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46 CHESS P)DittlaRA

SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA SPAIN'S FINEST CAVA

The chosen 12

Raymond Keene

A DOZEN GRANDMASTERS have travelled to the Dutch town of Wijk aan Zee on the North Sea coast to contest the first knockout round of the Fide Cham- pionship. The full line-up is as follows:

Timman (Holland) 2620 — Lautier (France) 2625 Van der Sterren (Holland) 2605 — Kamsky (USA) 2695 Khalifman (Russia) 2660 — Salov (Russia) 2685 Anand (India) 2715 — Yusupov (Germany) 2665

Adams (England) 2660 — Gelfand (Bclorus)

2685 Kramnik (Russia) 2710 — Yudasin (Israel) 2625

My predictions for the qualifiers for the next stage were originally: Lautier, Kams- ky, Salov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik. I could not, for example, see Van der Sterren or Yudasin putting up any sort of fight against those two powerful young grandmasters Kamsky and Kramnik. However, Lautier, on the run of play so far, is all at sea against Timman, while Van der Sterren, after losing game one, struck back immediately to level the score. The Adams — Gelfand match is likely to be very close, but my feeling is that Adams' street-fighting qualities will ulti- mately overcome a player who, though outstanding in many ways, lacks the qual- ities of flexibility and toughness in a real crisis. Adams is also supported by Dr John Nunn as his second, which must enhance his prospects for this and future rounds.

Van der Sterren — Kamsky: Fide Candidates (1), Wijk aan Zee 1994; King's Indian Defence.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 Be3 Ng4 8 Bg5 f6 9 Bel White's opening strategy looks strange: he has apparently wasted

three moves with his bishop to return it to its

starting square. The justification, though, is that Black has been obliged to loosen his kingside pawn structure and will lose time in his turn, when his knight on g4 is inevitably chased back. 9 . . . exd4 10 Nxd4 f5 11 0-0 Nc6 12 Nxc6 bxc6 13 exf5 gxf5 14 h3 Nf6 15 813 Bd7 16 Bg5 Rb8 a bcdef g h Position after 17 Qd2 17 Qd2 (Diagram) Indeed, the outcome of the opening has favoured White. He has regained his lead in development, and Black's pawn structure has more holes than an Emmental. 17 . . . Qe8 18 Rae 1 Qf7 19 b3 Kh8 20 Reg Rbe8 21 Rfe 1 Rxe2 22 Rxe2 Ng8 23 Bf4 Ne7 24 c5 The

standard thrust in such situations, to undermine

the black pawn constellation. 24 . . . Ng6 25 Bh5 Bc8 Of course, 25 . . . d5 would relieve the pressure against the d6 pawn, but leaves c7 undefended. 26 cxd6 Impatient to cash in on his advantage, the Dutch grandmaster seizes a hot pawn, always a dangerous thing to do against a

tactically skilled opponent. I would have prefer-

red 26 Na4, increasing the pressure. If then 26 Ba6 27 Ref Bb5 28 cxd6 cxd6 and now White can play 29 Qxd6 with advantage. Alter- natively, 26 . . . d5 27 Bxg6 hxg6 28 Be5 with a permanent dark-square grip. 26 . . . cxd6 27 Bxd6 Rd8 28 Na4 Qf6 29 Qb4 The point of

White's play. He breaks the pin and ensures the

win of a pawn. The danger is that Black's pieces are becoming far more active than might pre- viously have been expected. 29 . . . Rxd6 30 Re8+ Bf8 31 Rxc8 Kg732 Qb7+ Playing with fire by withdrawing his pieces from the king's flank. Both 32 Qc3, seeking to trade queens, and 32 Qel would have been preferable and would have maintained White's advantage. 32 . . . Kh6 33 Bf3 Now Black's pieces stream out, but if White tries to eliminate Black's attacking force with 33 Bxg6 then 33 . . Rdl+ 34 Kh2 Bd6+ leaves Black in control. 33 . . . Nh4 34 Be2 If 34 Bxc6 Rdl+ 35 Kh2 Bd6+ 36 g3 Qd4 wins. 34 . . . Qal + 35 Bfl If 35 Kh2 Rg6 36 g3 Qd4 wins. 35 . . . Nf3+ (Diagram) The final devastating tactic, which turns the wheel full circle.36 gxf3 Rg6+ White resigns 37 Kh2 Bd6+

forces mate.

There was a beautiful concluding trick in the game Yudasin — Kramnik.

Yudasin — Kramnik: Fide Candidates (1), Wijk aan Zee 1994; Sicilian Defence.

Kramnik played 24 . . . Qxe3 which wins a rook since if 25 fxe3 Ng3+ 26 hxg3 Rh5 mate. The concluding moves of the game were: 25 Nd6 Re7 26 NxfS gxf5 27 Qd6 Qe5 28 Qb4 RaeS 29 Qh4 f6 30 h3 QxdS White resigns.