MERDEKA Rapid 2009 "Hand of God" Drama!

FM Mok Tze Meng (left) vs. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (right)

Local team SMS Gold MO meet the top favourite - Tagatay City (Philipinnes) in the final round. The highlight of the match is between the top board - FM Mok Tze Meng (SMS Gold) vs. GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. (Tagatay City). Rogelio has a reputation for being the well dress GM but his success in qualifying to the 2009 World Cup is more notable. Mok Tze Meng who managed to get his final IM norm in the recent DATMO continue his excellent form by beating Rogelio in a game which produced a dramatic ending.

FM Mok Tze Meng (SMS Gold MO) vs. GM Rogelio Antionio Jr. (Tagatay City)

Round 9, Merdeka Team Rapid, 31.8.2009

Mok have a clear winning position ( see diagram below) but he was in terrible time trouble ( he has about 25 seconds left) . Fortunately for him, there's 10 seconds increment, so Mok keeps his cool, avoid blunder and maintain his winning advantage.

1. bxa5 bxa5 2. Rd5 a4 3. Na6 Nd6 4. Nc5+ Ke7 5.Rd4 Bc2 6. Nxa4! Nf5 after 6...Bxa4 7.c5 Nb7 8.Rxa4 Nxc5 9. Rh4 white will take black's h- pawn and will have two distant passed pawn on -a and -h file ! 7. Rf4 Ke6 8. Nc3 Ke5 9. Rf2 Bd3 10. c5 Kd4 11. Na4 Ke3 12.Rb2 Nd4 13. Rb6 f5 14. Rf6 f4 15. c6 Be4 16. c7 Nf3+ 17. Kg2 Nd2+ 18. Kg1 Nf3+19. Kf1 Bd3+ 20. Kg2 Nh4+ 21.Kh2 Nf3+22.Kg2...

Many kibitzer watch this game and i 'm one of them. In time trouble, Rogelio pick his bishop on d3, hand off the bishop on a6 and then in a split second - ala Kasparov-Polgar "hand of god" drama in Linares 1994 and the original Diego Maradona "hand of god" drama in Football World Cup 1986 ...pick the bishop back to d3...

22...Be4 The problem with 20... Ba6?? is actually the move lost immediately because the bishop will simply be captured with 21.Rxa6!. The arbiter was called and after listening to the players, decide to proceed the game. Fortunately the position was still an easy win for Mok. 23. c8=Q and Rogelio resign a few moves later. Possible continuation is 23...Nd2+ 24. Kg1 Nf3+ 25. Kf1 Bd3+26. Kg2 Nh4+ 26...Ne1+ 27.Kh2 Nf3+ 28.Kh1 and white escape the perpetual 27. Kh2 Nf3+ 28. Kh1 and again white escape the perpetual 1-0