April 2003

Of course Radjabov was there, which helps, but Shirov, Movsesian and Damljanovic were also playing it at every opportunity. And the score was a very respectable 6.5-6.5 tie.

To download the April '03 KI games directly in PGN form, click here:

We shall kick off with another Bareev - Radjabov Bayonet Attack where the youngster made a spectacular rook sacrifice but the World No. 7's defences just about held firm.

Kozul decided to take Radjabov on in the old main line of the Classical (see Game 2) and although it was not the most accurate of games the black attack pulled through in the end.

The fashionable 7...Na6 variation of the Classical featured in no less than 6 games in Sarajevo.

The 3 with 8 Be3 are covered in Dizdarevic - Movsesian whilst the 3 with 8 Re1 are covered in Sokolov - Damljanovic.

Damljanovic preferred the Gligoric Variation against Radjabov in Game 5 but the youngster proved to be extremely well prepared there and White was always on the back foot after the novelty 11...fxe4!

There was one reversal for Radjabov, however, as he became yet another victim of tournament winner Ivan Sokolov's 5 Bd3 variation in Game 6.

This has been quite a lucky variation for Sokolov this year as he has often managed to win rather questionable positions, but in the Dutch League game Sokolov - Sollaveld his luck finally ran out.

And to finish with in Likavsky - Shchekachev the French player became yet another casualty of an old trap in the Averbakh.

In fact there were plenty of other interesting King's Indians in the last month or so (including some of my own) but I shall have to hold these back for next month when I am planning two updates in quick succession to bring things bang up to date.

I would have done it this month but I now have to finish my book on the Pirc (and I mean now) play a tournament in my home town, Neuchatel, and then play another tournament in a town where I feel perfectly at home - Las Vegas!

See you next month

Joe Gallagher

Any queries or comments to the KID Forum, or to me directly at Joe_Gallagher@ChessPublishing.com would be most welcome.