Chess
Great race
Raymond Keene
Portisch's early lead in the Phillips and Drew Kings has faded after defeats by Mestel and Timman, and it currently seems that top honours will be fought out between Portisch, Andersson and possibly Karpov. The world champion started slowly, narrow- ly avoiding losses to Speelman and Timman, then beat Mestel, Miles and Nunn, all from the White side of Sicilian Defences, but lost to Seirawan in Round 11. My prediction is that he will push ahead and capture first prize by a half-point margin.
Thursday is a rest day and the decisive final round takes place at County Hall on Friday 30 April, starting at 1.15 pm. This will be the last chance for some time for Lon- doners to see so many leading Grandmasters in a tournament where the general fighting spirit and quality of play have been outstan- ding.
Here is another of the best games:
Portisch — Christiansen: Queen's Indian Defence; London 1982.
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 9313b7 5 Nc3 d5 6 exd5 NxdS 7 Qc2!? A relatively new idea. Normal is 7 e3 Be7 8 Bb5 + c6 9 Bd3 followed by a later e4. Por- tisch tries to save a tempo on this. 7 • Be7 8 e4 Nxc3 9 bxc3 0-0 10 Bd3 c5 11 0-0 cxd4 12 cxd4 Nc6? A natural enough move, but probably inac- curate. Black should, instead, strive to alleviate his position by exchanges after 12 .. . Qc8! 13 Qe2 Ba6. White would stand a little better in view of his strong centre pawns, but Black would run little risk of being overrun. 13 Bb2 Rc8 14 Qe2 Bf6 15 Radl g616 h4 Qe7 If 16 ... Nxd4 17 Bxd4 Bxd4 18 Bb5 e5 19 Nxe5 with the threats of Nd7 and Nf3, while 16 ... Bxh4? is bad after 17 d5 Na5 18 dxe6 fxe6 19 Bc4 or 17 ... exd5 18 exd5 Na5 19 Qe5 or finally 18 . . . Re8 19 Qd2 Na5 20 Qh6! 17 h5 Rfd8 18 Qe3 Na5 19 Rcl ab 20 Rxc8 Rxc8 21 Rd Rxel + 22 Qxcl Qd8 23 h6 Hemming in Black's K and producing tactical threats against g7. 23 ... Qc8 24 Qf4! Of course, White hopes for an attack against Black's K, and therefore avoids the ex- change of queens. 24 ... Qd8 25 Ne5 b5 26 Bc3 Nc4? Black's position is already very uncomfor- table but this is a losing blunder. A better chance is 26 . . Nc6, since 27 Nxc6 Bxc6 28 Ba5 can be par- ried by 28 ... Qe7 (not 28 ... Qxa5? 29 Qxf6) 29 Qb8 + Qe8, or 27 d5 Nxe5 28 Bxe5 8g5. 27 Bxc4
bxc4 28 Ba5 Qe7 (Diagram) Forced. 29 Nd7!
Black resigns. If 29 Qxd7 30 Qxf6 or 29 Bh8 Qb8 + .
Position after 28. . . Qe7
There have been many eminent visitors to County Hall during the past two weeks, in' eluding Victor Korchnoi, who set up shop outside the playing hall, protesting against the plight of his family and his unfair 'exclu- sion' from the tournament. He has an un- disputed right to draw attention to the former, but there is no evidence that he has been unjustly treated by the organisers. It was Korchnoi who competed in the 1980 P + D, in preference to the Russians, but this time it was the turn of the world champion, and in my opinion, our joint sponsors, P and the GLC, have been perfectly even' handed over their invitations policy.
More details on this, plus the final results in full, next week.
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