CHESS
Apleasant custom, widely ignored in this country, is to hold strong tournaments in memory of a great player of the past. The Russians have organised several such events to perpetuate the memory of Alekhine, and very fine tournaments they have been. Paul Keres is remembered thus in Estonia, while Nimzowitsch has been similarly honoured in Denmark. When, I wonder, will the Staunton Memorial, a
one-off in 1951, be revived?
Perhaps the strongest of the annual
memorials is the Euwe Tournament, held in the headquarters of the Vereenigde Sparbank in Amsterdam. Last year, it will be recalled, Nigel Short won, ahead of Karpov, Timman and Ljubojevic. This year's tournament is currently in progress, but with the home champion, Jan Timman, in top form (he has 21/2 out of 3 at the moment) Nigel will have a much tougher task ahead of him. Here are two of the best games played at the halfway stage: Timman — Salvo, Euwe Memorial, Amsterdam: Sicilian Defence.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 g4 h6 7 g5 hxg5 8 Bxg5 Nc6 9 Qd2 Qb6 10 Nb3 a6 11 0-0-0 Bd7 12 h4 Rc8 13 Rh3 Qc7 14 f4 b5 15 8g2 b4 16 Ne2 e5 17 Rd3 Be6 Black has emerged from the opening with a playable position, in spite of the fact that he cannot castle and that White's development is so efficient. Neverthe- less, this move is an error which wastes some time. Salov should either have played the immediate 17 . . . a5, to set his queen's side counter-attack in motion, or he should have tried the adventurous 17 . . . Ng4. 18 Kbl a5 19 Nbcl a4 20 b3 Nh7? And here Black should prefer 20 . . . Na7! planning . . . Nb5. Two moves later Black has to retract this sideways
Euwe remembered
Raymond Keene
step with his knight. After 20 . . Na7 White must consider 21 bxa4 to hold up . . Nb5, even though this capture weakens the fortifications around White's king. 21 f5 Bd7 22 Rg3 Nf6 23 Nd3 Rb8 24 Bf3 Qb7 25 h5 Na7 26 h6 Rxh6 Black has no choice but to surrender material. Other- wise his king's wing would be shattered. 27 Bxh6 gxh6 28 Nf2 Nb5 29 Ng4 Nxg4 30 Rxg4 axb3 31 cxb3 Bxf5 32 exf5 Qxf3 33 Rg3 (pd'5+ 34 Kal e4 35 Qxb4 Qe5+ 36 Kb! f5 37 a4 d5? The final error. Black had to play 37 . . . 14 38 Rg8 13 39 Nd4 Qd5 when resistance is still possible. 38 Rg8 Kf7 39 Rxf8+ Rxf8 40 Qxb5 Rb8 41 Qd7+ Kf6 White is a piece up with an attack against Black's king. The result is no longer in doubt. 42 Nd4 e3 43 Rg1 Qe4+ 44 Ka2 Ke5 45 Qg7+ Kd6 46 Qf6+ Black resigns.
Short — Hjartarson: Ruy Lopez.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 8c2 Re8 13 a4 B18 14 Bd3 Setting the theme for much of the remainder of the game, threats against Black's pawn on b5. 14. . . exd4 15 cxd4 c5 16 axb5 axb5 17 Rxa8 Bxa8 18 d5 c4 19 Bbl Nc5 20 B4! An important move which brings White's queen's bishop to life on the long diagonal. 20 cxb3ep 21 Bb2 Bb7 22 Re3 g6 23 Nxb3 Na4 Black cannot capture on e4, 23 . . Ncxe4 24 Bxe4 Nxe4 and now 25 0d4 wins material. 24 Bal Bg7 25 Bd3 Ba6 26 Bd4 Nd7 27 Bxg7 Kxg7 28 Nfd4 Ne5 29 Bxb5 Bxb5 30 Nxb5 Qb6 31 N3d4 Nc5 32 Qe2 Ned7 33 Kh2 Nf6 34 f3 h5 35 Q12 Ncd7 It is not clear to me that White's next move is correct, but it leads to a sequence resulting in a remarkably rapid win for
White. 36 Qg3 (Diagram) Nxd5 The pin in the 'e' file precludes this knight's capture. 37 Rb3 Nc5 38 Nxd6 Nxb3 39 Nxe8+ KM 40 Nxb3 Qxb3 41 exd5 Kxe8 42 QeS+ Kd7 43 Kg3 Qa2 44 Qe44:21f/ 44 . . . Qb2 or 44 . . . Kd6 might result in longer resistance. Black may be lost in this queen and pawn endgame, hut he should ri?! succumb as quickly as he does. 45 Kf4 Qc7+ Kg5 Qg3+ 47 Kf6 Kd6 48 14 Black resigns. 11 48 . . . Qxg2 49 Qe5+ wins. Ultimately White s passed pawn will promote. Hjartarson has been Short's bete noire in the past, but with victones against the Icelander in their last two games, Nigel is well on the path to setting his record straight.
Warriors of the Mind, just released by Hardinge /Simpole Publishing, and written by Raymond Keene and Nathan Divinsky, is an attempt to calculate who was, or is, the greatest player of all time. The book uses sophisticated computer techniques to reach its conclusions and en route gives biographies and best games of 64 of the world's top Grandmasters of the past and present. It is available from B. T. Batsford.
Position after 36 Qg3
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