Chess - The Scotsman 07/06/2012

How does White win?

THE squads to play in the world team Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, in August have been announced by Chess Scotland. Flying the Saltire (in board order) for the Open team will be: GM Colin McNab, GM Keti Arakhamia-Grant, GM John Shaw, FM Alan Tate and Graham Morrison; Women: Heather Lang, Ali Roy, Rosie Giulian, Joy Durno and Alice Lampard.

The history of the Team Chess Tournament goes back to the 8th Summer Olympics in Paris, 1924, when Great Britain was one of the 18 teams competing. Officially this was not part of the Olympics and the winners were not given Olympic medals, but the rules of the Olympiads applied, including a ban on professionals imposed by the IOC.

It was at the conclusion of this event that the foundations were laid for the formation of the governing body of chess, FIDE, with the first official “Chess Olympiad” staged in London in 1927, and (with the exception of a gap from 1940 to 1950) it’s been held biennially ever since.

The World Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championship took place recently in Batumi, Georgia. Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria took clear first in the rapid event with 8.5/11; the blitz title going to Valentina Gunina of Russia on 13/15. Scotland’s Keti Arakhamia-Grant also made a return to her homeland to play in this event, finishing in 23rd place in the rapid tournament with 5.5/11 and 29th place in the blitz tournament with 7/15.

K Arakhamia-Grant - E Danielian

Women’s World Rapid Ch., (10)

Caro-Kann Defence, Advanced variation

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 Bf5 4 Nd2 e6 5 Nb3 Nd7 6 Nf3 h6 7 Be2 Ne7 8 a4 a6 9 a5 Qc7 10 0–0 g5 11 Ne1 c5 12 c3 Nc6 13 Be3 c4 14 Nd2 Nxa5 15 g4 Bg6 16 Ng2 Nc6 17 f4 gxf4 18 Nxf4 Be7 19 Nxg6 fxg6 20 Qc2 Nf8 21 b3 Bg5 22 Bxg5 hxg5 23 bxc4 0–0–0 24 c5 Nd7 25 Nf3 Rdf8 26 Qxg6 Nd8 27 Rf2 Kb8 28 Raf1 Qa5 29 Qd3 Qc7 30 Nxg5 Rfg8 31 Nf7 Nxf7 32 Rxf7 Qd8 33 c6! Qh4 34 Qg3 bxc6 35 Qxh4 Rxh4 36 Rxd7 1–0