Historic success for Vassily Ivanchuk at M-Tel Masters

Position No. 6004: Black to play and win. From the game Bu Xiangzhi-Ivan Cheparinov, Sofia 2008.

Solution to Position No. 6005: White gains a Rook by 1 Bf6+ Bg7 2 Bxg7+ Kxg7 3 Nf5+ Kf8 (the Queen falls after 3 . . . Kg8 4 Ne7+ or 3 . . . Kh8 4 Rh6+ Kg8 5 Ne7+) 4 Rh6! f6 5 Qxd5 (also 5 Qa6 wins) Rxd5 6 Rh8+ Kf7 7 Rxa8.

Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine overwhelmed a stellar field to win the fourth M-Tel Masters in Sofia, Bulgaria. Ivanchuk's undefeated score of 8-2 ranks as the highlight of his career and one of the best performances in history. He played at a level of 2977, about 200 points above his usual strength.

The hometown favorite, Veselin Topalov, finished second at 6 1/2 -3 1/2 , an excellent 2841 performance. He matched his winning score in the 2005 and 2006 tournaments and improved on his 2007 result, when he won with 5 1/2 -4 1/2 . However, he had little chance of overtaking Ivanchuk, who coasted after winning his first five games.

Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, who complained of fatigue from three consecutive tournaments, started 2-3 but improved to 5 1/2 -4 1/2 after a day off. Ivan Cheparinov, Topalov's 21-year-old protégé, scored a creditable 4-6 in only his second elite event. Levon Aronian (Armenia) and Bu Xiangzhi (China) tied for last place at 3-7, a disappointment for Bu and an inexplicable debacle for Aronian, a favorite.

To allay fears of cheating, the players competed inside a glass-walled room dubbed the aquarium. Spectators could see them, but the players could not see or hear the audience. Is this the future of chess?

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia defeated the best Czech grandmaster, David Navara, 5 1/2 -2 1/2 , in a match of rapid games in Prague.

A report on the 2008 U.S. Championship will appear in next Sunday's chess column. For results and games, see www.monroi.com.

Local news

The Memorial Day Classic continues today and Monday at the Hilton Hotel, 5711 W. Century Blvd. in Los Angeles. Fans may watch the games free. Entries are still open for two side events Monday. See westernchess.com for details.

Chess Palace, 12872 Valley View Ave. in Garden Grove, will host the Southern California Junior Qualifier on Saturday. Players under age 21 are eligible. The winner earns an invitation to the qualifying tournament for this summer's state championship. Call (714) 899-3421 for more information.