CHESS
Running over
Raymond Keene
The World Cup in Brussels produced a large number of brilliantly imaginative and hard fought games. This week I conclude my coverage of this historic tournament with some final specimens of the most outstanding achievements.
Sax-Seirawan: Pirc Defence (Brussels World Cup).
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 f4 Bg7 5 Nf3 c5 6 Bb5+ Bd7 7 e5 Ng4 8 e6 fxe6 For many years this move was considered to be a terminal error, but Seirawan introduces a remarkable improve- ment of Black's chances. In another game from the same tournament, Beliaysky-Tal, the former world champion followed the old line with 8 . . . Bxb5 9 exf7+ Kd7 10 Nxb5 Qa5+ but Black eventually lost. 9 Ng5 Bxb5 10 Nxe6 It appears that Black is helpless but now comes the startling innovation. 10 Bxd4!! 11 Nxd8 Bf2+ 12 Kd2 Be3+ drawn by perpetual check. This same is a key reinforcement of Black's defences in an important line of the Pirc.
Sokolov-Portiseh: Ruy Lopez (Brussels World Cup).
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Bel 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 113 Bb7 10 d4 Re8 11 Ng5 Rf8 12 Nf3 Re8 13 Nbd2 White, of course, does not repeat moves. 13 . . . Bf8 14 a4 116 This is the famous Karpov/Zaitsev variation which created such a stir in two critical games of the 1986 world title match. 15 Bc2 exd4 16 cxd4 NM 17 Bbl c5 18 d5 Nd7 19 Ra3 c4 20 Nd4 Ne5 21 axb5 Qb6 22 Nxc4 A remarkable piece sacrifice prepared by Kasparov in 1986 but first used in the game Sax-Short Subotica 1987. The point is to deflect Black's forces from the defence of his King's wing. 22 . . . Nxc4 23 Rg3 Bc8 24 b3 Ne5 Position after 24 . . . Ne5 25 Be3 25 Bxh6 seems attractive but is thwarted by 25 . . Nbd3. 25 . . . Ng6 26 f4 Qd8 27 f5 Ne5 28 Qd2 a5 29 Bxh6 Qh4 30 Kh2 Bd7 31 Bg5 Qh5 32 Rfl g6 33 Nc6 Bxc6 34 dxc6 Curiously, although White's plan was to attack against Black's King his compensation transforms into passed pawns on the other wing. 34 . . . Rab8 35 fxg6 fxg6 If 35 . . . Nxg6 36 Rf5 Qh7 37 c7 Rbc8 38 b6 wins. 36 c7 Rbc8 Or 36 . . . Rxb5 37 Bd8 Rc5 38 Rc3 Ng4+ 39 Khl Bh6 40 ()el Bg7 41 Rxe5- Qxe5 42 hxg4 and White wins, a line pointed out by the junior world champion Anand. 37116 Qh7 Portisch has been driven back into utter passivity and the young Russian now uncorks a sacrifice which breaks Black's last remaining central bastions. 38 Rxf8+ 39 Qxd6 Nbc6 40 Bf6 Rxf6 41 Qxf6 Qd7 42 b7 Black resigned for if 42 . . . Rxc7 43 b8=Q+ Nxb8 44 Qxe5.
Future attractions, in what is turning out to be a most prolific year for chess, include the Options Exchange tournament in Am- sterdam. In this category 17 event, possibly the highest rated tournament in the history of the game, Kasparov, Karpov, Timman and Van Der Wiel will be facing each other four times each. It will be regarded, inevitably, as something of a tie-breaker from Seville last year, where Kasparov retained his title by drawing the match with Karpov.
Additionally, the second leg of the World Cup is set for Belfort, France, in early June, and the Watson Farley Wil- liams Challenge will be held in the City of London at the close of May. The imagina- tive city solicitors are giving young British players, including Susan Arkell, the chance to compete for the Grandmaster title.
Other competitors are the former US champion Larry Evans and Britain's latest whizz-kid 13 year old Matthew Sadler.
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