ODT080603

=**Cleland Trophy Shared**=


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

The honours were shared in the first cup tournament of the 2008 Otago Chess Club Calendar, the Cleland Trophy. Joint top seeds John Sutherland and Quentin Johnson lived up to their rankings by finishing tied for first place on 5/6. Sutherland was the early leader after beating Johnson in the second round, but subsequent draws with Hamish Gold and Chris Lydiate allowed Johnson to catch up.

Third on 4 points came Terry Duffield, who had a strong tournament, losing to both winners but winning all his other games. He was followed by fourth placed Gold on 3½ and Lydiate on 3 points in fifth.

Today's game from the tournament features a sharp opening contest between Brent Southgate playing with the white pieces against Hamish Gold. media type="custom" key="26578876" The Lebedyev-Barden Attack against the Dutch Defence signals an uncompromising attitude from the outset – tempting the black kingside pawns forward. Black accepts the challenge. A temporary sacrifice of the bishop to misplace the black king. Black faces the immediate threat of 5 Qh5 mate. More circumspect is 4 e3 Nf6 5 Bg3. White's queen check was premature – better was 5 Bg3 f4? (fxe4!) 6 Bxf4 gxf4 7 Qh5+ Kf8 8 Qf5+ Ke8 9 Be2! Nf6 10 e5 winning back the piece with advantage. **5. --- Kf8** Black returns the favour by capturing too soon. 6 ... Qe8! defending the h5-e8 diagonal first, wins a piece as the white bishop cannot escape. Returning the piece is forced as 7 ... Ke8? 8 Be2! results in an even bigger White advantage as in the note to move 5. Black aims to complicate because his weak h-pawns and king position mean he is otherwise doomed. White responds too cautiously – 13 Qe4 was more active. Black has managed to stay in the game – exchanging a weak doubled pawn for a white centre-pawn and removing his king from immediate peril. After the natural 21 Rhe1 White could have built threats against e6 retaining a long term pull. Instead he miscalculates, sacrificing the exchange for a non-existent breakthrough. Black has defended cooly. Here 27 Qg5+ would have kept the knight but still left Black two pawns up after 27 ... Qxg5 28 fxg5 Be3+. White has had enough and resigns.
 * 1. d4 f5**
 * 2. Bg5 ---**
 * 2. --- h6**
 * 3. Bh4 g5**
 * 4. e4!? ---**
 * 4. --- Bg7**
 * 5. Qh5+? ---**
 * 6. e5 gxh4?**
 * 7. Qxf5+ Nf6**
 * 8. exf6 Bxf6**
 * 9. Nc3 d6**
 * 10. Qd3 Nc6**
 * 11. Nf3 Bg4**
 * 12. Be2 Nb4!?**
 * 13. Qd1?! Rg8**
 * 14. a3 Nc6**
 * 15. Qd2 Bxf3!**
 * 16. Qxh6+ Ke8**
 * 17. Bxf3 Nxd4**
 * 18. Qh5+ Kd7**
 * 19. Bg4+ e6**
 * 20. O-O-O Qe7**
 * 21. Rxd4? Bxd4**
 * 22. Qb5+ Kc8**
 * 23. Nd5 Qg5+**
 * 24. f4 Qxg4**
 * 25. Ne7+ Kd8**
 * 26. Nxg8 Qxg2!**
 * 27. Rd1?! ---**
 * 27 --- Be3+**
 * 28. Kb1 Qxg8**
 * 29. Qxb7 Kd7**
 * 30. Qb5+ Ke7**
 * 31. Qh5 Bxf4**
 * 32. Qxh4+ Bg5**
 * 33. Qe4 Bf6**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Rxg2!+ 2 Rxg2 (2 Kh5 Qh3#) f5+ 3 Kh5 Qh3#.