Rdbeg
CHESS
Rdbeig The Ultimate Islay Malt. www.ardhes.corn
British league
Raymond Keene
FOR many years the club championships in Germany, Holland and France were the envy of the world. The German Bundesliga in particular attracted mercenaries to Central Europe in a way not seen since the Thirty Years War. Now, however, after much patient preparation, the British Team Championship, known as the Four Nations League (or 4NCL for short), has finally come of age. The best British players partici- pate and foreign worthies, grandmasters Almasi, Gurevich and world-ranked number five, Morozevich, have also been attracted by this event.
This year Slough won ahead of Wood Green in second place, followed by Bigwood, Barbican and Index IT.
4NCL Division 1 Final Standings 1 Slough 1 21/22 (63.5); 2 Wood Green 1 18 (56); 3 Bigwood 1 17 (55); 4 Barbican 4 NCL1 13 (47.5); 5 Index IT 1 13 (44); 6 Guildford ADC 11 (49) ; 7 Silvine White Rose 9 (41.5); 8 Richmond 9 (38); 9 The AD's 6 (35.5); 10 Bristol 1 6 (35); 11 North West Eagles 5 (31.5); 12 Wood Green 2 4 (31.5). Figures in brackets indicate game points.
Plaskett–Short: 4NCL Birmingham 2000; French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 Be7 4 Ng£3 Nf6 5 Bd3 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 0-0 dxe4 8 Nxe4 cxd4 9 cxd4 0-0 10 Nc3 With this move White sets a somewhat transpar- ent trap, namely 10 ... Nxd4 11 Nxd4 Qxd4 12 Bach7+ neatly winning Black's queen. However, it can hardly be said that White's opening has been a success. After various convolutions there has been a transposition into a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined but en route Plaskett has succeeded in losing a whole tempo. Normally, in this position, the white king's rook would already stand on el. 10 ... Nb4 11 Bbl b6 12 Rel Bbl 13 Ne5 NbdS More combative is the immediate 13 ... Rc8. 14 Qd3 Rc8 15 Qh3 Nxc3 16 bxc3 Qd5 Both sides operate with unsubtle threats. Here Black introduces the possibility of Rxc3, deflecting White's queen from the defence of g2. 17 Bd2 g6 18 Bc2 Qa5 19 Qh4 Rxc3 Proceeding with his original intention but now as a sacrifice. Indeed, after 20 Bxc3 Qxc3 Black would have plenty of compensation for the exchange. Annoyingly for Black, though, his rook is now pinned, so Plaskett is in no hurry to capture it. 20 Bb3 Nd5 21 Qh6 Bb4 22 Nd7 Now both black rooks are attacked and there is the added menace of Bxd5 followed by Nf6+ . 22 Rd8 23 Bxd5 Rxd7
24 Rxe6 Just when Black must have thought that everything was under control he is annihilated by a thunderbolt. If Black captures on d5, Re8+ is terminal. 24 ... fxe6 25 Bxe6+ Kh8 If 25 Rf7 26 Qf4 wins. 26 Bxc3 Rd8 Sadly 26 ... Bxc3 fails to 27 Qf8 mate. 27 Qf4 Black resigns The threat
of Qf6 mate is too much and if 27 ... Rf8 28 d5+ Bxc3 29 Qxf8 is still mate. An impressive recov- ery from an unimpressive opening.
There will be a limited number of tickets available to attend the Kasparov–Kramnik world championship match. For informa- tion on this and other details ring the Brain Games Network on 020 7436 5000 or 020 7462 5746.
Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 30 White to play and win — first move only required. This position is a possible varia- tion from the game Wells–Baburin, 4NCI, 2000. Although he has two pieces under attack, White can now force checkmate. What should the key move be? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 30 May or via e-mail r°,, vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 021/ 7242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.
Last week's solution: Qxf8+
Last week's winner: Richard Mumford, Cambridge,
Previous page
