Round 9 Update from Parramatta

Ah, the disaster that is City Rail! I was careful to complete my normal daily rituals this morning in order to make it to the venue on time. But, sadly, and as usual, the train system was against me. There was a blackout at Lidcombe and the trains were some 15 minutes late. As a result I couldn't take photos of round 9.

On the other hand I did still arrive at the venue much earlier than Gareth Charles. The poor bloke lost on forfeit after one hour. That was an easy point for his opponent Stewart Booth.

But it wasn't so easy on board 1, Solomon - Illingworth. That game ended a draw, a toughie which had a large crowd entertained. No less than two past Aussie champions were there to watch. Three-time champ Ian Rogers was there accompanied, of course, by Cathy and so was Alfred Flatow who won the title for the first and only time in 1970. Also showing interest was a special visitor, none other than Evelyn Koshnitsky.

Doug Hamilton, twice champion himself (1965 and 1982) might have been interested to watch the stoush on board 1 but he was quite busy against Western Australian powerhouse Tristan Boyd. They drew their game. According to Tristan, he was lost by move 17 but already drawing just eight moves later.

Australian Chess Championships 2008
Boyd, Tristan
Hamilton, Douglas
D34

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Rad1 Nb4 14. Qb3 a5 15. Nxd5 Nbxd5 16. Bxd5 Nxd5 17. Qxd5 Bh3 18. Qxb7 Bxf1 19. Rxf1 Bf6 20. Nc6 Qc8 21. Qxc8 Rexc8 22. Rc1 Kf8 23. b4 axb4 24. Nxb4 Rxc1+ 25. Bxc1 Be7 26. Nd3 Rxa2 27. Kf1 Bd6 28. Be3 Ke7 29. f3 h5 30. Kf2 Ke6 31. Nf4+ Bxf4 32. Bxf4 Kd5 33. h4 g6 34. Bg5 Kc4 35. g4 Kc3 36. gxh5 gxh5 37. Ke3 Ra4 38. Kf2 Kd4 39. Bf6+ Kd5 40. e4+ Ke6 41. Bd8 Ke5 42. Bb6 Rb4 43. Bc5 Rc4 44. Ba7 Rc3 45. Kg3 Rb3 46. Bc5 Ke6 47. Kf4 Kd7 48. Bd4 Kc6 49. Bf6 Kc5 50. e5 Kd5 51. Kg5 Rxf3 52. Kxh5 Rg3 53. Kh6 Ke6 54. h5 Rh3 1/2-1/2

Goldenberg - Oliver on board 6 was a win for white. Gareth just wasn't in it, completely misplaying his KID. A total disaster! FM Greg Canfell observed that Gareth's plan of f7-f5 just made the situation worse. Sure enough opening up that a2-g8 diagonal just made Goldenberg's victory that much easier.

Australian Chess Championships 2008
Goldenberg, Igor
Oliver, Gareth
E69

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d6 6. c4 Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4 c6 9. h3 Qc7 10. Be3 Rd8 11. Rc1 Ne8 12. b4 f5 13. Qb3 Kf8 14. c5 exd4 15. cxd6
Nxd6 16. Ng5 Nf6 17. e5 dxe3 18. exf6 exf2+ 19. Rxf2 Bh6 20. Nd5 Qd7 21. Ne7 1-0

I also liked this game between Rej and Michael Morris. By the time black captures the passed d-pawn, it was already too late.

Australian Chess Championships 2008
Rej, Tomek
Morris, Michael
A69

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. Nd2 Nbd7 8. e4 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O a6 11. a4 Re8 12. f4 Qc7 13. Kh1 Rb8 14. e5 dxe5 15. Nc4 e4 16. f5 Qd8 17. Bf4 Ra8 18. a5 b5 19. axb6 Nxb6 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. Bg5 Nxc4 22. Bxc4 Qd6 23. Qe1 e3 24. Bf4 Qf8 25. Rf3 Bb7 26. Rxe3 Ng4 27. Rxe8 Rxe8 28. Qg3 Ne5 29. Bxa6 Bxa6 30. Rxa6 Qe7 31. Ra1 Qb7 32. Re1 f6 33. Qf2 Rf8 34. Qc2 Nf7 35. h3 f5 36. Qd2 Rd8 37. Re6 Bxc3 38. Qxc3 Qxd5 39. Rxg6+ Kf8 40. Qe3 1-0

Other results are:

Ikeda - Yu, draw
Broekhuyse - Canfell, 0-1
Atzmon-Simon - Hacche, draw
Hu - Lazarus, 0-1
Lane - Pecori, 1-0
Pyke - Bjelobrk, 0-1
Wei - Bird, 0-1
Malik - Suttor, draw

And I might make special mention of that last white player, Hani Malik. I was quite stunned to find out the other day that the guy is a singer-songwriter. We're not talking covers here. He writes his own stuff! Check him out at www.hrking.com.au.

UPDATE: Our anonymous correspondent is correct. FM Douglas Hamilton did win the event on 3 occasions: 1965, 1967 and then in 1982. Grandmaster Rogers also won the event four times; the last one was in 2006.