ODT130903

=**Nicholls takes Otago/Southland Junior title**=




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

The Otago/Southland Junior (under 20) Championship was held at the Otago Chess Club last month and drew 30 players from as far afield as Christchurch, Wanaka, Mossburn and Invercargill. Leighton Nicholls (15) of Dunedin took home the JJ Marlow Trophy for the second time as the highest placed player from the Otago/Southland region. He shared first place with Edward Rains (18) of Christchurch. These two lead with four wins apiece after four rounds and played an exciting game in the fifth. It ended in a frantic time scramble with both players' time running out before either noticed, resulting in a draw. In the final round Edward beat his sister Jessica Rains (12), while Nicholls overcame Edward's brother Tim Rains (16) in the final game to finish to equal Edward's score of 5½/6.

Third place was shared by Ben Clayton (14) of Dunedin and David Marshall (17) of Invercargill on 4½. the Under 13 grade prize was shared by Jessica Rains, Joe McKee (12) of Dunedin, and the winner of the Primary/Intermediate Championship two weeks earlier, Charlie Li (12) of Dunedin, all on 4 points. Jessica also won the best girl prize.

The rapid time limit of 25 minutes each per game meant game scores were not kept, so today's game is from the New Zealand Junior Championship held in Auckland in July. There Nicholls and Edward Rains finished 4th equal, a point behind William Li of Auckland. The game features Leighton Nicholls playing decisively with White against Jasmine Zhang of Auckland. media type="custom" key="24969848" The point of the c3 Sicilian is to build a pawn centre with d2-d4. Black's response provokes the e-pawn to advance in the hope that the white centre pawns will become targets later on. Most common here is the exchange 9... dxe5 10 dxe5 Qxd1 11 Rxd1. The disappearance of queens removes much of the attacking potential of White's space advantage. Stopping White's threatened 13 Nb5 followed by capturing on d6. White instead redirects the knight to the kingside. Black underestimates White's kingside attacking chances. More circumspect was 14... Rd8 15 Qc2 Nd7!? with the idea of meeting 16 Neg5 with Nf8 securely defending h7 without weakening the kingside pawn structure.
 * 1.e4 c5**
 * 2.c3 Nf6**
 * 3.e5 Nd5**
 * 4.d4 cxd4**
 * 5.cxd4 e6**
 * 6.Nf3 Nc6**
 * 7.Bc4 d6**
 * 8.0-0 Nb6**
 * 9.Bb3 Qc7**
 * 10.Re1 Be7**
 * 11.Nc3 0-0**
 * 12.Bf4 a6**
 * 13.Ne4 dxe5**
 * 14.dxe5 Bd7?!**

The players exchange a couple of slight inaccuracies. White should have first played 15 Rc1 pinning the knight on c6 to prevent ... Nb4, then Black missed a chance to play 15... Nb4 immediately, when 16 Qb1 blocks in the rook on a1. White now had a chance to play the immediate 16 Nfg5! followed by transferring the queen to h3 with a strong attack, since 16... Nxe5? 17 Bxe5 Qxe5 18 Nf6+! winning the queen as 18... Qxf6 gets mated after 19 Qxh7+. Maintaining the opposition to the black queen and setting up a fine combination which his opponent overlooks. Too late, Black falls into a trap. After the best defence 19... g6 20 Nf6+! Bxf6 21 exf6 Qc8! 22 Ne4 Rd7 (so as to be able to meet 23 Qc1 with Qf8 defending against 24 Qh6), White has the advantage thanks to his pawn wedge on f6, but no immediate win. Saving the queen, but getting mated.
 * 15.Qd3 Rfd8**
 * 16.Rad1 Nb4**
 * 17.Qb1 N4d5**
 * 18.Bg3! ---**
 * 18.--- Bc6**
 * 19.Nfg5! h6?**
 * 20.Nf6+! Nxf6**
 * 21.exf6 Bd6**
 * 22.Qh7+ Kf8**
 * 23.Qh8 mate**


 * 1–0**


 * Solution:** 1 Qh7+! Kxh7 (1... Kf8 2 Qh8#) 2 hxg7+ Kg8 3 Rh8#.