Chess - The Scotsman 11/08/2012

Chess journalists have been revisiting a perennial topic – should chess be in the Olympics? The debate, however, can be swiftly dismissed. Firstly, it is not going to happen. Secondly, chess does not belong alongside physical sports where the action can usually be understood even by those who have never played the sport we are watching. Hoy is ahead – that’s good. Short has put a knight on d4 – that’s … something.

Chess has a huge range of events, eg the World Junior Championship, under way in Athens, with Clement Sreeves and Jonathan Edwards representing Scotland. Edwards is a rare mixture of player and event organiser – earlier this year he oversaw the Scottish Blitz Championship, which attracted a strong international field. In the first round in Greece he had a chance to beat a highly rated Serbian International Master.

White: J Edwards; Black: A Indjic. Opening: Philidor Defence.

1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e5 4 Nge2 Be7 5 f3 c6 6 Be3 exd4 7 Nxd4 0–0 8 Qd2 a5 9 g4 b5 10 0–0–0 Castling on opposite sides often leads to wild pawn storms where one error can decide the game – the perfect situation when facing a strong favourite. 10...b4 11 Nce2 a4 12 g5 b3 13 a3 bxc2 14 Kxc2 Ne8 15 Nc3 Nc7 16 Nf5 Bxf5 17 exf5 f6? A horrible move that allows White to blast open the kingside. 18 h4 d5 19 g6! Nd7 Black would like to block the kingside with 19...h6 but of course the reply would be 20 Bxh6. 20 h5 Qb8 21 h6 Now two lines will be opened; White is winning. 21...Qb3+ 22 Kc1 22 Kb1 was simpler, as we shall see. 22...hxg6 23 hxg7 Rfb8 24 Qh2? With the king on b1 this would have worked perfectly. White had a few possible wins, the most spectacular being 24 Bb6! with the point 24...Rxb6 25 Rh8+ Kxg7 26 Qh6+ Kf7 27 Qxg6 mate. 24...Qxc3+! With the king on b1 this would not be check. 25 bxc3 Bxa3+ 26 Kd2 Rb2+ 27 Ke1 Rxh2 28 Rxh2 White is still slightly better, but the

game gradually slipped away. 28...Re8 29 Rh8+ Kxg7 30 Rxe8 Nxe8 31 Rb1 Nd6 32 fxg6 Ne5 33 Kf2 Nec4 34

Bxc4 Nxc4 35 Ra1 Kxg6 36 Ke2 Kf5 37 Bf2 Ke6 38 Bd4 f5 39 Bf2 Kd6 40 Bd4 c5 41 Bf6 Kc6 42 Kd1 Kb5 43 Kc2 Bb2 44 Rh1 a3 45 Kb3 Na5+ 46 Ka2 Kc4 47 Rh5 The last drawing chance was

47 Rh4+. 47...Nb3 48 Rxf5 Nc1+ 49

Kb1 Kb3 White resigned, as ...a2 would be mate.