying.  So we settled for a Hawk.

Then we began to play the new game and discovered that it was really great.  Seriously, we enjoyed ourselves immensely.  Virtually no draws as well.  Theoretically, the new game could feature nine Hawks or nine Elephants as pawns could promote to any piece – accept the King.

The great thing about the new game is that nothing in chess has to change.  Same board, same armies, just the addition at the start of four new pieces, two for each side.

Bruce and I commissioned the making of ‘kits’ for the new game and away we went.  Today, we have been a bit blocked as we need to make the new game available for play on the Internet.  Once we manage that I’m confident the game will explode in popularity.

Lastly, what to name the new game?  Clearly, it is a derivative of “Capablanca Chess” but both Bruce and I felt uncomfortable about using or dare I say abusing his cherished name.  I liked “Sharp Chess”.  The first word being a mixture of our last names “Seirawan” and “Harper.”  We wanted to copyright the name but discovered the “Sharp Stores” chain of retail outlets had already claimed “Sharp Chess.”  As Bruce and I expanded our name search we discovered that all kinds of names for chess games had been made.  For example, “Animal Chess” was taken by Disney, and so on.  We were stuck.

Even worse, we discovered that practically nothing ‘appropriate’ for our efforts existed at all.  In order to avoid becoming a target of a lawsuit we called our joint effort “Seirawan Chess” which we’ve reduced to calling “S-Chess” for now.  We want to have a future ‘name the game’ contest when it becomes more popular.  Too, I’m uncomfortable with “Seirawan Chess” for the simple reason it overlooks the contribution of Bruce altogether.

I’m very good at S-Chess.  I’ve played with many Grandmasters and do extremely well.  

Yasser at post - mortem, GM Illescas and IM Ana Matnadze and GM Iván Salgado kibitzing

Tell us about your family.

I’m married to a Dutch lady, Yvette Nagel, who is a FIDE FM.  We live in Amsterdam where Yvette works for the city and Mayor’s office.  We don’t have children but we have brothers and sisters who do.  Our parents are all alive and in good health so we travel often visiting our relations wherever they may be.  

                                                                      To be continued...

Ronda 9

“Si no gano las tres que quedan, volvería a quedar segundo, y no me hace ninguna gracia. Tengo que ganar las tres, poco a poco,” – fueron las palabras de Iván Salgado, como os contaba ayer, tras verse derrotado por Marc Narciso en un final un poco mejor. La verdad es que decirlo puede cualquiera, pero hacerlo ya suele ser otra cosa y normalmente muy complicado de hacer. Pero la palabra “complicado”, se ve que no viene en el diccionario del joven gallego.

Efectivamente, ha ganado las tres que quedaban, en la última ronda con el GM andorrano Óscar De La Riva, quien además también necesitaba ganar sí o sí, y además se encontraba en muy buena forma.

Salgado pilló ventaja en la apertura, y optó por continuaciones sólidas y sin demasiados dolores de cabeza, reforzando su posición jugada a jugada. La estructura de peones centrales de Óscar estaba muy débil, y ante la presión blanca, empezaron a caer. El final de alfiles del mismo color, con un peón de más, no fue demasiado difícil de conseguir la deseada victoria para Iván.

Seirawan, por su parte, derrotó a Alsina con negras, en una… Caro – Kann. Esta apertura que no falte! La verdad es que Dani jugó muy bien y hasta obtuvo ventaja, una posición muy agradable de jugar, pero no encontró un plan adecuado y fue debilitando su estructura de peones; parecía que había algo en el flanco de rey pero resultó que Yasser lo tenía todo controlado. Y el final sin damas ya era casi imposible de salvar, con las debilidades que había.

Peralta – Oms, tablas, pero en una partida bonita e interesante, Fernando atacó al enroque negro como pudo, pero los recursos no resultaron suficientes. Al final se quedó con dama contra torre y alfil, donde los peones negros en el flanco de dama pintaban muy peligrosos, y optó por un perpetuo.

Spraggett – Narciso era la partida que duró hasta muy tarde, el GM canadiense necesitaba ganar e intentó entrar por todas las maniobras posibles, pero la posición estaba demasiado cerrada, hasta el último momento sólo habían cambiado un peón. Así pues, tuvo que conformarse con unas tablas y con el tercer puesto en la clasificación, mientras Salgado y Seirawan ocupaban los dos primeros, siendo Iván el primero por mejor desempate.

Así concluyó una edición más de total éxito del Magistral Ciutat de Barcelona – Casino de Barcelona, con un triple S en la cabeza. Muchas gracias a todos por seguirnos y enhorabuena a los ganadores!

Hasta el año que viene!

Salgado en la última ronda

El Director del torneo Jordi Parayre observando las partidas en pantalla gigante

Entrevista al Campeón

Cansado, y feliz

Ronda 4

Hoy, a las 10.30 de la mañana, estaban previstas las actividades paralelas del Magistral - concretamente, las Simultáneas de una servidora en el Club de Sant Andreu. La jovencísima Daniela Velasco ha conseguido tablas en una partida muy interesante, ¡Enhorabuena!

La lucha de los análisis continúa en el Magistral, cada día nos encontramos con mucha expectación, a ver qué líneas u orden de jugadas plantearán hoy los jugadores.

Parece que Salgado trae muchas ideas interesantes, y parece que está enfocando en conseguir ventaja posicional y sólida. Hoy con Dani Alsina también ha sido una partida bastante estratégica. En un momento parecía que tenía más actividad y espacio, columnas… pero Dani ha neutralizado las amenazas bastante fácilmente y al final su posición parecía más agradable. Hay que destacar que a Alsina se le da muy bien jugar con los peones del flanco de rey, en casi todas las partidas les saca provecho. Pero, en realidad, no había mucho que sacar de esta posición de hoy, y pronto han firmado tablas.

Peralta – Spraggett ha sido una partida muy cerrada. Hasta bastante tarde no habían cambiado ni un peón. Y aunque parecía que Fernando tenía ventaja, se ve que no le ha convencido de que fuera suficiente como para marcarse grandes metas. Tablas por repetición.

Seirawan, como ya lo dijimos, está en forma y está jugando realmente muy bien. Hoy ha derrotado a Oms en un estilo interesante. Aunque, al principio Josep tenía bastante ventaja, pero luego ha ido aflojando y ha dejado demasiado indefenso su enroque largo, lo que le ha pasado factura; el rey blanco no ha encontrado ayuda cuando más la necesitaba. Ha rematado Seirawan con una simple pero bonita entrega de calidad.

Y para partida movida, la de De La Riva – Smirin. Ha habido de todo en esta partida; maniobras, choques, entregas, errores, sustos, apuros… ¡Menudos nervios! Con razón, donde se plantee un Dragón, ¡que se preparen todos! :-)

En un momento las blancas no han jugado muy bien y Smirin conseguía ventaja, y bastante clara; pero donde ya parecía que estaba muy ajustado Óscar, Ilya se volvía a equivocar y una impresionante 29. Ab3, y en pleno apuro, resolvía todos los problemas de las blancas. A partir de ahí ya era una prueba dura de nervios, De la Riva ganaba en varias ocasiones, pero la posición era tan compleja, que era muy difícil con tan poco tiempo. Al final tablas por contínuo.

¡Esperemos que mañana haya más partidas así!

Mi pregunta del día es:

Qué os gustaría que le preguntara a Yasser Seirawan en la entrevista? Tenéis alguna pregunta específica con él?

Ronda 2

Día pacífico hoy en el Magistral. Las cuatro partidas han terminado en tablas. Aunque eso no quiere decir que haya habido menos lucha que ayer.

Salgado se enfrentaba a Seirawan y, como había empezado fuerte y ganando contra uno de los favoritos, pues hoy tampoco estaba menos atacante, aunque sí con precaución y sólido.

De hecho ha conseguido una tangible ventaja con mucha actividad, buen alfil mandando en la diagonal b1 – h7 y una buena estructura, con columnas abiertas para las torres, pero le ha faltado precisión para rematar y terminar de convertir esa potencial ventaja en algo más serio. De hecho, pensamos que el momento clave era la jugada 22, cuando Iván no ha terminado de decidirse pero el Director del torneo Jordi Parayre, personalmente, me ha sugerido la ruptura con e4. Más tarde lo he comentado con Iván y le ha parecido lo más acertado. Así que, pensamos que es el momento donde se le escapa la ventaja. A partir de ahí, Seirawan con su clase y experiencia, no tarda en reorganizar sus piezas e iguala fácilmente. De todas formas, buen medio punto para el joven español, el torneo apenas comienza!

Peralta también tenía ventaja contra Smirin, en términos “espaciales”, o “espaciosos”, las dos definiciones serían acertadas si estamos hablando de un tablero de ajedrez… :) Da la impresión que Smirin no acaba de superar el jet – lag, pues le está costando bastante concentrarse. Aunque la ventaja de las blancas no era grande, a Fernando, parecía que, no le terminaban de convencer los planes, y en nada han firmado tablas por triple repetición.

Narciso – Alsina se ha simplificado muy pronto, Dani con un peón aislado típico en d5, que no suele dar mayores dolores de cabeza, si se conoce bien la posición y los planes. Hacia el final, ha sido él quien se ha activado un poco y ha empezado a atacar el flanco de rey, subiendo peones, pero en realidad no había debilidades en la posición, y tablas por repetición.

En Oms – De La Riva, a mí personalmente me gustaba más la posición de Josep, quizás porque esta apertura la juego con blancas también, pero, por otra parte, es donde más partidas he perdido, si no me equivoco, así que iba un poco contrariada :) En realidad, sí tenían actividad, espacio y ventaja las blancas, pero ha dejado escapar varios momentos claves donde podía ir reforzándola, y Óscar ha sabido jugar con mucha precisión.

Fin de la segunda ronda. Os prometo que mañana habrá al menos una partida demasiado espectacular. Que cómo lo sé? Pues la intuición femenina que pocas veces falla! ;)

Mi pregunta del día es:

Ya le habéis dado "LIKE" a la página del Magistral Ciutat Barcelona? Si no, a qué esperáis?

Ronda 1

                                 Iván Salgado derrotó a Smirin

Buenas!!


Ya estamos aquí de nuevo, con el Magistral Casino 2011!! Así que estáis todos invitados cada día a partir de las 16.30 horas ;) La dirección del Casino es: C/ Marina, 19 - 21 (Port Olímpic) - Barcelona - España.

Hoy miércoles, un año más, ha comenzado el Magistral Casino de Barcelona 2011, que este año está siendo organizado por la Federación Catalana de Ajedrez y cuenta con el patrocinio del Casino de Barcelona (Grupo Peralada), el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona y la Generalitat de Catalunya.

La primera ronda ha iniciado con una sorpresa no muy agradable; pues el GM venezolano Eduardo Iturrizaga, vigente campeón del Circuit Catalán, no ha podido realizar su viaje desde Venezuela, debido a un accidente de coche que ha sufrido la pasada madrugada precisamente camino al aeropuerto. Según informaba a la organización del torneo, a él no le ha pasado nada grave pero el coche sí se ha quedado mal, por lo cual le ha sido imposible llegar al torneo.

Tras consultar y discutir la situación con los participantes y árbitros, la organización ha decidido dejar la plantilla del torneo con 9 jugadores, por lo que cada día tendrá que descansar uno de ellos. Hoy le ha tocado a Seirawan, quien ha aprovechado el magnífico día que hacía hoy en Barcelona, para hacer más turismo y dar un paseo por la playa.

En cuanto a las partidas, tampoco ha faltado de nada. Hemos visto tanto juego estratégico, como táctico, tanto variantes largas impecables, como errores bastante fáciles y ocasiones desaprovechadas. Por ejemplo, en la partida de Spraggett y Alsina, el canadiense ha aprovechado muy bien las imprecisiones de Dani en la apertura, ha instalado su caballo en g5 y parecía que la cosa no debía de ser demasiado complicada, pero es justo cuando ha empezado a dar vueltas innecesarias y hasta se ha llegado a pensar que Dani podría salvar la partida. Finalmente, Spraggett ha encontrado la línea ganadora y se ha anotado la primera victoria.

Salgado, quien causó furor el año pasado, este año viene igual o más animado todavía, porque si entonces empezó perdiendo, y luego no había quién lo parara, esta vez no le ha perdonado al mismísimo Smirin, representante de la poderosa ex - USSR. La lucha iba muy equilibrada hasta bastante tarde, pero Iván se ha equivocado gravemente en la jugada 47… Ad6, y Smirin tenía la oportunidad del día (exf7+), pero la ha dejado escapar. A partir de ahí Iván ha tenido momentos donde ganaba más fácilmente, pero ha preferido líneas más sólidas para asegurar el punto. Y un punto muy importante, sí señor.

En las otras dos partidas, han hecho tablas por triple repetición. De La Riva – Peralta ha sido una Caro – Kann sin demasiadas complicaciones, que ha conducido a una posición sin debilidades casi, ni material con el que atacar. Ha sido una partida muy equilibrada.

Y en el duelo de Oms – Narciso, similar, un juego sin errores que ha terminado de forma pacífica, una Nimzoindia bien jugada por ambos bandos.

Mañana más.