Chess
Exotic-bounty
Jonathan Tisdall
With regular columnist Raymond Keene away representing England in the
Commonwealth Championship in Australia, this seems an auspicious time to report on related events. While GM Keene, Founder-president of the Commonwealth Chess Association, trots the globe popularising chess in Australia and Hong Kong, activities in other member countries are in full swing. Two recent events of note have just finished in India and Zimbabwe, with results that augur well for the future of the emerging chess talent.
From 15 to 31 December 1982 the Delhi International pitted Soviet GMs against the native populace (plus England's Bill Hart- ston) with quite encouraging performances by the home players. Despite the predic- table domination of the Russians, India recorded successes in the shape of Interna- tional Master results for two entrants, Barua and Thipsay. Barua, a 16-year-old of considerable talent who came to attention with a stunning victory over Viktor Kor- chnoi in the Lloyd's Bank tournament in London last August, gained his IM title with this achievement. The final placings were: 1 Dorfman (USSR) 8/11; 2 Kupreichik (USSR) 71/2; 3-5 Taimanov (USSR), Barua, Thipsay 7; 6 Ravi Sekhar 61/2 ; 7-8 Ravi Kumar, Parameshwaran 51/2; 9-10 Hartston (Eng.) Koshy 41/2; 11 Nasir Ali 2; 12 Alexandar I.
Last month saw the staging from 13 to 21 January of a large international open Swiss tournament in Harare, Zimbabwe, which drew 100 entrants. Top honours were shared by GMs Byrne and Gurgenidze by a convincing margin but Kuwasu, Zim- babwe's third board in the last Olympiad in Lucerne, notched a very creditable result. IM Robert Wade, who also lectured in Harare for the CCA, was impressed both by the organisation and the playing ability of the host country and gave it as his opinion that Zimbabwe is the strongest African na- tion at present. The leading scores were: 1-2 Byrne (USA), Gurgenidze (USSR) 8/9; 3-4 Ian Watson (Eng.), Kuwasu (Zim.) 7; 5-6 Wade (Eng.), loseliani (USSR) 61/2.
The following game is a fighting draw of theoretical interest between the co-winners in Harare.
Byrne-Gurgenidze: Harare 1983; Sicilian Defence.
1 e4 c5 2 NI3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Bxf6 One of the oldest continuations against the Sveshnikov Variation. More fashionable is the positional 9 Nd5 Bel 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 c3 with the idea of maintaining cavalry control of the d5 square. 9... gxf6 10 Nd5 f5 11 Bd3 Be6 12 0-0 Nb8!? The latest thematic try for Black. Since White intends c3 to limit the BN as well as provide a return route for the unemployed Na3, Black sets out for the more promising vistas on c5 or f6. 13 c4 BxdS 14 cxd5 Nd7 15 exf5 Bh6 Preventing f4 which would whittle away at the BK's cover. This precaution, coupled with a swift king-side press, ,gives Black good value for the sacrificed pawn. 16 Nc2 Qh4 17 g3 Rg8 18 KhI Qh3 19 a4
Position after 19 a4
(Diagram) White strikes at the most vulnerable point of Black's position and forces hand-to- hand fighting. 19... Rg4! Threatening 20... Rh4! and 21... Bf4 mating. 20 RgI Rxa4 21 Rxa4 bxa4 22 Nb4 With the disappearance of Black's marauding R, White takes the oppor- tunity to seize a temporary initiative. 22... Nc5 23 Nxa6 Nxa6 24 Qa4 + Ke7 25 Qc6 Qg4! Capitalising on White's earlier king-side conces- sions ,to hold the balance. 26 Bxa6 and draw agreed. After 26... Qf3 + 27 Rg2 Qdl + White cannot avoid perpetual check. A pleasing balance of attack and counterattack on both sides of the board.
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