OT: RUSLAN PONOMARIOV 8 BLINDFOLD GAMES

[pedrox]

You can read a story in English on the link -->

http://inesgoni.blogspot.com/2009/01/ru ... dfold.html

My game:

Code: Select all

[Event "Eire(8 a ciegas de Ponomariov)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Rusland"]
[Black "Castro, Pedro"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B76"]
[PlyCount "63"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. g4 Qa5 10. Nb3 Qc7 11. h4 h5 12. g5 Ne5 13. Be2 Ne8 14. Nd5 Qd8 15.
O-O-O Nc7 16. Nc3 b6 17. Kb1 Ba6 18. f4 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Bxc4 20. f5 Bxb3 21. axb3
Be5 22. Rhf1 Bg3 23. Bd4 b5 24. Qg2 b4 25. Ne2 Bxh4 26. Rh1 e5 27. Be3 Nb5 28.
Rxh4 Rc8 29. Ng3 Qa5 30. Nxh5 Rc3 31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Rh7# 1-0

Any comment:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6

(B76: Sicilian Defense (Modern variant Dragon - Yugoslav Attack)
[d]r1bq1rk1/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/8/3NP3/2N1BP2/PPPQ2PP/R3KB1R w KQ - 0 9

9. g4 Qa5 10. Nb3 Qc7 11. h4 h5
(11 ... Ne5 12. Be2 Bd7 and white have slight advantage playing such short castling.)
[d]r1b2rk1/ppq1ppb1/2np1np1/7p/4P1PP/1NN1BP2/PPPQ4/R3KB1R w KQ h6 0 12

12. g5 (seems better than gxh)
12 ... Ne5 (Nxf3+ and threatening to take the queen)
[d]r1b2rk1/ppq1ppb1/3p1np1/4n1Pp/4P2P/1NN1BP2/PPPQ4/R3KB1R w KQ - 0 13

13. Be2 Ne8 14. Nd5 Qd8 15.O-O-O (if 15. Qa5 !? Qxa5+ 16. Nxa5 e6 17. Ne7+ Kh7 18. f4 +-)
[d]r1bqnrk1/pp2ppb1/3p2p1/3Nn1Pp/4P2P/1N2BP2/PPPQB3/2KR3R b - - 0 15

15 ... Nc7 16. Nc3 b6 (16 ... b5= threat Nc4, if Nxb4 then Nxb4 and if the white bishop take pawn then black eat pawn f3)
[d]r1bq1rk1/p1n1ppb1/1p1p2p1/4n1Pp/4P2P/1NN1BP2/PPPQB3/2KR3R w - - 0 17

17. Kb1 Ba6 18. f4 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Bxc4 20. f5 Bxb3 21. axb3
Be5 22. Rhf1
[d]r2q1rk1/p1n1pp2/1p1p2p1/4bPPp/4P2P/1PN1B3/1PPQ4/1K1R1R2 b - - 0 22

22 ...Bg3? (serious error, there is no way to retain the bishop and is questionable whether is good or not to leave g and h open half columns)

23. Bd4 b5 24. Qg2 b4 25. Ne2 Bxh4 26. Rh1 e5 27. Be3 ((this I not saw and this is seen by Ponomariov in blind and simultaneously!)
[d]r2q1rk1/p1n2p2/3p2p1/4pPPp/1p2P2b/1P2B3/1PP1N1Q1/1K1R3R b - - 0 27

27 ... Nb5 28.Rxh4 Rc8 29. Ng3 Qa5 30. Nxh5 Rc3 31. Nf6+ (31. bxc3 (is impossible, Nxc3 and mate in 3) 31 ... Nxc3 32. Kc1 Qa1 + 33. Kd2 Qxd1 #)
[d]5rk1/p4p2/3p2p1/4pPPN/1p2P2R/1Pn1B3/2PK2Q1/3q4 w - - 0 34

27 ... Kg7 32. Rh7# 1-0
[d]5r2/p4pkR/3p1Np1/qn2pPP1/1p2P3/1Pr1B3/1PP3Q1/1K1R4 b - - 0 32

[AdminX]

Nice game and impressive blindfold play by Ponomariov. This is one of those times when it is nice to have a DGT chessboard, as I was able to play over your game right from this website while reading your notes and have the moves recorded in real time. Did you enjoy the event?

PS: This story just might make it over to Chessbase.

[Kempelen]

Very nice game!!!, and sure a unforgettable experience for you. You are lucky to play with Ruslan.
Where the other games so interesening?

[pedrox]

@ Ted:

I could enjoy the event for the first 10 moves, then the game was too fast for me . Ruslan needed about 2 ½ hours to win the 8 boards.

Well, I was also able to enjoy after the event because I had the privilege of eating with Rusland and his girlfriend.

I think there will be a report sent to Chessbase, but I'm not sure if it will be published.

@ Fermin:

I am responsible for passing the games to the computer, is costing me because some moves are ambiguous or poorly recorded, but I think I will have the games ready for today, then I will put a link.

Pedro

[bob]

I am not sure why this is noteworthy. IM Mike Valvo used to do this at the ACM chess tournaments, except he would play all programs that were willing to take him on, including Cray Blitz, Belle, HiTech, etc... I do not remember the max number of games he played, but it was more than 8. I don't remember the results but do remember beating him at least once....

[Graham Banks]

I am not sure why this is noteworthy. IM Mike Valvo used to do this at the ACM chess tournaments, except he would play all programs that were willing to take him on, including Cray Blitz, Belle, HiTech, etc... I do not remember the max number of games he played, but it was more than 8. I don't remember the results but do remember beating him at least once....

One of NZ's top players, Ewen Green, once came to the chess club I belonged to and played a 24 game blindfold simul.
He drew one or two and won the rest.
Afterwards, I asked him if he'd like the scoresheet for one of the games that had been quite impressive. He replied not to worry because he would remember the moves of every games for the next 24 hours or so.

[AdminX]

I am not sure why this is noteworthy. IM Mike Valvo used to do this at the ACM chess tournaments, except he would play all programs that were willing to take him on, including Cray Blitz, Belle, HiTech, etc... I do not remember the max number of games he played, but it was more than 8. I don't remember the results but do remember beating him at least once....

I guess it's noteworthy because not everyone can do it successfully. I used to be able to play one game blindfolded but not more. It does take practice, and 8 games is still no where near the record.

[pedrox]

I am not sure why this is noteworthy. IM Mike Valvo used to do this at the ACM chess tournaments, except he would play all programs that were willing to take him on, including Cray Blitz, Belle, HiTech, etc... I do not remember the max number of games he played, but it was more than 8. I don't remember the results but do remember beating him at least once....

If you think that is not worth noteworthy, I ask you:

1. Try to play 8 games simultaneously with yours eyes open, you'll see that it is not so simple even your opponents are weaker than you.

2. Try to play one blindfold game at least 40 moves.

And if you want to combine the two.

Of course the 8 games Ruslan is no record, compared with 34 games played of Koltanowski in 1937 or 26 simultaneous blindfold games against very strong opponents of Alekhin in 1924.

Today the big players do not want these demonstrations for the great effort they have and in the case of Ruslan was the first time he tried. Ruslan was very close to suspend the exhibition, a compatriot, karjakin, recently failed giving 4 simultaneous blind and gave advice to take care with Ruslan meeting.

Pedro

[pedrox]

Here are the games with Spanish comments:

http://www.eiretaberna.com/ruslan/ruslan.pgn

Here the games

Code: Select all

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "León, Mikel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A82"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1808"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 f5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bd3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 Nxe4 6. Bxe4 g6 7. h4 d5 8.
Bd3 e6 9. h5 g5 10. h6 Qf6 11. Nf3 Bxh6 12. Ne5 Ke7 13. Qh5 Rg8 14. Qxh6 Qxh6
15. Rxh6 Rg7 16. Rxh7 Rxh7 17. Bxg5+ Kd6 18. Bxh7 Nd7 19. Bf4 Nxe5 20. Bxe5+
Kc6 21. O-O-O Bd7 22. Rd3 Rd8 23. g4 Be8 24. g5 Kb6 25. g6 Bxg6 26. Bxg6 Rf8
27. Rb3+ Ka6 28. Bd3+ b5 29. Bxb5+ 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Osés, Iñaki"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B60"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1850"]
[PlyCount "101"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 d6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bg5 g6 7. Bxf6 exf6 8.
Bb5 Bd7 9. O-O Be7 10. Qd2 h5 11. Rad1 O-O 12. Be2 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Bc6 14. Kh1
Kg7 15. f4 h4 16. Bf3 Qa5 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Rac8 20. c3 Rc7
21. g3 Rh8 22. Kg2 a6 23. Rfd1 b5 24. Be2 g5 25. Rf5 b4 26. c4 hxg3 27. hxg3
Rh6 28. Rf1 Rg6 29. Bh5 Rxc4 30. Bxg6 fxg6 31. Ra5 Rxe4 32. fxg5 f5 33. Rxa6 d5
34. Rf4 Bxg5 35. Rxe4 dxe4 36. a4 bxa3 37. bxa3 Be3 38. a4 Kh6 39. a5 Kh5 40.
Re6 g5 41. a6 Bd4 42. Re7 e3 43. a7 Bxa7 44. Rxa7 Kg4 45. Ra4+ f4 46. gxf4 gxf4
47. Re4 e2 48. Kf2 Kf5 49. Rxe2 Kf6 50. Kf3 Kf5 51. Re4 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Goñi, José Ramón"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C50"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1955"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Ne5 6. Be2 d6 7. f4 Ng6 8.
Nc3 c6 9. g4 Bh4+ 10. Kf1 Qf6 11. Nf5 Bxf5 12. exf5 N6e7 13. Ne4 Qh6 14. g5
Bxg5 15. fxg5 Qh3+ 16. Kf2 Nxf5 17. Nxd6+ Nxd6 18. Qxd6 Ne7 19. Bf4 Rd8 20. Qe5
Rd5 21. Qe3 Qf5 22. Bd3 Qd7 23. Rae1 Kf8 24. Qxa7 Nc8 25. Qa3+ c5 26. Be4 Rd4
27. Qxc5+ Ne7 28. c3 Rd2+ 29. Bxd2 Qxd2+ 30. Re2 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Erostarbe, Carlos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C05"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1930"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ndf3 Qb6 8. a3
Be7 9. b4 cxd4 10. cxd4 a6 11. h4 h6 12. Be3 Na7 13. Bd3 Nb5 14. Ne2 Nxa3 15.
Rxa3 Qxb4+ 16. Rc3 b5 17. O-O Nb6 18. Bd2 Qa4 19. Bc2 Qa2 20. Bb3 Qb2 21. Rc2
Qa3 22. Ra2 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Amenabar, Ketxus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C41"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1722"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nd7 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 Ne7 7. O-O Ne5 8.
Be2 N7c6 9. Be3 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Be6 11. f4 Nc6 12. Qd2 Be7 13. f5 Bd7 14. Nd5 Bf6
15. c3 Ne5 16. g4 h6 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. g5 Qe7 19. gxh6 Qh4 20. Bg5 Qxe4 21.
Rf4 Qc6 22. hxg7 Rg8 23. Bf6 Qb6+ 24. Qd4 c5 25. Qe3 Bc6 26. Rd1 Qc7 27. Rh4
Kd7 28. Bxe5 Rae8 29. Kf2 Kc8 30. Bxd6 Qd7 31. Qf4 Re4 32. Rh8 Rxf4+ 33. Bxf4
Qe8 34. Rxg8 Qxg8 35. f6 Qh7 36. Bg4+ Bd7 37. Bxd7+ Kd8 38. Bf5+ 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Gallastegi, Aitor"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1951"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. f3 Bf5 7. Nge2 c6 8.
g4 Bc8 9. Bg5 b5 10. Bb3 h5 11. gxh5 Rxh5 12. h4 e6 13. Qd2 a5 14. a4 Bb4 15.
Ng3 Rh8 16. Nge4 Nxe4 17. fxe4 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Qc7 19. Rg1 f6 20. Bf4 Qe7 21. Qh2
e5 22. dxe5 fxe5 23. Bg5 Qc5 24. Qg3 Rf8 25. Bc1 b4 26. Bb2 Rf6 27. O-O-O Ra7
28. cxb4 Qf2 29. Qxe5+ Re7 30. Qxb8 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Mendiguren, Hurko"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B32"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1840"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5
Be7 9. c4 b4 10. Nc2 Rb8 11. Bd3 Nf6 12. O-O O-O 13. a3 a5 14. axb4 Nxd5 15.
cxd5 Nxb4 16. Nxb4 axb4 17. Qb3 f5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Ra7 e4 20. Be2 Bf6 21. Qg3
Be5 22. Bf4 Qb6 23. Bxe5 Qxa7 24. Bxd6 Rfd8 25. Bxb8 Rxb8 26. Qe5 Rf8 27. d6
Qd7 28. Bc4+ Kh8 29. Qe7 Re8 30. Qxd7 Bxd7 31. Rd1 Bc6 32. h4 g6 33. g4 Kg7 34.
g5 Kf8 35. Kh2 Rd8 36. Kg3 Ke8 37. Be6 Bd7 38. Bd5 Bf5 39. Bc6+ Kf7 40. Rd4 b3
41. Bd5+ Ke8 42. Bxb3 Rb8 43. Ba4+ Kd8 44. b4 Bd7 45. Bxd7 Kxd7 46. Rxe4 Kxd6
47. Kg4 Rb5 48. h5 Rf5 49. f4 Rb5 50. hxg6 hxg6 51. Rd4+ Ke6 52. Kf3 Kf5 53.
Re4 Rd5 54. Re3 Rb5 55. Re8 Rd5 56. Rf8+ Ke6 57. Rf6+ Ke7 58. Rxg6 1-0

[Event "X Eire, Ponomariov 8 blindfold simul"]
[Site "Urretxu"]
[Date "2009.01.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Castro, Pedro"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B76"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "1848"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2009.01.25"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. g4 Qa5 10. Nb3 Qc7 11. h4 h5 12. g5 Ne5 13. Be2 Ne8 14. Nd5 Qd8 15.
O-O-O Nc7 16. Nc3 b6 17. Kb1 Ba6 18. f4 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Bxc4 20. f5 Bxb3 21. axb3
Be5 22. Rhf1 Bg3 23. Bd4 b5 24. Qg2 b4 25. Ne2 Bxh4 26. Rh1 e5 27. Be3 Nb5 28.
Rxh4 Rc8 29. Ng3 Qa5 30. Nxh5 Rc3 31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Rh7# 1-0

[bob]

I am not sure why this is noteworthy. IM Mike Valvo used to do this at the ACM chess tournaments, except he would play all programs that were willing to take him on, including Cray Blitz, Belle, HiTech, etc... I do not remember the max number of games he played, but it was more than 8. I don't remember the results but do remember beating him at least once....

If you think that is not worth noteworthy, I ask you:

1. Try to play 8 games simultaneously with yours eyes open, you'll see that it is not so simple even your opponents are weaker than you.

My point was that this is not something "unusual". I think that the record was set by "kolty" and was something like 32 games at once. And IM MIke Valvo played at least 12 at once at an ACM event against computers, which were not patzers at all and required a lot of thought. And he even gave some analysis during the games pointing out errors, or weaknesses, etc.

I personally can not play multiple games blindfolded. I trained myself to play one game blindfolded, years ago when I was attending college. A friend of mine and myself commuted for about an hour each way to school, and we played chess both ways. I decided to try "blindfolded" so that one of us could drive without passing a "small peg chessboard" back and forth, which seemed to be a bit dangerous. It took some time, but wasn't that difficult. More than one is not something I'd want to deal with however, if I could even do it.

But others have, and have been doing it for many years. I have seen GM Browne do this as well, and probably others.

2. Try to play one blindfold game at least 40 moves.

And if you want to combine the two.

Of course the 8 games Ruslan is no record, compared with 34 games played of Koltanowski in 1937 or 26 simultaneous blindfold games against very strong opponents of Alekhin in 1924.

Today the big players do not want these demonstrations for the great effort they have and in the case of Ruslan was the first time he tried. Ruslan was very close to suspend the exhibition, a compatriot, karjakin, recently failed giving 4 simultaneous blind and gave advice to take care with Ruslan meeting.

Pedro