Sants Open 2013 Rd6-GM Hansen E(CAN)

Standings-Chess Results
GMs Iturrizaga and Burmakin share the lead with 5.5/6.
GM Hansen 5/6
IM Hambleton 4.5/6
GM Spraggett 3.5/6

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Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	GM	Iturrizaga Eduardo	VEN	2660	5.5
2	GM	Burmakin Vladimir	RUS	2565	5.5
3	GM	Esen Baris	TUR	2559	5
4	GM	Filippov Anton	UZB	2630	5
5	IM	Firat Burak	TUR	2416	5
6	GM	Bruzon Batista Lazaro	CUB	2698	5
	GM	Cori Jorge	PER	2569	5
8	IM	Bailet Pierre	FRA	2474	5
9	GM	Hillarp Persson Tiger	SWE	2529	5
10	GM	Adhiban B.	IND	2567	5
11	GM	Ortiz Suarez Isan Reynaldo	CUB	2609	5
12	GM	Gustafsson Jan	GER	2619	5
13	GM	Hansen Eric	CAN	2584	5
14	GM	Cruz Cristhian	PER	2498	5
15	IM	Wehmeier Stefan Dr.	GER	2433	5
16	IM	Guerra Mendez Jose Angel	CUB	2516	4.5
17	GM	Vocaturo Daniele	ITA	2549	4.5
18	IM	Huerga Leache Mikel	ESP	2433	4.5
19	GM	Aroshidze Levan	GEO	2565	4.5
20	FM	Godart Francois	BEL	2361	4.5
21	IM	Pardo Simon David	ESP	2441	4.5
22	IM	Gascon Jose Rafael	VEN	2268	4.5
23	GM	Alsina Leal Daniel	ESP	2538	4.5
24	IM	Aloma Vidal Robert	ESP	2410	4.5
25	IM	Perpinya Rofes Lluis Maria	ESP	2403	4.5
26	GM	Munoz Pantoja Miguel	ESP	2456	4.5
27	GM	Potkin Vladimir	RUS	2647	4.5
28		Aryan Chopra	IND	2147	4.5
29	FM	Vittorino Carlo Giovanni	COL	2296	4.5
30	IM	Kalegin Evgenij	RUS	2417	4.5
31		Timmermans Mark	NED	2287	4.5
32	WGM	Cori T. Deysi	PER	2434	4.5
33	FM	Santos Latasa Jaime	ESP	2436	4.5
34	IM	Hambleton Aman	CAN	2500	4.5
35	IM	D`costa Lorin A R	ENG	2408	4.5

GM Spraggett Blog Comes Back(!)

GM Spraggett Blog-Has a New Home

Warning-Excellent Chess Content

Hi!  WordPress will now become Spraggett on Chess new home for the present. I intend to also have a parallel blog on Tumblr set up before the end of the month.  

The next week will be a learning process for me as I try to understand all of the new features here that are different from how Blogger does things.  

In particular, the Caissa pgn-view does not seem to work very well in WordPress (as some might have already noticed), and so top on the list is to find a pgn-viewer that will serve as well here in wordpress.   

I have uploaded about 3/4 of my blog archives so far, the rest to be folow sometime in the next week.

As well, I will have to customize this homepage, gadgets, links, favourite sites, downloads, etc. 

GM Spraggett’s Blog Returning Soon

Message From GM Spraggett
Yesterday blogger closed down my popular blog for reasons that Blogger itself knows. I was informed only after the fact that my blog contained ”malicious javascript” and that the powers that be deemed this sufficient cause to close a blog that had millions of pageviews over the past 4 years. Ofcourse, Blogger can do as it wishes. No doubt complaints about the often controversial political commentary must be factored into the equation. 

As must the fact that my blog is NOT for children, but aimed precisely towards a very much neglected segment of our population: adults. However, as I have said time and again, anyone who wishes to challenge my opinions or actions is free to do so in a court of law…

My blog has always operated within the policy guideline of Blogger as well as legal principles concerning freedom of expression. In any case, this is all a small issue, as I have been planning to move my blog over to Tumblr or/and WordPress. Yesterday’s action only speeds it up. 

My popular blog ”Spraggett on Chess” will start up tonight or tomorrow. 100% of the Blogger content will also follow in the coming days. I have no doubt that my tens of thousands of blog readers will continue to receive the same high quality content and service. And I can asure you that my political commentary will continue to be as much a thorn in the side of some inside our chess community. 

My new blog would have already been up and running today, except that today is the final day for me to submit my tax returns here in Portugal, and this takes priority. 

Yesterday’s action by Blogger is just a minor affair… best regards Kevin Spraggett I just received this from the chess Grand Master. This will be my last post here at the BaconLOG.

I urge you to surf on over to my new Armchair Warrior blog 

Pretty Woman-Movie/Song

TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Rd11-GM Spraggett(CAN)

TWIC 965
Veteran GM Spraggett played the whole board in an attempt to massage black down after encountering a rare version of the French Defence-Steinitz Variation(5…Ng8).

More on the French Defence-Steinitz Variation



Here is the feature game.

Spraggett,K (2577) – Narciso Dublan,M (2549) 
French Steinitz 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Ng8 [C14] 
TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP (11.1), 13.04.2013

Position 1
White has softened up the kingside sucessfully. What do you recommend for white now?

White to Play

36..fg

TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Rd6-GM Spraggett(CAN)

TWIC 957

GM Spraggett massaged down the kingside after black took some liberties with the dark squares in Rd6 of the TCh of Catalonia.

More on Catalonia

Interview with Rafael Nadal

(Spanish language)

History

(Must wait a few seconds to skip over the ad) 

Here is the feature game.

Spraggett,K (2577) – Jerez Perez,A (2410) 
Caro-Kann Two Knights 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 [B11] 
TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP (6.1), 23.02.2013

Position 1
Black tried to deflect Rg1 from the first rank with 36…Qg5. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

36..Qg5

TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Rd2-GM Spraggett(CAN)

TWIC 953
Veteran GM Spraggett played the whole board and eventually broke through to the king on the queenside after undermining the pawn cover first and then thinning out the defense.

The game was played in the Catalan Team Championship.

More on Spraggett




More on the Catalan Opening




Here is the feature game.

Spraggett,K (2577) – Cuartas,Ja (2504)
Sicilian 4…Qb6[B32]
TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP (2.1), 26.01.2013

Position 1

Black has just attacked Qa6. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

27…Rd6

TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP Rd9-GM Spraggett(CAN)

TWIC 964

TCh-CAT Rd9

GM Spraggett defended with the topical small center(..d6/..e6) formation but missed a chance for an edge during a tricky defence but held the draw.

8…Be7

More on Catalonia
The game was played in the Team Ch of Catalonia. Here is some interesting background on this unique place in Europe.

Here is the feature game.

Alonso Garcia,R (2367) – Spraggett,K (2577)
Sicilian 2.c3 Nf6[B22]
TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP (9.1), 16.03.2013

Position 1

White pushed ahead on the kingside with 23.h5 to justify the pawn deficit. What do you recommend for black?

• 23…b6(Takes the b-pawn out of Be4’s range)
• 23..Rxd1(simplifies a bit first to reduce white’s attacking potential)
• Something else

Black to Play

23.h5

TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013-GM Spraggett,K(CAN)

TWIC 959

GM Spraggett lost a tough R-R ending in Team Championship play.

Spraggett,K (2577) – Alsina Leal,D (2511) 
Sicilian Najdorf 6.h3[B90]
TCh-CAT Div Hon 2013 Catalonia ESP (8.1), 09.03.2013

Position 1

The R-R ending position after 44…d3 is sharp with both sides having passed pawns. What do you recommend for white?

• 45.Kb7(gaining a tempo in the race)
• 45.Re1(preparing to support the a-pawn from behind and stop the d-pawn from the first rank)
• Something else

White to Play

44…d3