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The LI Itirnate isfay Malt.

CHESS

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Orient express

Raymond Keene

EVERY other year FIDE (the World Chess Federation) organises its Olympiad, or team tournament. The most recent concluded earlier this month in Istanbul. In the mid- to late-1980s the British Chess Federation team established themselves as the natural silver medal winners. Sadly, those days have gone. Although seeded second the British Chess Federation, with its team of Adams, Short, Hodgson, Speelman, Miles and Emms, could finish only in seventh place. It is sad that players like Murray Chandler and John Nunn, who are capable of splendid aggressive chess, have decided to concen- trate their efforts on publishing rather than playing, while Matthew Sadler, a natural team player, has relinquished the ups and downs of professional chess in return for a day job. There are times, of course, when the mortgage must come first.

As it was, the team from Russia won the gold medals, ahead of Germany (artificially puffed up with a couple of ex-Russian mer- cenaries) and Hungary, in bronze-medal position after a tie-break with the Ukraine. The most entertaining player on the Russian side is the headbanging waif Alexander Morozevich, who seems to be able to turn any position into a lottery.

Morozevich-Minasian: Istanbul Olympiad 2000; Caro-Kann Defence

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 exd5 4 c4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Bd3 dxc4 9 Bxc4 h6 10 Bh4 Bxc3 + In this position 10 ... Be7 is safe and solid. Instead, Black conceives an adventurous plan to snatch a hot pawn, just the sort of thing I would not necessarily advise against Morozevich. 11 bxc3 Qa5 12 0-0 Nd5 Instead 12 .. Qxc3 13 Rd Qb4 14 Bxf6 gxf6 15 d5 is way too dangerous for Black. 13 Re! White could of course continue with 13 BxdS, saving his pawn. However, that would not be Morozevich's style. 13 ... Nxc3 14 Qd3 Nd5 15 BxdS exd5 This loses by force.

Correct is 15 Qxd5 16 Rc5 Qd6 17 Bg3 Qd8, the point being that after 18 d5 Black can simply castle since White's pawn on d5 is pinned against the queen on d3. Nevertheless, continuing with 18 ... 0-0 19 d6 White can establish a dangerous passed pawn wedged in the heart of the black camp. This may just be sufficient compensation for the lost material. 16 Rfel+ Be6 17 Rxe6+ Forcing but also forced. White cannot permit the black king to castle into safety. 17 ... fxe6 18 Qg6+ Kf8 If 18 Kd7 19 Qxg7+ wins. 19 Ne5 NxeS 20 dxe5 Qb4 He has to defend against the extraordinary threat of Be7+. 21 g3 An over- refinement. This simple 21 Qxe6 wins easily after 21 ... Qxh4 22 Re7 or 21 ... Re8 22 Qxd5 Qxh4 23 Rc3. Doubtless Morozevich had overlooked Black's amazing defence. 21 ... Re8 22 h3 Rg8 23 a3 Qe4 24 Be7+ Once again this astounding resource comes to White's aid. At first sight it is decisive since 24 ... Rxe7 fails to 25 Rc8+. 24

Kxe7 25 Rc7+ Kdfl 26 Qf7 Qel+ 27 Kg2

It looks as if Black can resign since 27 ... Qe4+ 28 Kh2 Qa4 fails to 29 Rxb7. However, Black is now ready with the most amazing defensive move I have ever seen. 27 ... Qxf2+ 28 Kxf2 If 28 Qxf2 Kxc7 when Black will not lose. 28 Rgf8 29 Rd7+ Kc8 30 Rxb7 Rxt7+ 31 Rxt7 Rd8 32 Rxa7 Rd7 33 Ra8+ Kc7 34 Ke3 Kb6 35 Re8 Ra7 36 Rxe6+ Kc5 37 Rg6 Rxa3+ 38 Kf4 Ra7 39 h4 Rt7+ 40 Ke3 Re7 41 Kf4 Kd4 Having survived in miraculous fashion Black is over- come by delusions of grandeur. The simple 41 Rf7+ is sufficient to draw. 42 e6 Ra7 43 Rg4 h5 If 43 ... Re7 44 Kf5+ Kc5 45 Ke5 when White will win. 44 Rg5 Re7 45 Kf5 Kc5 46 Ke5 d4 47 RxhS d3 48 Rh8 Kc4 49 RcS+ Kb3 50 Rd8 Kc2 51 Kd6 Re8 A final trick hoping for 52 Rxe8 d2 when Black queens with check. However 51 Rb7 52 e7 is equally hopeless, e.g. 52 . d2 53 Ke6 Rxe7+ 54 Kxe7 dl/Q 55 Rxdl Kxd1 56 g4 when White will promote another pawn. 52 e7 d2 53 Ke6 Black resigns After 53 ... dl/Q 54 Rxdl Kxdl 55 Kf7 Ra8 56 e8/Q Rxe8 57 Kxe8 White will win by a single tempo.

Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 55 Black to play. This week's puzzle is a varia- tion from the game Markowski-Short, Istanbul Olympiad 2000. White has just captured a black bishop on h3. Can you spot Short's intended refutation?

Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 November or via email to vanessa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first cor- rect answer drawn out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of a bottle of Ardbeg Malt Whisky.

Last week's solution: 0-0-0+

Last week's winner: Douglas Bates, Oxfordshire.