Chess
Preview
Raymond Keene
On Monday 3 August the 1981 British Championship starts up at Morecambe, sponsored once again by the stockbroking firm of Grieveson Grant, who must, by now, have established themselves as the BCF's most faithful and valuable supporters. A positive innovation this year has been the invitation to those titled players from Commonwealth countries whose rating exceeds 2350 to participate on the same terms as British IMs and GMs. In fact, the favourite on paper is New Zealander Murray Chandler, whose Elo on the new July list has reached 2530, slightly ahead of Grandmaster Jon Speelman at 2520. Jon, too, is in excellent form, having recently won tournaments in Dortmund and New York. The reigning champion, John Nunn (2580), will unfortunately be absent in South Africa, while Tony Miles, now at 2565, no longer the leading English spot, appears to be competing in the Canadian Open at that time. A fierce challenge can, however, be expected from Shaun Taulbut (fresh from sharing first prize at Copenhagen), William Hartston and Nigel Short, who, due to the intervention of 0-levels, has hardly played a serious tournament since winning the BBC's Master Game.
This week's game is Chandler's startling demolition of Nunn from the Manor Tyres Open at Bristol.
Nunn — Chandler: Bristol, June 1981; Caro-Kann. 1 e4 c6 The solid Caro is a good choice against Nunn, since it tends to curb his aggressive tactical instincts. 2 c4 More usual is 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 when Chandler would probably have played 3 . . . dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nf6 5 Nxf6+ gxf6, with play on the g file to compensate for the doubled pawns. 2. . d5 3 cxd5 cxd5 4 exd5 Nf6 5 Nc3 Attempts to cling to the extra pawn with 5 Bb5+ or 5 0a4 + usually involve White in difficulties completing his development. 5 . . . Nxd5 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 d4 Bg4 8 Qb3 Bxf3 9 gxf3 Nb6 10 Be3 Also possible is 10 d5 Nd4 leading to great complications. 10 . . . e6 11 0-0-0 Be7 12 Rgl In a game Chandler — Hermann, Bochum (March 1981) White played 12 d5 Nxd5 13 Qxb7 Rc8 14 Bb5 Qc7 15 Qxc7 Rxc7 16 Nxd5 exd5 17 Kbl and won quickly after 17 . . Kd7 18 Bf4 Rcc8 19 Rhel Pthd8 20 Rxd5 + Ke8 21 Rc5 resigns. However, it was later established that 12 . . . exd5 13 Bxb6 cxb6 14 Nxd5 0-0! 15 Nf6+ (15 Nxb6 Nd4!) 15 . . . Bxf6 16 Rxd8 Rfxd8 gives Black more than sufficient compensation for his Q. 12 . . . 0-0 13 d5 Nxd5 14 Nxd5 exd5 15 Rxd8 Qc7 16 Kbl White had originally planned 16 Oc3 but just in time he noticed the neat variation 16. . . Bf6! 17 Qxf6 Nd4 dis+ 18 Bc4 Qxc4+ 19 Kbl Qd3+ 20 Kal Nc2+ 21 Kbl Na3 dbl.+ 22 Kal Qb1+ 23 Rxbl Nc2 smothered mate,or 19 Kd2 Qc2+ , in both cases with a winning attack. Alternatively, 18 Kd2 0c2+ 19 Kel Qb1+ 20 Kd2 Qxb2+ 21 Kd3 Qc2+ 22 Kxd4 Qb2+ 23 Kd3 Qxf6 winning White's Q. Finally, in this variation, 21 Kdl Qal + 22 Kd2 Nb3+ 23 axb3 Qxf6 with a similar result since 24 Bd4 fails to 24. . . Qf4+ 25 Be3 Qb4. The text, though, loses a crucial pawn. 16. . . Qxh2 17 Rg2 Qhl 18 Rdl Rad8 19 Rd l Bf6 20 Bc5 Rd2 And not
20 . . . Rfe8? 21 Qxf7+ Kxf7 22 Bc4+ and Rxhl.
21 Ba3 Qh5 22 Bc4 Qf5+ 23 Kal Nd4 White resigns. A sensational miniature and the shortest game John Nunn has lost for years.
Another possible contender for top honours at Morecambe is the young Leicester player, Mark Hebden. Although only 2315 on the latest rating list and not yet in possession of a Fide title, Hebden has shot into an impressive lead in the Leigh Interests Grand Prix. This has replaced the Cutty Sark as an annual gauge of the most successful overall competitor in internal British events, and Hebden's score at just past the halfway stage is now almost unassailable. His experience in numerous Swisses so far this year may well give him an edge in the Championship, an 11-round event, also run on the Swiss system.
Previous page
