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Raymond Keene
AccorAccording to a report in The Times, ding wife and son have finally been granted exit visas, and should leave the USSR by 27 June. We can only hope that this amounts to their definitive release, and is not another red herring, similar to the optimistic predictions prevalent before last year's title match. Fridrik Olafsson, Fide President, has stated that this issue has been poisoning the atmosphere of world chess, and at long last it appears that the toxin is being dispersed.
Although Karpov won in London, he did not dominate the event, and his somewhat shaky form has persisted in the latest super- tournament currently is progress at Turin, where he has just lost to Ljubojevic. Ljubojevic — Karpov: Turin, June 1982; Ruy Lopez.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Bel 6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d6 9 h3 Bb7 Karpov's plan is not highly regarded by theory, but looks solid enough. 10 d4 Nd7 11 Nbd2 1116 12 Nfl Re8 13 Ng3 g6 14 Bh6 Nay 15 Bc2 c5 16 d5 Nc4 17 Qcl /3g7 18 a4 Nbc6 19 a5 Nc8 19 .. . Nc4 is more ag- gressive, but then 20 b3! Nxa5 21 Qa3 traps Black's N. 20 c4 Bxh6 21 Qxh6 Qf6 22 Net Ne7 23 Nc3 b4 24 Ba4! A tactical stroke which en- sures White's advantage. 24 Bc8 25 Bc6 Nxc6 Or 25 Ra7 26 Na4, also in White's favour. 26 dxc6 bxc3 27 cxd7 Bxd7 28 bxc3 Qe7 Although White's pawns are split, several factors combine to outweigh this. He retains residual K-side at- tacking chances, Black's d6 pawn can be attack- ed frontally, and, most significant of all, Black will find it difficult to prevent a White R penetrating to b6. 29 Redl Red8 30 Rabl Ba4 31 Rd2 Rabb 32 Rdh2 Rxb2 33 Rxb2 16 34 Rb6 Qc7 35 Nh2 There is no hurry to capture the a pawn.
35 Bc6 36 Ng4 Rf8 37 f3 f5 Trying to drum up counter-play, for if passive defence by 37 ... Bb7 then 38 Qd2! 38 exf5 RxfS 39 Qd2 Kg7 40 Rxa6 e4 This only hastens the end. 41 fxe4 Rf7 42 e5! Qc8 Or 42 ... dxe5 43 Rxc6 Qxc6 44 Nxe5 and Nxf7, when Black has no hope of survival in the Q and P ending. 43 Qd6 + Kh8 44 e6 Rg7 45 Rb6 and Karpov resigned.
Lloyds Bank British Problem Solving Championship a bcde f g h White to play and mate in 2 moves against any Black defence.
This problem is the first stage in the Lloyds Bank British Chess Problem Solving Championships. Successful entrants from this stage will qualify to compete in a more difficult postal phase, the top scorers In which will be invited to take part in the final, to be held in London in January 1983. There will be prizes of £100, £40 and £20 for the leading solvers, and a Lloyds Bank trophy for the champion.
To compete in the event, solve this pro- blem and send your solution, consisting of the key-move only, to: Public Relations Dept, Lloyds Bank Plc, 71 Lombard St, London EC3P 3BS, marking the envelope 'Chess Problem Solving Contest'. Entries must not arrive later than 30 June 1982.
You should write 'Spectator' at the head of your entry. Last year's competition attracted a great many entries from overseas, and there will be a special prize of £10 for the highest scor- ing overseas entry from the second stage, but competitors are reminded that unless they can be present in London in January 1983, they will not be eligible to compete in the Final.
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