By Paul Power, Australian Chess Federation
The Doeberl Cup began 6th April in Canberra with around 400 international and national players, including last year’s winner, Armenian Grandmaster Hrant Melkumyan, current Australian Champion Temur Kuybokarov from WA, in form Victorian International Master James Morris and ACT top players International Masters Rishi Sardana and Junta Ikeda.
2023 O2C Doeberl Cup – Records Smashed
Australia’s largest international chess tournament, the O2C Doeberl Cup, is taking place in Canberra from the 6thth to the 10th of April. The field of 400 players will be playing for over $25,000 in prize money, with the winner of the Premier earning $5000, and taking home the historic Doeberl Cup.
The tournament takes place over 5 days at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden. The field for the Premier contains 4 International Grandmasters and 7 International Masters, among the 69 players. Hrant Melkumyan (Armenia) and Danield Fernandez (England) will be challenged by Egyptian Grandmaster Samy Shoker and Australian Open Champion Temur Kuybokarov.
Apart from the Premier, the tournament is also hosting events for players below the Master level, with fields of over 70 players expected in each.
Last year’s event attracted a record 330 players, and registrations for 2023 have already reached the 400 player mark. The Doeberl Cup was first held in Canberra in 1963 and has been held every year since then (with the exception of 2020). The tournament is supported by the major sponsors, the Doeberl Family, O2C Consulting, and the Canberra Southern Cross Club. The Premier starts on Thursday 6th April at 1:00pm, with the other events (Major, Minor, Mini and Under 1200 tournaments), beginning on Friday 7th April at 1:00pm. The tournament finishes on Monday 10th April at 2:30pm.
While spectators can watch the live action, the games from the top boards of the Premier will be broadcast around the world, with Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers providing commentary on the games.
The premier division results were mainly as expected, except for the board 3 encounter between English Grandmaster Daniel Howard Fernandez and Victorian Candidate Master Hamish Bassig,
Fernandez (Black) played an Indian Defence, Tartakower Defence
Both players played solidly, with Bassig avoiding potential traps, until after White’s 52nd move.
Here, both players can expect a draw, with equal material and opposite coloured Bishops. Almost any reasonable move by Black should draw.
But, instead, Fernandez played 52… Ra8, placing the Rook on the same diagonal as White’s Bishop, where White has an instant win with 53. f4+
53. f4+ exf4 ( 53… Kh5 54. Bf3 Checkmate ) ( 53… Kg4 54. Rg6+ Kh5 55. Rg5+) 54. gxf4+ followed by Rook check and the Black Rook is lost.
But, instead, Bassig played 53. Re6, the opportunity was lost and the game duly drawn.
Top seed Hrant Melkumyan and second seed Temur Kuybokarov out-calculated their respective opponents Rui Gen Teh and Brendan Anderson for convincing wins.
Board 4 game between Egyptian Grandmaster Samy Shoker and Victorian Svetozar Stojic was a different proposition.
The Opening was a Kings Indian Attack, Symmetrical Defence.
At move 19, Shoker, as White, played what live commentator Grandmaster Ian Rogers quipped was the “most irrelevant move on the board”, 19. a5
after which Stojic, having earlier won White’s h-pawn, has a clear advantage.
After 21. Re1, Shoker was losing the Exchange of Rook for Knight
and by move 28. Ncxd5, White was losing.
Ian Rogers commented that Stojic could, if necessary, give back the Exchange (and still be winning).
So, Black’s best is
28… Rxd5 29. Nxd5 Qxc5 and Black is winning.
But, instead, Stojic played 28… Qxc5 and, after 29. b4
29. b4 Qc6 30. Nxe7 Qe6 31. N7xf5+ gxf5 32. Nxf5+
Black’s advantage had dissipated and Ian Rogers liked Shoker’s counter-play.
A critical position was reached after 34. Rxa6, where Black should play 34… fxe5
But, instead, played 34… Rd7 and 35. exf6
turned the tide decisively.
Stojic resigned after 44. Ra5
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