ODT090407

=**Battle of nerves**=




 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in 8.

Rapidplay chess (where the players each have less than an hour for all their moves) is generally considered a lesser form of the game by chess aficionados. Although rapid games tend to contain more mistakes than chess played at standard time limits, the pressure to keep making moves can heighten the dramatic aspects of chess. Players are forced to rely on their judgement and instincts rather than exact calculation and fortunes can take wild swings during the game.

Just such a game was played in the Otago Chess Club Swiss Rapid tournament that was the feature of the previous column. Today's game was played between the eventual tournament winners, the writer and Hamish Gold, who is playing with the black pieces. media type="custom" key="26438470" Up to this point the game had been following a line of the King's Indian Defence Bayonet Attack. But Black's last move loses a pawn. Although technically unsound, Black gets all sorts of attacking chances if White accepts the rook. E.g. 19 Nxa8 Rh6 20 h3 Nf6 21 Re1?! (21 h4!) Bxh3! 22 Bf1! Bd7 and White has to start returning material with 23 Bh4 to avoid mate. White therefore plays to prevent a bishop sacrifice on h3. Now 22 Nxa8 Bxh3! 23 Bf1! Bd7 24 Bb6 Qh2+ 25 Kf2 g4 is definitely too dangerous. A single careless move and suddenly Black's overambitious attack is winning, thanks to opening the h-file. 24 Nd2 heading for f1 was a safe defence. Just to show how difficult chess is I have given position after 26 Qd2 as today's diagram – Black to mate in just 8 moves! Needless to say neither player saw this combination during the game or why 26 Qc2 making a flight path for the king was better. Winning immediately was 27 ... Qh2+ 28 Kf2 gxf3! when 29 Nxf3 Rxf3+! 30 Kxf3 Qg3+ 31 Ke2 Bg4 is mate or 29 Nxh3 Qg3+! 30 Kg1 Ng4! 31 Bd3 Qh2+ 32 Kf1 Qh1+ 33 Ng1 Nh2+ 34 Kf2 Qxg2 mate. Black is tempted by the win of a piece, which allows White to fight on. While this pawn advance was winning a move ago (instead of 34 ... Ng4) it now loses! Crucial was 35 ... Kf7! Allowing the king to blockade the white pawns. Yet another twist as the players run short of time: 37 d7! Giving up the rook for a new queen was correct. Now Black could have held the advantage by 37 ... Bf6! 38 Bb5 Rf3 39 e8=Q+ Rxe8 40 Bxe8 Ne3 retaining an extra pawn. The final chance was in 38 ... Rh3+! 39 Kg1 Rg3+ 40 Kh2 Rg6! White still wins after 41 d7! Ng4+ 42 Kg1 Nf6+ 43 Kf1 Nxd7 44 Rd1 Re8 45 Rxd7 Bf6 46 Bf7 Rxe7 47 Rxe7 Bxe7 48 Bxg6 hxg6 49 Rf7 but was hardly likely both sides would find this sequence of exact moves. Mate is inevitable. An exciting battle with the result hanging in the balance to the very end.
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. Nf3 d6**
 * 3. c4 g6**
 * 4. Nc3 Bg7**
 * 5. e4 O-O**
 * 6. Be2 Nc6**
 * 7. O-O e5**
 * 8. d5 Ne7**
 * 9. b4 a5**
 * 10. bxa5 Rxa5**
 * 11. Nd2 Nd7**
 * 12. Nb3 Ra8**
 * 13. Be3 f5**
 * 14. f3 f4**
 * 15. Bf2 g5**
 * 16. c5 Qe8?**
 * 17. Nb5! Qh5!?**
 * 18. Nxc7 Rf6!!**
 * 19. cxd6!? Rh6**
 * 20. h3 Ng6**
 * 21. Re1!? Nf6**
 * 22. Ne6! ---**
 * 22. --- Nh4**
 * 23. Bxh4 Qxh4**
 * 24. Nbc5? ---**
 * 24. --- Qg3!**
 * 25. Bf1 Rxh3**
 * 26. Qd2? g4!?**
 * 27. Ng5 Rh5?!**
 * 28. Nce6 Bxe6**
 * 29. dxe6! Rxg5**
 * 30. Qf2 gxf3**
 * 31. Qxg3 Rxg3**
 * 32. Kh1 fxg2+**
 * 33. Bxg2 f3**
 * 34. Bf1 Ng4?!**
 * 35. e7 f2?**
 * 36. Bc4+ Kh8**
 * 37. Rf1? ---**
 * 37. --- Ne3?**
 * 38. Rxf2 Nxc4?!**
 * 39. d7 Rh3+**
 * 40. Kg2 Rd3**
 * 41. e8=Q+**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Ng4!! 2 fxg4 (2 Bb5 Rh1+! 3 Kxh1 Qh2#) f3! 3 Bb5 (else 3 ... f2+ 4 Qxf2 Qh2#) Qh2+ 4 Kf1 Qh1+ 5 Kf2 Qxg2+ 6 Ke3 f2+ 7 Ke2 Qf3+ 8 Kf1 Rh1#.