SIMPSON'S

IN.THE•STRAND

CHESS

cr

SIMPSON'S IN-THE-STRAND

Short shrift

Raymond Keene

NIGEL SHORT has fully recovered from the battering he received at the hands of Garry Kasparov in London just over three years ago. Once again he has started to win top-level international competitions, and if the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and the World Chess Federation (Fide) could sort out their act, and actually set up a proper qualifying competition, Nigel would have legitimate chances for a shot at the world title.

Short's latest triumph has been victory in the tournament at Groningen, Holland, where he outclassed an elite international field. His former enterprise was much in evidence, as the following game against the joint second prize-winner demonstrates. Short stumbles as victory is in sight. Tim- man, though, fails to take his chance.

Short–Timman: Groningen, December 1996; Petroff Defence.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 d4 Nxe4 4 Bd3 Nc6 (Diagram) This move, an idea of the Israeli

grandmaster Yasha Murey, looks insane. Black simply allows a piece to be taken. However, it can be justified since, amazingly, White cannot

cling to his extra material. For example 5 Bxe4 d5 6 Bd3 e4 7 Qe2 Bel and Black's fork guaran- tees the return of his lost material. Short tries a different course. 5 d5 Nc5 6 dxc6 e4 Once more this fork re-establishes the material balance since 7 Qe2 is met by 7 ... Qe7, when one White minor piece must go. 7 cxb7 Bxb7 8 Be2 exf3 9 Bxf3 Bxf3 10 Qxf3 Be7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Rdl Bf6 The upshot of the opening is that Black has maintained his precarious material tightrope- walking act but suffers from somewhat dislocat- ed pawns. In exchange, his minor pieces are quite active. 13 c4 Be5 Black's threat now is ... Qh4, forking h2 and c4. 14 Nd2 Re8 15 Rbl a5 16 Nfl Qf6 17 Qxf6 Bxf6 18 Ne3 Rab8 19 b3 a4 Black's problem is the possible occupation of d5 by White's knight. In view of this, he has to gen- erate active counterplay. The text provokes White into advancing his queenside pawns but Timman speculates that, once they push for- wards, they will become weak, rather than strong. 20 b4 Ne4 21 Nd5 Bd4 An extraordinary concept, for if 22 Rxd4 Nc3 with multiple threats, including .Rel checkmate. 22 Kfl Bxf2 23 Nxc7 Ree8 24 Rxd7 Nc3 White has won a pawn after the tactical exchanges and his two connected passed pawns on b4 and c4 are a sure game-winner for him. All he has to do is to sur- mount immediate problems caused by the insta- bility of his pieces which can fall under attack from different directions. 25 Rb2 Bh4 26 Bf4 Bf6 27 b5 h5 28 h3 Rb7 29 Rbd2 Ne4 30 R2d5 Nc3 31 RxhS Nxa2 Black now pins his hopes on his passed 'a' pawn. This could become particularly dangerous, since Black's bishop controls the pro- motion square. 32 c5 Nb4 33 c6 Nxc6 34 bxc6 Rbl-1- 35 Keg a3 36 Ita5 Rb2+ 37 Kf3 a2 38 Nd5 It is worth giving up the c6 pawn in order to eliminate Black's bishop. If now 38 ...Rb3+ 39 Be3 al/Q 40 Rxal Bxal 41 Ne7+ wins for White. 38 ... Rxc6 39 Nxf6+ Rxf6 40 Rd6 Rf5 41 Ra8+ Kh7 42 h4 (Diagram) White's 42nd move,

Position after 42 h4

designed to prevent ... g5, was actually a colossal blunder, with 42 Kg4 being vastly superior. Black now has the chance to make a draw with 42 ... Rbl 43 Rxa2 Rfl + regaining the piece. Instead, Timman returns the compliment. 42 ...Rd 43 g3 f5 44 Rd2 Black resigns Black's 'a' pawn is now useless and White's extra piece will gradual- ly ensure a win.

Groningen Final Crosstable

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112

1. Short * 1 1/21/2 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1 1 2. Timman 0* 1/2 1 1 1 1/21/2 0 1 1/21/2 3. Getrand 1/21/2 * 1/21/21/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/21/2 4.Leko 1/2 0 1/2 * 1/2 1 5. Shirov 1 0 1/21/2 * 0 1/21/21/21/2 1 1 6. Van Wely 1/2 0 1/2 0 1* 1/2 1 0 1/2 1 1 7. Svidler 1/21/2 0 1/21/21/2 * 1/2 1 1/2 0 1 8.Onischuk1/21/21/21/21/2 0 1/2 * 1 0 1/2 0 9. Hodgson 0 1 0 1/21/2 1 0 0* 1/2 1 0 10. Akopian 1/2 0 1/2 0 1/21/21/2 1 1/2 * 1/2 0 11.Sokolov 0 1/21/21/2 0 0 1 1/2 0 1/2 * 1 12.Korchnoi 0 1/21/2 1/2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0* In the above table, 1 represents a win, 1/2 a draw and 0 a loss. 1/21/21/2 1 1/21/2 7 61/2 61/2 6 6 6 51/2 41/2 41/2 41/2 41/2 41/2