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.

31 December 2005

 Next year's World Chess Federation (FIDE) presidential election promises to be a tremendous battle. Current president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, faces his first real challenge in a decade from a combined Dutch and Turkish ticket.

Bessel Kok, a semi-retired international telecoms and banking chief executive, brought considerable commercial sponsorship into top-class chess in the late 1980s. Ali Nihat Yazici heads Turkish TV at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation and is president of the Turkish Chess Federation.

Ilyumzhinov claims that he held FIDE together through difficult times, whose worst manifestation was a top player schism, two competing world championship cycles and dwindling commercial sponsorship. Ilyumzhinov personally guaranteed many large prize funds to sustain FIDE's cycle.

Kok and Nihat, however, consider that FIDE didn't seriously promote reunification except on terms that have never been acceptable to most top players. Kok and Nihat believe that they have the administrative experience and credibility with governments and players to transform FIDE's business performance.

As the old year fades, raise a glass to Chess Scotland's Player of the Year and British Champion, Jonathan Rowson, who will remain top Scot on the new world ranking list published tomorrow. Savour a game by Scotland's rapidly improving top unsighted player, Stephen Hilton.

White: S. Hilton Black: Z. Siluk, XX Grunwalds Cup, Poland 2005, Queen's Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c6 5.e3 Be7 6.Nf3 0–0 7.Rc1 Nbd7 8.cxd5

White plays an Exchange Variation. But with R/c1 instead of the usual Q/c2 in this line, he can't prevent Black's simplifying 9th move. "Theory" prefers 8 Bd3, maintaining central tension.

8...exd5 9.Bd3 Ne4 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0–0 Re8 12.Qc2 a5

But Black should rapidly complete his queenside development, say by 12...Nf8, and if 13.Rce1 Ng6 14.Nd2 f5 15.f3 Nxd2 16.Qxd2 Qg5 17.Qf2 Be6 18.Na4 Rad8 19.Nc5 Bc8 with complete equality.

13.Rce1 Nf8 14.Nd2 f5 15.f3 Nxc3 16.Qxc3 Qg5 17.e4

White exploits Black's backward queenside development (and weakened a-pawn) by opening lines in the centre. Black's best now was probably 17...fxe4 18.fxe4 Be6 19.Nf3 Qh5.

17...f4 18.Re2 Ng6 19.Rfe1 Nh4 20.exd5 Rxe2 21.Rxe2 Bh3 22.Ne4 Qg6

Black has staked all on a kingside attack, at the neglect of his centre, but hasn't the firepower to support it. If 22...Nxf3+ 23.Kh1 Qh5 24.gxh3 Qxh3 25.Rg2 and wins.

23.Ng3 Qh6 24.gxh3 fxg3 25.hxg3 Nxf3+ 26.Kg2 Rf8 27.Rf2 Ng5

Black loses at least a pawn. Both 27 ... Qe3 and 27 ... Qf6 fail to 28 Bxh7+.

28.Rxf8+ Kxf8 29.h4 Nf7 30.dxc6 bxc6 31.Qxa5 g5 32.hxg5 Nxg5 33.Qf5+ Ke7 34.Be2 Nf7 35.Bg4 Qd2+ 36.Qf2 Qg5 37.Qe2+ Kf8 38.Bf3 Qh6 39.Qc2 Nd8 40.d5 cxd5 41.Bxd5 Qg7 42.Qc5+ Ke8 43.Bc6+   Black resigns

Or if 43 ... Nxc6 44 Qxc6+ Kf8 45 Qc8+ Kf7 46 Qb7+ winning quickly.

24 December 2005

Christmas came early to former world junior champion, Max Dlugy , when he was acquitted of a $9 million embezzlement charge in Russia this week and released from the best part of a year in a Russian prison.

The 39 year-old, Russian-born grandmaster, emigrated with his family to the USA when he was nine. Dlugy became a successful Wall Street securities trader in the early 1990s. With partners, he later specialised in investment in Russian industrial concerns.

One of these projects, the Solikamsk Magnesium Works, hit the skids when buyers defaulted on a $9 million sale of promissory notes. Dlugy , a key member of the board of directors, was arrested and charged with engineering a scam.

Not so long ago the worst thing that a chess visitor to the old Russia might expect was a sound beating by a state-sponsored, Soviet grandmaster on 64 squares. Dlugy was extremely relieved.

By an odd irony, FIDE's elite World Chess Cup concluded last week in Siberian Khanty Mansysisk , which isn't all that far from Solikamsk . Ten years ago, Dlugy might have been playing in such an event.

Levon Aronian took first place, defeating Ruslan Ponomariov in the Final. The 23 year-old Armenian grandmaster plays with extraordinary tactical awareness and strategic bite. He scored an emphatic 2-0 against Ponomariov in the Rapid Play tie break.  

White: R. Ponomariov Black: L. Aronian, World Chess Cup (Game 2 Rapid Play), Khanty Mansyisk 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.a3 d6 9.c3 Be6 10.d4 Bxb3 11.Qxb3 Re8 12.Qc2 Bf8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4

Needing to win to tie the Rapid games, White gambits a pawn to weaken Black's kingside pawn structure. Sounder, but less enterprising, was 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 d5 and 16 Nbd2.

14...g5 15.Bg3 g4 16.Nh4 exd4 17.Nd2 dxc3 18.Qxc3 Ne5 19.Nf5 Nh5 20.Nf1 Nxg3 21.N1xg3 Re6 22.Rad1 Rc8 23.Ne2 Qg5 24.Ned4 Rf6 25.h4

White's knights look good, but Black's pieces also have enough squares, and it's hard for White to make progress. If 25.Nc2 (intending Nce3-d5) 25...Nf3+ 26.gxf3 Rxf5 27.fxg4 Qxg4+ and Back is better.

25...gxh3 26.Qxh3 Qg4 27.Qxg4+ Nxg4 28.Nc6 Re6 29.f3 Ne5 30.Nfd4 Ree8 31.Re2 d5

Black gives back his extra pawn to activate his pieces and gains the initiative.

32 .exd5 Nxc6 33.dxc6

White must win, but this loses. Instead 33.Rxe8 Rxe8 34.Nxc6 Re2 35.b4, and if 35 … Re3 36.Ra1 Rd3 37.Nb8 probably draws.

33...Bg7 34.Rxe8+ Rxe8 35.Nf5 Bxb2 36.Rd7 Re6 37.Rxc7 Bxa3 38.Kf1 Bc5 39.Ng3 b4 40.Rc8+ Kh7 41.Ne4 b3 42.c7 Rc6

Black's rook contains White's c-pawn, while Black's passed queenside pawns win.

43 .Nf6 + Kg6 44.Rg8+

If 44.Ne4 b2 45.Nd2 Bb4 46.Nb1 Kf6 and wins.

44...Kxf6 45.c8Q Rxc8 46.Rxc8 Bb4 47.Rc1 a5 48.Ke2 a4 49.Rc6+ Kg7 50.Kd3 a3 51.Ra6 a2 White resigns

Black queens after 52 ... b2.

17 December 2005

 Youth will triumph in the FIDE World Chess Cup. Two 22 year-olds faced two 23 year-olds in the battles for 1 st -4 th places, which began in the wintry heart of Siberia, on Thursday. The event closes today with any final tie-breaks.

The knockout schedule of the World Cup has been unrelenting. The final 16 players will all have played seven rounds of nerve-racking, two game mini-matches, followed by Rapid, Blitz and sudden-death play-offs.

22 year-old, Ruslan Ponomariov ( Ukraine ) faced 23 year-old Levon Aronian ( Armenia ) in the match for first and second places. Ponomariov has been here before, having previously won the precursor of this event, the then FIDE Knock-Out World Championship, in 2002.

22 year-old, Alexander Grischuk ( Russia ), and 23 year-old, Étienne Bacrot ( France ), squared up for third and fourth places. But 15 year- old Norwegian star, Magnus Carlsen , has really been stealing the limelight.

Carlsen , playing by far his best-ever tournament, has battled through to a plum tie for ninth and tenth places against US number one, Gata Kamsky . He sensationally defeated Kamsky (31) in their first round game on Thursday in peremptory style.  

White: M Carlsen Black: G Kamsky, World Chess Cup, Khanty Mansyisk 2005, Sicilian: Kan

 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 b5 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Qe2 Ne7 9.Re1 Nbc6 10.Nxc6 Nxc6 11.Nd5

Black's provocative opening prompts a thematic and promising sacrifice. For a knight, White gets a bind in the e-file and a strong attack.

11...exd5 12.exd5+ Ne7 13.c4 b4 14.Bg5 f6

Black must weaken his kingside pawns or allow 14...Qd6 15.Bxe7 Bxe7 16.Rac1 Rc8 17.Qe3 threatening c5 and d6.

15 .Qh5 + g6 16.Qf3

White, too, must play precisely. Instead 16.Bxg6+ hxg6 17.Qxh8 (or 17.Qxg6+ Kd8 18.Bxf6 Qxh2+) 17...fxg5 is better for Black.

16...fxg5 17.Qf6 0–0–0 18.Qxh8 Qd6 19.Be4 Kb8 20.Rac1 Qf4 21.g3 Qf7 22.Qd4 d6 23.Qb6 Rd7 24.Qxb4 Nf5 25.Bxf5 gxf5 26.Re6

Black has given back material to castle and co-ordinate his piece development, but White's control of the e-file and extra space still give him a plus.

26...f4 27.Rce1 Rd8 28.Qb6 Rc8 29.b4 fxg3 30.hxg3 h5 31.b5 Qc7

Keeping queens on the board is no panacea, e.g. 31...axb5 32.Qxb5 h4 33.Re8 hxg3 34.Rxc8+ Kxc8 35.Re8+, and if 35...Kc7 36.Qa5+ Kd7 37.Qd8 mate.

32 .Qxc7 + Kxc7 33.a4 axb5 34.axb5 Kb6 35.Re8 Bg7 36.R8e6 Rd8 37.c5+

White neatly breaks the contact between Black's king and queen's bishop, leading to a game-winning rook fork next move.

37...Kxc5 38.Re7 Bd4 39.Rxb7 Rf8 40.Rc7+ Kxd5 41.Rd1 Rb8 42.Rg7 g4 43.Rg5+ Kc4 44.Rxh5 Bc5 45.Rg5 Rxb5 46.Rxg4+ Kc3 47.Kg2 Ba3 48.Rgd4 Black resigns

10 December 2005

After a twelve year split, could we really be moving closer to the creation of a reunified world chess championship cycle? The most recent solution put forward by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), actually smacks of some real common-sense.

FIDE's new cycle consists of a World Chess Cup, the first version of which draws to a close next week. Ten qualifiers from this event plus six seeded players will meet in autumn 2006 in a series of Candidates' matches.

Four candidates will qualify for a World Championship Tournament in autumn 2007 to decide the world champion. This event pits the candidates against the top four in the first World Championship Tournament, won recently by Veselin Topalov, in Argentina .

FIDE also aims to allow any world top ten player to challenge the world champion in a match in the first year of this two year cycle, subject to raising a guaranteed prize-fund. This is a very fair and competitive package.

The current World Chess Cup began with 128 players at the end of last month. Playing two game matches, with Rapid, Blitz and Sudden-Death play-offs, these had been reduced this weekend to eight. Russia 's Sergei Rublevsky, who won this round three battle, is among them  

White: K. Sakaev Black: S. Rublevsky, World Chess Cup, Khanty Mansyisk 2005, Sicilian: Taimanov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.g4

White's 6 th move hasn't had much of a reputation since Boris Spassky played it against Bobby Fischer in the last game of their famous world championship match in 1972. Black won, albeit against the lacklustre 7 Bd3 d5, with rough equality.

7 … h5

I like this full-blooded reply to White's double-edged attempt to revive White's fortunes in this line. Here 7...d5 8.g5 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12.0-0-0+ Bd7 13.Bg2 is better for White.

8.gxh5 Qa5 9.h6 g6 10.Qf3 Nh5 11.0–0–0 Ne5 12.Qe2 b5 13.Kb1 Bb7 14.Bg5 f6 15.Bc1 b4 16.Nd5

Black has been building a formidable defensive line in the centre. White has been preparing this knight sacrifice to destroy it.  

16...exd5 17.f4 dxe4 18.fxe5 Qxe5 19.Qg4 0–0–0

But Black's line still holds. Black now gives back material to get his king into relative safety and set up a counter-attack.

20.Qxg6 Nf4 21.Bxf4

Possibly 21.Qg4 was critical, although Black may be able to play 21...Bxh6, and if 22.Nf5 Rdg8.

21...Qxf4 22.Nf5 Kc7 23.Bc4 e3 24.Rd4 Rxh6

The game is now clearly going Black's way. Black wins a pawn and with more active pieces is probably winning.

25.Rxf4 Rxg6 26.Re1 Bc5 27.Nxe3 Re8 28.Nd5+

White's pieces are unstable and if 28 Ng2 Re5 29 Rxe5 fxe5 30 Nh4 Rd6 31 Rf1 Rd4 wins.

28...Bxd5 White resigns

 Or if 29 Rxe8 Bxc4 30 Rxc4 Rg1 and mates.

3 December 2005

 Susan Polgar's “Breaking Through” (£20, Everyman) and John Nunn's “Grandmaster Chess Move by Move” (£15.99, Gambit) will make excellent gifts for a chessplayer's Christmas.

Susan Polgar writes about the careers to date of the three famous Polgar sisters.   John Nunn, recently retired from competitive chess, reviews his last decade in the top-class game and gradual switch to chess publishing.

Both Nunn and the Polgars were gifted kids. But while Nunn was educated conventionally in state schools, the Polgars were educated at home in Budapest with great stress placed on their development as chessplayers.

They all bloomed. Judit Polgar, is a world top ten player. Susan is an ex-women's world champion. All three high achieving sisters, all now mums, are wonderful role models for girl players.

John Nunn also reached the world top ten. Garry Kasparov thought he might have gone further. But Nunn went to Oxford University , at the exceptionally early age of 15, and completed a doctorate in maths, in his early 20s.

Dundee grandmaster, Colin McNab, another maths “doctor” (Oxon), won last weekend's top event, on 4.5/5, in Oban, after coming back from the dead in a fierce round four battle against Jacob Aagaard.

White: J Aagaard Black: C McNab, Open Championship, Oban 2005, Modern Defence

1.e4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.e5 dxe5 8.fxe5 Nh5 9.Be2 f6 10.e6 f5 11.d5 Nb4 12.Ng5 Nf6 13.Nf7 Qe8 14.a3 Na6 15.Bf4 c6 16.0–0 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxe6

Black gives up a piece for two pawns and harrying chances against White's king's knight. Instead 17...cxd5 18.Nh6+, and if 18...Kh8 (18...Bxh6 19.Bxh6 Bxe6 20.Bxf8 Qxf8 21.Bxa6 bxa6 22.Qd4) 19.Bxa6 bxa6 20.Qxd5 is much worse.

18. Nh6+ Kh8 19.Nc3 Nc5 20.Qe1 Bd7 21.Bc4 e5 22.Nf7+

This is simplest. It is not clear that White can expect any more after 22.Be3 Be6.

22...Rxf7 23.Bxf7 Qxf7 24.Bxe5 Re8 25.Bxg7+ Qxg7 26.Qf2 b6 27.Rae1 Rxe1 28.Rxe1 Ne6 29.Qe3 Kg8 30.Qe5 Qxe5 31.Rxe5 Kf7 32.Re1

White's rook for bishop and pawn give him winning chances, but it isn't easy to activate his rook and knight and target Black's base pawns. Here the immediate 32.Re2 was probably best.

32...Nd4 33.Rd1 c5 34.b4 Bc6 35.bxc5 bxc5 36.Rd2 Ke6 37.Kf2 Ke5 38.Nd1 f4 39.Nb2 Be4 40.Nd3+ Bxd3 41.cxd3 Nb3 42.Rb2 Nc1 43.Rb7 a5 44.Rd7 g5 45.Ke1 g4 46.Kd2 Nb3+ 47.Kc3 Nd4 48.Rxh7 f3 49.gxf3 gxf3 50.Rf7

Having at last got his rook among Black's pawns, White spectacularly blunders. Instead 50.Kd2, and if 50...f2 51.Rf7 seems to win.

50...Ke6 51.Rf8 Ke7 52.Rxf3

White's rook is trapped. If 52.Rf4 Ne2+ wins.

52...Nxf3 53.Kc4 Kd6 54.Kb5 Nxh2 55.Kxa5 Nf3 56.Kb5 Ne5 57.a4 Nxd3 58.a5 Nb4 White resigns

26 November, 2005

Members of the animal kingdom have occasionally inspired names for some of the mainstream chess openings.

Black's pawns in a Dragon Sicilian, for example, are thought by some to resemble a dragon's scaly body, while Black's king's bishop undoubtedly breathes fire in this line. Prickly Hedgehog Defences, marked by bristling pawns on the third rank, are common.

Of more off-beat openings, Dr Savielly Tartakower likened the lunge 1 b2-b4 to the outstretched arm of an ape in a New York Zoo, giving birth to the Orang Utan Opening. As for the Hippopotamus Defence, it's not very pretty and it's lumbering.

Boris Spassky, to great consternation, played the ungainly Hippo twice in his unsuccessful 1966 world championship match against Tigran Petrosian. Spassky drew both games, but the Hippo didn't catch on.

Despite a spirited attempt to revive this line, in Andrew Martin's new book,” The Hippopotamus Rises” (£14.99, Batsford), I fear it will remain mired in muddy shallows. Martin's work, however, may excite genuine interest at club level.

Most openings are named after players, countries or towns associated, sometimes loosely, with them. Here a Queen's Indian Defence, marked by a fianchettoed bishop set-up, popular with the early 19 th century Calcutta player, Modeschunder, goes down to the new world junior champion.  

White: S Mamedyarov ( Azerbaijan ) Black: V Gashimov ( Russia ), World Junior Championship, Istanbul 2005, Queen's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4 c5 6.Bg2 Bb7 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Rd1 Na6 11.Bf4 Nc5 12.Qc2 Qc8 13.Rd4

White has pressure in the d-file. Black has active pieces but not yet full equality.

13...d5 14.cxd5 Nxd5 15.Bg5 Bxg5 16.Nxg5 Nf6 17.Bxb7 Nxb7 18.Rad1 Rd8 19.Nge4 Nxe4 20.Rxd8+ Nxd8 21.Qxe4

Black still has development problems. Earlier 14 ... exd5, intending ... Nce4 and ... Bc5 might have been better.

21...h6 22.Nb5 a6 23.Nd6 Qc6 24.Qxc6 Nxc6 25.Rc1 Nd4 26.Rc7 Nb5 27.Rc8+ Rxc8 28.Nxc8 Nd4 29.Nxb6 Nxe2+ 30.Kf1 Nc1 31.a4

Black has simplified, but White still stands better due to his dangerous queenside pawns and centralised king.

31...Kf8 32.Ke1 Ke7 33.Kd2 Nb3+ 34.Kc3 Nc5 35.b4 Nb7 36.Nc4 Kd8 37.Kd4 Kc7 38.h4 f6 39.h5

This excellent move fixes Black's kingside pawns, exerting a powerful grip on g6.

39...Kc6 40.f4 Kd7 41.b5 axb5 42.axb5 Kc7 43.f5

White's king now gains d5, providing support for the further advance of his b-pawn. Black's king must block this pawn, leaving fatal entry points on the kingside.

43 … e5+

 Or if 43...exf5 44.Kd5 Kd7 (44...Nd8 45.Nd6 Kb6 46.Nxf5 Kxb5 47.Nxg7 Nf7 48.Ke6 Ng5+ 49.Kf5) 45.b6 Nd8 46.Nd6 f4 47.gxf4 Ne6 48.b7 Nxf4+ 49.Ke4 Kc7 50.Kxf4 and wins.

 44.Kd5 Kd7 45.g4 Nd8 46.Nd6 Ke7 47.Ne4 Nf7 48.Kc6 Kd8 49.b6 Kc8 50.b7+ Kb8 51.Nc5 Nd8+ 52.Kb6 Black resigns

19 November 2005

The first attempt to get the new World Chess Federation (FIDE) world champion, Veselin Topalov, and classical world champion, Vladimir Kramnik, together in a world title reunification match, foundered mid-week. But real money was on the table, so expect further moves.

Each player had a guaranteed $500,000. But Topalov, who will be world number one in the January world rankings, wants more. Topalov also insists that the match be played under FIDE auspices, with a further guarantee of 20% of the prize fund for the world body.

Topalov and his manager Silvio Danailov may just be temporising. They say that FIDE is preparing a new set of rules to reunify the world title series.

This may allow any world top ten player who can raise the funds to challenge the incumbent FIDE world champion between periodic, perhaps two-yearly FIDE world title match tournaments, such as the event that gained Topalov his title, in San Luis.

Only Kramnik or world number two, Vishy Anand, can seriously hope to raise sufficient sponsorship to challenge Topalov in present circumstances. So far Anand has been silent. Topalov can afford to bide time, for the moment.

Russia came back from the dead to defeat China 3.5-0.5 in the last round of the recent World Team Championship to snatch the gold medals from their stunned opponents by a mere half-point. Here is the board four encounter.

White: E. Bareev ( Russia ) Black: Zhang Zhong ( China ), World Team Championship, Beer Sheva 2005, Nimzo-Indian: 4 Qc2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Nf3 Bf5 11.b4 0–0

Black gambles piece activity against White's sounder pawns. But White's game is solid. If 11...Ng3 12.Qb2 Nxh1 13.Qxg7 Rf8 14.Bh6 Qe7 15.Qxf8+ Qxf8 16.Bxf8 Kxf8 17.g3 and White stands well.

12.Bb2 Re8

Previous games have also shown that White stands better after 12...Ng3 13.Qc3 d4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.fxg3 Nc2+ 16.Kf2 Qg5 17.h4

13.Qb3 Na5 14.Qd1

But here 14.bxa5 Qxa5+ 15.Kd1 Nxf2+ 16.Kc1 Nxh1 is good for Black.

14...Nc4 15.Qd4 Nf6 16.e3 Re4 17.Qc3 b6

Black tries to crack White's imposing queenside pawn chain, but runs into tactical problems. Perhaps 17 ... Nxb2 or ... Bg6 was better.

18.Nd4 Bg6 19.Bxc4 dxc4 20.0–0 bxc5 21.bxc5 Qd5 22.Rfc1 Rg4

Black has over-extended and must lose at least a pawn or go in for this doubtful rook manoeuvre.

23.f3 Rh4 24.g3 Rxd4 25.Qxd4 Qxf3 26.Rf1 Qe4 27.Rf4 Qe6 28.Qe5 Qc6 29.Rxc4

White has an exchange and an extra pawn that can shortly advance to the queening square.

29...Rd8 30.Rd4 Re8 31.Qd6 Qb5 32.Rb4 Qe2 33.Qf4 Nh5 34.Qf2 Qa6 35.Qf3 Qc8 36.c6 a5 37.Rh4 Nf6 38.Bxf6 gxf6 39.Rc1 Qc7 40.Qxf6 Re6 41.Qf4 Qc8 42.c7 Re8 43.Qg4 Re6 44.Qxe6   Black resigns

Or if 44 ... fxe6 45 Rd4 and Rd8 wins.

12 November 2005

I can warmly recommend Jonathan Rowson's new book, “Chess for Zebras (£17.99 Gambit)”. This has been a good year for Scotland 's 28 year-old number one. He also retained his British Championship title and recently married.

Rowson discusses how to improve in chess. He considers mental states and the essential mental toolkit for survival in the chessboard jungle. He concludes with a hard-edged look at how to play chess well with either colour.

Within that superstructure, Rowson takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the mind and psychology, roving over such subjects as the importance of not having a clue, myths, concentration, heroic defence and glorious grinding.

You may find yourself occasionally muttering, “But!” or saying, “Get on with it.” Rowson, the Oxford and Harvard graduate, doesn't hold back from bold statement and abstract argument. But the book, as a whole, overflows with sheer common sense, practical insight and good humour.

Rowson annotates many games in great depth and with unusual objectivity. He is not just a model in this regard, but a first-class teacher.

Last weekend, Dundee grandmaster Colin McNab won the following complex last-round game to win the top event in the annual Glasgow Congress.

White: C McNab Black: A Tate, Open, Glasgow Congress 2005, English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Be7 4.d4 d6 5.e3 Nf6 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Ne2 0–0 8.d5 Nbd7 9.Nc3 e4

White plays for the bishop pair and a strong pawn centre at the cost of some development time. Black correctly cuts across White's plan to continue 10 e4.

10.b3 Ne5 11.Bb2 Nfg4 12.Qd2 f5 13.0–0–0 Qh4

Play is critical around here. If 13...a6 to prevent 14 Nb5, white keeps an edge with 14.h3 Nf6 ( not 14...Qh4 15.Rg1 Nxf2 16.g3) 15.Be2.

14.Nb5 Bd7

White also seems to retain a pull after 14...Qxf2 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.Bxe5 Qxd2+ 17.Kxd2 Nxe5 ( or if 17...dxe5 18.Re1 f4 19.exf4 exf4 20.c5 Nf2 21.Rg1 e3+ 22.Kc3) 18.Be2 a6 19.Rhf1 Bd7 20.Kc3.

15.Nxc7 Rac8 16.Bxe5 Nxe5 17.Ne6 Rfe8 18.Kb1 a6

Instead of this gambit, Black should probably have preferred gritty defence with 18...Bxe6 19.dxe6 Rxe6 20.Qd5 Rce8.

19.Nd4 Rc5 20.f4 exf3 21.gxf3 b5 22.cxb5 axb5 23.Bg2 Ng6 24.f4 Qf6 25.Rhe1 Ne7 26.Nc6 Rc8 27.Nb4 Be8 28.Bf3 Bf7 29.Rc1

White has now clearly consolidated his extra pawn and controls matters.

29...Rd8 30.Red1 Nc8 31.Na6 Rxc1+ 32.Rxc1 Nb6 33.Rc6 Nd7 34.Nc7 Rb8 35.Na6 Re8 36.Be2 Re4 37.Rc8+ Nf8 38.Bxb5 Qe7 39.Rc7 Qd8 40.Bd3 Bxd5 41.Bc2 Qa8 42.Qc3

White decisively wins further material.

42...Bf7 43.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 44.Kb2 h6 45.Rc8 Be6 46.Rd8 Bd7 47.Qc4+ Black resigns

5 November 2005

When I viewed Richard Demarco's Archive art collection at Skateraw eight weeks ago, I scarcely expected to walk out having been signed up to direct a living chess game.

I simply asked whether there were any links to chess in the Archive. “Marcel Duchamp !” exclaimed Demarco. “He's influenced every artist displayed here. We must do something.”

Well I knew Duchamp was an elite grandmaster of avant garde art and an accomplished chess player. “Perhaps we could replay one of his games using schoolchildren as pieces,” I ventured.

“I like it!” said Demarco. “28 th October. It's done!” And we did it. Don't ask how. Half-term in mid-October even stole a week from preparation.

Dunbar Primary School chess club members played the pieces. They were “moved” by Scotland 's top 11 year-old, Rhian Hughes, and Edinburgh University student, Duncan Grassie , in a reprise of a 1961 cable game between Duchamp and four Dutch Juniors.

Local artist, Martine Mccluskie , helped the children decorate their hats and banners, while local dress designer, Jackie Burke, cut beautiful costumes. After the game, the artwork itself became an exhibit and part of the Archive.

Many others helped, too. “Next Year, the Fringe!” said Demarco.

White: V Ivanchuk ( Ukraine ) Black: A Onischuk ( USA ), World Team Championship, Beer Sheva 2005, Queen's Gambit, Lasker Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0–0 7.e3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Rc1 Nxc3 10.Rxc3 c6 11.Be2 Nd7 12.0–0 Re8 13.Qc2 dxc4 14.Bxc4 e5

14 ... b6, followed by ... Bb7 might have been safer. Black hopes to dissolve the centre, but White's reply puts pressure on c6 and retains a slight lead in development.

15 .d5 Nb6 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Rc1 Nd5 18.Rb3 a5 19.Qe4 a4 20.Ra3 Bd7

Black gives up a pawn in a bid for active compensation. Although awkward, Black might have tried to hold his pawns with 20 ... Nb4.

21 .Bxd5 cxd5 22.Qxd5 Rab8 23.Rac3 Bg4 24.b3 axb3 25.axb3 Rb4 26.Ne1 Rd8 27.Qa5 Rdb8 28.h3 R4b5 29.Qa1 Be6 30.Nf3 Bxb3

Black regains his pawn but suffers on the back rank. 30 ... f6 was probably better.

31 .Rc8 + Rxc8 32.Rxc8+ Kh7 33.Qa8 Rd5 34.Qb8 Ba4 35.e4 Rb5 36.Rh8+ Kg6 37.Qg8 Rb1+ 38.Kh2 Bd7 39.Qh7+ Kf6 40.Rg8

Black would be out of the woods but for his very poor king position.

40...Ke6 41.Qxg7 Qf6 42.Qg3 Rb5 43.Ra8 Ke7 44.Qg8

White threatens 45 Qf8+ or Qd8+, followed by Ra6, forcing black to accept a knight sacrifice that leads to a deadly king-hunt.

44...Qf4+ 45.g3 Qxf3 46.Qd8+ Kd6 47.Ra6+ Kc5 48.Qe7+ Kc4 49.Ra4+ Kc3 50.Ra3+ Rb3 51.Qxe5+ Kc2 52.Ra2+ Kc1 53.Qa1+ Rb1 54.Qd4 Black resigns

White had to see this on move 44. He threatens 55 Qd2 mate and if 54 ... Rb5 (54 ... Qd1 55 Qc3+) 55 Qd2+ Kb1 56 Qc2 mate.

29 October, 2005

Why bother with another book on Bobby Fischer, the great American world champion, who with the exception of a reprise in 1992 of his historical 1972 world championship match against Boris Spassky , effectively gave up competitive chess after their first match 33 years ago?

Well, if the term means anything, Fischer was a chess genius. He may be history now, but his sparkling play lives on.   So I am drawn to the book, “Russians versus Fischer”, by Dmitry Plisetsky and Sergey Voronkov (£25, Everyman Chess).

“Russians” is strictly a misnomer for “Soviets”. This book presents every game played by Fischer against the might of the old USSR . Fischer's incredible feat was to take on not just the players but the whole system and win. The authors go far beyond the games to cover the Soviet intrigues.

Now 62 years old, and living quietly in Iceland , in exile from his native land, where he is wanted by the tax authorities, Fischer is unlikely ever to play top-class chess again. This book shows clearly how much we have lost.

Local players, Colin McNab and Peter Romilly , jointly won the top event in last weekend's Dundee Congress, scoring 4/5. Gunnar Jacob ended Glasgow IM Stephen Mannion's hopes in round three.

White: G. Jacob Black: S. Mannion, Manor House Restorations Open, Dundee 2005, Benko Gambit

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.f3

White usually plays either 4 cxb5 or 4 Nf3. But 4 f3, aiming to establish a strong f3, e4, d5 pawn centre, also has points.

4...bxc4 5.e4 d6 6.Bxc4 g6 7.Ne2 Bg7 8.a4 0–0 9.0–0 Nbd7 10.Nec3 Rb8

Maybe 10 ... Ne5 11 Be2 c4, and if 12 Be3 e6 is better. Short of space, Black suffers throughout the game by not in getting in an ... e6 counterpunch.

11 .Na3 Ne8 12.Be2 Nc7 13.Nc4 Na6 14.Nb5 Rb7 15.Bg5 Nf6 16.Qd2 Nb4 17.Ra3 a6 18.Nc3 Qc7 19.f4 Rb8 20.f5

Time shortage had already set in for both players, but it's easier for White, who has much more space and a straightforward plan of kingside attack.

20...Bb7 21.a5 Rbe8 22.Rf3 Bc8 23.Bh6 e5 24.Rh3 Qe7 25.g4 Bh8

In view of the threatened 26 Bxg7 Kxg7 27 Qh6+, followed by g5, Black must lose at least an exchange.

26 .g5 Nd7 27.f6 Qd8 28.Rg3 Qc7 29.Nd1 Rd8 30.Bxf8 Nxf8 31.Nf2 h5 32.gxh6

This is probably right. Although 32 h4 incarcerates Black's bishop on h8, it's not clear how White can breakthrough anywhere else on the board.

32...Bxf6 33.Ng4 Be7 34.Raf3 Nh7 35.Nb6 Bb7 36.Rf1 Bg5 37.Qc3 Qe7 38.Rgf3 Rf8 39.Bd1 Bh4 40.h3 Ng5 41.Nf6+ Kh8 42.Re3 Nxh3+ 43.Rxh3 Bxf6 44.Bg4 Bg5 45.Rhf3 Bxh6 46.Nd7

Black has wriggled ingeniously, but now his f-pawn falls and White's rooks penetrate.

46...Qg5 47.Rg3 Rd8 48.Rxf7 Black resigns

22 October, 2005

Veselin Topalov wrapped up his World Chess Federation (FIDE) world championship title win in San Luis last weekend with a final round draw to end on 10/14, ahead of Vishy Anand and Peter Svidler 8.5, Morozevich 7, Leko 6.5, Kasimjanov and Adams 5.5 and Polgar 4.5.

Shortly after, Topalov made clear, through his manager, Sergei Danailov , that he would like to play a match against either Garry Kasparov, still number one in the world rankings, or the so-called classical world champion, Vladimir Kramnik , who took that title from Kasparov in London 2000.

This was widely expected and I predicted as much myself last week. Competing versions of the world title make no commercial, never mind competitive sense to sponsors. According to Danailov , in an interview in the Russian chess magazine 64, Topalov wants to play either of his two obvious remaining rivals quickly.

Topalov's form this year has been so electric that he would be favourite to win if he played a match tomorrow against anyone. San Luis aside, he shared first with Kasparov at Linares and dominated the MTel tournament in Sofia .

His failures to win have been relative, including a second place in Dortmund , where he outplayed the tournament winner in the mesmeric , combinational style that his opponents this year have all found so difficult to handle.

White: V Topalov Black: A Naiditsch, Dortmund Sparkasse Chess Festival 2005, Queens Gambit

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.e5 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.exf6 Qxg5 11.fxg7 Qxg7 12.Qd2

Naiditsch's boldness can't be criticised, but Topalov , writing in New In Chess, reveals he was ready to meet this sharp, forcing line. Black has free play, but at the cost of potential entry points in his kingside defences.

12...0–0 13.Bxc4 a6 14.0–0 Rd8 15.Qf4

This is an important resource. White's queen advances to the kingside danger zone. If 15 ... e5 16 Qh4 and White has excellent attacking chances.

15...b5 16.Qc7 Qf8 17.Bd3 Rd7 18.Qf4 Bb7 19.Rae1 Qg7 20.Be4 Kh8 21.Re3

White's queen's rook now transfers to the kingside. Note that 21 ... e5 fails to 22 Bxb7 exf4 23 Re8+.  

21...Bxe4 22.Qxe4 Rd5 23.Nxe6

Topalov doesn't miss many of these crushing sacrifices. White's play is both tactically sound and strategically justified as Black's undeveloped queen's rook and knight are unable to aid Black's defences.

23...fxe6 24.Qxe6 Rd7

Or if 24 ... Rd8 25 Rg3 Qf8 26 Qe5+ and mates.

25 .Rg3 Qf8 26.Re1 Raa7 27.Qf6+ Black resigns

White's final point and a beautiful conclusion. If 27 ... Qxf6 28 Re8+ and mates.

15 October, 2005

The fired-up, 30 year-old, Bulgarian world number three, Veselin Topalov , clinched the FIDE world championship title with one round to spare on Thursday.

Outgoing champion, Rustam Kasimjanov , fittingly pressed him hard in their 13 th round game on Thursday, but just couldn't breach Topalov's super-solid, Berlin Defence in a Spanish Opening.  

With one round to go, Topalov leads by 1.5 points, on 9.5/13, ahead of Svidler and Anand 8, Morozevich 6.5, Kasimjanov and Leko 5.5, Adams 5, Polgar 4.

Topalov's whirlwind 6.5/7 start gave him a massive two point lead at the half-way stage. Svidler and Anand , his only remaining credible challengers, caught up some ground in the second half, but faced a near impossible task to overhaul him.

Topalov refused to implode. Instead he remained dominant and the only player without loss in the tournament.

Topalov now moves ahead of Anand in the world rankings. Only the “retired” Garry Kasparov, remains very slightly ahead of him.

Might Kasparov be tempted to come out of retirement to challenge the new champion? Perhaps, but a challenge by classical world champion, Vladimir Kramnik , is more likely.

White: R Kasimjanov Black: V Topalov, FIDE world championship (Rd 13), San Luis 2005, Berlin Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.h3 Ng6 11.Be3

White always has a little extra space in the Berlin , but Black has two good bishops and a sound defensive base offering long-term prospects of further simplifying exchanges and queenside counterplay .

11...Be7 12.Rad1+ Ke8 13.a3 h5 14.Rfe1 h4 15.Nd4 a6 16.f4 Rh5

Black may appear to be shuffling his pieces rather oddly around the edges of the board. In fact, he has established a restraining block on White's critical kingside pawn majority, based on control of g3 and the c8-h5 white squares.

17 .Ne4 Bd7 18.c4 a5 19.c5 a4 20.Rc1 f5 21.exf6

If White doesn't exchange pawns, Black can effectively neutralise White's passed e pawn, by shifting the focus of his blockade, after ... Nf8-e6, to the e6 square.

21...Bxf6 22.f5 Ne7 23.Nxf6+ gxf6 24.Bf4 Kf7 25.Bxc7 Nxf5 26.Rc4 Nxd4 27.Rxd4 Be6 28.Bd6 Ra5 29.Rde4 Bd5

White has managed to win a pawn, but Black's powerful bishop on d5 compensates.

30 .Re7 + Kg6 31.Rxb7 Rb5 32.Rb6 Rg5 33.Re2 Rb3 34.Kh2 Re3 35.Rd2 Reg3

Topalov actively gives up an exchange for balancing play against White's shaky king and g2 pawn.  

36 .Bxg3 hxg3+ 37.Kh1 Rf5 38.Rd1 Rf2 39.Rb8 f5 40.Rd8

Passive defence with 40 Rg1 allows 40 ... f4, threatening a crushing ... f3 break. White must return an exchange to eliminate Black's bishop.  

40...Bxg2+ 41.Kg1 Bd5 42.R8xd5 cxd5 43.Rc1 Rxb2 44.c6 Rb8 45.Kg2 f4 46.Kf3 Kg5 47.h4+   Draw agreed

Play might end 47 … Kxh4 42 Kxf4 g2 43 Ke5 Kh3 42 Kxd5 Kh2 with a drawn endgame.

8 October, 2005

Veselin Topalov simply shot out of the blocks in the FIDE world championship with a 6.5/7 first half score that left him two points ahead of his nearest rival, Peter Svidler.

In round eight on Thursday, the second seeded Bulgarian slowed down with a draw, but Svidler failed to take advantage. With six rounds to go, Topalov retained a two point lead, and looks set for the title.  

It will require a complete collapse on Topalov's part to give his nearest opponents, Svidler and top seed Vishy Anand even the slimmest chance of catching him. A two point lead – 2.5 in Anand's case - with six games to go, is a chasm.

Placings after round eight: Topalov 7, Svidler 5 Anand 4.5, Leko and Morozevich 4, Kasimdzhanov 3, Adams 2.5, Polgar 2.

Topalov's first half form was superb. He showed greater determination, better preparation and cleverer psychology than all of his opponents. He conceded only one draw, against Anand. Peter Leko played best against him, in round one, but only for half of the game.

Topalov's opening backfired against Leko, but he battled fantastically to stay in the game and met with a stroke of good fortune. What might have been had he begun with a loss? Well he didn't.

White: P Leko Black: V Topalov, FIDE world championship, San Luis 2005, Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e6 7.Be3 b5 8.Qd2 b4

Topalov has successfully played this ambitious lunge after 8 g4. Against 8 Qd2 and a plan of rapid piece development, however, it may not be objectively sound.

9.Na4 Nbd7 10.0–0–0 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bc4 N7f6 13.Bg5 Qc7 14.Bxd5 Nxd5 15.Rhe1 Bb7 16.Qe2

Black has alarmingly few pieces in play and White's entire army bears down on Black's uncastled king, threatening an immediately crushing 17 Nxe6.

16...Qd6 17.Kb1 h6 18.Bh4 Nf4 19.Qf2 Qc7 20.Nf5

Black has been struggling, but White fails to find the knock-out. Post game analysis suggested    20.Nb6 was stronger here, e.g. 20 ... Rb8 (not 20...Qxb6 21.Nxe6 Qxf2 22 Nc7 mate, or if 21...Qxe6 22.Qa7) 21.Nf5 Bc6 22.Qd4 Ng6 ( or 22...Qxb6 23.Qxb6 Rxb6 24.Rd8 mate) 23.Bg3 Qxb6 24.Qxb6 Rxb6 25.Bc7 threatening mate on d8 and Black's rook.

20...g5 21.Bg3 Rc8 22.Qd4 Rg8 23.c3

And this weak move allows Black to escape to a hugely advantageous endgame. Better was 23 Qf2.

23...Rd8 24.Qxd8+ Qxd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Ne3 Bc6 27.Nb6 bxc3 28.bxc3 Bg7 29.Bxf4 gxf4 30.Nd1 Bb5 31.a4 Bd3+ 32.Kc1 Kc7

Black's active king, rook and bishop pair give Black winning chances. White's rook will be tied to the defence of his g-pawn, leaving his c and a pawns dreadfully weak.  

33.a5 Bh8 34.Kd2 Bb5 35.Rg1 Bc6 36.Ke2 Be5 37.c4 Bd4 38.Nf2 Bc3 39.Ne4 Bxa5 40.c5 f5 White resigns

1 October, 2005

Scotland's top unsighted player, Stephen Hilton, followed up his strong showing in the British Braille Championship in August with a battling 4.5/9 in an elite international Braille tournament, the Grunwald Cup last month in Poland.

Stephen was thrilled to meet the Russian Braille world champion, Vladimir Berlinsky , in their first ever head to head contest. Berlinsky outplayed him, but Stephen remains on an upward trajectory and will have plans to reverse this result in next year's Braille World Championships.

The battle for the “FIDE” (International Chess Federation) version of the world championship began in Argentina on Wednesday and runs for 14 rounds into mid-October.   After the first two rounds, the favourite, Viswanathan Anand shared the lead with second seed, Veselin Topalov .

So far only Anand and Topalov have won games, against Judit Polgar and Peter Leko . In round two Anand and Topalov drew a thoroughly chaotic encounter, in which Anand , with Black, just managed to hold on in a perilous endgame.

The other players in this top-class field are Peter Svidler , Alexander Morozevich , Rustam Kasimdhzanov and England 's Michael Adams.

Vladimir Kramnik , who holds the “Classical” version of the world championship, is notably absent, but likely to challenge the winner in an eventual “reunification” contest.

White: J Polgar Black: V Anand, FIDE World Championship, San Luis 2005, Caro Kann

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bd3

Nigel Short, commenting daily on the tournament at www.ChessBase.com, reckoned that Polgar didn't expect Anand's Caro Kann , causing her riskily to shy away from critical mainline variations, such as 5 Ng5. She certainly gets nowhere in the opening.

5...Ngf6 6.Nf3 Nxe4 7.Bxe4 Nf6 8.Bd3 Bg4 9.Be3 e6 10.c3 Bd6 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qe2 Qa5 13.a4 0–0 14.Qc2

Around here, White should maybe castle kingside. Instead Polgar starts to fish for complications by inviting weaknesses in her kingside pawn structure and castling queenside.

14...Bxf3 15.gxf3 Qh5 16.0–0–0 Nd5 17.Kb1 b5

But this and Black's next move show that only Black has attacking prospects. White has no real kingside targets or entry points. If 18 axb5 cxb5 19 Bxb5 Nxe3 and wins a piece.  

18 .Rdg1 f6 19.axb5 cxb5 20.Bc1 Rab8 21.Qe2 Rfe8 22.Qe4 Kh8 23.h4 f5 24.Qe2 Qf7 25.Rg2 Bf4 26.Rhg1 Rg8 27.Be3 Qd7 28.Qd2 Bd6 29.Bc2 Qb7 30.Bg5 b4 31.c4 b3 32.Bd3

Black's b-pawn effects the decisive breakthrough. White's game is both positionally and tactically bereft after 32.cxd5 bxc2+ 33.Qxc2 Qxd5.

32...Bb4 33.Qe2 Qa6 34.Bh6 Nc3+

Now Black wreaks terminal havoc on the black squares.  

35 .bxc3 Bxc3 36.Kc1 Qa3+ 37.Kd1 Qa1+ 38.Bc1 b2 39.Qe3 Bxd4 40.Qd2 bxc1Q+ 41.Qxc1 Qa2 White resigns

Black has a good extra pawn, and White's naked king is defenceless.

24 September, 2005

Inspired by a visit to the Demarco Skateraw Project, a vast exhibition of avant garde art taken from Edinburgh art impresario, Richard Demarco's astonishing, seemingly unending archive of collected artworks, this column is dedicated to Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).

Duchamp was a seminal influence on all avant garde art in the twentieth century. The Dadaist, Surrealist, Abstract, Kinetic and Ready-made artist, who became the father of much that is “modern” in modern art, was also a chess player.

Many years before the term “life-balance” was invented, Duchamp was inventing his own balanced life in both worlds. Some authorities assert that Duchamp, who famously wished never to repeat himself in art, gave up art for chess in the early 1920s, but this is at best a half truth.

Duchamp certainly studied and played chess seriously in the 1920s and 30s. He placed 6 th in the 1925 French Championship and represented his country in four Chess Olympiads from 1928 to 1933. But he couldn't scale the heights in chess as he could in art, and the game thereafter took more of a back seat.

Duchamp was a strong player, but no Garry Kasparov, and no game of his delivers the same knock-out blow to the public that the great chess games do. Duchamp's artistic masterpiece, The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even, hasn't any remotely close comparator in his chess oeuvre.

But I think he'd be pleased by my choice of the following game, which was commissioned against four members of a Dutch junior chess club as the basis for an artwork in an avant garde art exhibition in Amsterdam in 1961.

Duchamp, then aged 74 and clearly still delighting in the game, would have been tickled to learn that one of his four opponents, Hans Ree, later became a chess grandmaster and that a second, Tim Krabbé, was to write the blockbuster novel, The Vanishing.

White: H Ree, T. Krabbé, H Grimme, H Luuring Black: M Duchamp, Correspondence 1961, Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.e5 Nd5 7.Bd2 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bf8 9.Bd3

White's extra space and time probably outweigh his pawn weaknesses in this objectively rather risky line for Black. Now 9.Qg4 and if 9...d6 (9...g6 10.h4 Bg7 11.Qg3 and if 11...0–0 12.h5 is also good ) 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.exd6 makes it very had for Black to free his game.

9...d6 10.f4 g6 11.h4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Bg7 13.h5 Bxe5 14.Qg4 Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.hxg6 hxg6 17.Rxh8+ Bxh8 18.Ke2

But here the youngsters get it badly wrong. Critical was 18.Bxg6, e.g. 18 … fxg6 19.Qxg6+ Kd7 20.Qh7+ Kd6 (20...Qe7 21.Qxh8 Bb7 is correct ) 21.0–0–0 and White's attack should win.

18...Qd5 19.Rh1 Bf6 20.Rf1 e5 21.Qg3 Qe6 22.Be4 Ba6+ 23.Bd3

White no longer has any compensation for his minus pawn and Black goes on forcefully to mop up.

23...Bc4 24.Kd1 Bg7 25.Qh4 Bxd3 26.cxd3 Rb8 27.c4 Rb1+ 28.Bc1 Ra1 29.a3 Qd6 30.Qh3 f5 31.Kc2 e4 White resigns

Black threatens 32 ... exd3+ 33 Qxd3 Ra2+ winning White's queen, and if 32 Qe3 Qxd3+ 33 Qxd3 exd3+ 34 Kxd3 Bh6 with a winning pin. 32 dxe4 Qd4 33 Qb3 fails to 33 ... Qxe4+ 34 Kd1 Rb1 35 Qh3 (preventing ... Bh6) 35 ... Rxc1+ 36 Kxc1 Qxc4+ and ... Qxf1.

For further information about the Demarco Skateraw Project see www.demarco.uk.com

17 September, 2005

The Premier in last weekend's Grangemouth Congress ended in a five-way tie. The two highest-rated players, IMs Jacob Aagaard and Stephen Mannion, finished alongside Joe Redpath, Alan Grant and Gunnar Jacob on 4/5.

Going into the final round, Redpath was a point ahead of the field, but he was crushed by Mannion, who was on 3/4. Redpath's collapse also gave Aagaard, Grant and Jacob their chance to catch him with last round wins.

Aagaard, Mannion and Redpath met the strongest opposition. But large ties are always possible in a five round Open if no one can score at least 4.5 points. Top seed, Aagaard's chances had nosedived with a spectacular blunder against Redpath in round four.

Good preparation, attitude at the board and physical condition are crucial to cope with the fast time-limits and hours involved in weekend Opens. Preparation let me down against Aagaard in round three, spoiling my chances.

Unwittingly, I walked into one of Aagaard's special home analyses. He told me after the game that he had published much of this work in a www.ChessBase.com Attacking Chess CDROM. I was duly routed.

White: J Aagaard Black: C Pritchett Grangemouth Premier, 2005 Sicilian Kan

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6

Kafka-Duke, another disastrous Sicilian at Grangemouth, led to a striking king-hunt after 2…. d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e5 7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.Nf5 Bxf5 9.exf5 Qa5 10.Qd5 Qc7 11.Ne4 Qc6 12.Nxf6+ Ke7 13.Bc4 Kxf6 14.Qxf7+ Kg5 15.h4+ Kf4 16.g3+ Ke4 17.Rd1 1-0.

3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Be3 Nf6 8.0–0 Ne5 9.h3 Bc5 10.Kh1 d6 11.f4 Ng6

This old move may allow White too much kingside play. The more flexible 11 ... Ned7 may be better.

12.Qe1 0–0 13.f5 Ne5 14.Qh4 b5 15.Rf3

At the cost of an exchange, White eliminates Black's best defender (N/e5) and opens lines of attack against Black's king. Black might decline the offer with the cramped, but stubborn 15 ... Kh8 16 Rg3 Rg8.

15...Nxf3 16.gxf3 Qb6

This allows a decisive e5 breakthrough, aiming at h7, as does 16...Qa7 17.e5 dxe5 18.Rg1, and if Bxd4 19.Rxg7+ Kxg7 20.Qg5+ Kh8 21.Qxf6+ Kg8 22.Qg5+ Kh8 23.Qh6 Rg8 24.f6 Rg6 25.Bxg6 fxg6 26.Qf8 mate. Black's only practical chance may be 16...Kh8 17.Rg1 Ne8, and if 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe6 f5.

17.Rg1 Bxd4 18.e5 Bxe3

Or if 18...dxe5 19.Rxg7+ Kxg7 20.Bh6+ Kg8 21.Qg5+ Kh8 22.Qg7 mate

19.Rxg7+ Kxg7 20.exf6+ Kh8 21.fxe6 h6 22.Qe4 Black resigns

Black can't prevent 23 Qh7 mate.

10 September, 2005

Schools are back. Earlier this year Scotland's Minister for Education, Peter Peacock, went on record to say, “Chess is a wonderful game … research has shown that pupils who get involved with chess perform well at school.”

So check out the schools' pages at www.ChessScotland.com , where you will find information about the national federation's programme of primary and secondary schools' championship events and its plans to promote more chess in schools.

Schools can register free with Chess Scotland. The website offers a wide range of news, information and advice, including access to local club and league contacts, internet chess playing tools and the national rating system.

Disney has announced that Hollywood actor Will Smith will star in a forthcoming movie based on the award-winning book, “I Choose to Stay: a Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City”.

This is a remarkable account by downtown Philadelphia school principal, Salome Thomas-El, about the impact chess had on him as a student in the inner city and its place in his inspirational teaching.

Playing chess promotes creative, analytic and research skills common to all learning. White's win below is a tour de force in complex problem-solving.

White: L. Van Wely Black: J. Smeets Dutch Championship, Leeuwarden 2005, Botvinnik Slav

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6 Bb7 12.g3 c5 13.d5 Qb6 14.Bg2 0–0–0 15.0–0 b4 16.Rb1

Uhlmann's critical alternative to 16 Na4. If 16...bxc3 17.bxc3 Qa6 18.Rxb7 followed by dxe6 is dangerous.

16. … Qa6 17.dxe6 Bxg2 18.e7 Bxf1 19.Qd5 Bh6

Black must perhaps prefer 19...Bxe7 20.fxe7 Bd3, or earlier 18 ... Bb7.

20 .Bxh6 Bd3 21.Qa8+ Nb8 22.exd8Q+ Rxd8 23.Re1 bxc3 24.Bf4 Qb6

Note that 24 ... Qb7 fails to 25 Re7 Qxa8 26 Rc7 mate.

25 .bxc3 Bf5 26.f3

Azmaiparashvili-Shirov , Madrid 1996, continued 26.h4 Qb7 27.Qxb7+ Kxb7 28.Re7+ Rd7 29.Bxb8 Kxb8 30.Rxd7 Bxd7 31.Kg2 Kc7 32.Kf3 Kd6 33.Kf4 Bc6 34.Kg5 Bf3 35.Kf5 Kd5 36.g4 Kd6 37.h5 Kd5 38.Kf4 Bd1 39.Kg5 Bf3 40.Kf4 Bd1 and Black's active king and bishop held the draw.  

26...Be6

But now faced with a cleverer plan to mobilise White's pawns, based on g4 and h4-h5, Black has piece activation problems. White breaks through, e.g. after 26...Qb7 27 .Qxb7+ Kxb7 28.Re7+ Rd7 29.g4 Be6 30.Bxb8 Kxb8 31.Rxd7 Bxd7 32.h4 Ba4 33.h5 Bc2 34.g5 Kc7 35.g6.

27 .g4 Bd5

If 27...Qb7 28.Qxb7+ Kxb7 29.Rb1+ Ka8 30.Rxb8+ Rxb8 31.Bxb8 Kxb8 32.h4 and White's h-pawn queens.

28.Qxb8+ Qxb8 29.Bxb8 Kxb8 30.Kf2 Kc7 31.h4 Rd6 32.Re7+ Rd7 33.h5 Black resigns

Or if 33 ... Rxd7 34 fxe7 Kd7 35 h6.

3 September, 2005

Howard Staunton (1810-1874) can justly claim to be the only British-born world champion. Unfortunately the world title hadn't been created in the 1840s, when he was world number one, by acclaim.

The first acknowledged world championship match only later took place, in 1886. The then two best players of the day, Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort squared up in a three month contest, held in New York , St Louis and New Orleans . Steinitz won 12.5-7.5.

Earlier, in 1843, Staunton had defeated Pierre Saint- Amant 11-7 in a similar shoot-out between the world's top two, in Paris . In 1851, the “uncrowned” Staunton later lost his world number one spot, following a poor result in the world's first great international tournament, held in London .

Staunton was a prolific chess writer as well as a great player. Nowadays we all play with pieces standardised on a design that carries his name. In 1993, a group of devoted fans formed a Staunton Memorial Society, to ensure that we never forget his considerable legacy.

The Society recently concluded its third annual Staunton Memorial tournament in Simpsons -in-the-Strand, in London . In the nineteenth century, Simpsons ' Grand Divan was famous for its chess and Staunton and all the world's best players were regular visitors.

Scotland 's Colin McNab , who finished third on 5.5/10, behind Jonathan Levitt and Jon Speelman , on 6 points, was in particularly good form with Staunton 's favourite English Opening.

White: C. McNab Black: D. Howell, 3rd Staunton Memorial, London 2005, English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5 4.d4 e4 5.Ng5 Bb4 6.Nh3 Nf6 7.Nf4 0–0 8.h4 d6 9.e3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qe7 11.c5

This mini-break weakens d6 and enlivens White's bishop pair. White keeps an edge after either 11 ... dxc5 12 Ba3 or 11 ... d5 12 c4.

11...Nd8 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Ba3 Ne6 14.Qb3 Kh8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Rd8 17.Be2 Nc7 18.Qb3 b6 19.c4 Be6

Perhaps 19 ... Rb8, with ... b5 in the air, would have been more active.

20 .d5 Bd7 21.h5 h6 22.Qb4 Bc8 23.Bb2 Na6 24.Qd2 Nc5 25.f4

White begins to make substantive progress. Black must exchange pawns on f3 or suffer an eventual g4 break, e.g. after Kf2 and Rdg1, with pressure on the a1-h8 diagonal and in the g-file.

25...exf3 26.gxf3 f4 27.e4 Rf8 28.0–0–0 Nd7 29.Rhg1 Ne5 30.Bxe5 Qxe5 31.Qb2

Black is relying on an e5 blockade, but this move breaks it sufficiently to give White a promising endgame.

31...Qxb2+ 32.Kxb2 Rf6 33.Kc3 Bd7 34.Kd4 Re8 35.Rg2 Re7 36.Rh1 Be8 37.Rh4 Kg8 38.Rgg4 Ref7 39.Bd3 Bd7 40.Rg6 Kf8 41.Rxf6 Rxf6 42.e5

Having cleverly drawn Black's pieces to the defence of his f-pawn, White now breaks on e5, most critically freeing his dangerous d-pawn.

42...dxe5+ 43.Kxe5 Be8 44.d6 Bf7 45.Bf5 Bxc4 46.Rxf4 b5 47.a3 Be2 48.Rd4 Ke8 49.Rg4 Bxf3 50.Rxg7 Rf8 51.Be6 Black resigns

Black cannot defend against Rc7-c8 mate.

27 August, 2005

Thanks to an invitation by Glasgow-based international master, Jacob Aagaard, top international chess coach, Mark Dvoretsky, is in the city this weekend, delivering a series of coaching master-classes.

Dvoretsky, one of Russia 's most promising young players in the late 1960s, switched completely to coaching in the 1970s. He had a grandmaster's rating and a genius for teaching. Many of the world's greatest players owe much to his subsequent coaching.

Dvoretsky's coaching focuses primarily on the development of flexible thinking and mental toughness. His main teaching method requires students to identify the complex mix of specific moves and rules that make up solutions to problem positions.

These themes permeate Dvoretsky's four “School of Chess Excellence” volumes, published by Edition Olms, on Endgame Analysis, Tactical Play, Strategic Play and Opening Developments. These together provide an excellent coaching programme for the stronger player.

One of Dvoretsky's rules, from the volume on tactics, applies in the following game: “in the opening it almost always makes sense to go for a slight loss of material to keep the enemy king in the centre and firmly seize the initiative”. Quite!

White: A. Grischuk Black: V. Zvjaginsev, Ordix Open, Mainz 2005, French Defence

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 Qb6 12.Qd2

White could swap queens, but Black's position would be very solid. Gambitting a pawn is the critical test of Black's line.

12...Qxb2 13.Rb1 Qa3 14.Nb5 Qxa2 15.Nd6+ Ke7 16.Rc1

It seems remarkable to move White's rook off the open b-file, but White gets nowhere with the superficially inviting 16.Qb4 a5 17.Nxc8+ Kd8, and if 18.Qxb7 (18.Qe7+ Kxc8) 18...Rxc8 19.Bd3 Ke7.

16...Qb2 17.Be2 Nc5 18.0–0 Nb3

Having castled, White is ready to move his rook back to b1 with increased force. Now if 19 Qb4 Qd4+ and Black solves all his developmental problems. But White has a better continuation.

19.Nf5+ exf5 20.Qb4+ Kd8 21.cxb3 Qxe2 22.Rc7

At the temporary cost of a minor piece, White achieves a winning position. If now 22 ... Kxc7 23 Qd6 mate.

22...Bd7 23.Qxb7 Qb5 24.Rxd7+ Qxd7 25.Qxa8+ Qc8 26.Qxa7 Re8

White has regained his piece and must win either Black's f or d pawns with a continuing attack against Black's open king.

27.Qxf7 Qd7 28.Qh5 Qa7+ 29.Kh1 g6 30.Qf3 Ke7 31.Qxd5 Rd8 32.Qc6 Black resigns

Two pawns down, even 32 ... Qf2 fails to 33 Qf6+ (not 33 Rxf2 Rd1+ and mates) 33 ... Ke8 34 Qxd8+ Kxd8 35 Rxf2.

20 August, 2005

Despite his successful defence of the British Championship title last week, Scotland 's top player, 28 year-old Jonathan Rowson , remains cautious about his future in top-class chess. His performance confirms his potential to take on the best but he lacks a sponsor.

In a fantasy world, he'd devote himself full-time to a series of goals leading over the next two to three years to a place in the world's top 20. In reality, without financial backing, he can't. Not that he minds, though I expect he'd like the option. He already earns a reasonable living through playing semi-professionally, writing and teaching.

Maybe he has too many options. Rowson wasn't groomed from childhood for success, like Garry Kasparov, the Polgar sisters, or even England 's top players, Michael Adams and Nigel Short. Outside chess, he has an Oxford first and a Harvard MA and recently began a PhD course at Bristol University .

Such heroic amateurism has always been the “Scottish” way. On Monday, Paul Motwani , our first grandmaster and only Scot ever to hold a world junior title, returns from chess to full-time teaching.

Even as a semi-pro, I still expect Rowson to improve in chess. He is unquestionably in the UK top five these days and en route to a comfortable place in the world's top 100.

White: J. Rowson Black: S. Gordon, 92nd Smith & Williamson British Championship, Isle of Man 2005, Trompovsky Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4

Does Black's knight or White's bishop lose more time in this line? Black can also leave his knight on f6, inviting 3 Bxf6, allowing doubled f-pawns or, after 2 ... e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6, a White pawn centre, as his active bishop pair compensates.

3.Bf4 d6 4.f3 Nf6 5.e4 e5 6.dxe5 Nh5 7.Be3

White can only hold on to his pawn on e5 by allowing Black the bishop pair and active chances, e.g. 7.Qd2 Nxf4 8.Qxf4 Nd7 9.exd6 Bxd6 10.Qd2 Qf6 11.Nc3 Bf4 12.Qf2 0–0.

7...dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nd2 Be6 10.Bc4 Bd6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Nh3

This way, White has a slight endgame pull, mainly through his better piece development, space-gaining, pawn advance possibilities on the flanks and potential grip in the d-file.

12...Ke7 13.g3 Nc6 14.c3 a5 15.a4 h6 16.Nf2 Nf6 17.Ke2 Nd7 18.Nd3 Rab8

Possibly Black shouldn't have allowed his e-pawns to be doubled, but now he definitely loses time, flounders planlessly and fails to prevent White developing serious pressure on the queenside and against e5.

19 .Rhc1 b6 20.Rab1 Rhf8 21.b4 axb4 22.cxb4 Nd4+ 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.f4 e5 25.Nf3

White's pressure on e5 now wins material due to a fork possibility on his next move, or if 25 ... Ke6 26 Rc6.

25...exf4 26.e5 fxg3 27.exd6+ Kxd6 28.Nxd4 gxh2 29.Nb5+ Ke7 30.Rxc7 Rf5 31.Rh1 Ra8 32.Nc3 Rh5 33.Nf4 Re5+ 34.Kd1 Kd8 35.Rc6 Re3 36.Rxh2

Black couldn't hold this pawn and, with his stranded king under attack from all White's pieces, he now has no chance.

36...Ne5 37.Rd2+ Ke8 38.Rc7 Rd8 39.Ncd5 Black resigns

White threatened both 40 Nxe3 and 40 Re7+ Kf8 41 Ne6+.

August 13, 2005

28 year-old Jonathan Rowson successfully defended his Smith & Williamson British Chess Championship title on the Isle of Man yesterday. He scored 8.5/11, a half point ahead of the field, and won £10,000.

Last year Rowson became the first Scot to win the British Championship since 1946. He was the top seed in the 92 nd Championships this year.

The critical turning point in the event came against Stuart Conquest in round ten. Both grandmasters led on 7 points. True to his combative style, Conquest was only interested in winning, but he over-stretched and lost against Rowson's dependable Sicilian Defence.

A point ahead of the field going into the final round, Rowson made no mistake, duly clinching a draw against John Emms .

Holland won the 15 th European Team Championship, in Gothenburg, last weekend. The sixth seeds scored 15/18 match points to finish ahead of Israel (14) and France and Greece (13) in a very strong field of 40.

Scotland , 36 th seeds, finished below par in 38 th place on 5 points. Despite a 4-0 win in round seven against the weakest team in the event, Cyprus, Scotland failed to rally in the last two rounds with a disappointing 1.5-2.5 loss to Wales and a 2-2 draw with Luxembourg.

Scottish results in board order: Colin McNab 4/8, John Shaw 3.5/8, Andrew Muir 3/7, Jonathan Grant 1.5/7, Tim Upton 1.5/6. The Women's Team event, in which Scotland did not compete this year, was won by Poland (15/18), ahead of Georgia 14 and Russia and Bulgaria 12.

Holland 's gold medals were well-merited. With top seeds Russia finishing woefully in 12 th place, the Dutch scrapped best in one of the most unpredictable championships ever. Former world championship challenger, Jan Timman , unbeaten on board four, played best in an unstoppable team.

White: J. Timman ( Netherlands ) Black: Y. Kuzubov ( Ukraine ), 15th European Team Championship, Gothenburg 2005, English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Bc5 6.e3 Nxd5 7.cxd5 Ne7 8.Ne2 0–0 9.0–0 c6 10.d4 exd4 11.exd4 Bb6 12 d6

For a pawn, White gains space and inters Black's bishop on c8 for ages. Brute force calculation, a computer's forte, is of little use in making such moves, whose outcome is so long-term as to remain practically incalculable.  

12….Nf5 13.Bf4 Qf6 14.Be5 Qh6 15.Nc3 Nxd6 16.d5 Nf5 17.d6 Re8 18.Re1 Re6 19.Qd3 Qh5 20.Bf3 Qg6 21.Bf4 Nd4 22.Be4 Qh5 23.Bg2 Qg6 24.Be4 Qh5 25.Na4

White's problem is how to make a breakthrough before Black manages to unravel his piece development. He appears to be making clear progress by targeting Black's unstable knight on d4.

25...f5 26.Nxb6 fxe4 27.Qxd4 axb6 28.Rxe4 Qc5 29.Qd3 Qf5 30.Rae1 Ra4 31.f3 h5

Hereabouts access to a computer would be useful. Black's task still looks difficult, but everything now hinges on precise calculation and tactics. Black plays, with great energy, to finally free his bad bishop, but his plan fails.  

32 .Qb3 Raxe4 33.fxe4 Qc5+ 34.Kg2 g5 35.Be3 Qxd6 36.Bxg5 Qc5 37.Bf6 d5 38.e5 Qd4 39.Qc2 Black resigns

Black's bishop now has a diagonal, but there is no defence against 40 Qg6+. If 39 ... Kf7 40 Qh7+   wins, or if 39 ... Rxf6 40 exf6 Qxf6 41 Re8+, followed by Rxc8. Black also loses after 39 ... Qg4 to the quiet 40 h3.

August 6, 2005

The 15 th European Team Championships end tomorrow in Gothenburg. Scotland , without our top two players, Jonathan Rowson and Paul Motwani , is represented by Colin McNab , John Shaw, Andrew Muir, Jonathan Grant and Tim Upton.

With three rounds to go, Israel led the field by one slender match point. Scotland , having played unusually strong opposition, had dropped to the tournament basement. Scottish results: Denmark (0.5-3.5), Turkey (3.5-1.5), Ukraine (1-3), Russia (0-4), Austria (1-3), Spain (0-4).

I expect Scotland 's position to improve at least slightly. Defeating higher-rated Turkey was a high point . The duck egg against Spain , also higher-rated, was disappointing. Russia , top tournament seeds, vastly out-rated our team. Ukraine won last year's Olympiad.

Danish international master Jacob Aagaard is Scotland 's team captain in Gothenburg. Next year, he will qualify by residence to play for the national team, greatly strengthening our pool of resources.

Aagaard lost only one game in last month's Scottish Championship, against Andrew Muir, one of his Gothenburg charges. A tremendous battle, it was probably the best game of the event.

White: A. Muir Black: J. Aagaard, 112 th Scottish Championship, Oban 2005, Semi Slav, Botvinnik system

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Bb7 12.Bg2 Qb6 13.exf6 0–0–0 14.0–0 c5

Late world champion Mikhail Botvinnik reputedly forced himself to play this extraordinarily complex line to improve what he considered to be a weakness in his tactics.

15 .d5 b4 16.Na4 Qb5 17.a3 exd5 18.axb4 cxb4 19.Be3 Nc5 20.Qg4+ Rd7 21.Nxc5

Nowadays, playing this line requires prodigious feats of memory as well as tactics. The magnificent 21 Qg7 has been successful here, but is no longer considered “hot” theory.  

21...Bxc5 22.Bxc5 Qxc5 23.Rfe1 Kc7 24.Re5 a5

Black gets into trouble now. Either 24 ... b3, ... Bc6 or ... Rhd8 may be better.

25 .Rae1 b3 26.Re7 Bc6 27.Qg7 Rhd8 28.Qxf7 c3 29.bxc3 Qxc3

White gobbles up Black's kingside. Black seeks a queenside breakthrough. 29 ... b2 was an option, but White's f-pawn may still be the decisive factor.

30 .Rxd7 + Rxd7 31.Qe6 Rd6 32.Qe7+ Rd7 33.f7

White wins with an exquisite, desperado queen sacrifice. White's f-pawn queens before Black's b-pawn. Black's game folds due to his exposed king position.

33...Rxe7 34.Rxe7+ Bd7 35.f8Q b2

Or if 35 ... Qc1+ 36 Bf1 b2 36 Qf5 b1=Q 37 Qxd7+ Kb6 38 Qa7+ Kc6 39 Qc7 mate

36 .Rxd7 + Kxd7 37.Bh3+ Kc7 38.Qc8+ Kd6 39.Qxc3 b1Q+ 40.Bf1 Black resigns

July 30, 2005

Scotland 's top player, Jonathan Rowson , begins his British Championship title defence in the Isle of Man , on Monday. The 28 year-old grandmaster is top seed in the 92 nd Smith & Williamson British Championships, which run until August 13.

Rowson has climbed to 139 th in the July world rankings, the highest ever spot achieved by a Scot in modern times. He missed his personal 2600 rating target, by one meaningless point. His next goal is a place in the world top 100.

Rowson has the game to win the British and climb further in the world rankings. But unlike England 's top two, Michael Adams and Nigel Short, while professionally highly involved in chess, he is not a wholly professional “player”.

Adams and Short, elite “players” apart in the UK , rarely bother with events in Britain . Though Smith & Williamson's £10,000 first prize in the British Championship is quite handy, the event's terms and conditions are no match for those in regular tournaments abroad for the world's top 30.

Rowson also won the Scottish Championship last year, but with higher goals and a relative collapse in sponsorship this year, he decided not to defend that title. As reported last week, Jacob Aagaard finished first, showing Rowson -like form in games like this.

White: J. Aagaard Black: A. Burnett, 112 th Scottish Championship, Oban, Sicilian Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0–0 9.0–0–0 Nxd4

The critical gambit 9 ... d5 slows down White's kingside attack by creating a central diversion. But Burnett has always favoured this exchanging variation, which puts all Black's eggs into the single basket of a queenside counterattack.

10 .Bxd4 Be6 11.Kb1 Qc7 12.h4 Rfc8 13.h5 Qa5 14.hxg6 fxg6 15.a3 Rab8 16.g4

In his recent Gambit book on the Dragon, Scotland's Eddie Dearing considers this "traditional" move "inaccurate", preferring 16 Bd3, and if 16 ... b5 17 Qg5.

16...b5 17.g5 Nh5

But White's last move isn't mentioned by Dearing and clearly nonplussed Burnett. If Black can't continue 17 ... b4 (and then perhaps 18 Ne2 Bxd4 19 Nxd4 Bd7), he may well be lost.

18 .Bxg7 Nxg7 19.Bh3 Bxh3 20.Rxh3 Rxc3

This exchange sacrifice is flawed. But White's last move wins the central white squares, with a clear advantage. Now 20 ... b4 21 Nd5, threatening both Nxe7+ and axb4, wins simply.

21 .bxc3 Qxa3 22.Qd5+ e6

Or if 22 ... Kh8 23 Rxh7+ 24 Kxh7 Rh1+ 25 Nh5 26 Qf7+ Kh8 27 Qxg6, and Rxh5 mate.  

23 .Qxd6 Qxd6 24.Rxd6 Nh5 25.Ra6 Rb7 26.Rh1 Nf4 27.Kb2 e5 28.Kb3 h6

Black is lost, e.g. even after 28 ... Rc7 29 Rha1 Nh3 30 Rxa7 Rxa7 31 Rxa7 Nxg5 32 c4 bxc4+ 33 Kxc4 Nxf3 34 Kd5 h5 35 c4.   

29 .Rxh6 Black resigns

July 23, 2005

Danish IM Jacob Aagaard won the exhibition at this year's 112 th Scottish Championships, in Oban (July 2-11). I sneaked in second to win the title.

Aagaard scored a searing 8/9 in the top tournament, but could only compete for the prize money. Last year he married and moved to Glasgow . He needs a second year's residence in Scotland to compete for the title.

The fortunate beneficiary, I finished ahead of the rest, on 6/9. IM Andrew Muir, Jonathan Grant and Ed Spencer tied on 5.5 points. Over 120 players and their families took part in the wider Congress.

I created a record of sorts by the size of the gap between this, my second championship win, and my first, in 1977. Argyll and Bute MP Alan Reid, a former Scottish internationalist, who presented the prizes in Oban, actually played me then.

I occasionally promote the lifelong learning and inter-generational benefits of chess to politicians and others these days. At 56, I was the oldest competitor in the top event in Oban. My opponent in round 7, one of Scotland 's top juniors, is 18.

White: C. Pritchett Black: S. Tweedie, 112 th Scottish Championship, Oban 2005, Slav Defence

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 a6 9.a3 b5 10.Ba2 Bb7

I felt 10 ... c5 was critical. Now White's centre pawns can advance with Black's queen's bishop on the wrong white diagonal.

11.e4 e5 12.Bg5 0–0 13.Rd1 Qe7

Now White can exploit the weak white f5 square. Better was 13 ... Qc7.

14.Nh4 exd4 15.Nf5 Qe5 16.f4 Qc5 17.Rxd4 Nxe4

Earlier 14 ... Rfe8 15 Nf5 Qf8 was better. Black had counted on this resource, but had missed White's reply on move 19. Instead 17 ... Rae8 18 Kd1, and if 18 … Bb8 19 e5 is good for White.

18.Qxe4 Rfe8 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.Nxd6+ Kf8 21.Nxe8 Rxe8 22.Qxe8+

White gains two rooks and a knight for his queen, but possibly even better was 22.Rxd7 Rxe4+ 23.Nxe4 , and if 23...Qc1+ (23...Qe3+ 24.Kd1 Qxe4 25.Re1 Qb1+ 26.Ke2 Qxb2+ 27.Kf1 is also doubtful) 24.Kf2 Qxh1 25.Nd6 g6 26.Bh6+ Kg8 27.Rd8 mate.

22...Kxe8 23.Re4+ Kf7 24.Re7+ Kg6 25.Rxd7 Bc8 26.Re7 a5 27.Rf1 b4 28.axb4 axb4 29.Nd1

White had development difficulties, but the following knight and king manoeuvre finally coordinates all his forces in a decisive attack on Black's king.

29...Bg4 30.Ne3 Qc1+ 31.Kf2 Qxb2+ 32.Kg3 Be2 33.Rf2 b3 34.h4 h6 35.f5+ Kh5

If 35 ... Kh7 36 f6 hxg5 37 f7 gxh4+ 38 Kh2, followed by f8=Q and wins.

36.Bf4 Qf6 37.Rxe2 b2

Or if 37 ... Qxe7 (or 37 … Qxh4+ 38 Kf3 followed by g4+) 38 Kf3 threatening 39 g4+ Kxh4 40 Rh2 mate.

38.Kf3 Qxf5

Or 38 ... b1=Q 39 g4+ Kxh4 40 Rh2 mate.

39.Nxf5 b1=Q 40.g4+ Kg6 41.h5+ Black resigns

Or 41 ... Kh7 (41 … Kf6 42 R2e6 mate) 42 Rxg7+ Kh8 43 Re8 mate.

July 16, 2005

Keti Arakhamia -Grant ( Edinburgh ) finished in a fine share of 7 th place in the Women's European Championships last month in Moldova . The current British Women's champion and Scotland 's Player of the Year stumbled with an unfortunate loss in the penultimate round, but won in the last to confirm an excellent 2475 rating performance.

The championship was won by the fifteen year-old Ukrainian sensation, Kateryna Lahno , after a play-off against Nadezhda Kosintseva ( Russia ). These players both tied on 9/12 in the main event. Arakhamia -Grant finished on 8 points.

Arakhamia -Grant represents her native Georgia rather than Scotland . But after a decade of domicile in this country, she could switch allegiance. Georgian women, however, set the pace for the women's game in the late 20 th century. As long as Arakhamia -Grant can compete for Georgia it makes sense for her to do so.

Arakhamia -Grant's fine form in Moldova is well exemplified by her crushing win in the last round. She gives a master-class in the use of space and the initiative, tactical precision and deft play in the endgame.  

White: K. Arakhamia -Grant Black: S. Vajda, Women's European Championship, Chisinau 2005, Sicilian defence: English Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.g4 Be7 10.Qd2 0–0 11.0–0–0 b5 12.g5

Both sides attack on opposite wings in this line, but whole board ideas remain key. White's lunge on the kingside is aimed not just at gaining space there, but at gaining important white square control on the other flank, particularly c6.

12...Nh5 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd5 f5 15.gxf6 Bxf6 16.Na5 Nf4 17.Kb1 Nb6 18.c4

White's knight eyes the powerful c6 outpost, but its supporting d-pawn is weak, so White first tries to protect it. Black's best reply is probably 18 ... Nxc4 seeking to simplify.

18...bxc4 19.Qb4 Nd7 20.Nc6 Qc7 21.Qxc4 Rfc8 22.h4 Kh8 23.Qe4

White has established a clear advantage based on complete domination of the white squares and whole board pressure. She now invites a subtle tactical transformation into a winning endgame.  

23...Nxd5 24.Bd3 Nf8 25.Qxd5 Qxc6 26.Qxc6 Rxc6 27.Be4 Rac8 28.Bxc6 Rxc6 29.Rc1 Rxc1+ 30.Rxc1 Bxh4 31.b4

White has won an exchange for a pawn, but the game is not completely over yet as both sides have pawns they can advance quickly to their respective queening squares.

31...Kg8 32.Rc6 Be1 33.a3 d5 34.Rxa6 h5 35.Rc6 h4 36.Rc1 Bg3 37.b5 d4 38.Bd2 Nd7 39.a4 h3 40.a5 e4 41.fxe4 h2 42.a6 Bb8 43.Ba5 g5 44.b6

This move wins because of a hidden fine point.

44...Nxb6 45.Bxb6 g4 46.a7 Bxa7 47.Bxa7 g3 48.Bb8 Black resigns

White avoids 48 Bxd4 g2, followed by h1=Q. Now if 48 ... g2 49 Bxh2 and wins.

July 9, 2005

Scotland 's top blind player, Stephen Hilton of Greenock , flies to Athens shortly to compete for Great Britain in the International Braille Chess World Cup, to be held on the island of Eretria . Stephen's recent form suggests he may be top board in the team, a first for Scotland .

At the World Cup, Stephen will meet his toughest ever opposition. Other top boards include the current world top two, Sergey Krylov ( Russia ) and Piotr Duckaczewski ( Poland ), and the world champion, Mourat Jounusov ( Kazakhstan ).

In September, Stephen plays in the Grunwalds Cup, a tournament for the blind and partially sighted near the Baltic coast in Poland . The Provost of Inverclyde, Ciano Rebecchi, helped put a package together to cover accommodation costs in that event. Stephen still seeks a sponsor for his flight.

Stephen recently completed his first season in the Four Nations Chess League with an excellent 5/7 score for the Braille Chess Association. He works hard on his openings, has a soundly-based strategic sense and calculates well when the need arises, all three traits on show in the following game.

White: S. Hilton Black: J. Bourne, 4NCL, West Bromwich , 2005, Modern Benoni

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nd2

The Modern Benoni is a battling reaction to 3 Nf3. White has a pawn centre but must move his N/f3 to free his f-pawn. Black uses the time to develop pressure along the long black diagonal, in the e-file and on the queenside.  

7...Bg7 8.Nc4 0–0 9.Bg5 Re8 10.e3 b6 11.Be2 Ba6 12.a4 Bxc4 13.Bxc4 Nbd7 14.0–0 a6 15.Qe2 Qc8 16.Bd3 h6 17.Bh4 Ra7 18.f4 c4

This is a typically unbalanced Modern Benoni middlegame. White's kingside pawns advance, but Black's king is well-protected and he can create central and queenside counterplay, here by means of a pawn sacrifice that gets his rook from e8 to b4.

19.Bxc4 Ne4 20.Nxe4 Rxe4 21.Bd3 Rb4 22.Rac1 Qa8

Black has played well so far but now starts to falter. The immediate 22 ... Qe8 looks better, and if 23 Rc2 Nc5 or 23 Bxa6 Rxb2.

23.Rc6 Rxb2 24.Qg4 Qe8 25.e4 f5 26.Qf3 Qf8

Now White seizes the initiative. Instead 26 ... Nc5, and if 27 exf5 Rb3 28 Re1 Qf8 was still unclear.  

27.exf5 gxf5 28.Qh5

Black can no longer hold his important f-pawn.

28...Nc5 29.Bxf5 Rf7 30.Rc8 Rxf5 31.Qxf5 Black resigns

The white rook's pin on f8 costs Black's queen.

July 2, 2005

UK number one Michael Adams was mauled by HYDRA, the world's most powerful chess computer. Adams managed only one meagre draw in six games in his Man-Machine match in London (June 21-27). HYDRA won all but $10,000 of the $145,000 prize fund.

HYDRA has more brute force calculating power than IBM's Deep Blue had when it narrowly defeated Garry Kasparov in New York eight years ago. It also has superior software and openings and endgame databases. Adams didn't play well, but even on form he would have been in trouble.

HYDRA has taken over four years and millions of dollars to develop. Designed by the Abu Dhabi-based PAL group of companies, it builds on powerful cluster computer technology that offers a potentially cheaper alternative to more traditionally designed supercomputers.

Investment in HYDRA pays off in design transferability to PAL's mainstream commercial activities. Playing the world's best computer chess requires solutions common to all applications that require prodigious computation, such as fingerprint and DNA matching.    

HYDRA processed a phenomenal 200 million moves per second compared to Adams 's two. It still can't truly form inductive plans as a human does, but its sophisticated combination of hardware and software power makes it remarkably error-free and highly predatory.

White: HYDRA Black: M. Adams, Man-Machine Match (Game 3), London 2005, Ruy Lopez: Anti Marshall

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.d4

Few players nowadays allow the Marshall Gambit (9 h3 d5). This is one of White's livelier alternatives.

9...Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bc8 13.dxc6 Qc7 14.Nbd2 Qxc6 15.Nf1

This position is supposed to be roughly equal, but seems easier for White to play. At any rate, Adams 's next four moves go nowhere allowing HDRYA to tighten its grip.

15...Be6 16.Ng5 Bd8 17.Ne3 Bd7 18.a4 h6 19.Nf3 Rc8

Not 19 ... Nxe4 20 axb5 axb5 21 Bxe4 Qxe4 22 b4 Nc4 23 Nxc4 and wins.  

20 .axb5 axb5 21.Nh4 Nc4 22.Nxc4 bxc4 23.Ba4 Qc7 24.Bxd7 Qxd7 25.Nf5 d5

Black had to try 25 ... Be7, and if 26 Ra6 Rfd8 27 Qf3 Qe6. Now White's queen's rook decisively penetrates.

26 .Ra6 Qb7

If 26 ... Nxe4 27 Nxh6+ gxh6 28 Rxe4 f6 29 Qd2 winning.

27 .Rd6 Be7

Or if 27 ... Nxe4 28 Rxd5 Nf6 (28 ... Nc5 29 Nd6) 29 Rdxe5.  

28 Bxh6 Black resigns

White wins after: 28 ... gxh6 29 Qf3, threatening Qg3+ followed by Qg7 mate; 28 ... Nxe4 29 Qg4 g6 30 Rxg6+; or 28 ... Bxd6 29 Bxg7, and if 29 ... Be7 30 Bxf6 Bxf6 31 Qg4+ Kh7 32 Qh5+ Kg8 33 Re3 Rfd8 34 Qh6, followed by Rg3+.  

June 25, 2005

English grandmaster Chris Ward has produced a lively little book on all of White's main 4 th move choices against the super-solid Nimzo-Indian Defence, other than the two most heavily-played moves 4 e3 and 4 Qc2.

“Offbeat Nimzo-Indian” (£14.99, Everyman) is an excellent one-stop shop for up to date information on how to play all of these lines, several of which have been played by world champions, including Botvinnik, Spassky and Kasparov.

Ward's book presents the material lightly, with plenty of highly readable explanation in notes to 47 deeply annotated games. He writes with dash and authority.

The late Miguel Najdorf (1910-1997) was a great connoisseur of both sides of the Nimzo-Indian Defence in mid-century and that opening is well to the fore in “Najdorf: Life and Games” (£14.99, Batsford), by Tomasz Lissowski and Adrian Mikhalchishin.

Najdorf, who rebuilt his life in 1940s Argentina after the tragic loss of his family in the Polish Holocaust, maintained formidable playing strength well into his 70s. This book pays him a worthy tribute.

At 73, Viktor Korchnoi is the current great chess grand-daddy. He has just taken second place in a strong event in Hungary . There is nobody like him. He could have retired to the “seniors” game at 60.

White: P. Acs Black: V. Korchnoi, 3rd Marx Gyorgy Memorial, Paks 2005, Ruy Lopez: Open Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Be3 Be7 10.c3 Nc5 11.Bc2 Nd7

The Open Defence, a long-time favourite of Korchnoi's, is a battling, unbalancing line. Here Black seeks active piece play at the expense of his kingside pawn defences.

12.Re1 Ndxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.Bd4 Nc6 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bh6 Bc5 17.Qf3 Qh4 18.Bf4 Kd7

Without this key move, Black would be in trouble. Unusually Black's king is safer in the centre than on the flank. On 18 ... 0–0–0 White attacks with 19 b4, followed by a4.  

19.Nd2 h5 20.Nb3 Bb6 21.Rad1 Ne7 22.Be3 Qh3 23.Qxh3 Bxh3 24.g3 Bxe3 25.Rxe3 Kd6 26.Rde1 Nc6 27.Rf3 Be6 28.Rf4 Rae8 29.f3 Ne5 30.Kf2 Nd7 31.Nd4 c5 32.Nf5+ Kc7 33.Ne3 a5 34.Rd1 Nb6 35.Rf6 Rh8 36.a3

White rashly sows the seed of his own demise by weakening his b-pawn. But having exchanged queens, Black's active queenside pawns now at least fully compensate for his weakened (split) f and h pawns.

36...Rd8 37.Rf4 Nc4 38.Nxc4 bxc4 39.Bf5 Rb8 40.Rd2 Rb6 41.Bxe6 fxe6 42.Re2 Rhb8 43.Rf7+ Kd6 44.Rf6 Ke7 45.Rh6 d4

White will not just lose his b-pawn but also his c-pawn, leaving Black with lethal passed c and d pawns close to their queening squares.

46.Rh7+ Kf6 47.Rxh5 d3 48.Rd2 Rxb2 49.Rxb2 Rxb2+ 50.Ke1 Rc2 51.Rxc5 Rxc3 52.h4 a4 53.Kd2 Rc2+ 54.Kd1 Ke7 55.h5 Kd6 56.Rc8 Kd5 57.Rd8+ Ke5 58.g4

White's king and rook are passive. Black's forces radiate threats. If 58 h6 Rh2 59 Rh8 (59 Rc8 Kd4) 59 ... Kd4 60 h7 Ke3 61 Kc1 c3 62 Kb1 Rh1+ 63 Ka2 d2 64 Rd8 Rxh7 and wins.  

58...Rh2 59.Kc1 Kf4 60.g5

Or if 60 Rd4+ Ke3 61 Rxc4 Rh1+ 62 Kb2 d2 and Black's pawn queens.

60...Kxg5 61.Rd4 Rc2+ 62.Kd1 Kxh5 63.Rg4 c3 64.Rd4 Rd2+ 65.Kc1 e5 White resigns

Play might end 66 Rc4 Rc2+ 67 Kd1 Kg5 68 Rxa4 (68 Rc5 Kf4) 68 ... Ra2 69 Ke1 Ra1+ 70 Kf2 d2 and queens.

June 18, 2005

In an oddly emotive editorial in The Edinburgh Evening News on Monday, the paper attacked a modest proposal by Edinburgh Council to investigate the feasibility of funding a full-time development worker to promote chess in primary schools.

Such a post would set a “dangerous precedent” thundered the organ, which apparently fears increasingly rampant nanny-state-like interference in the detailed lives of the capital's council taxpayers.

Sanity prevailed by Wednesday in a reply from Lothian Primary School Chess League. This emphasised that demand for primary chess clubs in the city far outstrips supply and argued calmly that a city-wide co-ordinator could have considerable benefits.

The Edinburgh plan is simply based on the Aberdeen Chess in Schools Project. Research on that project confirmed that chess improved educational attainment and social skills. Minister for Education, Peter Peacock, welcomed the concept of the “visiting chess coach” in January.

Further information on such schemes, including North Ayrshire Council's Chess in Schools Project jointly managed by Chess Scotland, can be obtained by emailing: schools@ChessScotland.com .

“Fire on Board”, rather than off it, is the title of Part 2 of Alexei Shirov's engrossing best games collection, (£17.99 Everyman). The fiery Latvian's combinative style is well exemplified by the following explosion

White: A. Shirov Black: S. Movsesian, 35 th Bosnia grandmasters, Sarajevo 2005, Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qc7 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0–0–0 b5 9.Bf4 Qb6 10.Nxc6 dxc6

The unclear 8 ... Bb4 9 f3 has been played a lot recently. Movsesian's 8 ... b5 may put at risk too many black squares prematurely, although here he might try 10 ... Qxc6, and if 11 e5 b4.

11.e5 Nd5 12.Ne4 Ra7 13.h4 Rd7 14.Bg3 c5 15.h5 h6 16.Rh4 c4 17.Nd6+ Bxd6 18.exd6 0–0 19.Rg4 f5

White's d6-pawn severely cramps Black, e.g. if 19 ... Nf6 20 Rxg7+ Kxg7 21 Be5 Qd8 22 Qf4, followed by g4-g5, winning Black's knight with a kingside breakthrough. Perhaps 19 ... Kh8 20 Be5 f6 21 Bh2 was possible. Now Shirov launches an unstoppable blitzkrieg.

20.Qxh6 fxg4 21.Qxe6+ Rdf7 22.Qxd5 Qd8 23.b3

White has excellent play for his exchange sacrifice but can only win by activating his white square bishop at the expense of weakening his own king's defences.

23...Qf6 24.bxc4 Qa1+ 25.Kd2 Qxa2 26.Bd3 Qa5+ 27.Ke2 Bb7 28.Qe6 Bxg2 29.h6 Bf3+ 30.Kf1 bxc4 31.Bg6 Bxd1 32.hxg7 Kxg7 33.Bxf7 Bxc2

Black remains ahead in material, but White's king is now safe while Black's is ready to topple. If 33 ... Rxf7 34 Be5+ Kg8 35 Qe8+ Rf8 36 Qg6 mate.

34.Be5+ Kh7 35.Qe7 Qd8 36.Bg8+ Kg6

Or if 36 ... Kxg8 37 Qg7 mate.

37.Bh7+ Kh5 38.Bxc2 Qxe7 39.dxe7 Re8 40.Bd6 Black resigns

Black's rook falls to Ba4.

June 11, 2005

Britain's top player and world number 7, Michael Adams, takes on Hydra, the world's strongest chess computer, in a six game match to be held in the Wembley Centre, London (June 21-27). At stake is an £80,000 prize fund.

I favour Hydra to win, but the odds on Adams securing a 3-3 draw are reasonable. An elite few in the world's top ten, can probably still match the best computers at classical time rates. But faster rates now clearly favour computers, which continue to improve mainly due to breakneck advances in brute force processing.    

The best computers now rarely make gross errors, and Adams will face a fearsomely powerful research version of Hydra that punches the weight of 200 standard PCs. Housed in a 64-way cluster computer in Abu Dhabi , it computes 200 million moves per second, compared to Adams 's almost pitiful 1.4 moves.

But Adams 's chessplaying brainpower remains vastly superior. Stripped of its number-crunching powers, Hydra would swiftly shed masses of rating points. Humans have an extraordinary and still little understood ability to plan and seize on the best moves without inane number crunching. This still allows Adams a real chance.

Last weekend, Adams tied a rapidplay match 4-4 against Hungarian number one, Peter Leko. Adams went three ahead in the first three rounds, only to lose the next three, with two draws to finish. Game 4 was judged best in the match.

White: P. Leko Black: M. Adams, Rapidplay Match (Game 4), Miskolc 2005, Ruy Lopez: Keres Defence

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7 12.d5

White refreshingly departs from the fashionable 12 Nbd2 cxd4 13 cxd4 Nc6. Leko's closed treatment is a serious challenge.

12...Nb6 13.Nbd2

Fischer- Keres , Curacao 1962 continued less convincingly 13 g4 h5 14 Nh2 hxg4 15 hxg4 Bg5, and was eventually won by Black.  

13 … f5 14.exf5 Bxf5 15.Bxf5 Rxf5 16.Ne4 Qe8

White has good white square control, extra space and queenside breakthrough possibilities. Black now unwisely tempts fate by allowing a White knight access via g5 to the e6 square.

17 .Nfg5 Nb7 18.Ne6 Qf7 19.b4

Black gets no time to challenge White's dominant knight on e6, as White opens lines on the queenside. Now 19 ... c4 fails to 20 Be3 and if 20 ... Nd7 21 a4, opening the a-file, or if 20 ... Na4 21 Nc7 winning Black's a-pawn.

19...cxb4 20.cxb4 Nd8 21.Be3 Nc4 22.Nc7 Nxe3

Black sadly has to exchange his best developed piece, or lose his a-pawn.

23. Rxe3 Ra7 24.Rc1 h6 25.Rec3 Qg6 26.Rg3 Qf7 27.Rgc3 Qg6 28.Qe2 Bg5 29.R1c2 Rf4 30.f3 Rf8 31.Qf2 Rb7 32.Qg3 Kh7 33.Qg4

White could simply play 33 Nxa6 winning a pawn. He dominates the c-file and prefers instead to increase his already near crushing white square control.  

33...Rb6 34.Kh1 Rf4 35.Qd7 Rxe4

Black sacrifices an exchange in a desperate but doomed final throw. Instead 35 ... Rf7 loses to 36 Nxg5+.  

36 .fxe4 Qxe4 37.Qg4 Bf4 38.Rc1 Rb7 39.a3 Qd4 40.Qf5+ Kg8 41.Qc8 Bxc1 42.Qxd8+ Kh7 43.Rxc1 Qf4 44.Rg1 Black resigns

June 4, 2005

A good way to improve your chess is to play through lots of games played and annotated by very strong players and to tackle lots of tactical puzzles. Playing through the games gets you used to planning and whole game play. The puzzles sharpen your ability to calculate concrete variations.

Most of us enjoy reading games collections. Fewer of us enjoy tackling difficult puzzles. But working at puzzles will pay dividends. You'll get better at spotting combinations and traps and at playing endgames.

Joe Gallagher's recent “365 Ways to Checkmate” (£13.99 Gambit) is a good puzzle book to pick up at bedtime. You don't necessarily need 365 bedtimes to read it, but it's chunky and presents a lively challenge. It also contains plenty of lively writing, including hints and a score chart for self-evaluation.

But why do puzzles help play in simplified endgames? Paradoxically, with fewer pieces on the board, chess frequently becomes entirely tactical. If you can't calculate precisely and often lengthy variations, you're definitely at risk in endgames.

Strong players often snatch extra half-points against poorly defended endgames. Here is an example from the East of Scotland Championship. The winner shared 2nd place behind first-placed, Stephen Mannion .

White: B. Harrold Black: P. Coffey, East of Scotland Championship, Grangemouth 2005, Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5

This is an unusual sideline. White's simplest and perhaps best reply is 5 Nb3, forcing Black's bishop to retreat, followed by 6 Nc3, c4 or Bd3.  

5.Be3 Qb6 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Na4 Qa5+ 8.c3 Bxd4 9.Bxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 e5

White has got his pieces into a convoluted tangle. He must now exchange queens because of his poor knight's position, leaving Black with a slight pull in an endgame.

11 .Qb4 Qxb4 12.cxb4 Nf6 13.Nc3 Ke7 14.Bc4 d6 15.Nd5+ Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Be6 17.Bxe6 Kxe6 18.Rc1 Rac8 19.Kd2 d5 20.exd5+ Kxd5 21.Rc3 Rc6

Maybe 21 ... Rxc3, and if 22 Kxc3 Rc8+ 23 Kd3 f5 was even stronger (or if 22 bxc3 Rc8, and although White's b pawns have been undoubled , Black has powerful play against White's now backward c pawn and weak white squares).

22 .Rxc6 Kxc6 23.Rc1+ Kd6 24.Rc3 Rd8 25.Rd3+

White goes for a very doubtful king and pawn endgame. Much better was 25 Ke3, when White can hope to create counterplay with his rook in a still tenable rook and pawn endgame.

25...Ke7 26.Rxd8 Kxd8 27.Kd3 Kd7 28.Kc4 Kd6 29.b5 h5 30.g3 g5 31.f4

This loses. But White is virtually certain now to lose a key "tempo" battle of the kings for control of the pivotal d5 square, e.g. 31.a4 f6 32.b4 f5 33.a5 g4 34.Kc3 Kd5 35.Kd3 f4 36.Kc3 Ke4 37.Kc4 Kf3 38.b6 axb6 39.axb6 Kxf2 40.Kd5 f3 and Black is winning.

31...exf4 32.gxf4 g4

Now White's king will have to rush back to defend against the breakthrough threat 33 ... h4, followed by ... g3, leaving Black's king free to mop up White's pawns on the queenside.

33 .Kd4 h4 34.Ke4 f5+ White resigns

May 28, 2005

Gambit Publications has been quickest off the mark to cash in on Garry Kasparov's recent retirement. “Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games Volume 1”, by Igor Stohl , is a sumptuous, hardback collection of 74 of the great man's greatest games from 1973-1993.

Stohl is a strong Slovakian grandmaster, one of whose previous books for Gambit, “Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces”, won a US Chess Federation Best Book prize. At £22.00, Stohl's book also retails at a sumptuous price, but it is well-researched, instructive and a delightful read.

Richard Palliser's “The Modern Benoni Revealed” (£14.99 Batsford ) has also impressed me recently. This is unquestionably one of the best introductory openings books I have ever read and a must if you play this romantic defence.

Veselin Topalov swept to victory in the MTel Masters in Sofia , with a string of brilliant wins in the second half of the event. Final scores: Topalov 6.5/10, Anand 5.5, Polgar and Ponomariov 5, Kramnik and Adams 4.

Last week I gave Topalov's fantastic victory against Viswanathan Anand . Topalov subsequently defeated Ruslan Ponomariov in equally sensational fashion. The Russian made the mistake of taking Topalov on in the same line tried by Anand . Topalov , clearly up for the challenge, won with a remarkable king hunt.

White: V. Topalov Black: R. Ponomariov, Mtel Masters, Sofia 2005, Queen's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 0–0

Ponomariov avoids Anand's 7 ... c6 8 e4 d5 9 Qc2, but also runs into some devilish home preparation after White's scarcely investigated 8th move.

8.Rc1 c6 9.e4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Bd3 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.h4

White threatens 15 Bxh7+ Kxh7 16 Ng5+, and if 16 ... Kg8 17 Qh5 with a winning attack. White also wins after 14 ... f5 15 exf6 Bxf6 16 Ng5, and if 16 ... g6 17 Nxh7 Kxh7 18 Qh5+ Kg8 19 Qxg6+ Bg7 20 Qh7+ Kf7 21 Bg6+.

14...h6 15.Bb1 f5 16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Qc2

White's queen and bishop battery on the b1–h7 diagonal, combined with Ng5, is crushing. If 17 ... Bxc3 18 Qh7+ Kf7 19 Bxc3 d4, Black loses, e.g. 20 Bg6+ Ke7 (20 ... Kf6 21 Bd2 e5 22 Be4) 21 Qxg7+ Kd6 22 Nxd4 Qe7 (22 ... cxd4 23 Bb4+0 23 Qe5+, and if 23 ... Kxe5 (23 ... Kd7 24 Nb5 wins more mundanely) 24 Nb5 mate!

17...d4 18.Ng5 hxg5 19.hxg5 dxc3 20.Bf4 Kf7

If 20 ... Bxg5 21 Qh7+ Kf7 22 Qg6+ Kg8 23 Rh8+ Kxh8 24 Qh7 mate. Although a rook and knight ahead, Black's king is fatally wounded.

21 .Qg6 + Ke7 22.gxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxg7+ Rf7 24.Bg5+ Kd6 25.Qxf7 Qxg5 26.Rh7

But what a glorious end to the game! If 26 ... Qc1+ 27 Ke2 Qd2+ 28 Kf1 Qd1+ 29 Kg2, and Black has no good defence against 30 Qc7 mate.  

26...Qe5+ 27.Kf1 Kc6 28.Qe8+ Kb6 29.Qd8+ Kc6 30.Be4+ Black resigns

Or if 30 ... Qxe4 31 Qc7 mate.

21 May, 2005

Retired world number one, Garry Kasparov, has made a chequered start to his new career as an anti-Putin, pro-democracy political activist in Russia . Used to cerebral rough and tumble on the chessboard, he now has to contend with actual bruising.

So far the dynamic ex chess king has been assaulted with a chessboard at a political meeting. The Moscow police also recently manhandled him at a demonstration against the conviction for fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement of Russian oil billionaire, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

As Kasparov stutters towards establishing himself at the top in his new domain, the chess world has also been doing its share of stuttering. Kasparov, the chess world's only truly international celebrity, guaranteed box-office and sponsorship, which promoters fear losing.

But many big events have already been announced and taken place successfully in a world without Kasparov. New world number one, Anand, is huge in Asia . Kramnik, Topalov, Leko, Judit Polgar and others have a high profile in their own countries and in Europe , so maintaining momentum.

Tomorrow Anand, Topalov, Kramnik, Polgar, Ponomariov and Adams end an elite double round event, sponsored by the mobile phone company Mobiltel in Sofia . Only one point separated the players after Wednesday's 6 th round, which included this whirlwind win by the local hero.

White: V. Topalov Black: V. Anand, Mtel Masters, Sofia 2005, Queen's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 c6 8.e4 d5 9.Qc2

Some books label this "harmless", but Topalov's brilliant 11th and 12th move gambit idea may cause a rethink.

9...dxe4 10.Nxe4 Bb7 11.Neg5 c5 12.d5 exd5 13.cxd5 h6

Black provokes a promising knight sacrifice, but 13 ... Bxd5 14 0–0–0, and if 14 ... 0–0 15 Bc3 is just bad.

14.Nxf7 Kxf7 15.0–0–0 Bd6 16.Nh4 Bc8 17.Re1 Na6 18.Re6

Now 18 ... Bxe6 19 fxe6+ Kxe6 20 Bxa6 or 18 ... Nxd5 19 Qg6+ both lose, but 18 ... Nc7 is less clear. Then the fantastic line 19 Qg6+ Kg8 20 Nf5 Bf8 21 Bc4, and if 21 ... b5 22 Bxh6 may win, but needs checking.

18...Nb4 19.Bxb4 cxb4 20.Bc4 b5 21.Bxb5 Be7

Or if 21 ... Bxe6 22 fxe6+ Kg8 (22 ... Kxe6 23 Qf5+ Kf7 24 Bc4+ Ke8 25 Re1+ Be7 26 Ng6) 23 e7 Bxe7 24 Bc4+ Kf8 25 Ng6+ Ke8 26 Nxh8 and wins.

22.Ng6 Nxd5 23.Rxe7+ Nxe7 24.Bc4+ Kf6 25.Nxh8 Qd4

Now Black loses, a pawn down, in a bad endgame. But his hopelessly exposed king would have been gunned down even more quickly after 25 ... Qxh8 26 Rd1, and if 26 ... Bf5 27 Rd6+ Ke5 28 Qd2 or 26 ...   Nf5 27 Qe4.  

26.Rd1 Qa1+ 27.Kd2 Qd4+ 28.Ke1 Qe5+ 29.Qe2 Qxe2+ 30.Kxe2 Nf5 31.Nf7 a5 32.g4 Nh4 33.h3 Ra7 34.Rd6+ Ke7 35.Rb6 Rc7 36.Ne5 Ng2 37.Ng6+ Kd8 38.Kf1 Bb7 39.Rxb7 Rxb7 40.Kxg2 Rd7 41.Nf8 Rd2 42.Ne6+ Ke7 43.Nxg7 Rxa2 44.Nf5+ Kf6 45.Nxh6 Rc2 46.Bf7 Rc3 47.f4 a4 48.bxa4 b3 49.g5+ Kg7 50.f5 b2 51.f6+ Kh7 52.Nf5 Black resigns

Or if 52 ... b1=Q (52 ... Rc8 53 g6+ Kh8 54 Ba2) 53 g6+ Kh8 54 g7+ Kh7 55 g8=Q mate.

May 14, 2005

The final of chess organiser Mike Hanley's Chess for Kicks schools tournament, takes place on May 22 at Hampden Park . A large crowd of proud parents will be urging on their excited offspring from the sidelines of the national stadium's plush Lomond Suite.

Over 500 entrants from schools all over Scotland have been whittled down to 96 competing in three final sections – Secondary, Primary 6&7 and Primary 5&under. Spectators are welcome, but are barred from the playing area during play to prevent any crowd interference.

The German Bundesliga was decided last weekend in the VIP Suite of the Werder Bremen football ground. The chess section of the Werder sports club, which includes the 2004 German football champions, beat Cologne- Porz to become 2005 German chess champions.

This was a big day in Bremen . Marco Bode, Werder and German international footballer and a strong amateur chess player, gave a simultaneous chess display. The match itself was advertised on a poster featuring women's grandmaster, Almira Skripchenko , as a Werder footballer.

Two weeks ago, Wood Green won the British Four Nations Chess League. Werder's board one, Luke McShane , could only manage board six for second-placed Guildford . Wood Green won on a tie break after a 4-4 result against Guildford in the last round.

White: E. Sutovsky (Wood Green) Black: I. Sokolov ( Guildford ), 4NCL, Division 1, West Bromwich 2005, Ruy Lopez: Open Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 Bg4 11.Bc2 Ne6 12.Re1 Bc5 13.Nf1 Bh5 14.b4 Bb6 15.Ng3 Bg6 16.h4 d4

The Open Defence (5 ... Nxe4) is a tactically-based, counter-punching line. Here Black fearlessly plunges his d-pawn into the heart of White's position as his own kingside comes under fire.

17 .Bg5 Bxc2 18.Qxc2 Qd5 19.Nh5 Qc4 20.Nd2 d3

White's attack is also too strong after 20 ... Qxc3 21 Qe4 Nxg5 (21 ... 0–0 22 Nf3) 22 Nxg7+ Kf8 23 hxg5, and if 23 ... Qxd2 (23 ... Kxg7 24 Qf4) 24 Qxc6 Kxg7 25 Qf6+ Kg8 26 e6.

21. Qd1 Qd5 22.Ne4 Kf8

Not 22 ... 0–0 23 Nef6+ and wins. But this knight's move, now a sacrifice, still remains deadly.

23 Nef6 gxf6 24.Nxf6 Qc4 25.Re4 Ncd4

Instead 25 ... Qxc3 fails to 26 Bh6+ Ke7 27 Nd5+.

26 .Bh6 + Ke7 27.cxd4 Nxd4 28.Rc1 Qxa2 29.Rxd4 Rhd8

White goes a piece ahead, but Black retains a powerful d-pawn. If 29 ... Bxd4 30 Rxc7+ Kd8 31 Rd7+ Kc8 32 Rxd4 and White wins.

30 .Rf4 d2 31.Rc3 Qa4 32.Ng8+ Ke8 33.Nf6+ Ke7 34.Nd5+

White wins with two brilliant clearance sacrifices. Not 34 Qxa4 bxa4 and Black wins.

34...Rxd5 35.Rxf7+ Kd8

White's queen and bishop mate after 35 ... Kxf7 36 Qf3+, e.g. 36 ... Ke6 37 Qf6+ Kd7 38 Qf5+ Ke7 39 Bg5+ Ke8 40 Qe6+ Kf8 41 Bh6 mate.

36 .Rf8 + Ke7 37.Bg5+ Black resigns

Or if 37 ... Kxf8 38 Qf3+ and wins, e.g. 38 ... Ke8 39 Qh5+ Kd7 40 Qg4+ Ke8 41 Qe6+ Kf8 42 Bh6 mate.

May 7, 2005

The 112 th Scottish Chess Championships take place in Oban High School (July 2-10). Events include the main Championship, an International Open, a Seniors and two other rating restricted championships and a weekend congress (July 8-10). See full details at www.ChessScotland.com .

This year's event has been dedicated to the memory of Alan Murphy, who sadly died last November. Alan, one of Oban's most energetic local organisers, had been looking forward to jointly managing the Championships this year and will be greatly missed.

Sadly, too, the Championships are missing a sponsor. Local businesses in Oban have an excellent track record in supporting chess in the town, including its popular annual weekend congress in November, but the Championships still need a lead sponsor to lend its name to the national events in July.

A relatively modest sum is particularly likely to ensure that the main Championship will be strongly contested. In the past, blue chip companies including High Street Banks and other major financial institutions have sponsored the Championships, creating excitement at the top that enlivens everyone's enjoyment in the event.

The Championships have a great tradition, which include the participation of one prime minister to be, Bonar Law, one hundred years ago. Nowadays, and particularly in Oban, it is a family event that brings spending to local communities and adds colour. Any interested sponsor should contact the tournament director at ScottishChamps@ChessScotland.com .

Stephen Mannion and Andrew Burnett shared 1 st /2 nd places on 5/6 at the Hamilton Congress two weeks ago. The following game is the kind of titanic clash between two former Scottish champions that we may miss in an Oban with no sponsor!

White: S. Mannion Black: C. McNab, Open, Hamilton 2005, Sicilian Paulsen

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Be7

Black's main alternative is 6 ... Ba7, after which 7 Qg4 Nf6 8 Qxg7 Rg8 9 Qh6 Rxg2, with a double attack against f2, is good for Black.

7.Qg4 g6 8.Qe2 d6 9.0–0 Nd7 10.Nc3 Qc7 11.Be3 b6 12.f4 Ngf6

Black purposely, and correctly, delayed this move until White's bishop could no longer reply Bh6.

13.Kh1 Bb7 14.Bd4 0–0 15.Rae1 Nh5

This decentralising move looks doubtful. Black had two possibly better alternatives in 15 ... b5, and if 16 a3 Rae8, or 15 ... e5, and if 16 f5 Ne5.

16.f5 Bh4 17.Rd1 exf5 18.exf5 Ndf6

Black's minor pieces are in an unfortunate tangle on the kingside. The otherwise natural developing move 18 ... Rae8 allows 19 Qg4, and if 19 ... Bf6 20 fxg6, with a winning attack.

19.Qe3 Qc6 20.Qh3 g5

Black wouldn't have been happy playing this move, which leaves both his bishop on h4 and knight on h5 in danger. But both 20 ... Rae8 and 20 ... Bg5 also run into the dangerous manoeuvre, 21 Be2 followed by Bf3.

21.Be2 Rfe8 22.Bf3 Qc7 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Kg1 b5 25.g4

So that if 25 ... Nf4 26 Rxf4 gxf5 27 Qxh4 and wins. Black must lose a piece.

25...b4 26.gxh5 Nxh5 27.Qg4 bxc3 28.Qxh5 Re4 29.bxc3 Rae8 30.Qf3 Qb5 and Black resigned

April 30, 2005

Every beginner soon comes across Scholar's Mate. Stern teachers warn against it, on the grounds that moving the queen out so early in the game only allow Black's pieces to develop with tempo by attacking it.

But the competitor in most beginners likes to punt for the cheap mate in four until their opponents learn how to prevent it. After the moves 1 e4 e5 2 Qh5 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 , White exploits the vulnerability of the f7 point in the starting position by delivering the sudden blow 4 Qxf7 mate .

Black should avoid this, of course, by breaking White's double attack on f7 by 3 … g6 , after which White's queen really does have to retreat with loss of tempo.

So you don't see this opening in top-class chess? Well, you didn't until the 2005 US Champion, 17 year-old GM Hikaru Nakamura, reeled it out against his strong Indian opponent, Krishnan Sasikiran, in the recently concluded Sigeman tournament, in Malmo/Copenhagen.

Nakamura no doubt played it for shock value. After 3 … g6 4 Qf3 Nf6 5 Nge2 Bg7 6 Nbc3 , the game is certainly no more than balanced and he lost a long game by trying too hard to win it.

The fearless Nakamura has realistic medium-term designs on the world number one spot. Post Kasparov's retirement, Vishy Anand recently consolidated his hold on that position, by winning the Blindfold, Rapidplay and Combined first places in last month's elite Melody Amber grandmasters.

White: V. Anand Black: V. Topalov, 14 th Melody Amber (Rapid), Monte Carlo 2005, Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8

Following Kramnik's success with this line in his world title match against Garry Kasparov in London 2000, it has attracted the nickname "The Berlin Wall Variation".

9.Nc3 h6 10.h3 Bd7 11.Bf4 Kc8 12.Rad1 b6 13.Rd3 Be6 14.Rfd1 Kb7 15.b3 g5 16.Bc1 c5 17.Nd5 Ne7 18.Nxe7 Bxe7 19.c4

This is a typical Berlin Wall queenless middlegame. White has better pawns and more space, but Black has an active bishop pair and no easy targets.

19...Rag8 20.Nd2 g4 21.hxg4 Rxg4 22.Nf1 Rhg8 23.Rg3 h5 24.Re1 a6 25.Rxg4 hxg4 26.Rd1 Kc6 27.Bf4 Rd8 28.Rxd8 Bxd8 29.Ne3 b5 30.Kf1 bxc4 31.bxc4 Kb6 32.Ke2 Ka5 33.Kd3 c6 34.f3

White must mobilise his majority of pawns on the kingside. Black aims for play on the queenside.

34...gxf3 35.gxf3 Ka4 36.Bh6 Ka3 37.f4

White loses his a-pawn, but his e and f pawns are now far advanced and he can pin Black's king down on the a-file.

37...Kxa2 38.Kc2 f5 39.Bf8 Bb6 40.Be7 a5

Black's extra pawn is largely symbolic and he has a poor king position. Instead 40 ... Ka3 41 Bh4 Kb4 (or 41 ... Ba5 42 Be7 Bb4 43 Bh4) 42 Be1+ Ka4 43 Bh4 looks drawn.

41.Bh4 a4 42.Be1 Bd8 43.Nd1 Ka3

Now Black had to play 43 ... Bxc4 44 Nc3+ Ka3 45 Nb1+ drawing.

44.Nb2 Be7 45.Bc3 Bf8 46.Nd3 Black resigns

White mates in two: 46 Bb2+ Ka2 47 Nc1 mate.

April 23, 2005

Hamilton Chess Club confirmed their top spot in Scotland this year, by defeating Edinburgh West in the Richardson Cup Final last weekend in Grangemouth. Hamilton ran out comfortable winners 5.5-2.5, to take the Cup for the first time in the competition's 106 year-old history.

The Richardson Cup is the equivalent in chess of football's Scottish Cup. An impressive piece of silverware, the Cup now sits in the club's trophy cabinet alongside awards to Hamilton for winning this year's Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Scottish National League First Divisions.

Hamilton 's success is largely due to its successful recruitment of many of Scotland 's top young players, providing strength in depth that few rivals can live with. Edinburgh West “won” 2.5-1.5 on the top four boards, but the match was decided by a 4-0 “drubbing” by Hamilton 's youth internationalists on the bottom four.

The Spens Cup and Jack Campbell Rosebowl Finals, subsidiary events to the Richardson Cup, were also decided at Grangemouth. Edinburgh Civil Service defeated Castlehill 5.5-0.5 in the Spens Cup. Lanark took home the Jack Campbell Rosebowl , with a 4.5-1.5 win against Stonehaven .

Danny McGowan, of Tiree, led the Hamilton rout on boards five to eight in the Richardson Cup Final. He won the game by remorselessly squeezing an unduly passive and indecisive opponent, who dropped square after square from an early stage.  

White: D. McGowan (Hamilton) Black: S. Gillam ( Edinburgh West), Richardson Cup Final ( Bd 5), Grangemouth 2005, Modern Defence

1.e4 g6 2.d4 c6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.h3 dxe4

5 ... Nf6, and if 6 e5 Ne4, is the more active and critical line.

6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.Nxf6+ exf6 8.Bd3 0–0 9.0–0 Nd7 10.b3

White has a healthier pawn structure and more space, so Black will always be struggling to achieve equality. Perhaps 10 ... f5, with the plan ... Nf6, ... Be6, ... Qd7, fighting to establish a solid blocking force in the centre, was now best.

10...Nb6 11.c4 Be6 12.Be3 Qd7 13.Qc2 Nc8 14.Rad1 Ne7 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.Qb1 Rfd8 17.Rfe1 b6 18.Rd2 Bf5 19.Red1 Qb7 20.Bxf5 Nxf5 21.d5 c5

White's d-pawn is always threatening, but Black should at least isolate it by exchanging pawns on d5, giving his pieces more counterattacking prospects in the c and d-files. As played, he loses even more space.

22 .d6 Rd7 23.Rd5 Re8 24.g4 Nd4

Black's knight has now run out of effective squares. He must either lose a pawn or suffer complete positional ruin on the kingside after 24 ... Nh6 25 Qc1, forcing ... g5.

25 .Nxd4 cxd4 26.R1xd4 f5 27.Rd1 fxg4 28.hxg4 Re6 29.Re1 Qc8 30.Rxe6 fxe6 31.Rd1 e5 32.Bg3 Qf8 33.Qd3 Qf7 34.b4 Qe6 35.c5 bxc5 36.bxc5 Bf8 37.Qd5 Kf7 38.Qxe5 Qxg4 39.Rd4 Black resigns

If 39 ... Qh3 40 Rh4, or 39 ... Qh5 / Qe6 40 Rf4+ and wins quickly.

April 16, 2005

A date clash meant that I was unable to play in the Edinburgh Chess Congress two weeks ago, as round one coincided with my return from playing in the EU Chess championship. I missed some intriguing battles.

Most games were sublime, but one was ridiculous. Two unwise young players decided to play out a 10 move nineteenth century stalemate puzzle, reputedly the fastest stalemate achievable from the starting position.

The players only wanted to draw and saw no point in engaging in real combat. But “pre-arranged” draws are illegal. Both players were extremely fortunate not to have their half-point taken away.

In this case the infuriated arbiters took into account the youth of the players, and their story, following an interrogation, that there was no pre-arrangement. They noted that the result had no bearing on any prizes and let them off with a stern reprimand.

The real battle for top places in the Premier section was wholly full-blooded. Colin McNab , Stephen Mannion , Keith Ruxton and Andrew Burnett tied 1 st on 4/5. Burnett won the Best Game Prize, given below.

Curiously, the loser in this game won the Best Game Prize last year.   Black again, he faltered in the opening, allowing White to launch one of the finest sacrificial attacks seen in Scotland so far this year.

White: A. Burnett Black: C. McDonald, Premier, Edinburgh 2005, French Defence

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7

Black plans ... Bc6, followed by ... Nd7 and ... Ngf6. This solves immediate development problems, but is less active than 4 ... Nd7, eyeing for an early ... c5.

5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0–0 Ngf6 8.Ng3 Be7 9.c4 b6

Black usually plays … Bxf3, followed by ... c6, with a solid if rather passive position.

10 .b3 Bb7 11.Bb2 c5

Having moved his bishop three times in the opening, it was perhaps unwise to provoke White into opening the game. Better was 11 ... 0–0, and if 12 Re1 Re8.

12 .d5 exd5 13.Nf5 0–0 14.Re1 Re8 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.Bb5

For a pawn, White's better developed forces exert great pressure. Black's critical reply may be 16 ... a6, as 17 Bxd7 Qxd7 18 Rxe7 Qxf5 holds. Instead 17 Bc4 Bxc4 18 bxc4 Bf8 19 Qd2 still looks a reasonable gambit.

16...Be6 17.Nxg7

With this and his next, White invests a rook to drag Black's king into the open.

17...Kxg7 18.Rxe6 fxe6 19.Ng5 Nf8

If 19 … Kg8 20 Nxe6 Qc8 21 Qd2 Kf7 (21 … Nf8 22 Qg5+ Ng6 23 Bc4) 22 Bc4 b5 23 Nd8+ Kg6 24 Qd3+ and wins.

20 .Qh5 e5

Or if 20 ... Ng6 21 Qxh7+ Kf8 22 Qf7 mate.

21 .Qf7 + Kh8

After 21 ...Kh6 22 Nf3, and if 22 ... Ng6 23 Nxe5 or 22 ... Ne4 23 Bxe5, White's raking bishops, queen and knight will soon gun down Black's king.

22 .Bxe5 h6 23.Bc4 Black resigns

Or if 23 ... hxg5 24 Qg8 mate.

April 9, 2005

Cork Chess Club celebrated the Irish city's year as European Capital of Culture by hosting the first EU Championships (March 21-31). Hungarian grandmaster, Zoltan Gyimesi , won on a tie break. Gyimesi and Mateusz Bartel ( Poland ) both scored 8.5/10.

Nowadays more of a chess tourist than a serious chaser of international rating points, I was pleased to be able to play in this event. The Irish have a gift for hospitality. Cork is beginning to fizz in its year in the EU cultural spotlight.

Perhaps only in Ireland will you come across a group of local organisers who are not just technically front-rank, but who are also accomplished on unaccompanied voice and a range of traditional instruments. The après-chess tournament banquet and Craic were quite special.

The local politicians and the European Capital of Culture organising committee, who supported this event, were pleased with the 110 plus entry and wide international interest. Cork Chess Club's internet site posted all the games, achieving up to 40,000 world-wide hits daily.

Best of the Scottish results were recorded by Keti Arakhamia -Grant (6/10), with her husband Jonathan, Tim Upton and myself scoring 5.5. Here is one of Gyimesi's typically fluent, power-chess wins against English international master, Gawain Jones.

White: Z. Gyimesi Black: G. Jones, 1st EU Championship, Cork 2005, Benko Gambit

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.e3

According to Neil McDonald's recent Batsford book, "The Benko Gambit", Black's best response to this outwardly modest move is 5 ... Bb7 6 Nc3 axb5 7 Bxb5 Qa5.

5...g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.a4 0–0 8.e4

Now, following Black's time-consuming king's bishop fianchetto and despite White needing two moves to get in e4, it is remarkably hard to shake White's grip in the centre and hold on b5.

8...Qa5 9.Bd2 Qb4 10.Bd3 c4 11.Bc2 d6

If Black can't grab White's b-pawn, his ambitious queen sortie backfires. But while 11 ... Qxb2, and if 12 Nge2 Qb4, may be possible, even the simple 13 0-0 would then be good for White.

12 .Nge2 axb5 13.axb5 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 Qc5 15.Be3 Qc7 16.b6 Qb7 17.f3 Na6 18.Qa5

Black's queen has retreated with frightening loss of time. White controls the centre and has an extra, game-winning pawn on b6.

18...Bd7 19.0–0 Ra8 20.Ra1 Nc7 21.Qa7

White gains rook, minor piece and a monster pawn on the seventh rank for his queen. Black has no space and a terminal vulnerability on his back-rank.

21...Bc8 22.Kf2 Rxa7 23.Rxa7 Qb8 24.bxc7 Qxb2 25.Na4 Ng4+

If 25 ... Qxc2 26 Ra8, followed by Rxc8+.

26 .fxg4 Qf6+ 27.Ke1 Qa1+ 28.Bd1 Black resigns

Or if 28 ... c3 29 Ra8 c2 30 Rxc8+ Bf8 31 Rxf8+ Kxf8 32 c8=Q+ Kg7 33 Qxc2 and wins.

April 2, 2005

Gary Lane , ex-England and now Australian international, has written two instructive Batsford openings monographs aimed at the keen club and tournament player.

In “The Bishop's Opening Explained” (£14.99), he covers a rather neglected line that is much better than its reputation. In “Ideas Behind Modern Chess Openings: Black” (£15.99), he provides a complete openings repertoire for Black, based on the Chigorin and Scandinavian Defences.

Both books are written well and successfully balance strategic explanation, games and analyses. The main structure of the books comprises a core of many fully annotated games, so that reading is both a joy and instructive.

Games collections and games as a basis for openings books are coming back into fashion. As chess databases multiply, we're all drowning in ever-more data. The well