CHESS
Not Amurath
Raymond Keene
Harry Baines was a prominent official of the British Chess Federation. When he died last year a large bequest made it possible to provide the bulk of the ex- penses for this year's British Chess Cham- pionships, a posthumously magnanimous gesture which has resulted in this year's tournament being named in his honour. Indeed, it is fitting that the 1990 cham- pionship is one of the strongest on record, with no fewer than ten grandmasters com- peting. As I write, with two rounds still to be played, Jonathan Mestel, Michael Adams, Danny King and Jim Plaskett are vying for the lead.
Adams — Watson: British Chess Cham- pionships, Eastbourne, 6 August; Sicilian De- fence.
1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 the Morra Gambit, a rara avis at Grandmaster level, is a most useful shock weapon against William Watson. Watson eats, breathes and sleeps the Dragon variation of the Sicilian, thus Adams's choice, wrenching him from his well-worn theoretical orbit. The objec- tive merits of the gambit are less clear. 3 . . . dxc3 4 Nxc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 e6 6 Bc4 Nge7 7 Bg5 f6 8 Be3 If White plays the over-optimistic 8 Nb5 hoping for 8 . . . fxg5 9 Nd6 mate, then Black reacts with the immediate 8 . . . d5. 8 . . . Ng6 9 0-0 Bel 10 Qe2 a6 This creates a weakness on b6 upon which Adams immediately seizes. The simple 10 . . . 0-0 might have been better, meeting 11 Rfdl (with the threat of Bg6+ exploiting the pin on the 'd' file) with 11 . . . d6. H Na4 Qc7 Of course not 11 . . . b5?? because of 12 Bb6 trapping Black's queen. 12 Nb6 Rb8 13 Racl It is standard procedure, where possible, to place a rook opposite the opposing queen. 13 . . . 0-0 14 Rfdl f5 Incautiously seeking to seize the initia- tive when, for his pawn, White's pieces domin- ate the board. It would be much better to play 14 . . . Kh8 avoiding the baleful influence of White's king's bishop on c4. 15 exf5 RxfS 16 Qd3 (Diagram) The double attack against the rook on f5 and the pawn on d7 can only be parried by 16 . . . d5. In that case, however, White can win brilliantly with 17 Qxf5 exf5 18 Nxd5 Qa5 19
Position after 16 Qd3 Bb6 Qa4 20 Bb3 (there may well be other solutions) forces the return of the queen with heavy interest. 16 . . . Kh8 Even 16 . . . Rxf3 followed by . . . Nge5 would put up more de- fence than this. 17 Nxd7 Bxd7 18 Qxd7 Qxd7 19 Rxd7 Nf8 20 Rd2 Bb4 21 Re2 Rd8 22 a3 White has an immense advantage based on the bishop pair, Black's scattered pieces and the weak pawn on e6. It is hardly possible now for Black to avoid loss of material. 22 . . . Bc5 23 Bxa6 Bxe3 24 Rxe3 bxa6 25 Rxc6 Rb5 If 25 . . . Rdl+ 26 Rel Rxf3 27 Rxdl wins. 26 b4 a5 Black's last hope is to liquidate all the queen-side pawns. 27 bxa5 RxaS 28 g3 A sensible precaution, often overlooked, ensuring that there are no accidents on the back rank. 28 . . . RddS 29 Rc8 Kg8 30 Rb3 Kf7 31 Rb7+ Nd7 32 NeS+ Black resigns If 32 . . . Rxe5 33 Rxd7+ Kg6 34 Rcc7 and Black loses all his king-side pawns.
Mestel — Norwood: British Chess Cham- pionships, Eastbourne, 6 August; English Open- ing. 1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 g6 Although Bobby Fischer has played this move the early fianchetto of Black's king's bishop in this line of the English Opening is considered provocative, to say the least. More cautious and probably better is 3 . . . Nf6. 4 e3 This method of playing for
central control is the move most likely to cast doubt on Black's choice of opening. 4 . . . Bg7 5 d4 Nf6 This is going too far. If Black wishes to stay in contention as far as the fight for the centre is concerned he must plays 5 . . . d6 meeting 6 d5 with 6 . . . Ne5. 6 d5 Na5 White has clearly won the opening skirmish. He has occupied the centre, while granting Black no obvious points for counterattack and, given that White's pawn on c4 is well protected, the black knight, banished to a5, is isolated from the main scene of action. 7 Bet d6 8 0-0 0-0 9 e4 e6 10 Bf4 Re8 11 Rcl exd5 12 exd5 Ne4 Inaugurating an unwise sequence of exchanges which merely accentuates his own lack of development. More sensible would have been 12 . . . Bg4. 13 Nxe4 Rxe4 14 Bg5 Bf6 Whether Black plays this or moves his queen, White's lead in mobilisation combined with the off-side station of the black knight will guarantee White's advantage. 15 Bd3 Re8 16 Qd2 Quietly strengthening his position. The deceptive fork 16 Bxf6 Qxf6 17 Qa4 can be defused by 17 . . . Qd8 defending both the rook and the knight. 16 . . . BxgS 17 NxgS b6 Reliev- ing the queen from defending the knight while simultaneously creating a retreat square for that piece on b7 to reintroduce it into the game. Nevertheless. White's kingside attack, based on the debilitated dark squares in that region, now becomes too powerful. 18 Rfel Rf8 19 Qf4 Kg7
Position after 22 Re7 20 Re3 Nb7 21 Reel h6 22 Re7 (Diagram) The crowning point of White's play, after which Black resigned. After 22 . . . hxg5 (forced) 23 QxgS (threatening Qxg6+) Kg8 (also forced) 24 Bxg6 and Black is overwhelmed.
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