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China syndrome
Raymond Keene
SEVERAL weeks ago I happened to be in Beijing and discovered more or less by chance that a strong chess tournament which involved Nigel Short was proceeding in the Chinese capital . I was accompanied on the trip by Sir Jeremy Hanley, former chairman of the Conservative party, and in his day the strongest chessplayer in the House of Commons. Having lunched on Beijing duck and avoided the proffered prawn crackers topped with toasted baby scorpion, we repaired to the hotel where Nigel was competing, only to discover that all the games from that round had been drawn in about one hour.
Indeed, if one examines the final crosstable, it is clear that this was a close- run thing, where no one player succeeded in freeing himself from the pack. Short's share of first prize was, though, commend- able. The game I give shows that Britain's number two is gradually turning away from the sharp lines of the Sicilian which charac- terised his 1993 World Championship chal- lenge against Kasparov and is moving towards slower forms, as favoured by his former mentor Boris Spassky. It is one of the great mysteries of chess that a quiet opening, as evinced by this week's game, can still lead to rapidly crushing effects.
Short–Wang Zili: Beijing 2000; Sicilian
1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 The Nigel Short of seven years ago would undoubtedly have preferred 3 Nf3 followed by d4.3 ... g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 d6 6 13e3 Nf6 7 h3 0-0 8 f4 The secret to playing the Closed Sicilian as White is to threaten an aggres- sive advance on the king's flank with White's pawn mass. Many games have been lost by White players who waste time with the manoeuvre Qd2 followed by Bh6. Two decades ago, also in Beijing, as it happens, I was the beneficiary of such a mistaken manoeuvre. The game Lamford–Keene, Beijing 1981 went 8 Qd2 Rb8 9 Bh6 Bxh6 10 Qxh6 Nd4 11 Qd2 e5 12 Ndl Be6 13 c3 Nc6 14 Ne2 d5 when Black already had an excellent position. 8 ... Nd4 More reliable is 8 Rb8 followed by ... Bd7 and ... b5. 9 Nf3 Ne8 10 0-0 f5 Played to forestall White's g4 but now White can cut the communications of Black's advanced cavalry. 11 e5 Nx£3+ 12 Q7413 Kh8 13 Radl White has emerged from the opening with an ideal position and now threatens d4, dominat- ing the centre. 13 ... Bd7 14 Qxb7 Accepting the challenge before Black can get in ... Be6 to free his position. 14 ... Rb8 15 Qxa7 Rxb2 16 Rf2 Qc7 17 Qa3 Qb8 18 d4 White not only has an extra pawn but Black's pieces are also sadly congested. In particular, the bishop on g7 is utterly devoid of prospects. 18 ... Qb4 19 Qxb4 cxb4 20 Nd5 Maintaining the initiative by introducing a threat to Black's e-pawn. 20 ... e6 21 Nb6 Rf7 22 Ral Black resigns Black's counterplay on the queen- side has been exposed as ridiculous. There is no defence to Bcl winning an entire rook. Beijing 2000, Dato Tan Cup 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Bologan * Y2 Y2 Y2 1 Y2 h 1 Y2 h 5y2 2. Dreev Y2 * Y2 Y2 0 1 1 Y2 Y2 1 5y.
3. Short Y2 Y2 * Y2 h Y2 h 1 1 h 5Y: 4. Onischuk Y2 Y2 Y2 * Y3 Y2 Y2 h 1 1 5y2 5. Ye 1 h Y2 * 0 Y2 h 1 1 5 6. Peng y2 0 Y2 Y2 1 * Y2 Y3 Y2 Y2 4Y: 7. Zhang y2 0 Y2 h Y2 Y2 * h h 1 46 8. Xu Jun 0 Y2 0 Y2 Y2 Y2 h * Y2 Y2 3Y: 9. Wang h 0 0 0 y2 y2 y2 * Y, 3 10. Adianto V2 0 Y2 0 0 Y2 0 Y2 Y2 * 2Y, In the above table, 1 represents a win, y: a draw and 0 a loss.
Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 43 White to play and win — first move only required. This puzzle is taken from the game Onischuk–Wang Zili, also from Beijing. How does White win material?
Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 29 August or via email to vanes- sa@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7242 0603. The winner will be the first correct 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: Bh7+ Last week's winner Ms Simhai, London.
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