Chess

Published on Monday 29 June 2009 19:28

THE championship of a mere city would normally be a fairly parochial affair; but such judgments are likely to change if that particular city happens to be one of the most famous chess metropolises in the world such as the Russian capital of 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 world champions and elite superstars, such as Botvinnik, Smyslov, Bronstein, Tal, Petrosian and Spassky.

Times have changed though, and since the collapse of the Soviet regime almost 20 years ago it is no longer compulsory or indeed a shrewd political move for elite players to participate in the Moscow championship.

But nevertheless, invitations are always extended to all the top Muscovites despite the fact they are no longer compelled to play in the tournament anymore.

But even in their absence, the championship can hardly be classed as weak as there's a large second-tier of relatively unknown sub-2,600 rated Russian grandmasters that could still out-rate many national championships.

The recent edition of the Moscow championship took place in mid April, with GM Evgeny Vorobiov taking clear first place ahead of the eight-player field on 5/7.

The sting in the tail in the key position is that if 33 bxa3 bxc3 34 Ree3 (34 Nxc3 Rbc7) 34 … Rb2+!! wins.

O. Nikolenko - E. Vorobiov

Moscow Championship, (3)

Sicilian Defence, Richter-Rauzer variation

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 a6 8 0-0-0 Be7 9 f3 Nxd4 10 Qxd4 b5 11 e5 dxe5 12 Qxe5 Qb6 13 Be3 Qb8 14 Qxb8 Rxb8 15 Bf4 Rb6 16 Bd3 Bb7 17 Rhe1 0-0 18 Be3 Rc6 19 Bg5 Rfc8 20 Bxf6 gxf6 21 Be4 R6c7 22 Bxb7 Rxb7 23 Re2 f5 24 Rd3 h5 25 Nd1 Kg7 26 c3 h4 27 Kc2 b4 28 Nf2 Bf6 29 Nd1 a5 30 g4 hxg3 31 hxg3 a4 32 g4 a3! 33 gxf5 axb2 34 Kb1 bxc3 35 Rc2 Rh8 36 Rg2+ Kf8 37 fxe6 fxe6 38 Re2 Rh1 39 f4 Rb4 0-1