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Grand Prix

Raymond Keene

ENGLISH players in the past developed a tendency to avoid the main lines of the Sicilian Defence and to go for a quick king- side attack based on f4. This became extraordinarily popular on the circuit of British weekend opens and thus earned the nickname of the Grand Prix Attack. The player who performs best in such opens throughout the year is awarded an overall prize, currently sponsored by the Terence Chapman Group, which can be worth sev- eral thousand pounds to the winner.

Although frowned on at the highest lev- els, the Grand Prix Attack contains plenty of venom, as a new book by grandmaster James Plaskett demonstrates. Even Nigel Short has used it to obliterate opponents at world qualification level. Since the strate- gies are fairly easy to learn, this is an ideal alternative to submerging oneself in the reams of theory which entangle most lines of the Sicilian Defence.

Short–Gelfand: Brussels Candidates Quarter-Final 1991; Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 f4 Nc6 4 Nf3 g6 5 Bc4 Never before seen in such a high-level event. 5 ...Bg7 6 0-0 e6 7 d3 Nge7 8 Qel Nd4 This treatment has become quite popular. 9 Nxd4 cxd4 10 Net 10 ... 0-0 Now it is safe for Black to castle, Note that 10 ... d5?! is premature because of 11 Bb5 +, as after 11 Bd7 12 Bxd7+ Qxd7 13 e5 Nc6 14 b4! Black cannot hang on to the advanced d-pawn for long. 11 Bb3 So that ... d6- d5 does not arrive with tempo and can thus be met by e4-e5. 11 ... Nc6 In his notes Short sug- gests 11 ... f5!? 12 Bd2 d5 12 ... Bd7 13 Khl also slightly favours White, while after 12 ... a5 13 a4 Qb6 14 Qh4 White can prepare the usual assault. 13 e5! f6 14 exf6 Bxf6 15 Khl! Vacating gl so that the knight can head for e5. 15 ... a5 An annoying little move which demands an accu- rate response. 16 a4 Precise. On 16 a3 a4 17 Bat Qb6! 18 Rbl Qc5 19 Rd. Qb6, so you see the problem. 16 ... Qd6 The latent dangers for Black are revealed in a line like 16 ... Qb6 (a bit further away from the king) 17 f5! when either 17 ... gxf5 18 Nf4 or 17 ... exf5 18 Qg3 exposes him to a powerful white initiative. Boris sensibly stays more central. 17 Ngl! Bd7 18 Nf3 Nb4 Gelfand banks on a queenside counter demon- stration, as per usual in the Sicilian, but he would probably have done better to try to chal- lenge in the centre with 18 ... Rae8. After the game move Short manoeuvres adroitly to defend the queen's flank whilst building up for an attacking breakthrough. 19 Qf21 Qc5 20 Bc3! Nc6 21 Rael b6 22 Bd2 Nb4? Quite wrong. Black underestimates the threats and takes away an important defender. 22 ... Rae8 was called for. 23 Qg31 Gelfand's idea is perhaps revealed in the line 23 Ne5? Bxe5 24 Rxe5 Nxc2! 25 Rcl Qd6, threatening to take on e5. 23 ... b5

24 15! exf5 Or 24 „ bxa4 25 fitg6 axb3 26 gxh7+ and the attack is decisive after either 26 ... Kh8 27 Ne5 or 26 „ . Kxh7 27 Ng5+ BxgS 28 QxgS.

25 Ne5 Be8 On 25 ... Bxe5 26 QxeS Rae8 White

knocks the props out of Black's game with 27 Bxb4, but the best defence was 25 Ra7! when White would retain a big plus with 26 Nxd7 Rxd7 27 RxfS. 26 axb5 QxbS 27 RxfS Kh8 28 Rxf6! Smashing his way in. 28 ... Rxf6 29 Ng4 Ftf5 30 Nh6 Rh5 31 Qf4 Black resigns A very fine game by Short.

The notes to the above game are based on comments in James Plaskett's book, The Sicilian Grand Prix Attack, which is avail- able from Everyman Chess (£14.99).

Ardbeg Malt Whisky Puzzle No. 39 Black to play and win — first move only required. This puzzle is taken from the game Westerinen–Abramovic, Moscow 1982. White has already resigned here. What had he foreseen?

Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 1 August or via e-mail 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: Be5 Last week's winner: Simon Farmer, London