Christmas for Kirsan

Kirsan Ilumzhinov, once the mercurial overlord of FIDÉ (the governing body of world chess) and long the subject of controversy, is now preparing his return from exile. Cast out by a blacklist drafted in Washington, he has emerged cleansed by the same bureaucratic machinery that condemned him. His papers are in order; his appetite for vengeance, undiminished. He means, quite openly, to reclaim his former throne.

With FIDÉ elections looming in Uzbekistan and the organisation drifting from crisis to contradiction, the ground could scarcely be riper. Arkady Dvorkovich—Russian, polished, and seemingly untroubled by the world’s disapproval—was re-elected in Chennai in 2022. The vote occurred alongside the relocated Chess Olympiad, which had been wrenched from Moscow and spirited to India at what felt like a day’s notice. The world’s governments, recoiling from the invasion of Ukraine, had demanded that Russia be excluded from international sport and that Russian officials be kept well away from the high tables of global power. Yet FIDÉ, confronted with this chorus, looked the other way when its own presidential chair was at stake.

The result has been a display of double standards so brazen that one almost admires the nerve of it. The same authorities who had punished Russia—quite sternly in fact—for its aggression were willing to make exceptions where personal influence was concerned. Moscow lost the Olympiad within hours of the invasion. Then came a unanimous decree forbidding Russians from playing under their flag, which left no Russian team in Chennai at all.

What made this stranger still was the identity of the man presiding over Russia’s expulsion: the former Russian Deputy Prime Minister and, since 2018, President of FIDÉ, Arkady Dvorkovich. First he appeared to oppose the war. Then, under pressure from the Kremlin’s enforcers—men he had once shown the courage to contradict—he folded. The Times quoted him addressing the Skolkova Foundation, repeating Moscow’s fiction that the war was a crusade against fascism. He spoke of childhood lessons in patriotism, of his hatred for Nazism, and of his pride in Russian soldiers “who at all times defended their homeland and freedom.”

The backlash was immediate. Many demanded his removal, since statements of that sort hardly suit the leader of a global intellectual pursuit that claims to rise above political brutalities. Sergey Karjakin—alarmingly, once a Ukrainian and now a Russian Grandmaster—was suspended by FIDÉ for making pro-war declarations. More than forty other Russian players, to their great credit, signed an open letter urging Putin to stop the war. Yet the President of FIDÉ himself, after echoing Kremlin propaganda, remained serenely in place.

Unwilling to risk defeat, Dvorkovich recruited the immensely popular former world champion, Vishwanathan (“Vishy”) Anand, as his Deputy President. With the election in Chennai, such a partnership was an electoral masterstroke. Predictably, it delivered him victory.

We now find ourselves in a curious moral labyrinth: Russia deprived of the Olympiad, the Russian team erased, one of its leading Grandmasters banned—yet the Russian President of FIDÉ, openly aligned with the Kremlin’s narrative, re-elected with enthusiasm. Meanwhile England’s Nigel Short, the organisation’s conscience and gadfly, has been quietly pushed into the shadows.

Regular readers will know that after the invasion of Ukraine I hoped Nigel might stand for the presidency himself. It was an honourable hope, but it did not prevail.

Nigel Short’s ascent—from brilliant child prodigy to the finest British player of the modern era—is well known . He reached world number three, led the English team to three silver medals at the Olympiad, and in April 1992 defeated Anatoly Karpov in the semi-finals of the World Championship cycle. Karpov, who had reigned uncontested after Bobby Fischer refused to defend his title, had dominated world chess for that decade (1975-1985). Nigel toppled him.

In January 1993, he also defeated the formidable Jan Timman to reach the World Championship final itself, where he faced Garry Kasparov under the sponsorship of The Times. He lost with honour. Yet his achievement has remained unmatched by any native-born Briton since Howard Staunton humbled the best of Paris and Berlin between 1843 and 1846.

In 2018, Nigel ventured into chess politics, standing for the presidency of FIDÉ. The English Chess Federation not only failed to support him but obstructed him—conduct I still consider shameful. Even so, he secured the post of Vice President.

Then, just before the Chennai election, FIDÉ suspended him for criticising the chess authorities in the US Virgin Islands. If ever there were a case of de minimis non curat lex, this was it: in chess terms one cannot descend much further into obscurity than the USVI. But Nigel has a stubborn instinct for principle, and in pursuing it he offended those in FIDÉ who profit from opacity. They exacted their pound of flesh. Though later vindicated by the IOC, he returned — not as Vice President but as a roving ambassador—an exile in all but name. One cannot help suspecting that the newly re-aligned and pro-Putin Dvorkovich was glad to dispense with his troublesome moralist.

And so I offer a suggestion—radical perhaps, but no less plausible for that. Let Kirsan Ilumzhinov and Nigel Short join forces. Let Nigel stand on the Kirsan ticket, alongside the universally admired Vishy Anand. In this way an East-West partnership might emerge—unlikely, unconventional, yet possessing a genuine chance of triumph.

This week’s games feature two wins by strong Grandmasters who went on to achieve apotheosis as Presidents of FIDÉ, the exception rather than the rule.

Max Euwe vs. Alexander Alekhine

World Championship Rematch, 1937, The Hague, game 1

Notes by Max Euwe

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 f6 12. O-O Rd8 13. Qc1 Be6 14. Ne4!

This new move, introduced by the Estonian master, J. Turn, throws an entirely new light upon the so-called main variation of the Slav defence to the Queen’s Gambit. By postponing the exchange at e5, White succeeds in taking “advantage of the greater freedom of his pieces and is able to deprive his opponent of one of his bishops.” In the further course of the match I did not succeed in finding a way to meet this move, and it seems that Alekhine did not find any either. Therefore we both avoided this variation when we had the Black pieces. The first thirteen moves of this game are the same as those in the twentieth and twenty-first games of the first match.

14… Bb4

Black must castle as soon as possible, otherwise the weakness on the square, d6, would become dangerous. On the other hand, 14… Bxc4 15. Qxc4 Nxc4 16. Bxc7 Rc8 17. Bf4, would have led to a better endgame for White.

15. a5 O-O

Best, as 15… a6 would have weakened Black’s position, in addition to losing a tempo.

16. a6

Forceful enough, but probably not the best. More appropriate, in order to keep the initiative, would be 16. Ra4 Be7 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Nc5 Bc8 (or …Bf7 19. Bh3).

16… bxa6?

A move which, as a matter of fact, should not even be taken into consideration, as it seriously weakens the pawn position without compensation. Correct was 16… b6; and then if 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Qe3, still keeping a shade [of] the initiative.

17. Nxe5 Nxe5

Forced, since 17… fxe5 would lose after 18. Ng5.

18. Nc5 Bxc5

Black cannot play 18… Bc8 because of 19. Bxe5 followed by 20. Qc4+ winning a piece.

19. Qxc5 g5

There is no longer a satisfactory line for Black. After the plausible 19… Qb6 White would maintain his advantage by answering 20. Qc3!

20. Be3 Bd5

In order to eliminate at least one of White’s bishops, he had to lose a pawn in any case.

21. Rxa6 Bxg2 22. Kxg2

Avoiding the pitfall 22. Rxa7 Bxf1 23. Rxc7 Rd1 after which White would get into trouble.

22… Rf7 23. Rfa1

And not 23. Rxa7 Qxa7 24. Qxa7 Rxa7 25. Bxa7; allowing Black to equalize by 23… Rd2.

23… Qd6 24. Qxd6 Rxd6 25. Rxa7

Perhaps even better—and in any case simpler—was 25. b4.

25… Rxa7 26. Rxa7 Nc4

Thus Black obtains some counter chances which, however, are not quite sufficient to save the game.

27. Bc5 Re6

After 27… Rd2 White could play either 28. Be7 with variations analogous to that in the actual game, or 28. b3 Ne5 29. e4.

28. Bd4

Equally good was 28. b3, as after 28… Nd2 2.9 Be3 Nxb3 30. Ra3, Black would have been obliged to sacrifice the exchange.

28… Rxe2

Obviously his only, though very slight chance.

29. Bxf6 g4

If 29… Nxb2? 30. Ra2. After the pawn move actually played White would lose a piece if he continued 30. Rg7+ Kf8 31. Rxg4? Ne3+ 32. Kf3 Nxg4 33. Kxe2 Nxf6.

30. Kf1

But after this intermediate move all is practically over.

30… Rc2

Or 30…Re6 31 Bc3.

31. Rg7+ Kf8 32. Rxg4 Nxb2

31. Bxb2

Clearly foreseeing that the rook and pawn ending is an easy technical win. There were, of course, other good continuations here, but in such cases simplification is, in my belief, always advisable.

33… Rxb2 34. Rc4 Rb6

With a pawn to the good, an active rook’s position, and, above all, the possibility of obtaining in the near future two connected passed pawns, White’s game is absolutely won.

35. Ke2 Kf7 36. Rh4 Kg6 37. Rf4 Rb3 38. Rc4 Rb6 39. Ke3

By his manoeuvre in moves 36—38 White has forced the Black king to go farther away from the centre.

39… Kf5 40. g4+ Ke6

Or 40… Kg5 41. f3 followed by 42. Rc5+.

41. f4

The sealed move.

41… Kd5 42. Rd4+ Ke6

Or 42… Kc5 43. f5.

43. f5+ Ke7 44. Re4+ Kf7 45. h4 Rb1 46. Kf4 Rc1 47. Ra4

Obtaining possession of the seventh rank.

47… h6 48. Ra7+ Kg8 49. g5 Rc4+ 50. Ke5 Black resigns 1-0

For if now 50… Rxh4, then 51. g6.

Bent Larsen vs. Fridrik Olafsson

Portoroz Interzonal, 1958, Portoroz, rd. 14

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. c4 c6 6. d4 d6 7. Nc3 Nbd7 8. e4 e5 9. Re1 Ne8

A novelty of fairly dubious merit. Far preferable is the standard line with, 9… exd4 10. Nxd4 Ng4 11. Rf1 Qa5 12. Nde2 Nc5, after which, Black is completely equal.

10. Bg5 f6 11. Be3 Qe7 12. Qd2 f5 13. c5 Qf7

Black loses further ground with this move. Already worse, he can ensure no further ground is lost through simplification: 13… dxc5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Rad1 fxe4 17. Nxe4 Bg4 18. Bxc5 Bxd1 19. Bxf8 Bxf8 20. Qxd1 Qxb2, when Black has limited White’s advantage.

14. exf5 gxf5 15. cxd6

White had far better in, 15. Ng5 Qg6 16. d5 e4 17. Ne6 Rf7 18. Nd8 Rf8 19. dxc6 bxc6 20. Nd5; when his considerable advantage is becoming a serious concern for Black.

15… e4 16. Ng5 Qf6 17. d5

White misses an opportunity to restore a sizeable edge with, 17. f3 h6 18. fxe4 f4 19. gxf4 hxg5 20. e5 Qg6 21. fxg5, which should prove a significant advantage.

17… Nxd6 18. Ne6 Nc4 19. Qe2 Nxe3 20. Nxf8 Nxd5 21. Nxd7 Bxd7 22. Rac1 Re8 23. Red1 Be6 24. Nxd5 Bxd5 25. b3 Bh6 26. f4 Bf8 27. Qh5 Bf7 28. Qg5+

White has squandered a considerable lead over the past 10 moves or so. This invitation to exchange queens, is a welcome development for Black, granting him a slight advantage. Better was,  28. Qe2 Bd5 29. Qd2 Ba3 30. Rc2 Qe7 31. h3, with an even position.

28… Qxg5 29. fxg5 Bh5

30. Rd7

And this move escalates White’s fortunes from bad to worse. After, 30. Rd4 e3 31. Kf1 a5 32. Rcc4 Bb4 33. Rxb4 axb4 34. Rh4 Bf7 35. Rxb4, Black’s advantage is slight.

30… e3 31. Rxb7 e2 32. Kf2

White’s position prior to this error, was worse, but still tenable. Either, 32. Bxc6 or 32. Bf1 would have preserved his slight chances, but the text move takes him over the precipice.

32… Bc5+ 33. Ke1 Rd8 White resigns 0-1

There will be no column on December 27th. The chess world mourns the artist Barry Martin, who died on December 12th aged 82.   Chess through the Looking Glass , Ray’s 208th chess book and written jointly with Barry, is available on Amazon.