Chess - The Scotsman 23/04/2012

THE championship of a mere city would normally be a fairly parochial affair, but things quickly change if that city happens to be one of the world’s most famous chess metropolises: Moscow.

During the Soviet days, the Moscow City Championship – first held in 1899, and only resumed again in 1921 after the October Revolution – had an annual line-up that featured many iconic world champions and elite superstars, such as Botvinnik, Smyslov, Bronstein, Tal, Petrosian and Spassky.

Times change, and since the collapse of the Soviet regime 20 years ago, it is no longer compulsory or indeed a shrewd political move for today’s elite stars to participate. Nevertheless, invitations are always extended to all the top Muscovites, despite the fact they are no longer compelled to play.

Even in their absence, the championship can hardly be classed as “weak,” as there’s a very large second tier, of unknown sub-2600 rated Russian grandmasters, that could still out-rate many national championships. Last month, the Moscow Championship Final was won convincingly by top seed GM Ivan Popov, who scored 8/9, a full point clear of his nearest rival, GM Daniil Dubov.

Popov and Dubov are two names you probably won’t have heard of – but one of Popov’s opponent’s you would have – the former Soviet great Yury Balashov, who in the 1970s and early 1980s was regarded as one of the top 25 chess players in the world.

Y Balashov - I Popov

Moscow Championship Final, (2)

English Opening

1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Bb4 3 g3 Nf6 4 Bg2 0–0 5 e4 Bxc3 6 dxc3 d6 7 Qe2 a5 8 Nf3 Na6 9 0–0 Nc5 10 Ne1 b6 11 Nc2 Ba6 12 Bg5 h6 13 Bxf6 Qxf6 14 Ne3 Qe6 15 b4 Nd7 16 Rfd1 Rfd8 17 Nd5 Ra7 18 a3 Nf6 19 Ne3 g6 20 f3 Rda8 21 Rac1 Kg7 22 Qf1 Qe8 23 Qf2 h5 24 h4 axb4 25 axb4 Bb7 26 Qd2 Ra2 27 Rc2 Rxc2 28 Qxc2 Ra3 29 Bf1 Qa8 30 Bd3 Ra2 31 Qb3 Qa7 32 Re1 Bc6 33 Bb1 Ra3 34 Qb2 b5 35 Kg2 Nxe4! 36 cxb5 Nxc3 37 bxc6 Nxb1 38 Nc2 Rd3 39 Re2 Nc3 0–1