World Mind Sport Games 2012 Rapid
The rapid tournaments were won by the Dutch players Roel Boomstra and Nina Hoekman. Boomstra started phenomenally with 5 victories in a row, and could even afford a loss against silver medal winner Chizhov. Nina Hoekman surprised everyone by winning the gold medal in the women's tournament, despite her fragile health. With tremendous will power she managed to defend a very difficult end game in the last round against runner up Motrichko. Below a few fragments from the rapid tournament.
After 21-27(?) 20.32x21 11-16? (here ≡ 19-24 was still possible) Chizhov won the game using ≡ 21.29-23! If black takes 19x28 white gains a piece with 22.33-29 16x27 23.29-24 20x29 24.34x21 W+
After 8-13? Sipma missed the combination 30.27-22 18x27 31.36-31 27x36 32.37-31 36x27 33.29-23 19x37 34.42x2 W+
The inventive move 47.45-40? seemed like a good idea to defend the white position. But Nogovitsyna won convincingly after 30-34! 48.35-30 24x44 49.29x49 18-23! 50.49-44 20-24 51.44-40 23-29 etc. In the position of the diagram Wu could have escaped using the combination ≡ 47.29-23! 18x29 48.22-17 21x12 49.28-23 19x39 50.38-33 29x38 51.32x14 =
The tactical genius Valneris was not in his best form during this tournament. After 14-20? 53.15-10 20x29 he could have immediately finished the game using 54.39-33! 29x38 55.47-41 37x46 56.10-5 46x23 57.30-24 19x30 58.5x3 W+ But after ≡ 54.10-4? 29-33 55.39-34 33x22 56.34-29 19-23? he received another opportunity. This time he did not miss it: 57.30-24! 23x34 58.24-19 13x24 59.4x17 W+
After 30.45-40? Motrichko successfully attacked the white left wing using 24-29! 31.39-34 29-33!! 32.28x39 11-17(?) Here ≡ 19-23! followed by 23-28 32x12 21x41 was the correct way to proceed the attack. ≡ 33.38-33 17-22 34.34-29 22x31 35.42-38 31x42 36.38x47? This is too passive. 19-23! 37.40-34 21-27! 38.32x21 16x27 39.48-42 27-31 40.29-24 31-37 41.42x31 26x37 and black won easily.
When Provoost played 17-22? Boomstra won the game using the beautiful move 21.26-21!! This brings two different threats into play, namely 1) 31-26 22x31 26x37 16x27 35-30 24x35 37-32 28x37 42x24 W+ and 2) ≡ 35-30 24x35 34-29 23x34 31-26 22x31 26x37 16x27 36-31 27x36 47-41 36x38 43x1 W+. Black had only one way to neutralize both threats: ≡ 28-32 22.27x38 16x27. But with 23.38-33! Boomstra brought another threat into play: 34-29 23x34 33-28 22x33 31x13 9x18 43-39 34x43 49x9. Now ≡ 9-13? does not help, because of 24.34-29 23x34 25.33-28 22x33 26.31x22 18x27 27.43-39 34x43 28.49x18 W+ Therefore Provoost decided to sacrifice a piece with ≡ 24-29 24.33x13 3-8, and lost the game.
After 28.48-43? Amrillaew could have ended the game using the combination 24-29 29.33x24 19x30 30.28x8 26-31 31.37x26 4-10 32.15x13 12-18 33.13x22 17x48 34.26x17 3x32 35.38x27 B+ Instead he played ≡ 12-18.
After 1-7? Valneris missed the combination 42.26-21 17x26 43.47-41 36x47 44.37-31 26x37 45.32x41 47x22 46.28x10 W+
When Amrillaew thoughtlessly played 14-19? Baliakin replied with 34.34-29! After the only move 3-8 35.29x20 15x24 he decided the game with the combination 36.28-23 19x39 37.38-33 39x28 38.32x14 W+
After 18x27? 16.25x14 9x20 Nogovitsyna missed the winning sacrifice 17.33-28! 23x32 18.30-25 W+, and played ≡ 17.30-25 instead.
Near the end of the tournament Boomstra was 2 points in front of Chizhov, and a draw would very likely be sufficient for the title. This probably caused him some tension, since near the end of the game he suddenly got himself into a dangerous position. At first he defended the position correctly: 16-21! 53.27x16 20-24! 54.29x20 25x14 Because of the threat 18-22 55.28x17 23-29 56.34x23 19x37 Chizhov had to sacrifice two pieces with ≡ 55.34-29 23x25 56.16-11 25-30 57.11-7 30-35? A crucial mistake. After ≡ 19-24! 58.7-1 30-34! 59.1x3 34-39! black would have made a draw. The difference with the game is that the black piece on 39 can still choose between three fields to make a king. ≡ 58.7-1 19-24 59.1x3 35-40 60.3-17! and Boomstra resigned. After 40-44 61.17-11! the black king will be captured.
© Wieger Wesselink https://10x10.org