ODT060815

=**Season of junior events**=


 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in 4.

August has seen a great deal of junior chess activity in Dunedin. First, there was the final of the Otago Daily Times school teams championship on August 3rd. This brought an end to the competion that ran over the last three months and involved 21 teams from 13 schools around Dunedin. Both defending champions held on to their respective titles - Kings High School A narrowly edging out old rivals Otago Boys High School A 2½-1½ in the Secondary grade, and Dunedin North Intermediate Black winning 3½-½ over newcomers Tahuna Normal Intermediate A in the Intermediate grade A section. The Intermediate B section saw the Dunedin North Intermediate Red team take first on countback after they were held to a 2-2 draw by George St Normal School.

Two days later saw the Dunedin Under-10 championship with another successful title defence. Alex Ming-Wong (9, Maori Hill) swept the field with 6/6 to take his third under-10 title in a row. In a four-way tie for 2nd on 4 point came Andrew Kim (9, Maori Hill), Joshua Petermann (9, George St Normal), Simon Goodwin (7, Maori Hill) and Hayden Bosworth (8, George St Normal). Joshua and Hayden had both two days earlier won their games representing George St in the school teams final.

Today's game from the Otago Queen's Birthday Open is an instructive win by Duncan Watts of Dunedin playing with the black pieces against Wellington's Michael Nyberg. media type="custom" key="27052806" The exchange variation of the French Defence. The symmetrical pawn structure allows Black free development and relatively easy equality. Getting out of 'book' lines at an early stage and offering White the win of a pawn by 7 Qb3 forking b7 and d5. White finally takes up the offer, but now this loses time with his queen, which has already moved once. “Come and get it!” White has spent 4 moves to capture the pawn and the queen back on c2. Black meanwhile has castled and his pieces are marauding around the white king which now has no safe place to go. Allowing free access to the kingside light squares and losing the right to castle. 15 Rg1 holding g2 and f3 was required. Black thematically prises open the centre to get at the white king. Opening the gate to the Black hoard. White is mated. E.g. 25 Rac1 Rd2+ 26 Ke1 Rxf2+ and Qd2 mate. Even giving up the queen results in an entertaining king-hunt up the board: 25 Qe3 Rxc2+ 26 Kf3 Rxf2+ 27 Rxf2 Qxe3+ 28 Kg4 Rd4+ 29 Rf4 f5+ 30 Kh5 Nxf4+ 31 gxf4 g6+ 32 Kg5 Be7+ 33 Kh6 Qxf4#
 * 1. e4 e6**
 * 2. d4 d5**
 * 3. exd5 exd5**
 * 4. Bd3 Nc6**
 * 5. c3 Bd6**
 * 6. Ne2 Bg4!?**
 * 7. Be3?! Nge7**
 * 8. Qc2 Ng6**
 * 9. Nd2 Qf6**
 * 10. Qb3?! ---**
 * 10. --- Nce7!**
 * 11. Qxb7 O-O**
 * 12. Qb3 Rab8**
 * 13. Qc2 Nf5**
 * 14. Nf1 Nfh4**
 * 15. g3?**
 * 15. --- Ng2+**
 * 16. Kd2 Nxe3**
 * 17. Nxe3 Bf3**
 * 18. Rhf1 c5!**
 * 19. dxc5 Bxc5**
 * 20. Ng1 Be4**
 * 21. Bxe4 dxe4**
 * 22. Qxe4?**
 * 22. --- Rxb2+**
 * 23. Nc2 Rd8+**
 * 24. Ke2 Qxc3**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:**1... Rf8! 2 Bd6+ Kc8 3 Bxf8 (3 Bf4 Qf2+ 4 Kd1 Qd2#; 3 Bg3 Qf1#) Qf2+ 4 Kd1 Qd2#.