IM Craig Pritchett has been writing a weekly column in The Herald since the Fischer-Spassky match in Reykjavik in 1972. An International Master, 1977 and 2005 Scottish champion and many time Scottish Olympiad internationalist, he has also written several books on chess. All columns below are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced elsewhere in any media either in whole or in part without the express permission of the author.

14 October 2006

 Checkmate! After 34 years writing for The Herald, I am hanging up my pawns. I began during the 1972 Cold War face off between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky . I go as the Topalov-Kramnik match ends.

I've lost count of the world championship matches I've covered. And, yes, I still have to live down that missed top board win against Anatoly Karpov , at the 1974 Nice Olympiad. Fischer pointed it out. That one, alas, got away.

Karpov shortly afterwards became world champion. I tell young players nowadays that Scots can compete at these levels if they work hard, believe in themselves and stay in good physical shape.

As schools chess development director of Chess Scotland, grass roots expansion is a current key aim. Over the next six months, I will be working closely with consultants on ways to extend chess to more young people, including organisational and infrastructural change.

I also have a few chess books in mind. And as a player, I take my inspiration from the remarkable 75 year-old, Viktor Korchnoi . So future opponents, watch out! Finally, a huge thank you to all my readers. Chess continues next week in good hands.

White: T Upton ( Scotland ) Black: A Rodriguez ( Cuba ), Malta Olympiad 1980, Ponziani's Opening

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Qe7

Why Black, a grandmaster, played this odd move rather than the standard 3 ... Nf6 or ... d5 is a mystery. This game is an emphatic reminder that good moves, not reputations, win games.

4. Bb5 Nf6 5.0–0 a6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d4 Bg4 8.Qb3

Black's last move was a fatal, final error, which White precisely exploits. The rude threat of 9 Qxb7, followed after a rook move by 10 Qxc6+, wins a pawn.  

8...Bc8 9.Nxe5 Nxe4 10.Re1 Nd6 11.c4

Now faced with the calamitous prospect of 12 Nf3, Black could resign. He manages only three further moves in stunned shock.

11...Kd8 12.c5 Be6 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Qb6+ Black resigns

7 October 2006

Scotland 's top unsighted player Stephen Hilton flies to Goa this weekend to compete in the World Braille Chess Championships. His local football club Greenock Morton and the national cricket team are among many sponsors.

Recently too, Robin Harper MSP, co-leader of the Green Party, presented a Chess Scotland team of juniors with an Awards for All cheque for £5,000 to help promote junior chess, and Artur Yusupov , one of the world's great chess players, visited Scotland.

Then after such good news comes “ Toiletgate ” in the Elista world championship match!

Team Topalov absurdly accused Vladimir Kramnik of possible electronic cheating in his private rest room. An inept appeals committee took this nonsense at face value and acting beyond its powers sealed both players' toilets. The wholly blameless Kramnik's inevitable protest led to a forfeit against him in Game 5.

The appeals committee has been sacked. The entire chess world now roots for Kramnik , who plays on under protest. Topalov levelled 4-4 (one point being the disputed forfeit) before play scheduled for today in the 12 game contest.

White: M Dyer Black: A Yusupov, Yusupov simultaneous display, Glasgow 2006, Czech Benoni

1. d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6 4.Bd3 Be7 5.Ne2 Bg5 6.f4 exf4 7.Nxf4 Nd7 8.0–0 Ne5 9.Na3 Nh6

Black trades space for black squares, taking development risks that require precise tactics. Here he misses a clever combination. Perhaps he should have played 9 ... a6.

10. Bb5+ Kf8

Yusupov can't now stop horrific attacks based on Ne6 ideas, even after 10...Bd7 11.Ne6, and if 11 … fxe6 12 Qh5+ g6 (or 12 … Nhf7 13 dxe6) 13.Qxg5 Qxg5 14 Bxg5.  

11. Ne6+ Bxe6 12.Bxg5 Qxg5 13.dxe6 Ke7 14. Qd5 Rab8 15.Nc4 Rhd8 16.Bd7

This terminal block, threatening 17 Qxd6 mate, wins a piece.

16...Nf3+ 17.Rxf3 Qxd5 18.exd5 f6 19.Re1 Rf8 20.Ne3 f5 21.Ref1 Black resigns

30 September 2006

Always previously a world championship bridesmaid, the veteran 75 year-old Viktor Korchnoi finally won his first world title with a fine 9/11 score in the world seniors championship last weekend in the Italian Alpine valley of Aosta .

Korchnoi still prefers to play with the young grandmasters but now occasionally also battles in over-60s chess. He slipped up earlier in the summer in the European seniors championship, won by the 1951 world junior champion Boris Ivkov , but dominated completely in Aosta .

Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik began their world championship match this week with two marvellously chaotic games that could have gone to either player. Kramnik , whose nerve held best, took both points. Games 3 and 4 were both draws.  

White: V Kramnik Black: V Topalov, World championship (Game 3), Elista 2006, Catalan Opening

1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Qa4 Bd7 7.Qxc4 Na5 8.Qd3 c5 9.0–0 Bc6 10.Nc3 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Bc5 12.Rd1 Bxg2 13.Qb5+ Nd7 14.Kxg2 a6 15.Qd3 Rc8

Topalov improves on the previously known 15...Be7 16.Bf4 and if 16...e5 17.Nf5 exf4 18.Nxg7+ Kf8 19.Qxd7 which is good for White. But his poorly placed knight on a5 remains a concern.

16. Bg5 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Rac1 Nc4 19.Na4 b5 20.b3 0–0

Black solves most of his development problems at the small cost of doubled a‑pawns obtaining near full equality.

21. bxc4 bxa4 22.Nc6 Rxc6 23.Qxd7 Qc5 24.Rc3 g6 25.Rb1 h5 26.Rb7 e5 27.e4 Rf6 28.Rc2 Qa3

Black's space control and chances against White's king and a-, c- and e-pawns make it hard for White to make progress without either losing a pawn or allowing perpetual check chances.

29. Qd1 Rd6 30.Rd2 Rfd8 31.Rd5 Rxd5 32.cxd5 Qxa2 33.Qf3 Rf8 34.Qd3 a3 35.Rb3 f5

White has sacrificed a pawn for activity, but Black's extra a-pawn and this fine break deflect White's attack sufficiently to force a draw. If 36.Rxa3 fxe4 37.Rxa2 exd3 Black is better.

36. Qxa6 Qxb3 37.Qxg6+ Kh8 38.Qh6+ Kg8 Agreed drawn

23 September 2006

Nigel Short won the second EU championship held in Liverpool 's World Museum (6‑15 September). But it might all have ended in tears for the English number two as he inadvertently played Russian roulette in round one with his mobile.

The rules allow no exceptions. One ring and you forfeit. A relieved Short quickly turned his phone off in mid-round when he noticed.   Strictly even switched‑off mobiles aren't now permitted anywhere at “playing venues”, but the Liverpool organisers didn't enforce this most recent and more controversial prohibition.

When Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik begin their 12 game match for the undisputed world championship title later today in the Kalmykian capital Elista , they will have no mobiles and will have gone through the most rigorous electronic searches to prevent any risk of electronic cheating.

White: N Short Black: M Karttunen, EU Championship (Rd 1), Liverpool 2006, Sicilian Kan

1. e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.Qe2 Nc6

In his Everyman book on the Kan , John Emms recommends the more active 7...d6 8.f4 g6 9.0–0 Bg7.

8. Nxc6 Qxc6 9.Bd2 d6 10.f4 Be7 11.0–0–0 e5 12.f5 h5 13.Kb1 Bd7 14.Bg5 b5 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd5

Black has drifted into passivity and seriously weakened d5. White's powerful knight dominates the centre and supports dangerous kingside threats.

16...Rc8 17.c3 Qb7 18.Bc2 Bd8 19.Rhf1 Bc6 20.Rf3 Rh6 21.Rh3 h4 22.Qg4 Kf8 23.Bb3 Bxd5 24.Bxd5 Qc7 25.a3 Bf6

Black should play 25...a5, so that if 26.b4 axb4 27.axb4 Qb6 28.Rhd3 Be7 he might still hope for some diversionary play in the a-file.

26. Rhd3 Rb8 27.b4 Qa7 28.Bb3 Be7 29.Qe2 Kg8 30.Qa2 Bf8 31.g4 hxg3 32.hxg3 Qe7 33.g4 Rb7 34.Bd5 Rc7 35.Qd2 g5

This decisively weakens Black in the h- and g-files, but otherwise g5-g6 would overwhelm Black.

36. Qg2 Qf6 37.Rh1 Be7 38.Rxh6 Qxh6 39.Rh3 Qg7 40.Qg1 Qf8 41.Qh2 Bf6 42.Rh6 Black resigns

Or if 42...Bg7 43.Rg6, followed by f6 and wins.

16 September 2006

Dutch number one Ivan Sokolov finished a half-point ahead of England 's Michael Adams and Jan Timman in last month's 4 th Howard Staunton Memorial, which began in Simpson's in the Strand in London and finished in Wellington College in Berkshire .

Simpson's Divan, which pre-dated the modern Simpson's traditional English club and restaurant, was Staunton 's old stomping ground in the mid-nineteenth century and one of the world's great chess clubs.

Staunton , world champion by repute in the 1840s, would have admired Sokolov's driven 9/11 winning score. The Dutchman was at his most exuberant and attacking best in this event, winning game after game in short order.

White: I Sokolov Black: E L'Ami, 4th Staunton Memorial, London / Crowthorne 2006, Gruenfeld Defence

1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Bg7 6.e4 Nb6 7.Be3 0–0 8.Bb5

This strange-looking move aims to provoke 8 ... a6 weakening b6.

8...Bd7 9.Be2 Nc6 10.f4 e6 11.Nf3 Ne7 12.Qb3 f5

Black plays to weaken White's hold on the central white squares. But White retains a powerful grip on e5 and e6 is a weakling.

13. Ne5 fxe4 14.Nxe4 Nbd5 15.Bc4 Nf5

White exerts real pressure. If 15...Nxf4 16.Nxd7 Qxd7 17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.Bxe6+ and wins.

16. Bxd5 exd5 17.Qxd5+ Kh8 18.Bf2 Be8

White has an edge after 18...Bc6 19.Qxd8 Raxd8 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.0–0–0 but Black could still fight.

19 .Qxd8 Rxd8 20.0–0–0 Nd6 21.Nc5 Rxf4 22.Be3

Now Black's rook has no good retreat and White wins an exchange and the game.

22...Rf7 23.Ne6 Rc8 24.Nxf7+ Bxf7 25.Nxg7 Bxa2 26.Nh5 gxh5 27.Bf4 Bd5 28.Rhe1 Be4 29.Re3 Kg7 30.Rc3 Nf5 31.Bxc7 Black resigns

9 September 2006

Alex Yermolinsky's “The Classical Sicilian” (£12.99, Gambit), probably played no small part in Jonathan Rowson's happy decision to use the defence in winning this year's British championship in Swansea .

Such books, focused on key ideas rather than variations, help players avoid rote learning and develop their understanding of typical plans and tactics. Tim Taylor's Bird's Opening (£14.99, Everyman) has similar virtues in a more off-beat line.

Alan Grant, who shared first place with Duncan Grassie and Chris MacDonald at Grangemouth last weekend, knew exactly how to exploit a strategic error of the sort these books are good at explaining in the following game.

White: T Donohue Black: A Grant, Premier, Grangemouth 2006, Sicilian Defence

1. e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 b6 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0–0 Be7 11.f4 0–0 12.g4

So far both sides have developed sensibly but this premature lunge only provokes a classic counter-thrust in the centre. White should play the solid 12 Be3.

12...d5 13.e5

White doesn't have d5 under control and can't prevent Black from opening the long white diagonal with enormous pressure against White's king. If 13.cxd5 exd5 14.exd5 Bc5+ 15.Kh1 Nb4 and Black regains his d-pawn with an excellent game.

13...Bc5+ 14.Kh1 Nd4

White now loses a pawn, or if 15.exf6 dxc4+ 16.Bf3 Nxf3 and wins quickly.

15. Bf3 15...Nxf3 16.Qxf3 Nxg4 17.Kg2

Or if 17.Qxg4 d4+ 18.Rf3 dxc3 and White can already resign.

17...Qh4 18.h3 Nh6 19.Ne2 Nf5 20.Kh2 Rad8 21.Qg4 dxc4 22.Nxc4 Rd3 23.Nd6

Virtually moveless , White forlornly jettisons a second pawn and with it the game.

23...Qxg4 24.hxg4 Nxd6 25.exd6 Bxd6 White resigns

2 September 2006

Two six player teams of “Rising Stars” (average age 17) and “Experience” (average age 51) met in a battle of the generations in the NH Grand Hotel Krasnopolsky in Amsterdam last month.   Each player met all the players in the opposing team twice.

The higher-rated youngsters won 28-22, though not without plenty of fight. The best performing players in each team, Magnus Carlsen (15) and Alexander Belyavsky (52), both scored 6.5/10. As Belyavsky faced stronger opposition, however, his was the better result.

Along with Anatoly Karpov , former world number three Belyavsky remains one of only two over-50s in the world top 100. He dealt Carlsen his only loss and routed Dutch hopeful Jan Smeets in both games.

White: A Belyavsky Black: J Smeets, NH Hotels, Amsterdam 2006, Reti's Opening

1. Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.0–0 Nd7 5.d3 e5 6.e4 dxe4 7.dxe4 Bc5 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Nc4 Qc7 10.Be3 Rd8 11.Qe1 f6 12.Bxc5

White often seeks to gain ground by attacking on the queenside black squares in such positions. Lengthy skirmishing on this theme now ensues in the early middlegame .

12...Nxc5 13.Qb4 b6 14.a4 Nb7 15.a5 b5 16.Ne3 Be6 17.c4 Qd6 18.Qc3 b4 19.Qb3 Qc5 20.Ra4 Nxa5 21.Qxb4 Qxb4 22.Rxb4 c5 23.Ra4 Nec6 24.Nd5

White has a little, mainly due to the awkward positioning of Black's knights, Black's split a- and c-pawns and White's potential to get a rook on d5.

24...Rb8 25.Nc7+ Ke7 26.Nxe6 Kxe6 27.Rd1 Rhd8

Black should have preferred 27...Ke7, though White still remains more active after 28.Rd5, and if 28...Rxb2 29.Rxc5.

28. Rd5 Nb3 29.Ra6 Rd6

Black misses a fine sacrificial refutation based on clearing the long white diagonal. Better was 29...Rb6 but White still presses after 30.Rxd8 Rxa6 31.Bh3+ Ke7 32.Rd7+ Kf8 33.Nh4.

30. Nh4 g6 31.Nf5 Black resigns

Or if 31.Nf5 gxf5 32.exf5+ Ke7 33.Rxd6 Kxd6 34.Rxc6+ winning.

26 August 2006

Top Scot Jonathan Rowson (29) won his third successive British Championship last weekend in Swansea . The London-based PhD student and grandmaster defeated another former Scottish champion, Jonathan Parker, in the last round, to win £10,000 and the title on 8.5/11.

This is a superb achievement. No player has won three Championships in a row since Jonathan Penrose in the 1960s. Keti Arakhamia -Grant ( Edinburgh ) finished second on 8 points, taking the British Women's title. Connor Woods (Hamilton), one of our best juniors, won the British under-14 title with an outstanding score of 7/7.

Rowson not only won the Championship, but his magnificent win against Parker also deservedly won the Best Game prize.

White: J Parker Black: J Rowson, 93 rd Smith & Williamson British Championship, Swansea 2006, Queen's Indian Defence

1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 d6 9.Nd2 Nbd7 10.f3 Qe7 11.e4 g5 12.Bf2 c5 13.Qa4 Nh5 14 h4

Black's sounder pawns and central and kingside prospects broadly balance White's extra space and bishop pair. But White should now develop solidly with 14.0–0–0 0–0–0 15.Nb3.

14 … 0–0–0 15.Qxa7 Kc7 16.Qa4 f5 17.Qc2 g4 18.fxg4 Nhf6

White's provocative 14th move lost time, inducing a promising gambit. Black has been able to launch an assault destroying White's grip on his pawns on the long white diagonal.

19 .Bd3 Nxg4 20.Bg1 f4 21.Nf3 e5

White has steadied e4 but only by losing control of all the key central black squares. With more space and menacing threats in the g- and a-files, Black now has an obvious advantage.

22 .h5 Qf7 23.Nh4 Qxh5 24.Rh3 Rhe8 25.Nf5 Qg5 26.d5 h5 27.Qb2 Ra8 28.Be2 Ra6 29.Bf3 Rea8 30.Qb3 Ra3 31.Qb2 R8a4 32.Bd1 Ra8 33.Bf3 R3a5 34.Rh1 R8a6

White returned his extra pawn to activate his knight and king's rook but his game remains lifeless. Black eventually finds a winning plan based on simultaneous knight and rook threats against e4 and c4.

35 .Rh3 Bc8 36.Rh1 Nf8 37.Nh4 Nh7 38.Qd2 Bd7 39.Kf1 Nhf6 40.Ke2 Ra4 White resigns

Or if 41.Kd1 (41.Kd3 b5) 41...R6a5 42.Qb2 Rxc4 43.Be2 Rxe4 44.Rb1 b5 and wins.

19 August 2006

Andrew Soltis seeks to raise the reputation of one of the early world champions in “Why Lasker Matters” (£15.99 Batsford ).   Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941) held the world title for a record 27 years. Yet no other world champion can still excite such bile, as well as praise, about his chess.

Mikhail Tal considered Lasker “the greatest of the champions”. But Bent Larsen once quipped, “I admired him, until I studied his games”. Part of the problem lies in the fact that Lasker viewed chess as a struggle. His wins aren't always pretty but he certainly scrapped.

Of course a player like Lasker “matters” and Soltis succeeds in persuading us why. Black should probably have heeded the choice of one of Lasker's great successors, Alexander Alekhine , on move seven in the following game.  

White: J Rowson Black: S Williams, 93rd Smith & Williamson British championship (Rd 7), Swansea 2006, Dutch Defence

1. d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 Ne4 7.Qc2 Nc6

This is very provocative. Better is Alekhine's more flexible 7...Bf6.

8. Nc3 Nxc3 9.Qxc3 Qe8 10.Ne5 Nd8 11.b4 d6 12.Nd3 Bf6 13.Bb2 Bd7 14.Qd2 g5 15.Rae1 Qg6 16.e4

White's 10th move exploited Black's weak point (e5), causing Black to lose time and develop rather passively on the kingside. White strikes in the centre establishing a clear spatial plus.  

16...fxe4 17.Bxe4 Qg7 18.Ne5 Be8

18...dxe5 19.dxe5 Be7 20.Qxd7 Bxb4 21.Rd1 is also good for White.

19. Ng4 Be7 20.d5 e5 21.Kh1 Bd7 22.Ne3 g4 23.Qe2 a5 24.b5 b6 25.h3 Qh6

Or if 25...gxh3 26.Qh5 and if 26...Rf6 27.Nf5 with advantage.

26 .h4 Qh5 27.f3

White opens further attacking opportunities in the f-file.  

27...gxf3 28.Rxf3 Rxf3 29.Bxf3 Qg6 30.Bxe5

White opens the long white diagonal with this and his next move to deliver the final attack.

30...dxe5 31.d6 e4 32.dxe7 Nf7 33.Bh5 Qe6 34.Bg4 Bc8 Black resigns

12 August 2006

Classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik continues to show excellent form following his return to chess after an eight month lay-off due to illness. Top scorer in the Turin Olympiad, Kramnik shared first with Peter Svidler last week in the Dortmund Savings Bank Grandmasters.

Next month, Kramnik faces World Chess Federation world champion Veselin Topalov in a long awaited world title reunification match. Since Nigel Short and Garry Kasparov's now regretted decision to hold their 1993 world championship match privately, there have unfortunately been two “champions”.

Top Scot Jonathan Rowson warmed up nicely as he began his defence of the British Championship on Monday against one of the tournament outsiders.

White: B Addison Black: J Rowson, 93rd Smith & Williamson British Championship, Swansea 2006, Catalan Opening

1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 c6

This solid defence is hard to crack. It often leads to Stonewall pawn structures, as here, after a later ... f5.

8. Bf4 Nbd7 9.Qc2 Nh5 10.Bc1 f5 11.Nc3 b6 12.Ne5 Bb7 13.e3 Nhf6 14.Nd3

A more fluent development is 14.b3, and if 14...Bd6 15.Bb2 Qe7 16.Ne2 with the idea of Nf4 and Nfd3.

14...Bd6 15.b3 Qe7 16.a4

With this and his 18th move, White plays to exchange bishops with Ba3. But Black has plenty of time to secure his centre and create kingside threats.

16...a5 17.Bb2 Rac8 18.Nb1 c5 19.Na3 Ne4 20.Nb5 Bb8 21.Ba3 Rf6 22.Rac1 Rh6 23.dxc5 bxc5 24.f4

This panicky, unforced structural weakening allows Black to secure further threats along the long white diagonal, turning the game clearly against White. Better was 24. cxd5 exd5 25.Nf4.

24...dxc4 25.bxc4 Ndf6 26.Bf3 Ng4 27.Bxg4 fxg4 28.Nf2 Nf6 29.e4 Qe8 30.Nc3 Qh5 31.Nh1 Nxe4

Black's twin threats against h2 and e4 overwhelm White.

32. Nxe4 Bxe4 33.Qf2 Qe8 34.Qe2 Ba8 White resigns

5 August 2006

John Shaw is Scotland 's Player of the Year. Third-placed Scot in the world rankings, Shaw secured the award by becoming Scotland 's fourth grandmaster. Shaw was pushed close by Jonathan Rowson , whose second consecutive British Championship title win last year was also outstanding.

Jacob Aagaard , Shaw's partner in the Scottish-based publishing house, Quality Chess, is favourite to become Scotland 's fifth grandmaster. A good fourth place behind Nigel Short, Vadim Malakhatko and Johnny Hector, in Denmark at the end of July, helped his rating.

In one of his games, Aagaard showed why the speculative Morra Gambit, a much-feared weapon at club-level, is nowadays rare in master chess. Black's precise sixth move presents White with tough questions.     

White: C Wustefeld Black: J Aagaard, Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2006, Morra Gambit

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Bc4 d6 6.Nf3 a6

Black keeps the possible pin ... Bg4 open and by covering b5 avoids the doubtful 6...Nf6 7.e5 and if 7...dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Nxd8 9.Nb5 when White stands well.

7.0–0 Nf6 8.Bg5

Black can confidently play ... Bg4 against either 8 Qe2 or 8 a3, but this move, allowing White's bishop to be pushed around, is no clear improvement.

8...e6 9.Qe2 h6 10.Bf4

Or if 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Nh5, planning ... Nxg3,   ... g4 and ... Ne5, is good for Black.

10...e5 11.Be3 Be7 12.Rfd1 Be6 13.b4 0–0 14.Nd5

White misses Black's 17 th move. Better was 14.a3 with some slight compensation for his pawn minus.

14...b5 15.Bb3 Bxd5 16.exd5 Nxb4 17.a3 Nd3

Black's knight escapes due to a surprise fork played on his next move.

18 .Rxd3 e4 19.Rd4 exf3 20.Qxf3 Nd7 21.Rad1 Bg5 22.Bc2 Ne5 23.Qf5 g6 24.Qh3 Qc8

Black forces an endgame with a clear extra pawn and much better-placed pieces.

25 .Qxc8 Rfxc8 26.Bxg5 hxg5 27.Be4 Nc4 28.Bf3 Nxa3 Black resigns

29 July 2006

Scotland 's top player, Jonathan Rowson , begins the defence of his 2005 Smith & Williamson British Championship title in Swansea a week on Monday. In the absence of Britain 's top three, Michael Adams, Nigel Short and Luke McShane , he's the favourite.

Winning in Swansea will make it three successive British titles for the London-based Scot. Sadly Rowson hasn't played in the Scottish championship since winning the last sponsored event in 2004. Top prize in the British is £10,000. This year's Scottish managed £400. No contest!

Although lacking a sponsor, the recent Championships in Troon were, however, brightened by the reintegration of the Scottish Boys and Girls titles in the event. Congratulations to the winners, Ian Nisbet and Ali Roy. Mid-week the world's hottest junior, 15 year-old, Magnus Carlsen ( Norway ), drubbed the world number 9.

White: M Carlsen Black: A Morozevich, Biel 2006, King's Indian Defence: 6 Be2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.a4

This is rare but playable. White plans a5 and b4 with a tangible space advantage and clear breakthrough threats on the queenside.

9...a5 10.b3 Nd7 11.Ba3 Bh6 12.b4 axb4 13.Bxb4 f5 14.Nd2 Kh8 15.a5 Rf7 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.c5

Black hasn't stemmed White's queenside initiative and White can now break with a gambit aimed at undermining Black's grip on the d-file and central black squares.

17...dxc5 18.Bc3 c6 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Na3 fxe4 21.Nac4 Ned5 22.Bxe5 Bg7 23.Nd6 Re7 24.N2c4 Be6 25.a6 Nb4 26.Qc1 Nd3

Black is even more clearly in trouble after 26...Rxa6 27.Rxa6 Nxa6 28.Qa1 Ra7 29.Rb1 when White has many threats against forces in a state of near total paralysis.

27 .Bxd3 exd3 28.Qc3 Bxc4 29.Qxc4 Qg8 30.Qxc5 d2 31.Rad1 Rxa6 32.Rxd2 Nd5 33.Bxg7+ Rxg7 34.h3 Qe6 35.Rb1 h6

Black has simplified, but his exposed king position, weak c-pawn and White's much better coordinated pieces continue to pose sizeable problems.

36 .Qc4 Rb6 37.Rxb6 Qe1+ 38.Kh2 Nxb6 39.Qf4 Nd5

Or if 39...Kh7 40.Ne4 Nd5 41.Rxd5 cxd5 42.Nf6+ Kh8 43 Qxh6+ and mates.

40 .Rxd5 cxd5 41.Qf8+ Kh7 42.Ne8 Black resigns

Black can't defend against twin threats of mate on g7 or f6. If 42.Ne8 Qe5+ 43.f4 Qe7 44.Nf6+

22 July 2006

Top seed Andrew Muir made a spirited bid to catch Jonathan Grant in this year's Scottish Championship, with an excellent win against the early leader in round 7. But Grant's 6/6 sprint out of the blocks proved too much.

The Edinburgh player bounced back with a concluding draw to take his first championship title on 6.5/8, ahead of Muir and Alan Grant on 5 points. Jonathan's wife, Keti won the championship in 2003, so the Grant family has completed a unique double.

Jonathan Grant played best and critically kept his unforced error count low. His namesake Alan defeated Muir and was close to a win in round one against the new champion but badly blundered and lost. Alan Grant's challenge ended with another agonisingly missed chance in his penultimate game.

White: A Grant Black: E Spencer, 113 th Scottish Championship, Troon 2006, Sicilian Najdorf

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bf1 Nbd7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Bf5 13.a4 Rc8 14.c3 Bg6 15.a5 f5

After White's quiet 9 th move, Black has a good centre and play on the kingside.

16 .f4 Bf7 17.Ra4 Bf6 18.Rb4 Rc7 19.c4 Kh8 20.fxe5 Bxe5 21.Qf3 Qf6

Here two nervy players both missed 21...Bxh2+ 22.Kxh2 Qh4+ 23.Kg1 Qxe1 and Black wins.

22 .Qf2 g5 23.Be3 f4 24.Bd4 Bg8 25.Bxe5 Nxe5 26.h3 Rg7 27.Be2 g4 28.hxg4 Nxg4 29.Bxg4 Rxg4 30.Re4 Qh6

This is too wild. Correct was 30...Rf7 and if 31.c5 Rfg7 32.cxd6 (or 32.Rxf4) 32 … Rxg2+ 33.Qxg2 Rxg2+ when Black's powerful queen and bishop attack probably win.

31 .Rxb7 Rh4 32.Qf3

Missing Black's very clever reply. White wins after 32.Qd4+ Rf6 33.Nd2 covering f3 and securing a safety route for his king via d3 to the queenside.

32...Bf7 33.Ree7

Or if 33.Qc3+ Kg8 34.Nd2 Rh1+ 35.Kf2 Qh2 and wins.

33...Rh1+ 34.Kf2 Qh4+ 35.g3 Qh2+ 36.Qg2 fxg3+ 37.Kf3 Bg6+ White resigns

15 July 2006  

The 113 th Scottish Chess Championships end tomorrow in the Walker Halls, Troon . Midweek, Jonathan Grant led in the top section with 5/5. Top seed, Andrew Muir (3/5) had a nightmare 2/4 start in the eight round event , with every game a draw.

This year, in addition to the main prize fund, Lord Kirkwood, one of Scotland's most eminent legal lords and a former top board player in the 1950s for Scotland in the old World Student Olympiads, has donated   Best Game, Best Swindle and Giant Killer prizes.

Jonathan Grant's early form may put him in the running for the first of these prizes. In round four he topped off first-class opening play with a classy demonstration of the power of the bishop pair against spreadeagled defences. 

White: J Grant Black: G Jacob, Scottish Championship, Troon 2006, Dutch Defence

1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.d4 0–0 6.Nc3 d6 7.0–0 Ne4 8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.bxc3

White slightly weakens his pawns but his bishops will be dangerous in the middlegame .

9...Nc6 10.d5 Na5 11.Qa4 b6 12.dxe6 Bxe6 13.Nd4 Bd7 14.Qc2 Rb8 15.Bd5+ Kh8 16.Ne6 Bxe6 17.Bxe6 g6 18.e4 fxe4 19.Qxe4 Bf6 20.h4

White goes for a middlegame kill, but 20.Bd2 may have been better.

20...Qe7 21.Bd2 Rbe8

This is an error. 20 … Bxc3 may have been possible, but now 21...Nb7 22.Bd5 Qxe4 23.Bxe4 Nc5 24.Bc6 was necessary. White is better, but Black can fight with his knight in the centre.

22 .Rae1 Qg7 23.h5

23 .Re3 is simpler. White strictly needn't rush at Black, whose knight is chronically stranded far from any real action on the kingside.

23...gxh5 24.Kg2 Qg6 25.Qd5 Be5 26.Bd7 Re7 27.f4 Rg8 28.Rf3 Bf6 29.Rxe7 Bxe7 30.Be6 Rf8 31.f5 Qg7 32.f6

But this is an excellent sacrifice. If 32...Bxf6 33.Qxh5 Qg6 34.Qxg6 hxg6 35.Bh6 and wins.

32...Rxf6 33.Rxf6 Qxf6 34.Be3 c6 35.Qe4 Qf8

Black blunders.   35...Qg7 36.Bd4 Bf6 37.Bd5 h6 38.Qe8+ Kh7 39.Be4+ was a prettier way to lose, but 35...c5 and if 36.Bf4 Qf8 37.Bd5 would still have left White with work to do.

36 .Bd4 + Bf6 37.Qf5 Kg7 38.Qg5+ Black resigns

8 July 2006

 Although we mistrust “rules” in chess, we can't get by without them. And one of the basic rules in chess is “develop your forces”. You can't win without development. Your pieces and pawns are meant to coordinate and attack the enemy king.

Another golden rule in chess is “don't miss tactics”. You can't win games without being able to put the opponent away when you have an advantage. That requires an ability to spot and calculate forced sequences.

Sin against the development rule and tactics present themselves at any level. Ivan Sokolov left his entire kingside in the box against Levon Aronian in the recent Turin Olympiad. The world number three took his chances.

White: I Sokolov ( Holland ) Black: L Aronian ( Armenia ), Chess Olympiad, Turin 2006, Nimzo-Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.Bxb8

This is a surprise. The main line runs 10.e3 Qa5 11.Nge2 Bf5 12.Be5 0–0 13.Nd4. Now 10...Rxb8 11.Qa4+ loses Black's bishop.   But Black can attack f2 and c3 simultaneously and remain active.

10...Qf6 11.Bg3 Nxc3 12.a3 Bf5 13.Qd2 Ba5 14.b4

This is a shocker. White should play 14.e3 to develop his kingside and block on d4 after 14...0–0 15.b4, and if Ne4 16.Qd4.

14...Ne4 15.Qc1 Rc8 16.Ra2

Now with his queen on the back rank and no kingside development, White is lost. If 16.bxa5 Rxc5 17.Qb1 Qc3+ 18.Kd1 Qd2 mate.

16...Rxc5 17.Qa1 Qc6 18.Qe5+

White only has a couple of spite checks. He can win Black's rook on h8 but his king is defenceless.

18...Kd8 19.Qxh8+

Or if 19.Rd2 Re8 20 Qb2 Nxd2 and wins.

19...Kd7 White resigns

If 20.e3 Rc1+ 21.Ke2 Bg4+ 22.f3 Qc4 mate, or 20.Rd2 Rc1+ 21.Rd1 Qc2 22.Qd4 Rxd1+ 23.Qxd1 Qc3+ 24.Qd2 Qxd2 mate.

1 July 2006

Volume 2 of Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games (£22.50, Gambit) completes Igor Stohl's review of the now retired ex-world champion's chess career. This book annotates Games 75-129 in the two volume series, covering the years 1994-2005.

Stohl is an excellent guide through the maze of bold ideas and brilliant combinations in Kasparov's games. He writes dispassionately and well about preparation, planning and tactics, so that the reader simply never gets lost in a welter of moves.

Every game provides a mini master-class. Looking for an idea against the Queen's Gambit Accepted? See Stohl (Game 98), whose notes I have drawn from below.

White: G Kasparov Black: J Piket, Tilburg 1997, Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.0–0 a6 7.Bb3 b5 8.a4 b4 9.Nbd2 Bb7 10.e4

Best against this powerful gambit is 10 ... Be7 to get castled quickly. Accepting the pawn allows White to launch a furious assault on the central black squares.  

10...cxd4 11.e5 Nd5 12.Nc4 Nc6 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.Rc1 h6

Black weakens his kingside. Best was the immediate 14...Bc5 and if 15.Ncd2 Be7

15 .Bh4 Bc5 16.Nfd2 0–0 17.Ne4 Be7 18.Bg3 Qd8 19.Ncd6 Na5 20.Bc2 b3 21.Bb1 Qb6 22.Qd3 g6 23.Nc5

White's central black square domination is now frighteningly total. White's queen and bishop point wickedly at Black's king, with knight sacrifices in the air on e6 or f7.

23...Bc8 24.h4 Nc6 25.a5 Qxa5 26.Nxf7

Black can hardly survive. The entire White army overwhelms his exposed king and inadequate band of remaining defenders.

26...Rxf7 27.Qxg6+ Kf8 28.Nxe6+ Bxe6 29.Rxc6 Bd7 30.Qxh6+ Black resigns

Or if 30…. Ke8 31.e6 Bxc6 32.exf7+ Kd7 33.Bf5+ and wins.

24 June 2006

Power remains in the east in chess. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov , president of the Kalmykian republic, comfortably defeated Bessel Kok in the World Chess Federation's presidential elections last month in Turin to enter his third term as head of FIDE.

Kok pledged to expand commercial sponsorship and professionalism in chess. He got mass support from the west but few votes apart from that. Ilyumzhinov has picked up one of his ideas and announced that FIDE will hold a world conference on schools chess next year, in Athens .

Andrew Green, Scotland 's top under-16 player, scored 5/5 in the Lothian Secondary Schools Masters, held in the National Museum of Scotland, last Sunday. Andrew deservedly won but sailed close to the wind in a remarkably up and down last game.

White: A Green Black: J Edwards, Lothian Secondary Schools Masters, Edinburgh 2006, Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0–0 9.Bc4 a6 10.h4 Bd7 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Bh6 Rc8 13.Bxg7

White's plan is simple. Exchange bishops, open the h-file and mate. But this sequence is wrong. Really White should first open the h-file!

13...Kxg7 14.Bb3 b5

This is a bad mistake. 14...h5, keeping the h-file closed, holds.

15 .h5 Nxh5 16.g4 Nf6 17.Qh6+ Kg8 18.g5 Nh5 19.0–0–0

Having exchanged bishops and opened the h-file, White fumbles the last bit. Correct was 19.Rxh5 gxh5 20.g6 hxg6 21.Qxg6+ Kh8 22.Qxh5+ Kg7 23.Qg5+ Kh8 24.0–0–0 and Rh1 mates.

19...Qb6 20.Rh3

Now 20.Rxh5 fails to 20...Qe3+ 21.Kb1 gxh5 and g6 is no longer possible.

20...a5 21.Bd5 b4 22.Nb1 a4

But Black hadn't noticed g6 and fails to stop it. After 22...Qe3+ followed by ... e6, Black's queenside counterattack probably wins.

23 .Rxh5 gxh5 24.g6 hxg6 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Qxh5+ Kg7 27.Qg5+ Black resigns

17 June 2006

Gormallygate! It made chess worldwide news. England's poorly performing fourth board in the Turin Olympiad, Danny Gormally, floored world number three Levon Aronian at the traditional Bermuda team Olympiad party.

Poor Danny lost it. Aronian brushed it aside. A woman was at the heart of it. You can look up the full gory tabloid details at www.ChessBase.com , including links to the world's press and the involved Australian Women's team board three's web-page.

No playboy members of the Scottish team were remotely involved. We just play the little wooden things. 14 year-old Amy Officer, our successful women's team debutante, storms a Stonewall pawn structure over the board against Guatemala.

White: C. Mazariego ( Guatemala ) Black: A. Officer ( Scotland ), 37th Olympiad, Turin 2006, 1 d4: Stonewall

1. d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nd2 e6 6.f4

I've never quite understood why this c3, d4, e3, f4 pawn structure is called "Stonewall". While it is hard to breach, it has a huge hole in it on e4.

6...Bd6 7.Ndf3 Qc7 8.Ne5 Bd7 9.Ngf3 h6 10.0–0 0–0 11.Kh1 Ne4

Black exploits the "hole" in the Stonewall. Now White goes wrong by voluntarily dismantling her Stonewall, which she should really keep intact with chances for both sides.

12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.dxc5 Rad8 15.cxd6 exf3 16.Qxf3 Qxd6 17.e4 Qc5 18.Be3 Qc4 19.Rfe1 Rd3 20.g4

White's game is just awful now. She has lost time and (critically) control of the d-file. This further unforced kingside weakening reflects blind panic.

20...Rfd8 21.h4 Qb5 22.Qg2 Na5 23.a4 Qc4 24.f5 Nb3 25.Ra3

This is a losing blunder. But White is lost even after the better 25.Rab1 Nd2 26.Bxd2 Rxd2, and if 27.Qf3 R8d3 28.Re3 Rxe3 29.Qxe3 Re2.

25...Rxe3 26.Rxe3 Rd1+ 27.Qg1

Or if 27.Kh2 Rd2

27...Rxg1+ 28.Kxg1 Nd2 29.fxe6 Qf1+ White resigns

10 June 2006

Armenia took gold, China silver and USA bronze in the Turin Chess Olympiad. Top seeds Russia crashed to a share of 6-10 th places. Scotland finished in a share of 49-54 th places, a top third placing in a field of 150 that almost exactly corresponded with pre-tournament seeding.

Ukraine took the women's event, ahead of Russia and China . Scotland 's women also finished uncannily close to their seeding in a share of 72 nd -80 th places in a 108 team field.

British champion Jonathan Rowson and our new grandmaster John Shaw performed best in the open team. Women's debutante, 14 year- old Amy Officer, played outstandingly, gaining a women's master title. Here is one of our best games.

White: E. Dervishi ( Albania ) Black: J. Rowson ( Scotland ), 37th Chess Olympiad, Turin 2006, Sicilian Najdorf

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Kh1 b6 10.a4 Bb7 11.f3 Nc6 12.Bg5 Rc8 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nd5

White occupies d5, but Black can contest this and his bishop pair is dangerous. Combined with long-term ... f5 break potential, this gives Black full compensation for any slight vulnerability in the d-file.

14...Bg5 15.Qd3 Ne7 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.c4 a5 18.Nd2 Qc7 19.Rfd1 Qc5 20.Nf1

White's poorly placed minor pieces are his main problem. Put White's bishop on d5 and knight on c3 here and he'd be pressing.

20...Rcd8 21.Ra3 Bc6 22.Rda1 g6 23.Rb3 f5 24.exf5 gxf5 25.Ng3 Rde8 26.Rb5

This is a desperate sacrifice, but otherwise Black plays ... e4 with a pawn roll. If 26.Nxf5 e4 27.fxe4 Bxe4 and wins.

26...Bxb5 27.axb5 Kh8 28.Nxf5 e4 29.fxe4 Qe5 30.Bf3 Qxb2 31.Rd1 Bf4 32.Bh56 Bxd6 33.Qxd6 Rd8 34.Qxd8 Rxd8 35.Rxd8+ Kg7 36.h3 a4 and White will have to give up his rook to stop Black's a-pawn.

32...Ra8 33.Rb1 Qf6 34.Bd1 a4 35.Qa3 Qe5 36.Bc2 Qc5 37.Qa2 Be5 38.Rd1 Qf2 39.Bb1 Qf4 40.Ng3 Qh6 41.Qa3 Rf2 42.Kg1 Raf8 43.Qd3 R8f3 44.Qd5

White's sorry bishop can only watch as Black demolishes White's kingside. If 44.Qxf3 (44.gxf3 Qxh2 mate) 44 … Rxf3 45.gxf3 Qe3+ 46.Kg2 a3.

44...Qe3 45.Kh1 Rxg3 White resigns

Or if 46.hxg3 Qxg3 and mate follows.

3 June 2006

Scotland 's play in the closing rounds of the Turin Chess Olympiad this weekend can be followed at www.chessscotland.com . Midweek our open and women's teams were still in sight of top quarter and top half targets.

The biennial Chess Olympiads are magnificent feasts of chess. Turin is hosting over a thousand competitors and officials from some 150 countries in their Olympic Village. The City Council and Fiat are the main sponsors.

Classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik is back on top board for Russia after six months off due to a rare arthritic condition. He looks fresh and crushed the 23 year-old world number three and leader of the “next” generation, Levon Aronian, in clinical fashion. 

White: V Kramnik Black: L Aronian, 37th Olympiad, Turin 2006, Double Fianchetto Hedgehog

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 c5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–0 g6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Bg7 8.Nc3 d6 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Be3 Rc8 11.Rac1 a6 12.b3 0–0 13.Qh4

White begins a very testing plan to activate his bishops on the c1–h6 and h3-c8 diagonals, putting pressure on key weak points in Black's position, d7, c8 and e7.

13...Rc7 14.Bh3 Qb8 15.Bg5 Bxf3 16.exf3 b5 17.Bxd7 Rxd7 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Rc7 20.Rc6

Black has tried hard to break out of his Hedgehog shell on the first three ranks, but White has retained control in the c-file. Black can't break this stranglehold without permitting White a powerful passed c-pawn.

20...Rxc6 21.dxc6 Rc8 22.Rc1 e6 23.Bd2 Qc7 24.a4 d5 25.axb5 axb5 26.Qb4

Black's game lacks any counterplay and White's queen and bishop combine well to winkle Black's queen out of the blockading square c7 and to undermine Black's isolated b-pawn.

26...Rb8 27.Qa3 Bd4 28.Qa6 Be5 29.f4 Bd6

This fatally weakens the long black diagonal, but if 29...Bf6 30.Ba5 Qc8 31.c7 Ra8 32.Qxa8 and wins.

30.Ba5 Qc8 31.Qa7 Ra8 32.Qb6 Rb8 33.Qd4 b4

Black must lose material. He must stop 34 Bc3, with mating threats, or if 33...Be7 34.c7 Ra8 35.Qb6.

34.c7 Ra8 35.Qb6 Bf8 36.Bxb4 Bxb4 37.Qxb4 Qe8 Black resigns

27 May 2006

 Veselin Topalov confirmed and further consolidated his world number one spot by winning the elite MTel grandmasters in Sofia. As in Morelia-Linares earlier in the year, the current world champion stuttered at the start, but finished powerfully.

He finished in Sofia with an astonishing 5/6, including 4/4 in his last four games. Topalov scored 6.5/10, ahead of Kamsky 6, world number two Anand 5.5, Svidler 5, Ponomariov and Bacrot 3.5.

Topalov is not just winning tournaments. He's also playing wonderful games. Like Kasparov and Fischer before him, the Najdorf Sicilian for Black is lethal in his hands and he plays 1 e4 and 1 d4 with White with equal venom. Here Bacrot's Slav is squashed flat.

White: V Topalov Black: E Bacrot, Mtel Masters (Rd 10), Sofia 2006, Slav Defence

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6 8.Rc1 e5

Bacrot tries to improve on Topalov-Kamsky in an earlier round where play went 8 ... g6 9 h3 Qc7 10 g3 Bg7 11 Bf4 Qd8 12 Bg2 Nh5 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bd2 0–0 15 e4 and White assumed a dangerous initiative in the centre.

9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Ng4 11.Na4 Nxe5 12.Bc3 f6 13.Nb6 Rb8 14.Nxc8 Rxc8 15.g3

But after this virtually forced sequence, White also has a clear edge in a game where his bishop pair and mobile pawns are bound to pose a constant threat to Black's defences.

15...Qd7 16.h4 Qf7 17.Bh3 Nd7 18.b4 Rd8 19.f4 Be7 20.h5 g6 21.Qb3 Rg8 22.e4

Bishops work best on open boards and in conjunction with pawn levers, such as h5 and e4. Black is also handicapped here by the cramping effect of White's b4 and c5 pawns, which severely restrict the black minor pieces' freedom of action.

22...gxh5 23.exd5 cxd5 24.Kf2 h4 25.Bxd7+ Rxd7 26.Rxh4 d4 27.Qxf7+ Kxf7 28.Bd2 Rg7 29.Rh5 Bf8 30.c6

White has brilliantly converted his advantages into a crushing domination of space by his rooks. Black's a-pawn is doomed, due to the White rooks' control in the c-file and on the fifth rank.

30...bxc6 31.Rxc6 d3 32.Rxa6 Kg8 33.Rh1 Rde7 34.Kf3 Re2 35.Rd1 h5 36.Rxf6 h4 37.gxh4 Rgg2 38.Be3 Be7 39.Ra6 Rxa2 40.b5 Rab2 41.Rxd3 Bxh4 42.Rd7 Black resigns

Or if 42… Rg3+ 43.Ke4 Rb4+ 44.Bd4 followed by Ra8+ and wins.

20 May 2006

Good luck to Scotland 's open and women's teams in the Turin Chess Olympiad, particularly to Rhian Hughes (12), our youngest-ever full internationalist. British champion Jonathan Rowson , Colin McNab , John Shaw and Jacob Aagaard , make a strong top four in the open.

The Olympiad opens today and runs till 4 th June. Russia will be top seeds in the open, but Ukraine are the defending champions. The event is played at fast time rates, so upsets are not uncommon. Scotland 's open team will hope for a good top quarter placing.

Much may depend on Jonathan Rowson's form. A good top board performance always inspires. Going into Turin , Rowson looks sharp, as in this recent Four Nations League game.

White: J Rowson Black: A Ledger, 4NCL, Birmingham 2006, Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd5 6.Bxc4 e6 7.Nf3 Na5

Black trades space for control of d5 in this line, but now wastes too many development tempi. Simpler is 7...Bb4+ 8.Nbd2 0–0 though Black still has some tricky development problems to solve after 9.0–0

8.Bd3 c5 9.0–0 cxd4 10.Bxd4 Nc6 11.Be4 Be7 12.Nc3 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Nxc3 14.Qxc3 Qb6 15.Rac1 0–0 16.h4 Rb8

Black can't get his queen's bishop and rook into play and is in trouble. If 16...Bd7 17.Qc7 wins

17 .Qc2 g6 18.h5 Kg7 19.Qd2 Rd8 20.Qf4 Bd7 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Ng5 Rf8 23.Rc3 Qd8 24.Nh7

Having opened the h-file, and transferred his queen, rook and knight into the attack, White's kingside pressure proves decisive. If 24.Nh7 Kxh7 25.Rh3+ Kg8 26.Qh6 and mates.

24...Rh8 25.Rf3 Be8 26.Nf6 Bc6

Black also suffers chronic black square weaknesses. If 26...Bxf6 27.exf6+ Kf8 ( or 27 ...Kg8 28.Bxg6 fxg6 29.f7+) 28.Rd3 Qc8 29.Rc1 Bc6 30.Bxc6 bxc6 31.Rxc6 winning.

27 .Bxc6 bxc6 28.Nd7 Rb4

Or if 28...Qxd7 29.Qxf7+ Kh6 30.Rh3+ Kg5 31.Rg3+ and mates.

29 .Qxf7 + Kh6 30.Nf6 Rh4 31.g3 Rd4 32.Kg2 Rd1 33.Rxd1 Qxd1 34.Qxe7 Black resigns

13 May 2006

Stephen Hilton ( Greenock ) will represent Scotland at the World Braille Championships in October, in Goa . Our top unsighted player, Stephen has obtained local business sponsorship to cover travel and accommodation.

Last year, Stephen took a big step forward in the international rankings, following excellent results in a top Braille international tournament held in Poland and in the British Braille Championships.

The British Braille Association will provide a coach to work with Stephen and the English representative in the World Championships. Chess Scotland has financed a personal coach to work with Stephen beforehand.

Let's hope for great games in Goa , like this one.

White: S Hilton Black: M Dyer, Glasgow League 2005-06, King's Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0–0 6.Bg5 h6 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 a5 9.Qd2 Kh7 10.h3 Nbd7 11.Nf3 Ng8 12.g4 Nc5 13.0–0–0 Bd7 14.Rdg1 c6

Black had to try 14...f5, and if 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.h4 Nf6 18.Ng5+ Kg8. Earlier 11...Nc5, and if 12.Qc2 Nh5, fighting for … f5 and control of f4, might have been better.

15 .h4 cxd5 16.exd5 f5 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.Ng5+ Kh8

Having got in h4, White now has a crushing attack. If 18...hxg5 19.hxg5+ Kg6 20.Bh5+ Kh7 21.Bf7+ Nh6 22.g6+ and wins.

19 .f4 e4 20.Bd4 Nd3+ 21.Qxd3

White wins a pawn with a "small" combination.  

21...exd3 22.Bxg7+ Kxg7 23.Ne6+ Kh7 24.Nxd8 Raxd8

Or if 24...dxe2 25.Nxb7 followed by Nxd6 or c5 and capturing Black's stranded e-pawn.

25 .Bxd3 Nf6 26.Re1 Rde8 27.Rhg1 Nh5 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Ne2 Re3 30.Kd2 Rf3 31.Nd4 Rxf4 32.Ne6 Bxe6

White's e-pawn now wins. 32...Rf2+ 33.Ke3 Rxb2 34.Bxf5+ Kh8 35.Rg6 also loses.

33.dxe6 Ng7 34.e7 Ne8 35.Ke3 Rxh4 36.Bxf5+ Kh8 37.Be6 Nf6 38.Bd5 Rh5 39.e8Q+ Nxe8 40.Rg8+ Kh7 41.Rxe8 b5 42.Re7+ Kh8 43.Bf3 Rh2 44.cxb5 Rxb2 45.a4 Rb3+ 46.Kf2 Ra3 47.Re4 Rb3 48.Rd4 Ra3 49.b6 Black resigns

Scotland has its fourth grandmaster. John Shaw of Kilmarnock achieved his third and final qualifying norm playing for Guildford in this year's Four Nations Chess League.

The 4NCL concluded last weekend. Wood Green finished champions, ahead of Guildford 's first team. These two giants drew 4-4 in Monday's last round. Equal on match points, Wood Green just edged the title on game points.

John Shaw played for much of the season in Guildford 's second team. Guildford and Wood Green have serious money behind them. World top ten players, Judit Polgar ( Guildford ) and Michael Adams (Wood Green), turned out to play for them last weekend.

John Shaw's gritty win against English grandmaster, Matthew Turner, in Round 8 in March, was perhaps the key turning point in his norm fortunes.

White: M Turner (Wood Green II) Black: J Shaw ( Guildford II), 4NCL 2005-06, Birmingham 2006, Scandinavian Defence

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 c6 7.Bd2 e6 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.Bg5

This may not be sound. More solid is 10.Qe2, when 10...Bxc2 11.d5 is too risky for Black.

10...Qg6 11.h4 Bxc2 12.Qd2 h6 13.h5 Qh7 14.Be3 Nd7 15.g4 Nb6 16.Be2 Nd5 17.a3 Be4

Black's queen is off-side, but he has an extra pawn and controls d5. White plays for a b4-b5 break, and has some control on the kingside.

18 .Rh3 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Be7 20.Be2 0–0–0

This surprise move, castling into b4-b5, turns the game Black's way. Not 20...0–0 21.Bd3 f5 22.0–0–0, and White attacks.

21 .b4 Kb8 22.b5 cxb5 23.Bd3 Qg8 24.Bxb5 Qf8 25.Kf1 Bf6 26.Rb1 Qd6

Black's queen, bumped ingloriously round the rim of the chessboard, emerges well-centralised and well-placed for defence and the forthcoming counter-attack.

27 .Bc4 Rd7 28.Qd3 Rc8 29.Bd2 Nf4 30.Bxf4 Qxf4 31.Qb3 Bxd4 32.Rf3 Qxg4 33.Be2 Qh4 34.Rg3 Rc3 White resigns

White's weakened king topples. If 34...Rc3 35.Rxc3 Qh1 mate.

29 April 2006

Solve the following problem to take part in round one of the 2006-07 Wincanton Capital British Chess Solving Championship:

White: king on f4; queen on f3; rooks on c5 and c7; bishop on g3; pawns on d5 and e6

Black: king on d6; rook on a3; bishop on c2; knight on h2; pawns on b6, c4 e3, e4, f6 and g6

 White, to move, mates against any Black defence on his second move. Only one first move, the “key”, achieves this. To enter, send the key move (only) to Paul Valois, 14 Newton Park Drive , Leeds LS7 4HH with a cheque for £3 (£2 for u-21s) to British Chess Problem Society.

Include your address and mention The Herald. All entrants will be advised in August whether they have been successful.

Hamilton Chess Club won this year's Scottish National Chess League. Edinburgh 's Andrew Burnett won this great game in an early round. 

White: A Burnett Black: N Farrell, Scottish National Chess League, Grangemouth 2005, French: Winawer

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qf3

This is typical Burnett - off-beat but playable.  

4...Qf6 5.Qxf6 Nxf6 6.exd5 exd5 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Nge2 Ne4 9.f3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Ba5

Black unwisely boxes in his bishop on the queenside. Better was 10...Bd6.

11 .Bd2 0–0 12.0–0–0 Ne7 13.Nf4 Bd7 14.Rde1 Rfe8 15.g4 c6 16.h4 Rad8 17.h5 Nc8 18.Reg1 Nd6 19.h6 g6 20.Nh5

White has a dangerous kingside attack. Black's bishop on a5 is still a long way from the action.  

20...gxh5 21.gxh5+ Kf8 22.Rg7 Bf5 23.Rhg1 Bxd3 24.cxd3 Nf5

Black may still be lost in the complications after 24 … Ke7 25.Rxh7, and if 25...Rh8 26.Rhg7 Rdf8 27.h7 Ne8 28.Rg8 Nf6 29.Bg5 Bxc3 30.Bxf6+ Kxf6 31.Rxf8 Rxh7 32.Rg4 Rxh5 33.Rf4+ Ke6 34.Kc2, but this was his only chance.

25 .Rxh7 Rd6

Or if 25...Ke7 26.Bg5+ Ke6 27.Re1+ Kd6 28.Bf4+ Kd7 29.Rxf7+ Ne7 30.Bg5 and wins.

26 .Rh8 + Ke7 27.Rxe8+ Kxe8 28.h7 Black resigns

22 April 2006

Embattled World Chess Federation president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov , announced last week that FIDE would stage a world championship reunification match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik in the autumn. The match, for a minimum $1 million prize fund, will take place in the capital of the Kalmyk republic, Elista .

An elated Topalov immediately endorsed Kirsan's bid to seek re-election for the FIDE presidency in June. But opponents still doubt the incumbent's ability, after more than a decade in post, to attract commercial sponsors.

Top in the current world rankings, Topalov is favourite to defeat Kramnik . But Kramnik toppled Kasparov in 2000 and is a great match player. Topalov recently defeated Romania 's top player 3-1 in an exhibition match in Bucharest .   

White: V Topalov Black: L Nisipeanu, Match Game 4, Bucharest 2006, Sicilian: Classical

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 0–0 9.f4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Qa5 11.h4

This aggressive move suits Topalov's attacking style. If 11 ... h6, White offers a dangerous bishop sacrifice with 12 Kb1.

11...e5 12.Qe3 exf4 13.Bxf4 Be6 14.Bxd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6 Rac8 16.a3 Rc6 17.Rxc6 bxc6 18.Be2 Nd7 19.Rd1 Qc7 20.g3 Rb8 21.Qd4

Black sacrificed a pawn for play against White's weakened kingside pawns and black squares and in the b-file. But this move solves White's problems by tactical means.

21...Qxg3 22.Qxa7 Nf6 23.Kb1 h5 24.a4 Bg4 25.Bxg4 hxg4 26.Qd4 Qxh4 27.e5 Nd5 28.Nxd5 cxd5 29.Rg1

White commands the whole board. His a-pawn greedily eyes its queening square and Black's weak g-pawn falls.

29...Qh2 30.Rxg4 Rc8 31.Rxg7+ Kh8

Or if 31 ... Kxg7 32 Qg4+ Kh7 33 Qxc8.

32 .Rg4 Rc4 33.Qd1 Rxg4 34.Qxg4 Qxe5 35.c3 Kh7 36.Qd4

The White queen's fourth visit to this pivotal square secures the final game winning advance of his a-pawn.

36...Qe6 37.a5 f5 38.b4 Qe2 39.Qxd5 Kg6 40.Qd6+ Kg5 41.a6 f4 42.Qc5+ Kg4 43.a7 Black resigns

Glasgow Polytechnic defied the odds in the Scottish Club Cup finals last weekend to win the Richardson Cup against much higher rated Hamilton 4.5-3.5. Polytechnic has now won the premier Scottish Club Cup trophy 13 times in the event's 107 year history, including a remarkable 7 wins in the last 8 years.

Polytechnic has a great team spirit and scrapped for everything. Hamilton should have won on the objective run of play, but several of their players choked at decisive moments. Glenrothes and Dumfries respectively won the Spens Cup and Jack Campbell Rosebowl finals.

Two former Scottish champions played in the Richardson Cup final, one in each side. The Hamilton ex-champ, Craig Thomson, won one of the day's best games.

White: C Thomson ( Hamilton Chess Club) Black: G Rattray ( Glasgow Polytechnic), Richardson Cup Final (Board 3), Grangemouth 2006, Slav Defence

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4

This is a very modern, ultra-complex opening. White tries to clamp the black squares. Black battles against this plan, hoping in particular to break with an eventual ... e5.

6...Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6 8.Bf4 Nh5 9.Bg5 g6 10.e3 Bg7 11.Be2 0–0 12.0–0 Qe8

Black plans to force through ... e5 even at the expense of a disruptive exchange of minor pieces on h5. Safer was 12...Re8 and if 13.Nd2 Nhf6 14.f4 b6, effecting a reserve black square break on the queenside.

13 .Nd2 f6 14.Bh4 e5 15.Bxh5 gxh5 16.Ne2 f5 17.Nf3 f4 18.exf4 exd4 19.Rc1 d3 20.Qxd3 Bxb2 21.Rc2 Bg7 22.Ng3 Rxf4 23.Re1 Qg6 24.Qe2 Nf8 25.Be7 Bg4 26.Qd2 Rxf3

Black has an extra pawn but it is doubled and his pieces are exposed. He tries to resist against various threats posed by White's active pieces by sacrificing an exchange. If 26...Rf7 27.Nh4 Qh6 28.Bg5 and wins Black's queen.

27 .gxf3 Bxf3 28.Qg5 Re8 29.Rcc1 Bh6 30.Qxg6+ Nxg6 31.Bd6 Rxe1+ 32.Rxe1 Kf7 33.Nf5 Bd2 34.Rb1

But White's rook wins a key pawn and, more importantly, fuels further attacking fire from the powerful seventh rank.

34...Kf6 35.Nd4 Be4 36.Rxb7

In difficulties, Black blunders, losing a piece.

36...Nh4 37.Be7+ Ke5 38.Nxc6+ Kf4 39.Bxh4 d4 40.Rf7+ Kg4 41.Nxd4 Kxh4 42.Nf3+ Black resigns

8 April 2006

Part V of Garry Kasparov's landmark Everyman series On My Great Predecessors has been published. Aided by Dmitry Plisetsky , Kasparov has produced another compelling volume. Part V focuses on the chess lives of Anatoly Karpov and his great rival in two world championship matches, Viktor Korchnoi .

The 1978 and 1981 matches between these two, in Baguio City and Merano , in part inspired Tim Rice's Chess, The Musical , which has a sharp ideological edge and even begins in Merano . Korchnoi had defected to the West in 1976 and relations were hostile. The Soviets cynically rejected all humanitarian pleas to grant Korchnoi's wife and son exit visas while they still felt that the older man posed a threat to their young champion.

Kasparov deftly portrays the human drama and shows how much the great champions have influenced our chess thinking. Last weekend, the British women's champion, one of seven joint winners of the Premier in the Edinburgh Congress, won a game that has roots in Kasparov's own games, about which we may hear more in a future volume.

White: G Neave Black: K Arakhamia -Grant, Premier, Edinburgh Congress 2006, Sicilian: Keres Attack

 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 h6 7.h4 Nc6 8.Rg1 h5 9.g5

Karpov famously declined to play this critical move in the first game of his first world championship match in 1984 against Kasparov. The game was drawn after the cautious 9.gxh5.

9...Ng4 10.Be2 Qb6 11.Bxg4 hxg4 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Qxg4 g6 14.b3 Bg7 15.Bb2 Qb4

Kasparov would probably have played 10 ... d5, for which he had been primed in 1984 by the Hungarian grandmaster Andras Adorjan . But this line is also playable, and if 16.Rg3 16.Qg3 Bxc3+ 17.Bxc3 Qxe4+ 18.Kd2 Rxh4 19.Qxd6 Rf4.

16...e5 17.Qe2 Rxh4 18.0–0–0 Bf8 19.f3 Be6 20.Qa6 Qb6 21.Qe2 Be7 22.Na4 Qa5 23.c4 0–0–0 24.c5

Black's bishop pair and White's weak g-pawn give Black a comfortable game, but this ill-judged attempt to activate White's pieces makes matters worse. Better was 24 Kb1.

24...dxc5 25.Bxe5 c4 26.f4 Rxd1+ 27.Qxd1 cxb3 28.axb3 Qb4 29.Qe2 Kb7

With her own king safe, Black can now exploit her many positional advantages. White's e and b pawns are weak and Black's rook threatens to combine with Black's queen and bishops in an attack on White's open king.

30 .Kc2 Rh1 31.Rc3 Qa3 32.Nb2 Qa2 33.Kd3 Rh3+ 34.Kc2 Bxb3+ White resigns

Or if 35.Kc1 (35.Rxb3+ Qxb3+) 35...Rh1+

1 April 2006

Ex world champion Garry Kasparov provided further confirmation of his determination to turn from chess to politics by appearing on a special Moscow edition of BBC TV's Question Time, on Thursday. Kasparov didn't mention chess but took the opportunity to promote his anti-Vladimir Putin , pro-democracy policies firmly.

Whether the Kremlin's defences will eventually collapse is a moot point. Garry's views may be shared by many intellectuals, but so far they lack support at the grass roots. Kasparov may obtain some consolation shortly in World Chess Federation politics. Putin's protégé, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov , President of the Autonomous Russian Republic of Kalmykia , looks increasingly unlikely to win re-election for a third term in FIDE's presidential elections next month.

The 29 year-old (and pregnant!) Chinese outsider, Xu Yuhua , won the Women's World Championship last weekend. She defeated Alisa Galliamova ( Russia ) 2.5-0.5, who failed to sparkle in the final, as she did in this game from an earlier tie.

White: A Galliamova Black: M Purtseladze, Women's World Championship, Ekaterinburg 2006, Caro Kann Defence

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 13.c3 Be7 14.c4 Qc7 15.0–0–0 Ngf6 16.Rhe1 Bd6

Black gives up her good bishop too easily. Better was 16...0–0–0, and if 17.Nf5 Bf8

17. Nf5 0–0 18.Nxd6 Qxd6 19.g4

Black has castled short, straight into a ready-made gambit attack on the kingside.

19...Nxg4 20.Qe2 Rfd8 21.Rg1 f5 22.Nh4 Nf8 23.f3 Nf6 24.Bxh6

Now if 24...Nxh5 25.f4 Nxf4 26.Qf3 e5 27.Nxf5 wins.

24...Rd7 25.Qe3 Kh7 26.Bf4 Qb4 27.Be5 Qxc4+ 28.Kb1 Qb4 29.Qg5 Qe7 30.h6

Black has wriggled but her queen has lost time on the queenside and the end is close.

30...Ne8 31.Ng6 Nxg6

If 31...Qxg5 32.Nxf8+ Kxh6 33.Rxg5 Kxg5 34.Nxd7 and wins.

32 .Qxg6 + Kg8 33.hxg7 Nxg7 34.Bxg7 Black resigns

Or if 34.Bxg7 Qxg7 35.Qxe6+

25 March 2005

Grandmaster Mark Dvoretsky , one of the world's top coaches, begins a three city tour of the UK this weekend with sessions on attacking chess at the Edinburgh Chess Club. Next week he coaches the Scotland men and women's Chess Olympiad teams in Glasgow . On 2 nd and 3 rd April, he takes part in an open weekend of events at the London offices of the magazine Chess Monthly.

It's heartening to see such a visitor in Scotland , particularly in the historic Edinburgh Chess Club. Established in 1822, the Club nowadays owns its own premises in the city centre. In 1824 it famously challenged and defeated the London Chess Club in a series of postal games. This match gave birth to the Scotch Game, still potent today, as in this game.

White: S Rublevsky Black: K Sasikiran, World Chess Cup, Khanty Mansyisk 2005, Scotch Game

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.g3 d5 8.Bg2 dxe4 9.0–0 Bb6 10.Nd2 0–0 11.Nxe4 Qg6 12.Re1 Nxd4

John Emms ' new Everyman book, “Starting Out: the Scotch Game”, provides dependable up-to-date commentary on the opening's theory. Sasikiran's exchange idea looks good here.

13. Bxd4 Nc6 14.Bxb6 axb6 15.Qd2 Ra5 16.Qf4 Ne5 

But Black's rook should swing to e5, followed by … Rfe8, or perhaps he should have played 15 … Bf5, and if 16 Qf4 Rae8.

17. Rad1 f6 18.b4

Black's rook must retreat, losing time and leaving weak points on e5 and c7.

18 … Ra8 19.Ng5 Bg4 20.Rd2 Rae8

With wicked white square and central threats, White wins after 20...fxg5 21.Qxe5 Rae8 22.Qd5+ Kh8 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Be4.

21. Rxe5 Black resigns

Or if 21… fxg5 22.Bd5+ wins; 21...Qb1+ 22.Bf1 Rxe5 23.Qc4+ Kh8 24.Nf7+ Kg8 25.Nh6+ Kh8 26.Qg8+ Rxg8 27.Nf7 mate; or 21...Rxe5 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Nf7+ with a winning back rank mate combination.

18 March 2006

British women's champion, Keti Arakhamia -Grant, crashed out of the event in round two of the Women's World Championship, in Ekaterinberg this week. The Edinburgh player lost 0.5-1.5 against former women's world champion, Maya Chiburdanidze (Georgia).

Keti , also Georgian, has played alongside Maya in many great Georgian women's teams, so that this tie was tough psychologically on both players. The championship continues on a knock-out basis for another week.

Front runner Peter Leko collapsed dramatically in the last two rounds in Linares last weekend. He lost consecutively to world champion, Veselin Topalov , and last year's FIDE World Cup winner, Levon Aronian , to finish fourth.

Final scores: Aronian 8.5, Topalov , Radjabov 8, Leko 7.5, Ivanchuk , Svidler 6.5, Bacrot 6, Vallejo Pons 5.

The sparks flew in the tournament winner's sustained anti-Semi Slav combinational attack against Vallejo Pons in round eleven.

White: L Aronian Black: F Vallejo Pons, Super Grandmasters, Morelia /Linares 2006, Geller's Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Na6 9.Bd6 e5 10.Nf3 Bg4 11.0–0 0–0–0 12.Bd3 Qf4 13.Bxe5 Qxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxd1 15.Bf5+ Kc7 16.Nxf7 Bh5

Black has no easy task constraining White's active forces in this sharp gambit line. Here he tries to improve on Tal- Dorfman , Tbilisi 1978, which continued in White's favour 16...Ne7 17.Bxh7 Bg4 18.Nxh8 Rxh8 19.Rfe1.

17. Nxd8 Kxd8 18.g4 Nh6 19.Rad1+ Kc7 20.Rd7+ Kb6 21.Rxg7 Nxf5 22.gxf5 Rf8 23.Re1 Nc5

The material split, rook + two pawns v two minor pieces, is often hard to assess. Here, however, White's rooks reach the seventh rank, with targets and the initiative, giving White a plus. Now Black probably had to try 23...Rxf5 24.Ree7 Bg6.

24. b4 Nd3 25.Ree7 Nxb4 26.Rxb7+ Kc5 27.Rg5

Black may have missed this fiendish move, which wins a minor piece due to a well-camouflaged lateral check on move 30.

27...Bf3 28.f6+ Kxc4 29.Rf5 Bd5 30.Rf4+ Kc3 31.Rbxb4 Bxa2 32.Ra4 Bf7 33.Rxa7 c5 34.f3 c4 35.Kf2 Kb3 36.Rb7+ Black resigns

Or if 36.Rb7+ Kc2 37.Rc7 c3 38.Re4 threatening Re3 winning Black's c-pawn.

11 March 2006

World champion Veselin Topalov scored an astonishing three wins in the first three rounds of the Linares half of the Morelia / Linares Super Grandmasters event. This turned his miserable, “minus two” second bottom placing at the end of the Mexican first half into a healthy “plus one” shared second.

Going into yesterday's penultimate round in Linares, Peter Leko still led on 7.5/12, with Levon Aronian 7 and Topalov and Teimur Radjabov 6.5, all still in contention. This afternoon's final round should be sparkling. It can be followed live at www.ajedrezenlinares.com .

Last year's FIDE World Cup winner, Aronian, might certainly catch up or even overtake Leko if the latter stumbles. The 23 year-old Armenian oozes world class. His opening preparation might be better, but he is a great attacking swashbuckler, with profoundly imaginative and penetrative calculating skills.

Topalov and Radjabov, one point behind, remain dark horses. Topalov followed his 3/3 burst in rounds 8-10 with two draws. A 2/2 finish is not impossible for this phenomenal player. It would cap a most remarkable turn round in tournament fortune if he can pull it off. Here is his win from round 10.

White: V Topalov Black: L Aronian, Super Grandmasters, Morelia / Linares 2006, Nimzo-Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 0–0 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Qb3 Qb6 10.Bxd5

Topalov disregards convention. Usually White seeks to gain the bishop pair by inducing Black to exchange his bishop on c3. Instead Topalov willingly exchanges one of his own bishops, which at first sight seems only to weaken his white squares.

10...exd5 11.Be3 Bh3 12.Rc1 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Qxc6 14.f3 Qc4 15.Kf2 Be6 16.Qxc4 dxc4 17.Rhd1 Bxc3 18.bxc3 b6 19.Rd4 Rfd8 20.g4

In fact, White's artificial castling manoeuvre on his 14th and 15th moves negated any white square weakness, leading to pressure against d5. In this endgame, White's healthy mobile 4-3 kingside pawn majority gives him a plus.

20...Rd5 21.g5 Rad8 22.h4 Kf8 23.Rb1 Ke7 24.Rb2 R8d6 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Bd4 f6 27.e4 Ra5 28.f4 Bd7 29.Ke3 Rb5 30.Rg2 Kf7 31.h5 fxg5 32.fxg5 g6 33.Rf2+ Ke8 34.hxg6 hxg6 35.Bf6

White has a dangerous passed pawn and his king can attack Black's wobbly c-pawn. Black's 31st move led to this, but White otherwise threatened to exchange pawns on f6, followed by h6, gaining a lethal entry point for his rook on g7.

35...Rb1 36.Kd4 Rd1+ 37.Kxc4 Be6+ 38.Kb5 Ra1 39.Rh2 Rxa2 40.Rh7 Bd7+ 41.Kc4 Rd2 42.Bd4 Be6+ 43.Kb5 Bd7+ 44.Ka6 Bc6

If 44 ... Ra1+, White's king penetrates via b7 and c7 to d6, with an overwhelming attack. So Black must now shed a pawn, after which the combination of his more active forces and advancing passed c-pawn eventually win.

45.Kxa7 Bxe4 46.Kxb6 Rb2+ 47.Kc5 Rb7 48.Rh4 Rc7+ 49.Kb4 Rb7+ 50.Kc4 Bf5 51.Kc5 Rc7+ 52.Kd6 Rd7+ 53.Kc6 Re7 54.Bf6 Re4 55.Rh8+ Kf7 56.Rh7+ Kg8 57.Rg7+ Kf8 58.Kb5 Re8 59.c4 Rb8+ 60.Ka5 Ra8+ 61.Kb4 Rb8+ 62.Kc3 Rc8 63.Ra7 Be6 64.Be7+ Kg8 65.c5 Bd5 66.Kd4 Bg2 67.Ke5 Ra8 68.Rc7 Ra1 69.Kf6 Be4 70.Rc8+ Kh7 71.Rd8 Ra6+ 72.Kf7 Bf5 73.Rd4 Be6+ 74.Kf8 Ra8+ 75.Bd8 Bg4 76.c6 Black resigns

4 March 2006

World champion Veselin Topalov faces a stern test in the second half of the 23 rd Linares / Morelia Super Grandmasters. Peter Leko led at the halfway stage. Topalov trailed in the tournament basement.

Full scores at half-time: Leko 5/7, Aronian 4.5, Svidler 4, Ivanchuk and Radjabov 3.5, Vallejo Pons 3, Topalov 2.5, Bacrot 2.

This is the first time that the small Andalucian town of Linares has co-hosted its annual elite grandmasters tournament. This year's first half took place in Mexico . The event resumed yesterday in Spain .

Realistically Topalov can no longer win this tournament. He may be hoping for a 5/7 finish to give him a respectable “plus one” overall score. He scored 6.5/7 at the start of last year's world championship tournament, in San Luis, Argentina. But the odds against a repeat in Linares must be high.

The Mexican temperament seemed to suit fighting chess and the following, near unfathomable game, played in round seven, is an outstanding example of uncompromising attack by both sides. 

White: E Bacrot Black: L Aronian, Super Grandmasters, Linares / Morelia 2006, Nimzo-Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 Ne4 6.Qd3 Qa5 7.Qxe4 Bxc3+ 8.Bd2 Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 Nc6 10.dxc5 b6

This subtle gambit is better declined. If 11 cxb6 Bb7, threatening ... Ne8, and Black's pieces become very active.  

11.Bg2 Bb7 12.Qf4 bxc5 13.Qd6 Qb6 14.Ne4

Putting pressure on c5 forces an extremely unclear tactical sequence. But the natural 14.0–0 fails to 14...Nd4 15.Qxb6 Nxe2+ 16.Kh1 Bxg2+.

14...Nd4 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.Nd6+ Ke7 17.Bxb7 Nc2+ 18.Kd2 Nxa1 19.Nxf7 Rxa2 20.Nxh8 Rxb2+ 21.Kd3 Rb3+ 22.Ke4

White goes for a win rather than force repetition by 22.Kd2 Rb2+ 23.Kd3 (23.Ke3 Nc2+ 24.Kf4 Nd4) 23...Rb3+ 24.Kd2.

22...Nc2 23.e3 b5 24.Kf4 bxc4 25.Be4 Nb4 26.Bxh7 Nd3+ 27.Kg5

Now play becomes virtually incalculable. White could still force repetition by 27.Bxd3 cxd3 28.Ng6+ Kf6 29.Nf8 Ke7 30.Ng6+.

27...Nxf2 28.Rf1 Rb2 29.h4 d5 30.Ra1 Kd7 31.Nf7 c3 32.Kg6 Ng4 33.Rg1 Re2 34.Kxg7 Rxe3 35.h5 d4 36.h6 c4 37.Bc2 Nxh6 38.Nxh6 d3

White has two extra pieces but Black's pawns are awesome.

39.Ba4+ Kd6 40.g4 Kc5 41.g5 Kb4 42.Ng4 Re4 43.Nf6 Re5 44.Bd1 d2 45.g6 Re1 46.Kf7 Rxg1 47.g7 Ka3 48.Bg4 Rxg4 49.Nxg4 d1Q 50.g8Q

Both sides have queened. But Black has the move and winning c-pawns.

50...Qd7+ 51.Kf6 Qd4+ 52.Kxe6 c2 53.Qa8+ Kb2 54.Qb8+ Kc1 55.Qg8 Kd1 White resigns

25 February 2006

Green Party MSPs, Robin Harper and Chris Ballance, Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan and Chris Ballance's political assistant, Michael Collie, lost 0-4, to four girls in the first ever chess match played in the Scottish Parliament last Tuesday.

Robin Harper lost to Ali Roy (11). Tommy Sheridan succumbed to Amy Officer (14). Chris Ballance and Michael Collie put up most resistance, but were both eventually worn down by Lynsey Shovlin (16) and Rhian Hughes (12).

All a bit of fun, the aim was to celebrate chess, particularly girls' chess, and to provide a fitting backdrop for the presentation of the Cherie Booth QC Award for the Best Scottish Girl Player of the Year 2005, won by Lynsey Shovlin.

The Cherie Booth Award uniquely recognises not just playing strength but also wider contribution to chess, such as organisation, promotion and coaching. Lynsey, current British under-16 girls' champion and a youth internationalist, qualified highly on both counts.

Amy, who pushed Lynsey very close in the judges' eyes, and Rhian have both shone so remarkably in the national rankings in the last six months, that they have been chosen to play in the Scottish Women's team in the Turin Olympiad, in May.

Ali, interviewed on Radio Scotland , denied that chess was only for boys. Lynsey shows what the girls can do against commendably spirited defence by Chris Ballance.

White: Lynsey Shovlin Black: Chris Ballance MSP, Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh 2006, Bishop's Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.d3 0–0 5.Bg5 d6 6.h3

 White aims to pressurise Black's knight on f6 and double Black's f-pawns. But 6.Nf3 and if 6...c6 7.0–0, avoiding early exchanges, may have been tougher.

6...Re8 7.Nd5 Nbd7 8.Qf3 c6 9.Nxf6+ Nxf6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Qxf6 gxf6 12.Ne2 d5 

Having successfully parried White's first sally, Black nervously blunders a pawn away. Chances remain roughly balanced after either of two solid alternatives, 12 ... Be6 or 12 ... f5.

13.exd5 cxd5 14.Bxd5 Rd8 15.Bb3 Be6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.f4 exf4 18.Nxf4 e5 19.Ne6 Rdc8 20.Nxc5 Rxc5 21.0–0–0 Rd8 22.c3 Rcd5 23.Kc2 

White has an extra pawn but is far from winning. Black's best chance was probably to rush his king to e6, play a rook to the g-file and sit tight.  

23...R5d6 24.Rhe1 Kf7 25.Re2 a5 

Advancing the queenside pawns only improves White's chances of a successful pawn break. Black should still centralise his king and seek active play on the kingside, e.g. by 25...Ke6 26.g4 h5 27.gxh5 Rh8.

26.g4 h6 27.Re4 b5 28.a4 Rb8 29.axb5 Rxb5 30.Ra4 Rc6 31.Rda1 Ke6

White's 28th move break has isolated Black's a-pawn which is now lost. If 31...Rcc5 (31...Ra6 32.b4) 32.b3 Ke6 33.c4 threatens 34 Kb2, breaking Black's' fifth rank defence.

32.Rxa5 Rxa5 33.Rxa5 Kd6 34.Ra7 h5 35.gxh5 f5 36.h6 Rc8 37.Rg7 Rh8 38.h7 Ke6 39.b4 f4 40.Kd2 Kf5 41.Ke2 e4 42.dxe4+ Kxe4 43.Re7+ Kf5 44.Kf3 Kg6 45.Kxf4 Rxh7 46.Rxh7 Kxh7 Black resigns

18 February 2006

Three recently published books might sharpen up your repertoire with Black against 1 d4.

If the grand style of Kasparov is for you, Understanding the King's Indian (£15.99, Gambit) , by Mikhail Golubev, is a fine work that achieves the near impossible by condensing the essence of this combative, sprawling opening into a single book.

Golubev is a great guide whether you play White or Black. His book cuts to the quick and is inspirational.

More avowedly selective is Edward Dearing's, Play the Nimzo-Indian (£14.99, Everyman). The young Scottish international presents a repertoire of variations in the Nimzo in some depth. If you wish to take up the Nimzo, here's a ready-made and reliable introduction to lines that work.

To meet 1 d4 odds and ends with Black, I can recommend Dealing with d4 Deviations (£14.99, Everyman) , by John Cox. We all know that the Trompowsky, Torre, Blackmar-Diemer, London , Colle, etc, shouldn't really be a problem. Cox sorts them out.

Opening books only provide a starting point, of course. You must watch out for new ideas. Dearing's book was extended by a stiff test provided by the young American champion, Hikaru Nakamura, in one of his repertoire lines, played two weeks ago.

White: H. Nakamura Black: A. Volokitin, Young Masters, Cuernavaca 2006, Nimzo-Indian: Saemisch Variation

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Ne2 b6 9.e4 Ne8 10.0–0 Ba6 11.f4 f5 12.exf5 exf5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Ng3 g6 15.Be3 d6

This is an old pawn sacrifice. But 15...Qa5, given by Dearing, may be a better option.

16.Bxf5 gxf5 17.Qd5+ Rf7 18.Qxc6 Bb7 19.Qa4 Qf6

The known 19...h5 may still be critical. Then 20.Nxh5 fails to 20...Qh4 21.Ng3 Rh7.

20.Rab1 Ng7 21.Qd1 Re8 22.Re1 Qg6 23.Bf2 Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 h5 25.h4

 This robust move stops ... h4-h3, opening the long white diagonal for black's bishop, and makes it hard for Black to find adequate compensation.

25...Rd7 26.Qd1 Kh7 27.Qa4 Qf7 28.Rd1 Ne6 29.Be3 Qg7 30.Kf2 Kg6 31.Rd2 Qe7 32.Qd1 Qxh4

It's all or nothing now for Black. If 32...Ng7 33.Bxc5.

33.Rxd6 Re7 34.Rd7 Qh2 35.Rxe7 Qxg2+ 36.Ke1 Qxg3+ 37.Kd2 Kf6 38.Rh7 Nxf4 39.Qf1 Ng2 40.Bxc5 Be4 41.Bd4+ Ke6 42.c5 Qg5+ 43.Kd1 Qg4+ 44.Kc1 Qg5+ 45.Kd1 Qg4+ 46.Qe2 Nf4 47.Rh6+ Kd7 48.Qxg4 hxg4

 The finale of this game is a vastly entertaining and complex roller-coaster ride, but White eventually wins, probably rightly.

49.Rh7+ Kc6 50.Rxa7 g3 51.Rg7 g2 52.Kd2 Ne6 53.Rg8 f4 54.Bf2 f3 55.a4 Nf4 56.Ke3 Bd5 57.Rg4 Ne2 58.c4 Bf7 59.a5 Nc3 60.Rf4 Bh5 61.Kd2 Nd1 62.Rf6+ Kc7 63.Ke1 Nb2 64.Bg3+ Kd7 65.Kf2 Nd1+ 66.Kg1 Nc3 67.Bf2 Ne4 68.c6+ Kd8 69.Re6 Nxf2 70.Kxf2 Bf7 71.a6 Bxe6 72.a7 Black resigns

11 February 2006

 Last October, Dunbar Primary school chess club performed a living chess display as part of a two month public exhibition of Richard Demarco's Archive of contemporary art, on display in a purpose-built grain barn at nearby Skateraw.

Supported by the education authority, a local artist and professional dress designer, the children re-performed a game played in 1961 between a team of four Dutch juniors and Marcel Duchamp, one of the world's most influential avant garde artists and a strong chess player.

On Thursday, at a reception at the grain barn to mark the switch-on of a public art video, projected on to the side of neighbouring Torness Power Station, the children's costumes, banners and helmets, still on display in the exhibition space, continued to attract many admiring glances.

The artist Ken McMullen's art video plays on a theme explored with some of the world's leading nuclear physicists. Shot in the depths of CERN's nuclear particle accelerator, in Geneva , it plays on the tension between knowledge and the unknown in science.

Such tensions also exist in chess. It requires high analytical and conceptualising skills as well as controlled aggression to pull off great wins like the following by the winner of the recent Gibtelecom Masters.

 White: K Georgiev Black: V Bologan, Gibtelecom Masters, Gibraltar 2006, King's Indian: Classical

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 f5 12.exf5

White's tough-minded system has been a favourite with two world champions, Karpov and Kasparov. White plays for white square control and extra space in the centre.

12...Nxf5 13.Nd2 Nd4 14.0–0 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Qe8 16.Nde4 Qg6 17.f3 Bf5 18.h3 h5 19.c5 dxc5 20.Nxc5 Nd7 21.Ne6 Bxe6 22.dxe6 Qxe6 23.Ne4

Domination of e4 is critical. Black has an extra pawn but a poor bishop and no counterplay.

23...Bh6 24.Rfd1 g4 25.fxg4 hxg4 26.Qxg4+ Qxg4 27.hxg4 Be3+ 28.Kh2 Bd4 29.Rac1 c5 30.g5 a5

Black has activated his bishop at the cost of his extra pawn. But White's control of e4 and scope to activate his king on the white squares via h3 and g4 still give him something.   Black is also worse after 30...Bxb2 31.Rb1 Bd4 32.Rxb7 Rad8 33 Rxa7

31.b3 Ra6 32.Kh3 Kg7 33.Kg4 Rc6 34.Rf1 b5

Or if 34...Rxf1 35.Rxf1, and if 35...c4 36.bxc4 Rxc4 37.Nd6 Ra4 38.Rf7+ Kg6 39.Rxd7 and White is a safe piece ahead.

35.Rxf8 Nxf8 36.Be1

White importantly induces further white square weaknesses in Black's camp.

37.Bd2 Ng6 38.g3 Ne7 39.Kf3 Nd5 40.Ke2 Nb6 41.Kd3 c4+

Passive defence is also unconvincing, e.g. 41...Nd5, and if 42.Kc4 Nc7 43.Rf1 is strong.

42.bxc4 Na4 43.Ke2 Nb6 44.c5 Nd7 45.Be3 Nf8 46.Bxd4 exd4 47.Kd3 Ne6 48.Kc4 Rc8 49.Kd5 Re8 50.Nd6 Nc7+ 51.Kc6 Re2 52.Nf5+   Black resigns

Or if 52 … Kg6 53.Nh4+ Kxg5 54.Kxc7 and wins.

4 February 2005

 The Corus grandmasters at Wijk aan Zee ended in a tie last weekend between the world's top two players, Veselin Topalov and Vishy Anand. They dominated one of the strongest fields likely to be assembled this year.

Final scores: Topalov, Anand 9/13; Adams, Ivanchuk 7.5; Gelfand, Karjakin 7; Aronian, Leko, Tiviakov 6.5; van Wely 6; Bacrot 5.5; Kamsky, Mamedyarov 4.5; Sokolov 4.

Writing in New in Chess, the now retired Garry Kasparov considered that for Topalov, the new world champion, winning Corus, regardless of score, would be more impressive than his world championship title win in Argentina.

But while world champions occasionally stutter immediately after winning the supreme title, Topalov simply continued where he left off in Argentina , playing fearlessly aggressive chess and brilliant combinations in virtually every game.

Anand, also playing exceptionally well, managed to catch him with a win in the final round, while Topalov drew. The two winners drew their individual game in the 12 th round.

Anand's style is similar to Topalov's, though perhaps slightly more silkily positional in character than Topalov's ultra-direct, attacking chess. Anand, however, is no attacking slouch, given the opportunity, as in this game.

White: S. Karjakin Black: V. Anand, Corus grandmasters (round 1), Wijk aan Zee 2006, Sicilian: English Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0–0 10.0–0–0 Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.g5 b4 13.Ne2 Ne8 14.f4

White plays, caveman-like, directly for the jugular, intending to destroy Black's hold on the central White squares at a stroke. Leko-Karjakin, next round, continued more circumspectly 14.h4 a5 15.Kb1 a4 16.Nbc1 and an eventual draw.

14...a5 15.f5 a4 16.Nbd4 exd4 17.Nxd4 b3

This is the downside to White's plan. Black can tear open lines on the queenside with a spine-chilling counter-attack.

18.Kb1 bxc2+ 19.Nxc2 Bb3 20.axb3 axb3 21.Na3 Ne5 22.h4 Ra5 23.Qc3

Karjakin may have considered this an improvement on 23 Qe2 ( Leko-Vallejo , Monaco 2005). But he is in for a terrible shock.

23...Qa8 24.Bg2 Nc7

This magnificent double piece sacrifice is a complete refutation. As Black threatens 25 ... Nb5, White's play is forced.

25.Qxc7 Rc8 26.Qxe7 Nc4

Black will exchange White's last defender (on a3) and mate, e.g. if 27.Bc5 Rxa3 28.Bxa3 (or 28.bxa3 Rxc5 29.Rxd6 Nxa3+ 30.Kb2 Nc4+) 28...Nxa3+ 29.bxa3 Qxa3 30.Rd2 Ra8.

27.g6 hxg6 28.fxg6 Nxa3+ 29.bxa3 Rxa3 30.gxf7+ Kh7 31.f8= N+ Rxf8 32.Qxf8

White hopes that Black will take his queen, but Black can ignore it.

32...Ra1+ 33.Kb2 Ra2+ 34.Kc3 Qa5+ 35.Kd3 Qb5+ 36.Kd4 Ra4+ 37.Kc3 Qc4+ White resigns

Or if 38 Kb2 Qc2 mate.

28 January 2006

 All eyes today will be on the penultimate 12 th round tie in the Corus grandmasters between Veselin Topalov and Vishy Anand . Play can be followed live at www.coruschess.com (commencing 12.30pm ).

World champion Topalov led last night on 8/11. Anand , world number two, had 7.5 points. One of these great players must emerge tournament winner after tomorrow's final round, or they may possibly tie. Their nearest competitors, Boris Gelfand and Michael Adams, on 6.5 points, can't realistically catch them.

English grandmaster, James Plaskett , scooped a cool £250,000 on the ITV programme, Who wants to be a Millionaire , last Saturday.   But I'd bet Plaskett would swap his quarter of a million for Topalov or Anand's chess wizardry any day.

Both players have won a series of brilliant attacking games at Wijk aan Zee. They take risks, and occasionally lose games. Topalov tumbled to an inspired Michael Adams. Anand miscued against bottom of the table, Gata Kamsky .

But they bounce back, particularly Topalov , who considers that the main difference between him and the rest of the world top ten is that he doesn't ever adjust his aggressive attacking chess for fear of a loss to anyone.

Poor Levon Aronian went down in a furious, whole-board onslaught in round ten.

 White: V Topalov Black: L Aronian, Corus grandmasters, Wijk aan Zee 2006, Queen's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nd2 0–0 12.0–0 Nf6 13.e4 b5 14.exd5 exd5 15.Re1 Rb8 16.c5 Bc8 17.Nf3 Ne4 18.Rxe4

This is a profound, home-cooked exchange sacrifice, played for long-term advantages that are hard to calculate precisely even with the benefit of pre-game analysis.

18...dxe4 19.Ne5 Qd5 20.Qe1 Bf5 21.g4 Bg6 22.f3

The first point: 22 ... exf3 23 Bxf3, followed by 24 Nxc6, releases two powerful connected passed c and d pawns supported by White's bishops.

22...b4 23.fxe4 Qe6 24.Bb2 Bf6 25.Nxc6

The second point: White forces the release of his c and d pawns, by means of a neat, Capablanca -like "small" combination.

25...Qxc6 26.e5 Qa6 27.exf6 Rfe8 28.Qf1 Qe2 29.Qf2 Qxg4 30.h3 Qg5 31.Bc1 Qh5

White's pawns are devastating after 31...Qxf6 32.Qxf6 gxf6 33.Bf4 Rbd8 34.d5, e.g. if 34...Be4 35.d6 Bxg2 36.Kxg2 Re2+ 37.Kf3 Rc2 38.Rc1 Rxc1 39.Bxc1 Kf8 40.Ke4 Ke8 41.Kd5 Rb8 42.Bb2 f5 43.Bf6 f4 44.c6 Rb5+ 45.Kc4 Rb8 46.d7+

32 .Bf4 Rbd8 33.c6 Be4 34.c7 Rc8 35.Re1 Qg6 36.Rxe4

The death-blow: White sacrifices a second exchange to connect his d-pawn with his c-pawn.

36...Rxe4 37.d5 Rce8 38.d6 Re1+ 39.Kh2 Qf5 40.Qg3 g6 41.Qg5 Qxg5

Or if 41...Qe6 42.d7 Qxd7 43.Qh6 and mates on g7.

42 .Bxg5 Rd1 43.Bc6 Re2+ 44.Kg3 Black resigns

White runs out of checks and his c-pawn queens after 44 ... Rd3+ 45 Kf4 Rd4+ 46 Kf3.

21 January 2006

 Tune into tonight's ITV show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” to see how far English grandmaster Jim Plaskett goes towards the big prize. At the end of the programme, last week, he had reached £8,000.

As Plaskett began his quest for the biggest cash prize of his career, many of Scotland 's players turned out to play in the Perth & Kinross Weekend Congress, the first big event in the Scottish calendar. The Quality Station Hotel in Perth once again made an excellent stage for the various Beginners' Funday, Junior and Open tournaments.

The Congress has a strong community focus and the committed support of Perth & Kinross District Council and local businesses. Every year Spectraglass, a precision glassmaker, whose customers include the US Space Agency NASA, donates some 40-50 beautiful glass trophies to all the arbiters and cash prize winners.

I must have celebrated more frugally than other competitors in the top Open tournament over the festive period, as I managed to win this year on 4.5/5, ahead of Stephen Mannion and Christopher MacDonald on four points.

But I was extremely lucky to fluke two wins from dire, if not outright lost positions in two games. My last round game below was perhaps my best.

White: C Pritchett Black: M Ainsworth, Perth & Kinross Open 2006, Reti's Opening

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.b3 b6 5.Bg2 c6

It's more usual to leave this pawn on c7 and play ... c5 in one move later on, e.g. after 5...Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Bb2 0–0 8.e3 c5

6.0–0 Nbd7 7.Bb2 Be7 8.d4 0–0 9.Nc3 Ba6

White's 8th and 9th moves probably aren't best as they weaken c4, which Black now correctly targets.

10.Nd2 Rc8 11.Re1 Re8

More active was 11...b5 and if 12.e4 b4 ( or 12...bxc4 13.bxc4 Bxc4 14.Nxc4 dxc4) 13.Na4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Qc7 with ... c5 in mind, possibly after ... Bf6.

12.e4 dxe4 13.Ndxe4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 c5

This is a good idea but wrongly-timed. Black should first seek to secure his piece development and equalise gradually beginning with 14...Nf6

15.d5 exd5 16.Qxd5 Qc7

White has two powerful bishops, control of the central files and a kingside attack. And Black's queen's bishop isn't in play. Black now had to fish in troubled waters after 16...Nf8 17.Qe5 Ne6 18.Rad1 Qc7, although 19.Nd6 still looks very good for White.

17.Ng5 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 f6 19.Qd5+ Kh8 20.Bh3 Ne5

White's pin on d7 wins an exchange and a pawn. If 20...Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Rd8 22.Re7 wins.

21.Bxc8 Bxc8 22.Bxe5 fxe5 23.Rad1 h6 24.Qd6 Qb7 25.Rxe5 Black resignss

14 January 2005

 The traditional International Hastings Congress, the 81 st in a venerable series that began in 1895, once again saw in the New Year in the UK .

Freezing conditions just after Christmas failed to prevent players from all over the world descending on the town. The event currently lacks a big commercial sponsor, but it is still a huge draw, particularly for hungry youngsters , and has the solid support of the local Council .

Valerij Neverov ( Ukraine ) won with 8/10. Scotland 's Alan Grant and Colin McNab both finished on 5.5. But the headlines were stolen by 12 year-old, Parimarjan Negi ( India ), who scored his first grandmaster norm on 6 points.

Negi will be thirteen next month, and cannot become the world's youngest-ever grandmaster, an achievement secured by the extraordinarily prodigious Sergei Karjakin , at the age of 12 years and 7 months, three years ago.

It is nevertheless an outstanding performance. While it is arguable that title norms are perhaps easier to obtain than some years ago, there is no doubting the young Indian's abundant talent.

A potential star in the making, he despatched veteran English grandmaster, Mark Hebden , in round two, in a game that displayed exceptional strategic and tactical maturity.

White: P. Negi Black: M. Hebden, Masters, Hastings 2005, Ruy Lopez

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.d4 d6 9.c3 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 Qc8

Hebden knows his openings deeply, but perhaps the immediate 11 ... c6 is more accurate than this committal and slightly awkward-looking queen move.

12 .Nbd2 c6 13.b4

White frequently plays an early h3, but by avoiding it here, he seems to generate real pressure on the queenside.

13...Nb7 14.dxc6 Qxc6 15.Bb2 Nd7 16.Bb3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Bg5 18.Nf1 Nb6 19.Qg4 Bf4 20.g3 Bh6 21.Bc1 Qc8 22.Qf3 Bxc1 23.Raxc1 Ra7

White controls the c4 and d5 squares and Black's knight on b7 is a poor piece. But perhaps 23...Nc4, and if 24.Bxc4 Qxc4 25.Rc2 Qe6 26.Ne3 Rac8, would have offered better defensive chances.

24. Ne3 Nd8 25.Red1 Rd7 26.Qg4 Nc6 27.c4

After this break, Black is seriously pressed in both the c and d-files.

27...bxc4 28.Nxc4 Nxc4 29.Rxc4 h5

Unfortunately 29...Qb7 fails to 30.Ba4 Rc8 31.Rdc1 Rdc7 32.Bxc6 Rxc6 33.Qxc8+ Qxc8 34.Rxc6 and wins.

30 .Qxh5 Qb7 31.Ba4 Rc7 32.Rxd6 Nxb4 33.Rxc7 Qxc7 34.Rd7 Qc1+ 35.Kg2 Qc4 36.Bb3 Qxe4+ 37.f3 Qh7

White's attack on f7 is now decisive. If 37...Qe2+ 38.Kh3 Qf1+ 39.Kh4 and 40 Bxf7+ wins.

38 .Qxf7 + Black resigns

Or if 38 ... Rxf7 39 Rd8 mate.

7 January 2006

New FIDE world champion, Veselin Topalov , gets back into the ring next weekend in the first big Super-Grandmaster event of the year, sponsored by Corus at its main Dutch location in Wijk aan Zee.

Since winning the world title last November, Topalov has been regally feted in his homeland, where he has become a national hero. He won Bulgaria 's National Sportsman of the Year Award, addressed the Bulgarian Parliament and attended a televised gala evening in his honour hosted by the Bulgarian President.

This very modest, but supremely focused chess player also touched everyone by making the largest single donation to the Bulgarian President's “Bulgarian Christmas” sick children appeal. This was the prize he won for becoming Bulgarian Sportsman of the Year, a brand new Freelander Landrover .

Topalov's phenomenal success in 2005 stands in stark contrast to the fortunes of Vladimir Kramnik , the classical world champion, who continued his downward path in the world rankings with a lacklustre 50% score last month in the Russian Championship.

Sadly Kramnik has had to withdraw from Wijk aan Zee. He requires lengthy treatment for a serious rheumatic disorder. First diagnosed two years ago, the effects of this condition must at least partly explain his indifferent form recently.

With the favourite Kramnik out of sorts, Sergei Rublevsky took the $40,000 first prize and Russian championship on 7.5/11, ahead of Jakovenko and Morozevich , 2 nd /3 rd on 6 points.

 White: S. Rublevsky Black: A. Dreev, Russian Championship, Moscow 2005, Sicilian: 3 Bb5

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6

This move has a solid but slightly inflexible reputation. Black's most popular and most dynamic replies are 3 ... g6, aiming for rapid kingside development, and 3 ... e6, with ... Nge7 and ... a6 in mind.

4.Bxc6 + bxc6 5.0–0 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.e5

White breaks thematically in the centre. Black falls in with White's plans, but should perhaps have preferred 7 ... d5, followed by … e6.

7...dxe5 8.g4 e4 9.gxh5 exf3 10.Nc3 Rc8 11.Qxf3 e6 12.d3 Qf6 13.Qg3 Qf5 14.Re1

Both sides have pawn weaknesses, but White has a lead in development and this temporary pawn sacrifice appears to give him a definite plus.

14...Qxh5 15.Re5 Qg6 16.Rg5 Qf6 17.Ne4 Qd8 18.Rxg7 Nf6

Black now has serious pawn weaknesses on both flanks and his king is stranded in the middle of the board. If 18...Bxg7 19.Qxg7 Qd4 20.Qxd4 cxd4 21.Nd6+ Kd7 22.Nxf7 and White should win the endgame.

19 .Nxf6 + Qxf6 20.Rg4 Be7 21.Bf4 Qf5 22.Re1 Bf6 23.Be5 h5

Black weakens a further pawn to save his king. If 23...Ke7 24.Rf4 Bxe5 25.Rxe5 Qg6 (25...Qxe5 26.Rxf7+ Kd6 27.Rd7+ Kxd7 28.Qxe5) 2 6.Rg5 Qh6 27.Rg7 Rhf8 28.Ra4 Ra8 29.Qc7+ Kf6 30.Rgg4 and wins.

24 .Bxf6 Qxf6 25.Ra4 Qe7 26.Qg7 Rf8 27.Re5 h4 28.Rh5

Now White goes a pawn ahead with continuing middlegame pressure.

28...Rd8 29.Rhxh4 Rd5 30.Kf1 Rg5 31.Qh7 Rfg8 32.Rhg4 Rxg4 33.hxg4 Qg5 34.Ke2 Kf8 35.Qh5 Qe7

If Black exchanges queens, White wins Black's a-pawn with a winning endgame.  

36 .Qe5 Rg5 37.Qh8+ Rg8 38.Qe5 Rg5 39.Qb8+ Kg7 40.Rxa7 Qf6 41.Ra8 Black resigns

ssOr if 41 ... Kh7 (41 ... Kg6 42 Qg8+) 42 Qh2+ Qh6 43 Rh8+ and wins.

Herald Columns in 2005