The final round of the Arctic Chess Challenge
was played on Sunday. On top after nine rounds:
GM Monika Socko, who played the best tournament
of her life. Also on 7 points were 14-year-old
Ray Robson of the USA, Marijan Petrov of
Bulgaria and Emanuel Berg of Sweden.
The ACC 2009 winner: GM Monika Socko of Poland
In second place was IM Ray Robson, who
earned his first GM-norm. Ray showed some
fantastic chess in Tromsø, see game below.
Five more title norms were scored in Tromsø.
Luca Shytaj of Italy scored his first
GM-norm. The two young Norwegians Kjetil
Stokke, Nicolai Getz scored IM-norms, and so
did Arkadiusz Leniart of Poland (his seventh
IM norm!). The final norm was scored by
Katrine Tjølsen of Norway. The 16-year-old
got her second WIM-norm by drawing GM
Matthew Turner in the last round.
Ray Robson of the USA - "The new Bobby
Fischer"
The game of the tournament was undoubtedly
played by Ray Robson. His opponent is a
young and talented GM from Denmark, but
despite playing white he had no chance
against the 14-year-old kid from Florida.
GM Allan Stig Rasmussen (2536) - IM Ray Robson
(2491)
Arctic Chess Challenge 2009 Scandic Hotel,
Tromsø (6), 06.08.2009
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+
6.Bd2 c5 7.Bxb4 cxb4 8.Ne5 0–0 9.Nxc4 Nc6 10.e3
e5 11.d5 b5 12.dxc6 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 bxc4 14.a3
Bg4+ 15.Kc1 b3 16.Nc3 Rac8 17.h3 Be6 18.Rd1 Rfd8
19.f4 e4 20.g4 Nd5! 21.Bxe4 Nxe3 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8
23.c7
23…Rd4!
No doubt Robson discovered this move and the
idea behind it several moves ago. White wins a
piece, but his pieces are completely tied down
by the black rook, knight and queenside pawns.
24.Bb7 h6! Robson is in no hurry, and simply
improves the positioning of his pieces.
25.f5
Bd7 26.c8Q+ Bxc8 27.Bxc8 Kf8 28.Ba6 Rd6 29.Bb7
a5 30.Bf3 Ke7 31.a4 Rd4
White is a piece up, but black is the only one
with a plan: advance the king and deliver mate!
A brilliant conception by the young American.
32.Be2
Kf6 33.h4 Ke5 34.Rb1 Kf4 35.Nb5 Rd7 36.Nc3 Kg3
37.g5 hxg5 38.hxg5 Kf2 39.Bh5 Ke1 40.f6 gxf6
41.gxf6 Rd2 42.Ra1 Rc2+ 43.Kb1 Nf1!
White resigned. He can defend against the threat
of Nf1-d2 mate, but then another threat pops up:
44.Ne4 Nd2+ 45.Nxd2 Kxd2 and Rc2-c1 mate is
inevitable.
0–1
You can read more and look at photos and videos
at the
tournament website and at these websites:
The Chess Phantom Blog
Susan Polgar’s Blog
Europe Echecs (high quality video)
