Chess
Lucky Break Helps a Russian Defend His World Open Title
It takes skill to win the biggest open tournament in the United States, but to win it twice might require a bit of luck, too.Last weekend, Evgeniy Najer of Russia won the World Open in Philadelphia. The tournament attracts top players from all over the world because it has the biggest prize fund of any open competition.
Najer, ranked No. 67 in the world, won last year’s open in a playoff. This year, Najer won by default after tying for first with Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning United States champion. There was no playoff because Nakamura had to leave early for an elite invitational in Spain.
If there had been a playoff, it would have been an Armageddon game, which relies on speed. And Nakamura is one of the best speed chess players in the world.
Najer had lost to Nakamura in Round 7, leaving him a point behind. But Nakamura, by leaving early, was forced to take byes in the last two rounds, which counted as a half-point each. That allowed Najer, who won his last two games, to catch up.
Those final two victories came over the grandmasters Alexander Shabalov and Jaan Ehlvest.
Najer was Black against Ehlvest, but be took the initiative after Ehlvest played too passively. Ehlvest adopted the King’s Indian Attack in the Reti Opening. White’s usual plan is to push his pawn to e5 and bring his queen knight around to the kingside, via f1 and h2 and g4.
Najer’s 9 ... Na6 was uncommon; usually Black plays 9 ... Nbd7. It temporarily left Black’s knight off to the side, but it left d7 open for his other knight, in case White pushed his e pawn.
That did not happen. Instead, Ehlvest misplaced his knight on b3, then put his dark-squared bishop on the vulnerable f4 square.
Ehlvest played 20 Na1 rather than 20 Qe3 to slow Black’s development. The point was to keep a Black rook off of d8 because of the threat of Ba5. But putting the knight on a1 was too big a concession.
Najer’s 24 ... f5 was a clever idea. Ehlvest had to trade pawns, but he should then have tried 26 Nh2 or 26 Qd1.
Ehlvest’s blundered with 31 Nc2; 31 Be3 was better. After 32 ... Nb3, White had to lose material. Ehlvest soon resigned.
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A follow-up to last week’s column about the American teenagers Alex Lenderman and Samuel L. Shankland, who both had a chance to earn the grandmaster title at the World Open: Lenderman tied for eighth, fulfilling the requirements for the title.
Lucky Break Helps a Russian Defend His World Open Title
It takes skill to win the biggest open tournament in the United States, but to win it twice might require a bit of luck, too.Last weekend, Evgeniy Najer of Russia won the World Open in Philadelphia. The tournament attracts top players from all over the world because it has the biggest prize fund of any open competition.
Najer, ranked No. 67 in the world, won last year’s open in a playoff. This year, Najer won by default after tying for first with Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning United States champion. There was no playoff because Nakamura had to leave early for an elite invitational in Spain.
If there had been a playoff, it would have been an Armageddon game, which relies on speed. And Nakamura is one of the best speed chess players in the world.
Najer had lost to Nakamura in Round 7, leaving him a point behind. But Nakamura, by leaving early, was forced to take byes in the last two rounds, which counted as a half-point each. That allowed Najer, who won his last two games, to catch up.
Those final two victories came over the grandmasters Alexander Shabalov and Jaan Ehlvest.
Najer was Black against Ehlvest, but be took the initiative after Ehlvest played too passively. Ehlvest adopted the King’s Indian Attack in the Reti Opening. White’s usual plan is to push his pawn to e5 and bring his queen knight around to the kingside, via f1 and h2 and g4.
Najer’s 9 ... Na6 was uncommon; usually Black plays 9 ... Nbd7. It temporarily left Black’s knight off to the side, but it left d7 open for his other knight, in case White pushed his e pawn.
That did not happen. Instead, Ehlvest misplaced his knight on b3, then put his dark-squared bishop on the vulnerable f4 square.
Ehlvest played 20 Na1 rather than 20 Qe3 to slow Black’s development. The point was to keep a Black rook off of d8 because of the threat of Ba5. But putting the knight on a1 was too big a concession.
Najer’s 24 ... f5 was a clever idea. Ehlvest had to trade pawns, but he should then have tried 26 Nh2 or 26 Qd1.
Ehlvest’s blundered with 31 Nc2; 31 Be3 was better. After 32 ... Nb3, White had to lose material. Ehlvest soon resigned.
•
A follow-up to last week’s column about the American teenagers Alex Lenderman and Samuel L. Shankland, who both had a chance to earn the grandmaster title at the World Open: Lenderman tied for eighth, fulfilling the requirements for the title.
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