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Modern times

Raymond Keene

WHEN this article appears, the Smith & Williamson British Chess Championship at Millfield School in Somerset will be near- ing the halfway stage. One of the favourites is the former champion and World Championship candidate Jon Speelman. The British coincides with publication of Speelman's most recent book (The Modern Defence by Jon Speelman and Neil McDonald, Everyman Chess, £14.99).

The Modern Defence used to be dis- missed as a joke but by the 1960s, under the tutelage of Botvinnik, Petrosian and later even Bobby Fischer, it became highly respectable. Black more or less leaves White to his own devices over the first few moves but hopes to inflict a savage counterattack if White overextends. There is still plenty of original scope in this opening, thus it is suit- ed to Speelman's hirsute style. This week's game and position are taken from the book with notes based on those by the winner.

Bacrot-Speelman: Elista Olympiad 1998; Modern Defence

1 d4 g6 2 c4 Bg7 3 Nc3 c5 4 d5 f5!? I plucked this line straight out of the then England team cap- tain David Norwood's Winning with the Modern. Although it is very playable at a club level, one would have to be something between extremely brave and recklessly foolhardy to repeat it inter- nationally. 5 h4!? 5 Qc2 is very prudent. 5 ...Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Nf6 7 h5 Rg8! Essential. 7 • Nxh5 8 e4 Qa5 9 exf5 Qxc3+ 10 Bd2 Qe5+ 11 Be2 0-0 12 fxg6 would be a slaughter. 8 hxg6 liitg6 9 Qa4! is very annoying here, though not necessarily fatal. 9 Qc2 d6 10 Nf3 Nbd7 11 Bf4 Qa5 12 Ng5 If 12 Nd2 g5 is excellent. 12 ... Nb6 13 e3 Na4 14 Rd b5!? This seemed obvious to me at the time, but as pointed out by my team- mates later, the less demanding 14 ...Bd7 15 Be2 0-0-0 was simple and strong. 15 Qd21 15 cxb5 Nxd5 16 Bc4 Nab6 would be fine for Black. 15 ... bxc4 16 f3! RH. 17 e4 Rb2!? I didn't want to free his pieces by exchanging on e4. 18 Qe3 Nb6 19 Nh7! I had foreseen this but could find no way to avoid it and was surprised by just how strong it turned out to be — presumably it demonstrates that 14 ... b5 was incorrect. 19

Nh5 After a long think though I still remained ahead on time. The main point of 19 Nh7 was that if 19 ... Nfxd5 20 exd5 Nxd5 White has the deflection 21 Nf6+! Nxf6 22 Bxd6 Nd5 23 Qe5 with a real mess which! didn't care for at all, since my structure has been smashed. 20 Bxd6! exd6 21 Rxh5! gich5 22 Nf6+ Kd8 23 Nxg8 Qxa2 More or less forced since if 23 ... fxe4 24 Qxe4 Bd7 25 Qe7+ Kc7 26 Nf6 sets up the gigantic threat of Ne8+, e.g. 26 .. , Oxa2 27 Ne8+ Kb7 28 Nxd6+ Ka6 29 Nxc4! winning. 24 exf5? Quite short of time, Bacrot rather made the wrong choice. Instead, 24 Qf4 Kc7 25 Nf6 was good for him since his king looks much the safer after 25 ... Rbl 26 Rxbl Qxbl + 27 Kf2; while if 25 ... Bd7 26 e5 is unpleasant. 24

Nxd5 25 Qe4 Rd2 26 f6? The fatal error. He had to control b2 with 26 Rbl when: a) 26 Rc2? 27 Rdl Qb2 28 Qxd5 Qxc3+ 29 Rd2 gives Black insufficient play for the piece. b) 26 ... Qc2 27 Qxc2 (not 27 f6 Qxc3) 27 ... Rxc2 is most rational, though it's such a mess that I was far from certain what was going on after, e.g. 28 g4. 26 ... Qb2 27 Qbl Be6 28 f7 Bxf7 29 Nh6 Be6 White resigns

There will be tickets available to attend the ICasparov-ICramnik match first hand. For information on this and other details ring 020 8237 1111 or access the website www.braingarries.net. The venue for the match will be the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London. The event will take place from 6 October to 5 November.

Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 40

White to play and win — first move only required. This puzzle is taken from the game Levitt-Efimov, Amantea 1991. How does White make the final breakthrough?

Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 8 August or via e-mail to vanes- sa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first correct answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.

Last week's solution: Qxti3+ Last week's winner: Don Mayer, London.