Lassies and Old Timers – Czech Coal Chess Match 2009 | 15.12.2009
Much ambitions, little ammunition and yet winning
Three-times a competitor for the world champion title, the 78 years old Viktor Kortchnoi, made himself happy in the last round of the Snowdrops versus Old-hands match, when he managed, despite of an apparently worse end-game, to beat the tournament best female player and currently the world second best female player, the twenty two years old Humpy Koneru. Nevertheless the Indian woman grandmaster gained 5,5 points out of 8 games and she reached an extraordinary rating performance of over 2700 ELO. Not even the wining of Viktor Lvovich Kortchnoi saved the legendary players, who were beaten by Snowdrops by the closest possible difference 16,5 – 15,5.
The chess match Snowdrops versus Old-hands - Czech Coal Chess Match 2009, which was taking place from 28 November till 5 December 2009 in Cristal Palace hotel in Mariensbad was superbly co-commentated on by the tenth world champion Boris Spassky “Those women have got a lot of ambitions but not that much of ammunition,” glossed the former world champion Boris Spassky the course of one round of the match, which was more successful for the legends. Spassky was well supported by the former president of FIDE Fridrik Olafsson and by the best Slovakian grandmaster Sergei Movsesian and by Czech grandmaster Marek Vokach.
The match was from the very first moment progressing in Snowdrops favour. Snowdrops were leading from the day one and they kept their lead for the entire eight days. The ELO rating's weakest Snowdrop, the Czech best female player Jana Jackova, became a star of the first day. She managed, in the beutifly and precisly played game, to beat the legendery player Viktor Kortchnoi. Similarly with the last year stunning victory over Anatoly Karpov, Jackova had once again started the tournament in the big style. In rounds to follow, Jackova did not excel, but namely Humpy Koneru a Anna Muzyčuk stepped in and performed really well. An effort of the young ladies was also helped by the mistakes Viktor Kortchnoi, who in several evidently to be a draw positions unnecessary exceeded the time limit.
Old-hands best play was performed by Jan Timman, who in the round three sacrificed to Kateryna Lahno his queen for three minor pieces. Even though that at the end he failed to win, it was a beautiful game (you can watch it here). Need to be noted that the grandmasters Robert Hübner and Vlastimil Hort also showed their strength.
All stars match was preceeded by a simul of the former FIDE president Fridrik Olafsson, who competed in the hotel San Remo with 23 players and he won very convincingly 18:5, even though among his competitors were very strong players such as Jan Turner (ELO 2328) or the owner of Dopravni stavby Brno, Vlastimil Chladek (ELO 2081). At the end the grandmaster Olaffson was beaten only by Vera Lorencova.
At the same time as the tournament in the hotel Cristal Palace, a training of the Czech juniors team was taking place in Marienbad. The team was coached by one of the best chess coaches, Mark Dvorecky. Chessplayers interested in Dvorecky's lessons might look at ChessCafe webpage, where this Russian coach posts every month one of his lessons in English for free.
The match was organized by a civic association Prague Chess Society. On its webpage you can find all information about the tournament, players and participants, including games, photographs and online video reports prepared by the grandmaster Robert Fontain.
The last year Snowdrops versus Old-hands tournament was very even leveled, nevertheless it was won by the quartet of men (Anatoly Karpov, Vlastimil Hort, Fridrik Olafsson and Wolfgang Uhlmann). Out of the four Snowdrops (Viktorije Cmilyte, Anna Ushenina, Jana Jackova and Katerina Nemcova) Viktorije Cmilyte was the best player. Games, photographs and results of the last year tournament can be found here. This year Snowdrops evened the score.
Lassies and Old Timers – Czech Coal Chess Match 2009 | 27.11.2009
Boris Spasskij will be in Marienbad
ČEZ CHESS TROPHY 2009 | 02.06.2009
President, Prime-Minister and Grandmasters
ČEZ CHESS TROPHY 2009 | 15.05.2009
Navara vs Ivanchuk
Lassies and Old Timers – Czech Coal Chess Match 2008 | 08.12.2008
Hort with Karpov led Old Timers to triumph
The Lasses and the Old Stagers - Czech Coal Chess Match 2008 | 01.12.2008
Czech beauty smashed Karpov
Bobby Fischer and Karel Opocensky
Prague Chess Society is preparing release of two extraordinary chess book this year. The first book will be a compilation of games, played by the legendary Grandmaster Bobby Fisxher, who passed away this year. The books will cover 23 games played by the American Grandmaster against Czech grandmasters Ludek Pachman, Miroslav Filip, Lubomir Kavalek and Vlastimil Hort. Games will be commented on by Grandmasters Pachman, Navara, Kavalek and Hort. The other book which is being prepared, is a monograph about the first Czech Master Karel Opocensky. This book too is co-written by Grandmasters Vlastimil Hort and Lubomir Kavalek together with Vitezslav Houska, who half a century ago wrote a book about Opocensky, called Above All World's Chessbords.
