Phantom Pain

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

As is well known in medical circles, one can have sensation in a limb even after it has been amputated. A similar phenomenon, it appears, exists in chess. The Soviet Union dominated the chess world for decades. Even though it has now disappeared from the map, it still reigns supreme. At the chess Olympiad just concluded in Mallorca, Spain, a struggle for the gold medal took place between Russia and Ukraine, both remnants of the USSR. Ukraine, which today has the most talented young players in the world, emerged victorious. The grand master at the first board of the Ukrainian team, Vasily Ivanchuk, played an outstanding game against Azerbaijan’s Timur Radjabov.


IVANCHUK VS. RADJABOV


(white) (black)


Sicilian Defense


1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 a6 7.Na3 b5 8.Nd5 Nce7 9.Nb4!!


This qualifies as the most unusual novelty of 2004.The knight moves from the center to a strange position in preparation for a queenside attack. 9… Bd7?! The value of white’s novelty will be determined in the line 9…Nf6! 10.c4 Nxe4 (not bringing the a3 knight into play: 10…bxc4?! 11.Nxc4 Nxe4 12.Bd3 Nc5? 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.Bb5+ and white wins) 11.cxb5 with an unclear position. Black is afraid of the vulnerability of the b5 square, as in the line 9…Bb7? 10.Nxb5! 10.c4! a5 11.Nbc2 Nf6 In case of 11…b4 12.Nb5 Bxb5 13.cxb5 Nf6 14.Ne3! white is better because the e4 pawn is untouchable: 14… 14…Nxe4? 15.b6! Qxb6 16.f3 Nf6 17.Nc4 and the knight penetrates on d6. 12.Nxb5 Bxb5 13.cxb5 Nxe4 14.Be3! d5 15.b6! f5 Despite black’s precautions, threats continue to radiate from the b5 square. For example 15…Nd6 16.Na3 d4 17.Qa4+ Qd7 18.Nb5! 16.Qe2! Kf7 17.0-0-0 Qd7 18.Kb1 Qe6 19.f3 Nd6 20.f4! Nc4 Trying to avoid allowing the c2 knight to participate in the assault 20…e4 21.Nd4 Qf6 22.Nb5 with strong threats. 21.fxe5 Rb8 22.g4! f4 23.Qf3! Much stronger than 23.Bxf4 Rxb6 24.b3 a4. 23… g5 24.Bxc4 dxc4 25.h4! Qc6


(See diagram)


26.e6+! The elegant start of the final assault. 26… Kg6 27.Qf2! Qxe6 28.Bd4 Bg7 29.hxg5 Rbd8 30.Rde1 Qd6 31.Bc5 Qd2 32.Re6+ 1-0


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