Day 1 of Dortmund and the ACP Classic
Dortmund I already mentioned, but another strong event also began today - the ACP Golden Classic in Bergamo, Italy. What makes it a "classic"? It's not the tournament's age, but (I think) their choice to bring back to the good old days - or maybe it's the bad old days - and have adjournments. It's a round-robin with seven players, meaning someone always has a day off from playing. From playing, yes, but not working; the recipient of the bye must help with the live commentary. (This idea has been used elsewhere, like the London Chess Classic. It's a nice idea for the fans.)
Like Dortmund, the tournament is well-stocked with 2700s, though they are more from the lower-tier than the upper crust of that elite level, and so they may be a hungrier bunch than the top stars playing in Germany. Nevertheless, all three of today's games were drawn: Zoltan Almasi - Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wesley So - Emil Sutovsky and Baadur Jobava - Sabino Brunello, with the last one reaching an adjournment before the players decided to split the point without resuming. The seventh player is Daniele Vocaturo, who will join the action tomorrow.
As for Dortmund, there was not only action but blood on a day when Black was very much OK. Arkadij Naiditsch - Michael Adams and Peter Leko - Ruslan Ponomariov were both drawn, but in both cases White was down a pawn and had to sweat to save the game. The other two games featured superstars (Vladimir Kramnik and Fabiano Caruana) against local players rated in the low 2600s (Georg Meier and David Baramidze, respectively), but neither player had an easy time of it.
Caruana won (with Black) in a long game, winning a great four bishop ending. After 29 moves both players had both of their bishops plus seven pawns apiece, but White had a problem with the d5 pawn. Afraid it might get cut off by ...e4, Baramidze played 30.f3 and 32.e4 to remedy the problem, but then 32...f4 highlighted the weakness of White's h-pawn. Slowly (very slowly) but surely Caruana made progress, exchanging one advantage for another, and after 75 moves White gave up.
As for Kramnik - Meier, it was an unmitigated disaster for the former world champion. Kramnik chose a very passive approach in the English, perhaps just wanting to play a game rather than engaging in a theoretical battle, but the decision didn't work out very well at all. His position was clearly worse after ten moves(!) and pretty much lost soon thereafter. Meier kept accumulating advantages, and the series from moves 32 to 38 is pretty funny. Material is initially equal, but White loses four - count 'em, four - pawns without so much as a receipt to show for it. In the final position Kramnik can regain a pawn or two, but with Black about to make a second queen there was no delaying White's already tardy resignation.
Reader Comments (3)
Now that programs have become that strong reintroducing adjournment is actually a nice idea. It might very well decrease the drawing rate.
Just wondering - since computer analysis is apparently allowed after adjournments, does that mean that these games do not count toward FIDE ratings?
[DM: I'm not sure if the computer component is determinative there or not, but I have a vague recollection of a similar ACP event last year not being rated. You might be right, but I don't know. Hopefully someone can come to the rescue.]
Adjournments are still possible according to the FIDE Laws of Chess (also the new version effective 1st July 2014, Appendix E), and computer analysis of adjourned positions can never be prevented - nor can computer analysis of the starting position (engine-assisted opening preparation) be prevented or forbidden.
So this isn't the point. Indeed, a similar ACP event in 2012 wasn't rated - reportedly at the request of at least one (unnamed) participant. But this event will be rated - info I got on request from tournament and ACP Board director Yuri Garrett.
@MNb: Such remarks come from people who can't accept that a draw is a legitimate, often logical, sometimes unavoidable result of the game. If anything, I suspect that adjournments might make the game more drawish: tiredness and limited time can lead to blunders if games have to be finished in one session. On the other hand, adjournments give players a break and ample time to find the best defensive setup in inferior but tenable positions.