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CHESS

Short shrift

Raymond Keene

NIGEL SHORT has made a bid to reclaim his former position as Britain's number one.

He turned in a superb performance in the Pamplona tournament over the New Year. It was noticeable that Short made excellent use of the Tartakower system in the Queen's Gambit Declined, which he learnt from Boris Spassky, to score some good wins with Black. This week I concentrate on those games which provided the foundation for Short's excellent overall performance.

Pamplona 1999: Final crosstable

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

1. Short * 1 72 72 1 72 1 1 7, 1 7 2. Gelfand 0 * 72 1 72 1 1 72 1 72 6 3. Almasi 72 72 * 72 72 72 1 1 72 1 6 4. Vallejo PonsY2 0 72 * 72 1 1 72 72 1 572

5. Lautier 0 Y Y

2 . Y2 2 * 72 72 1 1 1 572 6. Polgar 72 0 72 0 72 * 0 1 72 1 4 7. Timman 0 0 0 0 72 1 I` 72 1 1 4 8. Blescas 0 72 0 72 0 0 72 * 1 Y2 3 9. De la Villa 72 0 72 71 0 72 0 0 72 272 10. Magem 0 Y2 0 0 0 0 0 72 72 * 172 Lautier-Short: Pamplona 2000; Queen's Gambit Declined 1 d4 e6 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 c4 d5 4 Nc3 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 e3 b6 The defining move of the Tartakower system. 8 Bd3 Bb7 9 0-0 Nbd7 10 Bg3 c5 11 Qe2 Ne4 12 cxd5 exd5 13 Radl Qc8 14 Bbl

Ndf6 15 Qc2 Re8 16 Be5 Qe6 17 dxc5 Always a dangerous trade since Black's centre pawns become powerful. 17 h3! is more circumspect. 17 ▪ bxc5 18 Qa4 Ng5 19 Nxg5 Qxe5 20 N£3 Qe6 21

Rfel BM Almost effortlessly Short has acquired an excellent position — no weaknesses, the bish- op pair and plenty of dynamic potential. 22 Q14 Qh6 23 b3 Rad8 24 Rd (Diagram 1) 24 ...d4 Short's patent advance. If Black can get away with this White is normally in trouble. 25 exd4 Rxel+ 26 Rxel cxd4 27 Na4 Qc6 28 Rd Nd5 Neat tactics — for 11 29 Rxe6 N114 30 Rc7 Bxf3 31 gxf3 d3. 29 Qd2 Qf6 30 Be4 Again tactics come to Black's rescue, for if 30 Qxd4 Qxd4 31 Nxd4 Nf4! and Black wins material. 30 ...Ba6 31 Rd1 Nf4 32 g3 Ne2+ 33 Kg2 Re8 34 Qc2 Qe6 35 Nd2 d3 Black's d-pawn leads a charmed existence — 11 36 Bxd3 Bxd3 37 Qxd3 Nf4+ 38 gxf4 Qg4+ wins. 36 Qc6 111,4 37 Qxe61Rxe6 38 Bd5 Rd6 39 Be4 Rd4 40 13 Bb5 41 KC Bxa4 42 bxa4 Nc3 43 Re! Nxe4+ 44 Nxe4 f5 45 Ke3 Rd5 White resigns The triumph of Black's strategy — White's knight is trapped. Both 46 Nd2 and 46 Nfl fail to 46 ...Bc5+.

Illescas-Short: Pamplona 1999; Queen's Gambit Declined 1 N£3 d5 2 d4 Nf6 3 c4 e6 4 Nc.3 Be7 5 Bg5 b6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 e3 b6 8 Be2 Bb7 9 Bxf6 Bxf6 10 cxd5 exd5 11 0-0 Too passive; 11 b4l is best, and if 11 . c5 12 bxe5 bxc5 13 Rbl. 11 ... Qe7 12 Qb3 id8 13 Rfdl c6 14 Bfl Na6 15 Rd2 Nc7 16 a4 Ne6 17 a5 b5 18 Qa2 White has found a slight weakness in Black's queenside pawns but his pieces are too offside to profit from this. 18 • a6 19 Rd c5 20 cbcc5 d4! Again the Short patent, liberating his bishop. 21 Nxd4 Bxd4 22 exd4 Nxd4 23 Khl (Diagram 2) Hoping to counter the threat of ... Nf3+. 23 ...Nf3!! Short does it anyway. 24 Rxd8+ 1Rxd8 25 c6 Or 25 gxf3 Bx13+ 26 Bg2 Bxg2+ 27 ICxg2 Qg5+ forking White's king and rook. 25 ... Bxc6 26 Ne2 Qh4 27 gxf3 Qxf2 28 Nf4 If 28 Rxc6 Qxf1+ 29 Ngl Rdl wins. 28 ...13x1.3+ 29 Bg2 Rd2 30 Rgl Be4 White resigns A beautiful coup dg race, adding Qxf4 to Black's numerous threats.

Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No 11 White td play and win — first move only required. This position is from the game Dreev-Emms, Hastings 2000. White now concluded his attack in fine style. What was his winning coup?

Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 18 January or via e-mail to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 0207 242 0603. The winner will be the first correct answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.

Last week's solution: Qg4+ Last week's winner: Martin Russell, Dorset.