ODT140902

=**Otago Junior Championships**=




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

The 2014 Otago Junior Championships were contested by a small but strong contingent at the Otago Chess Club over two Saturdays last month. The Under 13 Championship was held first and the title was shared between Joe Mckee and Max Lough of Balmacewen Intermediate, who both scored 8/9. Martin Brook of Maori Hill School won the under 10 grade on 4 points. The Junior (under 20) trophy was successfully defended by last year's champion, Leighton Nicholls (16), who beat all-comers to score the maximum 7/7. Max Lough played extremely well to finish second on 6 points ahead of Joe McKee and William Scharpf (DNI) who shared third place on 4½. Meanwhile, it was junior players who spearheaded China's first ever triumph in the Chess Olympiad going on at the same time in Tromsø, Norway. World Junior Champion Yu Yangyi (20) and rising star Wei Yi (15) made a huge impact. Yu won the individual gold medal on board three with his massive score of 9½/11. Today's game is from the final round match in Norway between China and Poland that ensured China's gold medals. GM Yu Yangyi is Black against GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda. media type="custom" key="26483560" **1. e4 c5** **2. Nf3 d6** **3. d4 cxd4** **4. Nxd4 Nf6** **5. Nc3 a6** **6. Be2 e5** In the Najdorf Sicilian, Black accepts a backward pawn on d6 and a weak square in front of it to obtain active piece play. Once considered foolhardy, this aggressive strategy has been championed by players such as Fischer and Kasparov, not to mention Najdorf. **7. Nb3 Be7** **8. Bg5 Be6** **9. Bxf6 Bxf6** **10. Qd3 O-O** **11. O-O-O Be7** This bishop plays an important role defending d6, while the other stands ready to exchange off a knight landing on d5. **12. Kb1 Nd7** **13. Nd5 Bxd5** **14. Qxd5 b5!** A new move, pressing on with the counterattack on the queen's wing. Previous games had seen 14... Qc7, defending b7 with a balanced game. White tries to interfere with Black's coordination by penetrating behind the pawns with his queen. **15. Qb7 Nf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16. f3 Re8!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17. c4?** Missing the point of Black's 'mysterious rook move', this move cuts off the queen's retreat path. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17... Bf8!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18. Qc6** The impetuous c-pawn will be lost, as 18. cxb5? Re7 19. Qc6 Rc7 loses the queen. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18... Qb8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19. Na5 Qa7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20. c5**

Black's last added a threat of … Qf2 to the mix, prompting White to close the diagonal and exchange queens. Asking for trouble would be 20. cxb5? axb5 21. b4 d5! when White's position collapses. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20... dxc5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21. Qb7 c4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22. Qxa7 Rxa7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23. Rc1** White can't make use of the d-file, as he has no entry squares for his rooks. Instead he makes use of a pin to rescue his knight from its precarious post. The open file falls into Black's hands. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23... Rc7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24. Nb3 Rd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25. Na1** Not exactly an improvement. Black now takes the 7th rank with his rooks. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25... Rd2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26. Rc2 Red8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27. b3 c3!** Keeping the knight in its self-made prison. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28. a4 bxa4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29. Bxa6 a3!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30. Bb5 h5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31. h4 g6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32. Re1 Bb4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33. Rec1 Kg7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34. Ka2 Ng8!** Correctly calculating the coming opposite-coloured bishop ending as winning for Black. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35. Rxd2 Rxd2+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36. Rc2 Ne7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**37. Rxd2 cxd2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**38. Be2 Nc6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**39. Nc2 Nd4!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**40. Nxd4 exd4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**41. f4 d3!** Which bishop and king are now limited to a couple of squares. His only chance is create a passed pawn to keep the Black king at bay. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**42. Bf3 Kf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**43. g4 hxg4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**44. Bxg4 Ke7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**45. e5 Kd8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**46. f5! gxf5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**47. Bd1 Ke7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**48. h5 Kf8** Very patient. 48... Ke6? 49. h6! might jeopardise the win. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**49. Bf3 Kg7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**50. Bd1 Kh6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**51. Bf3 Kg5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**52. Bd1 f4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**53. Kb1 Kf5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**54. Bf3 Kxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**55. Ka2 Bf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**56. h6** Praying for a miracle. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26... Kf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**57. Bh5 Bb4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**58. Kb1 f3** White resigns. After 59. Bxf3 Kg6, his last hope is gone.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**0-1**


 * Solution:** 1. h5+! Kxh5 (1... Kf5 2. Qxh7+ Qg6 3. Qxg6#) 2. Qxh7+ Qh6 3. Qxh6#.