I am now back from an unexpected visit to Dubai and from there on to Batumi and after recovering from 48 hours of travel, am fully recovered and teaching again.
My weekend classes are broken down now to three levels i.e. Enjoy Chess 0-1400, Young Talents 1400-1800 and Future Stars 1800-2200 but not many of my students are serious tournament players although a few will be going to the Penang Open from 3-10 December to get much needed experience.
So I decided the most useful thing I could do to help them would be put together a rather comprehensive program of lessons on tactics, combinations and attack, and the best time is at the very start of the school holidays.
I think that this course I have put together will also be useful to all players and especially those rated around 1400-1800 strength even if their actual FIDE ratings might be lower and so decided to open it up to everyone and if interested as in my post on the Institute for Chess Excellence FaceBook page, do call (or WhatsApp) me as soon as possible because places will be limited.
Mukhriez Shah Mahmood Shah (Malaysia) vs Joseph Mwale (Malawai)
Round 11, Batumi Olympiad
Participants might be interested at some of what is will be taught and as a sweetener, here we have a position where in the Batumi Olympiad, young Mukhriez Shah was up against an experienced opponent rated 200+ points more in last round match that Malaysian needed to win against an even lower ranked Malawi.
Here Muhriez showed his lack of experience by playing 27 Rec3 when the simple 27 b3 would have kept the position equal.
In response his opponent could not control himself and played 27... b5 when in fact 27... Rf1+ was better and after 28 Kd2 , perhaps c5 would have kept a small advantage and all the chances.
Mukhriez now played 28 Ra7! If instead 28 Bf5?, of course 28...Rxf5 and then 29... b5 wins. Yet after his opponent replied 28...b5, it was Black who had the attack!
The game continued 29 Rb3 Rf1 30 Kd2 Rf2 31 Ke1 Rf4 32 Bf5 Ke7 33 Rxb7
Here White seems to be getting some counterplay but with his next move Black is able to activate his remaining piece and begin an attack on the king.
33...Nf3+ 34 Kd1 Rxh3. The threat is 35... Rh1, winning.
Now R3xb4 would have kept things safe but Mukhriez blundered with the seemingly natural looking 36 Re3+ and after 36...Kf6, was lost. Again lack of experience and playing by intuition and not with concrete analysis.
In a very difficult, perhaps lost position, Mukhriez tried 37 c3 but then followed 37... Rh1 38 Kc2 Rh2 39 Kc1? Of course 39 Kd1 Ne5 40 Rxb4 would have kept the game going longer.
Now his opponent played Ne5 and 40 Re1 was forced to in order to defend against the back rank mate.
Simplification into a won endgame then followed beginning with Rxf5 41 gxf5 Nd3 42 Kd1 and now instead of rushing to capture the Rook, 42... Nxb2 to pick up a pawn and bring the b pawn into the attack.
Then followed 41 Kc1 Nd3 42 Kd1
But now, instead of 43... Nxd1, 43... bxc3 with the threat of 44... Rd2 mate! It's all tactics! Now 44 Re2 is forced and the pawn queens!
Luckily the Malaysian team pulled through with a narrow 2.5-1.5 win to achieve a 50 percent overall score with 5 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses and in doing so turned what was going to be a total disaster into something of a save in Batumi.
