Chess - The Scotsman 07/07/12

By Paul Motwani
Published on 07/07/2012 00:00

AS I’ll be away visiting my wife’s relatives in China for much of the summer, I would like to take this opportunity now to wish a really happy tournament to everyone taking part in the Scottish Championships starting today in Glasgow’s Trades Hall, and of course, many congratulations in advance to the eventual winner!

I wonder whether he or she will employ as Black the dynamic Grunfeld Defence, 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5, which starred back in 1999 in Understanding the Grunfeld, the first of three great GAMBIT books by Scotland’s highest-rated GM, Jonathan Rowson.

More recently, Boris Gelfand used the Grunfeld very effectively against Vishy Anand in their world championship match, and super-GM Peter Svidler – arguably the world’s leading exponent of the Grunfeld – last month scored the following impressive victory over Czech champion David Navara in the Cez Chess Trophy challenge match.

White: D Navara; Black: P Svidler. Opening: Grunfeld Defence

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 Qb3 Nb6 6 d4 Bg7 7 e4 Bg4 7...Bxd4 8 Bh6, with 0-0-0 or Rd1 to follow, is extremely dangerous for Black. 8 Bb5+!? 8 d5 is more common. 8...c6 9 Ng5 0-0 1 0 Be2 Bxe2 11 Nxe2 e5 11...Bxd4 12 Qh3! h5 13 g4! puts Black in big trouble. 12 Qh3 The simple 12 dxe5 may be best, as 12...Bxe5? 13 Qh3 h5 14 Ne6! is good for White. Instead, Black should prefer 12...h6 13 Nf3 N8d7 14 0-0 (14 e6 Nc5! followed by ...Nd3+) 14...Qe7, though White may keep an edge after 15 Bf4 g5 16 Be3 because the sensitive f5-square is a concern for Black. 12...h6 13 Nf3 exd4 14 Bxh6 Re8 15 0-0-0? c5! Suddenly the d4-pawn becomes exceptionally strong. White really should have eliminated it via 15 Bxg7 Kxg7 16 Nfxd4 Rxe4 17 0-0-0, with approximate equality. 16 Ng5 Qd7 17 Qh4 f6! 18 Bxg7 Qxg7 19 Nh3 Nc6 20 Rd3? Desperately seeking active play, but Black now lands a simple tactical strike... 20...g5! 21 Qh5 Rxe4 22 f4 22 Rg3 is easily answered by 22...Rh4. 22...Qf7 A simple, strong, practical choice: an exchange of queens would extinguish almost all White’s hopes of a kingside attack. 23 Ng3 Qc4+ 24 Rc3 24 Kd2 Nb4! 25 Qg6+ Kf8 26 Qxf6+ Ke8 27 Qg6+ Kd7 28 Qh7+ Kd8 29 Qxe4 Qc2+ is “curtains” for White. 24...dxc3 25 Qg6+ Kf8 26 Qxf6+ Ke8 27 Qg6+ Kd7 28 Qxe4 cxb2++ 29 Kb1 Or 29 Kxb2 Na4+ 30 Ka3 Qc3+! 31 Kxa4 b5+ 32 Kxb5 Rb8+ and 33...Qa5#. 29...Re8 30 Rd1+ Nd4 31 Qxb7+ Kd8 32 Qb8+ Kd7 33 Qb7+ Kd8 34 Qb8+ Nc8!! The !! is awarded for courage and correctness! 35 Qxb2 Re6 36 Rc1? White really had to keep the d4-knight pinned. 36 Qc1 is much more tenacious. 36...Qa4 37 Ka1 Rb6 38 Qd2 Nd6 39 Rc3 Nc4 40 Qd3 Qb4 41 Rb3 Qe1+ 42 White resigned, in view of 42 Rb1 Rxb1+ 43 Qxb1 Nc2#.