CHESS

Flat out

Raymond Keene

After Karpov's two wins there have been two draws in the world cham- pionship, and the score currently looks like this:

Karpov 0 1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2 Kasparov 1 1/2 1/2 0 0 1/2 1/2

The sixth game was not particularly out- standing, though game 7 did end in perpe- tual check, so this week I will concentrate on two British successes.

Tilburg Tournament, 28 August-17 Sept

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total I Miles xx 11 01/2 11 10 01/2 1/21

1/21/2

81/2 Korchnoi 00 xx 1/21/2

1/21/2

1/21 1/21 11 11/2 81/2 Hubner 11/2

1/21/2 xx

01 1/21/2

1/21 1/21/2 1/21

81/2 4 Ljubojevid 00 1/21/2 10 xx 11/2 11/2 01 01 7 S Polugaievsky 01 1/20 1/21/2 01/2 xx 1/21 01/2

1/21/2

6 Romanishin 11/2

1/20

1/211 01/2

11/20 xx 1/21/2

11/2 6 Timman

1/20

00

1/21/2

10 11/2

1/21/ x x

01 6 4 Djinjihashvili

1/21/2

01/2

1/20

10

1/21/2

01/2 10 xx

51/2 Tony Miles nearly repeated his feat of last year at Tilburg, though this time he had to share top honours with Korchnoi and Hubner. I was particularly impressed by Tony's 100 per cent against Korchnoi and Ljubojevie and his generally high quantity of decisive games. This was evi- dence of his immense drive and fighting spirit in what is undoubtedly the strongest tournament of 1985. Tony's achievement was all the more remarkable in that he played much of the tournament stretched out on his stomach on a hospital trolley, due to a back injury. Here is his second win against Korchnoi, formerly the British Grandmaster's bete noire: Korchnoi-Miles: Reti Opening.

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 b6 3 g3 c5 4 Bg2 Bb7 5 0-0 g6 6 e3 Bg7 7 d4 cxd4 8 exd4 Qc8 9 Na3 d5 10 Rel dxc4 11 Qa4+ Nbd7 12 Qxc4 a6 13 Qe2 0-0 14 Bg5 Bd5 15 Qxe7 Re8 16 Qb4 Qb7 17 Nh4 Bf8 18 Qa4 Ne4 19 Bf4 Rac8 20 Racl b5 21 Qdl Ndf6 22 f3 Nd6 23 b3 Nh5 24 Bd2 Bel 25 Rxc8 Rxc8 26 Nc2 Bxh4 27 gxh4 Nf5 28 Nb4 Nxh4 29 Nxd5 Qxd5 30 Bh6 Nxg2 31 Kxg2 Ng7 32 Re5 Qd6 33 Re4 Nf5 34 Bf4 Qxf4 White resigns. After 35 Rxf4 Nc3+ wins White's Queer , thus remaining a piece ahead.

Meanwhile, British Champion Jon Speelman has qualified at the last minute Position after 34 Bf4 as Candidates' reserve by defeating Gavri- kov (the USSR Champion) in their crucial final game.

'London Docklands, 6-17 Sept

2 3 Total 1 Speelman xxxx 1/21/21/21 01/21/21 41/2 2 Gavrikov 1/21/21/20 xxxx

1/21/21/21

4 3 v.d. Viel 11/21/20 1/21/21/20 xxxx 31/2

The London Docklands Development Corporation not only sponsored this event, but have put up £800 to help Nigel Short in his Candidates' bid. With the LDDC's help England may still have two players in the Candidates'. Obviously a record.

Speelman-Gavrikov: Griinfeid.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 f3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nb6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 Nc3 0-0 8 f4 f5 9 Qb3+ e6 10 e5 Nc6 11 Nf3 a5 12 a3 Ne7 13 Kfl a4 14 Qa2 Ned5 15 Nxd5 Qxd5 16 Qxd5 Nxd5 17 Bc4 13(17 18 Racl Rfc8 19 h3 Bh6 20 g3 Bc6 21 h4 Bf8 22 Ng5 Re8 23 h5 gxh5 24 RxhS h6 25 Nf3 RadS 26 Be2 Bg7 27 Rgl K17 28 g4 fxg4 29 Rxg4 Rg8 30 Rhl Ne7 31 Rcl BM 32 Rxg8 Kxg8 33 Nh4 Bg7 34 Bg4 K17 35 Rgl Bd5 36 Bh5+ Kf8 37 Bd2 c5 38 dxc5 Be4 39 Ba5 Rd3 40 Rdl Nd5 41 Rxd3 Bxd3 42 Bd2 Kg8 43 Be8 Bf8 44 c6 Bc5+ 43 Kf3 b5 46 Ba5 Kf8 47 Bd7 Ke7 48 f5 exf5 49 NxfS+ BxfS 50 BxfS Black resigns.

As part of the Docklands chess festivi- ties, the Dutch Master Erik Kroppert launched a successful assault on the world non-stop chess-playing record. From 9 a.m. on Friday 13 September he contested 500 blitz games, scoring around 85 per cent in 68 hours, a new endurance record.