Chess - The Scotsman 25/05/13

FROM now on, the letters CWP will always make me think of all the charming, wonderful people who made a chess weekend possible and unforgettable for me in Troon and Prestwick recently.

It was really nice to see lots of old friends while also making many new ones, and all the chess talks, displays and dinners seemed to go down very well indeed.

It was actually rather unusual for me to have several days of speaking English. My tongue-in-cheek comment is based on the fact that I normally speak at least a little French each day at the school where I work in Belgium. However, English words are still as pleasant for me as English Openings. Yes, with the likes of Magnus Carlsen and other superstars now playing 1 c4 quite often, I too am getting more interested in the English Opening.

One of the best books covering 1 c4 is by a life-long CWP friend: Everyman’s Play the English by IM Craig William Pritchett, who became the first fully Scottish International Master back in 1976. The very first game featured in Craig’s book is a super-heavyweight encounter, and an absolute cracker from the 1988 championship of the former USSR.

White: G.Kasparov; Black: V.Ivanchuk. Opening: English Opening

1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3 Bb4 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 e4 7 Ng5 Bxc3 8 bxc3 Re8 9 f3 exf3 Later, the pawn-offer 9…e3 became more fashionable. 10 Nxf3 d5 11 d4! Kasparov decides to reveal a secret which he had prepared with world championship matches against Karpov in mind. 11…Ne4 Ivanchuk wants to avoid 11…dxc4 12 Bg5. 12 Qc2! White’s multi-purpose queen-move defends c3, attacks e4, and intends 12…Bf5 13 Nh4. 12…dxc4 13 Rb1! “Kasparov turns the queenside screw a further notch before switching to more direct central action”– Pritchett. 13…f5 14 g4! “Kasparov was ready for Black’s move. This superb discovery sustains further undermining pressure against e4.”– Pritchett. 14…Qe7 Among other thorough notes, Craig Pritchett mentions that “14…fxg4 15 Ne5 Nxe5 16 Bxe4 Ng6 17 Bxg6 hxg6 18 Qxg6 gives White good play for a pawn and clear attacking chances, in large part due to the influence of his dark-squared bishop.” 15 gxf5 Nd6 15…Bxf5 16 Ng5 g6 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 Bxe4 Qxe4 19 Qxe4 Rxe4 20 Rxb7 is also better for White. 16 Ng5 Qxe2 17 Bd5+ Kh8 18 Qxe2 Rxe2 19 Bf4 “White now has overwhelming attacking and positional advantages”, remarks Pritchett correctly. 19…Nd8 20 Bxd6 cxd6 21 Rbe1! Rxe1 22 Rxe1 Bd7 23 Re7 Bc6 24 f6! Black resigned, in view of 24…Bxd5 25 Re8+ Bg8 26 f7 Nxf7 27 Nxf7 mate.