All Greek

AM making final preparations for flying to Crete tomorrow for the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'World Championship'.

It is being held at Fodele Beach Resort on the island's north coast.

There are 147 entries across seven sections, including 11 England-registered players.

The event, which has nine rounds, has several quirks, not least claiming to be a world championship.

Players are sorted into sections, according to their rating at the time of registration - the higher of Fide and national is used - but the games are not sent to the world chess federation for rating.

The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, an extra 15 minutes for the rest of the game, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Most games are at 10:00, but Thursday and Saturday are double-round days, with a free day on Sunday.

What Would You Play?

THE following very interesting position arose in the game Mikhail Botvinnk - Nikolay Sorokin, USSR Championship (Moscow) 1931.

Black has just played 19...e6-e5!?

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Botvinnik replied 20.Qe3!?

He wrote in One Hundred Selected Games: "This far-from-obvious move is the strongest in the given position. With the exchange of queens, which he cannot avoid, the defects of Black's position grow more perceptible. In view of the backwardness of his development Black now certainly cannot oppose anything to the pressure along the d file. His e pawn becomes very weak. To defend it Black finds himself forced to exchange a bishop for a knight at f3, after which not only his queenside but the square f7 is weakened. The doubling of the white pawns on the e file is of no essential importance."

Botvinnik awarded his move an exclamation mark, something he was rather sparing with.

Valery Chekov, annotating the game for ChessBase, also gives the move an exclamation mark, but without comment.

So far, so interesting, and arguably rather instructional, but what makes the position even more interesting is that modern engines strongly disagree with the grandmasters' verdict. 

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 fluctuate between calling the move dubious (flashing yellow) and calling it a mistake (flashing red).

The former reckons both 20.Rc2 and 20.Rd6 give a winning position, while Dragon1 agrees on 20.Rd6 but assesses 20.Qe3!? as second-best, albeit 'only' good enough for the upper hand.

Who to believe?

If the situation were tactical, there is usually - I stress 'usually', rather than invariably - little doubt engines' verdicts are the more reliable.

But the situation is positional, and, to a certain extent, Dragon1, at least, is unsure as to the best continuation (20.h3 and 20.Rc2 get a look-in as being second-best, with the later sometimes overtaking 20.Rd6 as Dragon1's preferred option).

All-in-all, perhaps it is best to sum up the verdict as unclear.

Select

WHILE I was in America the only chess book I took with me was Mikhail Botvinnik's One Hundred Selected Games.

The following is an exciting encounter from the 1931 Leningrad Championship, with notes in italics by the author.

Mikhail Botvinnik - Grigoriy Myasoyedov

Nimzo-Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.C4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qb3!?

This move is out of favour today, but was played as early 1882 - four years before Aron Nimzowitsch was born - by Wilhelm Steinitz.

4...c5 5.dxc5!?

This is easily the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

5...Nc6!? 6.Nf3 Ne4!? 7.Bd2 Nxc5!?

Much more common is 7...Nxd2, but Nimzowitsch preferred the text in a 1930 win over Efim Bogoljubow.

8.Qc2 f5 9.a3 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 0-0 11.b4 Ne4

Position after 11...Ne4

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So far as in the Stahlberg-Alekhine game (Hamburg 1930*), which ended in White's defeat. In commenting on that game Kmoch pointed out that instead of the 12.e3 which was played the best continuation was 12.Bb2 b6, though this also was in Black's favour. The present game seems to show that even in that case Black's game is no better.

12.Bb2 b6

Simpler would have been 12...d6, as in the game Winter-Sultan Khan (Hastings Christmas 1930). But now a little surprise awaits Black.

13.g4!?

This interesting move had been previously studied in home analysis and, now at last, applied in practice. If I had foreseen what complications this novelty would lead to I would in all probability have given preference to the calm continuation 13.g3.

How should Black respond?

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13...Nxf2!

All other continuations led to opening up the g file, after which White's position, with the bishop at b2 and the rook at g1 would look threatening. For that matter, White had taken this knight sacrifice also into account. I foresaw that Black would not be able to recapture, and ended my analysis at that. But, as often happens, mistakes occur in home analysis too, to be refuted by actual play. White does in fact retain his piece, but he comes under strong attack.

14.Kxf2 fxg4 15.Rg1 Qh4+ 16.Ke3

It is easy to see that this is now the only move. If 16.Rg3 [then] 16...gxf3 17.Kg1 Nd4!, or 16.Kg2 gxf3+ 17.Kh1 Nd4! to Black's advantage.

16...Qh6+ 17.Kf2 Qh4+

Black is compelled  to resort to perpetual check. A false scent would be 17...Qxh2+ 18.Rg2! Or 17...gxf3 18.Rxg7+ Qxg7 19.Bxg7, and White alone would gain.

18.Ke3 Qh6+ 19.Kd3

This is the very position White has studied, regarding it as favourable to himself. However, at the board, only after great hesitation did he decide on taking the king for such a daring walk.

19...d5

The strongest move! There was nothing good to be obtained from 19...Qg6+ 20.Kd2, or 19...e5 20.Qd2! Qd6+ 21.Kc2.

20.Qc1?!

The only reply, securing the king's retreat. Not 20.Qd2 Qg6+ 21.Kc3 Qe4! 22.Qg5 e5!, and White's position is critical.

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer 20.Qd2, improving on Botvinnik's line with 22.cxd5, claiming complete equality.

Now it may appear that White is getting out of the wood, but Black, consistently developing his attack on the White king, in the final resort achieves perpetual check.

20...dxc4+

ChessBase gives the last two moves exclamation marks, as indeed did Botvinnik. In fact ChessBase appears to have lifted Botvinnik's annotations wholesale without attribution. The engines show 20...Rf4!? would have caused White serious problems as both 21...e5 and 21...dxc4+ are major threats, eg 21.Ne5 Bb7 22.h3 Nxe5+ 23.Bxe5 Qg6+ 24.Kd2 Re4 25.Bb2 h5!? with a complicated position that the engines reckon is winning for Black

21.Qxc4

21.Kxc4 is bad: 21...Rf4+ 22.Kb3 e5! But it was worth considering 21.Kc2 (leaving the c file [half-]closed) though Black's three pawns for the piece made this continuation unconvincing.

21...Rd8+ 22.Kc2 Bb7 23.Qxg4

Now the threat Qxg7+ drives Black into the following continuation, forcing a draw.

23...Nxb4+! 24.axb4

Agreeing to a draw.

24...Rac8+ 25.Bc3 Rxc3+! 26.Kxc3 Qe3+ 27.Kb2 Rd2+! 28.Nxd2 Qxd2+ 29.Kb1 Qd1+ 30.Kb2 Qd2+ ½–½

*At the third Olympiad.

League Chess

ARRIVED back in England yesterday afternoon in time to face a junior (born 2011) on board three (of five) in division two of the Central London League last night.

Cian Ward (Hammersmith - 2112) - Spanton (Battersea - 1933)

French Tarrasch

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 a6!?

A modern-style 'waiting move', although it goes back to at least 1948.

4.Bd3!?

This is Stockfish17's top choice, at least for a while, although Dragon1 prefers the more popular 4.Ngf3.

4...c5 5.exd5!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 5.dxc5!? Bxc5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.0-0, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.

5...exd5

On 5...Qxd5 the engines give 6.dxc5!?, awarding White at least the better side of equality.

6.dxc5!?

This is the commonest continuation in Mega24.

6...Bxc5 7.Ngf3 Nf6 8.0-0 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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As usual with Isolated Queen's Pawn positions, it all depends on whether the IQP is mostly a strength (it is the only pawn on the two central files) or a weakness (it cannot be supported by a friendly pawn). The engines reckon the game is completely equal, so perhaps a better way of answering the question is that it all depends who better handles the pluses and minuses of the position.
9.Nb3 Ba7

More popular is 9...Bb6.

10.Bf4!?

Normal are 10.h3 and 10.Bg5, although the latter is disliked by the engines.

10...Nc6 11.c3 Bg4 12.Re1 h6 13.h3 Bh5 14.Rc1 Re8 15.Rxe8+ Qxe8 16.g4!?

This thrust is nearly always double-edged, although here it is played with a specific continuation in mind.

16...Bg6

The engines suggest 16...Ne4!? White cannot allow ...Nxf2, so perhaps best is 17.Nbd4, after which Black can play ...Bg6 without worrying about Bxg6.

17.Bxg6 fxg6 18.g5!?

Trying to exploit the weakness of d5.

How should Black respond?

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18...Qe4!

An unusual pawn sacrifice in that White will be able to capture on d5 with check, but the engines reckon the text is a tad better than 18...hxg5.

19.gxf6 Qxf4 20.Qxd5+ Kh7 21.fxg7?

Apparently missing Black's reply. White had to break the pin on the f2 pawn, probably by 21.Kg2, although then Black gets back the sacrificed pawn.

21...Qg3+! 22.Kh1 Qxh3+ 23.Nh2

Not 23.Kg1?, hoping for a draw by repetition, as Black has 23...Qg3+ 24.Kh1 Bxf2.

23...Kxg7 24.Qg2

The engines give 24.Nc5 bxc5 25.Qxc5, but reckon 25...Rf8 is winning (Dragon1) or at least gives the upper hand (Stockfish17).

24...Qh4 25.Rd1 Rd8 26.Rxd8 Qxd8 27.Qf3 Qf6 28.Qxf6+?!

Probably better is 28.Kg2, albeit the engines give Black the upper hand.

28...Kxf6

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

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Black has the only long-range piece on a board with an open centre and rival pawn-majorities. Black's king is more centralised, and the black knight is better than either White knight. White's only plus is having a farside pawn-majority. The engines reckon Black is winning.

29.Kg2 Ne5 30.Nc1 Kf5 31.Nf1 Ke4 32.Nd2+ Kd5 33.b3 b5!?

The engines at first strongly dislike this, preferring 33...h5, but come to regard it as OK.

34.a4?!

The engines suggest 24.Ne2, although agreeing 24...Nd3 is winning, or at least gives the upper hand.

34...bxa4 35.Bxa4 Nc4 36.Nf3 Nb2 37.a5 Nd1?

This throws away much of Black's advantage. Better is 37...Bb8, intending 38...Bc7 etc, or immediately starting to advance the kingside pawns.

38.Nd3 Nxc3 39.Nf4+?!

Planning to create a rival passed pawn, but it was almost certainly better to eliminate Black's queenside pawn by 39.Nb4+ etc, which Stockfish17 reckons equalises, although Dragon1 gives Black the upper hand.

39...Kc5 40.Nxg6 Kb5 41.Nd2 Kxa5 42.f4 Nd5?!

The engines strongly prefer 42...Kb4 or 42...Kb5.

43.Kf3 Nf6?!

Again either king move is preferred.

44.Ne5?

After 44.Ne4 Black is only slightly better, according to the engines.

44...Kb5 45.Nb3 Bc5!? 46.Nd3

White's remaining pieces will find it very difficult to cope with two passed pawns after 46.Nxc5?! Kxc5.

46...Bf8 47.Ne5 Kb4 48.Nd4 h5 49.Ndc6+ Kc5 50.Na5 Kd5 51.Nb7 Bd6 52.Nxd6?!

This is probably wrong, although it does eliminate Black's long-range piece.

52...Kxd6 53.Nc4+ Kc5 54.Na5 Kb5 55.Nb7 a5?

Impatient. Black should manoeuvre, only advancing the a pawn when it cannot be captured.

56.Nxa5! Kxa5

White to play and draw

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57.Kg3?

Losing a crucial tempo. Drawing is 57.f5 Kb5 58.Kf4 Kc5 59.Kg5 Kd5 60.Kxf6 h4 61.Kg6, and both pawns queen.

57...Kb5 58.f5 Kc5 59.Kh3

Or 59.Kf4 Kd5, and if 60.Kg5 then 60...Ke5 etc.

59...Kd5 60.Kh4 Ke4 61.Kh3 Kxf5 (0-1, 85 moves)

Hammersmith defaulted on board four, the match ending 2.5-2.5.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

12/9/24  Central London League   W     1933         1886                   1            2286

26/9/24  Central London League   B      1933         2112                   1            2399

Grand Canyon To Las Vegas

Route 66, from Chicago to Santa Monica, was established in 1926, creating an economic boom in the 1930s for towns along its path, including Seligman, Arizona

The boom was particularly significant in coming against the background of the Great Depression

Prosperity grew further in the post-War 1940s and 1950s

But the writing was on the wall in 1956 when President Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act, bringing an autobahn-like system to the US

Traffic soon bypassed the towns of Route 66, and a big economic decline set in

But in the late 1980s a revival began, based on nostalgia for what was seen as a golden era of road transport

Part of our journey to Las Vegas took us through another former Route 66 success story, Kingman, Arizona, where we stopped for lunch in a 1950s-style diner

Nostalgia is big in Kingman

So is Donald Trump

Kingman was also on the route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, this steam locomotive dating back to 1928

After 277 miles we cruised down The Strip on the way to Las Vegas airport

Inside The Grand Canyon

View from Bright Angel Trail after descending below South Rim (6,860 feet - 2,091 metres)

Mules have right of way

I wasn't going to  argue

Two ravens can just be seen on the rock face in the centre of the photo

Despite the sign, reaching the resthouse is a walk of 3.1 miles (5.0 kilometres) over a descent of 2,112 feet (644 metres) - and the toilets were closed for cleaning

What comes down, must go back up - view from the resthouse

Another view up

Much of the gradient is gentle, but tiring in the sun

Shade boosts morale, unlike heading for a sheer rockface

Back on top in time to see the restored 1923 Grand Canyon Pullman

Monument Valley To Grand Canyon

Little Colorado River, which, despite carving out a tributary of the Grand Canyon up to 3,000ft (914m) deep, is little more than a trickle for much of its length, until filled with snowmelt

After 150 miles, an overview of the Grand Canyon from Desert View

This looks like a yucca, and was identified as such to me, but a little research leads me to believe it is a Utah agave

Friendly squirrel

Revealing gap

Contrasting colours

Rock layers record part of Earth's history stretching back hundreds of millions of years

Upper layers of the Grand Canyon are primarily limestone, sandstone and mudstone

Inside Monument Valley

John Ford Point

Big Chief

Traditional Navajo homes - two 'female' and (right) one 'male'

Feral horse

Totem Pole (centre distant)

Sun's Eye

Rock art by pre-Navajo people, probably about 1,000 years old

Big Hand at sunset

Bryce To Monument Valley

Glen Canyon Dam helps provide hydroelectricity and drinking water for 40million people

The Colorado River backed up behind the dam

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

After 300 miles, looking across to Monument Valley

Inside Bryce Canyon

Looking down on a walk known as the Navajo Loop

Hoodoos, also known as fairy chimneys or tent rocks, typically form where a thin, but hard, top layer of rock covers a much larger quantity of soft rock

Bryce Canyon's hoodoos are primarily caused by melting snow seeping into cracks and then expanding at night when winter temperatures drop well below freezing

Trees have to make do with wherever they can find a foothold

Often it is a precarious-looking existence

Some rock formations have been named, eg the outcrop centre-rear at first glance looks like the Parthenon

'The Chimney'

Paths are easy under foot, but can be steep

'The Caves'

Chipmunk

'Windows on the World'

Bryce Canyon is not a true canyon but rather a series of amphitheatres

Humans are dwarfed by the size of some hoodoos

A steep section of a walk known as the Peekaboo Loop

A striking tunnel

Trees are doing better than usual in this section of Bryce Canyon