SIMPSON'S

IN-THE-STRAND

SIMPSON'S

IN-THE-STRAND

CHESS

Short shrift

Raymond Keene

BRITAIN'S top player and sole world championship challenger this century, Nigel Short, has displayed a welcome return to form. He has won first prize in the Paul Keres Memorial tournament in Parnu, Estonia, finishing ahead of a field which was sufficient to raise the event to an excellent category 17 on the international scale. Ever since his drubbing at the hands of Kasparov in their London match two and a half years ago, Short's star has been somewhat on the wane, but the vigour and determination which his games showed in Parnu suggest that he may well now be back in contention for top international honours.

This week I analyse Short's most decisive victory from the Parnu competition.

Nigel Short—Lembit 011: Pamu, February 1996; Centre Counter Defence.

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 QxdS This variation of the Centre Counter or Scandinavian Defence has not proved popular at the highest levels. It has occa- sionally been used by the free-thinking Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen, but only really attained respectability when Anand employed it to gain an excellent opening position against Kasparov in their world title match last year. 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 Bet A small finesse which masks White's immediate intentions. The standard move is to occupy the centre at once with 4 d4. 4 ...Nf6 5 Nf3 c6 6 h3 Bf5 7 0-0 Nbd7 8 d4 e6 9 Nh4 White contents himself with small but tangi- ble gains. The point of the text is to secure the bishop pair in a relatively open position and double Black's pawns on the kingside. 9 ...Bg6 10 Nxg6 hxg6 11 Bf4 Rd8 This leisurely rook move is too much of a luxury with Black's king still uncastled. A further defect of the move is that it cuts off a valuable retreat square for Black's queen. Short's next move already sets in motion a pawn advance to exploit this factor. Black's best at this stage is 11 ...Be7. 12 a3 Nb6 13 Be5 A cunning trap. If Black automatically retreats with 13 ...Nbd7 to chase away White's bishop then 14 b4 Qb6 15 Na4 would snare the black queen. 13 ...Nbd5 14 Nxd5 exd5 This attempt to rebalance the pawn structure leaves Black's lack of development manifest. Strategi- cally sounder is the alternative recapture 14 ... cxd5. Unfortunately, even then 15 b4 Qb6 16 c4 dxc4 17 Qa4+ poses Black awkward problems, since he has no good way of interposing against White's queen. 15 b4 Qb6 16 c4 dxc4 In view of the looming threat of c5, Black has little choice but to open the position even further while his king is still in the centre. 17 Bxc4 Bel 18 Qc2 (Diagram) A subtle move which sets the seal on Position after 18 Qc2

the disruption of Black's development. 18 ...1Cf8 Sadly he cannot connect his rooks for if 18 ...0-0 19 Qxg6 nets a pawn in broad daylight. 19 Rael Nd5 20 Reg Bf6 21 Rfel Kg8 22 Re4 Rh4 Black does his best to trade off White's aggressively placed pieces. 23 BxdS The decisive exchange which exploits the lack of coordination of Black's forces. If now 23 ... Rxd5 24 Bxf6 Rxe4

25 Qxe4 gxf6 26 Qe8+ Kg7 27 Re7 winning. 23 cxd5 24 Rxh4 Bxh4 25 Bc7 Rc8 (Diagram) This is the resource which Black had relied upon to save material. He plans to meet 26 Bxb6 with

26 ... Rxc2. However, Short has a nasty shock in store for him. 26 Re8+ A bitter deflection.,Black

Position after 25 . . . Rc8

now loses his queen. 26 ... Rxe8 27 Bxb6 axb6 28 Kfl Ra8 29 Qb3 Rd8 30 Ke2 Bf6 31 Kd3 Kf8 32 Qa4 Black resigns There is no good defence to Qa7 when Black begins to lose all of his queen- side pawns. A beautifully neat and efficient exe- cution by Short.

Paul Keres Memorial, Parnu

1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6

1. Short * * 1/2 I 1/2 1 1 0 1 1/2 1/2 1/2 61/2 2. Khalifman 1/2 0 * * 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 V2 1/2 1 51/2 3. Ehlvest 1/2 0 1/2 1/2 * * 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 5 4. Hracek 0 1 0 1/21/2 0 * * 0 1 1 1 5 5.011 0 1/2 V2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 0 * * 0 1/2 4 6. Sokolov 1/2 I/2 1/2 0 1/2 1/2 0 0 1 1/2 * * 4 The answer to Chess Puzzle No. 2 was 1 ...Nxe3, which demolishes White's king's fortress. After 2 bxc3 Ba3+ 3 Kc2 Rb2+ White loses his queen. White's best after 1 . . . Nxc3 would be 2 Qf3.

The winner, out of another excellent entry, was Colin Matthissen, of Droxford, Hants, who wins an invitation to lunch or dinner with me at Simpson's-in-the-Strand, plus a game of chess.

Chess Puzzle No. 3 will be announced shortly. Every first-time entrant to the chess puzzles will receive a complimentary copy of the British Chess Magazine.