A little late for his party

GM Victor Mikhalevski turned 35 yesterday, and a group of well-wishers were waiting to toast him at the Ottawa Marriott's Cafe Toulouse.

Meanwhile, GM Mikhalevski was embroiled in this:

[Event "Canadian Open 2007"]
[Site "Ottawa Canada"]
[Date "2007.07.08"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mikhalevski, Victor"]
[Black "Lahaye, Rick"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2367"]
[PlyCount "201"]
[EventDate "2007.07.07"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 a6 7. b3 Bd6 8. Bd3
Qe7 9. Bb2 e5 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Ne2 Bg4 14. Bxe5
Qxe5 15. Nd4 Rc8 16. Qb2 O-O 17. O-O Rc7 18. Rac1 Rfc8 19. h3 Bd7 20. Rxc7 Qxc7 21. Ne2 Qb6 22. Rc1 Rxc1+ 23. Qxc1 Qb4 24. Nd4 h6 25. a3 Qd6 26. b4 Ne8 27. Nb3 Nc7 28. Na5 b6 29. Nb3 Kf8 30. Qc3 Kg8 31. Nd4 Qe5 32. Be2 b5 33. Qc5 Ne6 34. Qe7 Qc7 35. Nxe6 Qc1+ 36. Kh2 Bxe6 37. Qd8+ Kh7 38. Bd3+ g6 39. Qf6 Qxa3 40. Bxg6+ Kg8 41. Bc2 Qa2 42. Qc3 Qc4 43. Qb2 Kf8 44. Bd1 Ke7 45. Be2 Qh4 46. Kg1 Qe4 47. Bf1 Bd7 48. Qc3 Qe6 49. Qd4 Qc6 50. Bd3 Qc1+ 51. Kh2 Qc7+ 52. f4 Qc6 53. Kg3 Qe6 54. Kh4 Qf6+ 55. Qxf6+ Kxf6 56. g4 Kg7 57. Kg3 f6 58. h4 Kf7 59. f5 Ke7 60. Kf4 Kd6 61. g5 hxg5+ 62. hxg5 fxg5+ 63. Kxg5 d4 64. e4 Ke5 65. Kg6 Be8+ 66. Kg7 Kf4 67. f6 Ke3 68. e5 Kxd3 69. e6 Kc2 70. f7 Bxf7 71. exf7 d3 72. f8=Q d2 73. Qc8+ Kb2 74. Qd7 Kc2 75. Qc6+ Kb2 76. Qf6+ Kc2 77. Qg6+ Kc1 78. Qxa6 d1=Q 79. Qxb5 Kb2 80. Qc5 Kb3 81. b5 Ka4 82. b6 Qf3 83. Kg6 Qf4 84. Qc6+ Ka5 85. b7 Qh2 86. Kf7 Qh7+ 87. Ke8 Qg8+ 88. Kd7 Qf7+ 89. Kc8 Qf8+ 90. Kc7 Qf4+ 91. Qd6 Qf7+ 92. Kc8 Qf5+ 93. Qd7 Qc5+ 94. Qc7+ Ka6 95. b8=Q Qf8+ 96. Qd8 Qc5+ 97. Qbc7 Qf5+ 98. Qcd7 Qc5+ 99. Kb8 Qb4+ 100. Ka8 Qe4+ 101. Qd5 1-0

At least his opponent gave him two new Queens for his birthday.

At 11:40 p.m. or so, GM Mikhalevski sat down in the cafe and had himself a well-deserved...