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My prognosis for the traditional round robin tournament in Polanica Zdroj seems to be
failing. Well, we have no bookmaker’s office here yet, which would accept stakes for the
chess competitions, and I retained my hard-earned money. Those whom I trust are standing
still, while those whom I underestimate are flying on the wings of luck! Only Alexei
Shirov, the only one of the predicted favorites, manages to keep the lead, while Svidler and
Ivanchuk are wasting their horrible potential for some reason unknown. Meanwhile, Boris
Gelfand and Loek Van Wely are scoring point after point, and they are playing well!

Of course, partially my prognosis is confirmed, but only in a sad way. I predicted that
Alexei Fedorov would be the main surprise of the event, and he is! No one expected that he
would not score a half point in the first five rounds! Well, this happens sometimes to
everyone: one’s play goes to the dogs, something is missed during home preparation, one’s
sense of time fails, one’s nerves fray. But why not try to make a single draw?

Alexei starts every new game in an extremely militant mood and every time he loses.

I hope that Lady Luck will reward him for his persistence; maybe not this time and not at
this tournament, but she will do so…

Gelfand,B. - Movsesian,S. [D15]
Polanica Zdroj, 2000

I wrote before the tournament that Gelfand experienced a lack of energy. However, he
"refreshed his batteries" and started playing with incredible strength. If only he played so
always...

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.e3!

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After 7.e3!

An aggressive move, which assumes a certain
strategic risk. Trading off a bishop for a knight
in the opening is always dangerous -- what if
the position gets opened and the opponent’s
bishops obtain freedom of operation?

After 7.Bd2 Nhf6, Black proposes move
repetition. An attempt to provide a retreat
square on h2 for the bishop with 8.h3 failed to
the extremely strong objection 8...e5! in the
well-known game Dreev-Volkov, Russia 1989.

7...g6

Movsesian rejects trading off pieces on f4,

having conceived the pawn thrust e6-e5 instead. It is much more difficult to do this after the
exchange, as was proven by the game Huzman-Khalifman/EUCup final/1999/1-0(72),
which proceeded with 7...Nxf4 8.exf4 b6 9.cxb6 Qxb6 10.Qd2 e6 11.Rc1 Rb8 12.Na4 Qb4
13.Qxb4 Bxb4+ 14.Kd1 Bb7 15.a3 Bd6 16.g3 f6 17.Bh3, and White obtained an edge.

8.Bd3 Bg7 9.0-0 f6

After 9...0-0 White can avoid the exchange: 10.Bg5! Re8 (further chasing the white bishop
is impossible: 10...h6 11.Bh4 g5? 12.Nxg5 hxg5 13.Qxh5+-) 11.Re1 Qc7 12.e4! and obtain
an advantage, as happened in the game Khenkin,I-Engqvist,T/Stockholm 1990/1-0(28);
there was also no equality after 9...Nxf4 10.exf4 b6 11.cxb6 (11.b4? bxc5 12.bxc5 Nxc5!)
11...Nxb6 (11...Qxb6 12.Na4 Qc7 13.Qc1!) 12.Qb3! (12.Re1 Bg4!) 12...0-0 13.Rfe1 and so
on.

10.h3 Nxf4

Now, as the move h2-h3 is already made, Black captures on f4. After 10...e5 White must
play 11.Bh2! e4 12.g4 and now he can delay capturing the h5-knight until the very end, for
example: 12...exd3 13.Qxd3 Nf8 14.e4! , and Black is in trouble.

11.exf4 e5

This is forced. Black has no time for preparations. After 11...0-0 unpleasant for him is 12.f5!

After 11...e5

12.f5!

A brilliant move! White immures the black g7-
bishop. A piece is lost? Not a problem! White
is ahead in development and the black king’s
position is weakened.

12...e4 13.Bxe4! dxe4 14.Nxe4 0-0?

Movsesian is confused. He could proceed to
resist with 14...Bf8! 15.Qb3 Be7, not
admitting the white knight to d6. The black
king may retreat to f8. Of course, his position
is dubious, but there is no direct win for White.

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15.Qb3+ Kh8 16.Nd6

The white d6-knight is the strongest piece on the board! It is funny that numerous black
pieces are impeding each other’s action. In order to develop his a8-rook, Black must first
develop his c8-bishop. In order to develop his c8-bishop, the black knight must retreat from
d7. But the knight has not a single square for retreat! Of course, Black can retreat with the
knight to b8, and the black bishop then will be able to move to d7, which deprives the b8-
knight of moves completely! Well, it seems that the a8-rook is imprisoned for good.

16...Bh6 17.Rfe1!

Black has no moves. Of course, Gelfand doesn’t hurry to trade his mighty d6-knight for the
ugly f8-rook, bringing in his last reserves instead.

17...Kg7 18.Re4!

White simply threatens to build up on the e-file in order to intrude on e7.

18...Nxc5

Black hardly has a better move.

19.dxc5 gxf5

After 19...gxf5

20.Re8!

A graceful strike, resulting in material
advantage for White.

20...Qxe8

Black could protract the resistance for a little
bit by 20...Rxe8 21.Qf7+ Kh8 22.Nxe8 Be6 23.
Qxe6 Qxe8 24.Qxf6+ Bg7 25.Qxf5 Qg6 and
Black is two pawns down in the endgame.

21.Nxe8+ Rxe8 22.g3 a5 23.Re1

The cynical tradeoff of pieces is the simplest
way for White.

23...Rxe1+

After 23...Re4 one should play 24.Qb6, transferring the white queen to c7.

24.Nxe1 a4 25.Qb6 Bd2 26.Qc7+ Kg6 27.Nf3 Bc1 28.Nh4+ Kh6 29.Qf7

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After 29.Qf7

The black rook is still on a8. This game shows
that without development an extra piece is
nothing.

1-0

Fedorov,A . - Shirov,A. [C39]
Polanica Zdroj, 2000

1.e4 e5 2.f4

The King’s Gambit, glorious weapon of the nineteenth-century masters. Alexei Fedorov is
the last knight who implements it on the top rank.

2...exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 d6 6.Nxg4 Nf6 7.Nf2 Rg8 8.d4 Bh6 9.Nc3

White has occupied the center, but his K-side is weak. If only he could return his h-pawn to
h2!

9...Nc6 10.Nd5

The most current line nowadays. It served Fedorov well until now, but...

10...Nxd5 11.exd5 Qe7+!N

It seems, that Shirov refutes this whole line successfully. Anyway, it is impossible to
improve White’s play. Black won this game at home.

The game Fedorov,A-Pedersen,S/Aars 1999/1/2-1/2 (23) gave the advantage for Black: 11...
Ne7 12.Qe2 Kf8 (worse is 12...c6 13.Bd2 f3 14.gxf3 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 cxd5 16.Re1 +/-
Fedorov,A-Holst,A/Aars 1999/1-0 (23)) 13.g4 Nxd5 14.g5 Bf5! 15.Bd2 Qd7 16.0-0-0 Re8
17.Qf3 Qa4 18.Bd3 Qxa2 19.c3 Bg6 20.Ne4 Nb6 21.Rde1 Na4 22.Nf6 Qxb2+ 23.Kd1 Qb3
+ , with perpetual check. Apparently, Fedorov was going to improve White’s play.

12.Be2 Nb4 13.c4 Bf5!

Shirov acts in the spirit of the masters of old! The b4-knight is sacrificed for the sake of the
faster development.
The other romantic way is 13...Rxg2!? 14.Kf1 (14.a3 Bg7 15.axb4 f3!) 14...Rxf2+! 15.Kxf2
Qe4 16.Rg1 Kf8 17.a3 Nc2 18.Bf3 Qf5 19.Bg4 Qf6! , and it is equally good. White
experiences serious problems with his king.

14.Qa4+ Kf8 15.Qxb4 Re8 16.Qd2 Rxg2 17.Kf1

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After 17.a4, finishing beautifully is 17...Qxh4!-+

17...Rg3 18.Qd1

Nothing else. Rg3-e3 was threatened.

18...Be4 19.Rh2

Or 19.Nxe4 Qxe4 20.Rh2 Bg7

19...f5!

Transferring the black queen to g7 decides the issue. If it could be called an issue...

20.Nxe4

Bad is 20.Bd2 Qg7-+; or 20.Bh5 Qg7 21.Bxe8 Rg1+ 22.Ke2 f3# - the checkmate!

20...fxe4 21.Bg4

Again after 21.Bh5 follows 21...Qg7! 22.Rh1 Rg2 23.Bxe8 (what else?) 23...Qg3 , and one
should sign the scoresheet...

21...e3 22.Bf3

22.Bf3, and not waiting for the execution of the variation 22...Qg7 23.Rh1 Rg2! 24.Bxg2 e2
+ Fedorov resigned. A tragic game...

0-1

Ivanchuk,V. - Van Wely,L. [B85]
Polanica Zdroj, 2000

It is almost impossible to defeat such a monster as Ivanchuk with Black. Van Wely did so,
however, with Ivanchuk’s aid. The latter wanted to win so strongly...

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.Kh1 Nc6
10.Nxc6

A rare line. More often employed are 10.a4 and 10.Be3

10...bxc6 11.e5

In this manner, White destroys the opponent’s pawn structure. However, his own e5-pawn
also becomes weak. Thus, this breakthrough does not give any advantage for White.

11...dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd7 13.Bf4 Bg5!

An exact reply! Black trades off the dark-squared bishops, leaving the e5-pawn with no
defense.

14.Bg3 Bh4 15.Bf4 Bg5

White has a choice: either accept the draw or take the risk of playing for a win.

16.Qd2

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Ivanchuk chooses the latter option! Several games ended in draws in this position.

16...Bxf4 17.Qxf4 Qa5 18.Rae1 Qxe5

Perhaps stronger for Black is: 18...Rb8 19.Bd3 Rxb2 20.Qh4 h6 (20...g6? 21.Ne4) 21.Qe4
g6 22.Nd1 Nc5 23.Qh4 Nxd3 24.cxd3 Rxa2, and capturing on h6 is not dangerous for him
thanks to: 25.Qxh6 Qd2!

19.Qh4

White gives away his weak pawn, but completes his development. Now he has perfect
compensation for the material.

19...h6 20.Bd3

Here White can restore the material balance by: 20.Bxa6 Qb8 21.Bxc8 Qxc8 22.a4 , and
White is slightly better. However, Ivanchuk does not want to trade his active bishop for the
passive black bishop. If only he knew what a monster would appear out of the miserable c8-
bishop...

20...Qg5 21.Qe4 g6 22.Qxc6 Rb8 23.Ne4 Qa5 24.b3 Kg7

A perfect prophylactic move. Now the white knight cannot get to f6 with check, which
reveals itself in further variations.

25.Qd6 Rb6! 26.Qe7 Qb4! 27.Qh4

Ivanchuk stubbornly avoids trading off the queens. I think that after 27.Qxb4 Rxb4 28.Rd1!
Black still has some problems.

27...f5 28.c3 Qa3 29.Nd2 Qd6

The pawn hunt: 29...Qxa2? ends tragically for the black queen: 30.Nc4 Rc6 31.Qd4+ Rf6
32.Ra1 Qxb3 33.Rfb1+-

30.Rf3 g5 31.Qf2 Qc5 32.Qe2 Bb7
33.Rh3?

A mistake. Here Ivanchuk has gone too far. He should restrict Black’s possibilities with 33.
Re3! Then, bad for Black is 33...e5? due to 34.Nc4 , and Black loses the pawn.

33...e5! 34.Nc4 Re6

The center is all black. White is worse.

35.b4 Qc7 36.Na5 e4 37.Bc4 Ref6 38.Qf2?!

White retains more surviving chances with 38.Nxb7 Qxb7, though it is not clear how to
attach the h3-rook to the play.

38...Ba8!

Now the white a5-knight is idle.

39.Bf1 Ne5 40.c4 f4

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