Round 3 (April 13, 2000)

Gormally, Daniel   -  Krush, Irina       1-0   22  D24  QGA;
Aagaard, Jacob     -  Norris, Alan J     1/2  103  D94  Gruenfeld indian
McDonald, Neil R   -  Hummel, Patrick    0-1   72  B97  Sicilian; Najdorf
Afek, Yochanan     -  Ward, Christopher  0-1   56  B79  Sicilian; Dragon
McNab, Colin A     -  Pert, Nicholas     0-1   76  A21  English; 1.c4 e5


Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (ENG), 11-19 iv 2000cat. VII (2406)
---------------------------------------------------------------
                                 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
---------------------------------------------------------------
 1 Ward, Christopher  g ENG 2509 * . . . . . 1 1 . 1  3.0      
 2 Gormally, Daniel   m ENG 2504 . * = . 1 . . . 1 .  2.5  2638
 3 Pert, Nicholas     f ENG 2396 . = * = . . . . . 1  2.0  2566
 4 Aagaard, Jacob     m DEN 2396 . . = * . . . . = 1  2.0  2498
 5 Krush, Irina      wm USA 2399 . 0 . . * = . 1 . .  1.5  2430
 6 McDonald, Neil R   g ENG 2438 . . . . = * 0 . 1 .  1.5  2349
 7 Hummel, Patrick      USA 2347 0 . . . . 1 * 0 . .  1.0  2307
 8 Afek, Yochanan     m ISR 2349 0 . . . 0 . 1 * . .  1.0  2293
 9 Norris, Alan J     f SCO 2301 . 0 . = . 0 . . * .  0.5  2173
10 McNab, Colin A     g SCO 2424 0 . 0 0 . . . . . *  0.0      
---------------------------------------------------------------

The Oakham GM tournament takes place 11th-19th April 2000, Oakham School, Rutland, Leicestershire. Games start at 1300 hours each day except the last, when there will be an 1100 start. The event is Category VII with an ELO average of 2406). There is a slightly unusual time rate: using Digital Clock, the initial rate of play is 40 moves in 100 minutes, but throughout the game each player receives 30 seconds for every move made. After 40 moves each player is given a 50-minute bonus After 60 moves each player is given a 10-minute bonus. Players must keep an up-to-date scoresheet at all times. John Henderson reports daily (see his round twp report below).

John Henderson reports on Round 3.

IN THE DARK

Remember yesterday I told you about the re-wiring going on at Oakham School? Well, I suppose it was bound to happen…

Afek-Ward, a dragon attack

The heating, at the request of the competitors, was asked to be turned off due to the excessive noise it was making in the tournament room. Once turned off, yes, you guessed it, they complained that it was too cold! Rather than risk the wrath of the players by reverting to the old heating system that sounded like a Boeing 747 on take-off, Graham Lee and the arbiter, Richard Furness, decided the better option would be to bring in four electric heaters. And, about 20-minutes after being switched on, the lights suddenly went off in the tournament room!

The place was thrown into darkness, but the players didn’t even notice! Some 10-minutes without any light, one of the players decided to comment to the arbiter that “isn’t it a bit dark?” So engrossed in their games, they hadn’t noticed the commotion going on around them as the schools maintenance squad made drastic efforts to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, Graham and Richard were starting to make contingency plans should the enforced darkness continue: Two boards in the analysis room, two in the kitchen and, believe it or not, one in the toilet!

Thankfully, the problem was solved when the electrician discovered that the four fires brought in to heat the players were fusing the main supply. A quick change of all the fuses and the reduction of the heating to just two fires solved everything.

Power restored, everyone was left more in the dark as they tried to fathom out what was exactly happening in this engrossing Dragon encounter between Chris Ward and Yochanan Afek.

Afek,Y (2349) - Ward,C (2509) [B79]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7 7 f3 Nc6 8 Bc4 0–0 9 Qd2 Bd7 10 0–0–0 Qa5 11 Bb3 Rfc8 12 h4 Ne5 13 h5 Rxc3!N

This is where all the fun starts! Chris uncorks another sizzling TN in the Dragon that he'd known about for quite a few years. Hold on, I hear you ask as you do a quick search on Uncle Freddie Friedel’s ChessBase, "Didn't Chris lose with this line against John Nunn at Hastings in 1998?” Yip, he certainly did…

13 ..Nxh5 14 Nd5 Qxd2+ 15 Rxd2 Kf8 16 g4 Nf6 17 Rdh2 Nxd5 18 Bxd5 Nc6 19 Nxc6 bxc6 20 Bc4 h6 21 Bxh6 Bxh6+ 22 Rxh6 e6 23 f4 Ke7 24 e5 dxe5 25 fxe5 a5 26 Rh7 a4 27 Rf1 Be8 28 Rf6 Ra5 29 Rxe6+ Kd8 30 Rd6+ Ke7 31 Re6+ Kd8 32 Rf6 Rxe5 33 Bxf7 Ke7 34 g5 Rxg5 35 Re6+ Kf8 36 Bxe8 1–0 Nunn,J-Ward,C/Hastings 1998/CBM 63 (36)

So, why didn't he play 13 ..Rxc3! against the Doc? Well, he wanted to, but the truth of the matter is that, in a flurry of excitement when both players were rattling out the moves, our hero forgot to play his TN! However, the story doesn't end there...

Desmond Tan

Chris let on about 13 ..Rxc3! to one of his younger team-mates, Desmond Tan, who, showing no respect whatsoever for intellectual property (proud of you, Desmond!), proceeded to use it to duff-up a GM in the 10–min rapidplay at last year's MSO.

Ward celebrates a win with his novelty

The GM in question? Step forward John Nunn! Chris reckoned that since the Doc lost to a junior in a rapidplay game, he wouldn't have realised the significance of 13 ..Rxc3 and hoped to catch someone else out with it. Yochanan…

14 bxc3 [14 Qxc3 Qxc3 15 bxc3 Nxh5 is a well-known Dragon ending that's comfortable for Black.] 14 ..Nxh5 15 Bh6 Bxh6 16 Qxh6 Nf6! [16 ..Qxc3?! 17 Ne2 Nd3+ 18 Rxd3 Qa1+ 19 Kd2 Qxh1 20 Bxf7+! Kxf7 21 Qxh7+ Kf6 (21 ..Kf8 22 Nf4!) 22 e5+ A) 22 ..Kg5 23 f4+ Kf5 (23 ..Nxf4 24 Rg3+ Bg4 25 Qxe7+ Kh6 26 Rxg4) 24 g4+ Ke6 25 f5+ Kxe5 26 Qxe7+ Be6 27 Qxe6#; B) 22 ..Kxe5 23 Qf7! e6 (23 ..g5 24 Re3#) 24 f4+ Nxf4 25 Qxf4#; C) 22 ..dxe5 23 Rxd7 Qxg2 24 Qxe7+ Kf5 25 Qf7+ Kg5 26 Re7 Rd8+ 27 Ke3] 17 Ne2 Bb5 18 Nf4 Bc4 19 Kb2 [19 Nd5 Bxd5 20 Bxd5 Rc8 21 Bb3 Qxc3 is good for Black.] 19 ..Rc8 20 Rc1 [20 Nh3?! Be2!] 20 ..Rc6 21 g4

21 ..Nxf3 [21 ..Ra6!? also looked good: A) 22 Ra1 Qa3+ 23 Kb1 Rb6 A1) 24 g5 Nxf3!! 25 Rh2 (25 gxf6 Nd2#) 25 ..Nd2+! 26 Rxd2 Nxe4; A2) 24 Rh3 24 ..Qc5 25 Rh1 Nxf3 26 Kb2 Ne5 27 g5 Bxb3 28 cxb3 Nc4+ 29 Kb1 Na3+ 30 Kb2 Qf2+ 31 Ne2 Nc4+ 32 Kb1 Nh5; B) 22 Nd5 22 ..Bxd5 23 exd5 Rb6 B1) 24 Rce1 Nc4+ 25 Kc1 Rxb3 26 cxb3 (26 axb3 Qa1#) 26 ..Qxc3+ 27 Kd1 Qxf3+ 28 Re2 (28 Kc1 Qc3+ 29 Kd1 Nb2+ 30 Ke2 Qd3+ 31 Kf2 Nxg4+); B2) 24 Rb1 24 ..Nc4+ 25 Kc1 Qxc3 26 Bxc4 Rxb1+ 27 Kxb1 Qxc4] 22 Bxc4 Rxc4 23 Nd5 Rxe4 24 Nxf6+ exf6 25 Qxh7+ Kf8

26 Qh8+ [White may be able to escape the mayhem with 26 Rcf1!? Ne5 27 Qh8+ Ke7 28 Qxf6+ Kd7 29 Rd1 A) 29 ..Nc4+? 30 Ka1 Kc6 (30 ..Qa3 31 Qxf7+ Kc6 32 Qd5+ Kc7 33 Rh7+) 31 Rh8!; B) 29 ..Qb5+ 30 Ka1 Qc5 31 Kb1 Qb5+ 32 Ka1 Qc5 33 Kb1 Nc4 34 Ka1! (34 Qxf7+? Re7) 34 ..Ne5 35 Kb1 seems to draw.] 26 ..Ke7 27 Qc8 Qb5+ 28 Ka1 Qc6! 29 Qxc6 bxc6 30 Rb1 Rxg4 31 Rb7+ Ke6 32 Rxa7 g5 33 a4 Rf4 [33 ..Rh4? 34 Rxh4 gxh4 35 a5 h3 36 Ra8 Kd5 37 Rh8 h2 38 a6] 34 Ra8 g4 35 a5

35 ..Kf5 [The correct path to victory looks like 35 ..g3!? 36 Rg8 Ng5 37 Kb2 Ra4! 38 Rg1 (38 Rh6 Kf5) 38 ..Ne4 (from this wonderful outpost, the knight dominates the position: It defends the all-important g3-pawn, defends f6 and d6 and, if needed later, will protect the rook from a Kb3 with ..Nc5+.) 39 Ra8 (39 Re8+ Kf5 40 Rf1+ Kg4 41 c4 f5) 39 ..f5 40 a6 (40 Kb3 Nc5+ 41 Kb2 f4) 40 ..f4 41 a7 Kf5 42 Ra1 Rxa1 43 Kxa1 f3 44 Rf8 f2 A) 45 Rxf7+? Ke6! 46 a8Q (46 Rf8 g2 47 a8Q f1Q+) 46 ..Kxf7 47 Qb7+ Kf6 and White runs out of checks and hope.; B) 45 a8Q 45 ..f1Q+ 46 Kb2 g2 47 Qc8+ Ke5 48 Re8+ Kd5 49 Rg8 and Black wins easily.] 36 Kb2 g3 37 Rg8 Ng5 38 Ra1 Re4 [For an easy life, Black can always opt out of all the complications to come with: 38 ..g2 39 Rg1 Ra4 40 Rxg2 Rxa5 with an easy draw. Instead, we end up with an ending that becomes study-like.] 39 a6 Re7 40 Rb8 [The immediate push of the pawn losses: 40 a7 Rb7+! 41 Kc1 Rxa7] 40 ..Ra7 41 Rb7 Ra8 (The extra tempo for the Black king is crucial!) 42 a7 Kg4 [42 ..Nf3 43 Rb8 Rxa7 44 Rxa7 g2 45 Rg8 g1Q 46 Rxg1 Nxg1 47 Ra6 draws] 43 Rb8 Rxa7 44 Rxa7 f5 45 Rg8 f6!

46 Rd8 [The pawns gallop home after 46 Ra1: 46 Ra1 f4 47 Rd8 (47 Rf1 f3 48 Re8 f2 49 Re2 Kf3) 47 ..f3 48 Rxd6 f5 49 Ra4+ Ne4 50 Rg6+ Kf4 51 Ra1 (51 Rg8 f2 52 Ra1 Kf3 53 Rf8 f4) 51 ..f2 52 Rh1 Kf3 53 Rd1 (53 Rh5 f4) 53 ..g2 54 Rd3+ Kf4 55 Rxg2 f1Q] 46 ..g2 47 Ra1 f4 48 Rxd6 f5 49 Rg6 f3 50 Ra8?

Tragedy! After six-hours of exhaustive play, Yochanan slips-up at the wrong moment and misses the draw. Instead, 50 Rg1! Kf4 51 Rg7 f2 52 Rxg2 f1Q 53 R2xg5 is just drawn.

50 ..Kh5 51 Rg7 Kh6 52 Rc7 g1Q 53 Rh8+ Kg6 54 Rg8+ Kf6 55 Rxc6+ Ke5 56 Rcg6 f2 0–1

Chris promises all the Dragon aficionados out there that all of his analysis on this crucial new move will soon be appearing at ChessPublishing.com (www.chesspublishing.com or click on the “openings” button at TWIC) where he’s always on call as the resident Dragon expert at the site.

For those that don’t know Yochanan, although he’s an International Master of long-standing, he’s more famed in the weird and wonderful world of problem solving, where he’s an International Judge of Chess Composition and International Master for Chess Compositions.

Yochanan Afek

Though much of his work consists of problems, he’s also been known to turn his hand to composing endgames studies, two of which I’ve given below. White to play and win in both diagrams. Can you solve them?

Y Afek, 1^st prize Israel Ring tourney, 1975

White to play and win

Y Afek, Szachy, 1974

White to play and win

Solutions