Chess - The Scotsman 22/02/2013

SINCE the great Fischer v Spassky world championship match in Reykjavik 1972, Iceland has had an undiminished love affair with chess which has led to a disproportionate crop of grandmasters for such a tiny country – 12 from a population of 320,000 – and numerous fine tournaments.

One now underway is the Reykjavik Open, with 35 grandmasters and slightly fewer IMs among a cosmopolitan field of 227. The lone Scot flying the Saltire is IM Andrew Muir of Dumbarton, who went more to see Bobby Fischer’s grave but got off to a flying start with back to back grandmaster wins – one, rated 2631, in just 19 moves (and with black!) that goes straight in as no. 9 in all time Scottish scalps.

The Chess Scotland international director must have thought all his Christmases had been rolled into one in today’s diagram, as the the Egyptian GM, Bassem Amin blundered material thinking he was winning with 17 Nxe5? Nxe5 18 Rxf5 Qxf5, missing 19 Be4 Qxe4! followed by Nf3+, so after 19 Rf1 Qe6 resigned.

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But Andrew, on 3/4, had to work overtime to convert a superb win against his next GM.

A Muir - S Maze

Reykjavik Open, (3)

Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 0–0 5 Bd3 b6 6 Nf3 
Bb7 7 0–0 c5 8 Na4 cxd4 9 exd4 Re8 10 a3 Be7 11 Re1 d6 12 b4 Nbd7 13 Bb2 Rc8 14 Nc3 Nf8 15 d5 e5 16 Nd2 N6d7 17 Nb3 g6 18 a4 f5 19 f3 a6 20 Kh1 Bh4 21 g3 Bf6 22 Bf1 Bg7 23 a5 e4 24 f4 Nf6 25 Qd2 h5 26 axb6 Qxb6 27 Na4 Qd8 28 Bd4 h4 29 Na5 Ba8 30 Nb6 Rc7 31 Qb2 Nh5 32 Kg2 hxg3 33 hxg3 g5 34 Nxa8 Qxa8 35 Be2 Nxg3 36 Kxg3 gxf4+ 37 Kxf4 Ng6+ 38 Ke3 Bh6+ 39 Kf2 e3+ 
40 Kf1 Re4 41 Bf3 Qe8 
42 Bxe4 Qxe4 43 Qg2 Qd3+ 44 Re2 f4 45 Ra3 Qf5 46 Qg1 Kh7 47 Nc6 Nh4 48 
Qh1 Qg4 49 Qe4+ Nf5 50 Raxe3 Rf7 51 Rg2 Qd1+ 52 Re1 Qb3 53 Ba1 Qh3 54 Nd4 Qh1+ 55 Kf2 Qh4+ 56 Kg1 f3 57 Nxf3 1–0

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