ROUNDS 1 & 2

FIRST ROUND STARTS BEHIND SCHEDULE

The 1st round of the 9th W.U.C.C, taking place at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria started........ late. This was due to the late arrival (from Greece or thereabouts)of electronic chess boards, without which the games couldn’t be viewed live on the Internet. The round, which ought to have started for 3.00pm Nigeria time(14:00 GMT), eventually began at 7:45pm local time, some 4hrs 45 min behind schedule. Needless to say the visiting contingents were not at all pleased with the delay and the fact that they still had to play one round which could possibly last till 1:00 am!. The host team (whom are quite familiar with such punctuality),to the contrary, were quite relaxed and seemed ready for the nights exertions. To be fair, the officials were literarily running around, to see that the games could begin as quickly as possible. Any way, enough about all that, the clocks have been started, the games have begun and we'll bring the first round report to u tomorrow......on time!!!

 

ROUND 1

It was a humbling 1st round for the host nation. All members of the team (with the exception of Ademola Sorungbe who was on a bye)lost their games .Allor and Ajibowo were OK out of the opening and got playable middle game positions. However Allor liquidated into an inferior ending and lost (to Ni Hua rated 2607, a Grandmaster (GM) from China). Ajibowo, also in a good position, underestimated a passed pawn in his game against Jenni Florian (2481 and a GM from Switzerland) and lost. So did everyone else besides the fore mentioned Sorungbe. The Nigerian girls also suffered the same fate. Miss Edunwale playing, an exchange French, looked okay after the opening but, within a few moves, she got into some difficulty and
Seps Monica (WIM from Switzerland) duly converted the point.

Ajayi and her opponent Gong Qiangym (WIM From China) seemed reluctant to leave the opening. Both players refused to go into the middle game for an hour plus and eventually, when they did get there Chinese lady sacrificed her light square bishop on g4 and....you know the rest.So what happened to our players? Well there are many possible explanations, but I'll settle for just one.

Our representatives, simply have not had enough tournament playing time (only the one tournament{rapid} this yr).The other contingents, as I have learnt are coming from (and leaving for) other events and, are as such , in the playing mode.

The other game results were a clear reflection of rating strength. GM Bu Xianghi(2604, the highest rated player in the tournament) beat Iran’s, Mohajerin Peyman.The game started 1.e4....... 13 minutes later the black replied 1... C5!?(annotation credited to Bu) and with a 300+ rating difference Bu won. Also, as is expected, all titled female players won there games.
 

Sadly, as at the time of this report first round games were not available and as such, we leave you with pictures from the first day and with a promise to get the games for the subsequent rounds.

ROUND 2

The Second round started .......right on time. The surprise game was on board 1, Darban (IRI 2390) held top seed GM BU to a draw. On board 2 Ni Hua(CHN),beat Kuemin of Switzerland. Van Beek (NDL) lost to GM Ghamaghami (IRI) On board 3 and GM Florian (SUI) Switzerland beat D'costa (BEL).On The home front, Bomo drew with Peyman (IRI) while both Allor and Ajibowo dispatched their Ghanaian opponents. Demola was a pawn up against Willemze (NDL) but did't make much progress and he subsequently lost the pawn and the game. Ogunowo played and lost to Oteri.

To the ladies, Salman (IRI) drew with top seed Marlies(NDL) on board 1 while Gong (CHN) beat Ghaderpour (IRI). In this round, there were two all Nigerian piarings. Lola played and beat Togun while Ayo lost to Sharon. Edunwale lost to Zhang (CHN) and Tobi defeated Yueh (TAI).
 

(27) Gong Qiangyun - Ghaderpour T Shayest [B53]
World University Chess Championship (2), 2006
[Tijani,Olumide]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.0–0–0 Be7 10.Rhe1 0–0 11.Kb1 Qa5 12.Qd2 Qb6 13.Nd4 Rfd8 14.f3 Rac8 15.g4 Be8 16.Be3

       

The first move outside established theory!Usuall are [16.h4 Rc4 (16...a5 17.Qe3 Qc5 18.Qd3 a4 19.a3 Qb6 20.Ka1 Qa6+/=; 16...a6 17.Rg1 Qc5 18.Be3 Qc4 19.g5 Nh5 20.f4=) 17.Be3 Qa6 18.g5 Nd7 19.h5 Rdc8 20.Nce2 Ne5=] 16...Qa6 17.g5 Nd7 18.f4 b5?!

     

A dubious pawn sac which gives white little trouble. 19.Ndxb5 Nb6 20.Bxb6 Qxb6 21.Qe3 Rc5 22.Nd4 Rb8 23.Nb3 a5 24.a4 Qb7 25.Nb5 Bxb5? A tactical mistake [¹25...Rxb5 26.axb5 a4 27.Nd4 Bxb5 28.Nxb5 Qxb5 29.Qd4 a3 30.b3 Qc6²; 25...Rcc8= 26.Qa7 Bxb5 27.Qxb7 Rxb7 28.axb5 Rxb5] 26.Nxc5 dxc5 27.axb5 Qxb5 28.Qb3 Qe8 29.Qd3 Rb7 30.e5 Qb8 31.Qc3 a4 32.Ka2 c4? Though there's little else black can play. [32...Rb4 33.Rd7 Bf8 34.Red1 Rxf4 35.Rd8 Qb4 36.Qxb4 cxb4 37.Ra8 Rf3 38.c4 (38.Rdd8?? b3+ 39.cxb3 axb3+–+) 38...f6 39.gxf6 gxf6 40.c5+-] 33.Re4 a3 34.b3?

   

White is still winning but could have done so immediately with. [34.Rxc4! Rxb2+ 35.Ka1 Bf8 36.Rc8 Qb7 37.Rxf8+!+-] 34...cxb3+ 35.cxb3 g6 3
6.Rc4 Qa7 37.Rc8+ Kg7 38.Rd2 Bb4 39.Qh3 h5 40.gxh6+ Kh7 41.Qh4 Be7 42.Qf2 Qxf2 43.Rxf2   And went on to win. 1–0

 
  Dabran - Bu

61.Kh5 Rg5+ 62.Kxh6 Rxg4 This is one of those situations in which the defending rook is better placed in front of the pawn(as against at the side).The idea is to check the king once it steps into the f or e files and to continue doing so till it goes back under the pawn. Though the white king is cut-off by 2 files ,black can make no progress due to the "unadvanced" e6 pawn & as such the position is drawn. 63.Kh5 Rd4 [63...Rg2 does not change the situation. 64.Re1 Kd6 65.Rd1+ Kc5 66.Re1 Kd5 67.Rd1+ Ke4 (67...Kc6 68.Rc1+) 68.Re1+ Kf4 69.Rf1+ (69.Rxe6?? Kf5–+) 69...Ke3 70.Re1+ Re2 71.Rxe2+ Kxe2 72.Kg5= This method would work,however, if the King and pawn were on e6 and e5 because then the king could drive away the rook successfully] 64.Ra1 Kf6 65.Rf1+ Ke5 66.Kg5 Ra4 67.Rd1 Rc4 68.Ra1 Kd5 69.Rd1+ Rd4 70.Ra1 e5 71.Re1 Rd3 72.Kf5 Rf3+ 73.Kg4 e4 [73...Rf8 74.Rd1+ Ke6 75.Re1=] 74.Ra1 Switching to horizontal checks. 74...Rf8 75.Ra5+ Kd4 76.Ra4+ Kd3 And a few moves later..... ½–½

  
   Sorungbe-Willemze

Sorungbe is a pawn up and could continue with Qc2,protecting the a4 pawn. The text move doesn't lose immediately but unnecessarily sheds a pawn. 46.Nb5? Qxa4 47.Nd6 Qd4 48.Nc4 fxg3 49.hxg3 h4 50.b3 Qf6 51.Qe1 h3+ 52.Kxh3 Qxf3 53.Qe3 Qh1+ 54.Kg4 Qf1 At this point, both players had less than 10 minutes on the clock. 55.Qd2??

The position seems quiet and so might lead one to think that any move would draw. The text move loses instantly. [¹55.Qf3 Qa1 56.Kh3 Kg8 57.Qd3 Ne5 58.Nxe5 Qxe5 59.Kg4 (59.Qd8+ Kf7 60.Qd7+ Kf6=) 59...Kf7 60.Qd7+ Kg6 61.Qe8+ Kf6=] 55...a4! 56.Qa5 Qd1+ 57.Kg5 axb3 58.Qc3 Qc2 59.Qd4 Qc1+ 60.Kg4 [60.Nd2 b2–+; 60.Kh5 Qf1 61.Kg5 Qf3 62.Qg1 b2 63.Nxb2 (63.Nd2 Qf6+ 64.Kg4 Ne5+ 65.Kh3 Qh6+–+) 63...Ne5 64.Qh2+ Kg8–+] 60...Qxc4! 0–1

                                                                                                
    Vulleumeir-Alavi

Here,Vulleumier could draw easily with Qe5,holding the a5 pawn. 39.h4? [39.Qe5 Rf2 40.Qe4 Ra2= (40...Kg8 41.Qd5+ Kh8 42.Qa8+ Kh7 43.Qe4=; 40...R2xf5 41.g4+-) ] 39...Rxa5 40.h5 Ra2 41.Kh3 a5 42.g4 a4 43.Qb1 Rd2 44.Qe4 a3 45.Qa8 a2 46.Kh4 Rb6 47.Qe4 Re2 48.Qd4 Rb3 49.g5 Rh2+ 50.Kg4 Rg2+ 51.Kf4 hxg5+ 52.Ke5 Re2+ 53.Kd6 Rd2 54.Ke5 0–1

   
      Yueh - Olatunji

Yeuh's d4 pawn is quite vulnerable but she should be able to hold on to a draw. 27.Nd1? [¹27.Nd3 Rad8 28.Ne5 Re7 a)28...Rc7 29.Nf3 (a)29.Rh4 h6 30.Kf1 Nb4=) 29...Re7 30.Rxe7 Nxe7=; b)28...Rd6 29.Nf3 (b)29.Nc4 R6d7 30.Ne5 Re7³) 29...Nc7 30.Re7 R6d7=; 29.Kf1 (29.R4e2 Nf4 30.Re4 Ne6³) 29...f6 30.Nf3 Rxe4³] 27...Rad8 28.R1e2 Nf6 29.Rf4 Rxd4 30.Rxd4 Rxd4 31.Ne3 Nd5 32.Kf1 Nxe3+ 33.Rxe3 f6

 

Tobi is a pawn up but still has quite a bit to do to get the point. The general plan is to advance the majority as far as possible, without setting up a passed pawn and then transpose to won ending with an outside passed pawn. Easy to say, not so easy to do. In the game, Tobi moves her king towards the majority, and though this isn't the best plan, it works. 34.Ke2 Kf7 35.a3 Rd7 36.Kf3 Re7 37.Rd3 Ke6 38.g4 Rd7 39.Re3+ Kd6 40.b4?The pawns are best placed as they are, moving them makes black's task easier. Rf7 41.h4 g6 42.Rd3+ Kc7 43.Kg3 b6 44.Rc3 Kd6 45.f4 f5 46.g5 Kd5 47.Kf3 Re7 48.Rd3+ Kc4 49.Rd6 c5 50.Rc6 Kb5 51.Rd6 cxb4 52.axb4 Kxb4 53.Rd4+ Kc5 54.Rd1 b5 55.Rc1+ Kb6 0–1

Venue, before "hostilities" began.

The Chinese contingent.

The Ghanian delegation.

Bomo Kighigha

Ajayi - Yueh

Shola Dairo, rooting for her compatriots .

Mr Paul Allen, CEO, Project Executive Group Houston, Texas, was in the
Country to train executives of NNPC, heard about the event and showed up at the venue.

Darban Mortezd FM 2390