World Mind Sport Games 2012

In August the second edition of the World Mind Sport Games took place in Lille (France). The first edition of this prestiguous tournament was held in Beijing 2008. The tournament was won by Alexei Chizhov with 79 points, before Alexander Schwarzman (78) and Roel Boomstra (77). In the women's tournament the gold medal went to Olga Fedorovich (82), before Nina Hoekman (78) and Natalia Sadowska (76). The tournament was played using a mix of games with classical speed, rapid, blitz and if needed an ultra fast tie break. Below some tactical highlights of the games are given.

Boomstra, Chizhov and Schwarzman
Boomstra, Chizhov and Schwarzman
Sadowska, Fedorovich and Hoekman
Sadowska, Fedorovich and Hoekman
Getmanski Alexander - Duplouy Sebastien 2-0

After 21-27? 25.32x21 26x17 Getmanski found a winning combination: 26.29-24 20x29 27.34x23 18x29 28.25-20 14x45 29.28-22 17x28 30.38-33 28x39 31.43x3.

Enkh-amgalan Enkh-erdene - Misans Roberts 0-2

The move 16.47-41? was not possible due to a well-known idea: 23-29! 17.34x23 18x29 Now 18.39-34? fails due to 4-10 19.34x23 25x34 20.40x29 17-22 etc. and so white decided to sacrificed a piece with 18.27-22 25x34 19.39x30 21-27 20.32x21 16x18

Ruesink Henk - Boomstra Roel 0-2

With 48.43-38? Ruesink missed a great opportunity to beat the young grandmaster Boomstra. After 48.31-26!! black is helpless against the threat 17-11 16x7 39-33 30x17 21x1.

Lian Bo - Erdenetsogt Mandakhnaran 1-1

At first sight this position looks completely equal. But after 55.33-28? 13-19! the white position is lost: 56.34-30 23-29 57.28-23 (or 57.30-25 29-34 58.35-30 24x35 59.25-20 19-24 60.20x40 35x44 B+) 19x37 58.30x19 18-23 59.19x28 29-33! 60.28x39 37-41 61.39-33 41-46? This spoils the black win. After 41-47 62.33-28 47-36! 63.28-22 17x28 64.27-21 36-18!! 65.35-30 28-32 66.30-24 32-37 black is in time to stop both white pieces. 62.33-29 46-14 63.29-24 14-10 64.24-20 10-5 65.35-30 5-10 66.30-24 10-5 67.24-19 5x16 68.20-14 In the position of the diagram white should have played 55.32-28 23x21 56.34-29 to secure the draw.

Yan Jia - Flisikowska Arleta 0-2

With 29.31-27? the white player missed the winning 29.48-42! 12-18 (after 2-7? 30.33-29 is winning) 30.31-27! 22x31 31.36x27 8-12 32.42-37 and the threat 28-22 17x28 33x13 19x8 34-30 25x34 39x28 is decisive.

Mariko Mamoutou - Baliakin Alexander 0-2

The move 26.43-39? was careless, as was demonstrated by grandmaster Baliakin: 14-19! 27.44-40 19x30 28.40-35 or? 17-22! 29.35x24 22-27 30.31x22 15-20 31.24x15 4-10 32.15x4 9-14 33.4x18 12x41 B+

Diakite Abdoulaye Ka - Ji Weiming 1-1

Instead of 43.33-29? Diakite should have forced a win using 43.42-38 2-8 44.27-22 17x30 45.35x2.

Kosobudzki Lukasz - Trofimov Ivan 0-2

Trofimov managed to quickly decide the game after 35.38-32? 3-9! This brings the threat 17-22 27x20 14x45 into play, so white was forced to play 36.30-25 9-13!! Now white had six moves left, but all of them are lost due to a simple combination. Therefore he sacrificed a piece with 37.26-21 17x26, but this could not save the game.

Gambarowa Wafa - Sohi Parwaan 2-0

After 14-19? Gambarowa decided the game with a double combination: 19.27-22 18x27 20.32x21 16x27 21.33-29 24x33 22.38x7 2x11 23.37-31 27x36 24.47-41 36x38 25.39-33 38x29 26.34x5 W+

Meurs Pim - Van der Stap Peter 0-2

Meurs had already won a piece, but he encountered unexpected complications when he tried to decide the game in his advantage. 46.29-24? 18x40 47.24x11 14-19! Van der Stap replies with a beautiful combination: 48.35x44 12-17 49.11x22 19-23 50.28x19 20-24 51.19x30 25x43 52.38x49 21-27 53.32x21 26x50 B+

Tserenbyamba Otgonbileg - Zeng Qianrang 1-1

The white piece on 28 is under heavy pressure, and after 33.49-43? 3-9! Zeng would normally have lost the game. However, in the position of the diagram white could play 33.39-34! and since 18-23? is prevented by the combination 34.49-44 23x43 35.33-28 22x33 36.31x11 6x17 37.34-29 33x24 38.44-39 43x34 39.40x18 the white problems are over.

Milshina Elena - Shestakova Natalia 0-2

Here Shestakova played the logical continuation 11-17, which resulted in an equal position. Instead she could have gained a winning advantage using the 'impossible' move 12-17!! Now the combination 36.27-21 16x27 37.32x3 means suicide for white because of 11-16 38.3x29 23x41. And after 36.40-34 17-22 37.37-31 24-30 38.35x24 19x30 the black positional advantage is decisive.

Shi Sixuan - Gombosuren Enktuya 2-0

48.34-30? The Chinese player Shi missed the funny sacrifice 48.27-22! 18x27 49.29-23 with an immediate win.

Kosobudzki Lukasz - Schwarzman Alexander 0-2

When Kosobudzki played 13.31-26? Schwarzman could enjoy a free afternoon after the combination 12-18 14.26x17 11x31 15.36x27 16-21 16.27x16 18-22 17.28x17 24-29 18.33x24 19x30 19.35x24 23-28 20.32x23 14-19 21.23x14 9x49 B+

Baliakin Alexander - Virny Vadim 1-1

The two grandmasters produced a quick draw. However, it turned out that shortly after the opening Virny could have forced a win using 20-24! 11.40-35 or? 14-20! 12.25x23 18x29 13.30x19 29-34 14.39x30 21-27 15.32x21 16x27 16.31x22 17x50 B+ Instead he played 8-13.

Flisikowska Arleta - Zhao Hanqing 0-2

In this 4 against 2 end game black has only one way to make progress. The white king must be chased from the diagonal 1/45 by moving the black king to 15 using 27-4 4-15. This introduces the threat 35-40 12x45 30-34 45x20 15x36, which forces the white king to leave. In the game this plan worked very well: 54.41-37? 27-4 55.37-32 4-15 56.12-3 30-34 57.32-27 15-10 58.27-22 10-23 and the Chinese women's champion Zhao had no problem to win the game. In the position of the diagram white should have played 54.41-36! The big difference with the game is that after 27-4 55.12-21! 24-29 white can make an exchange with 56.21-27 4x31 57.36x27. If black tries to circumvent this using 27-32 55.36-31 32-10 56.31-27! 10-15 57.12-3 the white piece on 27 has advanced far enough to secure a draw.

Tansykkuzhina Tamara - Wu Mei-jhi 0-2

After 13.43-38? Wu surprised her renowned opponent with a fantastic combination: 22-28 14.32x1 8-12 15.1x20 14x41 16.46x37 21-27 17.31x22 17x50 B+ If there was a prize for the best combination, this was certainly a candidate winner.

Mei-Jhi Wu
Mei-Jhi Wu
Isabirye Dan - Ruesink Henk 0-2

After 19.37-32? Ruesink won the game using a standard combination: 17-22! 20.28x17 13-19 21.24x22 6-11 22.17x6 26x46 B+

Deleg Battulga - Gao Wenlong 0-2

After 15.32-28? 23x32 16.37x28 Gao missed the combination 18-23! 17.29x7 21-27 18.31x22 17-21 19.26x17 13-18 20.22x13 11x33 21.39x28 8x50 22.7-1 50x17 with a piece advantage for black. He is not the first player to overlook this hidden opportunity.

Fedorovich Olga - Sobakina Ayyyna 1-1

After 55.47-42? 18-22! the game ended in a draw, Fedorovich could have won instead using the sacrifice 55.19-13! 18x9 56.47-42. The resulting 3 against 3 position is winning for white, for example 9-14 57.29-23 4-10 58.23-18 14-19 59.25-20! 10-15 60.20-14 19x10 61.18-12 W+