ODT20041221

Sutton shows his class

• Chess

By Tony Dowden

The 2004 Otago Chess Championship title has gone to former New Zealand champion and present South Island champion, Richard Sutton (65).
Sutton distanced the field with 11 wins and one draw each to Duncan Watts and Quentin Johnson, who finished second-equal.
    The full results of the 2004 Otago Chess Championship can be retrieved from the Otago Chess Club website.
    After his impressive 2004 form, Sutton could attain the international title of FIDE Master by breaching the 2300 Elo points rating barrier.
    Today’s game features Sutton with the black pieces against Duncan Watts. It is a typical demonstration of his class in which he accumulates seemingly insignificant advantages and then effortlessly cashes them in to score a convincing win.
1 d4 e6 2 Nf3 c5 3 c4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Nxc6—A tame line of the English Opening. More aggressive are 5 e4 or 5 Nc3 Nf6, 6 Ndb5.
5 — bxc6 6 Nc3 Nf6 7 g3 Be7 8 Bg2 0-0 9 0-0 Bb7
10 b3 d5 11 cxd5 cxd5 Black has a comfortable game with reasonable chances of gaining an advantage due to his central pawn majority. 12 Bb2 Qa5 13 Qd4 Rfd8 14 Rac1 Rac8 15 Qa4?! Qxa4 16 Nxa4 Ba6! Black obtains enduring pressure along this diagonal. 17 Bf3 Nd7 18 Rfd1 Bf6 19 Bxf6 gxf6! 20 Kf1 Kf8 21 Ke1 Ke7 22 Bh5?—Perhaps the critical moment of the game. A more constructive plan was 22 e3 followed by Be2 which contests the d4 square and aims to neutralise Black’s bishop.
22 — f5! 23 Rxc8 Rxc8 24 Kd2 Nf6 25 Bf3 e5
Black has a sizable advantage yet it is hard to believe White lacks defensive resources.
26 h3 d4 27 Rc1?!—White’s best practical chance was to keep one of the pair of rooks on the board. Watch how Black masterfully corrals White’s remaining pieces into touch and at the same time manoeuvres his own pieces on to threatening squares. 27 — Rxc1 28 Kxc1 e4! 29 Nc5 Bb5 30 a4 Bc6 31 Bg2 Kd6 32 b4 a5 33 b5 Bd5! 34 Na6 Nd7! 35 Kc2 Nb6 36 Nb8 d3+ 37 Kd1 Bb3+ 38 Kd2 Nc4+ White cannot stop the march of the d-pawn.
    0-1
Problem: White to play and mate.

Solution: 1 Qxe5+! Rxe5 2 Bf6#