ODT110208

= **Zhao convincing in Zonal** =



**Problem:** Black to play and mate in 3.

The 2011 Oceania Zonal was held in Rotorua during the last week of January. The field of 56 in the Open and 11 in the women's event included players from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Top seed in the Open was Australia's number one, GM Zong-Yuan Zhao. He was in great form and dominated the field to finish on an outstanding score of 8½/9. His only draw came in the penultimate round to ensure clear first place. Second place and an automatic IM title went to Australian junior Andrew Brown on 7 points, completing a Summer of excellent results in Australia. Third was shared by FM Max Illingworth and Moulthun Ly, again both juniors from Australia, on 6½.

The women's event was converted into a round-robin to avert the potential for an unfair draw. It quickly turned into a three-horse race between three Australians: Top seed IM Irina Berezina-Feldman, WFM Emma Guo and WIM Biljan Dekic. Berezina held a half-point lead over the other two until the last round, when she was held to a draw by New Zealander Judy Gao, allowing Emma Guo to catch her, but not Dekic, who was held by another local – WFM Viv Smith. Thus Berezina and Guo shared first place on 8½/10 and will play off for the right to progress to the women's world championship.

Today's game was perhaps GM Zhao's sternest test on the way to overall victory. From the second round he is Black, facing FM Stephen Lukey, who finished as the highest placed New Zealander, in a share for fifth on 6 points. media type="custom" key="25934532" **1.d4 Nf6** **2.c4 e6** **3.Nf3 Bb4+** The Bogo-Indian Defence. Black has the modest strategy of placing his centre pawns on dark squares, having first ensured his bishop will not be hemmed in. **4.Bd2 Qe7** **5.g3 Nc6** **6.Bg2 Bxd2+** **7.Nbxd2 d6** **8.O-O a5** **9.e4 e5** **10.d5 Nb8** **11.Ne1 h5** White's worst piece is his bishop, and this advance encourages it to stay trapped behind its own pawns for some time. **12.h3 h4** **13.g4 Nbd7** **14.Nd3 b6** **15.Qc2 Nc5** **16.b3 O-O** **17.Nb2! ---** White will gradually advance his queenside pawns, and avoids the exchange of knights to keep Black cramped. **17.--- Nh7** **18.a3 g6** **19.b4 Nd7** **20.Nd3 Ng5** **21.c5?! ---** A little premature. 21 Rfe1 would have avoided the subsequent pin on the a6-f1 diagonal and kept control of c5. **21.--- bxc5** **22.bxc5 Ba6!** **23.c6 Bxd3?** Zhao was concerned about the exchange sacrifice after 23...Nc5! 24 Nxc5!? (or if 24 Nc4 Ncxe4), but Black has the better prospects e.g. 24... Bxf1 25 Rxf1 dxc5 26 Rc1 Rab8! 27 Qxc5 Qxc5 28 Rxc5 Rb2! 29 Nf1 (29 Nc4? Rc2!) Ra8 30 Ne3 Rb3! with advantage. Now White gains control of the b-file and gets to make the same sacrifice under much more favourable circumstances. **24.Qxd3 Nc5** **25.Qe3 a4** **26.Rab1 f6** If 26...Rfb8 challenging on the b-file, then 27 Rb4 f6 28 Rfb1 Rxb4 29 axb4! and the eviction of the knight is much worse. e.g. 29... Na6 30 Qa3 Nb8 31 b5 with Rb4xa4 to follow. **27.Rb4 Rae8** **28.Rfb1 Kg7** **29.Kh1 Rf7** **30.Rb7! Qd8** Not 30...Nxb7? 31 cxb7 Rff8 32 Qa7 Rb8 33 Nc4 and Nc4-a5-c6 is crushing. **31.R1b5 Ref8** **32.Nc4 Re7** **33.Rxc5! dxc5** **34.Qxc5 Nf7!** Black finds the only defensive resource and now White misses the more incisive 35 Qa7! Nd6 36 Nxd6 Qxd6 (since the c-pawn is pinned) 37 Qxa4 with a big advantage. **35.Qb4?! Nd6** **36.Nxd6 cxd6** **37.Rxe7+?! ---** The pawn is stronger on the 7th rank. 37 Bf1 Rxb7 38 cxb7 and now not 38 ... Qc7? 39 Ba6 Rb8 40 Qxa4 followed by 41 Qc6, but 38...Qb8! 39 Ba6 Rf7 40 Qxa4 Rc7 41 Kg2 Kf8 42 Qb4 Kg7 and White cannot move his bishop or take on d6 without losing his b-pawn to ...Rxb7 making further progress difficult. **37.--- Qxe7** **38.Qb6 Rf7** **39.Bf1?! ---** Missing a forced exchange of queens. 39 Kg1 defends f2 after which 39...Qa7 40 Qb4 Qc7 41 Qxa4 White is still in the game. Once queens are off Black carries out a sure-footed encircling maneouvre. **39.--- Qa7!** **40.Qxa7 Rxa7** **41.Kg2 Ra5** **42.Kf3 Rc5** **43.Ke3 Kf7** **44.Kd2 Ke7** **45.Bd3 Kd8** **46.Bc2 Kc7** **47.Bd3 Kb6** **48.Be2 f5** **49.f3 fxe4** **50.fxe4 g5** **51.Bd3 Ra5** **52.Ke3 Ra8** **53.Be2 Kc5** **54.Bd1 Kc4** **55.Kd2 Kd4** White resigns as after 56 Bc2 Ra7! he is in zugzwang: e.g. 57 Bd3 Rf7 58 Bc2 Rf2+ 59 Kd1 Kc5! 60 Bxa4 Kb6 and Rf3xh3 winning the first of several pawns cannot be prevented.

**0-1**

**Solution:** 1 ... Rf2+! 2 Qxf2 (2 Kg1 Qxg3#) Qxh5+ 3 Kg1 Qh1#.