Chess - The Scotsman 05/01/2012

VASSILY Ivanchuk, of Ukraine, turned out to be a victorious victim in 2011 after he and his wife were robbed at gunpoint in an unpleasant street crime that blotted the transatlantic Grand Slam finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

At the end of the first leg, he emerged as the winner and departed for Bilbao, Spain, for the second round of matches. The Ivanchuks left the hotel, loaded their luggage into the airport taxi when two armed bandits appeared and robbed them. They stole everything but Ivanchuk’s laptop and composure.

Ivanchuk was not unduly concerned about the money or other replaceable items, but of great sentimental value was his very well-worn wooden chess set and board won as a teenager.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ever the dreamy philosopher, though, he hoped his chess set “could fall into the hands of an intelligent child, and thanks to some sort of magical properties, help that child to one day become a famous chess player.”

Ivanchuk is the original “Jekyll and Hyde” player: one day he’s riding high and can beat anyone in the game, only for the next day to lose like an idiot.

You never know which you are going to be playing – and currently, he’s in total Hyde mode in Reggio Emilia with a career first of losing three successive games!

A Giri - V Ivanchuk

54th Reggio Emilia, (6)

Bogo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Bb4+ 4 Bd2 a5 5 g3 d6 6 Bg2 Nc6 7 0–0 e5 8 Bg5 exd4 9 Nxd4 Nxd4 10 Qxd4 h6 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 12 Qxf6 gxf6 13 a3 Bc5 14 Nc3 c6 15 e3 Ke7 16 Na4 h5 17 h4 Rg8 18 Rfc1 Ra7 19 Bf3 Bg4 20 Bxg4 Rxg4 21 Kf1 Ra8 22 b3 Ke6 23 Nc3! Ke7 24 Ne2 Rgg8 25 Nf4 Rh8 26 Nd3 Bb6 27 Rab1 Kd7 28 Rc2 Bc7 29 Nf4 Rae8 30 b4 axb4 31 axb4 Ra8 32 b5 Ra4 33 Rbb2 Ra5 34 Kg2 Ra4 35 Kf3 Raa8 36 Ra2 Rxa2 37 Rxa2 d5 38 bxc6+ bxc6 39 cxd5 c5 40 Ra6 Bxf4 41 Kxf4 Rc8 42 Rc6 Rxc6 43 dxc6+ Kxc6 44 g4 c4 45 e4 Kd6 46 f3 Ke6 47 Ke3 Ke5 48 gxh5 f5 49 h6 f4+ 50 Kd2 Kf6 51 h5 1–0

Related topics: