11th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man Chess International 28 Sept - 6 Oct 2002

Round 2 - 29 September

John Saunders reports: Round Two Results

Round 2 (2002.09.29)

Goloshchapov, Alexander  -  Dautov, Rustem           1/2   16  B19  Caro-Kann
Hebden, Mark             -  Neverov, Valeriy         1/2   11  A46  Queen's pawn
Fridman, Daniel          -  Ward, Christopher        1/2   26  E10  Nimzo Indian
Williams, Simon          -  Zapata, Alonso           0-1   46  A53  Benoni
Orr, Mark J L            -  Ulibin, Mikhail          0-1   58  C02  French Advance
Epishin, Vladimir        -  Hanley, Craig            1-0   43  D17  Slav
Marchand, Francois       -  Rotstein, Arkadij        1/2   58  E14  Queen's indian
Sulskis, Sarunas         -  Palus, Ryszard           1/2   62  A16  English 1 c4
Rayner, Francis          -  Lalic, Bogdan            1/2   16  B30  Sicilian
Shulman, Yuri            -  Grant, Alan              1-0   28  A17  English 1 c4
Stocek, Jiri             -  Vuilleumier, Alex        1-0   25  B66  Sicilian
Gordon, Stephen J        -  Kogan, Artur             0-1   32  A20  English 1 c4 e5
Felgaer, Ruben           -  Blackburn, Jonathan L    1/2   26  C17  French Winawer
Miezis, Normunds         -  Van Kemenade, Rudy       1-0   37  A88  Dutch defence
Peralta, Fernando        -  Lutton, J.Ezra           1-0   48  E92  Kings Indian Classical
Harborne, Matthew        -  Tyomkin, Dimitri         0-1   46  B22  Sicilian 2 c3
Grunberg, Mihai          -  Lutton, E Josiah         1-0   59  A40  Queen's pawn
Gladyszev, Oleg          -  Kunte, Abhijit           1/2   81  E39  Nimzo Indian
Pert, Richard G          -  Palliser, Richard        1/2   10  B25  Sicilian Closed
Ledger, Andrew           -  Brady, Stephen           1/2   66  C06  French Tarrasch
Daly, Colm               -  Ansell, Simon            1/2   60  B30  Sicilian
Welling, Gerard          -  Burrows, Martin          1/2   45  A47  Queen's pawn
Fox, Anthony             -  Cioara, Andrei Nestor    1/2   32  B10  Caro-Kann
Cooper, Lawrence         -  Kelly, David             1-0   27  C07  French Tarrasch
Ormsby, Alan             -  Hinks-Edwards, Thom      0-1   28  B13  Caro-Kann
Dougherty, Michael       -  Shepherd, Michael        1-0   29  A46  Queen's pawn
Hanley, James L          -  Collins, Sam             1-0   56  B22  Sicilian 2 c3
Hutchinson, Norman       -  Purton, Ben              1/2   43  B22  Sicilian 2 c3
Goodger, Martyn          -  Spanton, Timothy         1/2   60  B14  Caro-Kann
Waugh, Jonathon C        -  Ellison, Derek George    0-1   60  B26  Sicilian Closed
Cheshire, Paul L         -  Cafolla, Peter           0-1   26  B33  Sicilian Sveshnikov
Bennion, David           -  Kermeen,Robert J         1-0   48  B98  Sicilian Najdorf

Small Earthquake in Port Erin

Rather like that earthquake in Birmingham a week or so, there were no great shocks, but a few minor tremors, in the second round of the 11th Monarch Assurance International. Already a sole leader has emerged: the 44-year-old grandmaster from Colombia, Alonso Zapata, followed up his bright win against Gerard Welling in the first round with a steady demolition of IM Simon Williams. Alonso has been on the chess scene for a very long time, mainly on the opposite side of the Atlantic, but he has also turned out for a few European competitions over the years. He has come to the Isle of Man straight from a big swiss tournament in Madrid where he scored 7/9 to finish half a point behind the winner on tie-break, Ruben Felgaer, who is also playing here, of course. Williams-Zapata.

The top three boards didn't see much by way of action, and what blood there was shed was predominantly British. Edinburgh-based Irishman Mark Orr was gradually worn down by Mikhail Ulibin (pictured left). Mikhail was a modest and popular winner of last year's Monarch and we are getting to know and appreciate his style. He likes to use all the time at his disposal and keep the arbiters busy watching his flag. The overall impression is of someone who is slightly nervous on the outside but basically calm and controlled on the inside. At the end of the game he always hands in an immaculately completed score sheet, making him particularly popular with me, the games inputter. Orr-Ulibin.

Top seed Vladimir Epishin looked in good shape, outplaying Craig Hanley (Epishin-C.Hanley), but Craig's younger brother James (pictured right) had a red-letter day, beating Irish champion Sam Collins. This was the only game of the day in which a lower-rated player beat a higher one. Sam has got off to a bad start here, losing a drawn king and pawn ending in round one and this time playing a bishop sacrifice which was both unnecessary and unsound. Despite being a piece up, it wasn't a complete formality to finish off this game, but James showed himself to be as calm and unflappable as his big brother and completed the job very effectively. J.Hanley-Collins.

There were a couple of other shocks, as two Welsh players chalked up noteworthy half-points. Bogdan Lalic rather unexpectedly offered Francis Rayner (pictured left) a draw on move 16. Francis decided to accept but regretted it later as he had found a very promising continuation from the final position. Rayner-Lalic. Ruben Felgaer seemed to be building up an overwhelming position but allowed a nice tactic from Jonathan Blackburn, capturing a pawn and threatening a deadly pin of the Argentinian champion's queen. A pawn down and with much of his initiative gone, Ruben offered a draw on the next turn and Jonathan decided to accept. Felgaer-Blackburn.

Lithuanian grandmaster Sarunas Sulskis (pictured right) always seems to have a look of puzzlement on his face as he plays. Today his brow was more furrowed than ever as he tried, and failed, to grind down Ryszard Palus of Poland for a win. Perhaps he was puzzled by his opponent's name and its close similarity to that of his first round adversary, Richard Palliser. Come to think of it, I cannot remember if I have ever seen Palus and Palliser in the same room at the same time. Must remember to check that this afternoon. Palliser certainly didn't hang around for long today: a two-minute, ten-move draw with Richard Pert. The arbiter showed his sense of humour by setting the two English flags to half-mast (picture below). Sulskis-Palus.




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©2002 Text and Photos, John Saunders, British Chess Magazine. Not to be used without permission.
Email johnsaunders@bcmchess.co.uk

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