ODT110628

=**Close competition at Otago/Southland Interschool Championship**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 4.

The 2011 Otago/Southland Interschool Teams Championship was held at Otago Boys High School over the weekend of 18-19 June. The competition drew a total of 32 teams from 15 schools around the region. The Primary and Intermediate grades were held as a single event on the Saturday. Based on last year's result the top seeds were Tahuna Normal Intermediate and Enrich@ILT in the Primary. The seedings proved to be remarkably accurate, with Tahuna A winning the event on 18½/24 followed by Enrich E on 17 points. These two teams thus won their respective grades, with next placed John McGlashan A (Int) on 16½ and Maori Hill Blue (Prim) on 16 as runners-up in each grade.

The Secondary competition followed on the Sunday and was dominated by the top two teams from last year: Logan Park HS and Otago Boys HS A. The winner was decided in a tense final round when these two teams met. The 2-2 draw mean that OBHS A maintained their slender lead and won with 25/28 ahead of Logan Park on 24½.

Since the rapid time control meant that the interschool games could not be recorded, today's game comes from the first round of the elite Bazna Kings tournament in Medias, Romania. Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), playing White, baffles his opponent in the opening to win against Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan). media type="custom" key="25788530" A rare continuation in the Averbakh variation of the King's Indian Defence, similar in intent to the highly aggressive Four Pawns Attack. Clamping down on Black's intended d6-d5 break before continuing development – an inventive plan only previously tried in a minor game Vedral – Simecek, Prague 2004. In the above mentioned game Black played 14 ... a4 and after 15 e5 dxe5 16 fxe5 Qxd2+ 17 Rxd2 axb3! (sacrificing a piece for two pawns) 18 exf6 bxa2 19 Rxa2 Rxa2 20 Nxa2 Bxf6 was eventually able to hold the draw. Caught unawares, Radjabov instead prevents White's e4-e5, but leaves other attacking options open. For the investment of a pawn White breaks open the black kingside and doubles his f-pawns. If 18 ... Bxf6 19 Nd5 and 20 Nxf6+ achieves the same goal with one less Black defender. This leads to the White occupation of the ideal blockading square f5 and the inevitable and irresistible kingside attack. Instead 21 ...Bg6 gave more hope of survival. The start of a regroup of pieces toward the black king. The f5 square is needed for a knight, while the rook heads to the open g-file. White can take his time as Black has no way to counter White's plan – e.g. 28...d5 29 c5 only provides connected passed pawns to his opponent. So Black waits passively for a mistake. Clearing the last obstacle to the pending invasion down the g-file. Black is defenceless, as the blockaded f-pawns prevent his other forces assisting the king. Reaching the position in today's diagram – White to mate in 4.
 * 1.d4 Nf6**
 * 2.c4 g6**
 * 3.Nc3 Bg7**
 * 4.e4 d6**
 * 5.Be2 O-O**
 * 6.Bg5 Na6**
 * 7.f4!? ---**
 * 7.--- c6**
 * 8.Qd2 Nc7**
 * 9.Bf3!? ---**
 * 9.--- Ne6**
 * 10.Bh4 c5**
 * 11.dxc5 Nxc5**
 * 12.Rd1 Be6**
 * 13.b3 a5**
 * 14.Nge2 Qc7?!**
 * 15.O-O a4**
 * 16.f5! gxf5**
 * 17.exf5 Bxf5**
 * 18.Bxf6! exf6**
 * 19.b4 Ne6**
 * 20.Nb5 Qb6+**
 * 21.Kh1 Ng5?!**
 * 22.Bxb7! Qxb7**
 * 23.Rxf5 Ne4**
 * 24.Qd3 Rfe8**
 * 25.Ned4 Rac8**
 * 26.Rf4! ---**
 * 26.--- Bf8**
 * 27.Rdf1 Re5**
 * 28.a3! Kh8**
 * 29.Nf5 Rd8**
 * 30.Nc3! ---**
 * 30.--- Nxc3**
 * 31.Qxc3 Rde8**
 * 32.Rg4 Qc8**
 * 33.Qg3! h5**
 * 34.Rg8+ Kh7**
 * 35.Rxf8! Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Rg8+ Kh7 2 Rxf8! Rxf5 (2...Rxf8 3 Qg7#) 3 Rxf7+ and 4 Qg7#.