SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
First knight
Raymond Keene
GAWAIN JONES may be Britain's next Nigel Short. The nine-year-old, who is Britain's reigning under-10 champion and will also represent England in this year's world under-10 championship, has pulled off the amazing feat of becoming the youngest player in the history of chess to defeat an international master. The game took place at the ICI Katalco tournament near Stockton last month and the victim was Malcolm Pein, the experienced chess correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Younger players have beaten masters before, but never in official tournament games. This game will go down in the chess records, along with Luke McShane's win against grandmaster Colin McNab last year and the young Sammy Reshevsky's win against David Janowsky at New York in the early 1920s.
What was also remarkable was young Gawain's high placing in the tournament, a creditable fourth place in a strong event ahead of such luminaries as Pein himself and the reigning British champion, grand- master Chris Ward. As for the game, sen- sational though the outcome was, no one could claim that Black was anything but utterly lost in the final position. The nine- year-old's victory came because Pein lost on time forfeit. Nevertheless, part of the charm of chess is that very young players can defeat their experienced elders in a way that would not be possible in the 100 metres dash (a nine-year-old's legs would be too short) or in a boxing championship (pummelling the opponent's knees is prob- ably not allowed). It was to Gawain's credit that, in spite of ending up in a lost position, he succeeded in complicating affairs to such an extent that Pein's time ran out. Indeed, playing against the clock is a legiti- mate part of the psychological armoury of the modern tournament competitor.
Pein—Jones: Stockton, March 1997; Sicilian Defence.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 f4 Bg7 7 Bb5+ A curious choice given that 7 e5 dxe5 8 fxe5 Ng4 9 Bb5+ Kf8 10 Ne6+ is a known trap which has claimed the lives of many Black victims. After 7 e5 Black can play 7 ... Nh5, but this is a tricky theoretical line and not deemed to be fully sound for Black. Pein should not have avoided it. 7 ...Bd7 8 Qe2 0-0 9 Bxd7 Qxd7 10 Be3 Qg4 11 Nf3 Nc6 12 0-0-0 Nh5 13 Qd2 (Diagram) Here Gawain misses a great
chance. 13 ...Bxc3 14 Qxc3 Nxf4 (threatening Ne2+) simply wins a pawn for nothing. Altern- atively, 13 ... Bxc3 14 bxc3 Qe6 15 Qd5 Nf6 16 Qxe6 fxe6 leaves White with repulsively shat- tered pawns. White's best is 17 Ng5 but then 17 ...Nd8 holds everything and introduces the threat of ... h6. White would be very lucky to draw such a position. 13 ...Ftac8 14 h3 Qd7 15 e5 Ng3 16 Rhel Nb4 17 a3 Rxc3 A spirited
attempt. If now 18 Qxc3 Na2+ or 18 bxc3 Ne4 19 Qd4 Na2+ with a tremendous attack. White prefers to capture the knight. 18 axb4 Rc7 19 Bf2 Qa4 Threatening mate on al. 20 Kbl Ftfc8 Speculating on 21 Bxg3 Rxc2 with a continuing heavy attack. 21 c3 dxe5 More imaginative play from the nine-year-old. If now 22 Bxg3 exf4 unleashing the power of the dragon bishop on g7 and preparing a massive sacrifice on c3. White decides to keep the diagonal of the black bishop firmly closed. 22 fre5 Nf5 23 g4 Black's next move admits that his strategy is on the wane. At first I thought Black could sacrifice with 23 ... Nd6 24 exd6 and now either 24 ...Bxc3 or 24 ... Rxc3, but both of these are simply too fanciful. An alternative is 23 ...Bh6 24 Qc2 Qc6 but then 25 Rd3 defends the knight and meets 25 ...Ng7 with 26 g5 winning a piece. 23 ...Nh6 24 Be3 Qb3 25 Nd4 Qa4 26 Bxh6 Bxh6 27 Qxh6 e6 28 Nf3 a5 Black's strategy has clearly failed by now but he could still muddy the waters with 28 ... Rxc3 when 29 bxc3 fails to 29 Qb3+ so White would probably have to recant with 29 Nd4 when 29 ... Qxb4 gives Black two pawns for his piece and still keeps him in the game. 29 Rd3 axb4 30 Redl The threat is 31 Rd8+ 30 ...Re8 31 Ng5 (Diagram) White lost on time Black's position is Position after 31 Ng5
now beyond repair since White also has the attack as well as an extra piece. However, the extraordinary complexities and tactical opportu- nities in this game were what helped Gawain to a sensational psychological win.
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