CHESS

Short's circuit

Raymond Keene

Nigel Short is in danger of being referred to the Monopolies Commission. In spite of other important happenings, such as the Karpov v. Sokolov match, and the British Zonal, I am forced to return again and again to Nigel's exploits.

The tournament in Reykjavik was in its closing stages last week. Now we know that Short won the $10,000 first prize outright, ahead of a galaxy of chess superstars. He shot into the lead with 6/6, then slowed down, but still finished a full point clear of the distinguished field. Spectator readers have already seen Nigel's wins against Korchnoi and Ljubojevic. This week I give his victory against the Icelandic Grandmas- ter Jon Arnason. Ever since the 1972 Fischer-Spassky classic in Reykjavik, the Icelanders have gone chess crazy. Their population is tiny, but they can boast no fewer than six Grandmasters, two with the same name! The Olafsson playing in the Reykjavik IBM was Helgi Olafsson, not to IBM Tournament, Reykjavik

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total 1 Short x V2 1 1 Y2 1/2 1 1/2 1 0 1 1 8 2 Tal 1/2 x 1/2 1 Y2 Y2 V2 1/2 1/2 1 V2 1 7 Timman 0 44 x 0

1 Y2 1 1 V2 1/2

1 1 7 4 Korchnoi 0 0 1 x 1 1 0 1 1 0 1/2 1 61/2 Portisch 1/2 1/2 0 0 x 1/2 1/2 1 V2 1 1 1 6Y2

6 Polugaievsky 1/2 V2 V2 0 V2 x Y2 1/2 V2

1

V2

1 6 7 Amason 0 V2 0 1 V2 1/2 x 0 Y2 1/2 1 1 51/2 Agdestein 1/2 Y2 0 0 0 V2 1 x 1 1/2 1/2 1 5Y2 9 H. Olafsson

0 Y2 V2 0

1/2 Y2 1/2 0 x

Y2

1/2 1/2 4 Hiartarson 1 0 V2 1 0 0 V2 V2 Y2 x 0 0 4 Ljubojevic

0 Y2 0 1,4

0 V2 0 1/2 Y2 1 x 1/2 4 12 Petursson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1/2 1 Y2 x 2

Fide Category 14; average rating 2583 (!)

be confused with former Fide President, Fridrik Olafsson.

Short — Arnason: Silician Defence.

1 e4 c5 2 NB d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 g4 Be7 7 g5 Nfd7 8 h4 Nc6 9 Bd3 0-0 10 Qe2 a6 11 0-0-0 Nxd4 12 Rxd4 b5 13 f4 Qa5 14 Kbl Bbl 15 Bg2 b4 16 Ndl e5 17 fxe5 NxeS 18 Bd2 Nc6 19 Rd5 Qc7 20 Ne3 a5 21 Nf5 Ne5 22 Rd4 Ba6 23 Qdl Rfd8 24 Bf4 Bf8 25 h5 Bc4 26 Ne3 a4 27 g6 Rabb 28 Nxc4 Nxc4 29 gxf7+ Kh8 30 Qd3 Ne5 31 BxeS dxe5 32 Rd5 a3 33 Rdl RxdS 34 QxdS axb2 35 Bh3 b3 36 cxb3 Ba3 37 Qc4 Qb6 38 Qa4 Bf8 39 Qe8 Qb4 40 Qxe5 Rb5 41 Qd4 Qe7 42 h6 Qxf7 43

Position after 43. . . Rh5

Rgl Rh5 (Diagram) 44 Be6 Qe7 45 hxg7+ Bxg7 46 Rxg7 Black resigns. Short has made a speciality of this kind of variation against the Sicilian, castling queen's

side and hurling forwards his king's side pawns' Arnason should probably have played 15 • • • Nb6. If Black plays 44 . . . Qxe6 then 45 hxg7+ wins or 44 . . . Qf6 45 Qxf6 gxf6 46 Rg8 mate. Finally if 46 . . Rhl + White simply plays Rgl discovered check. Short's coup at move 44 was a neat way to wind up.

To cap it all, Short also defeated Kaspar- ov in game 3 of the Speed Chess Challenge

for the London Docklands Trophy. Pig continues on Channel 4 on Saturdays at 6.30 p.m., while BBC 2 has its own chess show, same days at 2.05 p.m. As Nigel advances towards the chess summit, so TV coverage seems to expand automatically.

Kasparov — Short: Game 3, Docklands Trophy: Tchigorin's Defence. 1 Nf3 d5 2 d4 Bg4 3 Ne5 Bf5 3 c4 f6 5 Nf3 c6 6 Nc3, e6 7 g3 Bb4 8 Bg2 Ne7 9 0-0 0-0 10 Qb3 a5 11 a" Bxc3 12 bxc3 Nd7 13 Nd2 a4 14 Qa2 Bg6 15 e4

_

Bf7 16 Rbl Rb8 17 Qc2 b5 18 cxd5 cxd5 19 Qa, Qa5 20 Rel RfcS 21 Rb4 Nc6 22 Rb2 Ne7 23 R. ,c4 Nb6 24 h4 Rb7 25 Bh3 Rc6 26 Rb2 Nc4 27 Rb4 Qc7 28 Nxc4 Rxc4 29 Bd2 Qc6 30 e5 f5 31 Bfl Bh5 32 Qe3 h6 33 Rebl Kr 34 Rbl-b2 Kg8 35 r3 Qa6 36 Rbl Nc6 37 Bxc4 dxc4 38 Rb4-b2 Ne7 39 d5 Nxd5 40 Qc5 Bxf3 41 Rxb5 Rc7 42 Rb8+ Kb7 43 Qf8 Qa7+ 44 Kfl Re7 45 R1b2 Kg6 46 Bel Kh5 47 Ra8 Qc5 48 Rc8 Qxa3 49 g4+ Bxg4 50 Rxc4 Qal White resigns. A fascinating game which should perhaps have been drawn. Black's plan, introduced with his 35th move, was too ambitious. It permitted Kasparov to snatch the exchange which Short had sacrificed while bringing his queen into a dominating position on c5. However, Kasparov blundered on move 43 when 43 Qf2 Bg4 44 Rd8 would have been correct. Short's final attack using his king as an aggressive piece was spectacular.