CHESS

Dutch comfort

Raymond Keene

igel Short fulfilled all my optimistic predictions by winning the first prize of £5,000 in the Max Euwe Memorial Tourna- ment, ahead of the world number two (Karpov) and world number three (Tim- man). Indeed, the Euwe Memorial was the first category 17 tournament held since the Elo system was introduced, which makes it the strongest tournament for the past 18 years. Having watched Short first hand I am convinced by the quality of his play that he really does have good chances of becoming world champion.

The Max Euwe Memorial was held in honour of the great Dutch player Dr Max Euwe (1901-1981) whip defeated Alekhine in 1935 and held the world title for the next two years. Euwe was President of Fide, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.

I have already given the most interesting games played by Nigel. This week, two games by Anatoly Karpov, who made heavy weather of easily winning positions against Timman and Ljubojevic and surpri- singly ended up by allowing the latter to escape.

Karpov — Timman: King's Indian De- fence.

1 c4 g6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 g3 c5 5 Bg2 Qa5+ 6 Nc3 Ne4 7 Bd2 Nxd2 S Qxd2 exd4 9 Nxd4 Nc6 10 e3 0-0 11 0-0 Rb8 12 Rfd 1 e6 13 a3 a6 14 Racl Ne5 15 Ne4 Qxd2 16 Rxd2 b5 17 cxb5 axb5 18 b3 Rb6 19 Rc7 Bbl 20 h3 Bxe4 21 Bxe4 d5 22 Bg2 g5 23 Bfl Rfb8 24 Rdc2 Bf8 25 Ra7 Bd6 26 Ra5 b4

27 a4 Nd7 28 Ra7 Rb6b7 29 Ra6 Bf8 30 Rac6 Ra7 31 Bb5 h5 32 Be2 g4 Karpov's position has been dominating but he now permits resistance which ultimately posts him a piece. 33 hxg4 hxg4 34 Rc7 Rxc7 35 Rxc7 Nc5 36 Hxg4 e5 The point of Black's countcrplay. White's '6' pawn is unten- able and Black therefore obtains a dangerous passed pawn of his own. 37 Nc6 Bd6 38 Ra7 Rb6 39 Nd8 Nxb3 40 Nx17 Bb8 41 Rd7 Nc5 42 RxdS b3 43 Nxeb b2 44 Bf5 Nxa4 45 Ng4 bl =Q+ 46 Bxbl Rxbl + 47 Kg2 Kf7 48 f4 Ne3 49 Rd3 Ne4 50 Kf3 Rb4 51 Nf2 Nxf2 32 Kxf2 Ke6 53 Kf3 Having had an overwhelming position in an early phase of the game, Karpov reached this highly problematic ending. Timman could prob- ably have drawn by playing his bishop round to e7 to attack the White `g' pawn when it reaches g5. 53 . . Bd6 54 g4 Ra4 55 g5 Ra3 56 Rd4 Bb8 57 Rb4 Bd6 58 Rb5 Rc3 59 f5+ Ke7 60 Rb7+ Rc7 61 Rb6 Rc5 62 Kg4 Rd5 63 Rb7+ Kf8 64 f6 Ra5 65 Rd7 Be5 66 Kf5 Bb2 67 Kg6 Ke8 68 Rb7 Be5 69 Re7+ Kd8 70 K17 Bb2 71 g6 Ra6 72 Re6 Ra7+ 73 Kf8 Black resigns.

What transpired against Ljubojevic was even worse.

Karpov — Ljubojevic: Schlechter- Griinfeld.

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 g6 b Nc3 Bg7 6 Be2 0-0 7 0-0 a6 8 Qb3 dxc4 9 Bxc4 b5 10 Be2 c5? This is a complete miscalculation since Black is unable to regain his pawn. II dxc5 Qc7 12 a4 Nbd7 13 axb5 NxcS 14 Qb4 Rb8 15 Bd2 axb5 16 NxbS Qb6 17 Qa3 Bd7 18 Ba5 Qb7 19 Nd4 NM 20

b4 Na4 21 b5 Nac5 22 Rfbl Rfc8 23 b6 Ra8 24

Qb4 Na4 25 Nfd2 Nac3 Karpov is a pawn up for very little, the kind of position he was wont to win in his sleep. However . ... 26 Nxe4 Bxd4 27 Bf3 Bc6 28 exd4 Bxe4 29 Bxe4 Nxe4 30 Rcl Rxcl 31 Rxcl Nd6 32 Qel Rc8 33 Rc5 Kf8 34 h3 Ke8 35 Qe2 h5 36 Qc2 Kd7 37 Qa4+ Kd8 38 Qb4 Rc6 39 Qb3 Kc8 40 Qc2 Rxc5 41 dxc5 Qc6 42 Bb4 Nb7 43 Qa2 Nd8 44 Bd2 Kd7 45 Qa7+ Nb7 46 Be3 Qd5 47 Qa4+ Qc6 48 Qd4+ Ke8 49 Qf4 Nd8 50 Qc7 f6 51 Qg3 Qe4 52 Qb8 h4 53 Qc8 g5 54 Qg4 Qxg4 55 hxg4 e5.56 Kfl Kd7 57 Ke2 Kc6 58 Kd3 Kd5 59, c6 Kxc6 60 KM Ne6 61 13 Ng7 62 Bgl Ne6. At move 62 the position was consi- dered completely drawn by Grandmasters in

Amsterdam, Karpov tried a last-ditch piece sacrifice to, revive his chances. 63 Be3 Ng7 64 Bxg5 fxg5 65 Kxe5 Kxb6 66 Kf6 Ne8+ 67 Kxg5 Kc5 68 Kxh4 Kd6 69 Kg5 Ke7 70 Kg6 Kf8 71 g5 Kg8 72 f4 Nd6 73 f5 Nc4 74 f6 Ne3 75 f7+ Kf8 76 Kh7 Nf5 77 g4 Nd4 78 Kg6 Nf3 79 Kf6 Nh2 Draw agreed.

Here is the full result in tabular forM: Verenigde Spaarbank Max Euwe Memorial Tournament, Amsterdam, 9-17 March.

1. 2 3 4 Pts 1 Short (UK) XX 01/2 1/21 11 4 2 Karpov (USSR) 11/2 XX 01/2 1/21 3 1/2 3 Ljubojevic (Yug.) 1/20 11/2 XX 1/21 31/2 4 Timman (Holland)

00 1/2(1

1/20 XX

There is a chance to see Britain's other world championship quarter-finalist in action tomorrow (Sunday, 27 March) when Jon Speelman takes on all comers in a simultaneous display at The Sternberg Centre for Judaism, The Manor House, 80 East End Road, London N3 2SY. Specta- tors are most welcome.