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By Peter, May 17, 2012

Interview by Alexander J. Klemm

Shortly after the 12^th BCC Open, I talked with Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan about her performance and impressions during her first-time visit to Thailand.

AK: Let’s talk about the tournament. How did it go for you?

HY: At the beginning I played decently, but then, after half of the tournament the schedule changed from two to one game per day. Somehow that was bad for me. In round six I actually had a lost position [win with white against German FM Martin Voigt], in another game I blundered, and in my last game I also didn’t play well [draw with black against Filipino Sander Severino].

AK: Is there a game that you are very satisfied with?

HY: Maybe the third one [win with black against Iranian GM Shojaat Ghane].

AK: How did you prepare for the tournament and each game?

HY: Before this tournament I just finished the national championship in China. There I played in the men’s section, although there is a women’s section too. Shortly thereafter I came here, so I didn’t have any special preparation. Before each game I sometimes prepare and sometimes just relax.

AK: Since this is your first time at the BCC Open, please tell me some of your impressions about this venue, the organization and the competition.

HY: I really like this place. The hotel is very comfortable and convenient because it’s in the city center. The tournament organization is very good for the players. Actually I didn’t have any problems, but if there were any the organizers could find a solution quickly. Concerning the level of competition: although the ratings aren’t that high, the players are strong and many of the young players show great potential.

AK: You played against some strong opponents here, most notably GM Nigel Short. What can you still learn from players of his quality? Would you ever consider hiring someone famous – someone like Garry Kasparov – to be your chess coach?

HY: Of course when you play against other GMs there is always something to be learned. I have played against Nigel Short several times – and have lost against him three times. But I remember I beat him in 2008 in Wijk aan Zee. As for your second question, I haven’t had such an opportunity yet and haven’t really thought about it. In China we have coaches for the national teams. But I don’t have a private coach.

AK: Your mother has accompanied you to Bangkok. Please tell me about her role in your life.

HY: My mother usually travels with me and gives me her support. My parents are also my friends. We can talk about anything. They help me with my everyday life, and together we feel very comfortable.

AK: Since your arrival in Bangkok you have been getting much attention. At Bangkok’s Government House you met Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, other important politicians, and many chess fans want to see you play and ask to take pictures with you. How do you manage all of this attention?

HY: Usually I don’t think about this kind of thing too much. It’s good to see that people who don’t play chess become interested in the game. It’s fine when people would like to take a picture with me after the game, just not during the game [laughing].

AK: What do you like to do in your free time?

HY: Sometimes I like to travel when I’m not playing competitive chess. I also enjoy reading, swimming, listening to a great variety of music and watching some television series and movies. When I was young I didn’t like to watch movies that much, but recently I like it more. My favorite film at this point is Shawshank Redemption. [Maybe because the main character likes to play chess?]

AK: What are your impressions of Bangkok? Have you had a chance to go sightseeing?

HY: Before the tournament I went to several places such as a crocodile farm, temples, the Royal Thai Elephant Museum, and Wat Pho where I saw the Reclining Buddha. I appreciate the overall environment here and especially Thai fruits, for example coconuts, durian and mangosteen. I have read that if durian is the king of fruits, then mangosteen is the queen. I have also tried some Thai dishes. Some of them are similar to Chinese food, just spicier. I talked to some local people who are connected to the tournament. I found them to be very hospitable. And when I went sightseeing, local people helped me to find my way around. Thai people are so polite and greet me with the Wai. During Songkran I went out for dinner, people splashed me with at least three bottles of cold water and put powder on my face. Not only children did that but adults too!

AK: Your English is really good. Where did you learn to speak English?

HY: When I’m in Beijing and don’t play a tournament or have other business to take care of, I sometimes go to a popular English language school there.

AK: Do you have any intention to further your studies?

HY: I’m planning to enroll at Beijing University this year to get a BA in International Relations. I don’t have a clear picture yet about the plan of study, but I’m following my feeling and the suggestions of others. I think I will be able to study and to focus on chess at the same time, but of course I will have to find a way to balance both.

AK: Is there a chance that you will return next year to play more chess in Thailand?

HY: If the timing of the tournament fits my schedule and if some other arrangements are fine, then maybe I will come back. I hope in the future I can return to Thailand again because I would like to experience more.

AK: Thank you for this interview. It would be great to see you again next year.

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By Peter, April 29, 2012

Interview by Alexander J. Klemm

During the 12^th Bangkok Chess Club Open I met up with last year’s champion GM Jan Gustafsson from Germany to talk about chess, his hometown Hamburg, the Bangkok Open, his impressions of Thailand, and much more.

AK: Congratulations, Jan, your German team OSG Baden-Baden has just won the league title. How does that make you feel and what is the success strategy of your club?

JG: Yes, I’ve read the news online. I can’t take much of the credit but it always feels good to win something. In general, having the strongest players is a good start if you want to win the league. Because of the generous sponsoring of Grenkeleasing [a German incorporation], Baden-Baden is in a situation in which we can afford having Anand and Carlson – even though he didn’t play well – and there are more strong players such as Bacrot, Naiditsch, Svidler, Shirov, and others. So I can’t say it’s a big surprise that we have won the title, but it’s still nice. Bremen put up a fight. It was a close match two rounds ago.

AK: Based on your impressive score of 6.5 points out of 8 games in the German league, do you think your club will ask you to play more often, or is the competition within the team simply too high?

JG: I was happy with the games I was getting. I don’t think it’s so much about the score because normally anyone on a low board is supposed to do well. It’s clear that in the one week against Bremen we tried to bring the strongest lineup, so I couldn’t make the team, but apart from that, I sat out one weekend and now I am playing here so I couldn’t be there.

AK: You grew up in Germany in the northern city of Hamburg where you also developed into one of Germany’s strongest players. What is special about Hamburg and what does the chess club Hamburg SK mean to you?

JG: I travel a lot but of all the places in Germany I really wouldn’t want to live anywhere else than in Hamburg. It’s my favorite city even though it rains a lot. Although the weather is not the main attraction, it’s a good place to live. It’s hard to describe what’s special about it. As with all big cities you basically can do anything you want. It’s got a relaxed atmosphere, that’s why I like it there. I was about eleven when we came back to Germany. I joined the Hamburg chess club and played for them for twenty years. Of course I still have close ties to them. It was a hard decision to leave to play for Baden-Baden, but basically all my growing up related to chess happened at the chess club in Hamburg.

AK: Was it during your time in Hamburg that you decided to become a professional chess player?

JG: I never really decided to become a professional. I guess the lines are very blurry there. I was a student, a lazy one, and I was doing reasonably well with chess and some other game [Gustafsson has co-authored a book on poker], so I hung around but it was never my career plan to become a professional chess player. I have a fulltime job. I work in an internet company and my work there is a bit related to chess because one of the tasks we are working on is to build a big chess platform which hopefully will be better than the other chess websites out there.

AK: Now to the Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012: How do you evaluate your performance so far [5 points after 7 games] and how do you see your chances to defend your title?

JG: My performance is terrible. I just can’t get my head to work. I’m not sure what the reasons are. You can always come up with a lot of excuses: jetlag, double-rounds, you name it, but in general I just haven’t been playing well and am upset about my performance. As for defending the title, there’s no chance whatsoever anymore.

AK: What do you think about the level of competition?

JG: I think the field is very similar to last year’s. There are four players above 2600 and a lot of other strong players. But I’m just disappointed with my own play. Of course I give my opponents credit for doing well, but it’s mainly all in my own head so it’s very hard for me to evaluate it adequately.

AK: Besides you, two other top players here are GM Nigel Short and Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan. What have they brought to the world of chess that stands out?

JG: They are both incredibly accomplished players. Nigel was vice world champion in 1993. I was 14 back then and following his match against Kasparov. I grew up watching his games. He has achieved so much in the chess world and he’s still going strong at his advanced age. I believe at 46 he’s the oldest guy in the top 100, and now he’s back to a 2700 Elo rating, which is quite impressive. And there is not much one needs to say about Hou Yifan. I believe she has just turned 18 and is the Women’s World Champion. Apart from Judit Polgar she’s clearly the greatest female chess player in history. I don’t know her very well, but she seems to be very friendly and is a tremendous player. I’m a bit annoyed because for 10 to 15 years now I would have been the number two in the women’s world ranking but I’m afraid I’m losing that spot to her.

AK: After last year’s open in Pattaya, this is the second time you are playing in Thailand. What are your impressions of these two tournaments, the venues, and organization?

JG: I’ve been very happy to come back. The venues and organization have been top notch, both here in Bangkok and last year in Pattaya. Just look around the Dusit Thani Hotel. Chess players are not used to having this standard, the attention to detail like having a VIP dinner, and the support from Kai Tuorila [Tournament Director] and his team. They’re doing pretty much everything you could ask them for. It’s hard to compare the two cities though. I like Pattaya because it’s a smaller city and you can walk around, and obviously there’s quite a lot of nightlife just like in Bangkok. I enjoyed it there but the hotels are both excellent and Bangkok also has a lot to see. I just haven’t found the time yet to explore everything. It’s always a pleasure to come here.

AK: Do you have any suggestions for changes concerning the tournament?

JG: I’ve been asking them to get rid of the double-rounds. I don’t think anybody really likes to play double-rounds and especially for international players from Europe. They are jetlagged and start the games at 9 a.m. Thai time, which is 4 a.m. European time. That’s a bit tough. I would very much prefer to play one round per day. I understand there are considerations against it, such as the Thai holidays and the lower costs when there are only seven days. I spoke to a lot of people beforehand, telling them that this is a nice tournament, but when they hear about the double-rounds, they aren’t that eager to go. So, having one round per day is my suggestion.

AK: I’ve noticed that your first action after every game is to step out to smoke a cigarette. How important is this ritual for you. What are some other rituals that help you to focus before a match and to unwind afterwards?

JG: The smoking thing is not really a ritual; I’m just an addict. You are short of time in the final parts of the game. So I fix my nicotine need after the game. It’s nothing I’m overly proud of. I should quit because it’s obviously not a clever thing to do as a chess player. Other rituals keep changing. Most chess players are very superstitious, including me. Back in the days I had a lot of obsessions. I thought when I had black I had to wear black shoes and when I was white I had to wear white shoes. I gave up on that rule at some point because I was too lazy to follow it through. So I always have some superstitious nonsense in my mind, but there are no rituals.

AK: What are your impressions of Bangkok and Thailand? Have you had a chance to go sightseeing in the city or travelling through the country? And what do you think about Thai people and Thai culture?

JG: I haven’t seen all that much yet, I have to admit. I arrived two days before the first round and went to Pattaya with some friends. Here, I’ve mainly been playing chess, as sad as it sounds. I did go out at night and I had a look around at the usual nightlife hotspots, but I haven’t seen that much of the city to really appreciate it yet. It’s obviously a megacity and offers probably more than I can imagine. But because I don’t know my way around and I’m a lazy guy I haven’t seen as much as I would like to. I will try to catch up. I enjoy coming here because everybody seems to be very much at peace with themselves, which is different from Europe. The atmosphere seems relaxed here. I’m not sure whether this has to do with people’s Buddhist worldview. They seem to just seize the day and to be content with what they’ve got. They don’t seem to be as stressed out as we are in Europe where we drive ourselves crazy with our mental problems.

AK: Is there a chance then that you will return next year for more chess in Thailand?

JG: I’ll wait to see where the venue is and what will happen with the question about double-rounds. If I can make it happen – like I said I have a full time job so I have to select my tournaments carefully – I would very much like to be back.

AK: Thank you. We hope to see you here again too.

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By Peter, April 19, 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

British GM Nigel Short has won the 12^th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 by a clear point, with a last-round draw against IM Nguyen Duc Hoa, whose outstanding performance has earned the Vietnamese player a GM norm. From the beginning of the tournament, Short demonstrated his great fighting spirit. Having won the Gibraltar Chess Festival in January, it was apparent that he had come to Bangkok with a high confidence level and the mission to become the sole champion. Mission accomplished! GM Nigel Short has played with passion and expertise in his fourth consecutive BCC Open tournament and has finally won it. While defending champion GM Jan Gustafsson and Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan underperformed, other predominantly Asian participants played very well and often surpassed expectations.

Here are the top results of the final round:

• IM Nguyen Duc Hoa ½ – ½ GM Short Nigel
• GM Amonatov Farrukh 1 – 0 IM Nguyen Van Huy
• Liu Chang ½ – ½ IM Venkatesh M.R.
• GM Xiu Deshun 0 – 1 GM Sriram Jha
• GM Neelotpal Das ½  – ½ IM Saptarshi Roy
• GM Gustafsson Jan 1 – 0 GM Rantanen Yrjo A.
• Sander Severino ½ – ½ GM Hou Yifan

The final standings after 9 rounds are as follows:

1. GM Short Nigel (ENG) 8
2. GM Amonatov Farrukh (TJK) 7
3. IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE) 7
4. GM Sriram Jha (IND) 7
5. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) 6.5
6. IM Venkatesh M.R. (IND) 6.5
7. IM Saptarshi Roy (IND) 6.5
8. Wan Yunguo (CHN) 6.5
9. GM Gustafsson Jan (GER) 6.5
10. Liu Chang (CHN) 6.5
11. Nguyen Van Huy (VIE) 6.5
12. GM Schebler Gerhard (GER) 6.5
13. GM Neelotpal Das (IND) 6.5
14. GM Hou Yifan 6

(135 players)

In the Challenger category, Tint Swe Win (Myanmar) is the sole winner with 6.5 points after having defeated Filipino front-runner Arnulfo Gavilan Jr. in the final round. Tint Swe Win is followed by a pack of six players from the Philippines!

Challenger Round 7 top results:

• Gavilan Jr. Arnulfo 0 – 1 Tint Swe Win
• Vitithum Issara ½ – ½ Ting Marvin
• Gutierrez Jaymarc 1 – 0 De Leon Haince Patrick

Challenger final standings:

1. Tint Swe Win 6½
2. Gavilan Jr. Arnulfo 6
3. Gutierrez Jaymarc 6
4. Viernes Tucker Howear Elstein 6

(95 players)

Please go to chess-results.com for more results and final standings and visit bangkokchess.com again soon for interviews with GM Hou Yifan and others.

The very competitive and well-attended blitz tournament was won by GM Farrukh Amonatov. IM Nguyen Van Huy was the runner-up, and Wan Yunguo finished third.

Here’s an exciting attacking game from the last round:

GM Xiu Deshun – GM Sriram Jha

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 g5 12.Ne3 gxf4 13.Nxf5 0–0–0 14.Qc2 Kb8 15.0–0 fxg3 16.hxg3 h5 17.Rfc1 Nf6 18.a5 h4 19.Nxh4 Rxh4 20.gxh4 Neg4 21.Qf5 Qh2+ 22.Kf1 Bh6 23.Ne4? Rg8 24.Ng5 Qxh4 25.Nh3?? This misses black’s crushing move:

25…Qxh3! 0-1 The black queen cannot be taken because of the knight check on h2 and a quick checkmate. After 26.Qc8+ Rxc8 27.Bxh3 Bxc1 28.Rxc1 Rh8 black would be a piece up.

Here are two games that confirmed Short’s dominance. In Round 7 he beat GM Hou Yifan, in Round 8 GM Farrukh Amonatov:

GM Nigel Short – GM Hou Yifan

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.0–0 Bd6 7.b3 0–0 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.Nc3 a6 10.Qc2 dxc4 11.bxc4 Bxf3 12.gxf3 c5 13.d5 exd5 14.cxd5 b5 15.Be2 c4 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qe7 18.f4 f6 19.Rad1 Rac8 20.Bd4 Nc5 21.Bxc5 Bxc5 22.Bg4 Bxe3+ 23.Kh1 f5 24.Bxf5 Rcd8 25.e5 Kh8 26.Qe4 Qc5 27.Bxh7 c3 28.Bg6 c2 29.Qg2 Bxf4 30.Bxc2 Qe7 31.d6 Qe6 32.Rde1 g5 33.Rf3 g4 34.Rf2 Qh6 35.Qxg4 Bxe5 36.Rxe5 Rxf2 37.Rh5 Rxd6 38.Rxh6+ Rxh6 39.Qc8+ Kg7 40.Qc7+ Rf7 41.Qg3+ Kf8 42.h4 Rhf6 43.Bb3 Rf1+ 44.Kg2 R7f6 45.h5 1-0

GM Short Nigel – GM Amonatov Farrukh

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nb5 Na6 6.a4 Be7 7.c3 0–0 8.h3 Bd7 9.Nf3 Bxb5 10.Bxb5 Nb8 11.Bd3 Nc6 12.0–0 Bd6 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Be7 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.Bg3 g6 18.b3 Qc7 19.f4 c4 20.bxc4 dxc4 21.Bc2 Rfd8 22.Qe2 Qa5 23.Be1 Rac8 24.h4 Nc5 25.h5 g5 26.Qxc4 Nd3 27.Qe4 Qd5 28.Bxd3 Qxd3 29.Qxb7 Bc5 30.fxg5 Qxe3+ 31.Kh1 Rf8 32.gxh6 Qxe5 33.Rf3 Qxh5+ 34.Rh3 Qd5 35.Qxd5 exd5 36.Rd1 Rfe8 37.Rh5 Kh7 38.Bd2 Be3 39.Bxe3 Rxe3 40.Rdxd5 Rexc3 41.Rdg5 Rg8 42.Rxg8 Kxg8 43.Rg5+ Kh8 44.Rf5 Rc4 45.a5 Rh4+ 46.Kg1 Rxh6 47.Rxf7 Ra6 48.Rf5 Kg7 49.Kf2 Kg6 50.g4 Rc6 51.Kg3 Rc3+ 52.Kh4 Rc1 53.Rg5+ Kf6 54.Rd5 Rh1+ 55.Kg3 Ra1 56.Rc5 Ra2 57.Rf5+ Kg6 58.Rb5 Kf6 59.Kf3 Ra3+ 60.Ke4 Ra4+ 61.Kf3 Ra3+ 62.Kf4 Ra4+ 63.Kg3 Ra1 64.g5+ Kg6 65.Kf4 Ra4+ 66.Ke3 Rg4 67.Rb7 Rxg5 68.Rxa7 Kf6 69.a6 Ra5 70.Ra8 Ra4 71.Kd3 Kg7 72.Kc3 Rf4 73.Ra7+ Kg6 74.Rb7 Ra4 75.a7 Kf6 76.Kb3 Ra1 77.Kc4 Ke6 78.Kc5 1-0

While GM Jan Gustafsson was not always happy with his play, the following game from Round 6 is instructive in how to exploit an opponent’s weak pawn structure.

WGM Nadig Kruttika – GM Gustafsson Jan

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bd3 Qb6 7.Nf3 Qc7 8.0–0 Bb7 9.Re1 Bc5 10.e5 f5 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Bxe4 14.Rxe4 0–0 15.Qd3 Nc6 16.Rh4 Rf5 17.Be3 Be7 18.Rh3 g6 19.Qe4 Bf6 20.g4 Rd5 21.c3 White’s last two moves have created several weak pawns. 21…Rf8 22.Rg3 Ne5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Rh3 Bf4 25.Kg2 Bxe3 26.Qxe3 Black’s pieces are more active. This alone is not enough for a win, but Gustafsson increases his positional advantage. 26…Re5 27.Qd2 Rf7 (27…Qc4 would have been even stronger.) 28.Re3 Qc6+ 29.Kg1 Re4 30.h3 Rxe3 31.Qxe3 Black’s pieces are active and ready to attack white’s weak pawns. White cannot defend them all.

31…Rf3 32.Qh6 Qd5 33.Qh4 Qd2 34.Rf1 Rf7 35.Qd8+ Kg7

Nothing can stop the black queen now. 36.Qb6 Qxb2 37.Qxa6 Qxc3 38.Kg2 Qf3+ 39.Kh2 Qd3 40.Kg2 Qd5+ 41.Kh2 Rf3 42.Qa7 Qd6+ 43.Kg2 Ra3 44.Qb7 Qd3 45.Rh1 Rxa2 46.Qc7 Qd5+ 0-1 White will lose more material.

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By Peter, April 19, 2012

GM Amonatov faces WGM Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam in the final of the Blitz Championship

The final of the annual Bangkok Chess Club Championship was held in our regular Tuesday night blitz venue, Roadhouse Barbecue, which is within walking distance of the Dusit Thani. We took over the entire floor for players and spectators, with a buffet to keep the energy levels up. CLear winner was GM Amonatov, with IM Nguyen Van Huy and Wan Yunguo only half a point behind.

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By Peter, April 16, 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

A barrier is needed so the Grandmasters are not crowded by the onlookers

Yesterday’s invitational dinner in the Library Room of the Dusit Thani Hotel was hosted by tournament sponsor and founder of PYN Fund Management Petri Deryng. On this occasion GM Nigel Short called the Bangkok Chess Club Open the best open tournament organized by amateur players that he has ever been to, and GM Jan Gustafsson confirmed that he is only playing two opens this year, Gibraltar and Bangkok! Among the guests were also Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan, Her Excellency Ambassador of Finland to Thailand Sirpa Mäenpää, President of Myanmar Chess Federation Mr. Maung Maung Lwin, as well as several more players and organizers. The discussion topics swayed from chess in Asia to issues about double-rounds, from chess player’s faith to the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. The celebratory mood hit a peak when GM Short started playing chess with filled wine glasses…

…but maybe that’s a story better to be told on another day. Let us look at Monday’s action in round 6 instead, which saw the matchup between leader IM M.R. Venkatesh against second-placed GM Short on board 1. The British GM showed his class and came up on top. On board 2, GM Hou Yifan came back from a technically lost position to defeat FM Martin Voigt, and last year’s champion GM Jan Gustafsson recovered from an upset in the previous round with a win against WGM Kruttika Nadig.

1. IM Venkatesh M.R. (5) 0 – 1 GM Short Nigel (4½)
2. GM Hou Yifan (4) 1 – 0 FM Voigt Martin (4)
3. Stany G.A. (4) 0 – 1 GM Amonatov Farrukh (4)
4. GM Ghane Shojaat (4) 1 – 0 GM Xiu Deshun (4)
5. IM Nguyen Van Huy (4) 1 – 0 FM Teerapabpaisit Wisuwat (4)
6. IM Mohota Nisha (4) 1 – 0 GM Neelotpal Das (4)
7. WGM Nadig Kruttika (3½) 0 – 1 GM Gustafsson Jan (3½)

After round 6 GM Short is leading with 5½ points, followed by GM Hou Yifan, GM Amonatov, GM Ghane, IM Venkatesh, IM Nguyen Van Huy, IM Mohota, IM Nguyen Duc Hoa, and Wan Yunguo with 5 points.

Here are two critical games from round 6:

IM Venkatesh – GM Short

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Be6 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.d3 Qd7 6.Rb1 g6 7.b4 Bg7 8.b5 Nd8 9.a4 Ne7 10.Nd5 0–0 11.a5 a6 12.b6 c6 13.Nc7 Rc8 14.Ba3 f5 15.Nf3 h6 16.0–0 Bf7 17.c5 d5 18.d4 e4 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.dxe5 Ne6 21.Nxe6 Bxe6 22.f4 exf3 23.exf3 f4 24.Rb4 fxg3 25.hxg3 Nf5 26.Qe1 g5 27.Bb2 Qe7 28.Qf2 Rf7 29.Bh3 Rcf8 30.Bxf5 Rxf5 31.f4 gxf4 32.Rxf4 Rxf4 33.gxf4 Kh7 (In a slightly better position for black, white makes a decisive mistake.) 34.Kg2? (34.Kh2 Qf7 35.Qf3 was needed.) 34..Rg8+ 35.Kf3 Bg4+ 36.Ke3 Qxc5+ 37.Kd2 Qxa5+ 38.Kc1 Bf5 39.Rh1 Rg4 40.Qh2 Qc5+ 41.Kd1 Rg6 0-1

GM Hou Yifan – FM Voigt

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3 e6 7.Nf4 Bd6 8.c3 Nf6 9.h4 Qc7 10.Qf3 Nbd7 11.h5 Bc2 12.h6 gxh6 13.Bd3 Bxd3 14.Nxd3 Bxg3 15.fxg3 Rg8 16.Bf4 Qa5 17.0–0 Qh5 18.Bc7 Qxf3 19.Rxf3 Ne4 20.Re1 f5 21.c4 Ndf6 22.Be5 Ng4 23.d5 0–0–0 24.dxc6 Rxd3 25.cxb7+ Kxb7 26.Rxd3 Nxe5 27.Rb3+ Kc6 28.Ra3 Kb6 29.c5+ Kb7 30.b4 a6 31.Rb3 h5 32.a4 Nc6 33.Rd1 Kc7 34.b5 axb5 35.axb5 Ne5 36.Rc1 Nxg3 37.Ra1 Ne2+ 38.Kf1 Nd4 39.Rb4 Rg4 40.g3 (With both players in acute time trouble, black starts making inaccurate moves that waste his winning advantage.) 40..Nc2? (40..Nd3 41.b6 Kb8 is much better.) 41.Rxg4 hxg4 42.Ra7+ Kb8 43.Rxh7 Nd4 44.Re7 Kc8 45.b6 Nec6 46.Rc7+ Kb8 47.Kf2 e5 48.Ke3 Nb4 49.Rf7 Nd5+ 50.Kd3 Nb4+ 51.Kc4 Nbc6 52.Kd5 e4 53.Rf8+ Kb7 54.Rf7+ (The position is equal but with only seconds on both clocks black wants too much.) 54..Ka6?? 55.b7 Ka7 56.Rc7 e3 57.Rxc6 Nc2 58.Rb6 Kb8 59.c6 1-0

The top game of round 7 will see GM Short vs. GM Hou Yifan.

In the Challenger category things are well under way too. After four rounds of play, only three players remain with a perfect score: Malakar Man Prachanda, Arnulfo Gavilan Jr. and Marvin Ting.

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By Peter, April 16, 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

Indian IM Ventakesh is the surprise leader after 5 rounds

The third day of play at the 12^th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 was the second but last double round. The morning round began at 9 a.m. sharp, so the maxim was “The early bird catches the worm.” Some players had to dig deep to find their top form shortly after breakfast. No doubt, for some of us chess is not a morning sport. Among the wide-awake, however, were tournament favorites GM Nigel Short, title defender GM Jan Gustafsson, Indian IM M.R. Venkatesh, and former champion GM Xiu Deshun all of whom took advantage of middle- and endgame inaccuracies by their opponents to squeeze out full points. Rather unexpectedly, GM Hou Yifan and GM Farrukh Amonatov both dropped half a point. The surprise leader after four rounds was IM Venkatesh from India, remaining the only player with a clean sheet. He was followed by a pack of eleven players with 3½ points.

The results of the top boards from round 4:

1. GM Hou Yifan (CHN) ½ -½ IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE)
2. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) ½-½ GM Amonatov (TJK)
3. IM Venkatesh M. R. (IND) 1-0 IM Wynn Zaw Htun (MYA)
4. GM Short (ENG) 1-0 FM Voigt (GER)
5. Severino (PHI) 0-1 GM Gustafsson Jan (GER)
6. IM Contin (ITA) 0- 1 GM Xiu Deshun (CHN)

With players from 34 nations the BCC Open 2012 is as internationally diverse as ever. IM Venkatesh is one of 33 tournament participants from India, making this the best-represented nation and proving the tournament’s lasting popularity with Thailand’s big neighbor to the West. While there are also numerous players from China and the Southeast Asian countries, players travelled from as far away as Europe, the USA, and Australia to be part of one of Asia’s foremost chess events, hosted by the outstanding Dusit Thani Hotel which offers terrific playing conditions and accommodation. Many players have stated this time and in previous years that they appreciate the BCC Open because it allows them to combine their love for the game with a vacation in the “Land of Smiles.”

The following is IM Venkatesh’s fourth-round win against the Burmese IM Wynn Zaw Htun. 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Bg5 Nf6 8.0–0–0 e6 9.f4 Be7 10.Nf3 0–0 11.Qd3 Qc7 12.Nd4 Rfd8 13.f5 Ng4 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qg3 Ne5 16.Rhf1 Kh8 17.Rf2 Rac8 18.Rdf1 a6 19.Kb1 Bd7 20.b3 b5 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Nce2 Kg8 23.Nf4 Rf8 24.Nf3 Nxf3 25.Rxf3 Bc6 26.Re1 e5 27.Nh5 g6 28.Ref1 Bxe4 29.Nf6+ Rxf6 30.Rxf6 Rxc2 31.Ka1 Rxg2? (31… Rc1+ 32.Rxc1 Qxf6 with equal chances) 32.Qh4 (White is better.) 32… Qc7 33.Rf8+ Kg7 34.Qf6+ Kh6 35.Qh4+ Kg7 36.R1f7+ Qxf7 37.Rxf7+ Kxf7 38.Qxe4 1-0

Here are the round 5 results of the first six boards:

1. GM Gustafsson (GER) 0-1 IM Venkatesh M. R. (IND)
2. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) 0-1 GM Short (ENG)
3. Wan Yunguo (CHN) ½ -½ GM Hou Yifan (CHN)
4. GM Amonatov (TJK) ½ -½ GM Sriram Jha (IND)
5. GM Xiu Deshun (CHN) ½ -½ Stany G. A. (IND)
6. IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE) ½ -½ IM Nguyen Van Huy (VIE)

After five rounds IM Venkatesh is the sole leader with 5 points, followed by GM Nigel Short (4.5) and 16 others (4). Full results and latest standings at chess-results.com