Chess Improvement

Back in 1963 when I was 8 years old Bobby Fischer wrote in Boy’s Life that this game with Berliner was probably most indicative of his style. It shows remorseless technical determination, not the kind of game I would normally choose to annotate.

I have played over all of Dashzeveg Sharavdorj’s games twice, once to look for email material and once again to prepare for the Colorado Closed. In general Sharavdorj’s style is like the Berliner-Fischer game, relentless, technical Chess usually revolving around one pawn. Dan Avery Chess – a narrow range of plus or minus one pawn.

I have analyzed with Sharavdorj and he sees tacics instantly and his evaluations of endgames is usually instantaneous as well. He plays what David Vigorito calls “correct Chess”. Sharavdorj aims for positional clarity and I aim for tactical insanity so our styles are sort of opposite. Philipp Ponomarev, Colorado Closed 2008, is the only local to beat the Grandmaster in Colorado as far as I know.

Tyler Hughes and I have had winning positons against him but only managed to lose or draw in slow Chess.

Sharavdorj has beaten many top GMs living in the United States. I would describe his style as pure, distilled logic. His approach is too refined for me to appreciate. Sharavdorj is Glenfiddich Scotch and I am Boone’s Farm Tickled Pink wine.

Here is an interesting game where living
legend Viktor Korchnoi beats Sharavdorj.
Korchnoi is as old as my Dad.

Lucius John Wall II 77, born July 22, 1931.
Viktor Korchnoi 77, born March 23,1931

Korchnoi belongs to the short list of almost World Champions like
Keres, Kamsky, Bronstein, Hammersmith, Rubinstein, Schlecter.

[Event "Western Open"]
[Site "Bay City"]
[Date "1963.07.07"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Hans Berliner"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "106"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5
7. Nf3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bd3 b6
12. O-O Bb7 13. Rfd1 Nc6 14. Qb2 Qf6 15. Rac1 Rfd8 16. Bb5 Rac8
17. Ne5 Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qf4 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Qd4 g5 21. f3 g4
22. Be2 gxf3 23. gxf3 Kh8 24. Kh1 Ba6 25. Qf2 Bxe2 26. Qxe2 Qxe5
27. Rg1 f5 28. Qd3 fxe4 29. fxe4 Rf8 30. Qc2 Qf6 31. Rg2 Qd4
32. h3 Qa1+ 33. Rg1 Qe5 34. Qe2 b5 35. Qc2 b4 36. Qd3 a5
37. Qc2 Qf6 38. Qc4 Qf3+ 39. Kh2 Rd8 40. Qc2 Qc3 41. Qxc3+ bxc3
42. Rc1 Rd3 43. Rb1 Kg7 44. Rb5 a4 45. Rc5 a3 46. Kg2 Re3
47. Rc4 Kf6 48. h4 Ke5 49. Kf2 Rh3 50. Kg2 Rd3 51. h5 Kf4
52. h6 Ke3 53. Rc7 Kd2

0-1

berliner-fischer.pgn
—————————————————————————-

[Event "National Open"]
[Site "Las Vegas USA"]
[Date "2007.06.09"]
[EventDate "2007.06.08"]
[Round "4"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Dashzeveg Sharavdorj"]
[Black "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[ECO "D26"]
[WhiteElo "2454"]
[BlackElo "2623"]
[PlyCount "56"]

2007 National Open

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Round 4

June 8, 2007

40/2, Game/1

White – GM Dashzeveg Sharavdorj 2454

Black – Viktor Korchnoi 2623

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 c5 5. Bxc4 Nf6 6. O-O Nc6
7. Qe2 cxd4 8. Rd1 Be7 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. exd4 Bd7

This has a Lasker/Steinitz feel to it

11. Bg5 TN Sharavdorj

Theoretical Novelty by Sharavdorj

11 Nc3 played 8 times before
11 d5 played once
11 Bf4 never played

11 … O-O! 12. Nc3! Re8! 13. Rd3

It is not so easy to checkmate Viktor Korchnoi

13 … Rc8! 14. Bb3 Bc6! 15. Rad1 Nd5 16. Bxd5! Bxd5!
17. Bxe7! Rxe7! 18. Qh5 Rd7! 19. Rh3! h6! 20. Qe5! Qf8
21. Rg3! Rcd8 22. Rdd3 f6

The game should be about even but Korchnoi
has slight pressure against the d-pawn

23. Qh5 Bc4! 24. Rdf3 Rxd4!

Suddenly Korchnoi wins the isolani

25. h3! Kh8! 26. Rg6 Bd3 27. Rxd3

Rather than just being a pawn down after
27 Rg4 Sharavdorj goes for broke.

27 … Rxd3! 28. Ne4 R8d5!

The attack is dead after
29 Qe2 Qe8 so
Sharavdorj resigns.

0-1

Where did Dashzeveg go wrong?
Little errors.
22 Rdd3 was not quite right.
22 f4 intending 23 f5 with a micro-edge was better.
The idea of 22 Rdd3 was 23 R:g7+ K:g7 24 Rg3
but after 22 Rdd3 f6
the rook was just awkwardly placed.

His next move 23 Qh5 was a little rambunctious,
just defending the d-pawn with 23 Qe3 is OK -
23 Qe3 Bc4 24 Rd1 e5 25 d5 or Q:h6
should hold

Dashzeveg’s next move, 24 Rdf3 digs the hole deeper.
24 Rd1/2 R:d4 25 R:d4 R:d4 26 b3 Ba6 27 Q:h6
is not so bad

26 Rg6 doesn’t help either
and 27 R:d3 is just hopeless.

It seems the Mongolian got nervous just trying to hang onto his weak d-pawn and tried to invade forcefully with his rooks and the whole thing just backfired.

Korchnoi out-Sharavdorjed Sharavdorj.
——————————————————————————
[Event "National Open"]
[Site "Las Vegas USA"]
[Date "2007.06.09"]
[EventDate "2007.06.08"]
[Round "4"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Dashzeveg Sharavdorj"]
[Black "Viktor Korchnoi"]
[ECO "D26"]
[WhiteElo "2454"]
[BlackElo "2623"]
[PlyCount "56"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 c5 5. Bxc4 Nf6 6. O-O Nc6
7. Qe2 cxd4 8. Rd1 Be7 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. exd4 Bd7 11. Bg5 O-O
12. Nc3 Re8 13. Rd3 Rc8 14. Bb3 Bc6 15. Rad1 Nd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5
17. Bxe7 Rxe7 18. Qh5 Rd7 19. Rh3 h6 20. Qe5 Qf8 21. Rg3 Rcd8
22. Rdd3 f6 23. Qh5 Bc4 24. Rdf3 Rxd4 25. h3 Kh8 26. Rg6 Bd3
27. Rxd3 Rxd3 28. Ne4 R8d5 0-1

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