Poland

LtCol Tomasz Malinowski - Member International Military Chess Committee
National Ministry of Defence
Education and Promotion Department
Niepodleglosci Street 218
00-911 Warszawa
Tel: 00-48-503365640 (or: 00-48-226840149)
Fax: 00-48-226840164
E-mail: malinowskit@wp.pl

2005

The Third Polish Army Chess Championship was held from 7^th to 13^th of March 2005. It was rehearsal before the XVI NATO Championship in Kolobrzeg in August this year.

This event was organized by Agency for Extracurricular Activity in Kolobrzeg, with the support of the city authorities and the Department of Education and Defence Promotion of the Polish Ministry of Defence. The main organizers were Leon Bregoszewski and Tadeusz Listowiecki, one of the founding fathers and organizers of grand Open Tournaments MK CAFÉ Cup in Koszalin. 

The participants were accommodated in a few hotels, among others in the Centrum Hotel. The playroom was spacious and well prepared. The only time when chess arbiters had problems was during blitz tournament at the end of the event. It is worth mentioning that two of the chess arbiters Ms. Barbara Ryszkiewicz and Malgorzata Napierala edited tournament bulletin, which was a nice souvenir to take home.

70 players from all over Poland participated. The games were played according to the standard tempo allowing extra time for each move. There were many new faces, as well as people coming back to their hobbies after a break. They were the ones who made the biggest surprises, as “blood-thirsty” competitors are simply very dangerous. It is enough to say, that last year’s vice-champion Adam Karbowiak, after six rounds, had three wins and three defeats.  

SARNOWSKI, W (2000) - KARBOWIAK, A (2264) [A65]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0–0 6.Bg5

6.Be3 is often used in Saemich, but if you are not afraid of Benoni, why not 6.Bg5. 

6... c5

We have to remember old trap 6...e5?? 7.de5 de5 8.Qd8 and Nd5.

7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Re8 11.Nge2 Nbd7 12.Nc1 Qc7 13.Be2 c4 14.0–0 Rb8 15.Be3 Nc5 16.a5 Bd7 17.Bd4 Bb5 18.Nxb5 axb5 19.Qc3 Qe7 20.b3 cxb3 21.Bxb5 Rec8 22.Qb2 Rc7 23.Rb1

Black just lost a pawn.

 23…Ra8 24.Nxb3 Nxb3 25.Qxb3 Nh5 26.Bxg7 Nxg7 27.Qb4 Nh5 28.f4 Qf6 29.g3 Rac8 30.Rbe1 Rc3 31.Kg2 Rc2+ 32.Re2 Rxe2+ 33.Bxe2 Qe7 34.Bxh5 gxh5 35.e5 Rc5 36.Rd1 h4 37.Rd2 hxg3 38.hxg3 Qc7 39.exd6 Qxd6 40.Qb6 Qxb6 41.axb6 Kf8 42.d6 Ke8 43.d7+ Kd8 44.Rd6 h5 45.Kh3 Rb5 46.Kh4 Rb3 47.Rf6 Kxd7 48.Rxf7+ Kc6 49.Rf6+ Kc5 50.Rg6 Rf3 51.Kxh5 Rf1 52.Kg5 Rb1 53.f5 Kd5 54.Re6 Rb3 55.g4 Rb4 56.Kh5 Rf4 57.Rf6 Rb4 58.g5 Ke5 59.Kg6 Rb1 60.Re6+ Kd5 1–0

 PRZEDMOJSKI, R (2360) - KWASNIAK, T (2000) [E09]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 c6 7.Nbd2 Nbd7 8.Qc2 b6 9.e4 dxc4 10.Nxc4 Bb7 11.Rd1 c5 12.Ng5 12...h6 13.e5 Bxg2 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.Kxg2 hxg5 16.dxc5 Nd5 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Ne3 Ra5 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Be3 Bc5 21.Qb3?!

The right move was 21.Bc5

21...Bxe3 22.Rxd5 Qxd5+ 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.fxe3 Rc8 25.Rf1 f6 26.Rf2 Kf7 27.Kf3 Ke6 28.Rd2 Ke5 29.Ke2 f5 30.Kd3 Rc6 31.a4 Rc1 32.b3 Rb1 33.Kc2 Re1 34.Kd3 Rb1 35.Kc2 0,5-0,5

CEGLOWSKI, R (1975) - LOKASTO, A (2245) [A24]
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 0–0 5.Nf3 d6 6.0–0 e5 7.d3 c6 8.Rb1 Re8 9.e4 h6 10.Ne1 a5 11.h3 Nh5 12.Be3 Kh7 13.a3 Na6 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Nc7 16.Bb6 Qe7 17.Ra1 Rxa1 18.Qxa1 f5 19.Qa5 Ne6 20.exf5 gxf5 21.b5 Nd4 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Na4 c5 25.Nb6 Be6 26.Nf3 Bf6 27.Re1 Qd8 28.Qb5 Bf7 29.Nd5 Rxe1+ 30.Nxe1 Bg7 31.Qb7 Qe8 32.Kf1

Position is in White favour, but it is not so easy to play with a master.

32...Nf6 33.Nxf6+ Bxf6 34.Bd5 0,5-0,5

After the fourth round, there were 2 leaders - lieutenant Piotr Bieluszewski representing Military Unit No 3271 from Elblag and Major Witold Sarnowski from Krakow  - with the full score. They seeds did not correspond with their real strength. The duel between them was a real feast. 

BIELUSZEWSKI, P (2163) - SARNOWSKI, W (2000) [C41]
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Nf3 e5 4.c3 Ngf6 5.Bc4 Be7

So, can you or can you not play like this? Only FRITZ can give the answer.

6.Bxf7+!?

A fun. But the position is unclear.

 6...Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Qb3+ d5 9.Ne6 Qe8 10.Nxc7 Qg6 11.0–0 Qxe4 12.Nxa8 Bd6 13.Be3

After this move the key position arises. It seems after 13…h5! White has a tough nut to crack. Probably the black did not see and did not know the bishop being sacrificed. So, psychological effect was at play.

13...Nf8??

Precious time, this knight should have jumped on e5!

14.Nd2 Qg6 15.dxe5 Bxe5 16.f4 Bd6 17.Rf3 h6?! 18.Bxa7 Kh7 19.Bd4 Qh5 20.Nb6 Bg4 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Nxd5 Nd7 23.Qxb7 Qf7 24.Qc6 Bc5+ 25.Kh1 Bxf3 26.Nxf3 Rd8 27.Re1 1–0

The beauty of sacrifices sometimes loses with the beauty of technique.

BIELUSZEWSKI, P (2163) - PRZEDMOJSKI, R (2360) [B12]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nd7

Muddying the waters.

4.Ngf3 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Ndf6

It can be sometimes quite a good alternative to Ngf6.

6.Bd3

Humble. 6.Ng3, 6.Ned2!? or 6.Nf6 look more aggressive.

6...Nxe4 7.Bxe4 Nf6 8.Bd3 Bg4 9.c3 e6 10.h3

After 10.00 in the data base there are a few draws without playing.

10...Bh5 11.g4?!

It looks aggressive, but spoilt the position.

11...Bg6 12.Ne5 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nd7!?

13...Qd5 was played in games S.Gusiew-A.Galt, Nowokuznieck 1998 and K.Jagerfold-R.Akesson Lisbon 2001, but the move in the game seems to be stronger.

14.Bf4?!

The white does not suspect problems. It should nave played 14.Nd7 Qd7 15.Qf3! 000 16.Be3 and the position is very solid.

14...Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Qd5!

We have to answer the question what to do with the king!

16...0–0–0 17.Qe2 f6 18.Bg3 Bd6 19.a3?

Wrong choice. It would be better to play 19.b3 with defendable position.

19...e5 20.0–0–0 Qa2 21.Qf3 exd4 22.Rxd4?

After 22.cd4 white is worst but we are still in play.

22...Bxg3

Off course not 22...Qa1?? 23.Kc2 Qg1 24.Bd6.

23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Qxg3

Calculating from the distance you may assume things are all right, but the black loses almost immediately.

23...Rd5!!

Seems a simple move, but try to foresee it!

25.Kc2 Rb5 26.Rb1 Qb3+ 27.Kc1

The rook is in the trap.

27...Rd5 28.Qf3 b5 29.Ra1 Qa4! 

Prevention!

30.h4 Kb7 31.Rb1 a5 32.Ra1 g6 33.Rb1 h5 34.gxh5 gxh5 35.Qe2 Kb6 36.Qe3+ Ka6 37.Qe2 Qf4+ 38.Kc2 Qf5+ 39.Kc1 Re5 40.Qd2 Qf3 41.a4

This move is the last, desperate attempt to deceive the opponent.

41...bxa4 42.b4 axb3 43.Rxb3 Re2 44.Qd1 Qf4+ 45.Kb1 Qe4+ 0–1

The veteran Lt. Col Zygmunt Pioch played consistently, without losing.

STROJEK,K (2087) - PIOCH, Z (2249) [C77]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 d6 9.h3 Na5 10.0–0 Nxb3 11.axb3 g5 12.Bg3 g4 13.hxg4 Bxg4 14.Bh4 Rg8 15.c3 Bb6 16.d4 Qe7 17.Re1 Qe6 18.Qd3 c6 19.Kf1 Nh5 20.Bg3 Nxg3+ 21.fxg3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 exd4 23.Nd2 Rg6 24.Ke2 Rf6 25.Qh5 dxc3 26.bxc3 Rf2+ 27.Kd3 Rxg2 28.Qf3 Qh3 29.Qf6 Bd8 30.Qxh6 0–1

Another veteran on the top was a well known Warsaw master and an experienced trainer Lt. Col Anatol Lokasto.

LOKASTO, A (2245) - KAPRAL,K (2158) [C00]
1.e4 e6 2.Nf3

This move is the logo of master Anatol for French defence  

2...d5 3.Nc3 dxe4

This is a transition to the Rubinstein. Natural move was  3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4 c5

4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.d4 Bc6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0–0 Be7 8.c3 Ngf6 9.Ned2 0–0 10.Nc4 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7 12.Bf4 c5 13.Rad1 Nd5 14.Bg3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 N7f6 16.Ne5 Bc5 17.Bb1

A characteristic position often appears from the Caro Cann.

17...Qc8??

A blunder. This will be wrong place for a queen, much better was 17...Qe7

18.Rfe1 a5 19.a4 Ba6?! 20.Qf3 Bb7 21.Bh4 Be7 22.c4 Nb4 23.Qh3 g6 24.Ng4 e5 25.Bxf6 Bxf6 26.Nxf6+ Kg7 27.Nd7 exd4 28.Nxf8 Qxh3 29.gxh3 Rxf8 30.Rxd4 Bc6 31.b3 h5 32.h4 Na6 33.Rd6 Rc8 34.Be4 Bxe4 35.Rxe4 Nc5 36.Re3 Rb8 37.Kg2 Rb7 38.Kf3 Ne6 39.Rexe6 fxe6 40.Rxe6 Kf7 41.Rd6 Rb8 42.Kg3 Kg7 43.f4 Kf7 44.Kf3 Kg7 45.Ke4 Re8+ 46.Kf3 Rb8 47.Ke4 Re8+ 48.Kd4 Rf8 49.Ke5 Re8+ 50.Re6 Rb8 51.f5 gxf5 52.Kxf5 Rb7 53.Kg5 1–0

Good performance presented senior corporal Krzysztof Kapral (Powidz Airbase), senior sergeant Slawomir Krainski and Jaroslaw Krainski (Military Unit No 1123). 

SZCZESNIAK, A (2112) - KAPRAL,K (2158) [B10]
1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Bc4 b5 7.Bb3 Na6 8.Nf3 Nc5!?

The move 8...Nb4 was played in some games e.g. I.Stohl-P.Blatny Austria 1993.

9.d4 Nxb3 10.Qxb3 a5 11.Ne5 a4 12.Qf3 Rc8 13.0–0 b4 14.Bg5 Bb5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nc6 Bxc6 17.dxc6 Qxd4 18.Rd1 Qc5 19.Nd2 Qxc6 20.Qf4 Qc5 21.Qf3 Bg7 22.Ne4 Qb5 23.Qg4 0–0 24.Ng3 Rc4 25.f4 Qg5 26.Qd7 Qxf4 27.Qxe7 Qe5 28.Qd7 Bh6 29.Re1 Be3+ 30.Kh1 Qd4 31.Qxa4 Bf2 32.Re8 Bxg3 33.Rxf8+ Kxf8 34.Qa8+ Kg7 35.hxg3 Rc5 36.Qf3 Kg6 37.Rd1 Qxb2 38.Rf1 Rg5 39.Qe4+ Kg7 40.Rf3 Qe5 41.Qxb4 0–1

KRAINSKI, S (2191) - KRAINSKI,J (2047) [A08]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.0–0 Be7 5.d3 0–0 6.Nbd2 c5 7.e4 Nc6 8.Re1 Qc7 9.c3 Bd7 10.e5 Ng4 11.Qe2 f6 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.Nf1 Nge5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Ne3 g6 16.Ng4 Bg7 17.Bh6 Bxh6 18.Nxh6+ Kg7 19.Ng4 Rae8 20.f4 Qd6 21.h4 h5 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Qxe5+ Qxe5 24.Rxe5 b6 25.Rae1 Kf6 26.Kf2 Bb5 27.Ke3 Rd8 28.Kd2 Bd7 29.b4 cxb4 30.cxb4 Rc8 31.Bh3 Rc6 32.Ke3 Rd6 33.Rc1 Rc8 34.Rxc8 Bxc8 35.Kd2 Rc6 36.Bf1 Ba6 37.a4 Bc8 38.d4 a5 39.bxa5 bxa5 40.Bd3 Bd7 0,5-0,5

Individual results: 1. R.Przedmojski 7.5, 2-3 P.Bieluszewski, Z.Pioch 7, 4-8 A.Lokasto, K.Kapral, J.Krainski, S.Krainski, W.Kwiatkowski 6.5, 9-13 W.Sarnowski, K.Galazka, A.Szczesniak, A.Bajgrowicz, A.Karbowiak 6.

 Team results (3 players): JW 1123 GRUDZIADZ 18.5 2. LOK WARSZAWA 18 and 3. KORSARZ GDYNIA 17.5

At the end I am presenting you a short, funny game.

GALAZKA, K (2000) - SZCZESNIAK,A (2112) [B41]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Bd3 Qc7 7.Be3 Nc6 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.f4 e5 10.f5 h5 11.h3 b5 12.c5 Qa7 13.b4 a5 14.bxa5 Bxc5 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.Ke2 Rxa5 17.Nd2 Ra4 18.Rc1 Qd6 19.Bxb5 cxb5 20.Rxc8+ Ke7 21.Rxh8 Rxa2

White has a rook more, but it is not enough.

22.Qc1 Nxe4 23.Rd8 Qb6 24.f6+ gxf6 25.Rc8 Qf2+ 26.Kd3 Qd4+ 27.Ke2 0–1

We would like to invite you to NATO Championship in August!

2004

2004 is very interesting. Polish Military chess has grown up and is getting stronger. Two new chess clubs started working. The clubs had been opened in Gdynia and Grudziadz. Before the Polish Armed Forces Chess Championships "Kolobrzeg 2004", the Polish Navy and 2nd Mechanized Corps conducted elimination to select the best players. In comparison with last year more and stronger players took part in these competitions.
The Champion of 2003 started the first round on the eight desk! It is the best evidence that the Polish team is getting stronger and stronger. The sensation of the competition was losing in the first game from Saturnin Skindzier, who had taken the individual 3rd place in the NATO Chess Championship in Denmark. Although, before last round it was clear that Rafal Przedmojski, a civilian worker of the Polish Air Force club in Warsaw would be the winner. But nevertheless rivalry for the 2nd place was very sharp. There were twelve players, who could be runner up and the last round established the final score at least. Finally second place was taken by Adam Karbowiak from Grudziadz - ELO 2256. Third place wasfor a private Marek Mariusz from a Unit in Mrzezyno - ELO 2155. They, together with Capitan Saturnin Skindzier from a Unit in Wegorzewo - ELO 2247, Lieutenant Piotr Bieluszewski from a Unit in Elblag - ELO 2169 and Sergeant Slawomir Krainski from a Unit in Grudziadz - ELO 2197, will represent the Polish Armed Forces in the XVth NATO Chess Championship in the Netherlands. We hope that this team in Den Haag will make a bigger surprise than the team in last competition and they will bring us a few medals (our favourite colour is gold indeed)…

Tomasz Malinowski

The story about chess in the Polish Armed Forces is short and long.
Why? Because the last central tournament was organised in 1991 in Poznan. Before 1991 there were organised many big (central) and small (regional) competitions. We had chess clubs, trainers and many players. Playing chess was very popular. After 1991 (changes of Polish Armed Forces structure ), the headquarters forgot about chess in the army... "People in uniforms" still played - but individual. ...In 2003 from 12 - 16 March, in Kolobrzeg we organisated a new edition (central) of chess in our army. 66 players from military enviroment took part in that competition. Winners from this tournament will represent the Polish Armed Forces in XIV NATO Chess Championship in Kopenhagen. 3 players - Andrzej Szczesniak, Anatol Lokasto and Slawomir Krainski took part in an earlier edition of the NATO competiton in BREST (France) but the others - Zygmunt Pioch, Saturnin Skindzier and Piotr Bieluszewski will participate for the first time. I hope this team is stronger that Brest's team because the players have higher ELO ranking. Polish team consists of 3 senior oficers (retired), 2 company officers and 1 sergeant.

Tomasz Malinowski