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"Makruk Thai is more strategic than International Chess", that is the
résumé by Mr. Kramnik. "You have to plan your operations with total care
since Makruk Thai can be compared to an anticipated endgame of
International Chess."
Now Mr. Kramnik is looking forward to a new challenge in Makruk Thai:
He would like to play a mixed match of Makruk Thai and International
Chess against the current Champion of Makruk Thai in Thailand. That is
Mr. Tor Pagnaam who has just opened his own club at Samut Prakam, a
provincial city round about 30 kilometers southwest of Bangkok.
Here are the highlights from the first match of Makruk Thai that the World Champion of Classic International Chess, Mr. Vladimir Kramnik, has ever played in Makruk Thai. Moreover this fragment seems to be historic - because that match seems to be first match of Makruk Thai ever that a World Champion of International Chess has played during the long history of chess.
Before starting to replay just remember the differences between Makruk Thai and International Chess. In Makruk Thai the opening set-up is very similar to that of orthodox chess, with the following differences: the positions of White King and White Queen are reversed - White King is positioned on d1, White Queen is positioned on e1 -, and all Pawns are starting out already on the third respectively sixth row.
Concerning the moves of the pieces, you have to learn different moves concerning two pieces only:
Now let's see how the World Champion in Classic Chess, the 28-years-old Vladimir Kramnik from Moscow/Russia, is handling these - slightly - different rules.
White: Vladimir Kramnik/RUS Black: Dr. René Gralla/GER May 1st, 2004, Bonn/Germany
1.c3-c4 f6-f5 2.Nb1-c3 Ng8-f6 3.Ng1-e2 Nb8-d7 (diagram)
White: Ra1 // Bc1 // Kd1 // Qe1 // Bf1 // Rh1; Ne2 ; P a3 // b3 // Nc3 // Pd3 // e3 // f3 // g3 // h3 ; Pc4 |
After these first three moves the position is looking like a kind of English Opening, being answered by a Dutch defence - having been transformed to the scenery of Makruk Thai.
Tough fighting has followed, with the result that Black has lost a Pawn after a blunder. In the end a position like this has developed (diagram).
White: Nc1 // Rf1 ; Kc2 ; Pa3 // Bd3 // Pf3 // Ph3 ; Pb4 // Pe4 ; Pd5 |
Now Black, having to move in this position, could have kept the balance by 1. ... Bh5h4! 2.Be2 Rf6! 3.Rh1 Kd6 - by menacing the incursion 4. ... Bh4g3 (diagram)
White: Nc1 // Rh1 ; Kc2 // Be2 ; Pa3 // f3 // h3 ; Pb4 // e4 ; Pd5 |
Instead of that stubborn defence Black has tried out a little
combination - and he has lost consequently:
1. ... g5-g4? 2.h3xg4 Bh5xg4 3.Rf1-h1! ...
Black has overlooked this possibility.
3. ... Rf8xf3 4.Rh1xh6 Rf3-f2+ 5.Kc2-c3 ...
Now there is a very funny coincidence - if we are looking at this
position from the point of view of International Chess. So let's first
show the diagram with symbols that are used in FIDE Chess(diagram).
White: Nc1 ; Pa3 // Kc3 // Bd3 ; Pb4 // Pe4 ; Pd5 ; Rh6 ; |
If the situation shown right above would have been a position of International Chess, so Black could have check-mated the White King by move no. 2: 5. ... Bd4+ 6.Kb3 Rb2#. A lucky moment - check-mate a real World Champion of Chess after move no. 2. But unfortunately, this is the wrong movie ... since this is not match of FIDE Chess, but a game of Makruk Thai (diagram).
White: Nc1 ; Pa3 // Kc3 // Bd3 ; Pb4 // Pe4 ; Pd5 ; Rh6 |
So, since this is Makruk Thai, Black has to resign: because of the three
deadly possibilities of White:
6.Rxb6 ... or 6.Rh7+ ... (after 5. ...
Ba7) or 6.d6=Q+ ... (after 5. ... Kc7).
Consequence:
5. ... Resigns 1:0
In the end no big surprise, of course: the World Champion of Chess is
the World Champion of Chess is the World Champion of Chess.
White: Torsten Mendel/GER Black: Dr. René Gralla/GER May 8th, 2004/May 23rd, 2004/June 6th, 2004, Hamburg/Germany1.d3-d4 f6-f5 2.Bc1-c2 Ng8-f6 3.Nb1-d2 Bf8-f7 4.Nd2-c4!?!? ... (diagram)
White: Ra1 // Kd1 // Qe1 // Bf1 // Ng1 // Rh1 ; Bc2 ; Pa3 // b3 // c3 // e3 // f3 // g3 // h3 ; Nc4 // Pd4 ; |
Losing time, in the end. Plus: the Knight can not hold on to that
position, in the long run - so that excursion of the left-wing "ma" will
be turning out to be premature.
4. ... Qd8-c7 5.Bf1-f2 Nb8-d7 6.f3-f4? ... (diagram)
White: Ra1 // Kd1 // Qe1 // Ng1 // Rh1 ; Bc2 // Bf2 ; Pa3 // b3 // c3 // e3 // g3 // h3 ; Nc4 // Pd4 // f4; |
That seems to be the decisive strategic miscalculation already: White is
producing - without being forced to do so - a fatal gap on the square
e4. This would have been dangereous in FIDE Chess - because of the power
of a Bishop if that piece would occupy the diagonal b7 - h1. But it is
very doubtful in Makruk Thai too - even if the Thai Bishops, moving no
more than one square by every move, are significantly slower to exploit
that weakness in the camp of White.
It is no real surprise that e4 will be the gate of a Black assault, in
the not so near future. That is to say: 12 moves later.
6. ... Rh8-g8 7.Ng1-e2 g6-g5 8.Rh1-g1 g5xf4 9.g3xf4 Rg8xg1 10.Ne2xg1
Ke8-e7 11.Bf2-f3 ...
White is already sensing the weakness - so he is trying to observe the
ominous square e4.
11. ... Bc8-b7
A kind of "fianchetto" in Makruk Thai. And even if a Bishop of Makruk
Thai can not move as fast as a Bishop of FIDE Chess, the strategy of
first occupying (11. ... Bb7) and later opening up the diagonal b7 - h1
(see move no.13) will be the winning plan.
12.Ng1-e2 Ra8-g8
White has lost too much time by getting his pieces into position - so
Black
is the first one to occupy the g-line.
13.Kd1-d2 c6-c5
Opening up the door: the right black Bishop is looking at square e4.
14.Kd2-d3 Bb7-c6
The Bishop is starting the long march on e4.
15.b3-b4 Bc6-d5! (diagram)
White: Ra1 // Qe1 ; Bc2 // Ne2 ; Pa3 // c3 // Kd3 // Pe3 // Bf3 // Ph3 ; Pb4 // Nc4 // Pd4 // Pf4 ; |
Now the plan is: 16. ... b5 plus 17. ... c4+ (18.Na5 Qb6). There is not
much left that White can do against that.
16.Ra1-b1 ...
The blunder 16.Bb3??? ... would be goofy (16. ... b5 plus 17. ... c4+).
16. ... b6-b5
That possibility is the final result of the senseless try 4.Nc4!?!?... .
17.Nc4-b2 ...
Barely avoiding the funny Harakiri of 17.Nd2?? ... : Then the White King
would have been trapped right in the middle of the board - so Mr. Mendel
would have to sacrifice a horse - 17. ... c4+ 18.Nxc4 ... (there is no
other way to prevent check-mate) 18. ... bxc4+ 19.Kd2 ... .
17. ... c5-c4+ 18.Kd3-d2 Bd5-e4
So the Saint ... Bishop ... is marching in ... - on e4 ...
19.Bf3xe4 Nf6xe4+
The ideal position for that Horse.
20.Kd2-d1 Rg8-g2
Now the thrust of the tank force. At this moment the battle has been
interrupted on May 8th, 2004; the fighting has been resumed on May 23rd,
2004.
21.a3-a4 Qc7-b6!
Defending square no. a5 against the eventual occupation by the White
Rook - thus avoiding the loss of Pawn b5.
22.a4xb5 a6xb5 23.Rb1-a1 ...
Hoping for a chance on the a-line.
23. ... Rg2-h2
Black has checked out the remaining possibilities of White - and he has
found out: the invasion of the White Rook via the square a8 is leading
to nowhere-land.
24.Ra1-a6? ...
Just a demonstration without real value: White should have played Ra8 at
once.
24. ... Rh2xh3
Winning that important Pawn. That does not necessarily mean the end in
Makruk Thai - but in this special case of a total blockade of White, the
situation is different.
25.Qe1-d2 h6-h5
This Pawn will become a Queen very soon.
26.Ra6-a8 ...
Too late now.
26. ... h5-h4 27.Ra8-h8 Rh3-h1+ 28.Qd2-e1 h4-h3=Q (diagram)
White: Kd1 // Qe1 ; Nb2 // Bc2 // Ne2 ; Pc3 // e3 ; Pb4 // d4 // f4 ; Rh8; |
The beginning of the end: the joint force of Black Rook, Black Knight
plus the new Queen will start the final assault by moving from the right
flank of White that has already been conquered to the center and the
left flank of Mr. Mendel - thus squeezing the White army.
29.Rh8-h7 Ke7-f6
At this very moment the match has been interrupted again, on May 23rd,
2004. Decision day has dawned on June 6th, 2004:
30.Rh7-h8 Kf6-g7 31.Rh8-h4? ...
The White Rook should have rumbled to d8 in order to create at least a
little bit of confusion. Now, on the hopeless position h4, even the Rook
can not move anymore.
31. ... Nd7-f6 (diagram)
White: Kd1 // Qe1 ; Nb2 // Bc2 // Ne2 ; Pc3 // e3 ; Pb4 // d4 // f4 // Rh4 ; |
Now White is paralyzed completely. And he is helpless against the swing of cavalry 32. ... Ng4 - being the harbinger of total destruction. An incredible stalemate - in a stadium of the match where there are still so many pieces on the board.
Consequence:
32. Resigns. 0:1
A beautiful "nangfa" - an angel having obviously flown in directly from Thailand - , she has helped the author this time. Thank you very much - kop khun mak krap!
For author and/or inventor information on this item see: this item's information page.
Created on: January 02, 2005. Last modified on: May 17, 2007.
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Last modified: Monday, December 22, 2008