In Feb 2005, Hazel Hendy of the Bold Art Gallery was hosting Graham Knuttel's chess set worth (or, at least, on sale for) €86,000 and organized a charity morning where Rashid Ziyatdinov played Yury Rochev in a match-up of Galway's two Russian chess masters.

The SawDoctors were also there, launching their limited edition CD of their 2004 New Year's Eve concert and GalwayBay FM's Jimmy Norman presented his morning show from the Gallery.

Above is Yury (on left) and Rashid 'in action' at this mad chess board.   Click on the photo for the full photo album of the morning including the SawDocs.

For those of you that want to know how the chess match went, the masters played 2 games with one win apiece -very diplomatic and all that.

Comments on these 2 games are by Rashid.

1) Rochev - Ziatdinov [D55]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e3 a6 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.cxd5
exd5 9.Bd3 c6 10.Qc2 g6 11.0-0 Bg4 12.Nd2 Nd7 13.b4 Be7 14.Rab1 Bd6 15.Rfe1
Qe7 I knew e4 is coming but wanted use pin on e-file 16.e4 dxe4 17.Ndxe4
Rfe8 18.h3 Probably best, important block e-file with Black bishop 18...Be6
19.Nc5 Bxc5 Black had big choices now and I spend too much time here [
19...a5 20.d5 cxd5 21.Nxd5 Qg5; 19...Nb6 20.N3e4; 19...Nf8 20.d5 cxd5
21.Nxd5 Qh4 22.Qc4] 20.dxc5 a5 Suddenly black started attack white pawns and
white should be careful: 21.a3 axb4 22.axb4 b6 23.cxb6 Nxb6 24.Ne4 Bd5
25.Qc3 Nd7 26.b5 Ra3 27.Qd4? Rxd3 28.Qxd3 Bxe4 29.Qc3 Qf6 30.Rbc1 having
little time I missed Re5 which secure advantage and black should win
eventually having 2 pieces for rook in one side pawns 30...Re6? [ 30...Re5
31.f3 ( 31.f4 Re6 32.Qxf6 Nxf6 33.b6) 31...Bd5 32.Rxe5 Nxe5] 31.Qxf6 Nxf6
32.f3?? [ 32.b6 Nd7 ( 32...Re8 33.f3 Rb8 34.fxe4 Rxb6) 33.b7 Kf8 ( 33...c5
34.Rcd1) 34.f3 Bd5 35.Rxe6 fxe6 36.Rb1] 32...cxb5 33.fxe4 Nxe4 Position is
simple draw but I did try to win using time and this is not easy having
heavy pieces 34.Rb1 Re5 35.Rb4 f5 36.Reb1 Nc3 37.R1b3 Ne2+ 38.Kf2 Nc1 39.Rc3
Na2?? [ 39...Rc5 40.Rxc5 Nd3+ 41.Ke3 Nxc5 42.Rxb5 Ne6 43.Rb7 h5 44.Re7 Ng5
45.Kf4 Nf7 46.g3 Kg7 was still a draw] 40.Rc8+ Kg7 41.Rb2 Black Knight trap
1-0

 

(2) Ziatdinov - Rochev [B47]


1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Ndb5 Qb8 7.Be3 a6 8.Bb6
axb5 9.Nxb5 Bb4+ 10.c3 Ba5 11.Nc7+ Qxc7 12.Bxc7 Bxc7 This line became
fashion lately. World Champion of FIDE version Ponomareiov used this and few
g/ms played it too. Normal move is 13. g4 here, but month ago in Hastings I
check Bd3 already against Scottish master. He lost without big fight 13.Be2
Nf6 14.Qc2 h5 This was exactly what I was worried during the Hastings game
15.a4 White play is easy |push the pawns on Queen side to the Queen" 15...g5
16.0-0 I like when my rook is ready to play 16...h4 17.b4 Ne5 18.a5 Ng6
19.c4 Be5 Here was difficult to find good place for Rook. I could play
Ra3,Ra2 and Rd1. Right now I like Rad1 better 20.Ra3 d6 21.c5 0-0 22.c6 I
had big (really big) time advantage and decided to make position sharper,
when all pieces are "hanging" (chess term- when all pieces are under
attack). But white got big progress in pushing pawns (black pawns came
nowhere during last 4-5 moves) and Rad1 was safer [ 22.Rd1 dxc5 23.Qxc5 Nxe4
24.Qe3 f5 25.Bf3 Bf4 26.Qe2 Nf6; 22.a6] 22...bxc6 23.Qxc6 Bd7 24.Qc2 Rfc8
25.Qb1 Nf4 26.Bd3 Rcb8 27.Bc4 d5 28.exd5 exd5 29.Ba2 h3 Position is sharp
and h3 does not look good [ 29...Bd6 30.Rb3 Ne4 31.g3] 30.Re1 [ 30.g3 My
King has a very little space after and I was worried about that] 30...Bd6
31.g3 Rxb4 32.Qc1 My Queen wants get black King so desperately 32...Kg7 [
32...Ne6 33.Rxe6 fxe6 34.Qxg5+ Kf7 35.Rf3 Be7 36.Qh5+ Kg7 37.Qg5+ Probably
draw will be result of game if computers would play] 33.gxf4 Bxf4 34.Qc3 Bd6
Sure black has counter play here but White got a Queen for two pieces only
35.Qd2 Rg4+ 36.Rg3 Bb4 In time trouble black play well but it can not last
long [ 36...Bxg3 37.hxg3 Be6 38.Kh2] 37.Qc1 Bxe1 38.Qxe1 [ 38.Rxg4 Bxf2+
39.Kxf2 Nxg4+ 40.Kg3 Kh6 41.Qc7 Nf6 42.Bxd5 Nxd5 43.Qxd7 Rxa5 44.Qxf7 Nf4
And black can hold position versus Queen] 38...d4 39.Rxg4 Nxg4 40.Qd2 Kh6
41.Qxd4 Rc8 42.Bc4 Be6 43.Bf1 Rc2 44.Qh8+ Kg6 45.Bd3+ Bf5 46.Bxc2 Bxc2 47.a6
Ne5 1-0