CHESS
Recruiting offices
Raymond Keene
Last week I previewed the Watson Farley Williams Grandmaster tournament, one of the strongest to be held in the capital in recent years. The tournament is unusual in that it is played in the board- room of the sponsors, a legal firm, in the City of London. This feature means that members of the public cannot easily wan- der in to watch, but, on the other hand, venue costs are slashed, thus freeing re- sources to attract a stronger field. As with last year's event, the emphasis has been on recruiting talented young players, giving them a chance to compete against a power- ful international contingent. After four rounds of fierce competition, the lead has changed hands between the 21-year-old American, Patrick Wolff, 17-year-old Michael Adams from Truro, Britain's latest Grandmaster Danny King, and the Romanian who last year sought refuge in England, Mihai Suba. Here are two of the most interesting games so far:
Wolff — Watson: Watson Farley Williams Inter- national, 21 May; Sicilian Dragon.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3 0-0 8 Qd2 Nc6 9 0-0-0 This is the main alternative to 9 Bc4, a variation in which White strives to deliver checkmate. The text move inclines to a more strategic treatment. 9 . . . d5 The standard countermeasure, utilising White's temporary lack of control over the d5 square, to strike back in the centre. 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Nxd5 More usual is 12 Bd4 e5 13 Bc5 when Black tends to sacrifice the exchange with 13 . . . Be6. It transpires, howev- er, that Wolff has a new idea in mind. 12 . . . aul5 13 Bh6 Here is the new idea. It has been known for some time that acceptance of Black's gambit with 13 Qxd5 Qc7 14 Qxa8 Bf5, threat- ening mate and White's queen, is of no benefit to White. 13 . . . Bxh6 14 Qxh6 Qa5 15 Kbl RbS 16 h4 d4 17 b3 An unnecessary precaution, since
Black was not yet threatening to sacrifice his rook on b2. Instead, 17 Bd3 would have justified White's unusual opening and given him good prospects of a successful attack against the Black king. 17 . . . Bf5 18 Bd3 Rfc8 19 BxfS QxfS 20 Rd3 Rb5 21 Qd2 Rbc5 22 g4 Qf6 23 h5 e5 At this point Watson should have played 23 . . . Rxc2 24 Qcx2 Rxc2 25 Kxc2 with superior chances for Black in the queen–against–two–rooks end- game. As played, White's king's side attack flares up again. 24 hxg6 hxg6 25 g5 Qg7? 25 . . .Qf5! was forced. After the text Black's queen becomes spectacularly incarcerated. 26 c4 This annihilates any vestige of Black's pressure. Of course, 26 . . dxc3 ep loses to 27 Rd8+ Rxd8 28 Qxd8+ Qf8 29 Rh8+ . 26 . . . a5 27 f4 a4 28 Rdh3 exf4 29 Qh2 Kfll 30 Qxf4 Kg8 31 Qh2 Kf8 32 Rh7 Black resigns.
Adams — Wolff: 22 May; Pirc Defence.
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 g3 Bg7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 Nge2 e5 7 h3 c6 a4 Nbd7 9 0-0 Qc7 10 Be3 b6 11 f4 exd4 12 Nxd4 Ba6 13 Rel RadS 14 Nxc6! A neat tactical transaction, the sort of 'petite combination' for which Capablanca was re- nowned. The outcome is to transform the position into one where White enjoys a perma- nent strategic edge. 14 . . . Qxc6 15 e5 Discover- ing an attack from the White bishop against the Black queen. 15 . . . d5 16 exf6 Nxf6 17 Bd4 RfeS 18 Rxell+ Rxe8 19 Kh2 Bbl 20 a5 Ne4 Not the most accurate. Black should seek counterplay by means of 20 . . . h5. 21 Bxg7 Kxg7 22 Qd4+ Qf6? Much stronger is 22 . . . Kg8. The ex- change of queens accentuates White's advan- tage, which consists of better pawn structure and a more active bishop. 23 Nb5 Qxd4 Black cannot play 23 . . . a6 on account of 24 Qxf6+ Nxf6 25 Nd6 or 24 . . . Kxf6 25 Nc7 and 26 axb6. 24 Nxd4 Nd6 25 g4 h6 26 h4 Re7 27 Bf3 Kf6 28 Kg3 Re3 29 Kf2 ReS 30 a6 An interesting decision. White has evidently concluded that nothing is to be gained from opening the 'a' file. 30 . . . Ba8 31 Rdl Rc8 32 g5+ hxg5 33 hxg5+ Ke7 34 Rel+ Ne4+ 35 Ke3 Rc5 36 Rhl At last White's rook penetrates Black's camp via a file which cannot be contested. 36 . . . Bc6 37 Rh8 Nd6 38 Rb8 b5 39 Be2 Kd7 40 Bd3 Nc4+ 41 Bxc4 Black resigns. Black was demoralised by the arduous defence and resignation seems a bit premature. True, recapture with a pawn loses by force e.g. 41 . . • dxc4 42 Nxc6 Kxc6 (42 . . . Rxc6 43 Rb7+) 43 Rc8+ Kd6 44 RxcS KxcS 45 Ke4 and Black has a lost king and pawn endgame. Nevertheless, even though his position is repulsive, Black could have struggled with 41 . . . Rxc4 though 42 Kd3 followed by b3 leaves Black virtually paralysed. An excellent and highly instructive strategic performance by Adams.
This position if the first stage of the Lloyds Bank Problem Championship. To enter send White's first move only to Lloyds Bank Chess, 76 Lambscroft Ave- nue, Mottingham, London SE9. Please mark your solution 'The Spectator'. Your answer must arrive by 1 July. The problem is, White to play and mate in two moves. Correct solutions will qualify for a second postal stage, followed by the final In London next January. Solvers should re- member to submit their name and address with the solution.
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