CHESS
New tricks
Raymond Keene
Last week it was just possible to include the results of the Foreign and Colonial Grandmaster tournament at Hastings. Here now is the full crosstable plus the Promised games by the great Dane, Bent Larsen, who shared first prize. At nearly 52 the veteran of the tournament, he still Plays with youthful verve and enthusiasm and, as can be seen, takes tremendous risks in pursuit of the full point.
Foreign and Colonial Tournament, Hastings 1 2 1 4 5 6 7 8. 9 10 11 12 13 14 Tfi 1 Chandler x 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 1/2 1 Yr 1/2 1 1/2 1 1 8 2 Larsen 1/2 x Yr 0 1 Yr 1/2 0 V2 1 V2 1 1 1 8 3 Lputian 1/2 Yr x 1/2 V2 1 Yr 1 Vr Yz Vr 1 1 0 8 4 Speelman Yr 1 1/2 x Vi Yr 1/2 1/2 Vi Yr 1/2 1 Yr 1 8 S Chiburdanidze Yr 0 1/2 1/2 x 1/2 1/2 1 V2 1/2 1 1/2 V2 1 71/2 6 Mestel 1 1/2 0 Vi V2 x 0 .0 V2 1 1 1/2 1 1 71/2 7 Gufeld V2 1/2 Yr 1/2 Yr 1 x 1 Yr Yr 0 1/2 1 0 7 8 Plaskett 0 1 0 1/2 0 1 0 x Yr 1 1 1 Yr Yr 7 9 Adorjan V2 1/2 Yr 1/2 Yr 1/2 Yr 1/2 x 0 1 Yr Yr 0 6
10 Kudrin 1/2 0 1/2 1/2 Yr 0 1/2 0 1 x 1/2 0 1 1 6
11 Hodgson 0 1/2 Yr Yr 0 0 1 0 0 Yr x 1 Yr 1/2 5 12 Peterson 1/2 0 0 0 Yr Yr 1/2 0/ 1 0 x 1/2 1 5 13 Conquest 0 0 0 Yr Yr 0 0 Yr 1/2 0 Yr 1/2 X 1 4 14 Large 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1/2 1 0 1/2 0 0 x 4 Larsen — Speelman: Foreign and Colonial; Neti's Opening. 1 g3 d5 2 Nf3 c6 Speelman plays the Caro-Kann tri spite of the fact that White has not played 1 ". 3 Bg2 Bg4 4 c4 e6 5 b3 Nd7 6 Bb2 Ngf6 7 0-0 066 8 cxd5 exd5 9 Nd4 A somewhat unusual idea introduced by Nimzowitsch in similar positions. One of White's plans is to play Qc2 followed by Nf5. Speelman takes measures to prevent this.
9. . . Nc5 10 Qc2 Qd7 11 f3 A risky idea. Other possibilities are 11 Nc3 and 11 b4 Ne6 12 Nf5. Larsen's choice weakens his king side and throws down the gauntlet to Speelman who up to now in this tournament has been something of a sleeping lion. 11 . . . Be6 12 b4 Na6 13 a3 h5 The lion roars. 14 e4 dxe4 15 fxe4 h4 16 Nxe6 Qxe6 17 Bxf6 Not the move White had in mind when he played 14 e4. It turns out, however, that the intended 17 e5 Bxe5 18 Rel fails to . . . Rh5 19 d4 Bxd4+ 20 Kf1 and now . . . Re5! (not . . . Rf5+ 21 Qxf5) 17. . . gxf6 18Qc3? After this move White can no longer make a fight of it. His king is exposed, he is very weak on the dark squares and White cannot develop his queen's rook or queen's knight 'due to the jamming effect of the queen on c3. White must play 18 d4 hxg3 19 h3 0-0-0 20 Nd2 although it is not particularly convincing. Gufeld suggested instead of 20 Nd2, 20 b5. 18 . . . 0-0-0 19 Rxf6 Qe7! Speelman avoids a cunning trap, namely 19 . . . Be5 20 Rxe6 Bxc3 21 Rxc6+ bxc6 22 Nxc3 and White can fight. After Black's move, Larsen's situation is desperate. 20 Rf5 hxg3 21 h3 This looks horrible, since Black now has a dangerous passed pawn lodged in White's vital parts. However, 21 hxg3 might even be worse . since there would be a target on g3 and Black has the open h-file. 21 . . . Kb8 22 Ra2 Nc7 Black systematically centralises his pieces in preparation for the final assault. 23 Qc4 Be5 24 Nc3 f6 25 Kf1 Ne6 26 Net Rd6 27 Kel Qd7 28 Rc2 Rd8 29 Qa2 A forlorn attempt to defend the d-pawn. 29. . . Rd3 30 Rfl Nd4 The high point of Black's attack. 31 Nxd4 Qxd4 32 Ke2 Qd6 33 h4 White had only one minute left to reach move 40. 33. . . B14 34 Qb2 Bxd2 35 Rxf6 Re3+ 36 Kdl Rel mate.
Kudrin — Larsen: Sicilian Defence.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 c4 Bg7 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Nc3 Ng4 8 Qxg4 Nxd4 9 Qdl Ne6 10 Rcl 0-0 11 Bd3 d6 12 0-0 Bd7 13 Qd2 Qa5 14 b3 Rfc8 15 f4 Nc5 16 Bbl Bch 17 f5 Nd7 18 Khl a6 19 Qel b5 20 Bd2 bxc4 21 Nd5 Qd8 22 Ba5 Q10 23 fxg6 hxg6 24 Nc7 Rxc7 25 Bxc7 Bb2 26 Rc2 Be5 27 Ba5 Qh6 28 h3 Nf6 29 Bc3 cxb3 30 axb3 Bxe4 31 Bxe5 dxe5 32 Rc3 Bxbl 33 Qxbl Kg7 34 Qcl Qxcl 35 Rfxcl Rb8 36 Re3 Rb5 37 Rc6 a5 38 Ra6 e4 39 Raj Re5 40 Kg1 Nh5 41 g3 f5 42 Rc7 Kf7 43 Kf2 Nf6 44 Rec3 e3+ 45 Kel Nh5 46 R7c5 RxcS 47 Rxc5 Nxg3 48 RxaS f4 49 Rg5 Ne4 50 Re5 Nd2 51 Ke2 Kf6 52 Rb5 e5 53 b4 Kf5 54 1Cd3 Nc4 55 Ra5 f3 56 Ral e2 White resigns.
A fascinating game, full of interesting ideas, but also some serious errors. If 24. . . R' ab8 25 Ne6 Black can sacrifice the queen with . . . fxe6. However, the exchange sacrifice is much stron- ger. If White plays 27 bxc4 then. . . Qh6 28 h3 f5! grants Black a vehement attack. 29 . . cxb3 was a blunder. Black should have played 29.. .
Bxe4. In his turn, White blundered with 30 axb3 missing a great opportunity with 30 Bd2 forc- ing. . . bxc2 31 Bxh6 cxb1=0 32 Qxbl Nxe4 when 33 Bf4! means that Black has insufficient compensation for the queen he has lost. In the ending, White was overwhelmed by Black's armada of king-side pawns, though, here too, Black could have finished off more efficiently with 42 . . g5! while White could have offered sterner resistance with 45 Ke2!
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