i2dbeg

The U ltimate Islay Malt.

CHESS

Furred man

Raymond Keene

JON SPEELMAN has leapt back into the limelight with a fine performance at the Mind Sports Olympiad Masters in London in the summer. There he shared first prize with Ireland's first emigre grandmaster, Alexander Baburin, and the former Soviet champion Lev Psakhis. Speelman, both in person and in chess style, is often described as hirsute. His nickname on the tourna- ment circuit is `Speelwolf and his lycan- thropic tendencies often come to the fore in the hair-raising battles he conducts which test to destruction both the analyti- cal powers and the nervous systems of his victims.

Considering the complexity of his playing style, it is noteworthy that Speelman has also succeeded in publishing a lucid collec- tion of his best games. This week's game is taken from Jon Speelman's Best Games published by Batsford. The puzzle is also vintage Speelman in which he pole-axes one of his main English rivals.

Speelman–Azmaiparashvili: Spanish Team Championship 1994; Irregular Opening

1 d4 d6 2 e4 Nf6 3 f3 This system is somewhat inconvenient for Black if he wants to avoid a Samisch King's Indian. Indeed White also retains the option of developing his knights to bl-a3 and gl-e2-c3 against an orthodox King's Indian set-up with ... e5. 3 ...e6 4 Be3 Bel 5 c4 0-0 6 Nc3 c5 7 d5 a6 8 a4 136 9 Bd3 Bb7 Provocation! The bishop is biting on granite here. 9 ...Ra7 was normal or maybe 9 ...Nbd7 when White can choose between 10 b3 with a slight advantage and the more ambitious 10 f4I?

10 Nh3 10 Nge2 was a very playable alternative, and by defending f4 would have nullified the game continuation. 10 ...es Since the white cen- tre is very well defended, it makes some sense to block and then try to percolate round the edges. But of course White has a pleasant advantage.

11 g3 Nh5 12 f4 exf4 13 gxf4 g6 14 Rgl This looks very appealing; but the knight on g7 will be an excellent defender. 14 ...Ng7 15 Ng5 Bxg5 16 RxgS f6 Of course not 16 ... f5? 17 exf5 NxfS 18 Bxf5 RxfS 19 Rxf5 gxf5 20 Qh5 when the black king is in serious danger. But after the rook has retreated, Black can detonate the centre. 17 Rgl IS 18 Qf3 fxe4 Black can play 18 ...Nd7 first, but White can still retreat with 19 Bc2. 19 Nxe4 Nd7 20 Bc2 Qh4+ Despite his rather dubious open- ing play, 'Azmai' has seized the initiative follow- ing the weak 15th move. But now he tries to cash in too early. 20 ...Nf6 or 20 ...Nf5 were sensi- ble, and Black can also consider embarking upon an adventure with 20 ..,Ne5 21 Qe2 Qh4+. 21 Bf2 Qe7 22 0-0-0 Ne,S 23 Qe2 Rxf4 24 Bg3 Nh5 This disastrous misjudgment follows from Black's previous moves in which he appears to have got White on the run. If the rook moves back along the file, for example 24 ... Rf7, White will play 25 Nxd6! And 24 ... Rg4 is bad after 25 Rgfll But after 24 ...Raf8! Black would have had reasonable compensation for the exchange. 25 Qxh5 This simple queen sacrifice turns the game around. White develops a ferocious initia- tive which turns out to be sufficient for immedi- ate victory. 25 ... gxh5 If 25 ...Rxe4 26 Bxe4

Diagram 1

gxh5 27 Bxe5+ Kf8 28 Rdf1 + Ke8 29 Rg8+ Kd7 30 Bf5+ Kc7 31 Rg7 wins. 26 Bxf4+ Ng6 27 Bg5 Qe5 28 Nf6+ Kh8 29 Bxg6 29 Nxh7 Ktch7 30 Bxg6+ is also sufficient. 29 ...1m6 30 Rdel Qxh2 He might as well. If 30 ...0d4 31 Re71 Qxc4+ (31 ...Qxg1+ is the game but with White's h-pawn still alive) 32 Kbl Qd3+ 33 Kal escapes the checks immediately. 31 Re7 Qxgl+ 32 Kc2 Qf2+ 33 Kb3 Qf3+ 34 Ka2 (Diagram 1) Black has run out of checks and must now return the queen, after which White simply emerges a piece up thanks to the dual threats along the sev- enth rank. 34 ... Qxf6 35 Bxf6+ Kg8 36 Rxb7 b5 37 Rg7+ 1c18 38 Rh7 bxa4 39 Bc3 Of course, 39 Rh8+ K17 40 Rxa8 Kxf6 is also an easy win. But this is even cleaner. 39 ...Re8 40 Rh8+ K17 41 RxeS Kxe8 42 Bf6 Black resigns

Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 4 White to play and win — first move only required. This position is from the game Speelman–Short, London 1980. Can you spot White's immediate win?

Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 23 November or via e-mail to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 0171 242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.

Last week's solution: Ng5.

Last week's winner: Malcolm Grimmer, Cornwall.