Aussies To Battle

It's a chess bonanza for Aussie chess fans with a number of their compatriots doing battle on opposites ends of the globe. Over in next door neighbour New Zealand, international masters West and Solomon plus FM Tim Reilly and Melbourne resident IM Peter Froehlich are competing against Kiwi locals in the Auckland Chess Centre IM Norm Tournament.

The games are broadcast live via DGT at midday AEST. Today, Aussies were treated to a very nice game by IM Guy West who won against FM Robert Smith.

Auckland IM Tournament (NZ)
Smith, Robert
West, Guy
B01

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. c4 e6 6. dxe6 Nc6 7. Be3 fxe6 8. Nc3 Nb4 9. Rc1 c5 10. d5 exd5 11. cxd5 a6 12. Bg5 Be7 13. d6 Bxd6 14. a3 Qe7+ 15. Kf2 Be5 16. Bc4 Rd8 17. Bd2 Bd4+ 18. Kf1 Nd3 19. Bxd3 Bxd3+ 20. Nge2 O-O 21. Bg5 c4 22. Qd2 h6 23. Bxf6 Rxf6 24. Re1

After 24. Re1

24...Rxf3+ 25. gxf3 Qh4 0-1

Auckland IM Tournament (NZ)
Solomon, Stephen
Froehlich, Peter
B54

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c4 d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 b6 6. Nc3 Bb7 7. g3 e6 8. Bg2 Qc7 9. Be3 Nf6 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Rc1 Nc5 12. f4 h5 13. b4 Ncxe4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Bxe4 Nxe4 16. f5 e5 17. Qf3 Qb7 18. Nb3 Rb8 19. a4 h4 20. g4 Be7 21. a5 bxa5 22. Nxa5 Qa8 23. b5 axb5 24. cxb5 Qxa5 25. Qxe4 Qa8 26. Qxa8 Rxa8 27. Rc7 Ra3 28. b6 Bd8 29. Rc8 Rb3 30. Ra1 Kd7 31. Raa8 h3 32. Kf1 f6 33. Rc2 Bxb6 34. Rxh8 Rxe3 35. Rh7 Rf3+ 36. Ke1 d5 37. Rxg7+ Kd6 38. Rf7 Ba5+ 39. Ke2 e4 40. Rxf6+ Ke5 41. Re6+ Kf4 42. Rc5 Re3+ 43. Kd1 Rd3+ 44. Kc2 Rd2+ 45. Kb3 Rd3+ 46. Ka4 Bc3 47. f6 Rd4+ 48. Kb3 Bb4 49. Rc8 e3 50. f7 Kf3 51. Rce8 Kg2 52. Rxe3 Kxh2 53. Rh8 Rf4 54. Rhxh3+ Kg2 55. Rhg3+ Kf2 56. Rgf3+ 1-0

Sydneysider FM Tim Reilly completed the Aussie trifecta by defeating local player Michael Steadman.

Auckland IM Tournament (NZ)
Reilly, Tim
Steadman, Michael
D31

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. Qc2 Na6 7. e3 Qa5 8. f3 Nf6 9. g4 Be6 10. Nge2 Rc8 11. Ng3 g6 12. Bh6 Nd7 13. Bg2 Qc7 14. Qe2 Bd6 15. f4 f6 16. O-O Bf8 17. Bxf8 Kxf8 18. Rac1 Qd6 19. f5 Bf7 20. g5 Kg7 21. gxf6+ Nxf6 22. fxg6 hxg6 23. Rf4 Rcf8 24. Rcf1 Be8 25. Qd2 Nc7 26. e4 dxe4 27. Ncxe4 Nxe4 28. Nxe4 Qe7 29. Rxf8 Rxf8 30. Rxf8 Qxf8 31. Qg5 Nd5 32. Qe5+ Kg8 33. Nd6 Bf7 34. Bh3 Qe7 35. Qxe7 Nxe7 36. Nxf7 Kxf7 37. Kf2 Kf6 38. Ke3 Nf5+ 39. Ke4 Nd6+ 40. Kd3 Kg5 41. b4 Kf4 42. Bg2 g5 43. a4 Nf5 44. a5 Ne7 45. Kc4 Nf5 46. Kc5 Ne3 47. a6 b6+ 48. Kxc6 Nxg2 49. Kb7 1-0

While all that is happening just across the Tasman, there is a lone Australian doing battle against one of the world's best. As I am writing these words, IM David Smerdon is facing against super-GM Vassily Ivanchuk! This is a team match in The Netherlands. You can follow the event here.