Chess - The Scotsman 15/06/12

Published on 15/06/2012 00:00

SPORADIC performances from Vladmir Kramnik aside, Russia has had nothing much to shout about over the last few years. But a re-emerging superstar could well be set to change all that: who else, other than the incomparable Alexander Morozevich!

It was only a few years ago that he almost quit professional chess because of illness coupled with a fear that he didn’t quite believe he had the “A-game” needed to become world champion. But, after a long rest from the game, he made a comeback – and now he’s playing the best chess of his life.

There was never a dull moment when Morozevitch was on the top of his game, what with his uncompromising brand of chess that made the Muscovite a big crowd-pleaser – and he’s at his brilliantly mind-boggling best at the Tal Memorial in Moscow, as he storms into the sole lead with an unbeaten +3 score after beating the world No 2, Levon Aronian in an amazing game.

In the Stonewall Dutch, the knight is traditionally always put on on f6 and no other square; but Morozevich provocatively puts his knight on h6, and then lures his opponent into his crazy world of complications – that sees Aronian using up almost all of his time fathoming out – only to be totally flummoxed by the knight retreat of 26 ...Ng8!

Standings: 1. Morozevich, 4/5; 2-4. Carlsen, Kramnik and Radjabov, 3; 5. Caruana, 2.5; 6-9. Grischuk, Nakamura, Aronian and McShane, 2; 10. Tomashevsky, 1.5.

L Aronian - A Morozevich

7th Mikhail Tal Memorial, (5)

Stonewall Dutch

1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c6 4 e3 Nd7 5 Nf3 f5 6 Bd3 Nh6 7 b3 Bd6 8 Bb2 0–0 9 0–0 Rf6 10 Qc2 Nf7 11 Nd2 e5 12 Bxf5 e4 13 Bxh7+ Kxh7 14 cxd5 Rg6 15 Ndxe4 Nf6 16 Nxf6+ Qxf6 17 f4 Nh6 18 Ne4 Qf5 19 dxc6 Be7 20 c7 Rc6 21 Qb1 Rxc7 22 Nc3 Qxb1 23 Raxb1 Rd7 24 Rbd1 b6 25 e4 Bb7 26 h3 Ng8! 27 e5 Rc8 28 d5 Bb4 29 e6 Rdd8 30 Ne4 Rxd5 31 Ng5+ Kg6 32 Rxd5 Bxd5 33 Rd1 Ne7 34 Bd4 Rc2 35 g4 Bd2 36 Rf1 Bc1 37 Nf3 Bxf4 38 Nh4+ Kg5 39 Nf3+ Kh6 40 h4 Rxa2 0–1