Chess
Resurgence
Raymond Keene
T have often stated that world champions I are not just in competition with their contemporaries, but also have to maintain their record against those others who have held the supreme title. Vassily Smyslov's reign as world champion was depressingly brief (1957-58) but he has more than made up for this by achieving a greater number of 2600 plus performances than any other player in the history of the game. Now, in the Las Palmas Interzonal, he is challenging Emanuel Lasker's record for chess longevi- ty by running off with first prize; this, at the age of 61, ahead of such powerful con- tenders as Timman, Larsen, Browne and two times Soviet champion Psakhis.
After 12 of the 13 rounds, Smyslov with 8 and one adjourned and Ribli with 7½ and one adjourned lead, with Tukmakov, Suba and Petrosian on 7. Mestel has 5 points.
Mestel — Smyslov: Round 8, Las Palmas; Hungarian Defence.
1 e4 e5 2 N13 Nc6 3 Bc4 Be7 4 d4 d6 5 d5 Nb8 6
Bd3 Nf6 7 c4 0-08 Nc3 c6 90-0 Nbd7 10 Rbl Re8 11 b4 N18 12 Re 1 Ng6 13 Bfl R18 Obviously preparing for ... f5. 14 Qb3 I would have preferred the prophylactic 14 g3, but this is not bad. 14 ... Kh8 15 Bb2 15 Ba3 also deserves at- tention. 15 ... cxd5 16 cxd5 Very interesting is .16 exd5!? trying to play for c5 and exploit White's central pawn majority. 16 ... Ng4! 17 h3 Nh6 18 Rbel After 18 Bel f5 19 Bxh6 gxh6 Black will obtain good counterplay on the `g' file. 18 ... 15 19 Nb5? This ambitious move is the cause of all White's future troubles. He must leave his N in contact with e4, e.g. 19 exf5 Bxf5 20 Ne4! Now Smyslov drums up a fearful 'f' file counter-attack. 19 ... fxe4 20 Ftxe4 If 20 Nd2 Bg5 21 Rc2 Bxd2 22 Rxd2 Bxh3! 23 gxh3 Qg5 + . 20 ... Bf5 21 Rec4 21 Reel would be better, but White did not appreciate the dangers now con- fronting him. 21 Nh4! 22 Nxh4 Bxh4 23 g3 8g5 24 Rdl The last chance is Rel. 24 ... Qb6! A fine move. White's pieces lack all co- ordination, and, incredibly, he cannot success- fully defend the f2 square. I was struck, when reading Smyslov's collection of his best games in Russian (which I believe translates as The Pursuit of Harmony in Chess) just how many games Smyslov wins by attack against 12 or 17. This is all the more remarkable since he is not a gambit player. Anyway, this game now provides further confirmation of the theme. 25 h4 Ng4! 26 Rld4 Played with an ingenuity born of desperation. Normal moves lose, e.g. 26 Rxg4 Bxg4 27 hxg5 Qxf2 + etc .. 26 ... Bh6 Now, and on his following moves, Smyslov calmly sidesteps all complications and homes in singlemindedly on the f2 target. 27 Nc7 Rac8 28 Ne6 Be6 29 dxe6 Rce8! 30 Be2 Or30 e7 Rxe7 31 Qf3 Ref7! 32 Qxg4 Rxf2 and wins. 30 ... Nx12 31 Rd5 Nh3 + + 32 Kg2 Qgl + 33 Kxh3 Qhl+ 34 Kxg4 Qxd5 35 R14 Rxf4 + White resigns. A superbly energetic display by the veteran champion. Subs — Timman: Las Palmas, Round 9; English Opening. 1 c4 e5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 d5 Aiming for a reversed Dragon. 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 Nc3 Nb6 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 d3 Be7 8 0-0 0-0 9 a3 a5 10 Be3 Re8 11 Rd 13g4 Black has achieved a harmonious development, and has no real problems. His strategy now win be to play for domination of the square d4 and ultimately to press against White's pawn on e2- 12 Ne4? An inaccuracy which hands the initiative to Black. White should try, instead, to intensify his Q-side play with 12 Na4! Nxa4 13 Qxa4. He need not fear 12 Na4! e4? on account of 13 Nxb6 exf3 14 exf3 with advantage. 12 ... Nd4 13 Bxd4 exd4 14 Rel a4 Black is gaining space, and also has a useful trump in his B-pair. 15 Qc2 c6 16 Nc5 Bc8 Black's positional advantages are permanent, so this loss of time to shore up his Q-side pawns is no setback. 17 Qd2 818 18 Rc2 g6 19 h4 h6 20 Rbl Bg7 21 b3 White is impatient for action but this advance creates weaknesses in its wake. 21 ... Qe7 Not 21 ... axb3 22 Rxb3 when Black's N is pinned to the b7 pawn. 22 N112 axb3 23 Ftxb3 Na4! Eliminating his exposed NI and White's powerful N on c5. 24 Nxa4 Rxa4 25 Qcl Be6? 25 Ra7! gives black a strategically won game. 26 RXb7! Suba's main strength at Las Palmas was tactical opportunism, which net- ted him many points. 26 ... Qxb7 27 Bxc6 Qa The Q cannot protect both Rooks. 28 Bxe8 Rx11-' 29 Nfl Ral? Forcing White's Q into the open' After 29 ... Rc3! Black still has a marvellous position, in spite of his pawn minus. 30 O14 Qa5? The final blunder. 31 Bx17 + ! 'My man has been poleaxed', said GM Jon Speelman, Tim- man's second. 31 ... Bxf7 32 Rc8 + 1318 33 Qd6 Qa3 34 Rxf8 + Kg7 White is completelY winning. 35 Qxa3 Rxa3 36 Rd8 Ra2 37 1txd4 Rxe2 38 Ne3 Be6 39 Re4 Rd l + 40 Nfl Rxe4 41 dxe4 K16 42 f4 g5 43 hxg5 + hxg5 44 Kf2 Black resigns.
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