Chess
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Raymond Keene
oth Kasparov and Smyslov now lead by .L.Pthe score of 51/2-3 1/2 in the Acorn World Championship semi-final. As I predicted, Korchnoi's mishandling of game 6 was a traumatic blow, from which he has not yet recovered and he was hammered successively with Black in games 7 and 9.
Kasparov — Korchnoi: Game 7, Catalan.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 dxc4 5 Nf3 Bd7 This seems to be a new move. But Najdorf says he played it 50 years ago! 6 Qc2 After 6 Ne5 Bc6! is probably OK. 6...c5 7 0-0 Bc6 8 Qxc4 Nbd7 9 Rc8 10 BM Nxf6 Or I 0 . . . Qxf6 11 Nc3 threatening d5. 11 dxc5 Bx13 12 Bxf6 Bxc5 13 Qb5 + Qd7 14 Nc3 QxbS 15 Nxb5 Ke7 16 b4 Without this excellent move White would have nothing. 16... Bxb4 17 Nxa7 RO 18 Rfcl Rd7 19 Rabl Ild2 20 Rc2 Rhd8 21 Bxb7 Kf8 22 Nc6 23 Rbb2 Rd6 24 a4 Bel 25 Rbl It seems to me that 25 a5 wins more simply, but the text is also sufficient. 25... Nd5 26 Ba8 Rc8 27 Bb7 Rc7 28 Rc4 Ne7 29 Ne5 BO 30 Rb5 Ng6 31 Nc6 After this Black can resign without qualms. 31... Rdl + 32 Kg2 Bel 33 a5 Ne7 34 a6 Nxc6 35 Rxc6 Rxc6 36 Bxc6 Ral 37 Rb8 + Ke7 38 Rb7 + Kd6 39 Bb5 Bc3 40 Rxf7 1116 41 Rd7 + Kc5 4211(13 h6 43 Rb7 Rai 44 a7 Kd5 45 f3 Kd6 46 Rb6+ Black resigns.
Kasparov — Korchnoi: Game 9, Catalan. 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 dxc4 5 Nf3 Nbd7 6 0-0 Rb8 7 a4 b6 8 Nfd2 e5?! This seems quite out of place in the Catalan, but judging from the time used, it formed part of Korchoi's prepara- tion. 9 Nxc4 exd4 10 Qxd4 Bc5 11 Qd3 0-0 Up to here Korchnoi had used only two minutes, now 'Shull / be mother?'
he invested a further 20. 10... Bc5 was banged out quickly and must have been part of prepara- tion, so why the hesitation now? 12 Nc3 Bb7 13 Bxb7 Rxb7 14 Qf3 Qa8 15 1114 a6 16 a4 Black is already totally contorted, and Press Room pun- dits were predicting doom and disaster. 17 Nd5 b5 18 Nay! Heading for c6. 18... bxa4 19 Rfcl Bd4 20 Rxa4 Bxb2 Or 20... c5 21 Ne7 + Kh8 22 Nec6. 21 Ne7 + Kh8 22 Rc2 Qe8 23 Rxb2 Qxe7 24 Nc6 Qc5 25 Nxa7 Qxa7 26 e5 Ng8 27 Be3 Qa8 28 Qxa8 Rxa8 29 f4 Rxa8 30 Rd2 Black resigns.
Smyslov continues to produce beautiful chess and here is how he trounced Ribli in Game 7.
Smyslov — Ribli: Game 7, Semi-Tarrasch Defence.
1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 c4 d5 4 Nc3 c5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 e3 Nc6 7 Bd3 Bel 8 0-0 0-0 9 a3 cxd4 10 exd4 Bf6 11 Be4 Nce7 12 Ne5 g6 13 Blt6 Bg7 14 Bxg7 Kxg7 15 Rd A natural enough move but one which ap- pears to be a novelty. 15... b6 16 Nxd5 Nxd5 17 Bxd5 Qxd5 18 Rc7 Bb7 19 Qg4 This attack looks rather naive. However, it contains hidden poison e.g. 19... h5? 20 Qxg6 + utilising the presence of White's R on the 7th rank. 19... Rad8 20 Rdl a5 21 h4 Rc8 22 Rd7 Qe4 23 Qg5 Bc6 24 f3 Qf5 25 Ra7 Ba4 Strangely reminiscent of his B manoeuvre in game 5. 26 Rel Rc2 27 b4 Bb3 28 bxa5 bxa5 29 Re4 Suddenly all is clear. The cons- tant threat of Rf4 obliges Black to take desperate measures. Remaining moves were: 29... h6 30 Qe3 Rb2 31 Rg4 g5 32 hxg5 115 33 Rg3 h4 34 Rg4 h3 35 g6 h2+ 36 Kxh2 Rh8 + 37 Kg3 Rxg2 + 38 Kxg2 Qc2 + 39 Qf2 Rh2 + 40 Kxh2 Qxf2 + 41 Kh3 Qfl + 42 Rg2 Game adjourned. Ribli sealed 42... Rhl + and then resigned.
Chequers £500 Competition No. 5 (Final Week)
In Kasparov — Korchnoi (Game 9) above, does White have anything stronger than 25 Nxa7? If so, what is it, and how is it justified? All you have to do is jot down a brief main line on a postcard and send it to
Chequers Competition No 5 (Final Week) The Spectator, 56 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LL.
The first correct answer to reach me scores 10 points, then 7, 3 and 1. Postmark to decide rather than time of arrival. After this week, points will be totalled, with the prize of £500 going to the highest scorer.
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