In the third round of the Mediterranean Championship, GM Gurevich defeated his compatriot IM Erdoğdu with the help of a nice exchange sacrifice while IM Vocaturo inflicted GM Aroshidze a loss. The experienced Turkish grandmaster and the Italian youngster are sharing the lead with perfect score. Details below.
In the game between two Turks, Erdoğdu and Gurevich,black executed a pawn sacrifice in French Rubinstein which black gives up the pawn for lot of tempi which enables black to build up a good play. White probably went wrong at some critical points which enabled black to make an interesting exchange sacrifice:
23.. Rxc2+ 24.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 25.Kxc2 Nxb4+ 26.Kb3 [White should have played 26.Kb1 probably, the game looks decided now with the wandering king. The computer suggests the cool 26.Kb1 Qd3 27.Ka1 Nc2+ 28.Ka2 e5 with a slight advantage for black but human beings can go wrong easily in these type of positions.] 26...Qxd3+ 27.Ka4 Qc2+ 28.Kb5 Nd5 29.Bc1 Qc8 30.Qd1 Nb4 31.Qf3 Qa6+ 32.Ka4 Nd5 33.Qb3 Nb6+ 0–1
This win gave the experienced grandmaster his third win and sharing the first place with the young Italian IM Vocaturo who won against GM Aroshidze in a typically violent Sicilian Dragon. After bishop came to g8 and thus located too far from the center of action black gained a decisive advantage and won.
Gelashvili swiftly won against Georgiadis while Haznedaroğlu-Parligras game ended as a draw without any dramatic change in the balance. Mohr-Vojinovic was another game that ended peacefully as did Odeev-Doric.
Black emerged with an advantage out of the opening Wirig-Atakişi white managed to turn the tables with the queen sortie and advanced d6-e5 pawns after black's inaccuracies and then won. White's unambitious play enabled black to gain an initiative and a decisive shot enabled GM El Gindy to win for the first time in the championship.
While Abdel Khaled and Mijovic made a draw while Erşahin and Imad was on the way but white decided to spoil the repetition and entered a fatal zugzwang. Here it is:
Although it looks dangerous black is not able to improve its position since white should play Rd8+ and then get his rook back d7. Because black king cannot leave the f7 pawn so black actually cannot improve However, white played: 44.Rxf7+ Rxf7 45.Bxf7 Kxf7 46.hxg4 Kg8 (Now there is a zugswang because the queen is stuck on g1 due to the mating battery of Qg3-Bd6 ) 47.b4 Bf4 48.b5 Be5 49.b6 Bf4 50.b7 Bb8 51.g5 Bc7 52.g6 Bd6 53.g7 Bb8 0-1
Nermina Malokas
Cankut Emiroğlu and IM Umut Atakişi who happen to play in the same team in the Turkish İş Bank Chess Leauge, Beşiktaş
11 year-old Vahap Şanal who also has the Candidate Master title.
14th Correspondence Chess World Champion Tunç Hamarat kibitzing
