Chess
Foursome
Raymond Keene
During the summer months English organisers have developed three tour- naments based on the Swiss system, with the possibilities for FM, IM, and in some cases GM norms. The separate units are the British Championship held in August and open to the leading British and Com- monwealth players, the Lloyds Bank Masters, later the same month, and the Benedictine in early September. Now a parallel circa has established itself in the winter, with one extra event and including two prestige all-play-ails. In November this year local activist Richard O'Brien launch- ed the first Lewisham International. First prize was won in convincing style by Mark Hebden, ahead of Grandmaster Westerinen (Finland) and Kuligowsi (Poland) with players such as Conquest and Fedorowicz also in contention. Victory in this event has virtually ensured Hebden top honours in the Leigh Grand Prix, for the best overall performance by a player in British con- gresses.
Following immediately on Lewisham was the Regency Masters at Ramsgate, where the chief organiser was Nigel Povah, while, as at Lewisham, Bob Wade officiated as tournament director. The competition here was somewhat stronger with the British challenge stiffened by the entries of Miles, Nunn and Taulbut. In spite of this, first prize and the final norm for his GM title went to the American International Master, John Fedorowicz, who lost one game to Miles, but scored seven points from his other eight games. Miles's own challenge was weakened by a surprise loss to the little- known Law, while Nunn suffered a sensa- tional defeat at the hands of the Dutchman, Van der Sterren.
:'he next lap of the winter circuit was the Brighton International, now in its third year. In this brief space of time Brighton has graduated from Category 3, via 5, to a GM event of Category 8, and I will be reporting next week on Murray Chandler's success in this year's tournament. This year's sponsors, by the way, are SciSys Chess Computers, the, makers of the cur- rent commercial world champion, the SciSys Mark V.
The final link in the chain is the venerable Hastings tournament, which has been held almost every year since 1919, and augurs well this year to be an imposing Category I1. Since the Premier at Hastings is now such a powerful competition, it might be worth the sponsors, ICL, devoting some thought to upgrading the Challengers' or B tournament, to a proper master-strength event, where foreign GMs and IMs receive expenses to participate. With norms available, more leading British players would be persuaded to compete.
This week's game is a crushing Fedorowicz win from Ramsgate.
Fedorowicz (USA) — Kuligowski (Poland): Regency Masters. Ramsgate, December 1981; Sicilian Defence.
I e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6Bg5 e6 7 f4 Qc7 More fashionable at the mo- ment is the supersharp 'poison-pawn' 7 ... Qb6. 8 Qe2 An unusual plan, but one considered best by Fedorowicz. Normal is 8 Qf3. 8 ... Nbd7 9 0-0-0 Bel 10 g4 h6 11 Bh4 g5 A stock plan to block White's K-side pawn advance, but here it is too weakening and should be replaced by 11 ... b5. 12 fxg5 Nh7 13 Bg3 hxg5 14 Nf5 Such sacrifices often occur in the Sicilian, before Black's K castles into safety. Best now would be 14 ... Ne5 15 Nxe7 Kxe7 although 16 h4 still makes life unpromising for Black. 14 ... exf5?
15 Nd5 Qd8 Or 15 Qb8 exf5 Ne5 17 Nxe7 Kxe7 18 Rxd6 winning. 16 exf5 Nb6 If 16 ... Ne5 17 Bxe5 dxe5 18 QxeS and White crashes through. 17 Nxb6 Qxb6 18 Bxd6 Black resigns. 19 Be5 followed by Bxh8 is hopeless for Black. A most energetic demonstration by the Grandmaster-elect.
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