Cali, Colombia, is well known as the operational base of the Medelin narcotics cartel. But cocaine trafficking is not the city’s only claim to fame. Cali also periodically hosts the Continental Chess Championship. In this year’s event, first place was shared by five players, including two from America: Alexander Ivanov of Massachusetts and Varuzhan Akobian of California. The title of continental champion was won on tie break by Granda Zuniga of Peru.

One of The New York Sun’s two chess columnists took part and had an engaging encounter with a young local player, Forero Escobar, who may or may not be a rela tive of Cali’s most famous—actually, notorious–citizen: Pablo Escobar, the brutal head of the Medelin outfit until his death in a shoot-out in 1993. The local telephone book contains several pages of Escobars but just to be on the safe side, black played with exceptional care.

ESCOBAR VS. GULKO
(white) (black)
Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7. Nb3

Bobby Fischer preferred the other retreat, 7. Nde2, in this position the other retreat. 7… e6 8.0-0 Be7 9. Kh1 Qc7 10.f4 a6 11. Bd3 b5 12. Qf3 Bb7 13. Bd2 0-0 14. Rae1?!

In Movsesian-Neverov 2003 white obtained an active position after 14. Qh3 b4 15. Nd1 a5 16. Nf2 e5?! 17. Rae1 For black it is better to play 16…a4! It also made sense for white to secure the position of the knight on c3 by playing 14.a3!? 14… b4! 15. Nd1 a5 16.c3 a4 17. Nc1 White, reasonably, wants to avoid the difficulties arising after 17. Nd4 Nxd4 18. cxd4 d5! 19.e5 Ne4 20. Be3 Ba6! and tries to keep the position open. 17… d5! 18. Nf2 Here 18.e5 Ne4 19. Bxe4 dxe4 20. Qxe4 Rfd8 21. Qe3 (White is losing as well after 21. Be3 Nd4 22. Qb1 Qc6! 23. Rf2 Bh4) 21…Qd7 22. Rf2 Bh4! was simply bad for white. 18… dxe4 For black it made sense to include 18…a3! 19.b3 and only after this to take on e4. 19. Nxe4 Rfd8 Also deserving of attention here was 19…a3! 20. Qh3 Nxe4 21. Rxe4 g6 Black sacrifices the pawn, obtaining excellent compensation for it. Still also good was 21…a3. 22. cxb4 Nd4 23. Re3 Nf5 24. Ree1 a3! 25. Bc3! In the position arising after 25.b3 Rd7! it is very difficult for white to find a safe square for the d2 bishop. Returning a pawn, white eases his defense. 25… axb2 26. Bxb2 Bxb4 27. Re2 Bf8 28. Rc2 Qa5 Not good for black was 28…Qb6 29. Bxf5 exf5 30. Qc3. Anticipating that white would try to obtain the c3 square for his queen, black prepare a subtle but dangerous trap. 29. Nb3 Qb4 30. Rc4?

(See Diagram)

Exactly what black had hoped for. White could continue defending an inferior position after 30. Bc3 Qa4. 30… Rxd3! 31. Rxb4 Black’s idea is almost like a combination from checkers: if 31. Qxd3 Bxg2+! 32. Kxg2 Qxc4 33. Qxc4 and black cleans up and wins back everything by 33…Ne3+. 31… Rxh3 32. Rxb7 Ng3+ 33. Kg1 Nxf1! In case of 33…Rxh2 34. Rc1 black’s advantage is less pronounced than in the game. 34. gxh3 Ne3 35. Nd2 Also not saving the f4 pawn is 35. Nc1 Bd6 36. Be5 Bxe5 37. fxe5 Ra5. And after the disappearance of this pawn the outcome is decided. 35… Bg7! 36. Ne4 Bxb2 37. Rxb2 Ra4! 38. Nf6+ Kg7 39. Ng4 Nd5 40. Ne5 Rxf4 41. Rf2 In case of an exchange of rooks white would obtain some chances because of the passed pawn. But 41… Re4! White resigned because after 42. Rxf7+ [no better was 42. Nxf7 Re1+ 43. Kg2 Ne3+ 44. Kg3 Nf5+ and the f7 knight is hanging.] 42… Kg8 43. Nf3 Re3 44. Ng5 h6 he loses a piece. 0-1