Nebulous
Raymond Keene
After nine rounds of the Riga Interzonal the situation is obscured by a number of unfinished adjournments, but the general picture looks like this: Tal 61 points, plus one likely win against Ljubojevic; Polugayevsky 6; Gheorghiu and Larsen both 6, with one adjourned game each; Ribli 51; Adorjan 5, plus two adjourned; Tarjan 5; Miles 41; Ljubojevic 4 and his dubious game v Tal; Kuzmin 4; Grunfeld 31; Van Riemsdyk 31; Romanishin 3 plus one adjourned; Trois 3, Mednis (the replacement for the fractured Kavalek) 2,2; with two adjourned; Bouaziz and Tseshkovsky both 21 and one adjourned; R. Rodriguez 11 and one adjourned.
From a journalistic point of view the whole event has been bedevilled by the absurd practice of allocating special days for adjourned games. This means that games can be pending for almost a week, and it is extremely difficult to obtain a clear view of what is going on at any precise moment. In most tournaments adjournment sessions are played on the same evening as the game itself or, at worst, the following morning. In fact, the unfortunate method adopted for the Interzonal should favour the Russian Grandmasters, since a lengthy pause before resumption enables them, in theory, to cull the analytical labours of their supporters from all over the Soviet Union. I know that Tony Miles was particularly concerned by the possibility of being zapped by mass Soviet analysis during a prolonged adjournment session, and I did my best at the FIDE Congress to alter the playing schedule, but to no avail.
In spite of the confusion arising from the multiplicity of unfinished games a number of front-runners have emerged at the halfway stage and it seems to me that Tal, Polugayevsky and Larsen are the most likely qualifiers. Gheorghiu is still performing magnificently (having beaten Ljubojevic and Kuzmin), but from my personal experience of the Romanian GM I predict that he will be overcome by nervous tension and will fade away before the end. Miles has been going through a sticky patch, and his qualification prospects are rapidly receding.
He has failed to win against Grunfeld and Tarjan, while this uncharacteristic defeat at the hands of Larsen must have been a bitter blow for him.
Larsen Miles: Riga Interzonal Round 8, English Defence.
1 P-QB4 P-QN3 2 N-QB3 P-K3 3 P-Q4 B-N5 4 Q-132 The critical lines of this defence commence after 4 P-K4 B-N2 5 B-Q3 P-KB4. Larsen prefers to steer the game into something resembling a quiet variation of the Nimo-Indian, where White will try to gain the bishop pair without permitting any damage to be inflicted on his pawn structure, 4. . P-QB4 S P-QR3 B-R4 6 N-B3 B-N2 7 P-K3
N-KB3 8 B-Q2 0-09 B-K2 BxQN 10 BxB N-K5 11 0-0 P-Q3 12 KR-Q1 Q-K2 In the light of my previous remark 12 ... NxB 13 QxN Q-K2 would seem to be the most prudent course. 13 B-K1 N-Q2 14 PxP QINP? Black's first serious error. Possibly Miles was hoping to increase his chances of a draw by levelling out the central pawns, but now White's bishops begin to influence events. Naturally, 14 . . . NPicP involves some risk, since the Black OP could become weak, but I feel that this would have been cortect. Black could meet 15 B-03 with . . . P-B4 or 15 N-Q2 with ... N(5)-B3! 15 N-Q2 N-Q3 16 N-B! `With a N on KB1 you never get mated' is one of Larsen's favourite sayings. 16 . . . QR-Q1 17 R-Q2 P-KB4 18 QR-Q1 N-K4 19 P-QN4 N(Q3)-112 20 RxR Rack. 21 RxRch NxR 22 Q-N2 N-Q2 23 N-N3 N-02 24 B-QB3 N-Q3 25 B-K51 A bright idea. White is willing to surrender one of his bishops in the interests of blockading Black's KP. When Miles does, at last, achieve .. . P-K4, it turns out to be a fatal blunder. 25 . . . B-B3 26 P-N5 B-N2 27 N-R5 N-K 1 28 N-B4 P-N4 This looks weakening, hut Miles does not usually like to stay passive when he stands worse. 29 N-R5 K-B2 30 P-R3 Q-Q1 31 II-QB3 Q-B2 32 P-QR4 Q-Q3 33 P-1R5 K-K2 34 Q-R1 B-K5 35 Q-KB1! To forestall .. . B-06. 35 . . . P-K4? Black should retreat with . .. B-N2! The text is a time-trouble slip which encourages White to smash his position'. 36 N-N3 N-N2 37 NxB PxN 38 Q-N! Q-N3 39 PxP PxP 40 Q-R1 Q-KB3 41 Q-R8 Q-N3 42 Q-N7 The sealed move. On resumption day (Monday 17 September) Black was unable to offer serious resistance. 42 . . . P-R4 43 BxKP N-K3 44 B-N3 N-N2 45 Q-Q5 Q-B4 46 Q-Ql Q-N3 47 B-B7 Q-R3 48 Q-Q5 Q-N3 49 Q-N8 Black resigns.
of Tarjan Tal: Riga Interzonal Round 8, Sicilian
De ence. ,
1 -K4 P-QB4 2 N-KB3 P-Q3 3 P-Q4 PxP 4 NxP N•KB3 5 N-QB3 P-K3 6 P-KN311 This is the wrong approach. If one wishes to play solidly against Tal, surely one should open with 1 P-Q4. Having burned his boats by inviting the Sicilian, Tarjan should have tried 6 P-KN4, 6. . .,B-K2 7 B-N2 0-0 8 0-0 N-B3 9 P-N3 B-Q2 10 B-N2 R-B1 11 N(4)-K2 Q-R4 12 P-KFt3 KR-Q1 13 K-R1 White is elevating passivity into a way of life and it is hardly surprising that Tal soon seizes the initiative on the 0-side. 13 . . . B-K1 14 Q-K1 r-QN4 15 P-Q113 Q-N3 16 R-Q1 P-N5. Also promising is 16. . . P-QR4, planning . . . P-N5 and a recapture with the QRP, 17 PxP NxNP 18 R-Q2 P-OR4 19 N-Q4 R-B4 20 N-Q1 P-Q4 21 PxP N(5)xQP 22 B-R3 R(4)-B1 23 BxB NxB 24 N-KB3 B-N4! A fine move, which forces White to weaken his Q3 square for subsequent invasion by Black's rook. 25 P-134 B-B3 26 N-K3 N-K5 27 R-R2 R-Q6 28 Qxr NxNPch 29 PxN QxN 30 N-K5 Bach 31 ROI RxNP 32 K-R2 P-B3 33 N-Q7 Q-Q5 34 R-Q2 R-N7 35 R(1)-132 RxR 36 RxR QxP 37 N-N6 Q-B4 38 R-Q8ch K-B2. Of course not 38 . . . RxR? 39 QxQ. 39 R-KB8ch K-N3! Again, Black must avoid a trap: 39. . . Kx R 40 N-Q7ch, but once the tactical reefs have been negotiated, White can resign. In fact after . . . 40 QxQ RxQ White did resign.
Best of luck to Jana Miles, who is leaving this week for the Ladies Interzonal in Brazil. She is ably supported by her second, 19-year-old New Zealand 1M Murray Chandler, fresh from his splendid victories in' the Lloyds Bank Open and the Benedictine Cup. Murray's results this year have been hovering at performance levels between 2500 and 2600 and, if all goes well, he might just succeed in providing the necessary impetus to push Jana into the Candidates. I have, incidentally, heard nothing but praise from the foreign masters concerning .the organisation of the Benedictine, which finished last week in Manches ter, and it looks as if this event will prove to be a valuable addition to British chess life.
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