SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
SIMPSON'S
IN-THE-STRAND
Golden age
Raymond Keene
THE ENGLAND team has performed a feat that would have been unthinkable in former times, capturing the gold medals in the European Team Championship, held in Pula, Croatia, ahead of the Russians. When the England football squad reached the semi-finals of last year's European Championship, only to be eliminated by Germany, the nation went wild. The gold medals in European chess only go to show that England is coming close to leading the world in knowledge-based areas.
It was a shame for the English perfor- mance that ICasparov's loss to Deep Blue stole so many of the headlines. The New York correspondent of the Times claimed that over the past few weeks chess has colonised the global consciousness as never before, and that one would have to be a denizen of the Amazonian rainforest or a secluded American juror to be unaware of the momentous happenings in the chess community. Indeed, ICasparov versus Deep Blue attracted a world record 22 million hits on the Internet, with the partial result that our boys in Pula were more or less ignored.
So, congratulations to Nigel Short, Michael Adams, Jon Speelman, Matthew Sadler and Julian Hodgson, ably captained by David Norwood. Man of the moment was undoubtedly Matthew Sadler, whose score of 7/9 was decisive in capturing the gold medals.
Sadler—Hellsten: European Team Champ- ionship, Pula 1997; Slav Defence.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 a6 The plan is to play ... b5 and gain space on the queen's flank. Although this move has become fashionable I find it difficult to believe that it is a fully satisfac- tory solution to the problems of the opening for Black. 5 a4 Although this leaves a weakness on b4, Black's primary intention is instantly stifled.
5 g6 6 Bg5 Bg7 7 e3 0-0 8 Qb3 Pressing against the weakness on b6 caused by Black's 4th move. 8 ...e6 Locking in his queen's bishop like this is an admission of defeat, but it is difficult for him to develop that piece with White's queen on b3. 9 a5 Nbd7 10 Be2 Qe7 11 h3 Re8 12 0-0 Qf8 13 Bf4 Ne4 (Diagram) Black's position is so
constricted that he craves for some counterplay. Nevertheless, this leap weakens his pawn struc- ture. 14 Nxe4 dxe4 15 Ne5 Qe7 16 Ftfdl f6 17 Nxd7 Qxd7 18 c5 Qf7 19 Bc4 f5 Black's manoeu- vres have left his pawn structure crippled and his dark squares a permanent prey to invasion by White's forces. 20 Rd2 Bf6 21 Rfl Bd8 22 Qb4 Bc7 23 Be5 Qe7 24 Kh2 Qf7 25 Qc3 Rd8 26 Rfdl Re8 Black dare not capture on e5, since this would yield White decisive control of the 'd' file. Black's only hope is to shuffle aimlessly within his carapace and pray that White cannot break through. 27 f3 A forlorn hope. 27 ...ex£3 28 gxf3 Qe7 29 Rgl Rd8 30 Rgdl K18 (Diagram) 31 e4 With Black's pieces undeveloped and disorgan- ised, White starts the final push. 31 ... Bxe5 + 32 dxe5 Rxd2+ 33 Qxd2 Qxc5 34 Qd8+ Kg7 35 Qf6+ Kh6 (Diagram) 36 Kg3 Closing the mating net around the black king. 36 ... Qxc4 37 Qf8+ Kh5 38 Qe7 f4+ Black is now a piece ahead but it is impossible to stop checkmate. If 38 ...Kh6 39 Kh4 with the deadly threat of Qf8 mate while 38 ... h6 allows 39 Qh4 mate. The move chosen by Black is the only way to fight on. 39 Kxf4 1th6 If now 39 ... h6 40 Kg3 g5 41 Qf7 mate. 40 Kg4 Again threatening Qf8 mate. Black makes one last defiant but ultimately feeble gesture. 40 . • • Bd7 41 R.xd7 Black resigns.
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