CHESS
Wounded bear
Raymond Keene
The Russian Grandmaster Artur Yusu- pov made a fine impression in his world championship semi-final match against Karpov in London last year. The gentle, bearded, somewhat lumbering young Rus- sian made many new friends in London and, though he ultim4ely lost the match by a narrow margin, he/ enjoyed the distinc- tion of winning the most brilliant game. I am sad to report that a couple of weeks ago armed robbers broke into his flat in Mos- cow and shot him in the stomach while he was resisting their depredations. This is an unfortunate trend in Moscow, where artists, sportsmen and other prominent earners of foreign currency have in- creasingly become prey to violent criminal elements. The good news is that Artur is making a fine recovery but it is unclear what effect this will have on his participa- tion in the forthcoming World Cham- pionship and World Cup cycles. This week's game, one of the last he played before the incident, is a tribute to Artur's artistry.
Yusupov — Gulko: VISA Challenge, Reyk- javik 19%; King's Indian Defence.
1 d4 NI6 2 c4 g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 if,3 0-0 5 Bg2 d6 6 0-0 Nc6 7 Nc3 Bf5 A provocative sortie which is not often played. Black positively invites White to gain space and time by attacking the bishop but hopes that in the process White will over- reach himself. More traditional choices are 7 . . . e5 8 d5 Ne7 9 e4 or 7 . . . a6, the famous Panno variation. 8 d5 White accepts the chal- lenge and starts to chase the black minor pieces. 8 . . . Na5 9 Nd2 c6 10 e4 The superficially attractive 10 b4, trapping Black's knight on the edge, fails to the tactical riposte 10 . . . Nxd5 11 cxd5 Bxc3 or 11 Nxd5 cxd5 with an attack against both al and c4. 10 . . . Bg4 11 Qc2 cxd5 12 cxd5 Rc8 13 Rel b5 It would seem that the opening phase has been successful for Black, who has now seized the initiative on the queen's wing. Nevertheless, Black's position still ex- hibits the defect that his minor pieces are
somewhat scattered and out on a limb. Black would like to play . . . Nd7 but, as yet, this is impossible since 14 h3 would win a piece. 14 a3 e6 15 Qd3 Avoiding Black's trap, namely 15 h3 exd5 16 hxg4 d4 regaining the piece with a clear advantage. 15 . . . exd5 'Slack's pawn structure now becomes suspect but otherwise his bishop on g4 would be in grave danger in view of the threat of h3. 16 NxbS Re8 The position has become exceedingly complex with Black seeking to exploit his better development before White's superior structure tells against him. If here for example 16 . . . dxe4 17 Nxe4 Bf5 18 Bg5 Nc4 19 Nxa7 Nxb2 20 Qxd6 Bxe4 21 NxcS and White wins. 17 h3 Bf5 18 g4 Boldly forcing Black to surrender his light-squared bishop. White antici- pates 18 . . . dxe4 19 Qxd6 Be6 20 Qxd8 Rexd8 21 Nxa7 Rb8 22 Nxe4 Nxe4 23 Bxe4 Bxb2 24 Bxb2 Rxb2 25 a4 and White maintains his extra pawn. 18 . . . Bxe4 19 Nxe4 Nxe4 20 Nxa7 Rb8 21 Be3 Bxb2 22 Rabl Rb3 And not 22 . . . Nc3 23 Rxb2 Rxb2 24 Qxc3 with a win on material. 23 QxdS Nc3 24 Bg5 The beginning of fantastic complications leading to one of the most original positions I have ever seen in a game between two grandmasters. Gulko now opts to trade his Position after 34 . . . Bf8
queen for White's rooks. The alternative would have been 24 . . . Nxd5 25 Bxd8 Rxd8 26 BxdS Rb6 27 Re7 Rf8 28 a4 Kg7 29 g5 when Black is more or less paralysed by White's dominant bishop on d5. 24 . . . Nxbl 25 Bxd8 Rxel+ 26
Bfl Entering a nasty pin but 26 Kh2 Be5+ would be fatal. 26 . . . Nc3 27 Qd2 If White wants to win he must avoid 27 Qxa5 Ne2+ 28 Kg2 Nf4+. 27 . . . Ne2+ 28 Kg2 Bc3 29 Qh6 Nc4 30 Nc6 White the brutal threat of Ne7+ and Qf8 mate. 30 . . . Bg7 31 Ne7+ Kf8 If 31 . . . Ith8 32 Qg5 Be5 33 Nd5 followed by Bf6+ and White wins. 32 Qxh7 Nf4+ 33 Kh2 Ke8 34 Qg8+ Bf8 (Diagram) One of the most extraordinary posi- tions I have even seen in an actual game. The weirdly unbalanced configuration of forces re- sembles a composed problem more than an over-the-board game. White is now threatened with . . . Rxfl and 35 Bxc4 would evidently fail to 35 . . . Rxh3 mate. Yusupov now discovers a fantastic way to liberate his seemingly irrelevant queen. 35 Nxg6!! The brilliant key to the position. After 35 . . . Nxg6 White can play 36 Bxc4 Rf3 37 Bg5 with the threat of Bb5. Meanwhile, the alternative recapture allows White's queen to tear back into the game with devastating effect. Black's forces, which had seemed so powerfully concentrated, suddenly are revealed as over-exposed. 35 . . . fxg6 36 Qxc4 Rxfl 37 Qxf4 White should not play 37 Qxfl Rxh3+ 38 Kgl Kxd8. The text is by far the best and gives excellent winning chances, the more so given the insecure nature of the black king. 37 . . . Rxa3 38 Bh4 Raal 39 Qe4+ K17 40 Qf3+ Kg8 41 QdS+ Kg7 42 Qb7+ Kg8 43 Bg3 Rhl+ Gulko defends by giving back the two rooks for White's queen, but the endgame is a win for White, who can more easily create mobile passed pawns. 44 Qxhl Rxhl + 45 Kichl Kf7 46 Kg2 Kf6 47 f4 d5 48 Bf2 Bd6 49 Kf3 Ke6 50 Bd4 Bel 51 Kg3 Bb4 52 h4 Bel+ 53 Kh3 Bd2 54 Kg3 Bel + 55 Bf2 Bc3 56 Kf3 Bg7 57 Bel Bf8 If 57 . . . Bf6 58 Ke3 Bg7 59 Kd3 Bf6 60 Bf2 Bg7 61 Bd4 wins. 58 Bc3 Bh6 59 f5+ gxf5 60 g5 Black resigns After 60 . . . Bf8 61 h5 Kf7 62 Kf4 Ke6 63 h6 the win is easy.
This year's British championship has been supported by a generous donation from the estate of the late Harry Baines, a prominent BCF official. The tournament is named in his honour and the field is likely to be an excellent one. Information about entries for all sections can be obtained from the British Chess Federation, 9a Grand Parade, St Leonards-on-Sea, Hast- ings, E. Sussex TN38 ODD.
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