Mark Podolski (most left person with cup in hand) and Aleksey Domchev receive the beauty prize for their game in the 2007 World Championship. Photo: Geb Kos
In 2007, the world championship featured an incredible
lineup of top players. The 20-player round-robin tournament included
the "big 4" —Georgiev, Schwarzman, Chizhov, and Valneris—who had
dominated the draughts scene since 1988. There was also a strong
contingent of Dutch players (Scholma, Thijssen, and Van den Akker),
African players (Kouogueu, Ndjofang, and Samb), and numerous European
top players like Amrillaev, Anikeev, Domchev, Lagoda, and
Misans.
Personally, the 2007 world championship was a big deal for
me as it was my first time making it to the final round after not
qualifying in 2005. I was keen to compete against such strong
opponents and ready to show what I could do. Winning the championship
was my clear goal, and I was prepared to give it all.
The
tournament kicked off with some surprising results. Chizhov beat
Valneris in Round 1 and then took down Schwarzman in Round 4 (you
should definitely check out those games!). This made Chizhov the
early favorite. But world championships are long and
unpredictable—Georgiev defeated Chizhov in a complex game in Round 7,
shaking things up again.
After 16 rounds and several twists and
turns, Chizhov, Schwarzman, and I were at the top of the leaderboard,
each with a score of +4. I had a slightly easier schedule for the
last three rounds, facing Domchev, Otgonbayar, and Valneris. To have
a good shot at the overall victory, I needed to win two out of three.
As history showed, that wasn’t enough, as Schwarzman managed to
defeat both Van den Akker and Thijssen in consecutive rounds.
In
this context, the game against Domchev in Round 17 was crucial. Known
for being tough to beat, I had to approach the game very carefully.
While this game won the beauty prize in the World Championship 2007,
I want to focus on the psychological aspects and how they influenced
my decisions.
I wasn't
interested in a quiet position after 2.37-32 12-18 3.41-37 and so on and kept the option to play the Keller system if
necessary.
2...12-18 3.40-34 7-12 4.45-40 1-7 5.37-32At the last moment, I decided against the Keller system and opted for a different, soon-to-be very complex variation. By this point, I had already anticipated Domchev's next moves and prepared a surprise for him.
19-23 6.28x19 14x23 7.32-28 23x32 8.38x27To understand this move, we need some history. In the 80s
and 90s, there was one essential Russian book by V. Agafonov ("Курс
дебютов: международные шашки" or, in English, "Opening courses:
international draughts") that covered contemporary draughts theory in
depth. Every serious player, who grew up in the Soviet Union, knew
this book and its main variations.
The move 7. 32-28?! was
discussed in this book along with the potential black responses, so I
knew Domchev was familiar with it. What he didn't know was an
extremely sharp sideline I analyzed in detail in the early 2000s.
As expected, Domchev followed Agafonov's recommendation. According to old theory, the best option for white is a simple exchange with 10. 29x18 22x13, leading to a simplified position. But I had different plans...
10.27x18!? 19-24Agafonov's book shows black threatening both 11...24-30 and 11...23-28, making it seem like white has no choice but to play the passive 11. 18-13 09x18 12. 50-45. But...
11.35-30!? 24x35 12.38-32!What an unusual sharp position! Exactly
what the doctor ordered in such a tournament situation. Strictly
speaking, this position had appeared in literature and was even
played in the Ukrainian championship, but it was neither widely known
nor well-studied.
I recall the shock on my opponent’s face when he
encountered this position. He had to
spend a lot of time
figuring out what was going on.
A logical
choice but not the best one.
Let’s highlight the obvious:
12...8-13? 13.47-42! 13x22 14.29x27 wins a piece.
12...17-21? 13.32-28! 23x32 14.31-26 12x23 15.26x17 11x22 16.29x38+-
12...16-21?! 13.31-26 21-27? 14.32x21 11-16 15.41-37 16x27 16.29-24! 20x38 17.43x21 and white wins.
It takes almost superhuman draughts skill to find the
best move 12...9-14! over the board. Now black is
threatening to play 13...20-25, and the only way to prevent it is 13.33-28 4-9 14.28x19 14x23 15.47-42 9-14! forcing
white to simplify into a slightly worse position via 16.29-24 20x29 17.34-30 35x24 18.40-34 29x40 19.18x9 3x14 20.44x35
13.47-42!Now the difference between 12...09-14! and
12...10-14 becomes clear. White
plans to play 14. 32-28 and 15.
42-37 with a better position. To prevent this, black plays:
What a position! This must have been another shock for my opponent. At first glance, it looks like black should be able to win the white piece on 18, but it’s not possible. Even worse, black's position isn't even better, and now it's up to black to find a reasonable move.
20-25After spending an hour
on the first fourteen moves, Domchev decided to go for
simplifications.
Let's highlight some variations:
14...5-10? 15.29-24 20x29 16.32-27 23x21 17.34x5 12x23+-
14...17-21 15.43-38 12-17??
15...21-26? 16.29-24! 20x29 17.39-33 26x37 18.33x13 8x19 19.18x29+-
15...11-17 16.31-26 20-25
16.41-37! 23x12 17.28-22 17x28 18.32x25+-Black can't play 16...21-27? due to 17.32x21 23x43 18.49x38 16x27 19.29-23! 19x28 20.42-37 12x23 21.37-32 28x37 22.41x1+-
Now 17.29-24! 19x30 18.18x29 21-27 19.32x21 16x27 20.29-23! and while the
black's position is not losing, it seems difficult to defend the
piece 27. 14...4-10?! 15.39-33! and now the safest option for
black is to simplify 20-25
15.29-24 19x30 16.18x29as the position after 15...10-14 16.42-38! 5-10 (the move 17. 29-24 was a
serious threat) 17.43-39 is better for white.
16.29-24 19x39 17.18x29The first stage of the game is over, and it’s time for a summary. Black has spent a lot of time, and white has emerged with a better position. Psychologically, I need to maintain the tension in the position to bring my opponent into time trouble when the last and most important stage of the game arrives.
5-10 17.41-37Against many other opponents and in different tournament
situations, I would have gone for the obvious option: 17.39-33 30x39 18.43x34 15-20 19.44-39 35x44 20.49x40 20-24 21.29x20 25x14 gaining a huge lead in development. However, Domchev is a
master at equalizing worse but simpler positions. So, I decided to
keep the structure complicated. Draughts is a sport, and sometimes it
makes sense not to go for the mathematically optimal solution.
17...10-14 18.43-38 9-13We’ve entered the build-up phase of the game. To build an efficient position, I move pieces from the right flank to the left flank. Domchev takes a similar approach.
19.38-33 17-21My opponent decides to break the tension in the center. This gives me the opportunity to develop my pieces on 36 and 46.
20.31-26 4-9 21.26x17 11x22 22.28x17 12x21 23.49-43 8-12 24.43-38 3-8 25.36-31 13-18An important decision by black. The presence of the black piece on field 18 activates my formation at 38, 33, 29, 34, and 40.
26.31-27 9-13 27.46-41 7-11 28.41-36 11-17 29.33-28 14-20My opponent chose a safer route in what could have been an explosive position. Fireworks on the board would have emerged after:
29...21-26 30.27-21 16x27 31.32x21 18-22?
31...14-20? 32.39-33! 30x39 33.29-23 18x29 34.33x24 20x29 35.44x24 35x44 36.50x39 and now black loses after 13-19?
Draw is still
possible after the sacrifice 36...17-22! 37.28x17 13-19 38.24x13 8x19 39.17x8 2x13 40.21-17 25-30 41.37-31 26x37 42.42x31 13-18! and now for instance 43.31-27 15-20 44.27-22 18x27 45.17-12 20-24 46.12-8 30-34 47.39x30 24x35 48.8-3 35-40 49.3-8 19-23 50.8-12 40-45 51.12x29 45-50 52.29-18 27-31! 53.36x27 50-22 Truly not an easy path to a draw.
37.24x13 8x19 38.28-22! 17x28 39.38-32 26x17 40.32x14+- 31...6-11 32.38-32! 11-16
32.37-31!! 22x24 33.39-33 30x28 34.44-39 35x33 35.38x7 2x11 36.21x3 26x37 37.42x31+-is better than 32...14-20 33.42-38! 20-24 34.29x20 15x24 35.32-27! 11-16 36.48-42! with a combination 37. 28-22 following on the next move.
Now 33.42-38 16x27 34.32x21 18-22 35.38-33 and black's position remains dangerous.
In the position after 29...14-20, the
first move that comes to mind is 30.39-33 30x39 31.29-23 18x29
32.33x24 20x29 33.44x24 35x44 34.50x39 13-19 35.24x13 8x19, but
white's position isn't better due to a weak right flank and no option
of playing 36.28-22. How to solve this problem? After some time, I
came up with the unexpected:
What a move in a must-win game!
The silicon engine prefers 30.29-23 18x29 31.34x23 where it turns out the piece on 23
is untouchable.
Another extremely interesting
variation is the counterintuitive 30.37-31?! 21-26 31.42-37 17-21 In this position white has a pleasant choice
between 32.38-33 20-24! 33.29x20 25x14 34.34x25 14-20 25.25x14 14-20
26.25x14 13-19 27. 14x23 18x38 28.32x43 21x23 and the more favorable
variation 32.48-43! 20-24 33.29x20 15x24 34.38-33 24-29 35.33x24 30x19 36.34-29 19-24 37.29x20 25x14 38.39-33 14-20 39.40-34 12-17 40.43-38 17-22 41.28x17 21x12 42.34-29 with a very
unpleasant position for black.
But at this stage, my brain was busy with emerging variations after 30. 36-31.
30...21-26 31.39-33 30x39 32.29-23 18x29 33.33x24 20x29 34.44x24 35x44 35.50x39 17-21 36.28-23But at this stage, my brain was busy with emerging variations after 30. 36-31.
And yet again, we get another unusual position!
6-11?The decisive mistake in time trouble.
Having calculated this variation in
advance, I knew that after 36...13-18! 37.23-19 2-7! 38.19-14 18-23 39.14-9 23-28 40.32x23 21x34 41.9-3 8-13 42.3x17 7-11 43.17-22 13-19 44.24x13 11-17 we end up in
an equal endgame. But during my opponent's calculation, I walked over
and looked at the emerging position from black's perspective (do this
during your own games!). The moves 36...13-18! and 37...2-7! were not
obvious at all from his point of view. We should also remember that
Domchev had to spend a lot of time and energy in the earlier stages
of the game (this was my goal!), and under these circumstances, it’s
hard to find the right solution.
37.38-33! 11-17 38.42-38 13-18 39.24-19Our silicon friend gives the faster
route to victory after 39.33-29! 8-13
39...18x29 40.33x24 12-18 41.39-33 17-22 39...17-22 40.32-28!+-
40.39-34 17-22 41.34-30 25x34 42.29x40 18x20 43.27x9+- But I have already calculated the winning variation starting
after 39. 24-19. Continuing with 41...8-13 42.19x8 2x13 loses as well: 43.33-29 25-30 44.24x35 and now
either 13-19
42.33-29 22-28or 44...15-20 45.35-30 13-19 46.30-24 19x30 47.29-23 18x29 48.27-22 17x28 49.32x14+-
45.29-24 19x30 46.35x24 18-23 47.27-22 17x28 48.48-43+-Other moves are quickly losing.
43.32x3 21x41 44.31-27 41-46 45.19-13 46-10 46.38-32 10x46 47.29-23 46x35 48.48-42 35x8 49.3x12 25-30 50.12-45 16-21 51.27x16and Domchev
gave up.
This is what I call a complete game of draughts,
filled with twists and turns, precise calculations, and perfect
execution of the game plan.