CHESS

The normal way of showing chess games to the public during a tournament is by means of manual demonstration on giant wall boards. During the Kasparov- Korchnoi and Smyslov-Ribli world semis of 1983, we innovated with computer graphics, but the game moves still had to be keyed in by an operator.

Now, for the GLC Chess Challenge, a revolutionary new system has been de- veloped by Kevin O'Connell and David Levy, the electronic wizards behind Intelli- gent Chess Software. They have devised Chess boards and pieces which will, ama- zingly, register the moves, as soon as they are played, on video screens placed behind each Grandmaster's table. A common complaint is that a time-scramble ruins the move demonstration. This will no longer Occur. The moves will also appear with a microsecond's delay on electronic screens in the lecture hall. Come and see for Yourself and enjoy games by Spassky, Short, Larsen and others at The Great Eastern Hotel until 27 March from 1 to 6 P.m. and 8 to 10 p.m. daily.

During this week, Lincoln Lucena, the candidate for the Fide presidency, will be attending the tournament and will be glad to speak to visitors concerning his policies.

Here is a recent game by one of the favourites.

Portiseh — Sosonko: Reggio Emilia 1985-86; Queen's Gambit Declined. 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 a6 4 Nc3 c5 5 e3 d5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 Be2 c4?! This is a mistake. The normal developing move here is 7 . . . Nc6. 8 0-0 b5?! This is the decisive mistake. Black has not developed correctly; he should have made less Use of the pawns. 9 Ne5 Be7 10 a4! b4 Virtually forcing White to make a strong piece sacrifice. ,s11 Nxd5 Nxd5 11 . . . Qxd5? 12 Bf3 wins. 12 is, xc4 0-0 13 Qb3 Be6 14 e4 Nc7 15 d5 f6 More or less forced, since White wins on 15 . . . Bd7 16 d6 Bxd6 17 Nxf7 Rxf7 18 Bxf7+ Kh8 1914 or 15

QED

Raymond Keene

. . . Bc8 16 Nxf7 Rx17 17 d6 Bxd6 18 Bxf7+ Kh8 19 Be3 followed by Radl. 16 dxe6 fxe5 17 Rdl Qc8 If 17 . . . Qe8 18 Rd7 Ra7 19 Be3 Rb7 20 Bd5 is decisive. 18 Rd7 Re8 19 Be3 Kh8 20 Radl Nc6 21 Bb6 Nd4 A fresh sacrifice now wipes out the last traces of Black's resistance. 22 Rlxd4! exd4 23 Rxr7 Qb8 24 a5 Bd8 25 Rc6 Qf4 26 Bd3 Qd2 27 g3 Bf6 28 Kg2 Rf8 29 Qc2 The exchange of Queens serves to accentuate White's advan- tage. 29. . . Qxc2 30 Rxc2 Avoiding the trap 30 Bxc2 d3 31 Bxd3 Bxb2 when Black has some counterplay. 30. . . b3 31 Re2 Rfc8 32 e5 Be7 33 14 Bc5 34 15 Bxb6 35 axb6 Re8 36 b7 Rad8 37 Bxa6 d3 38 Rd2 Rd5 39 Rxd3 Rxe5 40 Rc3 Black resigns. Rc8 will be lethal. In this game, Black's experimental handling of the opening was savagely punished.

And here are two recent wins by the ingenious James Plaskett, England's latest Grandmaster, who is also competing in this event.

J. Plaskett — W. Hartston; ARC Tournament 1986; Sicilian Defence. 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be2 Nge7 7 0-0 Nxd4 8 Qxd4 Nc6 9 Qd3 NM 10 Qg3 Nxc2 11 8g5 16 12 Bf4 Kf7 (If 12. . . Nxal 13 Bh5+ g6 14 Bxg6+ hxg6 15 Qxg6+ Ke7 16 e5 wins) 13 Bc7 Qe8 14 Radl b5 15 e5 Bb7 16 exf6 Kg8 17 fxg7 Bxg7 18 Be5 Black resigns.

J. Plaskett — J. Mestel; Dragon Silician.

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 N16 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3 0-08 Qd2 Nc6 9 g4 Be6 10 h4 Qa5 11 h5 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 Rac8 13 a3 Rc6 140-0-0 Rfc8 15 Kbl a6 16 h6 Bh8 17 Bxf6 exf6 18 Nd5 Qd8 19 c4 b5 20 cxb5 axb5 21 NM Rc5 22 Be2 15 23 gxf5 Qf6 24 Rd l Bb3 25 Rxc5 dxc5 26 fxg6! cxb4 27 gxh7 +! Kt? Best is 27 . . . Kxh7 28 e5 Rd8 29 Bd3+ Rxd3 30 Qxd3+ Qg6 31 Qxg6+ Kxg6 32 14 28 Qxb4+ Qe7 29 Qxb3 Qc5 30 Qb4 Qxb4 31 axb4+ 15 32 Rgl KI7 33 exf5 Bd4 34 Rg8 Rf8 35 Bxb5 Bf6 36 Bc4+ Ke7 37 b5 Black resigns.

Plaskett's latest success has been to tie for first place with Korchnoi, Short and Gutman in the Swiss system tournament which concluded last week in Lugano. His win against Miles, featuring an amazing long-range sacrifice of Queen for Bishop, was one of the most complex games I have ever seen.

Plaskett-Miles: English Opening.

1 c4 e5 2 e3 d6 3 Nc3 g6 4 g3 Bg7 5 Bg2 Ne7 6 df4 0-0 7 Nge2 Nd7 8 0-0 15 White's style of opening was popular with English players of the mid-19th century. In fact, Plaskett's whole conduct of this game is a weird mixture of Staunton and Tal. 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 b3 c6 This appears to be asking for trouble along the a3-f8 diagonal. 11 Ba3 Qe8 12 14 e4 13 Qd6 R17 14 Radl N18 15 Rd2 Ne6 16 Bh3 g5 Imaginative, but risky. 17 fxg5 Ng6 17 . . . Nxg5 is safe. The text threatens . . . Nxg5, . . . Bf8 and. . . Be5. They seem inevitable, so what does Plaskett do? Sacrifice the Queen! 18 Bxf5 Bf8 19 Nxe4! Bxd6 20 Nxd6 Qd8 21 Rd3 Rxf5 22 Nxf5 Qxg5 22. . . Qxd3 23 Nh6+ leads to mate. 23 h4 Qh5 24 g4 An astonishing move which, however, helps White to feed more pieces into

Position after 27Nhf5+?

the attack. 24 . . . Qxg4+ 25 Neg3 Qh3 26 Nh6+ Kg7 27 Nhf5+? (Diagram) Missing, in desperate time-trouble, 27 Ngf5+ Kf6 28 Bb2'+ Ne5 29 e4!! Qxd3 30 Ng4+ followed by Nxe5+ and Nxd3. 27 . . . Kf6? Foolhardy. 27 . . . Kg8 would allow 28 Nh6+ Kg7 29 Ngf5+ but 27. . . Kf7! draws. 28 Nh5+ Ke5 29 Nfg3 Nerd 30 Bb2+ Ke6 31 Ng7+ Ke7 32 Ba3+ Black resigns.

My prediction for the GLC Challenge? Nigel Short will win and Plaskett will finish in the top five.