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SERGEY BYSTROV, |
| Anticrisis, eclipsed... Notes of the participant. |
The 20th time the Czech town of Pardubice receives participants of the chess festival, bridge and other games. 1311 chessplayers from 45 countries (224 less than in the past year) have gathered at the forum 18 days long! And the organizers have arranged a member of tournament this year. It was written a lot about festivals in Pardubice, including me as well, but in each of them the organizers try to add, or to broaden a "Czech Open" program. One should not repeat it. I offer my readers the photoreportings and a small review paper. 295 chessplayers have participated in the main "A" tournament, 26 Grandmasters out of them! Ukrainian Grandmaster Anton Korobov, the second rating seed, has held a convincing victory, who gathered eight points in nine rounds, his country mate M.Kravtsive had the second place, being a half point behind; the third-sixth places were shared by V.Laznichka, P.Haba (both-Chechia), D.Linchevsky (Russia) and im R.Vitezslaw (Chechia). They have seven points each... The weather on the whole was favorable for chessplayer. There was not much heat, and sometimes it event rained. A peculiarity of the twentieth festival was also that it took place between two sun eclipses (July 22) at the first day of "G1-G4" and moon one (August 6). The influence of eclipses at different fields of man's activity is a scientific fact. The conditions as it should sum were equal for everybody, but nevertheless it was not so... The world financial crisis affected the festival organizers. Instead of "past year" 49 Grandmasters already 26 of them have participated this time as it was mentioned above. True, the number of masters have even increased not considerably. I want to say for the sake of justice that somewhat "rating-thin" festival has still been influenced by the fact that a number of strong Swiss-system tournaments have passed the same time, in particular, in Bill, Warsaw and Andorra. Some nervousness has been felt in a sphere of services from time to time. I have in view a service staff of hostels, restaurant, cafe, shop... The western system of valuables, market and material ones passes tests. And not everyone in it keeps the work or former conditions of it. I want to note, incidentally that as in the past years at the "Kavarna Europe" restaurant the waiters sometimes behaved like boors', serviced slowly, or did not pay attention at all for a long time. The same sometimes took place "At Yozef" restaurant such things took place in the former passed times as well, but it was not so noticeable. Either politics influences upon the life conditions or not all stand a tense schedule of work during the competition?! We detained a day after the festival, and as it was noticeably the chessplayers had only gone away! However at least two thousands of participants and accompanying persons filled up the town's life of full value. But the Chinese "forbidden town" restaurant as to servicing was beyond all praises. But unluckily the Chinese kitchen was not to the taste of everyone! There were drawbacks in the hostel for example, in "C" block the chambermaids not always "made friends with cleanliness", but in "A" block near it was all right! Of course, these are trifles to which most people did not pay attention at all and someone having sun it once did not come anymore. But those who prepare to participate in big competitions in future it is useful to have in view and be ready that short-comings may be not only of ours. To return to the course of the main tournament, D.Rombalidoni (Italy) had five points out of five but after that V.Laznichka has outplayed him, he has tried on leader's shirt!
Awarding of the winning of the main "A" tournament.
Chess become younger year from year, and middle age of prize-winner lower steadily. It is difficult, sometimes to tell a true native talent from "an accurate chess worker", who made himself by handling chess information skillfully. But time is placing everyone according to his worth. Experienced and often playing chessplayers of middle and senior age hold their positions. In particular, Vlastimil Jansa has passed the tour brilliantly, even won a victory over an ELO-favorite R.Mamedov (Azerbaijan). Apparently the last one was not in the best form and having gathered six points only did not get into number of winners! Only miss in the last round threw the veteran off into the fourteenth place. "Masters of the field" Grandmaster P.Haba (fourth place) and experienced M.Vokac (16th place) have played better than in the past year. A representative of the Leningrad region Grandmaster D.Linchevsky was best out of Russian, who gathered 7 points, he took the fifth place, V.Zakhartcev - 6,5 points and the eighth place. This year 134 our countrymen have played in the festival. In representative status we are usual the third place after the masters of the fields and Germans.
Maxim Chetverik: "To the health of "Czech Open"!
I have asked a noted chess master, author of opening books and, finally, an organizer of "Voronezh - Open" Maxim Chetverik to share his impressions about organization and conduct of the festival. A short reference: 46 years old, International master, he plays all the time in International tournaments, writes together with IGM A.Raetzky books, which are published in different languages. He is one of the main organizers of the notable "Voronezh Open" festival.
- Analyzing the organization and conduct of the 20th in count "Czech Open - 2009" I can say as follows. 26 grandmasters (versus 27 in Voronezh) have played in the main tournament, but every time I tell Sasha Raetzky: "Go to Pan Mazuch and his colleagues in Pardubice for training". One cannot imagine that AVE-KONTAKT was busy with searching money for prizes, as if was done really at ours in Voronezh. Certainly, it depends much upon an attitude of authorities. Everything becomes acquainted with as compared. This year an important event has been visiting the festival by president of Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus. He has said a short greeting address, made a symbolical first move on the first chessboard of the main tournament in the game K.Stupak - V.Babula. It is known that the Czech president is passion for chess, and his sons play in tournament. I note that if V. Klaus is in need of coming from Prague to Pardubice our governor finds no possibility to visit out festival and be interested in spending money means allotted by him. And even in spite of many sponsor and support of authorities at the highest level there is need of a high level of organization of the competitions. For many years the "AVE-KONTAKT" firm has carried out and conducts professionally not only the "Czech Open", but the "Czech Tour" on the whole. Here everything is thought out and the chess mechanism works very luckily. True, the Open, is not directed for attaching an elite. But there is some reason at that as well. So that ambitions chessplayers could fulfill chess norms and conduct interesting and captivating struggle for prizes, it is expedient for the same money estimate to invite more Grandmasters and masters of the middle section. Nevertheless of you somewhat increase the first prize you may achieve a sharp increase in the number Grandmasters as they are numerous now there are not tournaments enough for them! Every a little bit ambition Grandmaster considers that just he should win a tournament! But, certainly, the principal stake is here to attract chess amateurs (there are B,C,D and "E" tournament) where except satisfying their "chess hunger", they are attracted with various cultural program, which accompanying tournament, say bowling, poker, etc. and certainly, human intercourse! And though the organizers were short of participant into "А-Е Opens" (about two hundred persons) if they compare with the number of started ones. I think in crisis conditions the "Czech Open" festival has a chance to take leading positions in the world, pursuing such "organizational policy". I participate sixth times in "Czech Open". Tendency to improve is on hand. But one may make a step in this direction. In my view, it is need to replace all competitions onto the "Cez Arena" either by pressing tournament participants or by bringing into action a reserve ground. Nevertheless the "Ideon" is little filled for carrying out chess competitions at Summer time. If we return to interest of "chessplayer-tourist" the "Chess Tour" is very luckily organized for them. The towns are chosen with great taste a series of tournaments involves practically the whole year. Only two months (March and April) are out of use. To do are wish is here there are two pairs of tournaments now, "Pardubice plus Olomouc", and also "Marianske Lazine and Prague" it were suitable for participants to make one-two more pairs. In conclusion I want to comment the game from seventh round D. Vokaturo - A.Korobov, in which future winner of the competition Ukrainian Grandmaster A.Korobov won surely in sharp struggle. One may understand that is were more pleasant for organizers, if Viktor Laznicka, their hope, would win the tournament. But in a decisive last round the Czech Grandmaster did not cope with the task and took the third place. A.Korobov won the tournament quite deservedly with exceptionally high result 8 out of 9 points.
Vokaturo D. - Korobov A.
Pardubice, 30.07.2009
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 ed 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Bxc6 bc 9. O-O c5 10. Ne2 Bc6 11. f3 Ng5 12. f4 Ne4 13. Nd2
[13. Nbc3 f5 14. Nxe4 fe 15. f5 Qe7 16. Bf4 O-O-O 17. Qd2 d4 18. Qa5 c4 19. Qa6 Bb7 20. Qxc4 Qc5 21. Qxc5 Bxc5 22. Kh1 Rhe8", Nakamura - Onischuk, USA 2007]
13... Nxd2
[13... d4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Ng3 Bc6 16. Qg4 Qd5 17. Nh5 Qe4 18. Rf2 Qe1 19. Rf1 Qe4=]
14. Qxd2 d4 15. f5 Qd5!? 16. Nf4 Qe4 17. Qa5
[If 17. b3 Qxf5 18. Nd3 Qe6 19. Ba3 O-O-O and Black is better.]
17... O-O-O! 18. Bd2 Qxe5
[18... Qxc2 19. Rac1 Qe4 20. Rxc5 Bxc5 21. Qxc5 with initiative.]
19. Rae1 Qd6 20. Qxa7 Bb7 21. c4 dc 22. Bxc3 Qc6 23. Qa5 c4 24. Bb4?!
[24. Kh1 Bd6 25. Be5 Bxe5 26. Qxe5=]
24... Rd4! 25. Re2 Bxb4 26. Qxb4 Rhd8 27. Qc3
[27. Qe7 Ba6! Black is better.]
27... Qc5 28. b4 Qxf5 29. Qg3 Rd1 30. Ref2 Rxf1 31. Rxf1 Qe5° 32. h3 c3 33. Rc1 g5 34. Nh5 Qxg3 35. Nxg3 Rd2 36. Rxc3 Rxg2 37. Kf1 Rxa2 38. Nf5 Ra6 39. Ke2 h5 40. Ng7 h4 41. Rc5 g4! 42. hg h3 [0:1]
update 29-01-2010
