The British Chess Magazine Vol 134

British Chess
Magazine
www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk
£4.20 December 2014 No. 12 Vol. 134


Serious business:
the World Championship

  Carlsen
C 6½–4½ Anand
 Adams and Kasparov surprise
advisers to Magnus
 The Work of Jonathan H. Brewer
December 2014.indd 617 11/12/2014 13:03:11

618 The British Chess Magazine
THE BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

Founded 1881 Monthly Chess Coach
IM Julian Meszaros has been a pro-
Chairman Shaun Taulbut fessional chess coach since 1992, and
Director Stephen Lowe currently works with both juniors and
Editorial James Pratt, Shaun Taulbut adults in London and the surrounding
Photography John Upham area.
© The British Chess Magazine Widely regarded as the most successful
Company Limited by Shares Hungarian trainer of the past two de-
Registered in England No 334968 cades, he was head coach at the Peter
ISSN 0007-0440 Leko Chess School in Hungary before
moving to England last year. Many of
 Julian’s ex-students are now IMs and
GMs, and he has been the main coach of
Newsdesk
many medallists in international compe-
[email protected]
titions, including two age-group World
Advertising Junior Champions. For nearly 20 years
[email protected] Julian was also the Hungarian Chess
Federation’s Junior Supervisor, leading
 its junior team in dozens of world tour-
naments and developing the regional
[email protected] and central chess school system in Hun-
Albany House, 14 Shute End gary.
Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BJ
non-subscription correspondence only. Julian speaks, translates and publishes
in several languages, and has written
 a highly-regarded book on opposite-
coloured bishop endings.
BCM Subscription Department, Warners,
West Street, Bourne, Lincs, email: [email protected]
England PE10 9PH
Tel: +44 (0)1778 392042
[email protected] World Championship
1, 2, 3 years, 12 issues p.a. Magnus Carlsen retained his title by beat-
UK: £45/£85/£125 ing Vishy Anand 3–1, with seven draws, in
Europe (air): £57/£107/£160 Sochi. Our coverage, with analysis by IM
RoW (air): £68/£125/£180 Yang-Fan Zhou, starts on p. 667.
Typeset by Ian Kingston Publishing
Services, Sutton Coldfield Photo credits:
Printed in the UK by Cover: Nette Robinson (netterobinson-art.
Lavenham Press Ltd co.uk); World Championship: FIDE
December 2014.indd 618 11/12/2014 13:03:17

The British Chess Magazine 619
Editorial
Firstly, thanks to our proofers this year: David Taylor, Julian Way, Neville Twitchell, Christo-
pher Jones and Alan Dommett. Have you visited our eBay shop lately? Indexes are £2.50 +
postage and available from: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/britishchessmagazine. We receive unso-
licited articles from time-to-time. We welcome these and appeal for more, so don’t be shy!
This issue has an unusual slant. More articles to make you smile: fewer heavyweight
investigations that might be overlooked. Call it ‘Holiday Reading’.
Before I forget, the ‘Club Directory’, which we launched a couple of years ago, is yet to
bloom. New gatherings particularly encouraged to ‘get out and shout’. Club Secretaries, do
tell us if you would like a mention hereabouts, and all we ask is that you are on our sub-
scribers’ list here at Watkinson Towers. Now, mused Alice, what could be easier than that?
And Magnus won! More on that soon.
James Pratt
In this month’s issue
Editorial 619 Openings for Amateurs 638

A Fairy Chess Puzzle in Looking Glass Club Knight: The Roving Rook 642
World 620 Unsung Heroes 644
Spot the Continuation 621 Problem World 646
Book Reviews 622 Endgame Studies 648
News from Abroad 626 Splendid Sutovsky 650
News from the British Isles 627 Endings for Experts 651
Quotes and Queries 628 The Shock of the New 655
Qualified Success 631 Games Department 660
Nigel in the Isle of Man: Part 1 633 Test Your Chess 663
Erich Eliskases, Forgotten Master: World Championship 2014: Part 1 667
Part 2 635
December 2014.indd 619 11/12/2014 13:03:17

A Fairy Chess Puzzle in

Looking Glass World
Jonathan H. Brewer
XIIIIIIIIY
As Alice started to walk quietly away from
Humpty Dumpty who sat precariously on 9-+rmr+-+0
the narrow brick wall, he once again spoke, 9+-z-z-s-0
‘Come back, young girl.’
Alice thought it would be most impolite to 9-+-+-+-v0
ignore the request from the egg man for, you 9z-+-Z-+p0
see, Alice had often been told by her elder
sister to be polite to strangers no matter how 9-+-+-z-Z0
different they were. ‘Well?’ asked Alice, look- 9+P+-+Ps-0
ing up at the Egg. ‘Just before you go I would
like to have just a few more words, if I may. For, 9P+-+-+-+0
you see, they could be my very last’, said the 9T-M-+-S-0[
Egg, thoughtfully. Alice again thought how
unsafe he looked. ‘You see,’ he continued, ‘I xiiiiiiiiy
White to Mate in Half-a-Move
guess I have only one way to go and that is to
fall.’‘Um’ said Alice, ‘It does seem a sad destiny.’ The Egg did not reply so Alice put her
‘Yes, but then I think it’s the destiny of all thinking cap on. She thought and thought,
of us one way or other. Everything comes finally solving the puzzle. She told the Egg
to an end,’ smiled Humpty. Alice thought the answer.
about these thought provoking words for a ‘Well done, correct!’ said the Egg.
minute or two as the Egg continued staring Solution on p. 668.
down at her.
Then the Egg continued: ‘All the King’s
horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put
me together again. But, then, this castle … Diary
which reminds me, if you look to your right Hastings Masters, 29th December–
you will find a little glass table with a chess 6th January. Entrants include: J
board and pieces.’ Alice discovered, to her Hawkins (ENG), M Rodshtein (ISR),
surprise, a glass set and board. She wasn’t S Bogner (SUI), A Fier (BRA), J Zhao
sure that they weren’t there a few seconds (CHN), T Slade (ENG), D Sengupta (IND)
earlier. But the glass table did somehow and M Hebden (ENG).
seem familiar. Supporting events of all lengths and
Humpty said: ‘You see this little problem, strengths, bookstall, commentary as
for it is mate in half a move.’ usual, excellent refreshments.
‘But, how can it be checkmate in half a Contact: Con Power, 418 Harold Road,
move?’ enquired Alice, confused. Hastings, East Sussex TN35 5HG.
December 2014.indd 620 11/12/2014 13:03:17

Spot the Continuation

Test yourself against Yuri Averbakh. Solutions on p. 671.
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rt-+-+0{ 9-+-+-+-+0 9-+k+-v-t0{
9+-+-+pm-0 9+p+-+-z-0 9zp+-+-z-0
9p+q+-+p+0 9-+k+-z-z0 9-wl+p+-+0
9+-+lzP+p0 9+-+-+P+-0 9Z-+-+-+p0
9-z-+-+nT0 9-+-+P+PZ0 9-+-tLZ-+0
9+N+-+-W-0 9+-+K+-+-0 9+nSp+-Z-0
9PZP+-+PZ0 9-+-+-+-+0 9QZ-Z-+KZ0
9+-+NT-+K0 9+-+-+-+-0[ 9+RV-T-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
I. Stoljar–Averbakh II. Averbakh–Bebchuk III. Kopaev–Averbakh
USSR, 1938 Moscow Ch., 1964 USSR Ch. Semi-Final, Leningrad,
1946

9r+-+r+k+0 9-+r+-tk+0{ 9-+-+r+k+0{
9+-+qvp+p0 9zl+-+-zp0 9z-+-+pz-0
9p+-+l+pV0 9-z-+p+-+0 9-z-+-+-+0
9+pzpZ-+-0 9+-+-Spw-0 9+-+r+-+-0
9-+nS-Z-+0 9-+-Z-s-+0 9P+Nv-+q+0
9+-Z-+-W-0 9+-+-+P+-0 9+-+-+-Zp0
9P+L+-+PZ0 9PZ-T-+PZ0 9-Z-T-Z-Z0
9T-+-+RM-0[ 9TL+-W-M-0 9+-+R+QM-0
IV. Averbakh–Zak V. Horberg–Averbakh VI. Novotelnov–Averbakh
Moscow, 1947 Sweden–USSR, Stockholm, USSR Ch., 1951
1954

9-+q+rm-+0 9-+rw-+-+0 9r+l+k+-+0
9WR+-+pzp0 9+-+-+rvk0 9+-+-+p+p0
9-zPzl+-+0 9-+-z-s-z0 9p+p+-+-+0
9+P+-z-v-0 9z-+Pz-+P0 9+-+nz-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0 9-z-+l+-+0 9-v-+N+-+0
9+-+-+-Z-0 9+-+-VNT-0 9+-+-V-+-0
9-+-S-ZLZ0 9PZ-W-Z-+0 9PZP+LZrZ0
9+-+-+-M-0[ 9+-+LM-T-0[ 9+-MR+-+R0[
VII. Averbakh–Henneberke VIII. Averbakh–Bondarevsky IX. Averbakh–Osnos
European Ch., Hamburg, 1965 (variation) USSR Ch., 1964
USSR Ch., 1951
December 2014.indd 621 11/12/2014 13:03:17


9-+-+rs-+0 9r+l+-tk+0 9-+-+-tk+0{
9zp+-+-m-0 9+-+-vnzp0 9+rZ-+-zp0
9-+-+-wp+0 9-+p+-+-+0 9p+-+-s-+0
9+-+-zp+P0 9zp+-w-+-0 9+-+Pz-+-0
9P+Pv-+-S0 9-+-+N+-+0 9-Z-+Pw-+0
9+-+-+-W-0 9ZQ+-V-Z-0 9+-W-+-+P0
9-V-+-ZP+0 9-ZP+-+LZ0 9P+-+-+P+0
9+-+R+-M-0[ 9+-+-TRM-0[ 9T-+-T-M-0
X. Averbakh–Penrose XI. Averbakh–Wilkinsohn XII. Unzicker–Averbakh
England–USSR, 1954 New Zealand Ch., 1967 Stockholm Interzonal, 1952
Book Reviews
‘A History of Chess: From Chaturanga to the Present Day’ –
Yuri Averbakh (Russell Enterprises, 2012). Foreword by Gary
Kasparov. 88 pages. Paperback.
It would be easy to overlook this slim paperback, but it would
be a shame to do so if you have any specialised interest in early
chess history. At first glance it resembles the brief general il-
lustrated dash-offs that pass for casual history, where the 40 il-
lustrations are as interesting as the text. A perusal of this text
seems to confirm that first impression. Casual readers would do
better with Richard Eales’s ‘Chess: The History of a Game’ (Bats-
ford, 1985). Averbakh’s effort is simply too cursory and incon-
sistent to reward a facile reading. A careful reading by the histo-
rian of medieval chess, however, reveals that there is some very
original and very interesting information therein as well.
The effort is frustrating because Averbakh has original ideas,
but the presentation is not scholarly —the book is pitched for a popular audience, yet the
writing can appear almost amateurish. The book could have dispensed with the cursory
history (such as surveying schools of chess in the four-page epilogue). Instead it could
have focused on the original ideas, expanded two- or three-fold to make the presentations
more solid, and still not have to worry about appearing as intimidating as H. J. R. Murray’s
‘A History of Chess’ (Oxford, 1913). Where Murray gives a chapter, Averbakh supplies only a
dozen paragraphs without sufficient support for his claims.
Another frustrating feature is the lack of citation and the poor quality endnotes, a seri-
ous distraction to anyone who wants to read carefully and not casually.
The presentation primarily suffers from an author who believes he is certainly right to
the extent that further argumentation is unnecessary. To be fair, he is not insufferable in
December 2014.indd 622 11/12/2014 13:03:17

the manner of A. L. Rowse pontificating about Shakespeare, but his are controversial ideas,
so, of course carefully, developed argument is necessary.
Averbakh’s original contributions are:
1. On the origin of chess (pp. 11–36).
2. On the Charlemagne chess pieces, “Cherchez la Femme” (pp. 58–63).
3. Discovery of a 16th-century Hindi chess manuscript (pp. 71–78).
Averbakh sketches a speculative thesis on the origin of chess, but speculation is
not argumentation, let alone proof. His attempt to retread where previous historians
fell short is admirable and, in such empty terrain, speculation can get one across dry
spaces. He asks, “So what were the rules of the games that the ancient Indians were so
fond of?” And he admits, “Unfortunately, we don’t know” (p. 14). Therefore he begins
with dice and board games in the early centuries CE, such as the 5×5 four-player race
game Thaayam, as a precursor to Chaturanga. He offers an aggressive challenge to
Murray who held that race games did not precede chess. The challenge is welcome,
but one cannot argue conclusively over the course of a few pages against Murray’s
massive scholarship. Averbakh sees two-player chess arise out of four-player board
games with dice. “In order for the Indian war game for four players to become chess,
three major changes would have to occur. First, the game had to become a game for
two players, second there had to be a way to win, such as checkmating the king, and,
third, the dice had to be discarded” (p. 25). How did this third item occur? Averbakh
claims Greek influence, suggested by a statue of Buddha with a Hellenic nose he saw
in India, not to mention the earlier activity of Alexander the Great. To be sure, this is
intriguing speculation, somewhat logical, somewhat serendipitous – maybe it could
be true, but proof is elusive.
In examining the Charlemagne chess pieces, Averbakh presents an even more intrigu-
ing thesis, probably ground-breaking, but, again, the presentation is merely speculative.
He sees in the four royal pieces the deposed Byzantine emperor Michael supported by
the Normans, and his daughter-in-law Helen, against Emperor Alexius I Comnenus and his
mother Anna Dalassena. This reflects the tumultuous political conditions of the Byzantine
Empire at the close of the 11th century. This thesis is worth a decidedly scholarly investi-
gation and thorough documentation. After all, Averbakh’s work is not without error. He
claims that “the chess queen first appeared in Byzantine chess” (p. 63), yet a century earlier
the Einsiedeln manuscript already referred to the piece as regina (queen), which Averbakh
has cited on p. 57. Interestingly, Averbakh has nothing to add to the transformation of the
queen to her modern movement in the 15th century and does not cite Marilyn Yalom’s
‘Birth of the Chess Queen’.
Averbakh’s discovery of the eight-page 16th-century Hyderabad manuscript is his least
controversial original contribution. The work is curious, if not of great significance. Of inter-
est is an attempt to assign relative value to the pieces of the Persian shatranj game:  , 
4,  1 or 2,  2,  1 (flank ½),  6½ (presumably). This may be usefully compared with Mur-
ray’s table of As-Suli’s valuation:  1 or 2,  5½,  2,  8,  3 (p. 228). (When my son and
December 2014.indd 623 11/12/2014 13:03:18

I were analysing the pieces of the old medieval game some years ago, we came up with a
valuation similar to the Hyderabad MS:  1,  4,  ½,  2,  6.) I noted the work’s counsel
toward aggressive queen play; whereas, most medieval European treatises relegated the
queen to a defensive role.
These three sections are worth the historian’s investigation. Others may be content to
admire the colour illustrations. This slight book barely gestures toward what he is capable
of; overall it fails to deliver much of a cohesive or useful history of chess.
The author is a Russian grandmaster.
www.russell-enterprises.com
M.N. Taylor
‘Play Unconventional Chess and Win’ – Noam A. Manella and

Zeev Zohar (Everyman Chess 2014). 387 pages, index of players,
bibliography. 137 examples including 14 studies, 8 games by Ad-
ams, 9 by Carlsen, 9 by Kramnik and so on.
This paperback is about thinking about thinking. In chess,
thoughts meet actions and questions (What’s he threatening?
What should I play now? Am I winning?), trickle through the mind,
or should. In this book, hopefully suitable for all competitive
minds, the unusual outweighs the predictable, whist the ques-
tion is asked: ‘Was the grandmaster inspired or drunk?’ This is
shown, very cleverly, to be neither flippancy nor irrelevance. A
charming, insightful project and recommended.
The authors are Israeli academics.
‘The Trompowsky Attack: move by move’ – Cyrus Lakdawala

(Everyman Chess 2014). 447 pages. Analysis shoulder-to-
shoulder with question and answer, lightning strikes, transpo-
sitions and the good humour of a well-established author. Eve-
rything you need to know about 1 d4 Nf6 2 g5. Nothing here
that should deter even the youngest reader seeking guidance.
The author is a US IM.
‘Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov Part III: 1993–2005’ –

Garry Kasparov (Everyman Chess 2014). Hefty hardback. 501
pages, no photos or crosstables. The last of a trilogy. Gargan-
December 2014.indd 624 11/12/2014 13:03:18

tuan struggles, against an all GM cast, which take us up to the retirement of the great man.
Translated by Ken Neat, always a welcome bonus.
‘Anand: move by move’ – Zenón Franco (Everyman Chess

2014). From the publisher’s blurb: ‘Viswanathan Anand is un-
doubtedly one of the World’s greatest ever chess players. He
first shot to fame in his youth, when he enthralled the chess
public with his results and his amazing speed of play. He be-
came India’s first ever grandmaster, at the age of eighteen. He
has won five World Championships, and was the undisputed
World Champion from 2007 to 2013. He’s been the World num-
ber one ranked player and one of the very few to break the
2800 rating barrier. His renowned versatility has helped him to
become successful in all forms of the game: tournament play,
match play, knockout and rapidplay. In this book, Grandmas-
ter Zenón Franco examines in detail Anand’s chess career to
date. He selects and studies his favourite Anand games, and
demonstrates clearly how we can all improve our chess by learning from Anand’s play.
Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging
the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format
greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional
assimilation of knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep
you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excel-
lent way to improve your chess skills and knowledge’.
The author is a GM from Paraguay.
‘Chess Developments: The Sicilian Najdorf 6 Bg5’ – Kevin Goh

Wei Ming (Everyman Chess 2014). A paperback about 1 e4 c5 2
f3 d6 3 d4 c×d4 4 ×d4 f6 5 c3 a6 6 g5. 394 pages, 40
complete games, mostly played in the last decade. Index of vari-
ations. Foreword by GM Thomas Luther. The author is an IM from
Singapore.
‘The Classical French: move by move’ – Cyrus Lakdawala (Every-

man Chess 2014). 464 pages mostly examining 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3
c3 f6. Nothing on 4 g5 e7, but masses on the McCutch-
December 2014.indd 625 11/12/2014 13:03:18

eon, lots on the 4 e5 Steinitz. Very topical examples using the question and answer ap-
proach that Lakdawala does so well. Instructive, almost bantering in style.
‘Petrosian: move by move’ – Thomas Engqvist (Everyman Chess 2014). Everyman them-
selves entered this, above all else they have recently published, in the ECF Book of the Year
competition. It didn’t win, but it does show how highly they must rate this study of the
Armenian Word Champion. Contains 60 games, only 8 of which are in Clarke (1964); 37 are
in Vasiliev (1974), but, naturally, the emphasis is very, very different.
The author is a Swedish IM.
www.everymanchess.com
News from Abroad

Greece. World Seniors at Katerini, 24th Oc- 129 players from every corner of the globe.
tober–4th November. 1st= S Azarov (BLR), S Shankland, T Gareev
50+ 1st= Z Sturua (GEO) (Gold) and KC and D Naroditsky (all USA) all 6.5/9. In the
Arkell (Silver) both 8.5/11; 3rd JDM Nunn – last round, Gareev and Ortiz Suarez were the
emerging from retirement – 8; 4th= F Bruno only winners on the top eight boards. Tense
(ITA) and K Movsziszian (ARM) both 7.5; 6th= stuff!
M Hebden … 7 … DJ Finlay (SCO) 6.5 … 47
Uzbekistan. Tashkent, 20th October–3rd
players.
November. Dmitry Andreikin, 24, led from
65+ 1st= A Vaisser (FRA), YS Balashov
the beginning and this is his biggest success
(RUS), VD Kupreichik (BLR) and HC Van
ever. Here is the last round game which the
Riemsdijk (BRA) all 8; 5th= CW Pritchett
Russian had to win to take gold.
(SCO) 7.5 … M Suba (ROU) … P Morriss and
TD Harding (both IRL) 6.5 … 92 played. G DV Andreikin
A special mention for the little known, at O A Giri
least to us, Pete Morriss, a university lectur- 2nd FIDE Grand Prix, 2014
er, for doing so well in such company. QGD, Classical D43
Whilst we are soon in largely in charted terri-
Russia. Moscow, 3rd–11th November. An tory, neither player is ever really in danger.
eight man all-play-all in memory of Tigran Black wins a pawn, but White gains activity. At
Petrosyan (1929–1984). 1st AI Grischuk 5.5/7; the close, Andreikin has pressure against the f-
2nd VB Kramnik (both RUS) 4.5; 3rd= LG Aro- pawn, but a slightly exposed king.
nian (ARM) and BA Gelfand (ISR) both 4. 1 d4 d5 2 f3 f6 3 c4 e6 4 g5 h6 5
USA. Las Vegas’s ‘Millionaire Chess’ took ×f6 ×f6 6 c3 c6
place 9th–13th October. The open drew Semi-Slav?
December 2014.indd 626 11/12/2014 13:03:18

Tashkent FIDE GP 2014

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
1 D Andreikin 2722 RUS * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 7
2 H Nakamura 2764 USA ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 6½
3 S Mamedyarov 2764 AZE 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 6½
4 F Caruana 2844 ITA ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 6
5 S Karyakin 2767 RUS 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 6
6 M Vachier Lagrave 2757 FRA ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 6
7 B Jobava 2717 GEO 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6
8 T Radjabov 2726 AZE ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 5½
9 A Giri 2768 NED ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 5
10 D Jakovenko 2747 RUS ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 4½
11 B Gelfand 2748 ISR ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 3½
12 R Kasimdzhanov 2706 UZB ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 3½
7 e3 g6 8 d3 g7 9 0–0 0–0 10 e5 d×c4 Interestingly, though not significantly, Black
11 ×c4 e7 12 b3 b6 13 e4 b7 14 won as many games as White. Andreikin,
fd1 a6 15 a3 fd8 16 d2 c5 17 ad1 Radjabov (eleven draws!) and Nakamura
c×d4 18 e×d4 ×e4 19 ×e4 c7 20 c3 were undefeated.
d7 21 e5 ×e5 22 d×e5 ×d2 23 ×d2
(In last month’s issue, we inadvertently lo-
g5 24 d7 ×e5 25 g3 a6 26 d1 f8
cated the Baku GP tournament in Uzbekistan.
27 ×a7 c5 28 f3 b8 29 b5 e5 30
Baku is, of course, the capital of Azerbaijan.)
c3 b8 31 b5 e5 ½–½
News from the British Isles

Belfast and District League, Northern Ire- Golden Dozen. International ratings
land: Div 1: Muldoons I, Lindores I and Ba- for England’s top twelve: M Adams 2745
lynafeigh II all 2/2 … 5 boards, 7 teams, two (–13), LJ McShane 2671 (+1), DWL How-
divisions. ell 2667 (+10), GCB Jones 2661 (–3), ND
Short 2661 (+15), MD Sadler 2653 (–),
Birmingham League: Div 1: South Birming-
NG Pert 2564 (–), J Hawkins 2546 (+13),
ham “A” 6/6, Lichfield … 6 boards, 13 teams,
SG Haslinger 2531 (–), ML Hebden 2527
6 divisions.
(–13), JF Parker 2519 (–) and DW Gormally
Chester League: Div 1: Wrexham I 2.5/3, 2500 (+12).
Chester II … 5 boards, 5 teams, 4 divisions.
December 2014.indd 627 11/12/2014 13:03:18

Leamington and District League: Div 1: Open: 1st= AJ Ledger, DJ Eggleston and DJ
Olton “A” 5/5, Banbury “B” … 4 boards, 9 Walker all 4½/5; 4th= ME Webb, JA Adair, MH
teams, 4 divisions. Barnes and DJ Ledger all 4 … 72 players.
Major: 1st= MR Wilson and S Allott both
Manchester League: Div 1: Rochdale 7/8,
4.5/5 … 72 played.
Denton I … 6 boards, 5 teams, 4 divisions.
Minor: 1st= WJ Egan and TJ Kendall – who
Newport League, Wales: Div 1: Cwmbran drew with each other – both 4½/5 … 72 mi-
Crows 4/6, Malpas “C” … 4 boards, 7 teams, nors.
2 divisions. Foundation: 1st= GBR Sommerville, JD
Madden and GW Matthews all 4½/5 … 82
Scarborough Congress, 24th–26th Octo-
foundationers.
ber, drew 356 players.
Quotes and Queries

Alan Smith
[email protected]
6034 The eagle eyed reader will have spot- ×e5 13 ×e5 ×e5 14 ×d5 ×b2 15
ted a new opening doing the rounds: 1 d4 c4 ×a1?? 16 ×a1+ g8 17 e7#
f6 2 c3 d5 3 f4. This has been a staple Chess Players Chronicle, 1877.
part of the repertoire of Danish IM Jens Ove
Fries Nielsen since 2011, but when it was G P Rynd
O EL Harvey
taken up by GM Baadur Jobava, it suddenly
Irish Championship, 1893
became trendy. If you look at some data- QP Irregular D00
bases it soon becomes clear that the open-
ing is by no means new, but it has never re- 1 c3 d5 2 d4 c5 3 f4 e6 4 e3 a6 5 d×c5
ally been popular. ×c5 6 g4 g6
Here are a couple of early examples from This is too passive. Black should have tried 6…
the 19th century. The first was clearly a brisk f6 7 ×g7 g8 8 h6 g6 with compensa-
skittles encounter – witness White’s failure tion for the pawn.
to play the thematic 5 b5! or 6 b5!, 7 g3 c6 8 0–0–0 b5?
while Black should have preceded his …e5 Black ignores both his problems, the centre
break with 11…e6 and 12…g8. and his slow development – 8…f6 or 8…
d7are both stronger.
G W Atkinson
O HE Bird 9 e4 e7 10 d6
QP Irregular D00 10 ×c5 ×c5 11 d6 is much stronger.
10…×d6 11 ×d6+ f8 12 e4 f6 13
1 d4 d5 2 c3 g6 3 f4 g7 4 f3 c6? 5 e5 e8 14 h4 ×d6 15 e×d6 f6 16 f3
e3 f6 6 e2 0–0 7 0–0 h5 8 g3 ×g3 d7 17 d3 e5 18 g5 ×d6
9 f×g3 h8 10 h3 f5 11 h2 e5? 12 d×e5
Rounding up the loose pawn is all very well,
December 2014.indd 628 11/12/2014 13:03:18

but 18…h6 first is better. a5 14 b2 b5 which looks rather passive for
19 e4 e6 20 f3 d×e4?? White.
This move loses at once. Rev Macdonnell rec- 13…h3 14 g2 b4 15 d2 e3!
ommended 20…d4 in his notes, but White is A positional pawn sacrifice which increases the
still winning after 21 f6 g8 22 ×f7 f8 pressure on White.
23 ×h8+ ×f7 24 ×e5. I think 21…g8 is a
better try, but 22 ×f7 e7 23 ×e7+ ×e7 16 f×e3 ×f1+ 17 ×f1 e6 18 b2 e×d5
24 ×e5 d6 25 f3 still leaves Harvey strug- 19 c×d5
gling to draw. White does not have time to evict the black
21 f6 1-0 knight with 19 a3 because of 19…d4 when 20
a×b4?? loses a piece to 20…f6+. Meanwhile
(All the opening needs now is a name!) 19 ×d5 ×b2 20 ×b2 ×d5 21 e×d5 is
met by 21…g5 22 d2 e8, regaining his
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News 25th pawn and keeping up the pressure.
March, 1893.
19…g5 20 d1 e5 21 e4 g4! 22
6035 The Dutch Defence is probably the g1 f8 23 e3 g5 24 g2
ultimate chameleon defence to 1 d4. Black 24 c4 f6 25 e1 allows 25…c2.
need not enter the Dutch directly with 1…
24…h5 25 e1
f5, but can transpose into Dutch structures
This loses, but while 25 e3 demands more ac-
from the Slav Defence, the Queen’s Gambit curacy from Black, it is still insufficient to hold
Declined, Nimzo-Indian, the Queen’s Indian, after 25…×g2 26 ×g2 f3+ 27 g1 ×g3!
the English Defence and even the Benoni. 28 h×g3 g3+ 29 g2 e3+ 30 h1 f5 31
Here is one of the rarer Dutch hybrids, an h2 f3+ 32 g2 h4+ 33 g1 g4.
offshoot of the Benoni, which can also arise 25…×g2! 26 ×g2 f2+! 27 ×f2
from a Leningrad Dutch move order. ×h2+ 28 f1 h3+! 0–1
G J Rukavina
O B Larsen
Leningrad Interzonal, 1973 East Midlands Chess
Dutch, Leningrad A87 [Smith] Chess Clubs in Schools –
Private 1:to:1 Tuition
1 c4 g6 2 d4 g7 3 g3 c5 4 d5 d6 5 g2
a6 6 f3 f5 7 0–0 f6 8 c3 0–0 9 e1 Junior Training Tournaments –
b8 10 d3 Pop Up Chess
10 c2 c7 11 a4 b6 12 b1 is safer, as in VL From Absolute Beginners to
Korchnoi–MN Tal, Moscow, 1968, which was
drawn in 61 moves.
National Champions
10…d7 11 b3? Christopher Dunworth David Levens
11 c2 is better. 07577 273275 07870 666153
11…e4 12 ×e4 @EMidlandsChess
Larsen gives 12 b2 b4 13 e3 ×c3 14 [email protected]
×c3 f4 as equal. www.eastmidlandschess.co.uk
12…f×e4 13 c2?
Reinventing Chess Structure
13 d2 is better, but Larsen intended 13…
December 2014.indd 629 11/12/2014 13:03:18

Purling
London
BOLD CHESS £495

www.purlinglondon.com
December 2014.indd 630 11/12/2014 13:03:18
Qualified Success
Tim Spanton
Guernsey’s 40th Annual Festi- T Spanton–C Hess (FM 2185), 0–1, in 32 moves.
val saw me make my sixteenth 4…f5 5 e3 e6 6 d3 g6 7 0–0 b5?
and most successful visit to
the Channel Islands. I scored a XIIIIIIIIY
personal best of 4.5/7 and 9rs-wkv-t0
gained my first ever qualification for the
British Championship, which in 2015 is at 9z-+-+pzp0
Warwick University, Coventry. My key game 9-+p+psl+0
came in the last round. It is full of mistakes,
but I hope you will therefore find it all the 9+p+p+-+-0
more enjoyable. 9-+-Z-V-+0
G Tim Spanton (1975)
O Jan Prins (2049)
9+-SLZN+-0
Guernsey Open, 2015 9PZP+-ZPZ0
QP Irregular D00 [Spanton]
9T-+Q+RM-0[
1 d4 xiiiiiiiiy
I more normally open 1 e4 or 1 c4, but had de- A novelty, but not a good one. Black is too far
termined to play 1 d4 at this tournament. In behind in development to be able to get away
our database age there are advantages to hav- with this extravagance.
ing an opening repertoire that is shallow, but 8 e5!
wide, rather than deep but narrow.
Pinpointing the major problem with Black’s
1…d5 2 c3 c6 3 f3 f6 4 f4 seventh – it weakens the c6 pawn.
My Dutch opponent had played quickly up to 8…b4 9 a4 e7 10 c1
this point, suggesting he was hoping to follow
my Round 2 debacle, which saw 4 g5 e4! Planning to open lines on Black’s vulnerable
threatening to either win the bishop pair or queenside.
smash my queenside pawns 5 ×e4? The re- 10…fd7 11 c4
sult of a hallucination in which I thought my
I rejected the tempting 11 ×g6 because I
e-pawn was on e3. In my defence, I can say its
did not want to half-open the h-file for Black’s
positioning on e2 was obscured by my king.
rook, but after, for example 11…h×g6 12 c4 g5
5…d×e4 6 e5?? – part of the same halluci-
13 g3, it is hard to see how Black could whip
nation – I was expecting to meet 6…f6 with 7
up an attack.
h5+ g6 8 ×g6. Instead, I was losing a piece;
11…×e5 12 ×e5 0–0 13 c×d5 c×d5 14
×g6
Diary Better is the retreat 14 e2!, the point being
Bristol Winter Congress, 23rd–25th that White’s light-squared bishop would be
January. Open/U155/U125. chinadoc@ useful in prosecuting White’s queenside attack,
chinadoc.force9.co.uk while Black’s light-squared bishop is cut off
from the key sector of the board.
December 2014.indd 631 11/12/2014 13:03:19

14…h×g6 15 c7 a6 16 c6 b8 17 This loses a pawn to a tactic which, if you have
×b8 not seen it before, is well worth noting. 23…
×d3 24 ×d3 b7 25 c7 d7 26 ×b7
I was reluctant to give up my powerful remain- ×b7 27 c6 was a plausible line, when White
ing bishop, but this seemed to be the only way is clearly much better, not least because a rook
to make progress. swap would leave White with good knight ver-
17…×b8 18 c2 a5 19 c1 b5 20 sus bad bishop.
b3 24 ×a6 d7 25 ×b5 ×b5 26 f1 g7
Played to prevent …b3. 27 c8 f6 28 aa8 e7
20 fd8 21 g3!? Not 28…e5? 29 h8 e7 (forced) 30 d×e5.
Played to avoid back-rank accidents while set- 29 e2 d6 30 d8 ×d8 31 ×d8 e7
ting up the possibility of a quick h4–h5 to open 32 d7 f8 33 d3 b8 34 c7 d6 35
lines on the kingside. I thought my pieces could
c2 e7 36 f3 f5 37 a4 f8 38 b6 f4
get across there more quickly than Black’s in
the event of my queenside dominance coming 39 c8+?
to nothing. However, the move has the disad- A serious misjudgement. I thought Black’s rook
vantage of making the h-pawn backward on a and bishop were working so well together
semi-open file. against my kingside that it was worth swap-
ping off into an endgame. However, 39 g×f4
21…g5!? g×f4 40 e4 was much stronger, when Black has
Black in turn picks a double-edged move. It little choice but to play 40…d×e4+, whereup-
fixes my h-pawn weakness, but restricts Black’s on 41 ×e4 leaves Prins with the much more
bishop. vulnerable pawns.
22 b2 g6 23 d3 39…d7 40 ×d6 ×d6 41 g×f4 g×f4
Deciding a kingside attack was now unlikely, 42 e4 d×e4+?
I opted for continued play on the queenside, Unlike in the note above, Black is not obliged
which I thought would be more promising to bring White’s king forward like this. Instead,
with the queens off as Black’s covers a lot of 42…h8 gave excellent drawing chances, for
weak squares. example 43 g2 h3 44 e5+ e7 45 ×g6
23…a6? ×h2.
XIIIIIIIIY 43 ×e4 g5 44 g2 f5 45 c2 a5 46

d3 a8 47 d2?
9-t-t-+k+0 47 g2 is correct.
9+-+-vp+-0 47…h8 48 d3 a8?
9p+R+p+p+0 Repeating the position, but this time I found
the right plan. Instead Black should have
9+q+p+-z-0 played 48…h3, although White is better after
49 e4.
9-z-Z-+-+0
9+P+QZ-Z-0 Diary
Warwickshire Congress, Trident
9PS-+-Z-Z0 Centre, 28th February–1st March.
9+-T-+-M-0[ Open/U170/U145/U120.
[email protected]
xiiiiiiiiy
December 2014.indd 632 11/12/2014 13:03:20

49 g2 g8? an enemy pawn. It is fashionable to say there

are no rules in chess: everything is down to
XIIIIIIIIY specific analysis. Well, of course specific analy-
sis tops general guidelines, but such guide-
9-+-+-+r+0 lines help players look for the right sort of
9+-+-+-+-0 move. Here there is a tactical reason why the
text is bad, but the rule of attacking with a rook
9-+-mp+-+0 should have helped Black find the better 49…
h8, although White must be winning after 50
9+-+-+-z-0 ×g5 ×h2 51 a5.
9-z-Z-z-+0 50 h4
Now Black’s game is hopeless. The remaining
9+P+K+P+-0 moves were:
9P+-+-+RZ0 50…c8 51 h×g5 d5 52 c2 a8 53 g6
e5 54 c5+ d6 55 ×e5 ×a2 56 g5
9+-+-+-+-0[ a8 57 g7 g8 58 e4 e6 59 ×f4 f6
xiiiiiiiiy 60 f5+ g6 61 d5 h6 62 g5 c8 63
This is wrong positionally and tactically. A g8
golden rule of rook and pawn endings is to Making absolutely sure there was no stalemate
use the rook to attack whenever possible. One trick.
form of attack is to support the advance of a
passed pawn. Another form of attack is to hit 1–0
Nigel in the Isle of Man:

Part 1
GM Nigel Short
G ND Short 6…d5 7 c×d5 e×d5 8 g5 c5 is also quite
O D Raznikov fashionable.
PokerStars Isle of Man, 2014 7 b3 e7 8 e4
English A33 [Short] A little bit of space is always welcome.
1 c4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 c3 f6 4 d4 c×d4 5 8 0–0 9 e2 b6 10 0–0 b7
×d4 e6 6 a3 Fabiano Caruana has tried 10…a6 pressuris-
This line is less complicated than the two main ing the c-pawn, which, given his phenomenal
alternatives 6 g3 and 6 db5, and it also scores recent form, is likely to boost the variation’s
slightly better. By preventing the pin, 6…b4, popularity.
White aims to establish a Maroczy Bind or, 11 f4 d6 12 c1 c8 13 g3
should Black occupy the centre, play against The basic problem with being a dilettante who
an isolated d-pawn. doesn’t study properly is that you have to find
6…c5 the right ideas yourself. I had never played this
December 2014.indd 633 11/12/2014 13:03:20

line before, nor had I investigated its subtle- It is highly debatable whether the bishop is
ties, so I was lacking both experience and spe- better here than on e7.
cific knowledge. While the text move is by no
means bad, I realised its potential drawback
20 f4
during the course of the game. A more pre- Finally…
cise approach had already been found by a 20…ed7?!
Norwegian G-Star Raw model a couple of years
previously: 13 e1 e5 14 d2 fd7 15 e3 20…g6! makes it much harder for White to
– note the placement! – 15…c7 16 b4 b8 execute his plan, which by now I was edging
17 f4 g6 18 g3 fe8 19 f3 a8 20 f2 gf8 towards in a dilatory fashion.
21 e2 b8 22 ed1 g6 23 e5! and White was 21 f3 a8 22 f2
on top; M Carlsen–J Polgar, London, 2012, 1–0 Returning to the right (Carlsen) diagonal and
in 53. tying Black down to the b6 pawn.
13…e5 14 d2 c7 22…e7 23 d3!
It occurred to me that my young Israeli op- A good manoeuvre, bringing the queen to a
ponent should, sooner or later, simply secure more effective square.
the position of his knight in the centre of the
board with 14…g5!? when his pieces started 23…b8 24 e2 c6 25 b3
going in the direction of the centre and queen- Cutting out …b5 ideas, but a minute or two
side. However, I realised that the chances of his later I changed my mind.
adopting this effective plan were dropping (he
has to watch out for the crude, but sometimes 25…b7 26 e1 e8 27 d2
effective, f4), and so I chose to ignore it. After immense faffing around, White has found
an effective setup for his pieces to effect a
15 b4 a6 16 b3 b8 17 fd1 breakthrough. Unfortunately for Black, just at
Had I followed Magnus’s game with Polgar this moment he was drifting into time trouble.
more closely – I was in the VIP room, quaffing
some wine, as it was being played – I would 27…d8?!
have understood that this rook is better on e1,
where it protects the e-pawn and lends sup-
XIIIIIIIIY
port to an eventual e5 advance. 9-wrvr+k+0
17…fd8 18 b1
Offering some support to the e-pawn.
9+l+n+pz-0
18…h6 9pz-zps-z0
A very encouraging sign! Having developed
his pieces on vaguely useful squares, Black has
9+-+-+-+-0
clearly run out of ideas. The usual thematic 9-ZP+PZ-+0
breaks – …d5 and …b5 – are just not on here.
The problem with 18…h6 is that it makes the 9Z-S-+L+P0
aforementioned plan with g5 even less plausi-
ble. Not only are Black’s major pieces far from
9-+-SQVP+0
the kingside, but his h-pawn is more exposed
on this square.
9+-T-T-M-0[
19 h3 xiiiiiiiiy
A passive prophylactic move like 27…h7!
In no hurry. was, by now, necessary.
19…f8 28 e5! ×f3 29 ×f3 d×e5 30 f×e5 h7
December 2014.indd 634 11/12/2014 13:03:20

31 ed1 35 cd1 ×e5

Mission accomplished: White switches to the 35…e7 36 e×f6 g×f6 37 h4 – threatening
open file. 38 f5 – 37…ce8 38 e3 and all sides of the
board are dropping off.
31…hf8 32 e4 c7
32…×e5 33 ×e5 ×e5 34 g3 f5 35 36 ×e5 f×e5 37 ×b6 a8 38 c5 g6
d6 is the little tactical point. 39 ×a6
33 d6 ×d6 34 ×d6 f6? Three connected passed pawns usually suffice.
Collapsing completely. Black is in no shape to 39…e4 40 d3
seek activity. The best he can do is grin and Extinguishing the last glimmer of hope.
bear it with 34…c7, although White retains a
substantial plus. 1–0
Erich Eliskases, Forgotten

Master: Part 2
Dan Scoones
Based partly on his results in tournament he was Austrian, Eliskases was invited to the
and match play, and partly on the fact that great international tournament at Semmer-
December 2014.indd 635 11/12/2014 13:03:20

ing/Baden in 1937. At the end of the first (b) 37…d7 38 b4 c6 39 e5 f7 40 f4
cycle he was mired in the basement with a7 41 c4 b×c4 42 ×c4+ d7 43 f6 a2 44
h4 a3 45 e4 ×g3 46 ×e6 g4 47 e7+
Vladimirs Petrovs of Latvia, but then pulled
d6 48 ×h7 ×f4+ 49 ×g6 e6, reaching a
himself together and actually won the sec- position that is drawn with best play.
ond cycle, against a cross-section of the
38 c4! b4 39 d4 e7 40 c5 g5 41 c4
world’s elite players, with 4.5/7.
d8 42 ×b4
Late in the tournament, the eventual
Black has been forced to surrender his b-pawn
winner, Paul Keres, had to endure a painful
for no compensation and it is now very difficult
defeat at the hands of the Austrian master: to give him advice.
G EG Eliskases 42…f7 43 b2 h5 44 a2 c8 45 b5
O PP Keres h4 46 b6 f3 47 g×h4 g×h4 48 a8+
Semmering-Baden 1937 d7 49 c6+ e7
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+k+-+0 9R+-+-+-+0
9+r+-+-+p0 9+-+-m-+-0
9-+-+p+p+0 9-MP+p+-+0
9+p+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-z0
9+-ZK+-Z-0 9+-+-+r+-0
9-+-+-Z-Z0 9-+-+-Z-Z0
9+R+-+-+-0[ 9+-+-+-+-0[
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
The last minor pieces have been exchanged 50 h8
and we are in a pure rook and pawn ending.
Material is equal. White has two advantages: a In the tournament book compiled by B.H.
more active king and a target on b5. Wood and published by CHESS in 1937, it is
wrongly asserted that 50 c7 b3+ leads to
37 e4 perpetual check. In fact, after 51 c6 c3+ 52
In order to play 38 c4 without allowing 38… b7 b3+ 53 c8 b2 54 a7 d6 55 d8
b×c4+. ×f2 56 a6+ d5, White has the standard
winning shot 57 ×e6!
37…f7?
Here the great Keres, probably short of time, 50…b3+ 51 c7 b2 52 h7+ f6 53
commits a serious error. There were two d8 d2+ 54 d7 ×f2 55 c7 g5 56
stronger lines: c8 f8+ 57 c7 ×c8+ 58 ×c8 e5 59
(a) 37…c7 38 ×b5 ×c3 39 b7 h6 40 g7 e7 1–0
g5 41 g6 f7 42 ×h6 c4+ 43 f3 a4 44
h4 g×h4 45 ×h4 a3+ 46 g2 e5 and White’s
winning chances are slim-to-none. 
December 2014.indd 636 11/12/2014 13:03:20

In 1937 Erich Eliskases was Alexander Ale- part of the second player’s arsenal.
khine’s official second for his world title re- 8…0–0! 9 d×e7 ×e7+ 10 e2 d6! 11
match with Max Euwe. Besides his fee, he 0–0 a6 12 a4?!
received a gold cigarette case from the re- It is better to exchange on d7 and try to catch
stored World Champion. Eliskases soon took up in development.
a page from his employer’s book and began 12…b5 13 c2 b7 14 d4 ae8 15 e3?
to play more aggressively and dynamically.
White must return the pawn with 15 d1 g4
The result was first place in a strong tour- 16 e5!?, although he would still have devel-
nament at Noordwijk 1938, ahead of Keres, opment problems after 16…d×e5 17 d×e5
Euwe, Bogoljubow, and other masters. In ×d1 18 ×d1 ×e5.
the following years Eliskases convincingly 15…g4 16 g3
won the championship of Germany several This allows a winning combination, but 16
times. Between 1939 and 1941 there was d2 ×e3 (16…×f3 17 f4) 17 f×e3 ×f3
even talk of a title match with Alekhine, but 18 ×f3 e5 19 ff1 c4 was no better for
the intervention of war put an end to that White.
idea. 16…b4 17 b1 ×f3 18 ×f3 ×e3 19
Although Germany won the Buenos Aires f×e3 ×e3! 20 f4 ×d4 0–1
Olympiad, all of its team members stayed
behind in South America. Eliskases divid- 
ed his time between Argentina and Brazil,
where he found work as a chess coach and In 1948, Eliskases had the satisfaction of
was able to play in many South American winning the annual Mar del Plata tourna-
tournaments. In 1951 he was officially reg- ment ahead of Miguel Najdorf, Gideon
istered as a representative of Argentina, Stahlberg and Laszlo Szabo. The miniature
and he received the grandmaster title the win over Najdorf was decided by a one-
following year. move blunder, but the win over Stahlberg
was more substantial.

G G Stahlberg
O EG Eliskases
Now a game played by Comrade Eliskas-
Mar del Plata, 1948
es, honorary representative of the Soviet
Queen’s Indian Defence E14 [Scoones]
School of Chess.
G P Rabinovici 1 d4 f6 2 c4 e6 3 f3 b6 4 e3 b7 5 d3
O EG Eliskases c5 6 0–0 e7 7 b3 0–0 8 c3 d5 9 b2
Rio de Janeiro, 1944 bd7 10 e2 e4 11 fd1 c×d4 12 e×d4
Caro-Kann, Panov B10 [Scoones] 12 ×d4 ×c3 13 ×c3 f6 14 b2 would
be an interesting try.
1 e4 c6 2 c4 d5 3 e×d5 c×d5 4 c×d5 f6
12…×c3 13 ×c3 c7 14 ac1 d×c4 15
5 b5+ bd7 6 c3 g6 7 f3 g7 8 d6
b×c4 fe8 16 d2
The move 8 d6 was introduced into tourna-
A very odd idea. 16 a4!? was thematic: the mi-
ment play by Alekhine. Eliskases responds with
nority attack.
a pawn sacrifice that has become a standard
December 2014.indd 637 11/12/2014 13:03:20

16…ad8 17 e1 f6 18 e3? b5 ×b5+) 31…h7 32 d3+ e4 33 f×e4
White can stay in the game with 18 e4 e5 ×b5 and Black wins.
19 ×b7 ×b7 20 c3 e4 (not 20…e×d4? 21 In Chess Review Hans Kmoch suggested 24
×e8+ ×e8 22 ×e8+ f8 23 b4 and White ed1!? and after 24…b×c5 25 e4 ×d1+ 26
wins) 21 d2 g5 22 cd1 ×d2 23 ×d2. ×d1 b6 27 ×b7 ×b7 28 ×c5 White
has recovered a pawn, but then 28…c6!
18…e5 19 d×e5 ×e5! 29 c4 c8 30 d4 h6 31 ×a7 a6+ 32
Though the text is stronger, 19…×f3 20 g×f3 g1 and here 32…e2! breaks the Swede’s
×e5 21 f4 ×f4 22 ×f4 ×f4 23 ×e8+ resistance.
×e8 24 ×e8+ f8 was also possible. 24…×e4! 25 f×e4 ×e1 26 ×e1 ×e4
20 ×e5 ×e5 21 c5 27 c×b6 a×b6 28 c4 e6 29 d4 ×d4
21 h3 c6 22 f3 g3 23 ed1 f6 was no 30 ×d4 ×e2+ 31 ×e2 ×g2
better. Black has reached a winning endgame. White
21…×h2+ 22 f1 c6 23 f3 g3 24 e4 could safely resign here.
After this Black is able to unleash a thematic 32 ×b6 f6 33 a4 f7 34 a5 b7 35 e3
combination. The toughest defence is 24 c×b6 g5 36 c7 g6 37 d6 h5 38 e7 f5 39
f6 25 b5 e5 26 ed1 a×b6, when there d8 f4+ 40 f2 f5 0–1
are two lines:
(a) 27 ×d8+ ×d8 28 d1 e7 29 d3 A crushing defeat of one of the world’s strong-
d5 30 d4 h4 31 e2 e5 32 d3 h1+ est grandmasters.
33 g1 g6 and Black wins.
(b) 27 a4 h6 28 ×d8+ ×d8 29 d2 h4 
30 g1 ×a4! 31 d8+ (31 ×a4 a6+ 32
Openings for Amateurs

Pete Tamburro
[email protected]
We have seen the advantages with an eye on f5. It also releases the f2
and disadvantages of 4 ×d4 pawn for duty at f3 or f4 as part of a king-
in the 3…e×d4 Philidor. Now, side attack. This particular game was cho-
we turn our attention to a very sen because it is instructional for both sides
logical move: 4 ×d4. The and because IM Bernard Zuckerman, an
knight finds a home on a key central square American opening theorist respected by
Fischer, wrote a comprehensive article on it
in 01/71 ‘Chess Life’. Some of his valuable
Diary thoughts will be included here.
First Saturday, Hungary. Hotel
Medosz, Budapest. www.firstsaturday. G B Zuckerman
O S Nikolic
hua. [email protected]
Bari, 1970
GM/IM/FM norms possible. Monthly Philidor C41 [Tamburro]
events.
December 2014.indd 638 11/12/2014 13:03:21

1 e4 e5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 e×d4 4 ×d4 f6 9 ×d4 a6 10 f3 b5 11 g4 c5 12 d2 b4 13

5 c3 e7 b1! a5 14 c4 e6 15 e2 e8? (15…
×c4 16 ×c4 d7 was better, as it is more
XIIIIIIIIY active. The passive knight move simply wastes
time with the later c7–b5. From d7, there are
9rslwk+-t0 active squares (e5, b6) immediately available)
16 d2 c7 17 b1 b5 18 g5 ab8 19
9zpz-vpzp0 a1 b7 20 d3 d8 21 d5 ×d5 22 e×d5
9-+-z-s-+0 e8 23 de1 d8 24 h4 f8? (A second pas-
sive choice by Black and a warning to all 3…
9+-+-+-+-0 e×d4 players. Just because you’ve played a less
aggressive opening doesn’t mean you have
9-+-SP+-+0 to play the middlegame that way. Doing so is
a recipe for defeat. Now, White gets to do to
9+-S-+-+-0 Black what Black should have done: 24…a5 25
c4 a4 26 d2 a3) 25 e4 h8 26 h5 be7
9PZP+-ZPZ0 27 eg1 b7 28 c1! (An instructive back-
9T-VQML+R0[ ward bishop move in conjunction with 29 h6)
28…c8 29 h6 g6 30 b3 e7 31 b2+ g8
xiiiiiiiiy 32 e1 f8 33 f6 ×f6+ 34 ×f6+ h8 35
h4 c3 36 c4 b5 37 ce4 b8 38 e7
6 f4 h3 39 d7 bc8 40 ×f8 ×f8 41 ×f7!
There is no objectively best move here. Three 1–0; Y Solodovnichenko–A De Santis, Padova
other very popular choices are: 6 e2 (quiet Open, 2012.
– Zuckerman) 6 c4 (weaker, as it exposes 9 h3!
the bishop to …a6 and …b5 or …×e4 and
…d5 – Zuckerman) and 6 g3! This last choice As pointed out in the Steinitz–Dubois game,
can get pretty lively: M Carlsen–E Bacrot, BCM 09/14, this is an important idea as it is
Wch Blitz, 2007: 6 g3 d5 7 e5 g4 8 g2 c6 restrictive, preventing Black’s pieces access
9 f4 h6 10 0–0 c7 11 f5 ×e5 12 ×h6 to g4, and attacking, in preparation for g4.
0–0 13 f4 f6 14 g4 c5 15 ce2 d7 Zuckerman makes some other points. He feels
16 h1 h6 17 c3 e5 18 g3 c4 19 b3 that, with the black knight on e5, the natural
b6 20 h5 h4 21 g3 g5 22 h4 d8 move 9 f3 (with a later g4) makes f3 weak. He
23 d2 d6 24 ×d6 ×d6 25 f6 ×g4 26 also points out that h3 is very useful to give the
f×g7 ×h5 27 f5 1–0. bishop, after …g6 by Black, a retreat square
to h2, and it also allows f4 to be played in one
6…0–0 7 d2 move. All in all, this is a very effective pawn
Here, the queen is advancing to d2 rather move!
than retreating to the square. Forming a bat- 9…c6 10 g4 c7
tery on the c1–h6 diagonal is a strong stra-
tegic idea, looking to a possible ×h6 in the Black chooses a passive defence. He could
future, should Black want to meet g5 threats. have challenged White to sacrifice a pawn for
With the bishop on f4, there is no harassing an attack with 10…g6 11 g3 d5 12 e5 d7
…g4 with its access to e5. …h5 does 13 f5 d×e5 14 ×e7+ ×e7 15 f4 d7 16
not do as well as the decentralisation is not h4 f5 17 h5 h8 18 e1 f7 19 g5. Zook notes
worth a superficial nudging of the bishop on that the one advantage to …c7 was that it
f4. made him a little over-ambitious.
7…c6 8 0–0–0 e5 11 g5 e8

Exchanging knights can get wild: 8…×d4
December 2014.indd 639 11/12/2014 13:03:21

XIIIIIIIIY
a trial with the clock ticking away.
9r+l+ntk+0 15…d5
9zpw-vpzp0 An important point for amateurs everywhere.
How many games have you played when you
9-+pz-+-+0 played the right move one or two moves late?
9+-+-s-Z-0 Apparently, it plagues international players as
well.
9-+-SPV-+0 16 d4 d6 17 ×h6 dc4 18 ×c4
9+-S-+-+P0 ×c4 19 f4 b6 20 c3 b4 21 b3
Black starts to fall apart under the pressure
9PZPW-Z-+0 here; however, Zuckerman makes an honest
comment: ‘I chickened out of the complications
9+-MR+L+R0[ resulting from 21 f3 fe8. Now 22 h5?? los-
xiiiiiiiiy es to 22…d2+ and 22 e6 a3 is dangerous,
but 22 b3 is quite playable.’
Zuckerman’s over-ambitious move is about to
take place. He gives an interesting commentary 21…fe8 22 e6 a5 23 e3 b5?? 24
about his choice of f5: ‘This gives White some a4 ×e6 25 a×b5 e5 26 c3 f8 27 b×c6
attacking chances on the kingside but weak- b×c6 28 b7 1–0
ens his control of the centre and gives Black
some play against White’s vulnerable pawn on
f5. Simply 12 e3! and 13 f4 gave White a very 
strong position without unnecessary risks.’
12 f5?! Thus, the 4 ×d4 line in the Philidor can be
Indeed, after 12 e3! b5 13 f4 c4 14 ×c4 as dangerous, if not more so, than 4 ×d4.
b×c4 15 e2 a6 16 f5 the knight will not be White’s attacking ideas are often very natu-
captured and has tremendous influence within ral, but, as we learned in this game, a certain
the Black position.
precise understanding of both the strat-
12…×f5 13 e×f5 f6 egy and tactics is necessary. If you’re play-
‘Black could have played the calm 13…d5, not ing this line as Black, this series of articles,
fearing 14 f6.’ Again Black’s difficulties lie in not no matter what variation is considered, has
being active, especially when you consider that
the properly timed move …d5 is such an im-
demonstrated to you the importance of not
portant move in open games. playing passively. You need to know your
queenside attacking plans, the importance
14 g6 h6?
of a well-timed …d5 and how to calmly de-
Zook repeats the need for 14…d5 here, as 15
g×h7 is not a serious threat.
fend against aggressive White moves. Why
did White, for a time, start playing 4 ×d4,
15 e2 if 4 ×d4 seems better?
White’s move works; however, Houdini gives a In 1970, Bent Larsen made people recon-
devastating line: 15 ×h6 g×h6 16 b5 d7
17 d4 d5 18 ×h6 b4 19 e6 c7 20 g7.
sider 4 ×d4 because of his sudden success
The success of the + battery comes not with 4…g6, which we will look at in our final
only in this variation, but in the actual game. chapter on the 3…e×d4 Philidor.
Over the board, you take a serious look at sac-
rifices that may even be familiar (×h6) to you, 
as timing may be everything, but calculation is
December 2014.indd 640 11/12/2014 13:03:21

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December 2014.indd 641 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Club Knight: The Roving

Rook
Tyson Mordue
Chess is primarily a game and ×g5+ and White has won a piece. This line is
it should be fun. Sometimes not forced, but it is an example of the difficul-
ties Black may encounter here.
playing originally can achieve
this. However, one should be 4…g×h4 5 f3 d6 6 ×h4 c6 7 e3 e5
aware of overdoing it. Here’s a 8 h1!?
game where I had a lot of fun destroying my A prudent retreat that avoids tactics based
opponent’s original position with just one on the overloading of the f3 knight while it
guards both d4 and h4. However, 8 b5 may
piece. be stronger and is also playable after Black’s
G AT Mordue next move.
O J Leinmuller 8…g4 9 d×e5
Bristol League, 1996 White decides to release the tension in the
Borg Defence B00 [Mordue] centre, but this is not really a concession as he
already has a clear advantage due to Black’s
1 e4 g5 broken kingside pawns. As indicated, 9 b5
This defence is apparently called the Borg be- is an alternative, but 9 d5 could be answered
cause it’s the Grob reversed. The St George with by 9…d4. Here, Black has a small problem.
…e6, …a6 and …b5 at least bears some re- Recapturing with 9 …d×e5 may lead to the ex-
semblance to the French and Sicilian Defences. change of queens, and in an endgame Black’s
The one player who used the line played in weaknesses will be more obvious. However,
this game consistently, and with some success taking with the knight leaves White with a
(!), was the English IM Mike Basman, so some- significant space advantage. The centre of
times it’s called Basmania. He once played this pawn on e4 versus one on d6 is called the ‘little
against me in a rapidplay game at Stroud in the centre’.
early 1980s and was very lucky to escape with 9…×e5 10 e2 ×f3?
a draw. However, he did win the tournament
with 5½/6 after playing 1 g4 in all his White A significant mistake. Black concedes the
games and 1…g5 in all his Black games, so bishop pair in a position that is already fairly
perhaps he knew what he was doing. open. Perhaps he was expecting the further
exchange 11 ×f3 ×f3+ 12 ×f3 when he
2 d4 h6 3 c3 g7 4 h4! could consider 12…×c3+ now that the white
A handy prod at the exposed pawn before queen can’t go to d4. The right move was 10…
Black is coordinated. White has delayed f3 ×f3+ 11 g×f3 d7, but not 11 …×c3+ 12
to rule out …g4, but the rook on h1 is imme- b×c3 d7 13 b1 b6 14 d4! with a big initia-
diately in the game. Often Black is left with a tive and lead in development.
weak pawn on h6 that White can attack with 11 g×f3 f6 12 f4 ed7?!
doubled rooks and bishop. On the other
hand, leaving the pawn on g5 can also have It is difficult to see why Black did not play the
its drawbacks, as the following line shows 4… natural 12…c6. Leinmuller is conducting an
e6 5 h×g5 h×g5 6 ×h8 ×h8 7 h5 ×d4 eccentric middlegame to go with an eccentric
8 ×g5 f6 9 h7 ×g5 10 ×g8+ e7 11 opening and the result is that he lags in devel-
opment, is cramped and has glaring kingside
December 2014.indd 642 11/12/2014 13:03:21

weaknesses. Admittedly White has doubled eye was caught by something else. I needed
pawns, but they help bolster his central con- to play a preparatory move first though. What
trol. After the text White can put his bishop on would Black do if I attacked his bishop?
f3 with tactical possibilities of e5 and ×b7.
Originally I was going to play f3 to support e4,
16 hg1 g8?
but with the knight on d7 rather than c6 the
bishop can be posted more aggressively. My
XIIIIIIIIY
computer wants to play 13 (or even 14) d4
here. It’s a good active square, but I think any
9r+-+k+r+0
human would be reluctant to line up his or 9zp+-wpv-0
her queen against the bishop on g7, even if
there are no effective discoveries immediately 9-spz-s-z0
available.
9+-+-+-+-0
13 f3 e7 14 e2 c6
Naturally 14…0–0–0 just loses a pawn to 15
9-+-+PZ-+0
×a7 (15…b6 16 a6#), but does Black really
have to play a move which just creates further
9+-S-VL+-0
weaknesses? My computer thinks so because
it wants to play 14…c6 too. It also consid-
9PZP+QZ-+0
ered 14…0–0. At the time I thought that 14… 9+-MR+-T-0[
b6 might have been best, but 15 e5! d×e5
16 ×b7 d8 or b8 17 c6+ or 17 b5+ is xiiiiiiiiy
very strong. Black keenly feels the absence of Falling into the trap. 16…f8 seems to be no
his light-squared bishop here, and as two of good after 17 d3 d8 18 e5 because the rook
White’s candidate moves here are b5 and on d8 is loose now that the king has wandered
d5, also light squares. Black chooses to rule away. 16…f8 is well met by 17 e5!, opening
them out. up all the central lines with Black’s king caught
in the middle. 16…f8 is even worse for the
15 0–0–0 b6 same reason. It seems that Black has no rea-
My computer recommends 15 …h5 here. sonable alternative to the text, but in view of
This is a pawn sacrifice to force some liquida- what happens I would advocate 16…f8 and
tion. However, after 16 ×h5 ×h5 17 ×h5 after 17 d3 e8. However, it’s clear White is
×c3 18 b×c3 ×h5 19 ×h5 0–0–0 (not 19… well on top. After the next move it’s even more
×e4? 20 h8+ f8 21 ×d6 with a big ad- obvious.
vantage) 20 f5! White consolidates with a 17 ×d6! fd7
reasonable advantage and threatens 21 ×a7
in earnest (21…b6 22 ×b6 because of the pin It’s now clear that if 17…×d6 18 e5 forces the
on the knight d7). After the text 16 a4, to oust win of material. After 19 e×f6 not only is the
the knight, is certainly a possibility, but my pinned bishop on g7 threatened (the point of
inserting the moves 16 g1 g8), but White also
has ×b6, with a discovered check, or a differ-
Diary ent discovery to win the black queen if she is
Blackpool Chess Conference, 6th– still on a dark square. Had Black left his knight
8th March. A great and established on d7 on move 15 he could answer e5 with …
event in the North West. £6,250 in ×e5, but that resource is not available.
prizes. Six round Swisses: Open, U181, 18 e5 0–0–0
U155, U135, U115. A safe haven at last? Not with the roving rook
BCC, 8 Donnington Close, Leigh WN7 3NY on the doorstep.
December 2014.indd 643 11/12/2014 13:03:21

19 gd1 f8 22 c7!

If 19…b8 20 d3 forces 20…c7 because The roving rook chomps through Black’s king
of the threat 21 ×b6 (20 …c8 21 g4 wins) position like a hungry Pacman – the com-
and now 21 b5+! c×b5 22 e4 b8 23 puter game, not the Czech/West German GM.
×b6+ ×b6 24 c6+! ×c6 25 ×c6 mates, Naturally, 22 …×c7 23 d5+ wins the queen.
or here 23 … a×b6 24 d5 gd8 25 c6+ and
so on. Now that the knight on d7 is pinned
22 …e8 23 ×b7+ c8
down the d-file White can destroy even more Now 24 b5 and there is no defence to 25
of the enemy king’s protective shield. a7 mate, but the roving rook hasn’t eaten its
fill yet.
20 ×b6 a×b6
24 a6 b8 25 ×b8+
Now 21 g4 just wins an exchange, but there
is something more picturesque. Completing the remarkable journey a1–d1–
d6–c6–c7–b7–b8 with a ‘knightcap’.
21 ×c6+! b8
25…×b8 1–0
If 21 …b×c6 22 a6+ c7 23 b5+ c×b5 24
b7 mate, or here 22 … b8 23 ×c6 c5 24 26 b7 is mate.
a8+ c7 25 b5 mate.
Unsung Heroes
Sophy Burnham
[email protected]
Recently, I’ve been thinking of on how she came to move from coaching
the heroes you never hear of. at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas,
You find them all around the 2007–2012, to Webster, which budgeted
country, all around the world, $635,000 to its chess program and scholar-
the unsung coaches, who ships, including $250,000 salary for herself
work with kids in schools or missions or col- and $150,000 for her husband, who serves
leges or unofficial clubs, keeping chess alive as marketing director of the Susan Polgar
and offering lessons that go far beyond the Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE). And
play. God bless her, who can help but admire this
Perhaps the first one that springs to mind beautiful, brilliant, gutsy lady? What she’s
is Susan Polgar, the first woman in history to asking for is pathetic in comparison to the
earn the title of GM, winner of four women’s budgets for football or basketball, where
GM championships, the only world cham- salaries for coaches run above $5.5 mil-
pion to win the Triple Crown (Blitz, Rapid, lion. It says a lot about where we place our
Classical), who holds ten Olympic medals values – gladiators over intellect. But I am
and is ranked the #1 female player in the thinking on a smaller scale.
US. She now coaches at Webster University I’m thinking, for example, of Eugene Brown,
in St. Louis, Missouri, and is pushing hard an ex-con, who in 1991 founded the Big Chair
for a ten-fold increase in chess scholarships Chess Club for inner city youths in Washing-
in colleges. In April 2014, word leaked out ton DC. A film has recently come out about
December 2014.indd 644 11/12/2014 13:03:21

his extraordinary life – one more to add to the answered that he did well enough at chess.
collection of good chess movies. Life of a King Soon Brown was teaching chess to the third
stars Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, grade, and not long after that, aware perhaps
Jr. It’s important to understand that the mur- of the correlation between chess, mathemat-
der rate in Washington DC, with a population ics and music, the maths teacher devoted the
of only about 500,000, is eighth in the country, entire Friday class to the game.
with 103 killings in 2013; that the US is the Later, when it came out that Eugene
world leader in incarcerations, far ahead of the Brown was a felon, he was fired from his
closest competitors, Rwanda and Russia. 2.2 job as janitor at the school, as well as from
million people in the US are in prison, mostly chess coaching. It was then that he founded
for drug offences, the Big Chair CC for
and of these 60% are at-risk youth. He is
people of colour. One clear about the mis-
in three of these are
black. Washington DC
is fourth in the nation “C hess is the only
game that can’t be
sion. It’s not only to
teach chess to kids
six to nineteen, but
”
in incarcerating resi- offer lessons in how
dents. Eugene Brown won. to live.
was one of these. He “We’re on a mis-
spent eighteen years sion to save the lives
in prison for trying to of our children. The
rob a bank of $3,200. I have met him, a small, first thing I want to teach is, Think B4 You
quiet man of great dignity and impeccable Move.” He begins by holding up the king.
manners. In prison he came across Alcoholics “What is this?” he asks the kids, and answers
Anonymous and changed his thinking. himself: “It’s you. You are the king.” Using his
Chess was the game that saved his life. He own money from his real estate business,
was known as The Chess Man, and bets rode he has taken groups to the national tour-
on him winning his games. In the film you naments, putting them up in good hotels,
see the inmates reaching through the bars showing them places they could hardly im-
to move the men on a board placed on the agine. The Big Chair CC is in a part of east
floor between two adjacent cells. “Man, I lost,” Washington that no tourist will ever visit,
Brown said one day to his antagonist. “You and the chances available to these kids,
didn’t lose,”came the answer.“Chess is the only some from public housing and some from
game that can’t be won. It can only be played. broken homes, whose fathers or mothers
Just like life. You’re either learning lessons or may be alcoholics perhaps, or addicts, or in
teaching lessons.” The words stayed with him. prison, or unable to cope with the challeng-
When he got out of prison, he discovered that es of poverty and lack of education – their
his grandson, Demetrius, who lived with him, chances are limited. Brown is intent on rais-
was disrupting his third grade class. Brown ing their expectations. Not all will be good
started playing chess with his grandson every players, but they can all start thinking of the
day before school. When the teacher told him three parts of the game of life: like a chess
that Demetrius would not sit still or focus, he game, there’s the opening, the middle, the
December 2014.indd 645 11/12/2014 13:03:21

end. Keep the end game in sight, he says. Is could have went to school and got a pharma-
college a possibility? A business? Why not? cist licence. So if you ever think about selling
“I’ve seen kids bent over thinking they’re drugs, right now, start preparing yourself to
in a bad position,” says Brown, “and they are be a pharmacist. I bet you, I guarantee you,
two moves from winning.” His ambition is you won’t want for anything. Those cars you
to prevent their falling into the same pitfalls want, those clothes – sell drugs in a drug
that waylaid him. “You can sell drugs,” he tells store.” He’s offering a paradigm shift, allowing
them. They perk up. “What?” “Yes, I wish I was them to consider different moves, just as on a
a drug seller.” They say, “Mr. Brown, I don’t be- board. That’s why we need to sing these un-
lieve that.” He says: “Yeah.” Then he puts them known heroes, the ones who may never play
in the car, drives them down to the CVS drug in a tournament, never make Master, who will
store, walks them to the back, and asks the likely take money out of their own pockets to
pharmacist to step out. “This is a drug seller,” found a club or work in a school, the coaches
he says. “All those guys that you look up and mentors all over the world who care for
to, that you think are such big shots in your our children by teaching them chess.
neighbourhood because they got a big car Are there others we should know about,
and all – one day, when they get locked up Portugal to Peru, US to UK? Do you have a
and the time that they end up doing – they story to share?
Problem World
Christopher Jones
[email protected]
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-S-zp0 9+-+RvK+-0
9-+L+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+K+-+k0 9+-+-+-Zp0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-T-+-Vpm0
9+-+-+-W-0 9+Ns-z-z-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9rt-+N+P+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
Bob Lincoln USA Klaus Wenda Austria
Mate in 2 Mate in 7
Original 1st Prize, ‘The Problemist’, 2010
December 2014.indd 646 11/12/2014 13:03:21

9-+-+-+-+0 9-+Rwnv-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-S-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-m-z0
9M-+ks-+-0 9+-+-+-+p0
9-+-wps-+0 9-+R+-+-z0
9+L+-vr+-0 9z-+-+-zP0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-s0
9+-+-+-+-0 9tlM-+-+-0
Stephen Emmerson Reading Christer Jonsson Sweden
Series helpmate in 9 Helpmate in 2.5 – 3 solutions
1st Honourable Mention, ‘The Problemist’, 2011 Original
It is remarkable how much ac- you problems in genres that appear less of-
tion our regular contributor ten in this column that have recently been
Bob Lincoln gets from seven successful in these tourneys. First, a mate in
pieces. There are as many mat- 7. Despite the profusion of White pieces it is
ing moves changed between necessary to keep Black under pressure or
try and key in this month’s first problem as else those bs will delay the closing of the
you would often see in a problem with net around the b. This is a fine example
twice as many pieces. If White tries 1 b5?, of what is called the logical school of prob-
he has mates prepared for 1…h6/h6/g5 lems, as you’ll see if we follow the exposi-
– 2 h4/e2/h3 – but has no way to tion of the judge, Dolf Wissmann (himself a
mate after 1…g6!. So we play 1 f5! and solving GM): “Because 1 bd4? a5 2 g6
now the defences 1…h6/g5/g6 fail to 2 ×e2! doesn’t work 1 d1! ×d1 is neces-
×g7/e8/h4. The recurring mate 2 sary first and then after 2 bd4! (3 f5)
h4 is transferred to a different defence. a5without the f4 there would already
Purists will point out that the key guards a be the immediate mate 3 f3. So the idea
flight square (h6), generally regarded as a is to sacrifice the , but before that’s pos-
flaw, and that as well as 1 b5? White could sible the w must be brought to a better
try 1 a4? to similar effect, but such con- square: 3 g6! (4 ×g3) a6+ 4 h7! a5.
cessions are easily accepted for the lucidity The point is that now h6 is guarded there
of presentation achieved in Bob’s miniature is the nice manoeuvre 5 ×g3+! ×g5 6
settings. h4+! ×h4 and according to plan the B
Every year the journal of the BCPS, ‘The has disappeared and there is the pin mate
Problemist’, judges the relative merits of that to finish the job: 7 f3.”
year’s original problems. I thought I’d show
December 2014.indd 647 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Enjoy Helpmates? Look at the series by set oneself the challenge of composing
one of the sub-editors of ‘The Problemist’, series helpmates.
Stephen Emmerson. In a series helpmate Finally a ‘non-series’ helpmate. The ef-
Black makes a series of moves in order to fect of the stipulation is that there are three
reach a position in which White can mate sequences of moves – WBWBW – in which
in one. In Stephen’s problem, the Black Black, doing all that he can to help, ends
pieces are on the right squares but, not up being mated. If you’ve seen any other
necessarily in the right order. Ingeniously, of Christer’s problems in this column you
there is just one way to effect the neces- won’t be surprised to know that each of
sary rearrangement in 9 moves: 1 c4 2 White’s officers has to be sacrificed in turn,
d4 3 e3 4 e4 5 e6 6 d5 7 f4 8 f3 and take it in turns to administer mate: 1…
9 e5 and now 9…c2#. A fine achieve- f4+ 2 ×g7 c7+ 3 h8 ×f8; 1… ×h4
ment, with the fact that the b starts in 2 g5 c5+ 3 ×h4 ×h5; and 1…×d8 2
check the only blemish. It can be fun to e7 c7+ 3 ×d8 e6.
Endgame Studies
Ian Watson
[email protected]
Christmas Solving Time
9-+-+-S-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-w-mL0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+P+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-Z-M-0 9+-+-+-+P0
9-+-+RsP+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-Z-ZN0 9+l+-+-+n0
9-W-T-+PZ0 9k+-+-+L+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-M-+-+-0
J Morse Correspondence Chess 2006 J Sevcik Obzor 1983
Win Win
December 2014.indd 648 11/12/2014 13:03:21

9-+-+k+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9TN+-+n+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9p+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9TN+q+-+N0
9K+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+k+-0
9Pz-+-+-+0 9-+KZ-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
P Michelet Original P Byway 2014
Draw Revision of study by H Blandford 1964
Win
Four studies for you to chew but pleasant. Now try solving two studies
over when you’re bored with sent in by readers of this column. You will
chewing turkey. Nothing too be familiar with the name Paul Michelet, as
meaty, but you will probably he is our most regular contributor. We also
need to set them up on a have a study by Paul Byway, who is well
board. The main line of each study is five known in otb chess. He modestly describes
moves long. his study as a ‘revision’ of a study by Hugh
Our first is by Sir Jeremy Morse, whose ar- Blandford which appeared in this very col-
rangement of sponsorship by Lloyds Bank umn in BCM in 1964. Unfortunately, Bland-
when he was their Chairman gave many of ford’s study turned out to be unsound, but
my generation the opportunity to play in Paul’s revision of it seems sound to me, and
major tournaments. Unusually for a study, – more importantly – to my computer. So
White is in check and indeed only has two we round off 2014 with a homage to a com-
legal moves. I give the second study in hon- poser, and the BCM, of half a century ago.
our of its composer, Jan Sevcik Czech Repub- The solutions are given on p. 671.
lic, who died last year. The solution is short
BCM is now available on your tablet or smartphone:

§ Apple § Kindle
§ Android § Kindle Fire
§ Blackberry § Windows 8
Search for British Chess Magazine in your app store or subscribe via Pocketmags at
www.pocketmags.com
December 2014.indd 649 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Splendid Sutovsky
IM Shaun Taulbut
[email protected]
G E Sutovsky 14 f×e5 h×g5 15 d2 b8
O B Jobava 15…c4 is best, challenging the knight: 16
ACP Golden Classic, Italy, 2014 d3 ×d3 17 ×d3 a6 18 d5 0–0 19 d4
Sicilian B27 [Taulbut] c8 with good play.
16 ×g5 c4 17 d6+ e×d6 18 f6 g8
1 e4 c5 2 f3 b6
A provocative move allowing White a free XIIIIIIIIY
hand in the centre, but logical in the attack on
the white e-pawn. 9rw-+k+r+0
3 d4 c×d4 4 ×d4 b7 5 c3 f6 9z-+p+p+-0
Black continues with his plan, allowing White
to advance and displace the knight. 9-znz-Wp+0
6 e5 d5 7 ×d5 ×d5 9+-+-Z-+-0
Black is behind in development because White
can quickly get his bishops out, but he has no
9-+l+L+-+0
weaknesses yet. 9+-+-+-+-0
8 b5
A strong move gaining time by the attack on
9PZP+-+PZ0
the black queen’s bishop. 9T-+-+RM-0[
8…e6 xiiiiiiiiy
8…e6 9 c4 b7 10 d6+ ×d6 11 ×d6 c6 The key moment: Black can castle here, and af-
is playable when 12 d2 is only slightly better ter 18…0–0 19 ×c6 (19 ×g6 ×e5 20 f5
for White. ×f1 21 g5+ g6 22 ×g6 f×g6 23 ×g6+
h8 24 h6+ g8 25 g6+ with a draw by
9 d3 perpetual check) 19…d×c6 20 f4 d8 21
9 e2 is also good. ×c4 d×e5 Black is OK.
9…c6 10 e4 19 e6
Pinning the knight against the rook. 10 g5 This move disrupts the defence.
b8 11 0–0 is also good.
19…e5
10…g6 11 g5 g7 12 0–0 On 19…×e6 20 ×c6 d×c6 21 ae1 d7 22
White offers the pawn on e5 to gain time; how- ×e6 f×e6 23 f7+ c8 24 ×g8+ b7 25
ever, 12 d6+ f8 is simply good for Black. ×g6 wins.
12…×e5 20 e×f7+ ×f7 21 ae1 1–0
12…0–0 13 f4 is better for White. Black resigned because of 21…d8 22 ×f7+
13 f4 h6 ×f7 23 ×g6+.
After 13…×b2 14 d6+ f8 15 f5 g×f5 16
×f5 opens up the f-file to attack the black
king.
December 2014.indd 650 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Endings for Experts

GM Nick Pert
[email protected]
Alan Merry had a fantastic It is all going fantastically well for Alan, but
tournament on the Isle of now he missed a chance to shorten the fight.
Man, securing his first GM 28 g1
norm. As he grew up in the 28 g6+! h8 29 h6+ g7 30 h7+ f6 31
same area as me, maybe he ×e4 d×e4 32 ×a7 ×a7 33 e5+ f5 34 h6
will become the second GM to develop and the h-pawn is unstoppable.
from Suffolk. There is still a long way to go 28…f7 29 h6 e7 30 ×g4!
before he reaches this level, but the signs Good calculation. 30 e6+ g7 31 ×g8
are starting to look promising. ×h6 is not dangerous for Black.
Things have gone slightly wrong for Black 30…f6
in this position already, as the Black centre Now Black is hoping to win an exchange, but
has been decimated. I covered an alterna- White has huge compensation.
tive for Black in my French Defence DVD! 31 ×f6+! ×f6 32 e5+ f7 33 h6
G AB Merry The h-pawn is too dangerous, so Black must
O D Harika sacrifice back the exchange.
Poker Stars, Isle of Man, 2014 [Pert] 33…g6 34 e6+ h7 35 ×g8+ ×g8
36 g7+
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+-+-t0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+p+-+-m-0 9-+-+-+n+0{
9p+nVpsL+0 9t-+-+-Tk0
9+-+p+-+P0 9p+-+-+-Z0
9-+-+-Zp+0 9+p+pV-+-0
9Z-S-+-+-0 9-+-+-Z-+0
9-+P+-+-+0 9Z-+-+-+-0
9+-M-T-+R0[ 9-+P+-+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+-M-+-+-0
23 a4 b5 24 b6 xiiiiiiiiy
36 f5! ×h6 (36…f7 37 g7+ ×g7 38 h×g7
Now White will get back his sacrificed pawn on h6 39 f6 is an improved version of the game)
e6. 37 h1 f7 38 f4 f6 39 g5 c6 is probably
24…a7 25 ×c8 ×c8 26 ×e6 e4 27 even stronger.
f5 g8 36…×g7 37 h×g7 e7
December 2014.indd 651 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Now Black tries to set up a blockade to keep enters the Black position with decisive effect.
the white king out, but the board is very wide
for a knight!
63…e4 64 e5 f7 65 d8 ×c3 66
g8+!
38 d2 f5 39 c3 a5 40 b3 e3 The final blow.
The g7 pawn is immune from capture: 40…
×g7 41 ×g7 ×g7 42 c3 f6 43 d4 66…×g8 67 e6 e4 68 f7+ g7 69
e6 44 f5+ ×f5 45 ×d5 is a typical winning e7
idea. and White will promote. A great win for Alan.
41 c3 c4 42 f6 d2+ 43 a2 1–0
43 c2 requires precise calculation, e.g. 43…
c4 44 d3 ×a3 45 d4 a4 46 ×d5 c4
47 f5 a3 48 e6 g8 49 d4 a2 50 f6 a1 51 
f7+ h7 52 g8+ and White gets there first,
just! My first encounter with Alan came in the
43…c4 44 d4 g8 45 f5 f7 46 f6 Bury Open. Although …×f2+ is winning
simply, I spotted a more attractive finish.
XIIIIIIIIY I’m sure as he gets stronger he will have his
chance to get revenge!
9-+-+-+-+0{
G AB Merry
9+-+-+kZ-0 O NG Pert
9-+-+-Z-+0 Bury Open, 2010 [Pert]
9zp+p+-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+nV-+-+0 9R+-+-+-+0{
9Z-Z-+-+-0 9+-+-+pzk0
9K+-+-+-+0 9-+-+p+-z0
9+-+-+-+-0 9z-+pS-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-ZnV-+0
Alan uses a good practical idea, advancing the
f-pawn to f6 in order to free up the bishop in
some positions.
9v-+-ZK+-0
46…a4 47 c5 d2 48 b2 e4 49 e7 9-+-t-ZPZ0
g5 50 c2 e6 51 d3 g8 9+-+-+-+-0
Black waits patiently, but White can break
through by bringing the king in via f3–g4 etc. xiiiiiiiiy
52 d6 f7 53 e5 g8 54 e3 f7 33…f5!! 34 g3 g5+ 35 f4 ×d4+! 36
55 f3 d8 56 e3 e6 57 d3 g8 e×d4 c1# 0–1
58 g3 f7 59 f2 g8 60 b6 f7 61
e3 g8 62 f3 g5+ 63 f4 
After some manoeuvring the white king finally
December 2014.indd 652 11/12/2014 13:03:21

G AV Ivanov 59…×d5? 60 f4 would win the h-pawn.

O W So 60 c7 ×d5 61 e6?
Millionaire Open, Las Vegas, 2014 [Pert]
XIIIIIIIIY
In the Millionaire Open Wesley So scooped
9-+-+-+-+0{
a huge $100,000 first prize. In this game he
pushed the boat out a little and got the re-
9+-+-+-+-0
ward. White is trying to stay solid and hold
9-+-zN+-+0
a draw. So goes for a risky idea.
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+n+-+p0
9-+-+-+-+0{ 9-+-+k+-Z0
9+-+n+-+-0 9+-+-+-M-0
9p+-z-+k+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9Z-+Pzp+p0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+P+-+-Z0 xiiiiiiiiy
The key mistake in the endgame. White could
9+N+-+KZ-0 have still saved a draw, although in a practical
9-+-+-+-+0 game it is not easy to find all the best moves.
61 e8 e5 62 g7 f4 63 f3 d5 64 e3
9+-+-+-+-0 d4+ 65 f3 g6 66 ×h5 ×h4+ 67 e2.
62 f2 f5 63 g5+ f4 64
xiiiiiiiiy 61…e7
f7
52…f4!? 53 g×f4?! 64 f7 d5 Now White will lose a second pawn
53 d2! f6 (53…f×g3 54 e4! is good for and the game.
White, targeting d6) 54 g×f4 f5 55 f×e5 ×e5
56 e3, when White is fine and Black must also 0–1
be careful!
53…f5 54 f×e5?! 
54 e3 e×f4+ 55 d4 Looking for a c5 break
may be the best defence. 55…g4 56 c5 Jonathan Hawkins managed to secure his
d×c5+ 57 ×c5 ×c5 58 ×c5 f3 59 d6 f2 60 overdue final GM norm at the Isle of Man.
d7 f1 61 d8 White queens and fortunately I don’t think that he was intending on play-
protects both pawns at the same time, which
should give him good chances to hold a draw.
ing the tournament originally, as my un-
derstanding is that all the conditions had
54…×e5+ 55 g3 ×c4 56 d4+ e4 been offered. As the tournament clashed
57 e6 ×a5?! with me moving house, the organiser very
57…×d5 58 f4+ (58 c7+ e5 59 ×a6 kindly agreed to transfer my conditions to
×a5 leaves White with a difficult position) 58…
e5 59 ×h5 ×a5 Again White is struggling,
Jonathan, who duly made the most of his
but may be able to draw with accurate play. opportunity. Here is an interesting end-
game from his game in Round 1.
58 c7 c4 59 ×a6 e3
December 2014.indd 653 11/12/2014 13:03:22

G B Dahl 61 c6?
O J Hawkins
XIIIIIIIIY
Poker Stars, Isle of Man, 2014 [Pert]
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0{
9-+-+-+-+0{ 9+-+-+-+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9-+Q+-+-+0
9-+-+-+pm0 9+P+-+-+-0
9+P+-+-+p0 9-+-+-z-z0
9-+-W-z-+0 9+-+-+q+-0
9w-+-+-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-M-+k0
9+-+-M-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy
61 f2! c3+ (61…×f2+ 62 ×f2 h3 63 b6 h2
xiiiiiiiiy 64 b7 f3 65 b8 is a funny drawing line!) 62 f1
d3+ 63 e1 ×b5 64 ×h4+ g2 65 ×f4=.
51…g3+
61…g2!
Maybe Jonathan assumed that anything won,
61…g2? 62 c2+ g1 63 c5+ h1 64
but the advanced b-pawn causes some serious
f2 leads to a drawn position.
problems. 51…a5+ 52 f2 ×b5 53 ×f4+
g7 54 c7+ f6 looks stronger, when Black 62 ×g2+ ×g2 63 b6 f3 64 b7 f2+ 65
should be able to avoid the White checks at d2 f1 66 b8
some point and advance his pawns. Technically
Since the h-pawn is so advanced, this is win-
this is a drawn position – amazingly – but in
ning for Black. If the pawn were on h6 or h7, for
practice it would be very difficult for White.
example, it would be drawn.
52 f1 f3+ 53 e1 h4 54 h8+!
66…f2+ 67 d1 f3+ 68 c1 h3 69
54 b6 h3 55 d2 h2 56 h8+ g5 57 ×h2 g8+ h1 70 h7 f1+ 71 d2 g1!
e3+ 58 c2 ×b6 is crushing.
71…h2? 72 e3! draws, as now White can
54…g5 55 e5+ g4 56 e6+ h5 57 make a perpetual in many lines.
e2!
72 e3 f2+ 73 d3 g2 74 c4 f4+
Very strong play from White, really making life 75 b5 h2 76 g6+ f2 77 c2+ g3
difficult for Jonathan.
78 g6+ h4 79 h7+ g4
57…g4 All White’s logical checks can now be blocked
57…×e2+?? 58 ×e2 h3 59 f2! g5 60 b6 with a check, so Black is on the verge of win-
g4 61 b7 h2 62 g2 wins for White. ning, but now Baard blundered his queen.
58 e6+ g3 59 ×g6+ h2 60 c2+ Overall a well played endgame by both play-
ers, but ultimately Baard Dahl missed a chance
h1 to grab a draw with 61 f2, and after that
White has played the endgame brilliantly, but Jonathan never game him another chance.
now he makes a slip.
80 b1 b8+ 0–1
December 2014.indd 654 11/12/2014 13:03:22

The Shock of the New

Theo Slade
[email protected]
“…And You’ll Play Like Tal…”

Seven rounds into my first Eu- misunderstanding of the position, but on clos-
ropean Youth Championships er inspection 5…b6 looks like one of the best
moves here. Naturally, I expected 5…d5, stop-
and I was in need of some in- ping any e4 ideas for the moment.
spiration. I had played very
6 e4
solidly, picking up a reasona-
ble number of points in my usual positional This is too natural not to be played.
style, but I needed something different to 6…d5
try to defeat my strong opponents. I turned After this move I had a short think, but I was
to my Mum, a qualified hypnotherapist. A always going to play…
calming, relaxing session followed, but the 7 e5
words that stuck in my mind were “…and …as I really wanted to play a French structure.
you’ll play like Tal…”. Not only did it make sense in this position, as I
can exchange off my bad bishop for my oppo-
G T Slade nent’s good bishop, but also I play the French
O V Dobrovoljc for both colours, whilst my opponent has virtu-
European Youth Championships, 2014 ally no connection with the opening at all.
Torre Attack A46 [Slade]
7…fd7 8 ×e7
1 d4 f6 2 g5 e6 3 f3 It turns out that this February a junior friend
of mine, Stephen Whatley, played 8 h4 in this
3 e4 is what I’d normally do here, but because exact position! He managed to get a good po-
my opponent usually plays the King’s Indian sition out of the opening, but eventually lost a
Defence, I wanted to make him suffer in a tough game.
structure that he isn’t used to.
8…×e7 9 d3 0–0
3…c5
“Into the valley of death!” was my first thought!
In this game it made sense to avoid a theoreti- Usually, Black can’t get away with castling so
cal duel, and thus I made the fairly easy deci- early in the French as White is in a position to
sion to play… play a Greek Gift sacrifice. Alas, such sacrifices
4 c3 do not always work, as I was about to find out
…here. the hard way!
4…e7 5 bd2 10 h4
To my great surprise, This move seemed positionally justified to me,
as White has a space advantage on the king-
5…b6 side, as well as more pieces on that side of the
is the most popular response! Players as strong board. Although I would say I’m more of a po-
as Tal (!) have played this move, and yet dur- sitional player, I still feel an obligation to try to
ing the game I simply considered it a mis- find the best moves, even if they don’t fit my
take. Indeed, at first sight it seems like a basic style. Hold on tight – we’re in for a rollercoaster
December 2014.indd 655 11/12/2014 13:03:22

ride! 12…h8?? fails simply to 13 h5+ g8 14

I should point out that 10 e2 does not pre- h7#
vent the exchange of the light-squared bish- I was experiencing a few problems analysing
ops as Black can play 10…a5! followed by … 12…h6 at the board – there were no clear
a6. mates for me, but equally Black’s pieces don’t
10…a6 11 ×h7+?? coordinate too well either. In a similar fashion
to the 12…g6 line, I assumed that the posi-
By now my eyes were firmly fixated on this sac- tion would turn out well for me after 13 df3.
rifice – in fact I have been building up to it for Now my main idea is to trap the black king on
many moves! However, it has to be said that my the side of the board with my queen on the
calculation left much to be desired here. I was c1–h6 diagonal. In the meantime, it appears
very excited, as it’s not every day that I have the at first sight that the majority of Black’s army
opportunity to beat a strong player so quickly, are still sleeping! Five out of seven Black pieces
but this is what I thought I had at this point in are standing on the edge of the board, and the
the game. Unfortunately for me, the game was queen is hardly leading by example. Of course,
much more interesting than it arguably should it goes without saying that Stockfish prefers
have been after this sacrifice, and after a while Black here.
it was clear who was having all the fun.
Of course, having got this far it would have 13 de4
been a major concession to play 11 ×a6 here. 13 h5 There are absolutely no excuses for
After 11…×a6, not only is Black clearly better, missing 13…d3 here. Basically, this is the
he also has a clear and achievable plan on the move that keeps Black alive in this position.
queenside. In my opinion, having a plan is of Usually Black still has his light squared bishop
the utmost importance in a practical game… on c8 in these positions and it ruins the party
and maybe even in everyday life! Often, I find by coming to f5, so maybe this confused me
myself drifting in a game, even when the com- in some way. If White tries 14 de4 here then
puter likes my position, because I simply can’t there is no letting up – 14…×e4 is still win-
find a feasible plan. ning for Black in all variations.
11…×h7 13…d8
Naturally, if Black declines the Greek Gift with Unfortunately for Black, he can’t just take the
11…h8?? then White will obtain a dominat- knight with 13…d×e4 as 14 h5 is mating.
ing position after 12 g5 g6 13 df3 c×d4 14
c×d4. 14 d6
14 h5 looks brilliant at first sight, but un-
12 g5+ g8 fortunately fails to 14…f8 15 d6 ×d6 16
During the game I was seriously freaking out e×d6 d7.
as I thought that I had lost the game inside
the first eleven moves, and my opponent was 14…f6 15 h5 f8 16 e×f6
pacing up and down in the aisle. What to do? After a few forced moves we finally arrive at the
Thankfully, before my cold sweat became vis- critical position for this Greek Gift sacrifice.
ible I found a rather flashy move. I had looked 16…×f6
at 12…g6 for quite a while, but eventually
decided that Black’s king is too open to survive When I played 16 e×f6 I thought that 16…
for long after 13 c2+! f5 14 e×f6+ ×f6. In g×f6?? was forced. This would have left White
the game I couldn’t see much further than this with a beautiful, albeit risky, position after 17
position, as I was simply hoping that some- df7 f×g5 18 h×g5, with amazing compensa-
thing would turn up. Here my silicon friend tion for the sacrificed material.
points out the thematic 15 h3!± with a sub- 17 df7 g6 18 h6 d7 19 e5
stantial advantage. In fact, White is probably
It appears that Black is winning and there are
already winning in a practical human (!) game.
December 2014.indd 656 11/12/2014 13:03:22

very few attacking chances left in the position queenside, but I found another tactical shot
for White to try and swindle a result. However… and managed to win the exchange.
19…g7?? 26…b7 27 c7 c6 28 ×a8+-
19…c×d4! 20 c×d4 c7 would have been suf- After having moved this knight twelve (!) times
ficient for a winning advantage. However, I can and captured two rooks, it seems fitting that
completely understand my opponent’s haste the rather chubby steed should be captured
to trade the queens off. on a8.
20 ×d7 28…×a8
With this queen sacrifice, I am now back in the Now we enter the technical stage of the game,
game and I have also succeeded in unsettling which is distinctly less interesting than the ear-
my opponent – he blunders yet again shortly lier phase. To be quite frank I was very pleased
afterwards! about this, as I was getting a bit short of time.
20…×h6 21 f6+ g7 22 e8+ g8 29 0–0–0
23 f6+ h8 Not a move you play on move 29 every day!
Of course, there is a repetition after 23…g7 29…b7 30 a3
24 e8+ g8 25 f6+.
With this move I was trying to open some files
24 f7+ g7 25 ×h6 for my rooks, as at the moment they seem rath-
After my earlier tactical shot, Dobrovoljc takes er shut in by my plethora of pawns. (How have I
the wrong knight. managed to lose only one pawn so far?)
25…×h6?? 30…a5 31 g4
Now I set about mobilising my kingside major-
XIIIIIIIIY ity – a passed pawn in this kind of position is
9rs-+-s-+0 usually very important.
31…a6 32 f4?
9z-+-+-+-0 This weak move just misses the threat of my
9lz-+pSpm0 opponent’s last. In my haste I missed the very
natural and obvious 32 he1! which gives
9+-zp+-+-0 White a perfect position. Not only is it impos-
sible for White to lose here, as he has so many
9-+-Z-+-Z0 resources left, but also it’s possible to torture
Black for the rest of the game – even if I haven’t
9+-Z-+-+-0 got much time.
9PZ-+-ZP+0 32…e2 33 g5+
9T-+-M-+R0[ A sad necessity.
33…g7?
xiiiiiiiiy Returning the favour. Black’s king needs to
I’m very proud of myself for finding that 25…
be active to have any chance of holding this
×f6 is approximately equal, but the material
tricky position. 33…h5 was the move I was
is so unbalanced that it’s difficult to believe the
correctly worried about during the game. With
game would end in a draw from here.
not much time left and fatigue beginning to
26 e8 set in after a long, gruelling tournament, I was
It seems very natural to try to develop one fearing the worst as I began to realise the im-
of my rooks here, or even castle kingside or portance of my previous mistake. In this situ-
ation, it’s hard to play your best chess, as your
December 2014.indd 657 11/12/2014 13:03:22

erroneous moves earlier in the game begin to In the meantime, White can push his passed
play tricks on your mind. However, after 34 d2 pawn and activate his king with a mind to put-
f3 35 f1 White should still be doing well. ting pressure on Black’s isolani on d3.
34 d2 f3 35 h3 g4 36 g3 f5 43…e5
After a more or less forced sequence of moves, Here I never even considered accepting my
I find myself at a critical juncture. The queen- opponent’s draw offer. I have an objectively
side pawn structure can go any which way, and winning position, and by playing on I force my
here I decided to take matters into my own opponent to play very accurately to hold the
hands. draw. At this point I considered my position
“unloseable”.
37 d×c5! b×c5 38 c4! d×c4 39 c3 d4 40
×d4! 44 f×e5 e6 45 ×a5 d4 46 d5?
With this strong sacrifice, which I had foreseen
before my 37th move, I could breathe a sigh
XIIIIIIIIY
of relief as I had finally reached the time con-
trol after a prolonged period of sitting rather
9-+-+-+k+0{
uncomfortably. Naturally, after this I now had 9+-+-+-+-0
the luxury of an additional 30 minutes to try to
calculate a path to victory. 9-+-+-+p+0
40…c×d4 41 ×c4 d3? 9+-+RZlZ-0
By now I considered Black’s position very dif-
ficult to hold, but there was still one more
9-+-s-+-Z0
fighting chance: 41…d7! 42 ×d4 c5 43
c4 b3+ 44 d1 Although White should still
9Z-+p+-+-0
win from this position, the task has become
much harder, as Black has managed to acti-
9-Z-+-+-+0
vate his pieces as well as clamp down on my 9+-M-+-+-0
queenside majority. Black’s bishop is especially
well placed, as it holds the slightly weakened xiiiiiiiiy
kingside pawn structure together whilst at the This move seems very natural and I probably
same time cutting off White’s king from ap- played it too quickly. If I had thought for a bit
proaching the queenside. longer I may have found the accurate 46 a4!
and now if 46…b3+ then 47 d1 is simply
42 c7+ g8 43 a7?! winning for White. The rook looks incredibly
This move is technically the strongest, as it awkward on a4, but it does prevent any …
completely removes any risk of losing, but g4+ ideas for Black, which is very handy.
at the same time it increases the risk of not 46…b3+ 47 d1
winning. You can’t have it all! In the resulting
bishop endgame, which I considered forced, I Naturally, 47 b1?? d2+ 48 a2 c1+ 49 a1
hoped that I would be able to put more pres- d3 would have been tragic!
sure on my opponent, but as it turned out I 47…g4+??
played one too many safe king moves.
Again, as is often the case, the most natural
I had had every intention of playing 43 b4!
move loses! After this move Dobrovoljc gives
a×b4 44 a×b4 e5 45 f×e5, but unfortunately
me a dream position on a plate – he literally
I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to 45…
forces me to reach a winning endgame after
e6 over the board. However, it turns out that
which only I could mess up! But in all serious-
I should have trusted my intuition and played
ness, it must have been extremely difficult
the calm 46 c4!, when Black’s counterplay
for Dobrovoljc to bring himself to play the
chances have been reduced to almost zero.
December 2014.indd 658 11/12/2014 13:03:22

XIIIIIIIIY
cold-blooded 47…f7 48 d6 e7.
48 e1 d2+ 49 ×d2 ×d2 50 ×d2 f7
9-+-+-+-+0
51 e3 e6 52 f4 9+-+-M-+-0
This still wins, but there is some work to do. 52
d4! was deadly accurate here ow if 52…
9-+-+-+p+0
d1 then 53 b4 a4 54 c5! ×e5 55 b5 wins. 9+-+-ZkZ-0
52…d1 53 e4?
Maybe this is a sign of my bad form, or maybe
9-Zl+-+-Z0
I relaxed because the draw was in sight. Either 9+-+-+-+-0
way, this was still an awful move. 53 b4 was way
more natural, and yet I still hesitated to play it! 9-+-+-+-+0
53…a4 54 e4 c6+ 55 d4 with a huge
position. Black’s defences are useless against 9+-+-+-+-0[
the avalanche of pawns coming his way.
xiiiiiiiiy
53…b3 This even loses! I should have acquiesced to
I honestly don’t blame Dobrovoljc for offering the draw here and played the prosaic 61 e6
a draw here. In fact, it was quite funny – he was ×e6 62 b5 c4 63 b6 a6 64 e7 c8, when
almost pointing out my inaccuracy in an offi- the players can sign the scoresheet with a clear
cial way, like he was announcing the position conscience.
was drawn. I would have done the same thing! 61…×e5 62 f8 f5 63 g7 d3??
54 d4 f5 55 a4?? By now both of us were virtually blitzing as we
This move finally throws away the win, but by had calculated until the final position, but here
now it was quite difficult to see. After 55 c3 Dobrovoljc and I miss a curious win: 63…e2
I would have obtained a winning position. The was easy to see really, but neither I nor my op-
point is that after 55…e6 I have the fearless ponent was expecting something like this to
56 b4 ×e5 57 b5 d6 58 b4 c7 59 a4, happen. For such a long time in this endgame,
with a crushing position. On reflection, I really I have been accustomed to thinking the that
should have found this, but having missed so position was “unloseable”, only to realise to
many simpler wins previously it almost didn’t my horror that this was not the case. 64 h6
seem fair for me to be able to win even here. h5. By now the win is easy, as the Black king
is within the “square” of the White pawn on b4.
55…×a4 56 d5 b3+ 57 d6
64 h6 g4 65 b5 ×b5
This was obviously my idea, but it’s not enough
to score a full point. 65…×h4 66 b6 e4 67 b7 ×b7 68 ×g6
e4+ 69 f6 h5 70 g6 ×g6 is another
57…g8 58 b4 c4 59 c5 f1 60 d6 drawing line.
c4 61 e7?? 66 ×g6 ×h4 67 f6 d3 68 g6 ×g6
Here I had the decency to let my opponent’s
bishop off the hook – it has been a loyal serv-
Diary ant to Dobrovoljc for the entire game and it
4NCL FIDE Rated Congress, Holiday seems fitting that it’s the only piece to survive
Inn, Birmingham Airport, 30th the duration of the battle!
January–1st February. Open, U2000/ ½–½
U175, U135. www.4ncl.co.uk/fide/ I think it’s fair to say that my Mum’s a good
information.htm hypnotherapist!
December 2014.indd 659 11/12/2014 13:03:22

Games Department
IM Andrew Martin
[email protected]
The decisive game from last the backward d-pawn and (2) his king. Neither
round of the Poker Stars Isle of seems especially difficult to handle, and with
two bishops, Black should have a good game.
Man Masters. To set the scene, It seems to me that the main impact of this
both players have 6.5/8 at this line with 6 d5 is psychological. Black is intimi-
point and first prize is on the line. dated by the thought of his king being drawn
out into the open and thus rejects the most
G ND Short natural continuation. I don’t see any advan-
O DWL Howell tage for White here: 9…c6 (9…d6 10 f3
Poker Stars, Isle of Man, 2014 e7 11 0–0 ×c3 12 b×c3 c6 13 g5+ (13
Nimzo-Indian, Rubinstein E47 [Martin] h5+ g8 14 g5 f5) 13…g8 14 e4 d8
15 g5 e6) 10 f3 g8 11 e4 d6 12 0–0 (12
1 c4 f4? f6 with advantage to Black) 12…e6 13
Nigel makes himself impossible to prepare for h5 f6 14 d5 d7=.
these days by playing everything. 8 ge2 bd7 9 0–0 a6 10 a4 b8
1…f6 2 c3 e6 3 d4 b4 4 e3 0–0 5 A typical Benoni pawn structure has arisen,
d3 c5 6 d5 with Black trying to mobilize his queenside
majority, whereas White masses in the centre
XIIIIIIIIY and tries to time e4–e5 or f4–f5 to start an
attack.
9rslw-tk+0 11 h3 e8 12 h1
9zp+p+pzp0 Nigel concentrates on taking away any Black
tactics in the centre, and he is now ready to get
9-+-+ps-+0 his pawns moving. But the plan is a bit slow
9+-zP+-+-0 and Black should have no problem obtaining
counterplay.
9-vP+-+-+0 12…e5
9+-SLZ-+-0 12…a5 13 e4 h6! is very reasonable for Black,
with …h7–h6 a key move, stopping g5. 14 f4
9PZ-+-ZPZ0 c4 15 c2 (15 ×c4 ×e4 16 ×e4 ×e4 17 b3
c5) 15…×c3 16 ×c3 b5.
9T-VQM-SR0{ 13 c2 b5 14 a×b5 a×b5 15 e4 d7 16 f4
xiiiiiiiiy g6 17 g3
Played twice by Korchnoi against Karpov in Very typical play has led to an unclear situation,
Baguio City, 1978 – a suggestion of Yasha which probably suited both of them. I was not
Murey I believe. It has very rarely been seen there, but I am guessing that David was behind
since then. Much hinges on whether Black can on time at this point, maybe even critically so,
take twice on d5. and this may have prompted the coming error.
6…e×d5 7 c×d5 d6 17…a5?!
7…×d5 is critical and then 8 ×h7+ ×h7 Leads to some tactical issues. More prudent
9 ×d5. Black has two issues to deal with: (1)
December 2014.indd 660 11/12/2014 13:03:22

was 17…h6! It is so important to prevent g5. 30 c1! f6 31 ×f6!

18 f5 e5 19 g5! The knight has brutalised Black’s entire
Now we see that White is ready to take on f6, kingside.
as the bishop on a5 hangs and h5 is also a 31…×f6
dangerous threat. 31…×g2 32 ×g2 ×h4 33 g5+ f7 34
19…b4 20 ce2 b5 21 ×f6 g×f6 22 ×h4 a1 looks like a serious bid for coun-
h5 terplay, but the black king is too exposed: 35
g4! ×g4 36 h7+ e8 37 h8+ d7 38
22 h5 is tempting, but it may be that 22 a4! h×g4 ×b1 39 f3 c2+ 40 g3. The white
is even better. The exchange of light-squared queen does a sterling job, protecting against
bishops is positionally extremely favourable …c4–c3.
to White, as it takes away all of Black’s tactical
ideas in the centre. 32 ×h8 f7 33 f3 g3 34 e5+
22…b3 23 b1 h8 24 f4 Clearing the decks. 34 f8! also wins easily.
White goes for it. 24 ×a5, anticipating the 34…d×e5 35 h6+ e7
game, was playable here too: 24…×a5 25 35…×h6 36 ×h6+ f7 37 f6.
×f6 ed8 26 c1 g7 27 g5+ f8 28
×h7+. Due to the pin on the knight at e2, it 36 g6
may be that White has nothing better then a 36 e6+ d8 37 ×e5 ×e5 38 ×e5.
perpetual: 28…e8 29 f6+ f8 30 h7+.
36…×f3 37 g×f3 a7 38 e1 c5 39
24…g8 25 h4 g5 26 g1 c4? h4+ d7 40 f6 d8 41 g8 g1+
He has forgotten about White’s main tactical Very entertaining for a last-round game with
idea. Black has ample play after either 26… so much at stake.
b4 or 26…b6 27 f3 c4!? 28 d4 e8.
1–0
27 ×a5!
XIIIIIIIIY 
9-t-w-+-m0 The Fort Knox variation of the French has
9+-+-+p+p0 always been regarded as solid, but slightly
9-+-z-z-+0 passive. Black relies on White coming for-
ward aggressively and then picking him off
9Tl+PsPtN0 as he arrives. Here we see a new interpre-
9-+p+P+-T0 tation by Baadur Jobava, the creative Geor-
gian GM.
9+p+-+-+P0 G R Kasimdzhanov
9-Z-+-+P+0 O B Jobava
FIDE GP, Tashkent, 2014
9+L+Q+-SK0{ French, Fort Knox C10 [Martin]
xiiiiiiiiy 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 c3 d×e4 4 ×e4 d7
Quite crushing. White’s attack arrives immedi-
ately and the black pieces are uncoordinated. 5 f3 c6 6 d3 d7 7 0–0 gf6 8 g3
27…×a5 28 ×f6 g7 29 ×h7 h8 Ultra-aggressive ideas such as 8 eg5 are eas-
ily rebuffed by simple development: 8…d6 9
December 2014.indd 661 11/12/2014 13:03:22

e2 h6 10 ×e6 f×e6 11 ×e6+ e7. White is duly provoked. 12…0–0 13 h5 a5
14 c3 fe8, and White has an advantage; N
8…g6!? Djukic–A Rakhmanov, Sarajevo, 2014.
XIIIIIIIIY 9…g7 10 d5!?
9r+-wkv-t0 White could settle for 10 b3 but wants to pun-
ish Black for his eccentricity.
9zpzn+p+p0
10…e×d5 11 e1+ f8 12 c×d5
9-+l+psp+0 12 d4 led to very unusual play in another
9+-+-+-+-0 Jobava game: 12…g8 13 c2 f8 14
×c6 b×c6 15 a4 d6 16 c×d5 c×d5 17
9-+-Z-+-+0 f4 One would think White has to be bet-
ter here, but with the black king so solidly
9+-+L+NS-0 fortified, Jobava has time to develop seri-
9PZP+-ZPZ0 ous counterplay: 17…b6 18 e3 c5 19 b4
×b4 20 c6 e8 21 ×c5 ×c5 22 ×c5
9T-VQ+RM-0[ e6 23 ac1 (23 ×a7 a8 24 e3 g4
25 ad1 ×e3 26 ×e3 ×a2 is better for
xiiiiiiiiy Black) 23…h5! 24 ×a7 a8 25 b6 h4 26
f1 h3 27 b1 h×g2 28 ×g2 d4! Excellent
Jobova argues that the Bishop has a better fu-
ture on g7 than it does on e7. I agree, but you play by Black. Now White (Sergei Karyakin)
would still think that White could establish a had to really struggle to stay in the game; S
nice spatial edge. Karyakin–B Jobava, Loo, 2014.
9 c4 12…×d5 13 c2 c6
Kasimdzhanov chooses straightforward oc- Rejecting 13…×f3 14 g×f3 d5.
cupation of the centre. Naturally White has a
choice, although recent games do not see him XIIIIIIIIY
getting great results.
9 b3 g7 10 a3 Preventing castling.
9r+-w-m-t0
Black can even play 10…f8?! here, but it 9zpzn+pvp0
appears better to angle to castle long. 10…
×f3 (10…f8 11 b2 g7 12 c4 0–0 13 e1 9-+-+-+p+0
e8 14 h3 b6 15 e2 b7 16 ad1 e7, with
a small edge for White; M Perunovic–B Tadic,
9+-+n+-+-0
Palic, 2014) 11 ×f3 c6 12 c4 (12 d6 is an- 9-+-+-+-+0
swered by 12…b6, and then Black can castle
on either side, depending on where the bishop
9+-+L+PS-0
goes) 12…c7 13 fe1 0–0–0 14 ad1 h5 15 9PZQ+-Z-Z0
c1 g4! The pressure against the d4 pawn
is an important aspect of this line and here 9T-V-T-M-0[
forces White to lose a bit of time. 16 c2 h6
17 ×h6 ×h6 18 d5 e×d5 19 c×d5 c×d5 20
xiiiiiiiiy
I quite like this for Black.
×g6!? Unnecessary. (20 ×d5 c5 21 f3
preserves a White edge) 20…f×g6 21 c1 c5 14 g5 g8 15 f4 f8 16 ad1 a5 17
22 b4 hf8 23 e3 g4 24 ×c5 ×c5 25 a3 d8
×c5+ b8 26 f3 f6=; D Solak–B Jobava,
Tromsø, 2014.
9 e2 ×f3 10 ×f3 c6 11 e1 g7 12 h4!
December 2014.indd 662 11/12/2014 13:03:22

9-+-t-skt0 9-+-t-+-t0
9zp+-+pvp0 9V-w-+pm-0
9-+p+-sp+0 9-zp+-vpz0
9w-+l+-S-0 9+-+L+-+-0
9-+-+-V-+0 9-+-s-+-+0
9Z-+L+-S-0 9Z-+-+-SP0
9-ZQ+-ZPZ0 9-ZQ+-ZP+0
9+-+RT-M-0[ 9+-+RT-M-0[
Black is challenging White to make an impres- Perhaps overlooked. White has insoluble tacti-
sion, and if he does not do so, then …h6 and cal problems
…h7 will follow with no compensation for
the pawn whatsoever. Kasimdzhanov seems
26 a4
unsure how to break down the black fortress. 26 ×d4 ×d4 27 ×b6 ×b6 28 f3 ×b2–
+; 26 ×b6 ×b6!–+; 26 c4 ×d5 27 a6
18 d2 b6 19 e3 c7 20 h3 h6 21 d7! 28 ×b6 f3+–+.
5e4 e6 22 ×f6+ ×f6 23 e4 g7
26…×d5 27 a6 d7 28 ×d4 ×d4
24 ×a7?
29 ×b6 c5 30 a5 ×b2 31 c4 d4
Can the variation 24 ×d5 ×d5 25 ×d5 c×d5
26 ×c7 ×c7 27 ×a7 be so bad for White?
32 c3 a8 33 e3 ×a3
The activity of the black bishop is striking, but For the time being then, Black’s idea survives. It
maybe White can hold. The game move is just might be particularly effective against a known
a mistake. aggressive or impatient opponent.
24…b6 25 ×d5 d4! 0–1
Test Your Chess

IM Shaun Taulbut
[email protected]
You have the Black pieces predicting moves 8, 13, 16, 18, 24 and 38. Slide
alongside English Grandmaster, a piece of paper down the page – don’t slip on
Gawain Jones. You face an IM, the ice – revealing a move at a time. And for
Asaf Givon of Israel. Givon was goodness sake wrap up warm!
seventh equal in this year’s Is- G A Givon
raeli championship in Beer Sheva. We are now O GCB Jones
in the Isle of Man. Start trying to predict the PokerStars, Isle of Man, 2014
moves at Black’s third move. Extra credit for Pirc B09 [Taulbut]
December 2014.indd 663 11/12/2014 13:03:22

1 e4 d6 2 d4 f6 3 c3 g6 2 points for this centralising move which plans

2 points; the Pirc/Modern invites White to build to increase the pressure on the White centre.
up a big pawn centre which will later, if all goes 11 0–0
to plan, come under attack. The kingside fian-
chetto aims for pressure on the central dark 11…ad8
squares. 2 points; Black is not yet in a position to break
4 f4 the centre with the thematic …f6, but White
decides to prevent this anyway.
White accepts the challenge. This continuation
is called The Austrian Attack. 12 c2
4…g7 12…×f3
1 point for this normal developing move, pre- 2 points for this move, exploiting the pressure
paring to castle. on the d-file.
5 d3 13 g×f3
5…0–0 XIIIIIIIIY
2 points for this move bringing the king into
safety. 2 points similarly for the alternative 5… 9-+-t-tk+0{
c5, immediately striking at the centre.
9zpz-zpvp0
6 f3
9-+n+-+p+0
6…c6
2 points for this or the alternative 6…a6
9+-+qZ-+n0
which, of course, aims to support the advance
…c5.
9-+-Z-+-+0
7 e5 9+-Z-+P+-0
White plays a solid line, seizing the centre. 9PZL+N+-Z0
7…d×e5
1 point; Black exchanges in order to put pres-
9T-VQ+RM-0
sure on the White pawn on d4. xiiiiiiiiy
13 ×f3 ×e5 wins a pawn, so White’s king-
8 f×e5 side is slightly weakened.
8…h5! 13…×e5!
3 points. By playing the knight here, Black re- A bold piece sacrifice which scores 3 points for
tains the pressure against the white pawn on ingenuity; yet, objectively, not the best move.
d4. This suggestion of Fischer’s has become the Alternatives 13…a5! or 13…h8! also score
main line. 2 points for Spassky’s 8…g4, but 3.
only 1 for 8…d5.
14 d×e5
9 e2
14…c5+
9…g4 2 points. A forcing move.
2 points.
15 d4
10 c3
15…×e5
10…d5
December 2014.indd 664 11/12/2014 13:03:22

XIIIIIIIIY
2 points; Black keeps up the pressure, eyeing
9-+-t-tk+0 d3 and e2.
9zpz-zp+p0 20 e1
Or 20 b3 a6 21 e3 is an alternative path.
9-+-+-+p+0 20…fe8
9+-w-v-+n0 2 points; Black simply maintains his position.
9-+-S-+-+0 20…c5 – tricky – and now if 21 b3 (21 e4)
21…f2 which scores a point.
9+-Z-+P+-0 21 b3
9PZL+-+-Z0 21…c5
9T-VQ+RM-0[ XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+-tr+k+0
2 points; Black’s pressure on the position has
increased and it is hard to see what is best for 9zpz-+p+p0
White.
16 e3
9-+-+-+p+0
Probably best is the cold-blooded defence 16 9+-w-z-+-0
f4 ×d4+ 17 c×d4 ×d4 18 e3 ×d1 (the
spectacular 18…×f4! is well met by 19 f3 9-+-S-s-+0
(19 ×d4 g5+ 20 f2 d8) 19…×c2 20 9+LZ-+P+-0
×f4) 19 ×c5 ×a1 20 ×a1 d8 21 e3,
with an edge for White.
16 h1 ×d4 17 c×d4 ×d4 18 e2 is also
9PZ-+-+-Z0
playable. 9T-W-T-+K0[
16…f4! xiiiiiiiiy
3 points for this move, gaining access to the g5 1 point; the Black queen maintains the threat
square. of invasion.
17 ×f4 22 e3
17…×f4 22…d5
1 point; the knight is well placed here. We are halfway through, so stick with it!
2 points for this tactical move.
18 h1
White avoids the immediate threat of …g5+. 23 g5
If 23 ×d5 e×d4 24 ×e8+ ×e8 25 ×e8+
18…e5!
g7 26 e4 b5 Black has counterplay
3 points. A nasty move to meet. Givon has the against the white pawns, which is sufficient
edge still, but defending is proving difficult. compensation for the material deficit, but this
19 c1 may be best for the Israeli.
19 b3 b5 20 e1 is a good defence, but 23…h6
the move played has its virtues. 2 points; another cunning move keeping up
19…c4 the pressure.
December 2014.indd 665 11/12/2014 13:03:22

24 e6 29 e2
After playing well White makes a mistake, los- 29…f8
ing the game. 24 g4 e×d4 25 ×e8+ ×e8 26
d7 e5 27 c×d4 ×d4 28 d1 f4 29 ×d5 1 point; Black prevents an invasion along the
c6 30 e4 ×e4 31 f×e4 ×e4+ is best, with a e-file.
draw by perpetual check. 30 ed2
24…f2! 30…6d7
3 points for this decisive invasion. 2 points preparing to unpin and – in the mean-
25 g3 time – White has no useful plan.
After 25 ×d8 h×g5 wins or 25 ×h6 ×f3+ 31 h2
26 g1 and now 26…×e6 is winning for
Black. 31…h5
1 point.
25…×g3
1 point. 32 ×d5
26 h×g3 32…×d5
1 point; the best recapture.
26…×e6
1 point; Black has foreseen that the pin on the 33 ×d5
knight can be broken. 33…×d5
27 ad1 1 point; we have reached a rook ending where
Black has an extra pawn. Black’s rook is well
27…ed6 placed on d5.
2 points; surrendering one pawn to unpin the
knight. 34 e2
28 ×e5 34…b5!
2 points; a key move, combining an advance
28…c6 on the queenside, whilst preventing White
XIIIIIIIIY from driving away the rook with c4.
35 g2
9-+-t-+k+0
35…g5
9zp+-+p+-0 2 points; Black has the plan of creating a passed
9-+pt-+pz0 pawn on the kingside.
36 f2
9+-+nT-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 36…g7
1 point; Black moves his king up to support his
9+LZ-+PZ-0 kingside pawns, whilst White cannot invade
with his rook because of …d2+.
9PZ-+-+-+0 37 f4
9+-+R+-+K0[ 37…g4
xiiiiiiiiy 1 point; 37…g×f4 38 g×f4, which scores a
1 point; the knight is defended. point, is good also.
December 2014.indd 666 11/12/2014 13:03:22

38 e3 43 ×h5
38…d1 43…×g3
3 points. Rook invasion! 1 point. Black is now two pawns up so White
resigned. His remaining pawns – just look at
39 b4 them – are all vulnerable.
39…g1 0–1
1 point; drawing the white king to the defence
of the g-pawn. Now, total your points.
40 f2 68+ Grandmaster
40…c1 59–68 International Master
2 points; now White cannot defend all his 49–58 Festive Master. If you aren’t play-
pawns. ing chess at the North Pole at least
41 e5 consider Hastings
39–48 FIDE Snowman
41…c2+ 20–38 Strong clubman. Is the Pirc/Mod-
1 point; a useful move, pushing the king to a ern new to you?
worse square. 19–29 Club standard?
42 f1 9–18 We wish you, wherever you are, a
Very Merry Christmas
42…×c3
0–9 Happy New Year from Shaun, Ste-
1 point; the Christmas Harvest begins. phen, Ian, James and John!
World Championship
2014: Part 1
IM Yang-Fan Zhou
[email protected]
Game 1 1 d4
G V Anand
Anand can fight with both e4 and d4, and
O M Carlsen
avoids any rock-solid Berlin Defences with his
World Championship 2014, choice.
Sochi
Gruenfeld, Exchange D85 1…f6 2 c4 g6 3 c3 d5
[Zhou] Surprise! Carlsen pulls out the Gruenfeld,
which he is not known for. However, Anand
December 2014.indd 667 11/12/2014 13:03:22

was unfazed and clearly had something up his 15…c×d5

sleeve, as he continued to play quickly.
4 c×d5 ×d5 5 d2
XIIIIIIIIY
Opting for a sideline. 5 e4 ×c3 6 b×c3, going 9r+-w-t-+0
into the main line, would have forced Carlsen
to show his hand, but playing into Carlsen’s 9zp+-z-mp0
preparation wouldn’t be ideal either.
9-+-+-zp+0
5…g7 6 e4 ×c3 7 ×c3 0–0 8 d2
With the bishop on c3 instead of the b-pawn
9+-+ps-+-0
there is a very different dynamic. The centre is
not as well supported, but Anand can challenge
9-+-+P+-+0
Carlsen’s strong g7 bishop on the long diagonal. 9+-W-+P+L0
8…c6 9PZ-+-Z-Z0
8…c5 is the most played move, which is met
by 9 d5. 9+-MR+-+R0[
9 f3 xiiiiiiiiy
Carlsen began thinking here, and it was evi- 16 e×d5!
dent that Anand had got the upper hand in
terms of opening preparation. 9 d5 e5 fol- Positionally a very ugly move, leaving Anand’s
lowed by c6 is fine for Black. pawn structure completely shattered.
However, it controls the key e6 square, whilst
9…g4 the doubled f-pawns can kick the strong e5
Fighting for the e5 square is key knight and be used to open up Black’s king-
side. The natural 16 ×d5? runs into 16…b6,
10 d5 ×f3 11 ×g7! threatening not only …×f2, but also e6, at-
Taking the opportunity to trade off the bish- tacking the d5 rook whilst blocking the h3
ops: 11 g×f3 e5 12 e2 c6 and Black is fine. bishop, with …c8 to follow. There is no way
See A Moiseenko–I Nepomnyashy, Yaroslavl, to defend against both threats.
2014.
16…f7 17 f4 d6 18 d4 ad8 19 e6
11…×g7 12 g×f3 e5 13 0–0–0 Preventing Carlsen from breaking free with …
The f3 pawn cannot be taken due to c3+. e5. Despite the shattered pawns, Anand has
13…c6 14 c3 f6 15 h3 very real ideas of attack to come, potentially
pushing up the h-pawn. Hence Carlsen at-
A very strong diagonal for the bishop, control- tempts to exchange queens with…
ling the important c8 square.
19…b6! 20 d2
Hoping to keep attacking ideas alive. However,
A Fairy Chess Puzzle: the queen is now on a much less influential
Solution (see p. 620) square. 20 ×b6 a×b6 may give a miniscule
The white rook moves from a1 to d1 advantage that Anand could have tried to con-
vert, for example 21 b1 d6 22 he1 f5 23
giving checkmate. This is the second
c1, and it is clear White is in the driving seat.
part of queenside casting, hence the
half a move. Alice had said: ‘… this king 20…d6!
couldn’t do too much, he couldn’t even Carlsen realises the bishop on e6 is especially
strong, and prepares to exchange it by vacat-
complete his castle …‘
ing the d8 square for his knight.
December 2014.indd 668 11/12/2014 13:03:22

Game 1 gets under way.
21 he1 Now that the pesky bishop is off the board,

A natural move, but this gives up any ideas of Carlsen has no problems.
attack down the h-file. 21 h4 d8 22 g4 c6 23…c7+ 24 b1 c8 25 de1 ×e6 26
23 h5 would have lead to an interesting fight ×e6 d8 27 e3 d7 28 d6
– Houdini gives the position as equal, for ex-
ample 23…b4 24 h×g6 h×g6 25 e6 c8+ Trading the isolated pawn.
26 b1 c2 27 e3 ×f2 28 h3 ×b2+ 29 28…e×d6 29 d4 f7 30 f×g6 h×g6 31
×b2 f2+ 30 c3 c2+ 31 d4 f2+ 32 ×d6 a6 32 a3
c3 c2+ 33 d4. A rather eventful variation!
Both players have played sensible moves and
21…d8 22 f5 ×e6 23 ×e6 an equal position results. However, Carlsen
does have the minuscule advantage of a better
XIIIIIIIIY kingside pawn structure to work with.
9-+-+-t-+0{ 32…a5 33 f4 h5 34 d2 c5 35 d5
c4 36 d7 c6 37 d6
9zp+-z-mp0 37 ×f7+ ×f7 would not be a trivial draw due
9-w-tRzp+0 to the isolated kingside pawns, but is certainly
a draw with good defence – White must be
9+-+P+P+-0 careful of Black activating his king to round up
the kingside pawns.
9-+-+-+-+0 37…e4+ 38 a2 e7 39 c1 a5 40 f1
9+-+-+-+-0 40 c8, going active, was best, but this would
9PZ-W-Z-Z0 require some reliable calculation and Anand
was in time trouble here, just before the time
9+-MR+-+-0 control. 40…×f4 41 d8 and Black cannot
escape a perpetual check.
xiiiiiiiiy
December 2014.indd 669 11/12/2014 13:03:22

40…a4 the king, where it can potentially go active, as a

The time control is reached and Anand has a queen ending is coming 44 ×b7 b3 45 ×b3
difficult defensive job ahead of him. Not only a×b3+ 46 a1 ×h2 It may not be possible to
are the f- and h-pawns weak, but he has gone defend this position – the white queen must stay
passive and the king is also uneasy thanks to passive to defend against back rank mates) 43…
the a4 pawn. ×d1 44 ×d1 b3. The rook ending is un-
pleasant due to Black’s bind on the queenside,
41 d1 c2 42 d4 but I think Anand would most likely be able to
Taking control of the fourth rank, with a nice hold this.
defensive plan in mind after… 43 b4 b5 44 h1!
XIIIIIIIIY The king is sufficiently protected by the rook
and now Anand can activate the queen to
9-+-+-+-+0{ deliver perpetual check or round up Carlsen’s
queenside pawns.
9+p+-t-m-0 44…e7 45 d5 e1 46 d7+ h6 47
9-+-+-zp+0 h3+ g7 48 d7+ ½–½
9+-+-+-+-0 A momentous opening game – Anand set
9p+-T-Z-+0 a rather different tone in comparison with
last year’s match. He showed that he is pre-
9Z-+-+-+-0 pared to take risks, for example wrecking
9KZq+-+-Z0 his own pawn structure and keeping the
queens on with attacking hopes. However,
9+-+-+Q+-0 Carlsen’s class really showed as he defend-
xiiiiiiiiy ed very precisely against Anand’s initiative,
42…e2?! and even managed to take the driving seat
towards the end of the game. Anand has an
42…e3! threatens the sneaky …×a3+ fol-
lowed by b3 mate. 43 d1 Seems like the exceptionally difficult match ahead of him.
best defence (43 d7+ h6 the best square for
December 2014.indd 670 11/12/2014 13:03:23

Spot the Continuation XI. 1 g5! ×g5 2 ×g5 c5+ (2…×g5?

Solutions (see p. 621) 3 ×f7+! ×f7 4 e8+; 2…e6 3 ×e6
I. 1…×g2+ 2 ×g2 (2 g1 b6+ 3 ×g2 ×e6 4 ×e6 ×g5 5 ×c6 ×f1+ 6 ×f1
(3 f2 h3! 4 ×g4 h×g4–+) 3…×c2+ 4 f8+ 7 e2 e8+ 8 d2) 3 h1 a4 4 a2
f1 d3! 5 ×d3 f2+ 6 g1 d2+ 7 e3 e6 5 ×e6 ×g5 6 ×c6 ad8 7 e8!
×e3 8 ×e3 ×b2–+) 2…×d1 3 ×d1 (3 and Black resigned since 7…d×e8 (7…
×c6 ×e1+–+) 3…f2+ 4 g1 ×g2+ 5 g6 8 ×f7+ ×f7 9 e8+; 7…h6 8 e7
×g2 ×d1 0–1 d6 9 ×f7+ h8 10 ×d6 ×d6 11 e8) 8
II. 1 e5! f×e5 (1…d5 2 e6+– d6 3 c4) 2 ×f7+ ×f7 9 ×e8+
g5 h×g5 (2…d7 3 f6 e6 (3…g×f6 4 g×h6) XII. 1…×c7! (not 1…f2+? 2 h1!) 2 ×c7
4 f×g7 f7 5 g×h6 b5 6 e4 b4 7 d3 b3 8 g4! 3 h×g4 f2+ 4 h2 h4+ ½–½
c3 e4 9 ×b3 e3 10 c3+–) 3 f6 1–0
III. 1…×e4! 2 ×e4 (2 a×b6 e2+ 3 f1 Endgame Studies Solutions
g2+ 4 g1 c5#) 2…b4 3 h3 ×e4 (See p. 648)
4 ×e4 ×e4 5 ×b3 h4 6 c3+ d7 7 (J Morse)
e5 h×g3+ 8 ×g3 h3+ 9 ×h3 f3+ Not 1 ×f4? as 1…f6+ 2 e×f6+ h6 3
10 h4 e7+ 11 g5 ×f4+ 0–1 g5+ h5 4 g4+ h4 5 g3+ ×h3 and stale-
IV. 1 f5! c×d4 (1…×f5 2 ×f5+–) 2 f×g6 mate follows.
h×g6 (2…h8 3 g7+ g8 4 d3 f5 5 ×f5 1 f5 ×f8+ 2 g5 e7+ and the posi-
b2 6 ×d4+–) 3 ×g6! h8 4 g7+! tion is the same as at the start, but minus the
×g7 5 ×f7+ h8 (5…g4 6 e6 d8 7 white knight on f8, so 3 ×f4 and there is no
×g4++–) 6 g6 f8 7 g8# 1–0 guard of h7 now and 3…f6+ 4 e×f6+ h6
V. 1…c1! 2 ×c1 e2+ 3 ×e2 ×c1+ 4 5 g7 releases the black king and wins.
f2 a6! 5 d3 (5 c2 d1!) 5…×a1 6
(J Sevcik)
×a6 d1 0–1
1 h6 g8 2 d5+ a1 3 ×g8 g4 4 h7
VI. 1…×f2+! 2 ×f2 (2 ×f2 f5+) 2…
f6 5 h8
×d1+ and White resigned in view of 3
×d1 ×d1+ 4 f1 ee1 5 ×e1 ×e1+ (P Michelet)
6 f2 h1 1 d6+ ×d6 2 a8+ d7 3 b8 b5 4
VII. 1 h3! ×d2 2 ×f7+ g8 3 ×g7+ ×b5 a×b5+ 5 a3 and draws as promot-
f8 4 ×h7 1–0 ing to rook or queen stalemates, and to
VIII. 1 ×h6 ×h6 2 ×h6+! ×h6 3 g6+ knight or bishop allows White to eliminate
×g6 4 ×g6+ ×h5 (4…h7 5 g5+ the last black pawn by b4 followed by a4.
h8 6 ×f7+) 5 ×e5+ g4 (5…h4 6
(PV Byway)
h6+ g5 7 ×f7+ f5 8 ×d8 ×d8 9
1 d4+ ×d4 2 f5+ g2 3 f4+ h2 4
c2+ e5 10 f4+) 6 ×g4+ h4 7 h6+
h5+ g1 5 e2+ -any 6 ×d4.
g5 8 ×f7+ ×g4 9 ×d8
If 2…e4 3 g3 mate or 2…e2 3
IX. 1 ×d5! c×d5 2 f6+ f8 3 h6+ e7
g3+ e1 4 f1 mate. In the main line, 3…
4 ×d5+ d8 5 ×b4
g1/g3 4 e2+ and 5 ×d4, or 3…f3 4
X. 1 ×d4! f4 (1…e×d4 2 ×d4 ×d4 3
e6+ e4 5 f4+ e5 6 ×d4, or 3…f1
×f5+; 1…g8 2 d5) 2 ×f4 1–0
4 e6+ f2 5 ×f2+ ×f2 6 g5.
December 2014.indd 671 11/12/2014 13:03:23

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December 2014.indd 672 11/12/2014 13:03:23

The British Chess Magazine Vol 134

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British Chess

December 2014.indd 617 11/12/2014 13:03:11

THE BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

December 2014.indd 618 11/12/2014 13:03:17

In this month’s issue

Editorial 619 Openings for Amateurs 638

December 2014.indd 619 11/12/2014 13:03:17

A Fairy Chess Puzzle in

December 2014.indd 620 11/12/2014 13:03:17

Spot the Continuation

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY

December 2014.indd 621 11/12/2014 13:03:17

XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY

December 2014.indd 622 11/12/2014 13:03:17

December 2014.indd 623 11/12/2014 13:03:18

‘Play Unconventional Chess and Win’ – Noam A. Manella and

‘The Trompowsky Attack: move by move’ – Cyrus Lakdawala

‘Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov Part III: 1993–2005’ –

December 2014.indd 624 11/12/2014 13:03:18

‘Anand: move by move’ – Zenón Franco (Everyman Chess

‘Chess Developments: The Sicilian Najdorf 6 Bg5’ – Kevin Goh

‘The Classical French: move by move’ – Cyrus Lakdawala (Every-

December 2014.indd 625 11/12/2014 13:03:18

News from Abroad

December 2014.indd 626 11/12/2014 13:03:18

Tashkent FIDE GP 2014

News from the British Isles

December 2014.indd 627 11/12/2014 13:03:18

Quotes and Queries

December 2014.indd 628 11/12/2014 13:03:18

December 2014.indd 629 11/12/2014 13:03:18

BOLD CHESS £495

December 2014.indd 631 11/12/2014 13:03:19

XIIIIIIIIY 43 ×e4 g5 44 g2 f5 45 c2 a5 46

December 2014.indd 632 11/12/2014 13:03:20

49 g2 g8? an enemy pawn. It is fashionable to say there

Nigel in the Isle of Man:

December 2014.indd 633 11/12/2014 13:03:20

December 2014.indd 634 11/12/2014 13:03:20

31 ed1 35 cd1 ×e5

Erich Eliskases, Forgotten

December 2014.indd 635 11/12/2014 13:03:20

December 2014.indd 636 11/12/2014 13:03:20

December 2014.indd 637 11/12/2014 13:03:20

Openings for Amateurs

December 2014.indd 638 11/12/2014 13:03:21

1 e4 e5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 e×d4 4 ×d4 f6 9 ×d4 a6 10 f3 b5 11 g4 c5 12 d2 b4 13

7…c6 8 0–0–0 e5 11 g5 e8

December 2014.indd 639 11/12/2014 13:03:21

December 2014.indd 640 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Chess • Backgammon • Scrabble • Draughts • Cribbage

To book this fantastic break, for more information or to order a brochure,

December 2014.indd 641 11/12/2014 13:03:21

Club Knight: The Roving

December 2014.indd 642 11/12/2014 13:03:21

December 2014.indd 643 11/12/2014 13:03:21

19 gd1 f8 22 c7!

December 2014.indd 644 11/12/2014 13:03:21

December 2014.indd 645 11/12/2014 13:03:21