Internet glitch means shared chess Olympiad gold for Russia, India

In order to excel, the modern player must have strategic patience, tactical imagination, a thorough grounding in opening and endgame theory, nerves of steel, a steady hand ­— and a reliable internet connection.

In the latest connectivity snafu related to the COVID-19-inspired shutdown of over-the-board play, Russia and India have been declared co-winners of the 2020 “Online Olympiad” after several of the Indian players’ computers crashed in the middle of the two-round finals Sunday. FIDE officials were originally going to hand the Russians a 6-0 forfeit and the gold medal before an appeal brought the judges to their senses.

Like so many things this odd year, the event was nothing like past Olympiads. There was no separate women’s competition, and the six-player squads included two Open boards, two women’s boards, and two slots reserved for juniors, all playing at rapid Game/15+5 time controls.

The U.S., which took silver and bronze in the last two Olympiads, made it to the semifinals only to be ousted in a hard fight with Russia. American junior GM Jeffery Xiong scored a tough point against Russian junior star Andrey Esipenko in a razor-sharp Nimzo-Indian line in which the first new move appears on Move 22(!).

Even with just the queens and rooks on the board, both players face tremendous pressure given the dicey positions of their kings. When Black misses a key defensive resource, Xiong takes control: 28. f6 h5?! (Re8! is the move, attacking and defending in lines like 29. Qd7 Qa1+ 30. Kc2 Qe5!) 29. Rd3 Qg2? (against 29…Re8! was the right idea) 30. Qd7 Rf8 31. Qe7, threatening 32. Qxf8+! and 33. Rd8 mate.

Esipenko seeks salvation in queen checks, but the White king finds sanctuary on c7 and it’s over after 45…Qc3 46. Rxg6+! Kh7 (fxg6 47. Qg7 mate) 47. Rg7+ (Rh6+! Kxh6 [Kg8 48. Qxf8+!] 48. Qxf8+ was a tad more efficient) Kh6 48. Qxf8 Qe5+ 49. Qd6, and Black can either trade queens or allow the deadly 50. Qf4+; Esipenko resigned.

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The great East German GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, who passed away last week at the age of 85, didn’t make it into “My 60 Memorable Games,” but his spirit hovers over Bobby Fischer’s anthology masterpiece. Fischer had a careerlong debate over the soundness of Uhlmann’s pet French Defense Winawer line, suffering some memorable flameouts along the way.

Fischer’s French complex may date to his crushing loss to the genial German at the 1960 Buenos Aires tournament.

With White pounding sand trying to get a queenside attack going, Uhlmann opens up the kingside and frees his light-squared bishop with the inspired 21. Bf3 g4!! 22. hxg4 f5! 23. g5 Re7, and the open h-file is worth far more than the open b-file.

When White finally makes a queenside feint, Uhlmann strikes with 29. Qc1 (see diagram) Rh1! 30. Qxh1? (Fischer is unrecognizable here; 30. Qd2 Rxb1 31. Rxb1 Bxa4 affords at least some survival chances) e3+! (a beautiful interpolation) 31. Kg1 (Ke2 Rxh1 32. Rxh1 Qxg2+ is crushing, as is 31. Kxe3 Qe4+ 32. Kf2 Rxh1 33. Rxh1 Bc6 34. Rh2 Qxc2+ 35. Kg1 Qxc3) Rxh1+ 32. Kxh1 e2! 33. Rb5 (desperately seeking a diversion, as 33. Re1 Qe4 34. a5 Bc6 35. Rg1 Qe3 36. Kh2 Qxc3 is equally bleak) Bxb5 34. axb5 35. Re1 a5, and now Black can just run the a-pawn down the board.

In the final position, after 42. Ra1 Qxg6, White resigned facing lines such as 43. Rxa2 Qh5 44. g3 Kb7 45. Ra1 Qf3+ 46. Kh2 Qxc3 47. Ra2 Qxd4, with an endgame win.

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Another fall college sport bites the dust.

Citing the logistical difficulties posed by the coronavirus, organizers announced last week that the 2020 Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships, set to be held at the University of Toronto in late December, have been called off. The increasingly popular annual event features teams from colleges and universities across North America.

No plans to reschedule the event have been announced.

Xiong-Esipenko, U.S. vs. Russia semifinals, FIDE Online Olympics, August 2020

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. e4 d5 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd3 c5 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Nd7 10. Bf4 Qh4 11. g3 Qh5 12. h4 Nxe5 13. Be2 Ng4 14. Bxg4 Qxg4 15. f3 Qh5 16. g4 Qg6 17. fxe4 e5 18. O-O-O Bxc3 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. gxf5 Qa6 21. Qxc3 d4 22. Qb3 exf4 23. Rxd4 Rad8 24. Qd3 Rxd4 25. Qxd4 Rc8 26. b3 Qxa2 27. Rd1 g6 28. f6 h5 29. Rd3 Qg2 30. Qd7 Rf8 31. Qe7 Qg1+ 32. Kc2 Qb6 33. Rd6 Qa5 34. Rd5 Qb6 35. Rd6 Qa5 36. Rd5 Qb6 37. Rg5 Qf2+ 38. Kb1 Qe1+ 39. Ka2 Qd2+ 40. Ka3 Qc1+ 41. Ka4 Qa1+ 42. Kb4 Qe1+ 43. Kb5 a6+ 44. Kb6 Qe3+ 45. Kc7 Qc3 46. Rxg6+ Kh7 47. Rg7+ Kh6 48. Qxf8 Qe5+ 49. Qd6 Black resigns.

Fischer-Uhlmann, Buenos Aires, July 1960

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 Bd7 9. Qd2 Qa5 10. Bd3 c4 11. Be2 f6 12. Ba3 Ng6 13. O-O O-O-O 14. Bd6 Nce7 15. Nh4 Rde8 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. exf6 gxf6 18. h3 Nf5 19. Bh2 g5 20. f4 Nd6 21. Bf3 g4 22. hxg4 f5 23. g5 Re7 24. Bg3 Be8 25. Qe3 Ne4 26. Bxe4 dxe4 27. Kf2 Reh7 28. Rfb1 Qd5 29. Qc1 Rh1 30. Qxh1 e3+ 31. Kg1 Rxh1+ 32. Kxh1 e2 33. Rb5 Bxb5 34. axb5 Qxb5 35. Re1 a5 36. Rxe2 a4 37. Rxe6 a3 38. g6 Qd7 39. Re5 b6 40. Bh4 a2 41. Re1 Qg7 42. Ra1 Qxg6 White resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.