It is an off day in the World Human Chess Championship. My intention was to take a break from the Royal Game. Every day I surf to the usual websites leaving Chess sites for last. Today I eschewed the Chess sites and read a book by Peter Dale Scott, Dallas ’63: The First Deep State Revolt Against the White House.
I read until needing a break and then kicked back and closed my eyes, listening to the rain. This is the third day of rain and tomorrow will be the same before the sun shines again and the temperature increases. It is a wet and miserable day, perfect for Chess!
After resting I was restless and decided to surf the Chess websites with my second cup of coffee. There is was, found at TWIC, what I had been searching for without knowing it, the lead game from the Zagreb Tournament of Peace 2018 being held in Croatia. Vladimir Malakov versus Vassily Ivanchuk in a Litsitsin’s Gambit! Since I played the Leningrad Dutch the gambit has been on my board more than a few times over the years. With Chucky having to battle the Litsitsin this was special. Vassily has grown older and his Chess skill has diminished with age, but he is still Ivanchuk, the man who once repeatedly banged his head against a wall after losing a Chess game. Just thinking about it caused me to go to startpage.com in a futile attempt to find something about it on the internet. I found something at Quora.com (https://www.quora.com/Chess-What-are-some-interesting-stories-about-Vassily-Ivanchuk), but it was not about the head banging episode. To the right I found: “Is Vassily Ivanchuk really a weird and eccentric genius, or does he just act like one?” Clicking on gave me two options to reach the page. I could either use my Facebook account, but I have no, and have never, ever, had a F___book account, and will go to my brave without a F__book account, or I could use Google. I try very hard to stay away from Big Brother, er, Google. In order to obtain the page I would be forced to allow Google to use my information and then transfer it to Quora. If you want the aforementioned question answered YOU can jump through those hoops.
I did, though, find this: What do Ivanchuk’s Grandmaster colleagues think of him?
Here’s former World Champion Vishy Anand
speaking on Ivanchuk:
“He’s someone who is very intelligent … but you never know which mood he is going to be in. Some days he will treat you like his long-lost brother. The next day he ignores you completely.
The players have a word for him. They say he lives on “Planet Ivanchuk”. (Laughs) … I have seen him totally drunk and singing Ukrainian poetry and then the next day I have seen him give an impressive talk.
His playing style is unpredictable and highly original, making him more dangerous but sometimes leading to quick losses as well.”
http://www.chessncognac.com/vassily-ivanchuk-eccentric-chess-genius-free-pdf/
Vladimir Malakhov (2654)
vs Vassily Ivanchuk (2714)
Tournament of Peace 2018 round 03
1. Nf3 f5 2. d3 Nc6 (The only move I ever played in this position is 2…d6, the Lenigrad move) 3. e4 e5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. exf5 d5 6. d4 e4 7. Bg5 Be7 8. Bxe7 Ngxe7 9. Nh4 Bxf5 10. Qh5+ g6 11. Qh6 Qd6 12. Bb5
There was a legendary Georgia player who would tell anyone who would listen about the efficacy of “connecting your rooks.” Although I try not to think of the guy I could not help myself when seeing this position. If one teaches Chess it is a no brainer to inform your student he should castle and complete development. Certainly it must be the best move on the board, and one does not need a 3500 rated Chess program to know that fact.
Rf8 (12… O-O-O 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. O-O-O b5 15. a3 a5 16. Nxf5 Nxf5 17. Qd2 Kb7 18. Kb1 Rhf8 19. h3 Nd6 20. b3 Kb8 21. Rhe1 b4 22. axb4. This can be found at https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2018-mira-tournament/03-Malakhov_Vladimir-Ivanchuk_Vassily) 13. Bxc6+ Nxc6 14. O-O-O O-O-O 15. f3 exf3 16. Nxf3 Bg4 17. Rhf1
17… Bxf3 (There was no reason to make this trade. Simply 17…Qd7 retains an advantage) 18. Qh3+ Qd7 19. Rxf3 Qxh3 20. Rxh3 Rd7 21. Re3 b6 22. Re2 Rf5 23. Red2 Rdf7 24. Ne2 Rf2 25. Nc3 Ne7 26. Re1 Kd7 27. Nd1 Rf1 28. Rde2 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 Nf5 30. c3 Re7 ½-½
Incidentally, Vladimir Malakhov may be the only Grandmaster who is also a nuclear physicist:
Vladimir Malakhov: chess player, nuclear physicist
By mishanp on September 5, 2010
http://www.chessintranslation.com/2010/09/vladimir-malakhov-chess-player-nuclear-physicist/
IM Y. Dzhumagaliev (2424) FM v I. Bocharov 2472 IM
Novosibirsk, Siberia 2015
1. Nf3 f5 2. d3 Nc6 3. e4 e5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. exf5 d5 6. d4 e4 7. Bg5 Be7 8. Bxe7 Ngxe7 9. Nh4 O-O 10. g4 g6 11. Qd2 Nxf5 12. Nxf5 gxf5 13.gxf5 Bxf5 14. O-O-O Be6 15. Rg1+ Kh8 16. Rg6 Rf6 17. Rg3 Qf8 18. Bh3 Bxh3 19. Rxh3 Rxf2 20. Qg5 Qf5 21. Rh5 Qxg5+ 22. Rxg5 e3 23. Rxd5 Rg8 24. Re1 Nb4 25.Re5 Nxc2 26. Re2 Nxd4 27. R2xe3 Rxh2 28. Rd3 c5 29. Re7 b5 30. Rxa7 b4 31. Nd1 Rd8 32. Re7 Rh1 33. Rd2 b3 34. a4 Ra8 35. Rg2 Nc6 36. Rc7 Ne5 37. Rd2 c4 38. Rd5 Ng4 39. Rdd7 Ne3 40. Rxh7+ Rxh7 41. Rxh7+ Kxh7 42. Nxe3 Re8 43. Nd5 Kg6 44. a5 Kf5 45. Nb6 Ke4 46. Kd2 Kd4 47. a6 Re7 48. Nc8 Rc7 49. Nd6 Kc5 50. Nb7+ Kb6 51. Kc3 Kxa6 52. Nd6 Ka5 53. Ne4 Kb5 54. Nd6+ Kc5 55. Ne4+ Kd5 56. Nf6+ Ke5 57. Ng4+ Kf5 58. Ne3+ Ke4 59. Nd1 Kf3 60. Kd4 Rd7+ 61. Kxc4 Rxd1 62. Kxb3 Ke4 63. Kc4 Rc1+ 64. Kb5 Kd5 65. b4 Rb1 0-1
GM Stefan Bromberger (2481) vs GM Dimitri Reinderman (2493)
Gausdal Classics GM-A 04/29/2006
A04
1. Nf3 f5 2. d3 Nc6 3. e4 e5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. exf5 d5 6. Bg5 Nf6 7. d4 Qe7 8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Nxe5 Qxe5+ 10. Qe2 Qxe2+ 11. Kxe2 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Ne4 13. Bd2 Bxf5 14. f3 Nd6 15. Bf4 O-O-O 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Kd2 d4 18. Bd3 dxc3+ 19. Kxc3 Bxd3 20. cxd3 Rhd8 21. Rhd1 Rc6+ 22. Kd2 Rd5 23. Re1 Kd7 24. a4 a5 25. Re4 Rcd6 26. Ra3 Rd4 27. Rc3 b6 28. Kc2 R6d5 29. f4 c6 30. Rb3 Kc7 31. f5 h5 32. Rc3 Rxe4 33. dxe4 Rd4 34. Rg3 Rxe4 35. Rxg7+ Kd6 36. Rg6+ Kd5 37. Rg5 Rxa4 38. f6+ Ke6 39. Rf5 Kf7 40. Rxh5 Ra2+ 41. Kb3 Rxg2 42. Rh7+ Kxf6 43. Rc7 Kf5 44. Rxc6 Rg6 45. Rc8 Ke5 46. Rh8 Kd5 47. h4 Kc5 48. Rh5+ Kc6 49. Rh8 Rg3+ 50. Ka4 Rg4+ 51. Kb3 Kb5 52. Rh5+ Ka6 53. Rh8 a4+ 54. Kc3 Ka5 55. h5 Rg3+ 56. Kc2 Rh3 57. h6 Kb4 58. h7 b5 59. Kc1 Rh1+ 60. Kc2 Rh2+ 61. Kd1 a3 62. Kc1 a2 63. Ra8 Kb3 0-1
Armchair Warrior 