Defying classical concepts about material

[Javier]

The Greek Teams Championship was played between the 3rd and the 8th of July in Thessaloniki.

Interestingly, it seems that the country's national debt, which has taken the first pages of the economy newspapers all around the world for the last 2 months, does not seem affect Greek chess teams, which continue to have international stars in their ranks. Take a look at the winning teams last year, PS Presiteri, which has Ivanchuck and Judith Polgar.

Other GMs who participated are Navara (2722), Naiditsch (2706), PH Nielsen (2681), Bologan (2678), Kryvoruchko (2652), Ragged (2651), Atalik (2619), Em. Berg (2604), Kempinski (2600), etc.

But there were no surprises. Presiteri won the tournament once morewith 6 wins and a draw. The final classification, under the annotated game below.

In this game, Ivanchuk once again challenges traditional concepts about the true value of the pieces. Exchange sacrifices, we've seen many, but this game is a little bit special. Ivanchuck played 16 ... Bd7 as if it was the most natural move on the board! (it probably was... for him! )

 

 

[Event "39th TCh-GRE"]

[site "Eretria GRE"]

[Date "2011.07.05"]

[Round "4"]

[White "Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios"]

[black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "B09"]

[WhiteElo "2604"]

[blackElo "2768"]

[Annotator "IM Javier Gil"]

[PlyCount "76"]

[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

[WhiteTeam "ES Thessaloniki"]

[blackTeam "SS Peristeri"]

 

[pgn]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 Na6 7. O-O c5 8. d5

Rb8 9. f5 Nb4 (9... b5 {This is a standard idea, but the resulting position is,

apparently, clearly better for white.} 10. Nxb5 (10. Bxb5 Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Rxb5)

10... c4 11. Bxc4 Rxb5 12. Bxb5 Qb6+ 13. Nd4 Nh5 14. c3 Bxd4+ 15. Qxd4 Qxb5 16.

fxg6 hxg6 17. Qxa7 {With a better position for white. White has too many pawns.

..}) 10. fxg6 fxg6 11. Be2 Ng4 (11... b5 12. a3 Na6 13. Nxb5 Nxe4 14. Nxa7) (

11... e6 12. a3 Na6 13. Ng5) 12. a3 Na6 13. h3 {This cant be a good move. It

would have been interesting to see how Ivanchuck would have played against the

main line, Qe1, transferring the Queen to h4, with excellent attacking chances.

} Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Bh6 Rf6 16. Bg5 Bd7 {This is where the game gets

interesting. Black s dark squared bishop will have a dominating position,

giving black excellent compensation for the exchange.} 17. Bxf6 exf6 18. Bg4

Be8 {Black needs to preserve more pieces on the board.} 19. Rb1 c4 20. Qf3 b5

21. Ne2 b4 {Black has the initiative on the Queenside.} 22. Nf4 Qb6+ 23. Kh1

Ba4 24. Be6+ Kg7 25. Qg4 {White attacks on the other side.} bxa3 26. Nh5+ Kh8

27. Nxf6 a2 28. Qh4 Qc7 29. Ra1 Qe7 (29... Qg7 30. Ng4 {Planning Rf7.}) 30.

Rxa2 Nc5 31. Ra3 Bxc2 32. Rxa7 {A nice combination, but black still has

everything under control.} Qxa7 33. Bd7 Qxd7 (33... Bxf6 {This is what

Mastrovasilis was probably hoping that Ivanchuck would play} 34. Qxf6+ Kg8 35.

Qf7+ Kh8 36. Qe7 {Threatening Rf8, with mate to follow.} Nxd7 (36... Kg8 37.

Be6+ Nxe6 38. Qxa7 {Wins.}) 37. Rf7 {And white wins.}) 34. Nxd7 Nxd7 35. Qe7 (

35. Rf7 Nf8 36. Qe7 Kg8) 35... Ba4 36. Rf7 Kg8 37. g3 Rf8 38. Rxh7 {Blunder.} (

38. Rxf8+ Nxf8 39. Qc7 Bb3 40. Kg2) 38... Bf6 {And white resigned.} 0-1 [/pgn]

 

 

Rk.    SNo    Team    Games     + = - TB1 TB2 TB3 
1    1    Π.Σ. ΠΕΡΙΣΤΕΡΙΟΥ    7    6    1    0    13    323.5    42.0
2    2    Σ.Ο. ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ    7    4    3    0    11    286.0    34.0
3    8    Ε.Ε.Σ. ΚΟΡΥΔΑΛΛΟΥ    7    5    1    1    11    237.5    32.0
4    7    Ε.Ο.Α.Ο. "Ο ΦΥΣΙΟΛΑΤΡΗΣ" ΝΙΚΑΙΑΣ    7    5    1    1    11    215.0    31.0
5    6    Ε.Σ. ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ    7    5    0    2    10    234.5    33.5
6    5    ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑ ΘΕΣ. "Ο ΓΑΛΑΞΙΑΣ"    7    4    1    2    9    217.0    32.0
7    13    Σ.Ο. ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟΥ    7    4    1    2    9    195.5    31.0
8    12    ΕΝΩΣΗ ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΩΝ ΑΜΦΙΣΣΑΣ    7    4    1    2    9    192.0    30.5
9    10    ΠΑΝΙΩΝΙΟΣ Γ.Σ.Σ.    7    4    1    2    9    170.0    30.0
10    3    ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑ ΧΑΝΙΩΝ    7    4    0    3    8    213.0    31.0
11    4    Α.Ο. "ΚΥΔΩΝ" ΧΑΝΙΩΝ    7    4    0    3    8    212.0    30.5
12    24    Ν.Ο. ΚΑΛΑΜΑΤΑΣ "Ο ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ"    7    3    2    2    8    177.5    29.5
13    19    ΛΕΣΧΗ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑΣ    7    3    2    2    8    169.0    26.0
14    16    Σ.Ο. ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΪΔΑΣ "Ο ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΣ"    7    3    2    2    8    165.0    30.0
15    11    Α.Ε.Κ.    7    3    1    3    7    201.0    29.5
16    9    Ο.Σ. ΤΡΙΑΝΔΡΙΑΣ    7    3    1    3    7    196.5    29.0
17    22    Ο.Α.Α. "ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ"    7    3    1    3    7    179.5    28.5
18    20    ΣΚ. ΑΚ. ΧΑΛΚΙΔΟΣ "ΠΑΛΑΜΗΔΗΣ Ο ΕΥΒΟΕΥΣ"    7    3    1    3    7    166.0    28.5
19    15    Φ.Ο.Ν. ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟΥ ΑΤΤΙΚΗΣ - ΕΠΙΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑ    7    3    1    3    7    149.0    27.5
20    28    ΠΕΙΡΑΙΚΟΣ Ο.Σ.    7    3    1    3    7    121.5    26.5
21    17    Σ.Ο. ΑΙΓΑΛΕΩ    7    2    2    3    6    157.0    31.5
22    25    Σ.Ο. ΗΛΙΟΥΠΟΛΗΣ    7    3    0    4    6    151.0    26.5
23    14    Σ.Α.Σ. ΚΟΡΩΠΙΟΥ    7    2    2    3    6    144.5    27.0
24    18    Σ.Ο. ΚΑΛΛΙΘΕΑΣ    7    2    2    3    6    125.0    24.0
25    29    Σ.Ο. ΠΑΤΡΩΝ    7    3    0    4    6    120.0    27.5
26    26    Α.Ο. ''ΖΗΝΩΝ'' ΓΛΥΦΑΔΑΣ    7    3    0    4    6    98.5    24.0
27    31    Σ.Ο. ΙΚΑΡΙΑΣ "Ι. ΤΖΕΛΕΠΗΣ"    7    2    1    4    5    130.0    26.0
28    23    Σ.Ο. ΠΟΛΙΧΝΗΣ    7    2    1    4    5    126.5    22.5
29    21    ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑ ΓΑΖΙΟΥ    7    2    0    5    4    140.5    29.5
30    32    Σ.Ο. ΑΜΦΙΣΣΑΣ    7    2    0    5    4    81.0    19.5
31    34    ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΙΤΩΝ ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΩΝ    7    2    0    5    4    69.0    21.0
32    27    Α.Σ. ΠΑΠΑΓΟΥ    7    2    0    5    4    67.5    19.0
33    33    ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΩΝ ΚΑΛΑΜΑΤΑΣ    7    1    0    6    2    63.5    16.5
34    30    ΕΝΩΣΗ ΣΚΑΚΙΣΤΩΝ ΑΙΓΙΑΛΕΙΑΣ    7    0    0    7    0    96.0    22.0