CHESS

Prelude

Raymond Keene

he world championship, which has transferred from New York after the first twelve games, resumes on Saturday 24 November in Lyon, with Karpov taking White for the 13th game. An important curtain raiser to the New York section of the championship was the first Watson, Farley and Williams tournament (played in their offices in Madison Avenue, Manhat- tan) to be held in New York. The inaugural Watson, Farley, Williams tournament was staged in their offices in Minories in the City of London in 1988, and won by the Scottish international Paul Motwani. The 1989 and 1990 editions both saw the Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen carry off first prize, a feat he repeated in New York in a category 11 tournament, the strongest of the series so far. The London-based firm of solicitors also have offices in Oslo, Paris and Athens, so there is clearly scope for a circuit here which, judging by the exciting level of play in New York, would rival the GMA circuit. There were very few draws and virtually none of the anodyne variety which plagued the GMA World Cup, Indeed, in New York violent and sudden finishes were more the order of the day.

Watson, Farley and Williams International Chess Challenge, New York.

1 1Larsen (Den) * 2Kotronias (Greece) 1/2 3Speelman (Eng) 0 4Fishbein (USA) 1 5Frias (USA) 0 6King (Eng) 0 7Hodgson (Eng) 0 8 Mednis (USA) 0 9 Wolff (USA) 1/2 10 Averbalch (USSR) 1/2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ½1 0 1 1 1 1 1/2 1/26% * 1/2 0½ 1 1 1 1/2 16 1/2 * 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1 15½ 1½ * ½0 0½ 1 1/25 1/2 1/2

1/2 *

1 0 1 1/2 15 0 1/2 1 0 * 1 1 1 1/25 0 0 1 1 0 * 0 1

1/231/z

0 1/2 1/2 0 0 1 * ½½3 1/2 0 0 1/2 0 0 1/2 * 1 3 0 0½ 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 * 21/2

Kotronias — King: Watson, Farley and Williams International, New York 1990.

Here White ended the game with the /hunder- bolt 1 Qh6! — 2 Qxg7 mate is threatened and 1 . . gxh6 allows 2 Nxh6 mate.

Speelman — Hodgson: Watson, Farley and Williams International, New York 1990.

In this innocent-looking position, White forced immediate resignation with 1 Bxd5! as if 1 . Qxd5 2 Rxe8 Rxc8 3 Nxf6+ or if 1 . . . exd5 2 Nxf6+ Rxf6 3 Qxe7.

Hodgson — King: Watson, Farley and Williams International, New York 1990.

Here 1 . . . Rc3 forced immediate resignation as 2 Oal loses the queen after 2 . . . Rxg3+ .

The 29th Chess Olympiad is in its first week in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. The initial rounds are very much concerned with the stronger teams relegating the weaker ones, but en route some fine games have been played, such as Speelman's win against Greece. As in former years, the English team is sponsored by merchant banker Duncan Lawrie.

Speelman — Skembris: French Defence

1e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 c3 c5 6 f4 Nc6 7 Ndf3 f6 8 Bd3 cxd4 9 cxd4 Bb4+ 10 Bd2 Qb6 11 a3 Bxd2+ 12 Qxd2 0-013 Ne2 h6 14 b4 a6 15 Rd l Rf7 16 Bg6 Rf8 17 Bbl Rf7 18 Qd3 Nf8 19 exf6 Rxf6 20 g4 Bd7 21 h4 Rf7 22 Rgl Be8 23 h5 Rc8 24 g5 hxg5 25 Rxg5 Rf6 26 Nh2 Nxb4 27 Qd2 Rxcl 28 Qxcl Nc6 29 Ng4 KM 30 Nxf6 gxf6 31 Rg3 Nxd4 32 Nxd4 Qxd4 33 Qc7 f5 34 Qe7 Qb2 35 Qicf8+ Kh7 36 Qg8+ Kh6 37 Rg6+ Black resigns.