CHESS

The defending champion, the Dallas Destiny, won the 2008 United States Chess League, a 14-team Internet competition that ended this month. Dallas's final match against the Boston Blitz was tied 2-2, but IM Davorin Kuljasevic won the title for Dallas, defeating former U.S. champion Larry Christiansen in the last game of the blitz tiebreak.

An Attacking Gem

Before the match went into the tiebreak, Christiansen smashed IM Marko Zivanic with a powerful attack, most likely to be the best game of the competition. It matters to the Boston grandmaster how he wins. He created many beautiful combinations and spectacular sacrifices during his successful career. Tease him, leave your king in the center, and he will charge like a bull. Accept his sacrifices and he rips you apart. Playing over Christiansen's win in the Taimanov Sicilian against Zivanic is pure joy.

Christiansen-Zivanic

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.f4 b5 8.Bd3 (A teasing pawn sacrifice, played 30 years ago by the talented New Zealander Murray Chandler.) 8...Nxd4 (8...Bb7 is safer.) 9.Bxd4 Qxf4?! 10.Rf1! (Christiansen sacrifices a second pawn to get to black's Achilles' heel -- the pawn on f7.) 10...Qc7 (Accepting the second pawn, 10...Qxh2, is risky since after 11.Qf3 Nh6 [11...f6 12.e5!] 12.g3, white threatens 13.Rh1, winning the queen.)

11.Qh5!? (This far-reaching move is stronger than 11.Qf3.) 11...Nf6 (A novelty, returning the pawn. But after 11...Nh6, white can play either 12.g4 or simply 12.0-0-0 d6 13.Rde1 Bb7 14.Nd5 exd5 15.exd5+ Kd8 16.g4 with powerful pressure.) 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Rxf6 d6 14.0-0-0 Bg7 (After 14...Ra7 15.Bxb5+ axb5 16.Nxb5 Qe7 17.Nxa7 Qxa7 18.Rdf1 Qc5 19.Qxc5 dxc5 20.Rxf7, white is clearly better.) 15.Bxb5+! (Keeping the black king under siege in the middle. After 15...axb5 16.Nxb5, black's position falls apart.) 15...Kf8 16.Rf3 Qe7 (After 16...axb5 17.Rdf1!, white's powerful attack should win, for example 17...f6 18.Rxf6+ Bxf6 19.Rxf6+ Kg8 20.Nd5! exd5 [20...Qb7 21.Qg5+ Qg7 22.Ne7 mate] 21.Qg5+ Qg7 22.Qxd5+.)

17.Rxd6! (Bringing the last piece into the attack.) 17...Bf6 (After 17...axb5, 18.Rd8+! Qxd8 19.Qxf7 mates. Black is also lost after 17...Bxc3 18.Rd8+! Kg7 19.Qg4+ Kh6 20.Rh3+. After 17...Ra7, white sustains the attack with 18.Rfd3, threatening 19.Rd8+.) 18.Rxf6! (Forcing the win, but 18.Bc6! or 18.e5! were also strong.) 18...Qxf6 19.Nd5 (All Christiansen's pieces shine.) 19...Qg6 20.Rd8+ Kg7 21.Qe5+ f6 22.Qc7+ Bd7 (After 22...Qf7 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7 24.Rxh8 exd5 25.Bc6 wins.) 23.Rxd7+ Kh6 24.Qf4+ (Forcing a winning endgame. As the computer programs suggest, Christiansen could have won with the spectacular 24.h4!, for example 24...Qxe4 25.Qc3 Raf8 26.Qd2+ Kg6 27.h5+ winning.) 24...Qg5 25.Bc6 Rac8 (After 25...exd5 26.Qxg5+ Kxg5 27.Bxa8 Rxa8 28.exd5 wins.) 26.Rd6 Rhd8 (After 26...exd5 27.Rxf6+ Kh5 28.g4+ Kh4 [or 28...Qxg4 29.Qh6 mate] 29.Rh6+ wins.) 27.Qxg5+ Kxg5 28.Rxe6 Rf8 29.Kd2 f5 30.Ke3 fxe4 31.Kxe4 Rf2 32.Ne3 Rcf8 33.Re5+ Kg6 34.Kd4 Black resigned.

Eastern Open

The 35th Annual Eastern Open, an eight-round Swiss event, is scheduled for Dec. 27-30 at the downtown Westin hotel (1400 M St. NW). More info at http://www.chessctr.org/eo.htm, or call 202-857-4922.

Solution to today's composition by A. Gurvitch (White: Ka4,Rg8,Be8,Nb8,Nf8; Black: Ka8,Rc7,Rc8,P:c5,c6):1.Na6 Ra7 2.Bxc6+ Rxc6 3.Nd7+ Kb7 4.Rb8+ Kxa6 5.Rb6+! Rxb6 6.Nxc5 mate.