ODT070130

=**Clean sweep for Wang**=


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

My last column left 16 year old FM Wang Puchen one point clear of the field in the 2006/7 New Zealand Championship in Wanganui with the final round to play. Not surprisingly, Wang agreed to an early draw offer from Gino Thornton to secure outright first place and his first national title – at the standard time limit. IM Russell Dive's challenge faded over the last two rounds and he lost in the final round to Michael Steadman, to share second place with defending champion IM Anthony Ker a point and a half behind Wang. The final scores were: 1 Wang 9/11; 2-3 Dive & Ker 7½; 4-5 Steadman & FM Robert Smith 7; 6 Tim Reilly (AUS) 6½; 7-8 NM Graeme Spain & NM Peter Stuart 5; 9 Nathan Goodhue 4; 10 Chris Burns 3½; 11 Thornton 3; 12 Bill Forster 1. The Major Open was won by Neil Gunn on 9/11 ahead of Paul Godfrey and Fuatai Fuatai on 8½ in a field of 34 players.

Following the main championship was the Rapid Championship, where Wang was this time the defending champion. He retained his title at the faster time limit with ease – finishing on 8/9, again 1½ points clear of second place. In the Lightning Championship (5 minutes to play each game) that rounded off the Congress in Wanganui, Wang was even more convincing – finishing 3 points clear in the final. To cap it all, Puchen's victories catapulted him to first place in the 2006 New Zealand Chess Federation Grand Prix. 2006 saw the coming of age of a great talent in New Zealand chess.

Today's game is the game that clinched Wang's victory in the main Championship. His win with White over Michael Steadman in the penultimate round pressured his main rival Russell Dive to play a faulty combination in a desperate attempt to win his own game, and Dive's loss effectively ended his challenge. media type="custom" key="26965686" This kind of Symmetrical English position tends to lead to slow manouvring battles. White's next move emabarks on a plan to control d5 and neutralise the Black dark-squared bishop at the expense of weakening his own control of the d4 square. With his dark bishop exchanged Black stabilises the centre and assumes the initiative on the kingside. Without the ability to open central lines quickly White must patiently await Black's buildup. Extending his bishop's influence and restricting its opposite number which would switch to a6 if instead 17 cxd5. The respective pawn chains determine that White's options lie on the queenside and Black's on the kingside, and Black is first with his advance. However, White's superior mobilisation of forces in the critical sector means he is not yet in danger. Tempted by the fork of white pawns on d3 and b2 Black takes his most active piece away from the kingside. Instead 23 ... Qf6 followed by activating his queenside forces promised Black an edge. White sacrifices a pawn to cut the black queen off from the defence and suddenly has an attack! Black perhaps fazed by the turn of events fails to find the better 24... Rxf4 25 Rxf4 exf4 when 26 Qg5 is prevented due to the hanging rook on e1. In this immensely complicated position both sides miss that 28 Kh1! sidestepping the pin on the g-file leaves the black king defenceless. Here or on the previous move 28 ... Qe3+! Kh1 29 Qe5 giving back several pawns to exchange queens was Black's only hope to prolong the game. The black king is caught in a net of discovered checks: After 29 ... Bg4 30 Bxh5+ Kh7 (Kf8 31 Qf6#) 31 Qh4! Black must lose material or be mated.
 * 1. Nf3 g6**
 * 2. g3 c5**
 * 3. c4 Nc6**
 * 4. Nc3 Bg7**
 * 5. Bg2 b6**
 * 6. O-O Bb7**
 * 7. d3 d6**
 * 8. e4 e6**
 * 9. Bf4 Nge7**
 * 10. Qd2 O-O**
 * 11. Bh6 f5**
 * 12. Bxg7 Kxg7**
 * 13. Rae1 e5!**
 * 14. Nd5 h6**
 * 15. a3 a5**
 * 16. Qc3 Nxd5**
 * 17. exd5 ---**
 * 17. --- Nd4**
 * 18. Nxd4 cxd4**
 * 19. Qd2 f4!**
 * 20. f3 Qg5**
 * 21. Qf2 h5**
 * 22. Bh3 fxg3**
 * 23. Qxg3 Qd2?**
 * 24. f4! exf4?!**
 * 25. Qg5! Rae8**
 * 26. Rxe8 Rxe8**
 * 27. Bf5 Rg8?**
 * 28. Bxg6? ---**
 * 28. --- Bc8?**
 * 29. Kh1! Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Qxg5+!! 2 Kxg5 Bf6+! 3 Kxh6 Rh8#