Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory Chess Association Inc (ACTCA)
Recent Events
2023 Doeberl Cup
by Paul Power, Australian Chess Federation
(also incorporating reporting by organiser Shaun Press)
The Doeberl Cup ran in Canberra 6-10 April, with around 400 international and national players, including last year’s winner, Armenian Grandmaster Hrant Melkumyan, current Australian Champion Temur Kuybokarov from WA, in form Victorian International Master James Morris and local ACT top players, International Masters Rishi Sardana and Junta Ikeda.
Background: The Doeberl Cup, named after the primary sponsor, Erich Doeberl, has been held annually since 1963, except for 2020. Winners include the Who’s Who of Australian Chess, including Cecil Purdy, Doug Hamilton, Max Fuller, Robert Jamieson, Greg Hjorth, Darryl Johansen and Ian Rogers, who has won it a record 12 times. International winning players of note include Tony Miles, Varuzhan Akobian, Li Chao and Surya Ganguly. Recent winners include James Morris, Justin Tan and Hrant Melkumyan, who won in 2022 and 2019.
Armenian Grandmaster, Hrant Melkumyan, won, scoring 8/9, 1/2 point ahead of current Australian Champion Grandmaster Temur Kuybokarov, 7.5/9. Melkumyan and Kuybokarov were undefeated.
2023 Doeberl Cup Winner, Hrant Melkumyan, receiving the award from Erich Doeberl’s daughter Rosemary
The first day saw the Premier play its first 2 rounds. There were a significant number of upset results, and by the end of the day, only 2 of the GMs in the event had maintained a perfect score. GM Daniel Fernandez drew with CM Hamish Bassig in the 1st round, while GM Temur Kuybokarov had a round 2 draw against FM Michael Kethro. GM Samy Shoker made it to 2/2 after beating Harry Press in the evening round, as did defending champion GM Hrant Melkumyan, who won against FM David Cannon.
After two days of play in the 2023 O2C Doeberl Cup Premier, two Australian IMs shared the lead. Former winner James Morris, and Queensland IM Brodie McClymont were the only players on 4/4. Morris had a good win over local FM Fred Litchfield, while McClymont defeated GM Samy Shoker in the evening round. All 4 GMs in the event had dropped at least half a point, with GM Melkumyan and GM Kuybokarov on 3.5, Shoker on 3 and GM Daniel Fernandez on 2.5.
Day three saw the top seeds reclaim their spots at the top of the Premier. GM Hrant Melkumyan (ARM) and GM Temur Kuybokarov were leading on 5.5/6, and would face each other in Round 7. In outright 3rd on 5/6 was more of a surprise, FM Dusan Stojic getting there by beating IM Junta Ikeda and GM Samy Shoker in rounds 5 and 6. On 4.5 was large pack of players, including local (ACT) players, IM Rishi Sardana and FM Fred Litchfield. The Major, Minor and Mini events were well underway, although the large fields sasw a number of players at the top. The two-day Under 1200 tournament was completed with Unrated Benjamin Rathjen scoring 6/6. Under the rules for this event, he picked up the Best Unrated player prize, while Nicholas Lee picked up the first-place trophy with 5.5/6.
On the Saturday night, IM James Morris scored a perfect 9/9 to win the $500 in the Kinford Consulting Doeberl Cup Blitz, once again employing the “Wing Dings” opening to great effect. A record field of nearly 180 players took part in the tournament, which did not finish until midnight!
The end of day four saw GM Hrant Melkumyan holding a half point lead over GM Temur Kuybakarov. Melkumyan and Kuybakorov drew their round 7 game, before Melkumyan defeated IM Brodie McClymont in the day’s second game. Kuybakrov only drew with IM James Morris in round 8, to fall half a point behind Melkumyan. On 6 points were Morris, IM Rishi Sardana, FM Matthew Clarke, and IM Ari Dale. In the Major (Under 2100), Khimaer Baneshi and Randheer Thogata were tied on 5/6, and Nick Beare held a half point lead going into the last round of the Minor (Under 1800), while Mathew Juszczynski has a similar lead in the Mini (Under 1500).
On the final day, GM Hrant Melkumyan won his third O2C Doeberl Cup with a dominant display. Having previously finished 1st in 2019 and 2022, his 8/9 in this year’s event saw him finish half a point ahead of GM Temur Kuybokarov. He secured first place with a win over IM Ari Dale, finishing with 7 wins and 2 draws (against Kuybokarov and IM Rishi Sardana). Kuybokarov defeated FM Matthew Clarke to finish outright 2nd on 7.5. Tied for 3rd place were IM James Morris, IM Rishi Sardana, GM Daniel Fernandez and FM Fred Litchfield, on 6.5. The Major saw a 4-way tie for 1st on 5.5. In countback order, the winners were Baneshi Kiamerr, Thogata Randheer, Micah Young and Chloe Fan. The Minor was won by Kang Chai over Maickel Rodriguez on countback (both 6/7), and the Mini saw a 3-way tie between Jonah Gear, Mark Stokes and Nathan Arav. With Gear being ineligible for the place prizes (as an unrated player) the trophy went to mark Stokes on countback.
The tournament itself was a fantastic success, with 403 players across 5 sections. This was the largest open event in Australian chess history, and with the Kinford Consulting Blitz attracting 176 players as well, almost 600 players took part over the 5 days (allowing for some double counting!)
Key games amongst the top players determined the final standings.
Round 4:
Hrant Melkumyan (White, seeded 1) v Rishi Sardana (6) 1/2-1/2
Brodie McClymont (8) v Samy Shoker (4) 1-0
Round 5:
James Morris (5) v Brodie McClymont (8) 1/2-1/2
Temur Kuybokarov (2) v Rishi Sardana (6) 1-0
Round 6:
Hrant Melkumyan v James Morris 1-0
Brodie McClymont v Temur Kuybokarov 0-1
Round 7:
Temur Kuybokarov v Hrant Melkumyan 1/2-1/2
Round 8:
Hrant Melkumyan v Brodie McClymont 1-0
James Morris v Temur Kuybokarov 1/2-1/2
Among notable games was the clash between the top two seeds, Hrant Melkumyan and Temur Kuybokarov. Temur Kuybokarov was outright second, 2022, a half point behind Melkumyan, having drawn their 5th round encounter. The Opening was Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence. As is typical of this Opening, there are no sharp tactical variations to explore to explain the outcome.
As Garry Kasparov wrote in “How Life Imitates Chess” concerning his 2000 loss of the World Championship match with Kramnik, “With Black Kramnik had devised a brilliant concept, using an old and relatively unpopular defence that he knew played to my weaknesses. He had mastered the intricacies of the Berlin Defence and I had no time to do so.” After the loss, “I had time to absorb what Vladimir Kramnik had achieved and how he had done it.”
Kasparov met Kramnik’s Berlin Defence in Astana 2001.
Here he played 21. Bxg7
There followed 20… Bxg7 21. Nxg7+ Rxg7 22. Nf6+ Ke7 23. Nxd7
eliminating both Bishops from the board and avoiding any possibility of an opposite coloured Bishops ending.
Kasparov went on to win the game and the tournament ahead of Kramnik, Gelfand, Shirov and Morozevich.
Did Kasparov win because he eliminated an opposite coloured Bishops ending? Probably not. If we are a pawn ahead going into an ending, would we prefer it not to be an opposite coloured Bishops ending? Probably.
In Kuybokarov v Melkumyan: White has the opportunity to play 17. e6
17. e6 Bxe6 18. Nxe6 Rxe6 19. Rxe6 fxe6 20. Bxc7
But, instead played 17. Ne4
Was 17. e6 better than 17. Ne4? Maybe not. Would it have avoided an opposite-coloured Bishops ending? Yes.
Kuybokarov engineered the exchange of Knight for dark squared Bishop by 18. Nd6+
18. Nd6+ cxd6 19. exd6 Be6 20. dxe7 Kxe7
and duly won a pawn on 23. Re5
and doubled Black’s pawns on 28. Rxb6
but, despite being a pawn ahead, had to settle for a draw in the opposite coloured Bishops ending at 49. Kc7
In Hrant Melkumyan v James Morris, the Opening was Queen’s Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation.
By move 17, Morris had given Melkumyan an isolated c-pawn, which Morris immobilised and attacked with major pieces down the c-file. Melkumyan defended with a Knight.
Despite manoeuvring by both sides, no headway was made by either side.
A critical position was reached at move 35, where Melkumyan sought to unbalance the deadlock by 35. Nf4
Should Black hold the position by, for example, 35… Kh8
and settle for a draw after, say, 35… Kh8 36. Ne2 Qe5 37. Nf4 Qc7 38. Ne2 Qe5 39. Nf4 Qc7
or release the tension by capturing the c-pawn in exchange for the b-pawn,
hoping for compensating active play in the b- and c-files?
Morris chose the second.
After 35… Rxc3 36. Qxb5 Rb8 37. Qe2 Rc1 38. Nxe6 fxe6 39. Bg6,
Black can retain control of the c-file by retreating the Rook to c5 or c6
But, instead, chose 39… e5 permitting 40. Rxc1 Qxc1+ 41. Rd1,
with initiative for White and what turned out to be a critical position.
Here, Black can choose to defend a slightly inferior ending with equal material by, for example, 41… Qc3 42. Qa6 Qc7
or allow White to force the exchange of Rook and Bishop for Black’s Queen
Morris chose the second.
Ian Rogers, in live commentary, said that White is clearly winning and, at least, Black should play 44… Rb4
Morris played 44… e4 and went on to resign after 58. Qb8
Another key game was Morris v Kuybokarov
After a seemingly uneventful Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Morris should play 29. Qxd5
But, instead played 29. Qxc7
allowing 29… Bxe2
winning, since, on 30. Kxe2, Black’s Queen and Rook deliver checkmate, beginning either 30… Qa2+ or 30… Qd3+
(on 30. Qb8+ Ke7 31. Qb4+ Ke6 32. Qb6+ Kd7 33. Kxe2 Qd3+ 34. Ke1 Rb5)
But, instead, Kuybokarov played 29… Kg8 and the game was duly drawn.
Over 400 players turned out for the 2023 Doeberl Cup
Upcoming Events
ACT Championships 2023 (26-29 May)
ANU/Winter Open/Minor (28-30 July) |
