ODT20041123

Sensationally unbeaten

• Chess

By Tony Dowden

Duncan Watts (43) has created a minor sensation in the 2004 Otago championship. With just one game left to play, he is unbeaten. Along the way, he has claimed the scalps of National Master Tony Dowden (this fine attacking game featured in an earlier column) and NZ championship player Quentin Johnson.
    Watts is a solid classical player with a well-earned reputation for being hard to beat.
    He started his playing career in the 1970s during the “chess boom” created by the famous Fischer-Spassky world championship match in 1972. University study and his medical career made major demands on his time and he soon retired from competitive play. Now, twenty years later, he has “popped out of the woodwork” and is playing better than ever.
    Today’s game features Watts with Black against three-time New Zealand champion and National Master Richard Sutton.
    1. e4 d5
    2. exd5 Qxd5
    3. Nc3 Qa5
    The solid but relatively unambitious Scandinavian Defence
    4. d4 c6
    5. Nf3 Bf5
    6. Bc4 e6
    7. O-O Nf6
    8. Qe2 Bd6
9. Bb3 O-O 10. Ne5 Qc7 11. h3 Nbd7 12. Re1 Nb6 13. a3 Rad8 14. Bg5 Nbd5 White is looking to attack and Black has slightly less space. The correct strategy for Black is to try and swap some minor pieces. 15. Bxd5!? White exchanges both his bishops in order to weaken Black’s kingside pawn structure 15. --- cxd5 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Ng4 Bxg4 18. Qxg4+ Kh8 19. Nb5 Qb6 White’s plan would be fulfilled after 19. ---Qxc2?? 20. Nxd6 Rxd6 21. Qf4 Rd7 22. Qxf6+ Kg8 23.Rf3 20. Nxd6 Qxd6 21. Re2 Rg8 22. Qh4 Rg6 23. Rae1 Rdg8 Black has seized the useful the g-file. Now White needs to be careful 24. g3 f5 25. Kh1 Qf8 26. Qf4 h5 27. Kg2 Qg7 28. c3 Kh7 29. Re5 Qf6 30. Kf3 h4 31. Rg1 Rh6 32. g4 White has skilfully neutralised Black’s kingside ambitions. An interesting ending looms 32. --- fxg4+ 33. Rxg4 Rxg4 34. Kxg4! Qxf4+ 35. Kxf4 Rf6+ The usual recipe for rook ending counter-play fails after 35. ---Rg6? 36. Rh5+ Kg7 37. Rxh4 Rg1 38. Rg4+ forcing a rook swap 36. Ke3 Kg6 37. f4 Rf5!? Black’s rook is passive so he bravely elects to go into a pawn ending 38. Kf3 Rxe5 39. dxe5 39. fxe5 preserves the possibility of creating a passed pawn on the queenside. However, Black appears to have sufficient resources to hold White to a draw 39. --- Kf5 40. a4 b6 41. b3 a5 42. Ke3 Not 42. b4? when Black is suddenly better after 42. ---d4! 43. bxa5 cxb3 44. axb6 c2 45. b7 c1(Q) 46. b8(Q) Qxf4+ 42. --- Kg6 43. b4 f6 44. Kd4 Kf5 45. exf6 Kxf6 46. Ke3 Kg6! After 47. Kf3 Kf5! Black takes the opposition and White is unable to make headway. 1/2-1/2