Chess - The Scotsman 24/02/2012

MIKHAIL CHIGORIN (1850-1908), bearded and hard-drinking, twice challenged for the world title and achieved iconic, Karl Marx-style status in Soviet chess. He often favoured knights over bishops. Later Aaron Nimzovich and Tigran Petrosian also won impressive games by the power of their knight play.

Chigorin is arguably the most under-recognized player in chess history. He didn’t win the world championship in his two attempts against Wilhelm Steinitz, in 1889 and 1892.

He was, though, the first Russian to become a luminary of the game, and widely credited as the founder of the Russian school of chess. And his Chigorin’s Defence (1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6) has achieved respectable results in top play around the world. And perhaps inspired by his influence in his homeland, in today’s game the Russian world No 9 Alexander Morozevich is the recognized equine defender. He likes the Chigorin defence and has written a New in Chess book about his experiences with it.

Knight lovers often do well with the black pieces, and Moro is no exception, as can be witnessed from his latest encounter of preferring knights to bishops against the world No 14 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, in a game that proved decisive in him winning the Vladimirs Petrovs Memorial last weekend in Jurmala in Latvia.

S Mamedyarov - A Morozevich

Vladimirs Petrovs Memorial, (5)

English Opening

1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e5 3 g3 Bb4 4 Bg2 0–0 5 e4 Bxc3 6 bxc3 c6 7 d4 d6 8 Ne2 c5 9 0–0 Nc6 10 Qd3 b6 11 f4 Nd7 12 f5 cxd4 13 cxd4 exd4 14 Nxd4 Nce5 15 Qe2 Ba6 16 Nb5 Rc8 17 Nxd6 Bxc4 18 Nxc4 Rxc4 19 Ba3 Re8 20 Rad1 b5 21 Bb2 Qb6+ 22 Kh1 Nf6 23 h3 h6 24 Rd2 Rcc8 25 Bd4 Qa5 26 Rfd1 a6 27 Kh2 Qc7 28 Ba1 h5 29 Kh1 Qc4 30 Qe3 b4 31 Qf4 Qc5 32 Kh2 Qe7 33 Kh1 a5 34 Bf1 Nc4 35 Rd4 Na3 36 Bg2 Nc2 37 e5 Qxe5 38 Qxe5 Rxe5 39 Rd8+ Re8 40 Rxc8 Rxc8 41 Rc1 a4! 42 Bb7 Rc5 43 Bd4 Rc4 44 Bxf6 0–1