I had hoped to sneak away to Venice for a week
from the rigours of organising the world championship and the general work- load of London Chess Year. At the Festi- val of the Sensa, the Doge used to cast a golden ring into the Venetian lagoon, signifying the marriage of Venice with the Sea. This pageant has now been revived, but as I watched the stately Bucintoro, bearing the senior officers of Venice, glide past the Lido, what did I hear — Vivaldi? No, it was Jesus Christ Superstar. Was the Doge figure Tim Rice in disguise? There is no escape from Chess.
Tim Rice's Chess musical is, of course, an amazing bonus for us in the year that London will stage the centenary World Chess Championship. To have the real thing in progress at the Park Lane Hotel and a dramatic vision of essentially the same event at the Prince Edward Theatre is an amazing coincidence, to say the least. Others more competent than I will assess the artistic merit of Chess but from a technical chess point of view, I found the video wall game representation stunning and Bill Hartston's choice of positions superb. I hope we can do as well for the title match itself.
World Champion Kasparov will be in England from 26-29 May before proceed- ing to Barcelona to collect the Chess
CHESS
Top Doge
Raymond Keene
Oscar. His plans have slightly changed and he will no longer be giving a simultaneous display at the Prince Edward Theatre on 28 May, but facing the UK junior squad at Uppingham on 27 May. This is always a stern test of any champion and the event comes courtesy of Peter Barton and Gold- mark Books who are sponsoring the event.
If you want to watch, ring Peter Barton on 0780 721527.
This week's game is from the Kleinwort Grieveson UK-USA Challenge at the Great Eastern Hotel.
Speelman-Alburt: Queen's Pawn Opening. 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 c4 c5 4 e3 4 d5 would be the popular choice here but, as so often, Speelman prefers to throw the weight of the struggle onto the middlegame. 4 . . . g6!? Provocative, I would have played 4 . . cxd4 5 exd4 which can transpose into a Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Gambit or indeed, Catalan. 5 Nc3 Bg7 6 Bet 0-0 7 0-0 d6 8 e4 Sacrificing a tempo to establish a central presence. 8 . . . Nc6 9 Be3 9 d5 is a seductive idea but then there comes 9 . . Nd4 10 Nxd4 cxd4 11 Qxd4 Nxd5 9 . . . Qe7 10 d5 A much better moment for this central push. 10 . . . exd5 11 cxd5 Ne5 12 NxeS QxeS 13 f4 Qe7 14 e5 Ne8 14
. . . dxe5 is unpleasant after 15 d6. 15 Ne4 b6 16 Qd2 Bb7 Black's hypermodern opening play has been risky but not necessarily bad. White's imposing centre may prove to be weak. Never- theless, 16 . . . Bf5 would have been better at this juncture. The main point to this is that it challenges White's formidable Ne4. 17 Radl dxe5 18 f5 Misplacing the Bb7 has permitted this standard pawn sacrifice to blockade Black's K-side. 18 . . . Rad8 19 f6! The start of a combination which wins material. 19 . Nxf6 20 d6 Qe6 21 Rxf6 Bxf6 22 Bg4 Bxe4 22 . • • Qxg4 23 Nxf6+ wins the whole house. 23 I3xe6 fxe6 24 Rfl Rd7 25 Bh6 Rff7 26 Qe2 Bc6 This looks secure but it allows a powerful riposte. 26 . . Bb7 27 Qb5 is also bad for Black. 27 Qa6 Bd8 27 . . Rb7 28 d7! Bd8 29 Rxf7 and Qfl+ wins. 28 Qc8?? Incredible. In time-trouble Speelman misses the crushing and obvious 28 Rxf7 Kxf7 29 Qfl+ or 28 . . . Rxf7 29 Qc8. 28 . . . Rxfl+ 29 Kxfl Bb5+ 30 Kel Kf7 31 a4 Bxa4 32 Qa6 Bc2 33 Qfl+ Danny King's suggestion 33 Qe2 Bf5 34 g4 is perhaps even stronger. 33 • • • Bf5? The best drawing chance is 33 . . . Bf6 34 Bg5 Bf5 35 Bxf6 Kxf6 36 g4 Rxd6 37 gxf5 exf5. Black has rook and five pawns for the queen and should hold without difficulty. Perhaps Alburt was trying to rush his opponent and missed this major opportunity. 34 g4 Rxd6 The last real chance is 34 . . Bh4+ 35 Keg Rxd6 36 gxf5 exf5. 35 gxf5 gxf5 35 . . exf5 36 Qc4+ is also bad for Black. After the text capture, Black loses because he cannot protect the h pawn. 36 Qh3 Bf6 37 Qh5+ Ke7 38 Bg5 protect. 39 Qxg5t, Kd7 40 Qg7+ Kc6 41 Qxh7 Rd4 42 h4 Re4+ Kd2 Rd4+ 44 Kc2 Rc4+ 45 Kbl e4 46 Qh6 Kd5 47 h5 Rd4 48 Qcl Rd3 49 Qhl Kc4 50 h6 e3 51 Qfl f4 52 Kc2 Black resigns. A battle between two players determined to provide the public with a fine display of fighting chess.
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