Rdbeci
SINGLE ISLAY MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
CHESS
Hoc opus, hic liber est
Raymond Keene
I HAD expected to close my review of cur- rent chess books last week, but the unex- pected victory by John Watson in the British Chess Federation Book of the Year award has prompted me to return to the literary battlefield. The American master John Watson, whose love of the English Opening and hypermodern play in general is well documented, has received the acco- lade for his book Secrets of Modem Chess Strategy (Gambit £19.99). Watson's book is predicated on the great classic of chess strategy, My System, published by Aron Nimzowitsch in the late 1920s. Nimzowitsch was a superb player, winning tournaments ahead of such luminaries as Alekhine, Capablanca and Rubinstein at Dresden 1926 and Carlsbad 1929.
At its best, his style displayed a ruthless strategic logic, but at times he descended into a kind of tortured artificiality which made it difficult for him to resist, in the long run, against Alekhine and Capablanca. Although Nimzowitsch was in the top three or four in the world, while at his peak, he could never quite breach the bastions of those two players who together held the title in an unbroken sequence from 1921 to 1935. Nimzowitsch himself died prematurely in 1934, but his games have exerted a perenni- al fascination ever since. This week I give one of his masterpieces (notes based on those by the winner) against a challenger for the World Championship. I also use one of Nimzowitsch's ingenious combinations to introduce a new weekly competition.
Bogoljubow–Nimzowitsch: Carlsbad 1929; Nimzo-Indian Defence
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 Bxc3+ 5 bxc3 b6 6 g3?! A more dynamic possibility resides in 6 Bg5, intending Qc2, e2-e3 and Bd3. 6 ...Bb7 7
Bg2 0-0 8 0-0 Re8!! Black operates here, and in the followingplay, with prophylaxis and centrali- sation, according to his System. The mysterious rook move helps to forestall the possibility of Nd2 and e2-e4, thus: 9 Nd2 Bxg2 10 Kxg2 e51 11 e4 exd4 and 12 ...Nxe4 follows. 9 Rel d6 10 Qc2?! Here Nimzowitsch suggested 10 Nd2! Bxg2 11 Kxg2 e5 12 e4 Nc6 13 Bb2!, when Black has no clear-cut method of attacking White's pawn front. Nevertheless, this position, with White's queen's bishop reduced to a miserably defensive role, would certainly not be to every- one's taste. 10 ...Be4 11 Qb3 Nc6 12 Bfl e5 Tempting was 12 ... Na5 13 Qa4 Bc6, but after 14 Q134 White's position is not yet 'organically dis- eased'. 13 dxe5 13 d5 Na5 is also unattractive in view of the fact that White has been obliged to surrender control of the c5 square (14 Qa4 Nd7). 13 ... Nxe5 14 NxeS Rxe5 15 Bf4 Re8 16 f3 Bb7 17 Radl Threatening 18 c5. 17 ...Nd7 Now the pic- ture is quite different: in spite of the stout central pawn and the bishop pair White's position suffers from a profound, inner decay. The doubled pawn is isolated and, after the inevitable e2-e4, a rolling-up action will eventually take place on the e-file (...f7-f5). On top of this White doesn't have a shred of counterplay anywhere. 18 e4 Qf6 19 Bg2 Ne5 20 Rd2 Re7 21 Redl Bc6 Consolidation directed against the possibility of c4-c5. 22 Rf2 Rae8 23 Bfl h6 24 Bet KIsS 25 Qa3 Qe6 (Diagram) Preparations complete. 26 Qe1 f5 27 exf5 Qxf5 28 Qd2 Qf7 29 Qd4 Loses at once. 29 BxeS was loathsome, but essential. 29 ... Ng6! Inflicting a second set of shattered pawns on the f-file. 30 Bd3 Nxf4 31 Qxf4 Qxf4 32 gxf4 Rfft Here many roads lead to home, and all these dif- ferent roads, thanks to the presence of the numerous doubled pawns, are a real pleasure to tread. 33 5 Bd7 34 Rdd2 Bx15 35 Rfe2 Rxe2 36 Bxe2 Reit 37 Kf2 Re5 38 Rd5 By now it was possi- ble to cease resistance. 38 ...g5 39 Rxe5 dxe5 40
c5 bxc5 41 Ba6 e4 42 a4 Kg7 43 a5 exf3 44 Kxf3 Kf6 45 Ke3 Ke5 46 Bc4 Bg4 47 Ba6 h5 48 Bc4 h4 49 Ba6 Bdl 50 Bbl g4 White resigns
Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 1
White to play and win — first move only required. This position is from the game Nimzowitsch–Marshall, New York 1927. In this position Nimzowitsch broke through with a cunning sacrifice. Can you see it?
Answers to me at The Spectator by mid- day, Tuesday 2 November or via e-mail to rdkobe@aol.com, or by fax on 0171 242 0603. The winner will be the first correct answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.
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