SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES For MONDAY, May 22nd of 2023: Sharjah Masters Int. is where chess is at!

6th Sharjah Masters International Tournament
Pay attention to the games from THE 6th Sharjah Chess Masters International tournament being held in the United Arab Emirates, in the federated Emirate of Sharjah. So many GMs competing in this event and with a time control of Game in 90 minutes with 30 seconds increment per move one would expect some quality “Chess Art”.
Time Controls matter and what about the impact of the atomization of the consumer of chess events in a fast food society? In Sharjah a game that could go three hours plus the half minute increment per move made in that game you can have a game that goes for quite some time. 60 move game would be a 4 hour game… though in truth this is much quicker than the standard tournament time controls of the 1990’s when I first started playing tournament chess. Back then you could have a game go 7 hours! 40 moves in 120 minutes, 20 moves in 60 minutes, Sudden Death in 30 minutes. That’s per player. Without delay or increment, then the digital clocks came on the scene and that wrinkle was added. Before that games could go even longer because of something called an “Adjournment”… and before that more reflection time per move. So what we have here is an actual measure of society’s mutation into a fast food society… where as we have progressed technologically and culturally since the early 1500’s as our chess time controls have sped up. But that is a topic for a different time. Making time for the games of the 6th Sharjah Masters International can help you improve your own chess game.

Thanks for tuning in & please find Ray Robson’s chess Art down below. Peace be unto you and yours. ~ S.
Robson, Ray vs Iskandarov
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. Be3 a6 7. Nf3 c6 8. Bd3 b5 9. O-O Nbd7 10. e5 Ne8 11. exd6 exd6 12. c5 Ndf6 13. Qd2 Be6 14. cxd6 Nxd6 15. Bh6 Rc8 16. Rfe1 Re8 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Rac1 Qb6 19. Qf4 Rcd8 20. Re5 Bc4 21. Bb1 Bd5 22. Nxd5 cxd5 23. b3 Rc8 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Ne5 Nfe4 26. Bxe4 dxe4 27. Rc5 Nf5 28. g4 Nh6 29. Qxe4 Qa5 30. Kg2 Re7 31. Qc2 Qb6 32. Qc3 Qd6 33. Nf3 f6 34. Rc6 Qf4 35. Qc1 Qe4 36. Qc2 Qf4 37. Qc5 Rd7 38. Qc1 Qe4 39. Qc2 Qf4 40. Qe2 Nf7 41. Qe3 Qb8 42. Rxa6 Ng5 43. Rc6 Qb7 44. Rc3 Ne4 45. Rc2 b4 46. Rc4 Nc3 47. Qe6 Nd5 48. Qc6 Qa7 49. Rc5 Nf4+ 50. Kg3 Ne2+ 51. Kg2 Nf4+ 52. Kg3 Ne2+ 53. Kh2 Rf7 54. Qe4 Nc3 55. Qc2 Re7 56. Kg2 Re2 57. Qc1 Qb8 58. g5 fxg5 59. Kf1 Qe8 60. Nxg5 Qf8 61. f3 Qe7 62. Ne4 Qf7 63. Rxc3 Rxe4 64. Rc7 Re7 65. Rxe7 Qxe7 66. Qc5 Qh4 67. Qe5+ Kg8 68. Kg2 Qh6 69. Qe8+ Kg7 70. Qe7+ Kg8 71. Qe8+ Kg7 72. Qe5+ Kg8 73. f4 Qf8 74. Qd5+ Kg7 75. Kg3 Qc8 76. Qe5+ Kg8 77. d5 Qc3+ 78. Kg4 h6 79. d6 Qd2 80. Qe6+ Kg7 81. Qe7+ Kg8 82. Qe6+ Kg7 83. Qd7+ Kg8 84. Qc8+ Kg7 85. Qb7+ Kf8 86. Qb8+ Kg7 87. Qa7+ Kf8 88. Qa8+ Kg7 89. Qb7+ Kf8 90. Qc8+ Kg7 91. Qd7+ Kg8 92. Qe8+ Kg7 93. Qe5+ Kf7 94. f5 Qg2+ 95. Kf4 g5+ 96. Ke3 Qxh3+ 97. Kf2 Qh4+ 98. Ke2 Qg4+ 99. Kd3 Qf3+ 100. Kc4 Qc6+ 101. Kxb4 Qb6+ 102. Kc3 Qc6+ 103. Kd4 Qb6+ 104. Qc5 1-0