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Photo credit: chessbase.com |
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The main event of the evening, a title-fight for the light-heavyweight belt. The challenger, 19 year old Nikolai Sazhin exuded a youthful energy entering the ring to the contemporary Madonna/Timberlake track 'Four Minutes to Save the World". By contrast, 35 year old Stoldt emerged to the beat of 80's classic "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. However, this was not a bout of youth versus experience as Nikolai has already contested over 60 amateur bouts and displayed an air of confidence that belied his years.
Both fighters appeared in fantastic shape, with Stoldt having a slight height and reach advantage while Sazhin seemed to be the looser and more limber of the two.
White: Nikolai "The Chairman" Sazhin Black: Frank "Anti Terror" Stoldt
Round One
1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. e3 c6
4. Nf3 Nbd7
5. Nc3 f5
Defending champion Stoldt opts for an aggressive defence - the Stonewall Dutch - perfect for Chessboxing. Black typically attacks the white kingside, whilst white attacks the Black queenside.
6. Be2 Bd6
7. 0-0 Nb6
8. a3 0-0
9. b4 b6?!
[9.. Nf6 is more consistent, aiming to follow-up with ... Ne4]
10. b5! An excellent move! Sazhin opens up the queenside where he has a positional advantage in terms of a better pawn structure.
10... Bb7!
Round Two
Sazhin emerges quickly from the red corner moving lightly on the balls of his feet looking for an early opening. Stoldt keeps his guard tight waiting for the younger man to come within reach before finding his range with a couple of light jabs which Sazhin takes on his gloves. The Siberian displays all the confidence of youth, feinting, ducking and always trying to slip inside his opponent's guard, constantly on the move. As the round wears on the champion clearly feels the need to impose himself and closes with the young Siberian. There's a lightning exchange of punches and by the end of it Sazhin has avoided the full-frontal attack, slipped a right-hand and come back with a pin-point right of his own just on the point of the German's chin. Stoldt is momentarily dazed and Sazhin looks for a surprise early finish as the partisan crowd implore Stoldt to cover up and move. This he does effectively enough to see out the round but it's advantage Sazhin.
Round Three
11. a4 Qf6
12. a5 bxa5
13. Rxa5 c5
14. Bb2 Nb6
An intricate position has been reached
15. cxd5 exd5
16. Qc2
Setting a trap. [16. dxc5 is a solid alternative.]
16... f4?
Stoldt fails to see the trap but has to wait until the next round of chess to see the error of his ways.[ An improvement would be 16...c4! leading to an unclear position where Black is probably equal.]
Round Four
Stoldt comes out showing plenty of aggression and seems determined to teach his young opponent a lesson. But the 19-year-old from Krasnajorsk has plenty in the tank and manages to keep the advancing German at arm's length, at the same time seeming to pick his own shots at will. The popular champion is urged on by the crowd and there's no faulting his heart. Stoldt catches Sazhin with a jab followed by a right-hand which troubles the Russian momentarily but he can't follow up as Sazhin bobs and weaves his way around canvas, avoiding Stoldt with an easy grace. As the bell approaches it's Sazhin who lands to body and head with jolting power and Stoldt who seems the more grateful for the respite. But things are about to get worse for the German, much worse.
Round Five
17. dxc5 Qxc5
18. Na4 Bd6??
[An uncharacteristically dreadful blunder by the German, though he is going to lose the bishop on c5 anyway.]
19. Bxf6 - Black Resigns (1-0)
Without his queen Stoldt realises he has lost the chess. For a man who trains weekly with top German grandmasters, a veteran of countless ChessBoxing encounters Stoldt's error is simply inexplicable except as a consequence of the extraordinary demands of the sport. Stoldt decision to fall on his sword was perhaps as much an expression of self-disgust as an admission that the required knockout seemed an unlikely possibility.
At the end the contrast between victor and loser could not have been more extreme. As the youthful Sazhin bounded around the ring like a delighted labrador puppy, Stoldt stared ahead in stark disbelief as a man waiting to emerge from a waking nightmare. To the victor the spoils, but it would be churlish to end without a thank you to the deposed champion who has carried the ChessBoxing torch so well and so proudly and who fought so bravely to the end. ChessBoxing has a new hero in the teenage Russian, Nikolai Sazhin who played no bad moves either in the ring or on the board, finally showing himself to be a worthy champ |
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W | L |
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Sazhin wins via chess - submission (Round 5) |
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