GM Korobov Loses Beautifully

In the seventh round of the recently completed European Championships GM Anton Korobov,

Anton Korobov is the only player on 5/5 | photo: EICC2023
https://chess24.com/en/read/news/anton-korobov-races-to-5-5-in-european-championship

of Ukraine, faced underdog IM Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/european-championship-2023-r6

Both players had won five games and drawn one, and were tied for first place. Although Korobov built an advantage during the opening phase of the game he let it slip and after playing his 19th move the game was equal. Then Koukou pushed the g-pawn in lieu of taking the pawn with 19…gxf4, opening lines to Korobov’s king, and the battle raged until Koukou blundered with his 37th move and was ground down by Korobov.

Korobov, Anton (2658) – Kourkoulos-Arditis, Stamatis (2520)
09.03.2023

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 a6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Be6 7.e3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 c6 9.h3 Bd6 10.Bf4 Qc7 11.Qd2 h6 12.O-O g5 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Nh2 Rg8 15.Ne2 Ne4 16.Qe1 O-O-O 17.f3 Nef6 18.Rc1 Kb8 19.f4 g4 20.f5 gxh3 21.g3 Nh5 22.Rf3 Rg5 23.fxe6 fxe6 24.Nf4 Rdg8 25.Nxh5 Rxh5 26.g4 Rhg5 27.Qg3 e5 28.Rf5 h5 29.Rxg5 Rxg5 30.Rf1 hxg4 31.Rf5 Rg8 32.dxe5 Qe6 33.b3 Ka7 34.Bc2 Qe7 35.Nxg4 Qb4 36.Rf4 Qc3 37.e6 Ne5 38.Bf5 d4 39.Rxd4 Qa1+ 40.Kh2 Qxa2+ 41.Kh1 Qa1+ 42.Qg1 Qxg1+ 43.Kxg1 Nf3+ 44.Kh1 Nxd4 45.exd4 a5 46.Kh2 b5 47.Kxh3 a4 48.bxa4 bxa4 49.Nf6 Rg7 50.Bb1 Ka6 51.d5 cxd5 52.Nxd5 Kb5 53.e7 Rg8 54.Ba2 Kc5 55.Nf6 Ra8 56.e8=Q Rxe8 57.Nxe8 Kd4 58.Nd6 Kc3 59.Nc4 1-0
https://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?art=36&id=4652532

The win obviously left Korobov in the catbird seat, a half point in front of the large field. The situation was even better for Korobov because he again had white in the next, eight round. How did Korobov respond?

Korobov, Anton (2658) – Gledura, Benjamin (2637)
10.03.2023

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 e6 7.Qb3 Qc7 8.Bd2 1/2-1/2

You know what seeing this non-game made me think…

cafepress.com

In in the same position would Bobby Fischer have agreed to a draw in the above game?

Certainly not, because Bobby came to BEAT YOU! Bobby PLAYED TO WIN! After the insult to Caissa Korobov would have to play with the black pieces in the next two games:

Alexey Sarana, (2668) vs Anton Korobov (2658)
11.03.2023

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.O-O a5 10.Re1 d6 11.e4 Nc6 12.Nf1 e5 13.Bc2 Rc8 14.Rc1 g6 15.Ba4 Qe7 16.Ne3 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Qxd4 Nxe4 19.Ng4 Qg5 20.Bd7 Rc5 21.Rcd1 h5 22.Rxe4 hxg4 23.Rxg4 Qe5 24.Qxd6 Qxd6 25.Rxd6 Rd8 26.Rgd4 Kf8 27.Bb5 Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Be4 29.Rxb6 Bd3 30.Rb8+ Ke7 31.b3 Bb1 32.Ba4 Re5 33.f4 Re1+ 34.Kf2 Rc1 35.Re8+ Kd6 36.Re1 Rc2+ 37.Re2 Rc3 38.Rd2+ Kc5 39.Be8 f6 40.Rd5+ Kb6 41.Rd6+ Kc5 42.Rd5+ Kb6 43.Rd2 Kc5 44.h4 Be4 45.f5 gxf5 46.h5 a4 47.Bxa4 f4 48.Re2 Bxg2 49.Bd7 Bf3 50.h6 Bxe2 51.h7 Rc2 52.h8=Q Bg4+ 53.Ke1 Rc1+ 54.Kd2 Rd1+ 55.Kc2 Rxd7 56.Qxf6 Bd1+ 57.Kc1 1-0
https://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?art=36&id=4655958

GM Valentin Dragnev (2561) vs GM Anton Korobov (2658)
12.03.2023

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.g4 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Bg2 Nxe3 12.Qxd8+ Bxd8 13.fxe3 Bh4+ 14.Kf1 Nc6 15.Nc5 Bc4+ 16.Kg1 O-O-O 17.b3 Bg5 18.Re1 Bh4 19.Rb1 Bg5 20.Re1 Bh4 1/2-1/2
https://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?art=36&id=4656832

The draw put Korobov into a third place tie with a dozen other players with one round left to play.

Bd 5
Anton Korobov (2658) vs Daniel Dardha (2610)

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bc5 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nge2 Nc6 6. O-O a5 7. h3 Nd4 8. d3 c6 9. Kh2 d5 10. exd5 cxd5 11. f4 Re8 12. Nxd4 Bxd4 13. Nb5 Bb6 14. fxe5 Rxe5 15. d4 Re6 16. Bg5 Bd7 17. a4 h6 18. Bxf6 Rxf6 19. c3 Bc6 20. Qh5 Rxf1 21. Rxf1 Qd7 22. Re1 g6 23. Qxh6 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Qxe8 25. h4 Qe2 26. Qf4 Bxb5 27. axb5 Qxb5 28. Qb8+ Kg7 29. Qe5+ Kg8 30. Kh3 Qd7+ 31. g4 Bc7 32. Qxd5 Qe7 33. Be4 Qf6 34. Kg2 Qxh4 35. Kf1 Qxg4 36. Qxb7 Qd1+ 37. Kf2 Qd2+ 38. Kf3 Bf4 39. Bxg6 Qe3+ 40. Kg2 0-1
   https://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?art=36&id=4658517

1.e4 e5 2. Nc3 (This move makes it a C25 Vienna game) 2…Nf6 (Now it becomes a C26 Vienna, Falkbeer variation, I was surprised to see the SF program at lichess.com will play 2…Bc5, the third choice of human players at 365Chess.com, with 1546 games in the database. Contrast that with the move played in the game, which shows 11723 games. In between there is 2…Nc6 with 4621 games. ‘Back in the day’ 2…Nf6 was about the only move faced in any kind of play, and the Vienna was in my opening “database” back then, only no one called it a “database.” It was called a “brain.”) 3. g3 (This was the only move I ever played in this position. The first choice of we humans has been 3 f4 (4169), with 3 Bc4 (3561), followed by the game move (2849). The choice of SF, 3 Nf3, comes next, with 2673 games showing) 3…Bc5 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nge2 Nc6 (SF prefers 5…c6) 6 0-0 (SF shows 6 Na4, followed by 6…Be7, followed by 7 Nac3 Bc5 before showing 8 0-0. Although the extra moves may help later it also allows a triple repetition and an early end of the game. If you have no awareness of the Ko rule in the great game of Go, or Wei Chi, depending, then please educate yourself and you will question why Chess has such a ridiculous rule) 6…a5 7 h3 (A Stock of Fish were not needed to know this move is premature; he should have first played 7 d3) 7…Nd4 (SF would play 7…Re8) 8 d3 (I was shocked by this move. 8 Nxd4 was expected) 8…8. d3 c6 9. Kh2 (Nxd4) 9…d5 (Re8) 10. exd5 cxd5 11. f4 (? ) I can, unfortunately, tell you from personal experience things will go downhill from here for Korobov. When you do not play to WIN, you LOSE.

Paul Motwani (2455) vs Mahmood Lodhi, (2425)
Event: Manila ol (Men)
Site: Manila Date: ??/??/1992
Round: ? Score: 1-0
ECO: C26 Vienna, Paulsen-Mieses variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Bc5 5.Nge2 O-O 6.O-O a5 7.h3 d6 8.Kh2 Ne8 9.f4 f6 10.Nd5 Be6 11.c3 Ba7 12.d4 Qd7 13.Ne3 Ne7 14.g4 exf4 15.Nxf4 Bf7 16.Nf5 Ng6 17.Nh5 Kh8 18.g5 Bc4 19.Rf3 fxg5 20.Bxg5 Be6 21.Nh4 Rxf3 22.Qxf3 Nxh4 23.Bxh4 Qf7 24.Nf4 Kg8 25.Nxe6 Qxe6 26.Rf1 h6 27.e5 d5 28.Qxd5 Qxd5 29.Bxd5+ Kh7 30.Bxb7 Rb8 31.Be4+ Kg8 32.Be7 g5 33.Rf8+ Kg7 34.b3 c5 35.d5 Nc7 36.d6 Ne6 37.Rf6 Nf8 38.d7 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=1972849&m=14

Examine All Checks!

Black to move

The above position was seen on the board of a round five game from the Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival. Sitting behind the white army is 2699 rated Grandmaster Anton Korobov,

GM Neelotpal Das had an exciting game against GM Anton Korobov (UKR) | Photo: Rupali Mullick

the four time Chess Champion of Ukraine, and top rated player in the Sunway Sitges tournament. In the colloquial language most often used at the House of Pain it would have been said that GM Korobov was “Busted!” His opponent was Grandmaster Christian Camilo Rios,

https://players.chessbase.com/en/player/rios_cristhian%20camilo/217838

rated 2460, who is from Colombia. He was born in 1993, earned the FM title in 2007; the IM title in 2013; and finally garnered the GM title in 2019. GM Rios obviously worked long and hard to become a Grandmaster. According to Chessbase (https://players.chessbase.com/en/player/rios_cristhian%20camilo/217838) the highest rated player GM Rios had defeated until this game was 2611 rated Erik Van den Doel. World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is rated 2856, which is 396 points higher than GM Rios. The rating categories in Chess are in 200 point intervals, which means GM Rios is almost two levels below the World Chess Champion. A player becomes a National Master when his rating hits 2200. Subtract 396 from 2200 and you obtains 1804, which is 5 points into class A. It takes 2000 to become an Expert, so GM Rios is clearly at least one level below GM Korobov. Ordinarily this would mean GM Rios would be an International Master. The FIDE rating system has become so out of whack that it is now meaningless.

One of the things for which I have become known in the world of teaching the Royal Game is “EXAMINE ALL CHECKS!” Any player worth his salt is always aware of any possible checks to his King, or of any possible checks to the opponents King. In the above position the move Bf2+ would have to be considered, so I will assume GM Rios saw the move. Why he did not play the move is beyond my comprehension. From the FollowChess (https://live.followchess.com/), and ChessBomb (https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2021-sunway-sitges/05-Korobov_Anton-Rios_Cristhian_Camilo) websites lack of time was not the cause of how the game ended. Therefore the question must be asked if any “threat” was made or “inducement” offered to the much lower rated Rios to get him to end the game with a perpetual check.

Anton Korobov 2699 (UKR) vs Cristhian Camilo Rios 2460 (COL)
Sunway Sitges 2021 round 05
B33 Sicilian, Pelikan (Lasker/Sveshnikov) variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. a4 Be7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Nd7 12. Bd2 f5 13. a5 a6 14. Na3 f4 15. Nc4 e4 16. f3 e3 17. Bb4 Rf6 18. Qd4 Qf8 19. g3 Ne5 20. Nb6 Rb8 21. Kg2 Rh6 22. Nxc8 Qxc8 23. g4 Qxc2 24. Qd1 Qg6 25. Qd4 Qf6 26. Qe4 Rxh2+ 27. Kxh2 Qh4+ 28. Kg2 Qg3+ 29. Kh1 Bh4 30. Bd1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kh1 Qh3+ 33. Kg1 Qg3+ 34. Kh1 Qh3+ ½-½
   https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2021-sunway-sitges/05-Korobov_Anton-Rios_Cristhian_Camilo