Action in Aussie Open

They haven't exactly got a prestige tournament, but the organisers of the currently ongoing Australian Open are at least keeping distant spectators very happy. Live coverage of the top 2 boards is given and results are up on the site very quickly. Most important of all is that the games are uploaded with little delay.

After just three rounds, we're seeing plenty of action. Here's just a couple that grabbed my attention. In the first game, Sydney junior Max Illingworth tries out the fashionable Shabalov Attack, a system which has featured in the arsenal of the likes of Morozevich, Aronian, Topalov and many more.

Australian Open, Manly
Illingworth, Max
Voon, Richard
D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 h6 8. Bd2 Qe7 9. Rg1 e5 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Ne4 Bc7 (11... Bb4 12. O-O-O Bxd2+ 13. Qxd2 exd4 14. Qxd4 N7f6 15. Bd3 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Nf6 17. Bc2 Bd7 18. g5 hxg5 19. Rxg5 Rh5 20. Rxg7 Rd5 21. Qh4 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 O-O-O 23. Bc2 Be6 24. a3 Bd5 25. Nd4 Kb8 26. Rh7 c5 27. Nf5 Qe5 28. f4 Qe6 29. Rh6 Rg8 30. Qxf6 Rg1+ 31. Kd2 Rg2+ 32. Kc3 Rxc2+ 33. Kxc2 Bb3+ 34. Kd2 Qd5+ 35. Nd4 Qg2+ 36. Ne2 {1-0 Kempinski,R (2567)-Geller,J (2480)/Dresden 2006/CBM 113 ext}) 12. O-O-O N7f6 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. dxe5 Qxe5 15. Nxf6+ Qxf6 16. e4 Nf4?

Position after 16...Nf4

17. e5! Qg5 18. Qe4 Bxg4 19. Bxf4 Qh5 20. Rd2 O-O? 21. Qg2 1-0

In this next duel, FM Jesse Sales, who is still registered with the RP federation, outcalculates his Danish opponent.


Australian Open, Manly
Mortensen, Henrik
Sales, Jesse Noel
C25

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 d6 5. d4 g5 6. h4 g4 7. Ng1 Bg7 8. d5 Ne5 9. Bxf4 a6 10. Qd2 Bd7 11. O-O-O Ne7 12. Kb1 Nc8 13. Bd3 Nb6 14. Nge2 Nec4 15. Qe1 h6 16. Qg3 Qe7 17. b3 Na3+ 18. Kb2 Nb5 19. Bd2 O-O 20. a4 c5 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ra1 c4 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Qe3 cxd3 25. Qxb6 dxe2 26. Qxb7 Rc8 27. Re1 Qe5 28. Qxd7 Rxc3 0-1

Finally, here we have the highly talented Tomek Rej coming out on top, with the white pieces, in a Noteboom varation against fellow Sydneysider Michael Dunn. Rej's bishop pair is just deadly, but his dancing around with the queen is sweet. His last move has got to be the "BOOM!" in Noteboom.

Australian Open, Manly
Rej, Tomek
Dunn, Michael
D31

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. e3 b5 6. a4 Bb4 7. Bd2 a5 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. b3 Bb7 11. bxc4 b4 12. Bb2 Nf6 13. Bd3 O-O 14. Qc2 Nbd7 15. e4 e5 16. O-O Qc7 17. Rfe1 Rfe8 18. c5 h6 19. h3 exd4 20. Bxd4 Bc6 21. e5 Nh5 22. e6 Rxe6 23. Bc4 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Nf8 25. Ne5 Be8 26. Qf5 Nf6 27. Ng4 Nxg4 28. Qxg4 g6 29. Qf3 Rd8 30. Ba1 Nh7 31. Qe3 g5 32. Qe4 Bc6 33. Qg6+ 1-0