ODT081104

=**Kaikoura International Open a huge success**=


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

Following the successful format of last year's South Island Championship in Nelson, the staging of this year's event as a 9-round international open in Kaikoura was a triumph for Christchurch-based organiser Chris Benson. With the invaluable assistance of local motelier Kevin Tetley the 44 players battled it out in the underground wine cellar of the Kaikoura Winery, making for an unusual and attractive venue. Combined with the snow-clad Kaikoura mountains and spring sunshine the beauty of the surroundings was remarked upon by the international players as some of the best they had experienced.

Getting to the competition, the top three seeds, GM Darryl Johansen (Australia), GM Murray Chandler (Auckland) and IM Stephen Solomon (Australia) proved their worth and eventually emerged tied for first place on 7 points. Next came IM Andras Toth (Hungary) on 6½ followed by FM Roger Nokes (Christchurch) and Justin Davis (Palmerston North) on 6. As the highest placed resident, this fine result, including a win over Johansen, earned Nokes the 2008 South Island Championship.

Today's game is a departure from the norm in that it doesn't feature a resounding win by one of the victors. Instead it is on a theme far more relevant to most average tournament players - avoiding loss against a master. The game is between IM Andras Toth and Justin Davis, who also had a great tournament. Davis is playing Black and kindly supplied the comments to the game. media type="custom" key="26486558" IM Toth criticised this move (5..c6) as being passive, however remembering what IM Russell Dive had told me earlier in the year at the Wellington Easter Open - "Its crazy to play into sharp lines against higher rated players without knowing what you are doing" rang in my ears, and I was keen on trying to play solid moves and not to blunder any pieces or pawns against my much higher rated opponent. IM Toth himself called this move a mistake. Keep a close eye on Black's worst placed minor piece - his light-squared bishop on c8. Now the bishop has found a good square and is about to swap itself off with White's best placed minor piece! Black has equalized the position. I think this may be a mistake and 15...Rfc8 was better. However IM Toth thought seeing Black had defended the position later said this move may in fact have been fine. Again 17...Rfc8 was to be preferred here. IM Toth said this was a very good move, preserving the important dark-squared bishop. White's Knight look very dangerous here, but Black has a little trick coming. A very good move allowing black to equalize (again!) the position. A powerful centralizing move - White has a serious concern with his weak b-pawn. IM Toth said he liked this move very much. The idea is if white plays 25 Rb1 then Bxb4 leaves the a5 rook hanging to the queen. Whites b-pawn's future looks in doubt.. Again a very nice centralizing move. Blacks taking his time and ensuring he keeps his position soild and limits White's counter-play, while still eyeing the b-pawn. White is clearly on the back foot here, and tries to setup a nasty trick, e.g. 27 Nxe6 fxe6 28 Qxe6+ winning back the knight on d5. Again IM Toth calls this a strong move - defending the weak e6 point and eyeing the rook on b5. Here the International Master offered me a draw. With his rating over 500 points higher than mine, I thought it was a good result! Although Black is winning the b-pawn here and is better, I was unsure how much better I was against the Master.
 * 1.d4 d5**
 * 2.c4 e6**
 * 3.Nc3 Nf6**
 * 4.Nf3 Be7**
 * 5.Bf4 c6**
 * 6.e3 0-0**
 * 7.Qc2 Nbd7**
 * 8.h3 Qa5**
 * 9.Bd3?! ---**
 * 9. --- dxc4**
 * 10.Bxc4 b5**
 * 11.Bd3 b4**
 * 12.Ne2 Ba6!**
 * 13.0-0 c5**
 * 14.a3 Bxd3**
 * 15.Qxd3 cxd4?!**
 * 16.axb4 Qxb4**
 * 17.Nexd4 Nc5?!**
 * 18.Qe2 Rfc8**
 * 19.Ne5 Bf8!**
 * 20.Nec6 Qb7**
 * 21.b4 Nb3!**
 * 22.Nxb3 Qxc6**
 * 23.Nd4 Qd5!**
 * 24.Ra5 Qd8!**
 * 25.Rb5 Nd5**
 * 26.Qg4 ---**
 * 26. --- Qd7!**
 * 27.Be5 Draw agreed**




 * Solution:** Two solutions: a) 1 Qd2+ Re3 2 Qxe3+ Kg4 (or h5) 3 Nf6#, b) 1 Qf6+ Kh5 (1... Kg4 2 Qxg6#) 2 Rh7+ Kg4 3 Rxh4#.