University of Otago
students Andrew Stone (18) and Tim Riley (18) have jointly won the
2005 Otago Junior title. The winning pair each won five games and
drew their individual encounter.
Five
players tied for third place on four points. They were defending
champion Li Ding (17), of Bayfield High School, Nabeelah Saib (11),
of Tahuna Normal Intermediate, Josie Burrows (13), of Bayfield High
School, Alexander Ming-Wong (8), of Maori Hill Primary School, and
Walker MacMurdo (15), of Logan Park High School.
Other
prizes: Best female players: Saib and Burrows; under-16 grade:
Burrows and MacMurdo; under-12 grade: Ming-Wong and Saib; best school
team: Bayfield High School (Ding, Burrows and David Hsiao).
A
week earlier, Alexander Ming-Wong emphasised his considerable talent
by effortlessly winning the Dunedin under-10 championship with five
wins in five games. Ben Dowden (8), of Sacred Heart Primary School,
was second on 4 points and Joel Smith (8), also of Sacred Heart,
third on 3.5 points. Maori Hill (Ming-Wong and Marc Perry) narrowly
edged Sacred Heart for the best school team award.
Today’s
game features joint Otago Junior champion Andrew Stone with the black
pieces against Li Ding.
1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e5 3 d3 d5 4 Nf3 Nc6 5
Qb3?! dxc4 6 dxc4?
Better is 6.Qxc4 but Black can gain the
initiative with 6 — Be6! 7.Qb5 Qd7, 8.Qxb7 Rb8, 9.Qa6 Bc5
6 — e4! 7 Ng5 Nd4 8 Qd1 Bf5 White’s “anti-theory” approach has given Black a strong initiative.
9 Be3 c5 10 g3 h6 11 Nh3 g5! A key move. Black denies White’s pieces any space.
12 Bg2 Qd7 13 Ng1 Bg7 14 Rc1 0-0 15 f3?! White realises his pieces desperately need oxygen but this opens up lines to his king.
15 — Rfe8 16 Bxd4 cxd4 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 fxe4 Ng4! Good judgement. Black’s knight is headed for e3 where it will totally dominate White’s position.
19 Qd3 Ne3 20 Bf1 g4! The culmination of Black’s strategy. White’s miserable pieces are huddled on the back rank.
21 c5 Rac8 22 h3 Qc7 23 hxg4 Qxg3+ 24 Kd2 Qf4 25 Ke1 Other moves also lose. For instance 25.Bh3 Ng2+ 26.Kd1 Qf1+ 27.Kc2 Rxc5 or 26.e3 dxe3+ 27.Kc2 Rxc5+ 28.Kb1 Rxc1+ 29.Kxc1 e2+
25 — Qxf1+ 26 Kd2 Qf4 27 Ke1 Qxe4 A sensible and pragmatic decision but Black misses an elegant finish after 27 — Rxc5! 28.Rb1 (Not 28.Rxc5? Qf1+ 29.Kd2 Qd1#) 28 — Rc2 29.Nh3 Qg3+ 30.Nf2 Rec8 and White has run out of sensible moves.
28 Nf3 Qxd3 29 exd3 And
Black won the ending with little difficulty. 0-1
Problem . : White to play and mate
Solution: 1.Rf8+! Kxf8
2.Qxg7+ Ke8 3.Qg8#