CHESS

Dutch treat

Raymond Keene

The Euwe Memorial in progress in Amsterdam is a key test for Nigel Short. Apart from the dangerous Yugoslav Grandmaster, Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Bri- tain's superstar faces Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman, respectively number two and three in the world rankings. Significantly, those two also represent the major obsta- cles to Short's advance in the world title cycle. His performance in Amsterdam will, therefore, be a crucial indication of his championship prospects.

As I write Nigel has performed super- latively and is leading the tournament. He has inflicted massive defeats on Timman and Ljubojevic and lost but one game, outmanoeuvred with Black against Kar- pov.

Short — Ljubojevic; Sicilian Defence; 14 March.

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 a6 8 0-0-0 h6 9 Be3 Bd7 10 f4 b5 11 Bd3 Be7 12 Kbl b4 13 Nce2 0-0 14 h3 Qc7 15 g4 Qb7 16 Neg3 Nxd4 17 Bxd4 Bch 18 Rhel RfeS 19 g5 hxg5 20 fxg5 Nd7 21 Bxg7!! An intuitive sacrifice to rip open the position of the Black king. The consequences are spectacular. 21 . . . 21 Kxg7 22 Nh5+ Kg6 23 e5 dis.+. Yet another piece sacrifice to force Black's king wide into the open. 23. . . . KxhS 24 Qf4 BxgS 25 Qxf7+ Kh4 26 Qh7+ Kg3 27 Qh5 Kh2 A unique occurence. Black's king fights desperately for survival within the very heart of White's posi- tion. 28 Qxg5 Rg8 29 Rd2+ Bg2 30 Qf4+ Rg3 (Diagram) White's next move wraps things up.

Position after 30... Rg3

31 Be4 Qxe4 32 Qxe4 Black resigns. One of the most original games on record.

Short — Timman: French Defence; 12 March.

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4 cxd4 8 Qxg7 Rg8 9 Qxh7 Qa5 10 Rbl One of the sharpest positions known to modern theory. 10 . . . Nbc6 11 NO Bd7 12 Rxb7 Played less to win a pawn than to discourage Black from . . . 0-0-0. 12 . . . Qxc3+ 13 Kdl Na5 14 Rb4 Rc8 15 Ng5 Ftf8 16 Bd3 Qc7 17 Rel Nc4 18 Qg7 Nf5 19 Qf6 a5 20 Rxc4! A sacrifice which eliminates Black's only active piece. 20 . . . dxc4 21 BxfS Qd8 Black could as well have resigned. If 21 . . . exf5 22 e6 fxe6 23 Qg6+ wins. 22 Qg7 Qe7 23 Ne4 exf5 24 Nd6+ Kd8 25 Bg5 f6 26 Nb7+ Black resigns. One of the most crushing defeats ever suffered by Timman.

Short's one setback so far:

Karpov — Short: Queen's Indian Defence; 11 March.

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 c4 b6 4 g3 Ba6 5 b3 Bb4+ Karpov has become an adept, possibly the world's leading expert, in handling the White side of the Queen's Indian. If Nigel does have a weakness, it is the lack- of a defence he can truly trust against 1 d4. 6Bd2 Bxd2+ 7 Qxd2 0-0 8 Bg2 c6 9 0-0 d5 10 Qb4 Ne4 11 Rcl Nd7 12 Qa3 Bb7 13 cxd5 exd5 14 Nc3 f5 15 e3 Qf6 16 Rc2 a5 17 Rdl Rac8 18 Net g5 Short tries to seize the initiative with his next few move, but Karpov is superbly well co-ordinated to repel boarders. 19 Ncl g4 20 Nh4 c5 21 Net cxd4 22 RxcB Bxc8 23 Rxd4 Bb7 24 Qcl Rc8 25 Qdl Ne5 26 Nf4 Kh8 27 h3 Nc3 28 Qd2 gxh3 29 Nxh3 Ne4 30 Qdl Nc6 31 RxdS Nc3 Apparently decisive, but Karpov still has everything under control. 32 Rd6! Qe5 33 Qd3 Ne2+ 34 Kla Rg8 35 Nf4 Nxf4 36 exf4 Qc5 37 Bxc6 Rxc6 38 Rxc6! Black resigns.

38 . . . Qxc6 39 Qd4+ 1:',7,7 40 Nxf5 wins.

Timman-Short: Queen's Gambit Declined, 15 March.

1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 d5 3 d4 Nf6 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Bg5 Be7 6 e3 0-0 7Qc2 c6 8 Bd3 Nbd7 9 Nf3 Re8 10 0-0 Nf8 11 Rael Ne4 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 Bxe4 dxe4 14 Nd2 f5 15 f3 exf3 16 Nxf3 Be6 17 e4 fxe4 18 Rxe4 h6 19 Rfel RadS 20 Rle3 Q17 21 Ne5 Qft 22 Rg3 Rxd4 23 Ng4 Kh8 24 Nxh6 gxh6 25 Qcl Q16 26 Ree3 Rf4 27 Ne2 Rf5 28 Ref3 Bd7 29 Nf4 Qd4+ 30 Kfl Kh7 31Rh3 Re5 32 White resigns.