Saturday, February 23, 2008

Drama in Aeroflat Open 2008!


One funny incident happens in the last round game of Aeroflot 2008 between French - Maxime Vachier Lagrave (left) against Vietnamese - Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (right) . First, after playing for about 7 hours!, they were asked by the chief arbiter Geurt Gijssen to move from the main playing hall to a quite far room for unknown reason! ( probaly the organizer want to prepare the main playing hall for the closing ceremonies!?). So they dully walk for about 20 meters to play in another room.

After resuming the game, Nguyen achieved a mating attack in a King+Bishop+Rook vs King+Rook endgame. Unfortunately for him , Maxime claim a draw due to the 50 move rule.




Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (2551) - Vachier Lagrave,M (2637) [B92]
Aeroflot Open Moscow RUS (9), 22.02.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be2 Be6 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 0–0 11.Qd2 d5 12.e5 Ne4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Qe3 Nc6 15.c3 Na5 16.Nd2 Rc8 17.Rd1 Qc7 18.Nxe4 Nc4 19.Qg3 Kh8 20.b3 Qc6 21.Bf3 Bd5 22.Nd6 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Bh4+ 24.Ke2 Qxf3+ 25.gxf3 Nxd6 26.Rxd6 Rxc3 27.Rc1 Rxc1 28.Bxc1 Rd8 29.Kd3 h5 30.Ke4 Kh7 31.f4 Rc8 32.Be3 Rc7 33.f5 Be7 34.Rd1 Ba3 35.Bf4 Re7 36.Rd8 Bb2 37.Rd5 Kg8 38.Be3 Rc7 39.Bc5 Rc6 40.b4 Rc8 41.Rd7 a5 42.Rxb7 axb4 43.Bxb4 Rc2 44.Bd6 Rxh2 45.e6 Rh4+ 46.Kf3 fxe6 47.fxe6 Bf6 48.Rb8+ Kh7 49.e7 Bxe7 50.Bxe7 Ra4 51.a3 g5 52.Rb6 Rc4 53.Ra6 g4+ 54.Kg3 Rc3+ 55.Kh4 Rh3+ 56.Kg5 g3 57.Ra7 g2 58.Bf6+ Kg8 59.Rg7+ Kf8 60.Kh6 g1Q 61.Rxg1 Rxa3 62.Kg6 Re3 63.Rd1 Re2 64.Rd8+ Re8 65.Rd7 Re2 66.Rh7 Ke8 67.Kf5 Ra2 68.Re7+ Kf8 69.Rd7 Ke8 70.Rb7 h4 71.Bxh4

This is the starting point where moves would been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture. It is a Rook +bishop versus a rook endings and according to theory this pawn less endgames is usually a theoretical draw. However, the rook and bishop have good winning chances in practice because the defense is difficult . There are some winning positions. See Philidor position#Rook and bishop versus rook and Cochrane Defense

71...Ra5+ 72.Kg6 Re5 73.Bf6 Re2 74.Ra7 Re1 75.Kf5 Rb1 76.Bd4 Kd8 77.Ke6 Kc8 78.Be5 Rc1 79.Rf7 Rc2 80.Bd6 Rc1 81.Kd5 Ra1 82.Rh7 Ra2 83.Bf4 Ra6 84.Be5 Rb6 85.Rc7+ Kd8 86.Ra7 Kc8 87.Rc7+ Kd8 88.Bd6 Rb1 89.Ra7 Re1 90.Be5 Rd1+ 91.Ke6 Rc1 92.Rb7 Rc2 93.Rb3 Rc6+ 94.Bd6 Rc1 95.Rh3 Kc8 96.Rh8+ Kb7 97.Rb8+ Ka7 98.Rb4 Rd1 99.Kd7 Rc1 100.Bc7 Rh1 101.Bf4 Rh3 102.Be5 Rh1 103.Bd6 Rc1 104.Bf4 Rc2 105.Bc7 Rc1 106.Rb5 Rc2 107.Rb6 Rg2 108.Rb3 Rc2 109.Rb1 Rc3 110.Be5 Rc2 111.Kd6 Rd2+ 112.Kc6 Rc2+ 113.Kd5 Rg2 114.Bd6 Rg5+ 115.Kc6 Ka6

The clocks at the playing hall shows that both players have been
playing for 6 hours and 45 minutes! ( the round start at 11.00 a.m!)


Geurt Gijssen the arbiter stop the clock at move 115
and ask both player to move to another rooms


Both players move to another rooms


116.Rb8 Rg7 117.Rb6+ Ka7 118.Rb1 Ka8 119.Re1

Maxime in the verge of being checkmate in 2 !

119...Rb7 120.Re8+ Ka7 121.Bc5+

After move 125. Bc5+ Maxime claim a draw to the arbiter to show his intention to make a move which shall result in the last 50 moves having been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture


it is mate in two but unfortunately for Nguyen the 50 move rules has occur! Maxime claim a draw to the arbiter to show his intention to make a move which shall result in the last 50 moves having been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture if 12...Ka6 [121...Rb6+ 122.Bxb6+ Ka6 123.Ra8#] 122.Ra8+ Ra7 123.Rxa7# checkmate!)

so.....½–½


1/2-1/2 - Both players agreed for a draw!
The spectator applause them for an interesting game!









Let look what the rules say about it. I'm refering to FIDE Handbook


Article 9: The drawn game

9.3 The game is drawn, upon a correct claim by the player having the move, if

a. he writes his move on his score sheet, and declares to the arbiter his intention to make this move which shall result in the last 50 moves having been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture, or


b. the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture.

source : Europe-Echecs.com and wikipedia

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