Bali 2000 Review

Table of contents:

Introduction
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3

Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Conclusion

Italiano

There have been played three rounds already. Any way, let me start from the very first day. Yours truly played in Bali exactly one year ago on the so called the Millennium tournament. Indonesia was suffering during the last year from many political problems and the Japfa Classic tournament was postponed. Indonesia is a safe country, this was said in the opening ceremony and when it considers Bali it is 100% true. The opening ceremony took place in the Grand Bali Beach hotel. The vice president of Indonesia Mrs Megawati herself was present. The category 16 tournament (2630 average rating) was a logical step in promoting chess in Bali. Indonesian hero GM Utut Adianto is playing for years matches against strong GM's, only to mention Karpov, Short, Polgar. The sponsors also reveled their plan to build Chess Institute in Bali. There already exists Bali Jeff Chess Center but the Institute means additional 1400 square meter space for chess. What can you say. What they are doing may say pragmatic to an american businessman - they are just wasting their money. Yes it is true, in Asia they know or vice versa they do not know how to deal with chess and with grandmasters. To become a real GM is not ease and people admire these who achieved it. For years of hard work and some talent you may play finally in the Bali heaven, one of the world best resorts. First prize - 20 000 USD is not bad, but we must take it into an account that two world champions Karpov and Khalifman are playing. They met each other in the final round. Any regular tourist may follow the game on the second of May, the round starts at 12.00 noon Bali time. You can later play in the OPEN following the Classic tournament. Info:E-mail balijeff@indo.net.id

All players arrived to Bali with serious intentions. Timman said in his interview in Jakarta that he should win, he knows already how to beat Karpov, obviously he was thinking about his last tournament together with Karpov in Holland where he beat Karpov, but shared first place with Judith Polgar. Nobody except Karpov has a coach, Mikhail Podgajec is with Karpov. Judith plays with her boyfriend. Some players where happy because they remembered what happened in Prague last year when Judith was playing match with Shirov, the boyfriend was present and she got only half point out of six. After three rounds she was leading, meaning that she is not so easily shaken. Sorry I forget that Timman brought his big daughter. Tournament is only 16 category, but except Milos and Adianto and of course Gunawan and unknown Zaw other players have been in various times in the world top. I believe they all are favorites and because the tournament is short somebody needs some luck. I will try to give you brief round reports and some inside stories if something happens, I also will try to answer questions or pass some of it to other players.

Each day five questions are answered, please hurry, I take first Five only. Click here to Ask

Sometimes I'm getting tired to play rock solid and try to create winning chances, also when I am playing with the black. Against Pirc Judith usually plays variation with three pawns, it means f4 on move four but she avoids closed positions, this was used in my preparation. In move four she could not play f4 because the position could close after 4…d5.

Soon we reached position after move 8…b4 what was played in the game Leko-Beliavsky, She made a weak move 9.exf6? instead of Leko's 9.Ne4, she did not know my game with Stripunsky from Virginia tournament this year where he played 9.Ne2? and I won easily.

Making the move 12…Qa5 I missed her excellent move 15.Qf4! and white saved the game. Much stronger was 12…Be6 with lasting positional advantage for black.

In the game Timman-Seirawan they repeated an old game Sadvakassov-Karpov . In my opinion Yasser made a serious positional mistake 22…Nxf4, better was 22…Bxe5, but on the move 26 Jan played an inaccurate 26.Rac1 and Black saved the slightly inferior rook endgame. Much stronger was 26.Nf3! with an idea Qd3 and then putting rooks on the e-line. In time trouble the position was difficult to defend.

Black made a novelty in move 9…Qd5 and the game ended in equal endgame. Instead of 11.Ne5 more interesting was 11.Qf4 Bb4 12.Rd3 with complications.

In the final position black had a winning position but in time trouble the draw was agreed. How many points is this pair going to score?

One does not have ambitions any more and Karpov is well known solid player with black

Timman played his favorite line but did not equalize. Milos spend a lot of time and did not complicate things after 22…c5, anyway there was interesting try 23.dxc5 bxc5 24.Qb7 Re8 25.a4! with some plus for white.

Round 3

In the game Adianto-Ehlvest an interesting Grunfeld has been played, but suddenly in a good position Black just collapsed. (game commented in an additional file).

In the game Timman-Polgar somebody was worried about the result, because of the chance that Timman may overpress trying to beat the leader. Judith choosed not the sharpest opening. It was obvious that Jan was expecting some sharper opening and after long hesitation he choosed Petrosian line against the Bogo-Indian. The game quickly entered into equal endgame. In the move 20 Judith played aggressively 20…Nf6 followed by 21…b5. I was expecting quiet 20…Kf8 with comfortable position. Difficult to say what Jan had in his mind, probably he was still trying to find some chances to play for the full point but it was time to slow down. Last crucial mistake among others was 26.Nc5. With this victory Judith got the lead in the tournament.

Karpov-Milos saw typical Karpov's chess. Space advantage but black was never in a real danger.

Seirawan played without any risk. His endgame technique was good enough to score the victory.

Khalifman gave his opponent to much play and suddenly after mutual time trouble he was in the lost endgame. It seemed that first sensation is in agenda, but Gunawan got confused with his passed pawns and in final position Khalifman had better chances.

White choused positional approach to the game. Black did not play well against the system used by Portisch in several games. In time trouble everything was just over.

Karpov in the game against Yasser allowed to take on c4. Now he was more exact, he changed on d5 first. Draw, what else.

Nice tactical battle. Timman could try 14…h5 and if White follows the line played in the game, he has 17…Re8 18.Nh6 Kh7 19.Qd6 Bc4 with advantage. The point however is that Utut missed 15.Qa3! 15…Qe5 was good after 14…h6 or 14…h5, but it is not good anymore after 15.Qa3 in view of 16.Qe7! After 15.Qa3 Rb8 16 Na3 white has better chances 16…Qb2 17.Qa7 etc. In the game the draw was a logical outcome.

The game of the round. After the opening moves it looked like Judith wants to keep her lead with a quick draw. She was following a game Anand-Karpov from last year, what ended with a quick draw. Karpov came up with a strong 13…Nb6, instead of 13…Nc5 what he played against Anand.

Karpov got simply an extra pawn but wanted to win without any complications. In the move 18 he retreated his bishop from c2 absolutely without a need. After few moves he made an another inaccuracy 20…Qb6? and Judith saved the game. Anyway she is the favorite because she did not play with the two outsiders.

Round 5

Karpov played his favorite system . Utut made a crucial mistake on the move 24… Bb7? He should play 24…Nxa4 25.Qa3 Bb5 26.Nxc5 Nxc5 27.Qxc5 a6 with an equal play.

Judith had some difficulties to win the game, but in the time trouble Zaw made some mistakes.

Jan missed completely Black's Nd5 when he took with the pawn to c3, luckily enough he was still in the game.

Round 6

White got a better position on the queenside, in the center and on the kingside. No surprise that Gunawan did not reach the first time control.

White was obviously playing for a draw to keep the lead in the tournament. Khalifman choused risky opening but it did not help.

A very interesting battle. Timman improved his game against Seirawan from this tournament and got a promising position. Karpov found a miraculous escape in the queen endgame.

Round 7

One day Yasser was surprised when somebody told him about the move Ba6 in a certain line. Now he faced it on the board. Yasser spend a lot of time, but did not found anything for white, black was later even slightly better.

A strange game. Polgar was probably tired. White had a huge advantage, but the game was drawn. Gunawan probably thought that it is too early to beat some superstar. He had a completely winning game against Khalifman as well.

Finally Khalifman got the position he needed from the opening. This was looking like played by the other world champion, who usually wins in the opening.

You may see this game commented. It was my last hope for a good result so I over pressed. American opens probably spoiled by my feeling of reality. To win with Karpov in a slightly better position is not easy.

Finally I like to share one inside story. One day yours truly and Khalifman got from the hotel reception surprisingly big bills and were asked to pay it immediately because it exceed 500 USD. Later on it appeared a mistake and mainly because both of us are using internet connection from our rooms. Anyway one found another explanation. Usually we sign all our bills when we having a dinner etc. So probably Jaan got the bills signed by Jan as well and FIDE world champion got the bills signed just World Champion.

Judith Polgar was a big surprise winner. In many interviews she said that she wants to improve her play. What exactly she meant was not clear. In many games, even with white pieces she performed quiet poorly in chess terms, playing for a draw is not usual for the winner's style. I immediately remember another Hungarian star Peter Leko, who's style even for me looks disgusting, because I also used to play very solid, just nowadays I am spoiled with American Opens. We do not criticize the winner anyway. Probably this was the right approach to the tournament and she did it in the best possible way.

Other players behind Judith: Karpov and Khalifman, both cannot be satisfied with their results. One had in the penultimate round white pieces against the last place holder and other - Khalifman had a winning position against Karpov himself in the last round.

Milos and Seirawan played very solid throughout the tournament. Only yours, truly spoiled, lost all the chances in the penultimate round by loosing without a straggle against Milos with the white pieces. And Milos had a chance to beat Judith in the final round and win the tournament. To change you attitude during the tournament cannot be good and Milos performed very poorly in the last round.

Other players did what they could, but the tournament luck and stronger opponents did not gave them more points. For me it is understandable, the organizers aim to get a higher category and at the same time to give a chance for weaker local players. This however makes the tournament to look like wolves and lambs. It is much better if there are only players for which it is difficult to predict the result of the game.

Another question is a nock out format, and we may use a minus circle like in other sports, OK there is a golden rule which gives the gold one makes the rules. After the tournament there were many discussions between several groups of players about the new regulation in chess mainly the doping problem. Karpov, Timman and others are against it, chess needs a specific approach and cannot be treated like other sports. For me this is all nonsense, I mean doping in general, if somebody wants to kill himself, let him do so. What could help chess players: caffeine, alcohol and others, maybe Chinese medicine and of course cocaine and the list may be long, but anabolic steroids are not good for your brain. After all the only helpful stimulator from outside is a computer. Do not allow Kasparov to use his Pentium and suddenly he may play at Valery Salov's level.

I am waiting some news about this doping agenda and I will let you know about an opinion of GM's (Timman?)

Review by Jaan Ehlvest

Round 3

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7