CHESS
Regal
Raymond Keene
Danny King has been unobtrusively working his way up the ladder of British chess. He has always been recognised as a talented master hut last year he finally made the breakthrough and joined the growing cohort of English Grandmasters. This apotheosis seemed to exert a liberat- ing effect on his powers and since gaining the title King took second prize behind Larsen in the category 10 Watson Farley and Williams tournament last year while in December he was the only British repre- sentative to qualify from the giant Grand- master Association Open in Palma de Mallorca. By coming in the first eight in this elite competition King ensured himself a berth in the final eliminator scheduled for May, which will decide the line-up for the
1991 World Cup.
In the course of his success at Palma Danny won the following fine game. I am grateful to him for providing some com- ments upon which my notes are based.
King-Krasenkov: GMA Qualifier, Palma de Mallorca; Ruy Lopez.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 50-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 Be3 This development of the bishop was briefly popular in the mid-1980s but 9 c3 and 9 Nbd2, the time-honoured variations, are justly to be consi- dered more reliable. 9 . . . Nc5 An excellent riposte and the reason why White's 9th move has become unfashionable. The point is that with this move Black eliminates one of White's bishops before it can participate in an attack against the black king. 10 c3 Nxb3 11 axb3 Bg4 12 Bf4 Be7 13 Na3 0-0 14 h3 Bh5 15 Nc2 Qd7 16 Ne3 Rfd8 17 g4 Bg6 18 Nd4 Nxd4 19 cxd4 c5 20 Qd2 (Diagram) Black has handled the opening with immense subtlety and built up powerful
pressure against White's central installations. He should now open up the position by means of 20 . . cxd4 21 Oxd4 Qa7 which threatens . .
Position after 20 Qd2
Bc5. White must then play 22 Qxa7 Rxal 23 Nf5 (necessary, to diminish the scope of one of Black's bishops) 23 . . . Bxf5 24 gxf5 d4! After this advance any vestigial blockade would have been lifted and the liberated black 'd' pawn would cause White difficulties in the endgame. Krasenkov continues more ambitiously, with the idea of mobilising his queenside pawn Majority. Nevertheless, this course is misguided and grants White considerable counter-chances. 20 . . . c4 21 WV Keeping the position closed and simultaneously setting a cunning trap. 21 . . . Qe8 Black takes the bait. This move wins a pawn by force but now White institutes a fierce attack against the black king. 22 Nf5 Bxf5 23 gxf5 Qd7 24 Qc2 Bxb4 25 Kh2 White's attack along the `g' file plays itself.25 . . 16 26 Rgl Kh8 27 Rg4 Rg8 28 Rag' fxe5 29 dxe5 d4 Black's mass of pawns looks menacing but in fact White's attack against the black king has already attained decisive proportions. 30 Qe4 A powerful centralisation which already threatens 31 Rxg7 Rxg7 32 Oxa8+. 30. . . Ra18 31 f6 gxf6 32 e6! There is no longer any defence. If now 32 . . . 0e7 33 Bh6
Position after 32 . Qd8
Rd8 34 Rxg8+ Rxg8 35 Rxg8+ Kxg.8 36 Oa+. 32. . . Qd8 (Diagram) And now White finishes the game with a splendid coup. 33 Qxh7+ Black resigns. 33 . . . Mh7 34 Rh4 mate.
On Saturday 3 March the Royal Auto- mobile Club in Pall Mall is the venue for the annual Oxford and Cambridge match. Trophies are being provided by City solici- tors Watson, Farley and Williams. Oxford start favourites and will be led by David Norwood of Keble College, the only Grandmaster to represent either university in the entire history of the competition. On 18 February Gary Kasparov faces a superb field (including Ivanchuk, Short and Ljubojevic) in the tournament in the Spanish town of Linares. I shall be present for the early rounds so look out for an eyewitness report in this column.
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