Le Quang Liem, 18, took clear first place at the Aeroflot Open, less than two weeks after achieving a first place tie at the Moscow Open. Over the two events, of nine games each, the young Vietnamese achieved a performance of 2832. Rating comparisons between different eras are muddied by drift and inflation, and a rating requires more data than does a performance, but it is tantalizing to contemplate that none of the recent world champions, on their 19th birthdays, had ratings within 60 points of that mark.
Anton Korobov, 24, of the Ukraine, placed clear second. Tied for third in the 74-grandmaster (GM) field were Alexander Motylev, Boris Grachev, Zhou Jianchao, and compatriot of the winner Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son.
Canadian Leonid Gerzhoy took part in the "A2" section, which was headlined by 24 GMs. He scored 50 per cent, and although the tournament finish must have been disappointing, he again gained rating points.
Le had White against French super-GM Étienne Bacrot in a fierce opening theoretical battle.
1.d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.Ng1-f3 Ng8-f6 4.e2-e3 a7-a6
The once rare 4...Bc8-g4 has encroached even more than this, the Chebanenko variation, on the classical 4...Bc8-f5 (the Slav Defence) and 4...e7-e6 (the Semi-Slav).
5.Nb1-c3 b7-b5 6.b2-b3 Bc8-g4
Already, Black can point to a benefit. Early development of the light-square bishop usually allows Qd1-b3, hitting the b7-pawn and pressuring d5. That has been prevented by the expenditure of two tempi on the queenside.
7.h2-h3 Bg4xf3 8.Qd1xf3 e7-e5
Viktor Gavrikov introduced this move en route to a share of the first World Championship of Rapid Chess - with Anatoly Karpov - at Mazatlan, Mexico in 1988. The more cautious 8...e7-e6 was the choice of Andreas Bang in Denmark in the same year.
9.d4xe5 Bf8-b4 10.Bc1-d2 Bb4xc3 11.Bd2xc3 Nf6-e4 12.Bc3-b4
White has gained the bishop pair, and the annoying placement of the dark-square prelate tempts the queenside pawns forward, to their detriment. For example, 12...c6-c5 13.Ra1-d1! is good for White.
12...b5xc4 13.Qf3-g4!
If 13.b3xc4 Qd8-b6 Black gets adequate counterplay.
13...c6-c5
Diagram: 14.f2-f3!
The right plan is to intensify the struggle further. After 14.Qg4xg7 Rh8-f8 White has won an important pawn at no cost in time, but lack of control over e4, h4 and even c8 turns out to be more important.
14...c5xb4
A month earlier, Maxim Rodshtein had tried 14...Nb8-c6 against Nikita Vitiugov at the World Teams. Then 15.f3xe4 Nc6xb4 16.Qg4xg7 Rh8-f8 17.e4xd5 led after Qd8-h4+ to the win of White's a1-rook for three pawns, but Black never mobilized his forces and lost a brilliancy. Afterwards 17...Nb4-c2+, winning the rook immediately, was suggested.
15.f3xe4 O-O 16.e4xd5 Nb8-d7
Previous games had continued 16...c4xb3 17.Qg4-d4 Nb8-d7 (if 17...b3-b2 18.Ra1-b1 Nb8-d7 19.Rb1xb2 Rf8-e8 20.e5-e6!? f7xe6 21.d5-d6 and, despite some flamboyant play, material is even and White's bishop, when it finally emerges, will enjoy free reign of an ample diocese) 18.a2xb3. After the plausible but untried 16...Qd8xd5 17.Bf1xc4! Qd5xe5 18.O-O, White has strong pressure against f7 and another rangy bishop against an errant knight.
17.Qg4-d4 c4xb3 18.a2xb3
The game has transposed back to theory.
18...Qd8-g5 19.Qd4-f4 Qg5-g6
Ni Hua continued 19...Qg5xe5 20.Qf4xe5 Nd7xe5 21.Bf1xa6, but his attempts to make piece activity count against White's extra pawn came to nought against Vladimir Kramnik in London this past December.
20.Ra1-d1
Alexander Grischuk continued with the peculiar 20.Qf4-g4 Qg6-h6 21.Qg4-f4 Qh6-g6 with a quick draw against Levon Aronian at the World Teams. Black could trade on g4 and take on e5 with a better position than Ni had, but still perhaps not equality.
20...Qg6-c2 21.Bf1-c4 Qc2-c3+ 22.Ke1-e2 Nd7xe5
Before the game, a player must finally set aside the computer and decide that a position is playable. Here Black's knight is admirably placed while the queenside majority and long-term exposure of White's king are elements that might even encourage optimism.
23.d5-d6! Ra8-d8 24.Rd1-d5 Rf8-e8 25.Rh1-d1 h7-h6
Black is understandably reluctant to take the bishop because the knight is the most effective antidote to the elephant in the room, the d6-pawn. Still, the computer's suggestion 25...Ne5xc4 26.b3xc4 Re8-e6 might pan out.
26.Qf4-d4 Qc3-c2+
After the tricky 26...Re8-e6 27.Qd4xc3 b4xc3, White cannot hold the d6-pawn, but trades it for the a6- and c3- pawns, emerging a passed pawn up.
27.Rd1-d2 Qc2-f5
White can now take the a6-pawn, but instead makes a strong multi-purpose move.
28.Rd5-c5 Qf5-g5 29.Ke2-d1! Qg5-f6 30.Bc4xa6
The bishop exploits its ranginess compared to the localized powers of a knight while the king stands safe under an umbrella of pawns and major pieces. The computer now rightly suggests that 30...Ne5-d7 would be the sternest defence. Although Black is a pawn down, he will regain a central pawn and be able to bring his king to the middle. Whether that would suffice is hard to judge, but it would be a difficult step psychologically because Black has been avoiding a queen trade.
30...Re8-e6 31.Rc5-c8 Rd8xc8 32.Ba6xc8 Qf6-f1+ 33.Kd1-c2 Re6-e8 34.d6-d7 Ne5xd7 35.Bc8xd7 Re8-a8 36.Qd4xb4 Ra8-a2+ 37.Kc2-c3 Qf1-e1 38.Kc3-d3 Ra2-a1 39.Qb4-b8+ Kg8-h7 40.Qb8-f4 Qe1-b1+ 41.Kd3-c3 Qb1-c1+ 42.Rd2-c2 Qc1-e1+ 43.Kc3-c4 Kh7-g8 44.Qf4-e4 Qe1-a5 45.b3-b4 Qa5-a6+ 46.Bd7-b5 Qa6-f6 47.Qe4-d4 Qf6-e6+ 48.Kc4-c3 Ra1-e1 49.Bb5-e2 Qe6-c6+ 50.Be2-c4 Qc6-a4 51.Qd4-d8+ Kg8-h7 52.Qd8-d3+ Kh7-g8 53.Rc2-a2 Qa4-c6 54.b4-b5 Qc6-f6+ 55.Kc3-b3
Le Quang Liem's play shone with the toughness and bravery of Viktor Kortchnoi. Bacrot's prospects of a miracle comeback have been dissolving, so faced with a decisive material deficit, Black resigned.