Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.FOLLOWING IN the footsteps of his great Armenian predecessor Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, Vladimir Akopian lost the first game of the Fide World Championship final on Sunday like a child, or as Petrosian said of his defeat, "a first-category player".
There, though, much of the similarity ends, for, whereas Akopian's match with Alexander Khalifman from St Petersburg is of just six games, Petrosian had all the time in the world to fight back against Mikhail Botvinnik in 1963 in the balmy days of 24-game championships.
Nevertheless, with Petrosian being such an icon, I wouldn't be surprised if Akopian hadn't consoled himself with the further course of Petrosian's triumph: three tough draws followed by a magnificent strategic victory - his first ever against Botvinnik: a tour de force in which Petrosian's (White) king penetrated all the way to g7 as early as the first time control on move 40 - and an eventual scoreline of 12.5-9.5.
In any case, although Akopian played the opening very dubiously, the second game on Monday was drawn after just 18 moves on Khalifman's proposal after he, too, appeared to go slightly wrong.
Akopian presumably surprised Khalifman somewhat with 3 b4 but they reached a fairly normal English Opening. If 11 ...f4 12 d4 so Khalifman tried to stabilise the centre with 11 ...c5.
After 12 bxc6 bxc6 Black is again ready to play 13 ...c5 but 13 exf5 looks normal to me rather than the precipitate 13 c5?!
In the diagram 17 Nxe4 looks panicky, though if e.g. 17 Nd2 Be6 18 Qc2 Nc6 Black must be better. White got bishop and two pawns vs two knights - enough in blitz but not at a slow time limit - and Khalifman consolidated.
White: Vladimir Akopian
Black: Alexander Khalifman
Las Vegas 1999 (Final, game 1)
English Opening
1 Nf3 Nf6
2 c4 g6
3 b4 Bg7
4 Bb2 0-0
5 g3 d6
6 Bg2 e5
7 d3 Nh5
8 Nc3 f5
9 0-0 Nc6
10 b5 Ne7
11 e4 c5
12 bxc6 bxc6
13 c5?! d5
14 exd5 cxd5
15 Qb3 e4
16 dxe4 fxe4
(see diagram)
17 Nxe4?! Bxb2
18 Qxb2 dxe4
19 Ng5 Bf5
20 Nxe4 Rb8
21 Qc3 Nd5
22 Qa3 Bxe4
23 Bxe4 Nhf6
24 Bf3 Qc7
25 Rac1 Ne7
26 c6 Nf5
27 Qc3 Rbc8
28 Rfe1 Qg7
29 Rcd1 Rc7
30 Re6 h5
31 Qe5 Kh7
32 h3 Ng8
33 Qe4 Nf6
34 Qe5 Ng8
35 Qe4 Rf6
36 Rxf6 Nxf6
37 Qb4 Qe7
38 Qb8 Nd6
39 g4 hxg4
40 hxg4 Nf7
41 Kg2 Kg7
42 Re1 Qd8
43 Qb2 Ng5
44 Re3 Qd6
45 Qa3 Qxa3
46 Rxa3 Kf7
47 Be2 Ne6
48 Ra4 Nd5
49 Bf3 Ne7
50 Kg3 Kf6
51 Rc4 Ke5
52 Rc1 Nd4
53 Re1+ Kf6
54 Bg2 Nexc6
55 f4 Ne7
56 Bf1 Rc3+
57 Kg2 Nc2
White resigns
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