Getting set for the first move
• Chess
By Tony Dowden
The 2005 chess season starts with the Otago Chess Club’s AGM tomorrow at 7.30pm in the clubrooms (7 Maitland St) with the opening night a week later on February 9.
Junior chess coaching at the Dunedin Junior Chess Academy starts at the clubrooms on Friday, February 4, with a 6.30-8pm session for 8-to 15-year-olds.
In recent years Otago has lost leading “30-something” players such as Ben Martin, David Guthrie, John Sutherland and Kendall Boyd.
Two years ago former national championship candidate Quentin Johnson (34) reversed the trend by shifting to Dunedin, where he quickly established himself as a leading player and a highly capable club treasurer.
Formerly a Canterbury and then an Auckland Chess Centre player, Johnson recently gained an International Elo rating of 2140.
Today’s game features Johnson with the black pieces against Otago stalwart National Master Graham Haase. Johnson has kindly assisted with the annotations.
1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 e6
3 g3 d5
4 Bg2 dxc4
The Catalan Opening also favoured by world number one Garry Kasparov. White’s system is not particularly aggressive but his fianchettoed bishop sometimes exerts uncomfortable pressure along the long diagonal.
5 Qa4+ Nbd7 6 Nf3 c5 7 O-Oa6 8 Qxc4 b5 9 Qc2 Bb7 10 Nc3 Rc8 11 dxc5 Bxc5 12 Qb3 O-O 13 Bg5 Qb6 14 Rad1 h6 15 Bc1 Rfd8 16 e3 e5
Black’s forthright play has given him an easy game. He plans to advance his e-pawn to e4 and then launch an attack on White’s king.
17 a3 Bf8 18 Qa2 e4 19 Nh4 b4 20 axb4 Bxb4 21 Bh3 Ne5!
An inspired exchange sacrifice which aims to seize control of the light squares around White’s king. White should decline the gift but he is unable to find an alternative plan.
22 Bxc8? Rxc8 23 Nf5 g6 24 Nd4 Nf3+! 25 Nxf3 exf3
Black should win once his queen gets to h3.
26 Rd4 Bxc3 27 bxc3 Bd5 28 c4? —
The losing move. White can return the exchange with 28 Rxd5 but Black should win after 28 — Qe6!, 29 Rd8+! Rxd8, 30 Qxe6 fxe6. A better try is 28 Qd2 Qe6, 29 Kh1 Qh3, 30 Rg1 Ng4?!, 31 Rxg4! but Black can improve with 30 — Bxc4!, which threatens 31 — Bf1! 28 — Qe6! 29 Kh1 — If 29 cxd5 then 29 — Qh3 forces mate.
29 — Bxc4 30 Rxc4 Rxc4 31 Bb2 Qh3 32 Rg1 Ng4
White cannot prevent mate next move.
0-1
Solution: 1 Rxh4! Kxh4, 2 Kxf6 g5, (Black also loses after 2 — Kg4), 3 Kf5 g4, 4 Kf4 g3, 5 hxg3#.
