ODT091006

=**Sutherland dominates Otago Championship**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in four.

John Sutherland earned his third Otago Club Championship title in a row with a perfect combined score of 10/10 in the Senior Championship. Although some games are yet to be played, no-one can catch Sutherland. The next highest scorers in the Senior grade are Hamish Gold on 4½, Quentin Johnson on 4 (with two games in hand) and Geoff Aimers on 3½. The Intermediate Championship was a close contest between Iain Lamont and Brent Southgate until the last, when the former pulled away on 9 points to the latter's final total of 7. The Junior Club Championship was easily taken out by Otago Open Junior Champion, Adam Scott with a combined score of 10½/12 ahead of Joseph Brown on 7 and Elliot Munro and Shoji Fukushima tied for third on 6 points.

Today's game is Sutherland final win in the event, playing White against Aimers. The analysis was kindly supplied by the winner. media type="custom" key="26372846" Avoiding well-known Benoni lines that would result after 4 c4. Better is 6...Be7, the move played leaves f7 vulnerable. White misses 8.Nxh7 winning a pawn as 8...Rxh7 loses the exchange to 9.Qe4+. White now gets pushed back. Better was 9.Bc4 Ne5 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bxd7+ Qxd7 12.Bf4 Nc6 13.0-0-0 with advantage for White. Avoiding 9...Nd4? 10.c3 Nc2+ 11.Kd2 Nxa1 12.Bb5+ Bd7 13.Qxf7+ Kd8 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Qe8#. Better was 20...f4 with a level ending. White now gains the advantage through a tactical sequence. Of course not 25...Rxf5?? 26 Rd8 mate. Black finds the only way to avoid going a pawn down, but his remaining pawns are in poor health. An inferior plan, alllowing White activate his rook and getting the knight offside. 29...Re1 cutting down the knight's mobility and tying White's rook to the 2nd rank would have been a tougher defence. The two kingside pawns will win easily.
 * 1.d4 Nf6**
 * 2.Nf3 c5**
 * 3.d5 e6**
 * 4.Nc3!? ---**
 * 4.--- exd5**
 * 5.Nxd5 Nxd5**
 * 6.Qxd5 Qc7?!**
 * 7.Ng5! d6**
 * 8.e4 ---**
 * 8.--- Nc6**
 * 9.Bf4---**
 * 9.--- h6!**
 * 10.Nf3 g5**
 * 11.Bg3 Qa5+**
 * 12.Qd2 Qxd2+**
 * 13.Nxd2 Be6**
 * 14.Bc4 0-0-0**
 * 15.0-0-0 d5**
 * 16.exd5 Bxd5**
 * 17.Bxd5 Rxd5**
 * 18.Nc4 Rxd1+**
 * 19.Rxd1 f5**
 * 20.Bd6 Nd4?!**
 * 21.c3 Nb5**
 * 22.Bxf8 Rxf8**
 * 23.a4 Nc7**
 * 24.Nd6+ Kb8**
 * 25.Nxf5 b5**
 * 26.Nxh6 Rxf2**
 * 27.Rd2 Rf1+**
 * 28.Kc2 bxa4**
 * 29.Ng4 Nb5?!**
 * 30.Rd5 a3**
 * 31.bxa3 Nxa3+**
 * 32.Kb3 Nb5**
 * 33.Rxc5 a6**
 * 34.Rxg5 Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Bxf7+! Rxf7 (1... Kh8 2 Bf6 Ng7 3 Bxg7#) 2 Rxc8+ Qe8 3 Rxe8+ Rf8 4 Rxf8#.