place finishers enjoyed their share of a 7300
Jovan Petronic:
Franc prize pool. The remaining players
received minor compensation for their
Expect The Unexpected (ETU) participation. (source: chessgames.com). The
event was won by Janowski, followed by
Schlechter, and von Scheve and Chigorin
Always expect the unexpected!
tying for third place.
Expect The Unexpected Quotes:
XIIIIIIIIY
To expect the unexpected shows a
thoroughly modern intellect. 9-+-wq-snk+0
Oscar Wilde
9+-+-+rvl-0
If you do not expect the unexpected you will
not find it, for it is not to be reached by
9-zpltr-zpp+0
search or trail.
9zp-+p+-+-0
Heraclitus
But life inevitably throws us curve balls,
9-+-+-zPNwQ0
unexpected circumstances that remind us to
9zPLvLR+-+R0
expect the unexpected. I've come to
understand these curve balls are the beautiful
9-zP-+-+P+0
unfolding of both karma and current.
Carre Otis 9+-+-+-mK-0
I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve. I'm
xiiiiiiiiy
not ready to talk about them yet, but expect
White's forces are ready to deliver tactical
the unexpected.
blows. Schlechter starts off with a poisonous
Brad Bird
pawn sacrifice.
Schlechter C. : Gunsberg I.
34.f5! g5
Monte Carlo 1901
34...gf5? 35.Rdg3! fg4 36.Rg4 Re7 37.Qh8
Kf7 38.Rg7 Ke8 39.Re3!+ (39& Rdd7
In order to stimulate tourism to the seaside
40.Qh5 + ).
resort of Monte Carlo during the winter
35.Qh5 Be8 36.Ne3! Rfd7 37.Nd5!!+
season, Prince Dadian of Mongrelia and
The unexpected! If you need to do
Arnous de Riviere organized the first in a
something, don't wait until later. Do it now.
series of master chess tournaments to be held
Your plans might not work out, so don't start
from February 1st to March 1st in 1901.
thinking about what you'll do after you
Fourteen chess masters were invited to
succeed. Wait until you've already
participate, but play was delayed until the
succeeded, and then you can think about
4th of February to observe the funeral of
what to do next.
Queen Victoria I of England. The scoring
37...Rd5
format for this tournament gave 1/4 of a
37...Bh5? 38.Nf6! Kh8 39.Rh5 Bh6
point to each player for a draw played. The
(39...Nh7 40.Rh7#) 40.Rh6 Rh7 (40...Nh7
two players were then required to replay the
41.Nd7! Rf6 42.Rdh3!+ ) 41.Nh7!+ ;
game with colors reversed, where a win was
37...Bf7 38.Nf6! Rf6 (38...Bf6 39.Qh8! Bh8
worth 1/2 a point, a draw worth another 1/4
40.Rh8#) 39.Bf7 Rdf7 (39...Rff7 40.Qh8!+ )
point, and a loss worth 0. David Janowski
40.Rd8+ ;
won the tournament and the grand prize of
37...Rf7 38.Nf6!+ .
5000 Francs, while the second through sixth
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 1
38.Rd5 21...Nc3!
38.Bd5+ (38& Rd5 39.Rd5 Qd5 (39...Bh5 The best move, targeting White's two pawn
40.Rd8+ ) 40.Qe8 Qf5 41.Re3+ ). weaknesses, at e2 and b5, secures Black a
38...Bf7? material advantage, with best play by both
38...Rd5 39.Bd5! (39.Qe8? Qe8 40.Bd5 sides.
Ne6! 41.Be6 Kf8 42.Rd3ą) 39...Qd5 22.Bc6!? Re2!
40.Qe8+ . The unexpected! 22...Ne2? 23.Re2! Re2
39.Rd7 Qd7 40.Rd3! Bb3 24.Bd7 and compared to the game White is
40...Qd3? 41.Bf7#. doing great in a materially equal position.
41.Rd7 Nd7 42.Qe8 Nf8 43.Qc6 22...Re7? 23.Nf5! Ne2 24.Re2! Re2 25.Bd7
43.Qd8+ . or 22...Bc6 23.bc6 Nc5 or 22...Red8?
43...Nh7 44.a4! 23.Rc2.
44.Qb6 a4! with an attempt to later set up a 23.Rb3!
fortress. 1:0. 23.Re2? Ne2 24.Kg2 Nd4! 25.Bb7 Rb7
26.Be3 Nb5 + and with two extra connected
passed pawns Black should win relatively
Euwe M. : Alekhine A.
easily.
Amsterdam 1926
23.Bd7?? shows the main line of Black's
combination idea: 23...Rb2 24.Bb2? Ne2#;
Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe played
23.Bb7? Rb7 24.Rb3 Nb5 +.
two World Chess Championship matches, in
23...Bc6 24.Rc3 Bb5 25.Rc7 Ne5
1935 (14th WCC) and in 1937 (15th WCC).
With a pawn ahead, Alekhine went on to
This training chess match played in the
win.
Netherlands is lesser known. Reportedly,
26.Nf5 Nf3 27.Kg2 Ne1 28.Kh3 Re5
Dutch Euwe supporters wished to sponsor a
29.Rh1 Nd3 30.Ne7 Kf8 31.Ba3 Nf2
match against a top chess master to be
32.Kg2 Nh1 33.Bd6 Re6 34.Bc5 Re8
played on home ground. Emanuel Lasker
35.Nf5 Kg8 36.Ne7 Kh8 37.Kh1 Bd3
declined, and Efim Bogoljubov's financial
38.Kg2 h6 39.Kf3 Kh7 40.h4 h5
conditions were not met. Alekhine, who was
0:1.
expecting the 11th WCC match vs Jose Raul
Capablanca in 1927 - accepted.
XIIIIIIIIY
Lilienthal A. : Kotov A.
9-tr-+r+k+0
Moscow 1948
9+lzpn+pzpp0
The 16th chess championship of USSR,
9-+-zp-+-+0 played in 1948 in Moscow, featured 19 top
Soviet chess players. After 18 rounds, David
9+P+-+-+-0
Bronstein and Alexander Kotov shared 1st
place, followed by Semyon Furman.
9-+-+n+-sN0
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5
9+-+-+-zP-0
dc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Ng5 hg5
10.Bg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 Qb6 13.ef6
9-tR-+PzPLzP0
c5 14.dc5 Bc5 15.0 0 0 0 0 16.Qe2 Bd4
9+-vL-+RmK-0
17.Rad1 Nc5 18.Bb7 Qb7 19.Rd4 Rd4
20.Qe5 Rd5 21.Nd5 Qd5 22.Re1 Qc6
xiiiiiiiiy
23.Qe3 Nd3 24.Rb1 Rd8
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 2
ahead of Vladimir Tukmakov and Oscar
XIIIIIIIIY
Panno. Fischer's score was 11.5 0.5!
9-+ktr-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY
9zp-+-+p+-0
9-mk-tr-+-tr0
9-+q+pzP-+0
9zppwql+p+-0
9+p+-+-vL-0
9-+n+p+pzp0
9-+p+-+-+0
9+-+pzP-+-0
9+-+nwQ-zP-0
9P+-zP-+Q+0
9PzP-+-zP-zP0
9+-+L+R+-0
9+R+-+-mK-0
9-+PvL-zPPzP0
xiiiiiiiiy
9tR-+-+-mK-0
White is suffering from a back-rank
xiiiiiiiiy
weakness, and combines defenses with
possible h-pawn promotion in the endgame. 19& f5 20.ef6! e5 21.Qg3! Nd4
25.h4 Nb2! 26.Qa7 Nd3 27.Rd1? 21...ed4? 22.Bf4+ ;
Not expecting Black's reply. 27.Qf7 would 21...Ka8? 22.de5 Qe5 (22...Ne5 23.Re3
have kept the position unclear, with Rde8 24.Rae1+ ) 23.Re1 Qg3 24.Rg3 g5
approximately equal chances for both sides. 25.f7+ ;
For example 27...Ne5! 28.Qh7! Nf3 29.Kf1! 21...Kc8 22.de5 Ne5 23.Rf4ą;
Nh2 30.Kg1 (30.Ke2? c3 +; 30.Ke1? c3 +) 21...g5 22.de5ą.
30...Nf3=. 22.Re3! e4
27...Rd7! + 22...Nc6 23.Re5! Ne5 (23...Qe5? 24.Bf4+ )
The unexpected! When you're really in need, 24.Bf4 Rde8 25.Bg6 Ka8 (25...Rhg8 26.f7;
you think of creative solutions to your 25...Kc8 26.Be8 Re8 27.f7+ ) 26.Be8 Re8
problems. 27...Rd7! + & 28.Qe3: 27.f7+ .
a) 28.Qa3 b4! In order to win with the
XIIIIIIIIY
upcoming discovered attack, it is essential to
9-mk-tr-+-tr0
drive the White Queen away from
controlling the f8 square. (28...Nf4? 29.Qf8!
9zppwql+-+-0
Kb7 30.Rd7 Qd7 31.Bf4+ ) 29.Qa5 Nf4! +;
b) 28.Qa5 Nf4! +; 28...Nf4! +. 9-+-+-zPpzp0
27...c3? 28.Qa3 (28.Qe3 c2 29.Rd3 c1Q
9+-+p+-+-0
30.Qc1 Qc1 31.Bc1 Rd3) 28...Rd6! (28...c2?
29.Rd3 c1Q 30.Bc1! Rd3 31.Qd3 Qc1
9P+-snp+-+0
32.Kg2+ ) 0:1.
9+-+LtR-wQ-0
Fischer R. : Schweber S.
9-+PvL-zPPzP0
Buenos Aires 1970
9tR-+-+-mK-0
The Buenos Aires (Argentina) 1970 second
xiiiiiiiiy
international 17 round event was
23.Re4!!
convincingly won by Robert Fischer (27),
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 3
The unexpected! 30.Bd6! Nf3 31.Rg3 e4 32.Be2
23...Qg3 32.Bf4!? & Rg7 33.Bh3!ą.
23...de4? 24.Bf4+ . 32...Rf6
24.Rd4! Qg4 32...Rg7 33.Bf3! Rg3 34.Be4!ą & Rg5
24...Qc7 25.Bf4 Rhf8 26.Bc7 Kc7 27.Bg6 35.Be7! Rg7 (35...Rh5? 36.Rg1+ ) 36.Bf5
(27.Rh4!?ą) 27...Rf6 28.Bd3ą. Re7 37.Bc8ą.
25.Rg4 Bg4 26.Bg6ą 33.Bf4! Rg6 34.Bf3! Rg3
And White went on to win. 34...ef3 35.Rf3ą.
26...Rhg8 27.Bh7 Rh8 28.Bd3 Rde8 29.f7 35.Be4!!
Re7 30.f8Q Rf8 31.Bb4 Rff7 32.Be7 Re7 The unexpected! Chess players who bravely
33.f3 Bd7 34.a5 Kc7 35.Kf2 Rf7 36.Ke3 go after what they want are more successful
Kd6 37.g3 Kc5 38.f4 Bg4 39.Rb1 Re7 than players who try to live safely. 35.Bg3
40.Kd2 b6 41.ab6 ab6 42.h3 Bd7 43.g4 d4 ef3; 35.hg3 ef3.
44.f5 Re3 45.f6 Rf3 46.Rf1 Rf1 47.Bf1 Be6 35...fe4
1:0. 35...Rg4 36.Be5 Kg8 37.Bf5 Rg5 38.Bc8
Re5 39.Rd2ą.
Kasparov G. : Sokolov A. 36.hg3 Kg7
Belfort 1988 36...Nf7 37.d6 Kg7 38.d7 Rg8 39.Bc7 Nd8
40.Rd4 Kf7 41.Re4+ .
GMA (Grand Masters Association) from 37.Rd4!
1988 1989 organised six international chess 37.Re1 Rc5 38.d6 Ne6 39.Re4 Kf7ą.
tournaments as a World Chess Cup. The 37...Nf7
second one was held in Belfort, France in 37...Rc5 38.b4 Rc8 (38...Rb5? 39.a4 Rb6
1988. 16 GMs formed a 16th FIDE category 40.Bc7+ ) 39.Re4ą.
event, which was after 15 rounds won by 38.Re4 Rd8 39.Re7! Rd5
Garry Kasparov, followed by Anatoly 39...b5 40.d6 Kf6 41.Ra7+ .
Karpov and Jan Ehlvest. 40.Rb7 h5 41.Ra7! a5
41...Ra5 42.Bd2! Rd5 43.Bc3+ .
XIIIIIIIIY
42.a4!+ 1:0.
9-+rsn-+-mk0
Cabrilo G. : Petronic J.
9+p+-+-+p0
Subotica 1992
9p+-+-tr-+0
A memorable invitational round-robin was
9+-vLPzpp+-0
organised in Palic, Subotica (former
Yugoslavia, now Serbia) in 1992.
9-+-sn-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Ne5 d6 4.Nf3 Ne4 5.d4
Be7 6.Bd3 Ng5 7.0 0 Nf3 8.Qf3 0 0 9.Re1
9PzP-+-+-zP0
Nc6 10.c3 d5 11.Bf4 Be6 12.Nd2 Bd6
9+K+R+LtR-0
13.Re3 Bf4 14.Qf4 Qd6 15.Qh4 h6 16.Rf1
Rae8 17.f4 Bd7 18.Rg3 Kh8 19.Qh5 Re7
xiiiiiiiiy
20.Nf3 Re3 21.Bb1 Ne7
29.Be7! Rf7
29...Rh6 30.d6 N8c6 (30...Rh2? 31.Bf6#)
31.Bc4ą & Rg6 32.d7!ą;
29...Rg6 30.Rg6 hg6 31.Bf6 Kg8 32.Be5ą.
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 4
24...Ne5
XIIIIIIIIY
24...Qd7 25.Nd7 Rd8 26.Re1!+ Black's g3
9-+-+-tr-mk0
Rook remains trapped.
25.Qd6 cd6 26.hg3 Nc4! 27.b3
9zppzplsnpzp-0
27.Bg6!?
9-+-wq-+-zp0 27...Nd2 28.Rd1 Nb1
28...Ne4 29.Be4 de4 30.Kf2 d5 31.c4+ .
9+-+p+-+Q0
29.Rb1 Rc8 30.Rc1ą
The resulting Rook endgame proved too
9-+-zP-zP-+0
difficult to save. White continued to play
9+-zP-trNtR-0
very well and went on to win. 1:0.
9PzP-+-+PzP0
Karpov A. : Topalov V.
9+L+-+RmK-0
Dos Hermanas 1994
xiiiiiiiiy
Dos Hermanas (Spain) hosted a major 10
Until now, White enjoyed a long-lasting
GM player tournament in 1994, which was
initiative, has regrouped all his minor and
won by Boris Gelfand, ahead of Anatoly
major pieces to squares with a full potential,
Karpov and Vladimir Epishin.]
and now has calculated a basically decisive
XIIIIIIIIY
knockout blow.
22.Ne5! Rg3
9-+l+rvl-+0
Not sensing the danger, but it was already
9zpp+-wqpmk-0
too late. What followed came as a complete
shock, and followed by a long time trying to
9-+n+-+pzp0
find a satisfactory defense, only to realise
9+-zp-+-+-0
there is none.
23.Qf7!!
9-+-+-vL-+0
The unexpected! The expected 23.hg3?
would not have caused Black any special
9+-zP-sNQ+P0
worries after 23...Be8� with hopes of
9PzP-+-zPP+0
equalising the position still being far away.
23...Nc6
9+-+R+LmK-0
23...Rf7 24.Nf7 Kg8 25.Nd6 Re3 26.Nb7
xiiiiiiiiy
Re2 27.Nc5 Bf5 28.Bd3ą;
23...Qf6 24.Qf6 Rf6 25.Nd7! Re3 26.Nf6 29.Nd5!
gf6 27.Kf2ą; White is nurturing a better postion, thanks to
23...Ng6 24.Qd7 Ne5 25.Qd6 cd6 26.hg3ą. the many weak squares in Black's position.
24.Qd7! 29...Qe4?
24.hg3 White's supremacy even offers this 29...Qh4 30.Nf6! Re6 (30...Kf6? 31.Bg3+ ;
variation, where he can temporarily sacrifice 30...Qf6? 31.Bh6+ ; 30...Rd8? 31.Rd8 Nd8
the Queen for a Rook and a pawn only, 32.g3! Qf6 33.Bh6+ ) 31.Nd7ą.
ending with a superior endgame. 24...Ne5 30.Nf6!!
25.fe5 Rf7 26.Rf7 Kg8 (26...Qe6 27.Rf8 The unexpected! Things that are offered for
Qg8 28.Rg8 Kg8 29.Kf2ą) 27.ed6 Kf7 free always have a hidden cost.
28.dc7ą. 30.Qe4? Re4 31.f3 Re8 32.Bb5ą.
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 5
30...Kf6 40.Qc4 Qa7!?
30...Qf3? 31.Ne8 Kg8 32.gf3+ ; 40...d2! + 41.Qf5!
30...Qe6 31.Ne8+ . The "natural" 41.Rd1 fails to 41...Qa1!
31.Be5! Ke5 42.Ra1 Ba1 +.
31...Kg5? 32.Bf6#; 31...Ke6? 32.Qf6#; 41...Rf8!
31...Ke7? 32.Qf6#. While calculating his reply, Lautier noticed
32.Qe4 that after 41...d1Q? White can play the
32.Qf7!+ & Rd8 33.f4! Qf4 34.Re1 Qe4 amazing 42.Be4! The unexpected was
35.Qc7! Bd6 (35...Rd6 36.Re4 Ke4 expected! 42...Qf1! (42...Qh5 43.Qh5 Qe4=;
37.Qc8+ ) 36.Qg7! Kf5 37.g4! Kf4 38.Qh6 42...Kg8 43.Qh7 Kf8 44.Rd1 Qd1 45.Kg2)
Ke5 39.Qg7 Kf4 40.Qf6 Bf5 41.Re4 Ke4 43.Kf1 Kg8 44.Qh7 Kf8. To win this
42.Bg2 Ke3 43.Bc6+ . materially equal position, Black would need
32...Ke4 33.Re1 Kf5 34.Re8 Be6 35.Rf8+ to display a very good technique,
And Black resigned shortly. 1:0. compensated by White's five pawns and with
the White Queen still on the board.;
Anand V. : Lautier J. 41...Rf8! 42.Qe4
Belgrade 1997 a) 42.Qd5? Qd5 (42...Rf2 +) 43.Bd5 e3! +;
b) 42.Qe4 d1Q +;
Former Yugoslavia Beograd's "Investbanka" c) 42.Qg4? Rf2! +; 42...d1Q 43.Rd1 Qd1
super-GM tournaments were very well 44.Kg2 Qd2 + 0:1.
known, inviting top world chess players and
grooming local talents for world-class Zhukova N. : Galojan L.
successes. Daily spectator live audience Beograd 2013
amounted to more than one thousand chess
fans. Together with legendary GM Svetozar The 14th European Individual Womens'
Gligoric, I had daily commented key games Chess Championship took place in Belgrade,
via the leading national TV station. The Serbia from 23rd July to 3rd August 2013
1997 edition sponsored by Investbanka, a and broke the record in participation with
18th FIDE category event, was won by 169 female players. The event was won by
Ivanchuk, ahead of Anand and Shirov. Grand Master Hoang Thanh Trang, who
represented the Hungarian Chess Federation,
XIIIIIIIIY
followed by IMs Salome Melia and Lilit
9-+-tr-+-mk0
Mkrtchian.
9+L+-+-vlp0
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 0 0
9-+Q+-+-+0 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 b6 7.e3 Bb7 8.Bd3 c5 9.0 0
cd4 10.ed4 Be7 11.Re1 d6 12.b4 Nbd7
9+-+-+p+-0
13.Rb1 Re8 14.a4 a6 15.Bg3 Nh5 16.d5!
ed5
9-+-wqp+-+0
16...Ng3 17.de6! Bf6 18.ed7 Qd7 19.Nd5
9+P+p+-zP-0
Bd5 20.cd5.
17.Nd5 Bd5
9P+-+-zP-zP0
17...Ng3 18.hg3 (18.Ne7 Re7 19.Re7 Qe7
9+-+-+RmK-0
20.hg3) 18...Bd5 19.cd5 Bf6 20.Rc1� could
have transposed into a later game variation,
xiiiiiiiiy
avoiding the ETU.
40.Qe6?
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 6
18.cd5 Ng3 How can one improve on expecting the
unexpected, and which matter? I can
XIIIIIIIIY
recommend to you the method I designed
9r+-wqr+k+0
myself and was successful with. I call it
ETU. Have your students trained to recall all
9+-+nvlpzp-0
the unexpected moves played in their games
9pzp-zp-+-zp0 by their opponents. This can be done either
immediately after a tournament game, and
9+-+P+-+-0
best during training games of standard time
control, by for example placing a dot next to
9PzP-+-+-+0
each unexpected opponent's move played.
9+-+L+Nsn-0
Creating awareness of the unexpected moves
encountered, and then analysing their
9-+-+-zPPzP0
relative value (did they matter?) will create a
9+R+QtR-mK-0
unique platform for further individual chess
improvement. The ETU method is universal
xiiiiiiiiy
and can be applied to all, up to World Chess
19.Nd4!?
Champion.
The unexpected! This time around without a
decisive advantage, yet very pleasing to the
I hope you enjoyed this brief survey, brought
chess players' eye.
to you by the FIDE Trainers' Commission.
19.hg3 Bf6 20.Rc1� was also OK and
Thank you and have a nice day.
promised White chances of success.
19...Bf8
19...Bf6 20.Nc6 Re1 21.Qe1 Qe8 22.hg3;
19...Nh1 20.Kh1 Bf8 - White's Kingside
pawn structure in tact would offer her more
practical chasnces than in the game.
20.hg3 Re1 21.Qe1
White slowly increased her positional
advantage and obtained a material one, with
Black resisting throughout, her efforts in the
end being awarded with a draw. Strong
players don't give up when they come across
challenges. They just work harder.
21...Qg5 22.Qe2 Qe5 23.Rd1 Qe2 24.Be2
g6 25.Rc1 Bg7 26.Nb3 Kf8 27.Rc6 Ke7
28.Nd2 a5 29.ba5 ba5 30.Nc4 Be5 31.Rc7
Kd8 32.Rb7 f5 33.Rb5 Bc3 34.Nd6 Bb4
35.Nc4 Rc8 36.Na5 Rc1 37.Kh2 Be1
38.Nc6 Kc7 39.f3 Bf2 40.a5 Nf6 41.Bd3
Nd5 �.
FIDE Surveys  Jovan Petronic 7