Joe Redpath wins Board Prize in Glorney

14-year-old Joe Redpath of Edinburgh West (photo by JBH) club put in an excellent performance at the Glorney Cup junior team tournament in Dublin in July 2000. Joe took the gold medal for the best board one score with an unbeaten 4.5/5. Scotland won the B Final.

Graeme Nolan, captain of Scotland's Glorney squad, thinks that Joe is a genuine prospect for the grandmaster title. Joe took heed of Graeme's advice to eliminate a serious weakness in his game. Joe had previously been too ready to agree premature draws - Graeme's advice, "Just say no."

Glorney Cup, White: Joe Redpath (Scotland, 2051), Black: Arnaud Rainfray (France, 2425), Opening: Semi-Slav. (EP)

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Bg5 dxc4 6 e4 b5 7 e5 h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 Nxg5 hxg5 10 Bxg5 Nbd7 11 g3

This is perhaps the most complicated variation in opening theory - there is good coverage in the Botvinnik Semi-Slav by Steffen Pedersen (Gambit £14.99).

11...Rg8

Black is having a tough life against 5 Bg5 at the moment. In the final round of the recent Scottish Championship I tried a Pedersen suggestion but was soon worse 11...Bb7 12 Bg2 Qb6 13 exf6 0-0-0 14 0-0 Bh6 15 Bxh6 Rxh6 16 Ne4 c5 17 Qd2 Rh5 (Pedersen) 18 Qf4 Bxe4 19 dxc5! Nxc5 20 Bxe4 Rd4 21 Qf3 Re5 22 Bh7! and White stood better (and later won) in Berry-Bryson.

12 h4 Rxg5 13 hxg5 Nd5 14 g6 fxg6 15 Qg4 Qe7 16 Bg2 Bb7?!

Pedersen claims 16...Qf7 is the only move intending the line 17 Be4 Ne7 18 Nxb5 cxb5 19 Bxa8 Nb6.

17 Qxg6+ Qf7 18 Qxf7+ Kxf7 19 Ne4 Bb4+ 20 Ke2 Nf8 21 Rh6 Be7 22 f4 Rd8 23 Rah1 Kg7

An immediate 23...Nb4, threat Rxd4, looks better. White can force a draw with 24 Nf6 Rxd4 25 Rh7+ but is there a win?

24 R6h5 Nb4 25 Ng5 Rd7 (See Diagram)

26 Nxe6+!

An excellent tactic to remove the defender of h7.

26...Nxe6 27 Rh7+ Kg8 28 Rh8+ Kf7 29 R1h7+ Ng7

or 29...Kg6 30 Be4 mate.

30 e6+

30 Bh3 creates a threat of 31 e6+ Kf6 32 Rh6 mate but Black can grovel on with 30...Rd6.

30...Kxe6 31 Rxg7 Kd6 32 Rh6+ Kc7 33 Bh3 Ba6 34 Bxd7 Kxd7 35 f5 c3 36 bxc3 Nxa2 37 Kd2 Black resigns.

Scottish Glorney team individual scores: 1 Joe Redpath (Edinburgh West) 4.5/5; 2 Gordon Rigg (Giffnock) 1.5/5; 3 Graeme Kafka (Paisley) 1.5/5; 4 David Sime (Wester Hailes) 1.5/5; 5 Duncan Grassie (Bon Accord) 3/5.

Board Prizes Glorney Board 1: Joe Redpath (Scotland) - 4.5 Board 2 Frank Erwich (Netherlands) 4.5 Board 3 Jan Smeet (Netherlands) 5, Board 4 John Kennedy (Ireland) 4, Board 5 Jonathan Mutton (England) 5

GLORNEY CUP   FINAL GROUP B
                   SCO  BEL  WLS  IRL
1  Scotland         n    2     3  [3½]  8½
2  Belgium          3    n    [2]  2    7
3  Wales            2   [3]    n   2    7*
4  Ireland         [1½]  3     3   n    7½