ODT070508

=**School teams competition begins**=


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

The third annual Otago Daily Times school teams chess championship is under way for 2007. This year there are 14 schools represented, one more than last year. In the secondary grade Kings High School will be trying to make it three titles in a row, while Dunedin North Intermediate are also seeking their third straight title in the intermediate grade. The teams are comprised of four players from the same school and the winner of each grade earns the right to represent Dunedin in the New Zealand Chess Federation interschool teams final in Palmerston North on 22-23 September.

Today's game is from the Cleland Trophy tournament currently in progress at the Otago Chess Club. Don Storey, playing White, concludes a with a nice finish against Anthony Ritchie. media type="custom" key="26871834" White's flexible Torre Attack opening is typical of club play – avoiding getting caught in complex 'book' lines. This exchange prepares 9 e4 claiming central space. Black responds in kind and we get a closed centre of locked pawn chains. In a closed position slow maneouvres tend to predominate. White's prematurely aggressive 14 Nb5 has rebounded and allowed Black to assume the initiative. White now hopes to lure the advanced knight offside. A safer way back was Nd3-c5. Now the knight is trapped. Instead 23... Rc5! 24 Qb3 b5 would have saved the knight and stayed a pawn up. Making room for counterplay with f5, but this proves weakening. Black's best chances lay with advancing his two connected passed pawns starting with 25 ... b5. A cunning maneouvre that flows into a winning combination. The difficult-to-foresee point behind White's play is that there is no way that Black can avoid going a whole rook down. E.g. 34 ... Kf8 35 Qh6+ Ke7 (35... Rg7 36 Qf6+) 36 Bxf7 Kxf7 37 Rxc7+! Qxc7 38 Qxh7+ etc. Preferring to keep queens on the board as mate is not far off...
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. Nf3 g6**
 * 3. g3 Bg7**
 * 4. Bg2 O-O**
 * 5. O-O b6**
 * 6. Re1 Bb7**
 * 7. Bg5 d6**
 * 8. Bxf6 ---**
 * 8. --- Bxf6**
 * 9. e4 e5**
 * 10. d5 c6**
 * 11. c4 cxd5**
 * 12. cxd5 Nd7**
 * 13. Nc3 a5**
 * 14. Nb5?! Nc5**
 * 15. a3 Ba6!**
 * 16. Nc3 Nd3**
 * 17. Re3!? ---**
 * 17. --- Nxb2**
 * 18. Qb3 Nc4?!**
 * 19. Ree1 Rc8**
 * 20. Bh3 Rc7**
 * 21. Rec1 Qb8**
 * 22. Nb5 Bxb5**
 * 23. Qxb5 Nxa3?**
 * 24. Qb3 Rxc1+**
 * 25. Rxc1 Be7?!**
 * 26. Qxa3 f5?!**
 * 27. Rc6 Rf7**
 * 28. Qb3 Bd8**
 * 29. exf5 gxf5**
 * 30. Nd2 b5**
 * 31. Nc4! ---**
 * 31. --- Bc7**
 * 32. Ne3 f4**
 * 33. Be6! fxe3**
 * 34. Qxe3! Qd8**
 * 35. Qf3 Qe7**
 * 36. Bxf7+! ---**
 * 36. --- Qxf7**
 * 37. Qg4+ Kf8**
 * 38. Qc8+ Qe8**
 * 39. Qxc7 a4**
 * 40. Qxd6+ Kg7**
 * 41. Qh6+ Kg8**
 * 42. Rc7 Qg6**
 * 43. Rc8+ Kf7**
 * 44. Qf8 mate**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... f6+ 2 Kh4 Bf2+ 3 g3 Bxg3#