Chess
Star Wars simul
Raymond Keene
At a time when super-power relations appear to be frosting over, not least because of the possibility of using satellite weapons in space, it is significant that chess Players have just arranged an event display- ing outstanding East/West co-operation. It involved a Russian plus Americans and Englishmen and made use of the very technology which is causing such concern in the Kremlin and the White House.
On Sunday 1 July the brilliant young Russian, Gary Kasparov, who had already created a world first with his Acorn Com- puters simultaneous display last year, faced five English juniors and five Americans at once, with the respective moves beamed in by satellite. The English side, and Kasparov, played from the Limehouse Studios in London's Docklands, while the transatlantic team assembled in the New York Intercontinental Hotel. Both sides were in vision simultaneously and after Gary had slaughtered the US side 5-0 and the English side 3 1/2-1 %, he was able to conduct normal post-mortems with his young victims at a distance of 3,000 miles!
The whole event was a brilliant success, both for chess and for modern methods of hyper-sophisticated telecommunications, and it is significant that chess is clearly an activity which lends itself well to this medium. Perhaps the tournaments of the future will be played in this fashion. While I officiated at the London end, Fide President Florencio Campomanes flew by Concorde to New York and oversaw the US boys. But here the only hitch developed — Kennedy Airport was flooded, Concorde was diverted to Gander in Newfoundland, and Campomanes arrived 21 hours late, just in time for the concluding phase.
The sensation of the day on the chessboard was the achievement of 12-year- old Michael Adams (already the 'senior' champion of Cornwall) in drawing with his great opponent. Michael's feat earned him banner headlines next day and instant TV stardom. Here is the game:
Kasparov — Adams: Liniehouse Studios; Caro- Kann Defence.
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Nf3 Ngf6 6 Ng3 e6 7 Bd3 Bel 8 0-0 0-0 9 c3 c5 10 Qe2 b6 11 Bf4 Bb7 12 Radl exd4 13 Nxd4 Nd5 14 Bel Qc7 15 Bbl N7f6 16 Nh5 g6 17 Nxf6 + Nxf6 18 Rfel RfeS 19 Bg5 Nd5 20 Bxe7 and in making this capture Kasparov offered a draw, which Michael, after some thought, accepted. Solid, sensible play by a young man who may, in future years and with proper training, become the British Kasparov.
Kasparov (London) — Eckert (New York): King's Indian S4E/nisch.
1 c4 Nf6 2 NO g6 3 e4 d6 4 d4 Bg7 5 f3 0-0 6 Be3 Nc6 7 Nge2 a6 8 Qd2 Rb8 9 h4 e5 It looks safer to rely on the blockading . . . h5. 10 d5 Na5 11 Ng3 c5 12 h5 Bd7 13 0-0-0 b5 Luckily, White can ig- nore this break. 14 Bd3 bxc4 15 Bbl Rb4 16 Qf2 Qb6 17 Rd2 Ne8 18 Nf 1 Nc7 19 Qh4 Rb8 Black's attack against b2 looks impressive, but White ar- rives first. 20 hxg6 Rxb2 21 Qxh7 + Kfil 22 Bc2 NxdS 23 Bh6! Nxc3 If 23 . . Bxh6 24 Qxf7 mate. 24 Qxg7 + Ke8 and Black resigns since 25 Qf8 is mate.
Kasparov — Conquest (London): Slay.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bg4 6 Ne5 Bh5 7 f3 Nid7 8 Nxc4 e5 9 Ne4 Bb4 + 10 Bd2 Qe7 11 Bxb4 Qxb4 + 12 Qd2 Qxd2 + 13 Kxd2 exd4 14 Ned6 + Ke7 15 Nxb7 Na6 16 NbaS Nb4 17 Ra3 Nc5 18 e3 dxe3 + 19 Rxe3 + Kf6 20 g4 Rad8 + 21 Keg Bg6 22 h4 h5? He had to play 22 . . . h6. The text permits his K to be driven in- to the firing line. 23 g5+ Kf5 24 Nb7!! A very brilliant move which knocks the props out of Black's defence. If 24 . . . Nxb7 25 Re4 (threaten- ing Bh3 mate) 25 . . . Bh7 26 Bh3 + Kg6 27 Ne5 mate. 24 . . . Rd4 25 Kf2 Rxc4 26 Kg3! Again threatening mate. 26 . . . Rxh4 27 Rxh4 Nxc5 28 Rxb4 Black resigns.
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