Chess
Interzonal
Raymond Keene
Las Palmas
The surprise of this, the first of the three Interzonals, representing the se- cond stage on the path to the world cham- pionship, has been the dominating form of the Soviet Grandmaster Tukmakov. He cur- rently leads by a full point, having defeated Petrosian, Smyslov and Mestel. Also noteworthy is the performance of the veteran ex-world champion Petrosian who seems to have been spurred on by his loss to Tukmakov in the first round. His subse- quent ferocious wins against Timman and Psakhis did not look like the play of a man whose world championship days were twenty years ago.
Our representative Jonathan Mestel has scored well, but it could have been even bet- ter had he not let an advantageous ending against Tukmakov slide into a loss. Our opening preparation has generally been most successful, as can be seen from the game against Karlsson.
Mestel-Karlsson: Las Palmas, July 1982; Sicilian Defence.
I e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 c4 Bg7 6 Be3 N16 7 Nc3 Ng4 8 Qxg4 Bxd4 9 Bxd4 Nxd4 10 0-0-0 6 11 Qg3 d6 12 f4 f6 13 15 Kf7 If 13 ... gxf5 14 Qg7 wins. 14 Nb5 Nxb5 15 cxb5 Qc7 + 16 Kbl Bd7 We had prepared all this before the game and now intended 17 Rd l but over the board Mestel decided to opt for a sharper plan. In any case, White's position is already excellent. 17 b3 Rad8? The only chance to resist is 17 ... a6. 18 Bc4 + Kg7 19 h4 Be8 20 h5 g5 21 h6+ Kf8 22 Qd3 Qc5 23 a4 a6 24 bxa6 bxa6 25 Rd l Rb8 26 Ka2 Ke7 27 Be6 Qb6 28 Qc4 Rb7 29 g4 a5 30 Rhd 1 Rf 8 31 Rd2 Qb4 32 Qxb4 axb4 33 Rdc3 Bd7 34 Re7 Rxe7 35 Rxc7 Rd8 36a5 Ke8 37 a6 Bxe6 38 fxe6 d539 Rxh7 Black resigns.
Petrosian-Psakhis: Las Palmas; Hedgehog.
1 c4 NI6 2 Nc3 e6 3 N13c5 4 g3 b6 5 e4 Bb7 6 Qe2 d6 7 d4 cxd4 8 Nxd4 g6? The intended fianchetto development of the B is exposed as too slow. Cor- rect is 8 . . Be7. 9 Bg2 a6 10 0-0 Nbd7 11 Rd 1 Qb8 12 a4. A fine concept to disrupt Black's 0-side. 12 Bg7 13 a50-0 14 axb6 Nxb6 15 Nb3 Ra7 16 B14 e5 17 Be3 Bc8 18 Na5 Ra8 19 Qd3 Be6 20b3 Nc8 21 Position after 28 Qxa6!!
h3 h5 22 b4 Qc7 23 Nd5 Black is methodically deprived of space. 23 . . . Nxd5 24 cxd5 8d7 251 Rdcl Qb8 26 Nc6 Qb7 27 Bf 1 15 28 Q111161 (Diagram) A brilliant coup. 28. . . Rxa6 29 13%10! Bxc6 Black cannot save the queen. if 29... Qa830 Bxc8 wins, or 29 ... Qc7 30 Ne7 + . 30 Bxb7 Bx1'7 31 Re7 Rf 7 32 Racl Ba6 33 b5 The final point. 33 . . . Bxb5 34 Rxcl3+ Kh7 and Black resigns.
I am often asked why GMs occasionallY adopt inferior moves in openings that are already well charted. Sometimes the) underestimate the opposition, or fear an itn" provement, sometimes they have an provement in mind themselves, which maY, or may not, work, while sometimes theY simply forget or confuse the line. The last of these explanations holds for Timman's 9 dxe5 (instead of 9 Ne4) in the following game.
Timman-Petrosian: Las Palmas; Slav Defence (transposition).
1 d4d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3c6 5 a4 Bg4 6 ISe5 Bh5 7 f3 Nfd7 8 Nxc4 e5 9 Nxe5? Theory recortr mends 9 Ne4. Petrosian now plays a powerful gambit. 9 ... Nxe5 10 dxe5 Nd7 1114 Bb4 12 Qq. Qe7 13 e4 g5 14 Be2 gxf4 15 e6 Qh4+ 16 KII If le i g3 fxg3 17 exd7 + Ke7 18 Kdl g2 19 Rgl Q12 was,' 16 ... Bxe2 + 17 Qxe2 fxe6 18 QI2 Qe7 19 e5 Nxe-7 20 Bx14 1118 21 Rdl Bc5 White resigns.
After 7 rounds of play the top standings in the Interzonal are: I Tukmakov 51/2; 2 Ribb 41/2; 3-6 Mestel, Petrosian, Timman and Suba 4.
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