Chess

It pays to keep your eyes open when entering hair-raising complications, though, as today's games show, such a precaution is not totally necessary. Both come from the blindfold section of the Melody Amber tournament in Monte Carlo. The players sit staring at empty chessboards on computer screens, and enter their moves by clicking a mouse on the squares of departure and arrival.

White: Joel Lautier

Black: Veselin Topalov

1 c4 e5 21 Qc6 Qc8

2 Nc3 Nf6 22 Qc7 Qb8

3 Nf3 Nc6 23 Qxb8 Bxb8

4 g3 Bc5 24 Rc6 d5

5 Bg2 d6 25 exd5 Bxd5

6 d3 h6 26 Rxa6 Bxf3

7 0-0 a6 27 Bxf3 Rxd3

8 a3 0-0 28 Ng1 h5

9 b4 Ba7 29 Rd1 Rb3

10 Bb2 Bg4 30 Rd2 h4

11 h3 Be6 31 Bd1 hxg3+

12 Rc1 Qd7 32 fxg3 Rxg3

13 Kh2 Ne7 33 Rxf6 e4

14 e3 Ng6 34 Rxg6 fxg6

15 Ne2 c6 35 Kh1 Rf1

16 Qc2 Rad8 36 Bd4 e3

17 e4 b5 37 Bb3+ Kh7

18 cxb5 cxb5 38 Rg2 Rxh3+

19 Qc6 Qc8 White resigned

20 Qc7 Qa8

After 32...Rxg3, White saw that 33.Kxg3 would be met by Ne4+, so eliminated the knight with Rxf6. But 33...e4! killed him.

The next game is even better. The complications of 13.Qf3 and 14.Nxb5 ended in Black's favour, but the decisive moment came with 27.Rxd5!? when 27...Qxe3? allows Rd8+, 27...exd5 loses to Qe8+, and 27...Rxd5 loses the queen. But Ivanchuk found 27...Rxe2+! and White was dead.

White: Predrag Nikolic

Black: Vassily Ivanchuk

1 d4 Nf6 20 Be2 Rf5

2 c4 e6 21 Qc3 Qf4

3 Nf3 d5 22 Qe3 Rb8

4 Nc3 c6 23 h5 Kf8

5 Bg5 dxc4 24 h6 Kg8

6 e4 b5 25 h7+ Kh8

7 e5 h6 26 Rd1 Rxb2

8 Bh4 g5 27 Rxd5 Rxe2+

9 Nxg5 hxg5 28 Kxe2 Qg4+

10 Bxg5 Nbd7 29 Kf1 Rxd5

11 exf6 Bb7 30 f3 Qd4

12 h4 Nxf6 31 Kf2 Re5

13 Qf3 Be7 32 Qxd4 cxd4

14 Nxb5 Qb6 33 Rh4 Rd5

15 Nc7+ Qxc7 34 Ke2 e5

16 Bxf6 c5 35 f4 d3+

17 d5 Bxd5 36 Kd2 c3+

18 Qc3 Bxf6 White resigned

19 Qxf6 Rh5