ODT101228

= **Summer Rapid draws another raider** =



**Problem:** White to play and mate in 5.

The Otago Chess Club again hosted its open Summer Rapid tournament earlier this month. Last year former club president Tony Dowden returned from his Tasmanian base to take first place. This year it was the turn of German player Daniel Fox, who took a break from fruit-picking in central Otago, to come to Dunedin and win the event.

The turnout was a healthy 22 players, with a cosmopolitan mixture of club veterans, promising local juniors, visitors from Canterbury, Southland and several foreign tourists and students. Daniel Fox was top seed and duly defeated his main rivals in rounds 3 to 5 to win convincingly on 5/5. Second place was shared by Edward Rains from Christchurch and John Sutherland and the writer from Dunedin on 4 points. The First Grade and Junior prize was shared by Edward's brother, Tim Rains, local Charlie Ruffman, and English visitor Amanda Hipshon, who also took out the best female prize. The second grade prize was shared by local juniors David Moratti and Leighton Nicholls.

Today's game from the third round is fourth seed Hamish Gold's swift dispatch at the hands of Daniel Fox, who is playing with the white pieces. media type="custom" key="25977746" **1.e4 e5** **2.Nf3 Nf6** **3.Nc3 Nc6** **4.d4 exd4** **5.Nxd4 Bb4** **6.Nxc6 bxc6** **7.Bd3 d6** The game has transposed into the Scotch Four Knights opening. Here 7... d5 is more common, but Black's more restrained choice has some grandmaster precedents. Often the equalising manoeuvre Nf6-g4-e5xd3 follows 8 0-0 so White now pins the knight instead. **8.Bg5 h6** **9.Bh4 g5!?** **10.Bg3 Be6** **11.O-O O-O?** Frankly suicidal. Having weakened his kingside with 9 ...g5, Black's king has no place seeking refuge there. Instead the further pawn advance 11... h5 12 f3 h4 13 Bf2 g4 14 Bd4 g3 15 h3 ultimately lead to a draw in Frolov-Varavin 1997. White immediately launches a well-justified attack on the Black monarch. **12.f4! Bc5+** **13.Kh1 Ng4** **14.f5! Ne3** **15.Qh5 Nxf1** **16.Rxf1 Qf6!** White's exchange sacrifice to expedite the attack already forces this return of material, since after 16...Bd7 17 f6! Bd4 18 Qxh6 even by giving up his queen Black cannot avoid mate. **17.fxe6 Qxe6** **18.e5! dxe5?!** **19.h4 ---** White has so many good choices he picks the less incisive one, though in a practical Rapid game, giving your king a breathing space in case of a back-rank check and undermining g5 can't be considered a mistake. His previous clearance of the e4 square and Black's neglecting 18... f5! made possible 19 Ne4! Be7 20 Rf6!! Bxf6 21 Qxh6 and Black has nothing better than giving up his queen with 21... Rfd8 22 Nxf6+ Qxf6 23 Qxf6. **19.--- Be7** **20.Bf5 Qc4!?** If 20... Qd6 then 21 Ne4 or 20... Qf6 21 Bh7+ so Black has to abandon the defence of h6 in the hope of springing a last trap. **21.Rf3 Kg7** **22.Bxe5+ Kg8** Now if 23 Qxh6? Qxh4+! defends. But White has many ways to force mate – the prettiest being 23 Nd5! Qxh4+ 24 Qxh4 gxh4 25 Nxe7 mate! Instead he chooses a rook sacrifice with an instructive interference motif. **23.Rf4! gxf4** **24.Qxh6 Qf1+** **25.Kh2 Resigns**

**1-0**

**Solution:** 1 Qg5+!! Kf7 (1... hxg5 2 Ne5#!; 1...Kh7 2 Qg7#) 2 Ne5+ Ke6 (2... Kf8 3 Qg7+ Ke8 4 Qxg8#) 3 Rxh6+! Nf6 (3... Nxh6 4 Qg6#) 4 Rxf6+! exf6 5 Qxf6#.