Chess - The Scotsman 11/02/2012

EVERY Monday a website called The Week in Chess releases a free database of chess games played in the previous seven days – 3,000 new games would be typical.

Chess fans scour the database looking for fresh ideas to use against future opponents. These games are generally from international events, so some brilliant games played in local leagues can remain known only to the players involved.

For example, the game below is from a recent Glasgow League clash between two of the strongest players in Scotland. White is IM Roddy McKay, who has been Scottish Champion seven times; Black is Danish GM Jacob Aagaard, a former British Champion. I only know of the game because the winner proudly showed it to me – Aagaard’s win helped his Bearsden team to the top of the league. Coincidentally, today is Roddy McKay’s 60th birthday, so showing one of his rare losses is a rather mean present, but the game is superb.

White: R. McKay; Black: J. Aagaard. Opening: Tarrasch Defence.

1 Nf3 d5 2 g3 c5 3 Bg2 Nc6 4 d4 Nf6 5 0–0 e6 6 c4 Be7 7 cxd5 exd5 8 Nc3 0–0 9 Be3 c4 10 Ne5 Bf5 11 Bg5 By an unusual move order we have reached the Tarrasch Defence to the Queen’s Gambit. 11...Be6 12 e3 h6 13 Bxf6 Bxf6 14 f4 This unbalanced position is typical of the Tarrasch – White will expand on the kingside while Black has a queenside pawn majority. 14...Ne7 15 Rf2 One of the key ideas of this line is that the d5-pawn looks weak, but White cannot exploit this. For example, 15 g4 b5! 16 f5 Bc8 17 Qf3 Rb8 18 Nxd5 Nxd5 19 Qxd5 Qxd5 20 Bxd5 Bxe5 21 dxe5 Re8 and Black equalizes. 15...Rb8 16 Qh5 g6 17 Qe2 The h-pawn is poisoned: 17 Qxh6 Nf5 18 Qh3 Bxe5 19 fxe5 Nxe3 is better for Black. 17...Bg7 18 g4 f5 19 h3 b5 20 Bf3 b4 21 Na4 Rc8 22 Rg2 Bxe5 23 fxe5 f4 24 Qd2 Qd7 25 b3 c3 26 Qe1 To stay in the game, White had to find 26 Qd3! to challenge Black’s devastating plan of ...g6-g5 and then ...Ng6-h4. 26...g5 27 a3 bxa3 28 Nxc3 Ng6 29 Rxa3 Nh4 Now the f-pawn breaks through and White’s position collapses. 30 Be2 Nxg2 Black prefers a more stylish finish than the simple 30...f3. 31 Kxg2 f3+! 32 Bxf3 Qf7 White resigns, as 33 Be2 Rxc3! 34 Qxc3 Qf2+ 35 Kh1 Qxe2 wins a piece and leads to mate.