ODT150623

=**Otago Boys' High School regional inter-school champions**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 6.

Eight teams from six schools played for the eleventh annual Otago Secondary Interschool Teams' Championship at Otago Boys' High School earlier this month. Competing for the first time were teams from Mt Aspiring College from Wanaka, St Kevins' College from Oamaru and Columba College, the only girls' school this year. The hosts' A team added to their recent string of victories in this competition. They were held to a 2-2 draw by the Logan Park High School A team, but were otherwise dominant, conceding only one drawn game to Mt Aspiring. OBHS A finished first on 25½/28, ahead of Logan Park A second on 20½ and the OBHS B team third on 19 points. Today's game is from fourth round of the Otago Winter Rapid Open at the start of the month, where the many of the OBHS players gained valuable experience against more seasoned opposition. Joint winner Leighton Nicholls has the white pieces against the writer. media type="custom" key="27655804" **1.f4** Bird's Opening, named after its inventor, Henry Bird a 19th Century English player. **1... d5** **2.Nf3 c5** **3.g3 Nc6** **4.Bg2 Nf6** **5.O-O g6** **6.d3 Bg7** **7.Qe1 O-O** Bird's Opening often transforms into a version of the Dutch defence with colours reversed – in this case the Leningrad Dutch. Here Black had the option of trying to forestall White's next by 7... d4, but feared White's extra tempo over the analogous position in the Leningrad. **8.e4 dxe4** **9.dxe4 e5** Stifling the bishop on g2, which could prove very strong if White's e-pawn is allowed to advance. **10.c3** Taking the e5 pawn 10.fxe5?! Nxe5 (or 10... Ng4) 11.Nxe5 Qd4+ leads nowhere, so White secures the d4 square. **10... Be6** The bishop turns out to be exposed here. Better was 10... Re8. **11.Qe2 Qb6** Misplacing another piece, tempted by a faulty plan. **12.Na3 Ng4?!** **13.h3** Showing Black's idea to be a waste of time, but even better was 14.Ng5! Bd7 15.f5 Nf6 16.Be3 with excellent attacking prospects on the kingside. **13...** **c4+?!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**14.Kh1 Nh6?** On this and the last move 14... Nf6 was best. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**15.Be3** First 15.g4! forces 15... f6 or Black loses a piece, when 15.Be3 Qa6 16.f5 Bf7 17.g5 follows with a strong attack. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**15...** **Qa6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.Nxe5 Nxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.fxe5 Rfd8** Stopping the threat of 18.Qd2, but the knight is still imprisoned on h6. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Nc2 Qa5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Bg5 Qxe5!** Attempting to muddy the waters by sacrificing the exchange. After 19... Rd3 20.Bf4 White retains his extra pawn and keeps control. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.Bxd8 Rxd8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Rad1?!** Better to keep the g-pawn by 21.g4. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21... Rxd1** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.Rxd1?** Now Black rehabilitates his knight – 22.Qxd1 Qxg3 23.Qd8+ Bf8 24.Rf3 retains a small advantage. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22... Nf5!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Rd8+ Bf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Qd2! Nxg3+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.Kg1 Nxe4??** Overlooking the threat to his king, but rushing to take the e-pawn was a bad idea in itself. After 25... Kg7! 26.Nd4 Bc5 27.Re8 Nh5! the knight reroutes to f4 with a dominating position for Black. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.Bxe4 Qxe4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Qh6!** Despite the exposure of the white king, there is no way to stop mate at f8.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**1-0**


 * Solution:** 1.Nf6+! exf6 (1... Kh8 2.Qxh7#; 1... Qxf6 2.gxf6 exf6 3.Bxh7+ Kh8 4.Bf5+! Kg8 5.Rg1#) 2.Bxh7+ Kh8 3.Bf5+! Kg8 4.Qh7+ Kf8 5.Qh8+ Ke7 6.gxf6#!