ODT101019

= **Ivanchuk leads Ukraine to Olympiad gold** =



**Problem:** Black to play and mate in 5.

A monumental performance by Vassily Ivanchuk lead the Ukraine team to the Gold Medal at the World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Ivanchuk started with six straight wins in the team competition, and his final tally of 8/10 points and a rating performance of 2890 proved enough for the individual gold medal on board one. The team ended on 19 out of a possible 22 match points, ahead of top seeded Russian team on 18 in second with Israel edging out Hungary for third on tie break on 17.

The Women's event saw a much more dominant performance by the Russian top seeds, ensuring victory with a round to spare with a maximum 22 points. The two other womens' chess powerhouses China and Georgia finishes second and third on 18 and 16 points respectively – the latter on tie-break ahead of Cuba, USA, Poland Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

The New Zealand teams' final placings both suffered from a relatively disappointing final round result following a solid overall performance. The women finished 82nd of 115 teams on 9 points, while the open team finished 91st of 149 teams on 10 points. The standout individuals were both the board two players. WIM Sue Maroroa featured in the last column, so this time it is the turn of FM Michael Steadman of Auckland. He came within a hairsbreadth of winning this 10th round game playing Black against Belgian IM Richard Polaczek, which would have secured an International Master norm. media type="custom" key="26060918" **1.d4 f5** **2.g3 Nf6** **3.Bg2 e6** **4.c4 c6** **5.Nh3 d6** Black has shaped for a Stonewall Dutch Defence (5...d5) but pulls back at the last moment to the fluid setup of since the white knight on h3 is less well placed against the plan of d7-d6 and e6-e5. **6.O-O Be7** **7.Nc3 O-O** **8.e4 e5** **9.exf5 exd4?!** **10.Qxd4?! ---** Black presumably didn't want the isolated pawn after 9...Bxf5 10 dxe5 dxe5. But here White could have grabbed the advantage with 10 Ne2! The idea being that 10 ... c5 allows 11 Nef4! Na6 12 Ng5 Nc7 13 Qd3 exploiting the hole on e6 and the opening of the long diagonal on b7. While 10 ... Bxf5 11 Nxd4 Bg4 12 Qb3 Qd7 13 Nf4 also activates White's pieces against b7 and e6. **10.--- Bxf5** **11.Ng5 Na6!** **12.Bh3 Bxh3** **13.Nxh3 Qd7** **14.Kg2?! ---** The hanging threat of ....Nb4-c2 (since the cure 12 a3? Nc5 was worse than the disease) has lead to White exchanging his key kingside defender. Necessary here was 14 Nf4 bring the knight back from the edge and covering the d3 square, when 14...Nb4 could be met by 15 Qd1! Qf5 16 a3 pushing back the knight. **14.--- Nb4!** **15.Rb1 Qf5** **16.a3?! Nd3!** Pushing the knight to where it wanted to go. Now the Black pieces threaten to bear down on f2, so White moves the target. **17.f3 d5!** **18.cxd5?! ---** Possibly best was removing the black knight by the desperate-looking 18 g4!? Qg6 19 Rd1 Nxc1 20 Rbxc1 dxc4 21 Qxc4+ Kh8 when Black is still better due to the weakened White kingside. **18.--- Bc5** **19.Qc4 cxd5** **20.Qb3 Kh8** The immediate 20 ...Rae8! was more to the point, when White has no time for 21 Bg5. **21.Bg5 Rae8** **22.Rbd1? d4?** White had to play 22 Bxf6 Rxf6 when Black is still on top. But Steadman misses the brilliant combination 22... Ng4!! when 23 fxg4?? allows a stunning mate in 5 (see today's diagram solution) and the threat of 23... Ngf2! wins the exchange – e.g. 23 Ng1 Qxg5 24 Rxd3 Ne3+, or 23 Bf4 Nxf4+ 24 Nxf4 Ne3+ etc. Unfortunately the move played allows White to force a liquidation, now that the black bishop is blocked and the e4 square available. **23.Bxf6 Rxf6** **24.Ne4! Rxe4** **25.Qxd3 Re3** **26.Qxf5 Rxf5** **27.Nf4 Bb6** **28.Nd3 ---** The knight takes up it's ideal post in front of the passed pawn. Neither side has any way to make progress, and a draw is soon agreed. **28.--- Rf8** **29.Rf2 Rc8** **30.Rfd2 Ba5** **31.Rf2 Kg8** **32.f4 Bb6** **33.Rfd2 Ba5** **34.Rf2 Bb6**

**1/2-1/2**

**Solution:** 1 ... Re2! 2 N/Rf2 (2 Nxe2 Qe4+ 3 Rf3 Qxf3#; 2 Kh1 Qf1+! 3 Rxf1 Rxf1+ 4 Ng1 Rxg1#) Qxf2+!! 3 R/Nxf2 Rfxf2+ 4 Kg1 (4 Kh3/h1 Rxh2#) Rg2+ 5 Kf1 Ref2#.