SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
Staunton remembered
Raymond Keene
HOWARD STAUNTON was Britain's greatest 19th-century player and the man after whom the modern chess pieces are named. Indeed one could make a case for him being the greatest British player of all time. Although Nigel Short challenged, unsuccessfully, for the world title in 1993, Staunton, 150 years beforehand, actually won what could be considered the unoffi- cial world championship. This came about with a convincing match victory against Europe's (and thus, at that time, the world's) leading player of the day, St Amant.
Sadly, Staunton is buried in an unmarked grave at London's Kensal Green cemetery, but for the past four years the Staunton Society has been working to cre- ate a fitting memorial to him. This has now come about. A polished black granite tombstone, featuring a Staunton-patterned knight, designed by artist Barry Martin, will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on Monday, 28 July at Kensal Green. All those wishing to attend the ceremony should contact Barry Martin on 0181 744 2868 or at 98 Cole Park Road, Twickenham TW1 HA.
Here is one of Staunton's classic games.
Staunton—Williams: London Match, 1851; Bird's Opening.
1f4e62e3f53g3Nf64Bg2d55Nf3c56b3 Staunton was a great enthusiast of double fianchetto openings, in which White observes the centre rather than occupying it with his pawns. There is a widespread belief that such systems were only invented by the hypermodern grandmasters of the 1920s, such as Reti and Nimzowitsch, but Staunton anticipated their ideas by over seven decades. 6 ...Nc6 7 0-0 Bd6 8 Bb2 0-0 9 Qe2 Bc7 10 Na3 This edge develop- ment of the knight may look strange, but Staunton wanted to avoid obstructing the diago- nal of his queen's bishop. 10 ...a6 More solid would be 10 ... b6 followed by ...Bb7. Black's plan for a wing advance is too ambitious, and soon his centre comes under pressure from White's probing pawns. 11 Radl A subtle and deep move which creates potential pressure against Black's pawn centre. Seventy years later, Richard Reti, the apostle of hypermodemism, wrote: 'As the opening is, in general, a struggle for domination in the centre, the characteristic feature of every such new system will be a desire to direct pressure against the centre without fix- ing the middle pawns too soon.' 11 ...b5 12 c4 bxc4 13 bxc4 Rb8 14 Bxf6 A brilliant move. Although it exchanges one of White's best pieces, the objective is to weaken Black's pawn on d5. 14 ... Qxf6 15 cxd5 exd5 16 d4 c4 A natu- ral response but it fails to a powerful tactical sequence. He had to play 16 ... cxd4. 17 Ne5 Nb4
Position after 17 . . . Nb4 (Diagram) Black appears to have everything under control, but White's next move, sacrificing his knight, exposes the rickety foundations of Black's edifice. 18 Naxc4 dxc4 19 a3 A neat point for if 19 ...Nd3 20 Nxc4 when Black's knight is trapped. Also strong is 19 Qxc4+ Rf7 20 a3 Be6 21 d5. 19 ... BxeS 20 dxe5 Qf7 21 axb4 Rxb4 Miraculously, Black has succeeded in maintaining material equality, but White's passed pawn, Black's own scattered forces and White's central initiative, still combine to give White a win. 22 Rd6 Bb7 23 e6 Qc7 24 Rd7 Qc8 25 Qdl Bch Or 25 ... c3 26 e7 Re8 27 Bxb7 Rxb7 28 Qd5+ and wins. 26 Bxc6 Qxc6 (Diagram) To Position after 26 . . . Qxc6
conclude his masterpiece, Staunton makes dev- astating use of his passed pawn and total control of the open d-file. 27 Qd4 Rf6 28 Rd6 Qb5 If 28 ...Qb7 29 Rd8+ Rf8 30 Rxf8+ and mates. 29 Rd8+ Rf8 30 Rxf8+ KxfS 31 Qd6+ Ke8 32 Rdl Black resigns.
Staunton was a regular denizen of Simpson's-in-the-Strand, the world's great- est chess centre during the 19th century. On the evening of 28 July, the summer din- ner of the Staunton Society will be held at Simpson's. Those wishing to attend should forward £25, again to Barry Martin, to book their place.
Previous page
