ODT060509

=**Lukey's IM norm not luck**=


 * Problem:** White to play and win.

Although as yet unconfirmed officially, FM Stephen Lukey of Wellington a well-deserved first International Master norm at the Queenstown Chess Classic earlier in the year. His score of 7½/10 earned him a share of 4th place and included wins over IM Gary Lane of Australia and IM Herman van Riemsdijk of Brazil.

Lukey has been a top contender in New Zealand competition for many years, winning numerous events including the 2004 Grand Prix. Though the NZ Championship still eludes him, his result at Queenstown would have been enough this time - had GM Murray Chandler decided not to play in his own tournament.

Lukey's attractive attacking style alows him to generate winning chances against any opponent and makes him particularly fearsome with White. Today's game is a seemingly effortless Lukey win with the White pieces over Canterbury's Bruce Donaldson from the 5th round at Queenstown. media type="custom" key="27086826" This treatment of the Queen's Gambit Declined Tartakower Variation was given a workout in the early Kasparov – Karpov matches of the 1980s. Black must eventually play c5, so 10 Be2 and early pressure against Black's hanging centre pawns tended to follow. But here White simply places the bishop on the diagonal eyeing the light-square weaknesses around the Black kingside. Masking the queen's defence of d5. 12 ... Nc6 fits better with the bishop's development on e6 – threatening to exchange on d4 and if 13 dxc5 bxc5, the White bishop is poorly placed on d3. White now moves the bishop and exploits his pressure on d5 to isolate Black's d-pawn and blockade it with a knight. Removing the centralised knight possibly with his next move in mind, but retaining the dark squared bishop held better prospects. The threat of 17 ... Bh3 looks serious, but in fact this move allows White to launch a crushing attack with a couple of pawn thrusts... Defending c7 with 19 ... Na6 was better, but either way White's aim is firmly on the kingside with his rook about to swing into the attack. The alternative 22 ...f6 23 Nxf6! Qf7 24 Nxe8 etc was no better. Neatly trapping the queen. Black has had enough.
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. c4 e6**
 * 3. Nf3 d5**
 * 4. Nc3 Be7**
 * 5. Bg5 O-O**
 * 6. e3 h6**
 * 7. Bh4 b6**
 * 8. Bxf6 Bxf6**
 * 9. cxd5 exd5**
 * 10. Bd3 Be6**
 * 11. Rc1 c5**
 * 12. O-O Nd7?!**
 * 13. Bb1 Re8**
 * 14. dxc5 Nxc5**
 * 15. Nd4 Bxd4**
 * 16. Qxd4 Qg5?**
 * 17. f4! Qh5**
 * 18. f5 Bd7**
 * 19. b4! Na4?!**
 * 20. Nxd5 Rad8**
 * 21. Rf3 Kh8**
 * 22. Rg3 Rg8**
 * 23. Nf4**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Qg4! threatening both 2 Qxg7 mate and 2 Nxh6+ winning the queen.