Chess
Anti-blockade
recently in this column, highlights a key question in modern opening theory. After 1 d4 NM 2 c4 e6 many White players have been turning away from 3 Nc3, preferring 3 Nf3, usually leading into the Queen's In- dian Defence with 3 . . h6. Indeed, 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5! followed by. . . Bxc3 + seems, if anything, in Black's favour. It is strange that White players should be frightened off the traditional 3 Nc3 in this fashion and this week's game may provide further evidence to answer their dilemma.
'Calvo — Csom: Torremolinas, 1984; Nimzo- Indian.
Id 4 N16 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5 5 Nge2! In re- cent years 5 Bd3 Nc6 6 N13 Bxc3 + 7 bxc3 d6 followed by the blockading . . . e5 has been shown to give White nothing. A few stubborn classicists such as Gligoric and Portisch have sur- prisingly clung to this treatment, but they have both been slaughtered in droves. White's choice strives to acquire the 13-pair, whilst avoiding con- traction of doubled pawns. 5 . . . cxd4 6 exd4 0-0. The most fashionable move, though 6 . . .
d5 is also possible. 7 a3 Be7 8 d5 exd5 9 cxd5 Re8. This is where Karpov preferred 9. . . Bc5!? against Torre. 10 d6! Alternatives here, which do not work, are 10
g3, 10 Be3 and 10 h3. 10 Bf8 11 g3 Re6 11 . . . Qb6 12 Bg2 Bxd6 13 Be3
Qa6 140-0 Be5 15 Nf4 gave White good value for the pawn in Korchnoi-Miles, Wijk aan Zee, January 1984 (see Spectator of 11 February). 12 B14 An obvious enough move, but one that had been overlooked until recently. The point is to force Black to decentralise his KN if he wishes to ingest White's far-flung d6 pawn. 12 . . . b6?! This meek reply permits the White pawn to re- main like a sword, splitting Black's position in two. Critical is acceptance with 12 . . . Nh5, e.g. 13 Be3 Rxd6 14 Qb3 Nc6 15 Bg2 b6 16 Nb5 Re6
17 Ned4 Re7 18 Qd5, Tatai-Hmadi, Lugano 1984, or 14 Qc2 Re6 15 Bg2 Nc6 16 0-0 Nf6 17 Radl Re8 18 Nd4 Nxd4 19 Bxd4 d5, Korchnoi- Kinderman, Beersheva 1984. Black succeeded in drawing this game by ingenious defence. Finally,
Calvo's own suggestion, 14 Nd4!?, also deserves attention. 13 Bh3 Bb7 14 0-0 Nc6 15 Nd4 White has no interest in taking the exchange with his KB. Black would certainly round up the d6 pawn, and White would suffer weakness on the light squares. 15 . Re8 16 Bg2 a6 17 N13 Na5 18 Qd3 Nb3 19 Radl Nc5 20 Qf5 Nce4 21 Ng5 g6 22 Qh3 Nxc3 23 Bxb7 If now 23. . . Rb8 24 Bxa6 Nxdl 25 Bc4 or 23 . . . Nxdl 24 Bd5! in both cases, Black collapses at f7. 23. . . Ne2 + 24 Khl h6 Or 24 . . . Nxf4 25 gxf4 h6 26 Nxf7 Kxf7 27 Rgl followed by Qg2, with a terrible attack. 25 after Nxf7! (Diagram) 25. . . Kxf7 26 Be3 Rb8 27 1513 Nxg3 + 28 Qxg3 Re6 29 Rgl Ne8 30 Bd5 Q16 31 Bd4 Qf5 32 Bxe6 + Qxe6 33 Q13 + Nf6 34 Rxg6
The decisive breakthrough. 34 . . . Kxg6 35 Rgl + Kf7 36 Bxf6 Qxf6 37 Qh5 + Ke6 38 Rg6 Bxd6 At long last, the cramping pawn falls. 39 Qg4 + Ke7 40 Rxf6 Kxf6 41 Qxd7 Be5 42 QII7 1314 43 Qe4 Kg5 44 h4 + Kg4 45 Kg2 Rf8 46 Qe6 + Black resigns.
The Spanish master Calvo was in ex- cellent form at Torremolinos, winning the tournament with 71/2 points from 11 games, ahead of Nogueira, Ivkov, Bellon, Rivas and the infamous Saeed. Here is another of his razor-sharp wins: Calvo — Gomez: Queen's Indian Defence.
1 Nf3 N16 2 c4 b6 3 g3 Bb7 4 Bg2 e6 5 0-0 Be7 6 d4 0-0 7 d5 exd5 8 Nh4 c6 9 cxd5 Nxd5 10 Nf5 Bf6 11 Nd2!? A new idea at this point. 11 . . . gfi 12 Nh6 + Kh8 13 Ne4 Be7 14 b3 f6 15 8b2 Nab 16 Ng5 Kg7 17 Qd4! Qe8 If 17 . . . Kxh6 18 Qh4 + wins. 18 Qh4 Rh8 19 e4 Nc7 20 e5 fxg5 21 e6+ Bf6 22 Bx16 + Kxf6 23 Qd4 + Ke7 24 exd7 Qxd7 25 Rfel + Kf8 26 Qxh8 mate.
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