After 19 English grandmasters and the entire chess press openly advocated change, the English Chess Federation last weekend finally announced its support for Bessel Kok as candidate for the next president of FIDE.

In acknowledgment of the minor successes of the governing body over the past 11 years, the ECF praises "the good work and valuable input of the incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Georgios Makropoulos and their team, and also recognises the considerable contribution of David Jarrett as FIDE treasurer". The ECF president and FIDE delegate, Gerry Walsh, showed subtle leadership qualities by abstaining during the vote.

Kok's support is visibly swelling (see rightmove06.org). In Europe, where the majority of important tournaments are still held, it has already become obvious that the Dutchman will rout Ilyumzhinov. Were the aloof Kalmyk's woes confined to that continent, he could hold out hopes of garnering enough votes from the other two-thirds of the electorate. This looks increasingly implausible. Neglect is palpable; dissatisfaction global. While some delegates may be won over by hopes of preferment, few will be induced to support the incumbent on principle. Here is a president so disdainful of his constituents as not to show up for the 2004 AGM in Calvia. The Kirsan campaign is as shambolic as his governance: his team does not even have a website. In the absence of anything resembling strategy and, for the first time, with his back firmly to the wall, the Caucasian demagogue will have to come up with other goodies to sway fickle affections. More of the Kirsan T-shirts, watches or vodka that many received at the last Olympiad, perhaps? Venal and gullible as Homo ludens undoubtedly is, for once Ilyumzhinov's hopes may be dashed.

The Morelia/Linares tournament was won by Levon Aronian. While all eyes were on the resurgent world champion, Veselin Topalov, the Armenian immaculately timed his acceleration for the last round against the faltering Peter Leko.


Leko, P (2740) - Aronian, L (2752) Morelia/Linares (14), 11/03/2006

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 (Intending the Marshall attack, 8.c3 d5!?) 8.a4 b4 (Loosening the queenside but retaining the c8 bishop on the best diagonal.) 9.d3 d6 10.a5 Be6 11.Nbd2 Qc8 12.Nc4 (An odd-looking move. In a similar position in 1993 Kasparov played the more logical Bc4 against me, not fearing Bxc4 as dxc4 will exert an unpleasant clamp.) Rb8 13.Bg5 Kh8! (A cunning manoeuvre, preparing an attack down the f-file.) 14.h3?! (Contrary to the Steinitzian principle of not moving pawns unnecessarily in front of the king.) Ng8! 15.c3 bxc3 16.bxc3 f5 17.Ba4 fxe4 18.Bxc6 exf3 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Bxf3 Ng6 (The exchanging sequence has left Black in command. Were the White pawn still on h2, the defence g3 could be contemplated. As it is, it would simply drop a pawn.) 21.Bg4?! Nf4 22.Ra2 Qb7! (The mate threat compels a retreat.) 23.Bf3 Qb3 (After this White's position collapses.) 24.Rc2 DIAGRAM Nxd3! 25.Qxd3 Qxc4 26.Qxc4 Bxc4 27.Bc6 Rb3 28.g3 g5 29.Re3 Ra3 (A second pawn is added to the captured booty.) 30.Be4 Rxa5 31.g4 (Perhaps hoping to generate counterplay by h4 followed by swinging the rook to the h-file. However this plan is nipped in the bud.) Bd5! 32.f3 Bxe4 33.fxe4 Ra1+ 34.Kg2 Rff1 (One pawn often suffices for victory, but here Black has twice the cushion and an initiative as well.) 35.Ree2 Rg1+ 36.Kh2 Rh1+ 37.Kg3 Rag1+ 38.Rg2 Re1 39.Rgf2 Re3+ 40.Kg2 Rexh3 Three pawns is too much. White resigns. There are few indeed who can defeat a player of Leko's calibre, in a key game, with such apparent ease.






Publicado originalmente en www.sport.guardian.co.uk