What would Borat be likely to do at a chess tournament? Would he sit and let his clock run out or would he simply make ludicrous moves? A Kazakh player had enrolled at the European individual championship held this year in Dresden, and there was some thought that we would find out. But more than 400 players took part in the competition, which was closely fought, with eight players tying for first place and another 36 a mere half point behind. The winner was determined by a complicated tie-breaking system, which handed the title to Vladislav Tkachev of Kazakhstan (who plays under the French flag). Obviously Tkachev did not make ludicrous moves or let his clock tick away. Clearly, he is no Borat.

Among the more than 2,000 games played in this tournament the most brilliant was between two representatives of Germany.

NAIDITSCH VS. GUSTAFSSON
(white) (black)
Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1
An old continuation introduced by Bobby Fischer in the 1960’s. The variation under continual discussion today is 12.d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15. Re4 g5!? 16. Qf1 Qh5 17. Nd2 Bf5 18.f3 with an unclear struggle. This line was played this year, for example, in two games between Anand and Aronian. 12… Bd6 13.g3 Bf5! The most active way for black. In Fischer-Spassky 1966 black had to fight hard for a draw after 13…Nf6 14.d4 Bg4 15. Qd3 c5 16. dxc5 Bxc5. 14.d4 Qd7 15. Be3 Rae8 16. Nd2 Bg4 17. Qb1 In Leko-Anand 2004, black kept the initiative after 17. Qc2 Bf5 18. Qc1 h5! 19. Nf3 Bg4 20. Nh4 Re6 21. Bd1 f5! The move in this game was recently introduced as an improvement over Leko’s play. 17… Bf5 18. Bc2? In Shabalov-Aronian 2004, 18. Qc1 transposed into a position from the above-mentioned encounter, Leko -Anand. Now white keeps his queen in an active position, but the black f-pawn can join the attack. 18… Bxc2 19. Qxc2 f5 20.c4 This was introduced with success in Iordachescu -Brunello at the New Year’s tournament in Reggio Emilia this past January. 20… bxc4! In previous play, white obtained an advantage after 20…Nf6? 21. Bg5. In initiating the next operation, black had to foresee the astonishing blows he would land on moves 23 and 25. 21. Nxc4 f4! 22. Bd2 White can no longer turn away from the main line: 22. Nxd6 fxe3 23. Nxe8 exf2+ 24. Qxf2 Rxf2 25. Kxf2 Ne7! 26. Re4 Qf5+! (Black will not save his extra knight after 26…Qxe8 27. Rae1 Qf7+ 28. Kg1 Ng6 29. Re8+ Nf8 30. Ra8) 27. Rf4 Qh5 is clearly in black’s favor. 22… f3 23. Qd3

See Diagram

The white pieces have obtained good squares and 23…Qh3 will be parried by 24. Qf1. But black has a hidden resource. 23… Re2!! Closing the white queen’s path to f1. 24. Rxe2 Qh3 25. Ne3 Still protecting the g2 square. The deviation 25. Qxf3 Rxf3 26. Nxd6 Nf6 27. Rae1 h6! 28. Re3 Rxe3 29. Bxe3 (29. fxe3 Ng4 30. Re2 Nxh2 31. Rxh2 Qxg3+) 29…Ng4 30. Nc4 Qxh2+ 31. Kf1 Qh5 could give white some chances of resisting in a bad position. It appears that white did not see a sacrifice of a second rook was coming. 25… Rf4!! White resigned. There is no defense against the threat 26…Rh4 27. gxh4 Qxh2+ and mate on the next move.

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