CHESS

Going into Tuesday's last round, the defending champion Armenia and Ukraine are leading at the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany. Both teams scored 17 match points. China and Israel are tied for third with 16 points. The U.S. team is in the next group with 15 points. Poland is first at the Women's Olympiad with 17 points, a point ahead of Ukraine, Serbia and Georgia. With 15 points, the U.S. women have an outside chance for a medal.

The Swinging Queen

Gabriel Sargissian is the best Armenian player with a fabulous 8 1/2 -1 1/2 score, but Vladimir Akopian is not far behind. The former world junior champion scored 7 1/2 -2 1/2 so far and his play is creative and impressive. In an important theoretical duel in the sharp Richter-Rauzer variation of the Sicilian defense against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, Akopian prevailed with an amazing eight-move queen dance.

Akopian-Mamedyarov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0-0-0 a6 9.f4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 b5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.e5!? (Garry Kasparov's central onslaught dating back to 1996.) 12...d5 13.Kb1 Bb7 (GM Alex Yermolinsky believed that black can survive with 13...Rg8, but the immediate regrouping 14.Ne2 Bb7 15.Ng3 may still give white an edge.) 14.f5! fxe5 15.Qxe5 Bf6 16.Qg3 Qe7 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Be2 h5 19.a4!? (GM David Navara's idea. It makes it difficult for the black king to hide on the queenside.) 19...h4 (The endgame after 19...b4 20.Ne4! dxe4 21.Qg6+ Qf7 22.Qxf7+ Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg6 24.Rxb7 is worse for black. For some time only 19...d4 was considered playable, but now instead of the fancy 20.Bf3, white can simply play 20.axb5!, for example 20...dxc3 21.Qg6+ Qf7 22.Qxf7+ Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg8 24.Rxb7 axb5 25.Rf1 Rh6 26.b4 and black is struggling.) 20.Qg6+ Qf7

21.Qg4!? (The new move is a computer's choice. White begins to press black's e-pawn.) 21...Rg8?! (Helping white to establish a strong pressure against black's e-pawn. Since white didn't play 21.Qd3, black should have tried 21...Bxc3 22.bxc3 0-0-0, for example 23.axb5 axb5 24.Bxb5 Rhg8 25.Qe2 Rd6 and white's advantage is minimal. The other idea was 21...h3 22.g3 Bxc3 23.bxc3 Kd7.) 22.Qh3 Rg5 (After 22...Bxc3 23.Qxc3 Rxg2 24.Rhf1 Qh7 25.Rd2 Rg8 26.axb5, white has a big advantage.) 23.Bg4 (Relentlessly pounding the weak pawn on e6.) 23...Ke7 (After 23...Bxc3 24.Bxe6! Qg7 25.bxc3 Re5 26.Rhe1 Ke7 27.Qxh4+! Kxe6 28.Rxe5+ Qxe5 [or 28...Kxe5 29.Qd4+!] 29.Re1 wins.) 24.Rhe1 Be5 25.Qe3! (Switching the queen to the queenside.) 25...Rag8 (Allowing the final swing. But after 25...Qf6 26.Qc5+ Ke8 [or 26...Bd6 27.Qb6!] 27.Rxe5! Qxe5 [or 27...Rxe5 28.Qc7!] 28.Rf1 Rg8 29.Ne4! wins. The exchange 25...Rxg4 26.Qxe5 yields the dark squares, for example 26...Kd7 27.Ne4!; or 26...Rd8 27.axb5 axb5 28.Nxb5 Qg6 29.Nd4 and white should win.) 26.Qa7! (The pin decides. White wins after 26...Rxg4 27.Qxb7+ Kf8 28.Qxf7+ Kxf7 29.Rxe5; or after 26...Ke8 27.Rxe5! Rxe5 28.Qb8+.) Black resigned.

Sarkar Wins

IM Justin Sarkar of New York went 5-0 and finished first among 117 players at the 13th Northern Virginia Open, played Nov. 15-16 in Sterling. Mike Atkins directed and provided the information.

Solution to today's three-mover by J. Brown (White: Kg4,Rd5,Bb6,Nf4; Black: Ke4,P:b3,e7): 1.Rc5! Ke3 2.Rc2+ Ke4 3.Re2 mate; or 1...Kd4 2.Rc6+ Ke4 3.Re6 mate; or 1...e6 2.Rc6 e5 3.Rc4 mate.