ODT131029

=**Wohl wins Trundle Masters**=




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

Australian IM Aleksandar Wohl won the 2013 George Trundle Masters tournament in Auckland that ended earlier this month. The annual event comprises a strong ten-player round robin with a selected field of local and overseas players allowing IM norm chances, accompanied by a similar Qualifiers event held alongside for aspiring locals.

A dream start of three wins for Wohl, while his while main rival, fellow Australian IM Stephen Solomon began with two losses, certainly augured for the final result. But Solomon bounced back with a string of victories, including a devastating defeat of Wohl in 22 moves round six, to narrow the gap to half a point. A strong showing by Auckland IM Paul Garbett and former Auckland (now Melbourne) junior FM Luke Li restricted the leaders' scoring in the final rounds, so Wohl's final score of 6½/9 proved just enough to head Solomon's 6 points. Garbett and Li tied for third on 5 points with IM Peng Kong Chan of Singapore, and shared the George Trundle trophy as highest placed New Zealanders. The Qualifiers tournament was won by Scott Yang of Auckland, also on 6½/9.

Today's game from the seventh round ended Wohl's mid-tournament slump, winning with the black pieces over FM Ben Hague of Auckland. media type="custom" key="24924316" Flexible openings with delayed development like the Modern Defence are typical of Wohl's provocative style. Black aims to entice the white centre pawns forward and attack them from the wings. Since d5 is momentarily undefended, an alternative plan was 9 a4 b4 10 Nd5 Nc6 11 a5 effectively isolating the black b-pawn and gaining the access to the c4 square. Overambitious. This combination gains a nominal material advantage of two pawns and a rook for two pieces, but as so often happens in similar situations the white rooks lack activity and the two extra black pieces soon dominate the middlegame. A simple move like 11 Qd2 intending 12 Bh6 exchanging the active black bishop promised more for White. Not the best square for the queen, which must contend with many possibilities of harrassment from the black pieces. The immediate 14 Ne4 Nc6 15 c3 Nc7 16 a4! b4 17 Qd2 bxc3 18 bxc3 gaining a passed pawn and some air for the rooks looks interesting. Having completed development, the black pieces head calmly to the kingside while the rook on a8 ties its counterpart to protecting the a-pawn. Meanwhile the white knights have to compete with each other for the few squares available to them. Failing to appreciate that his queen is already becoming dominated by the black minor pieces, White makes a tactical error. After 19 Qg4 Ne6, 20 Nfd2 is already necessary to give the queen a retreat from the threat of 20...h5. Winning the knight. White grabs two more pawns for it, as trying to hold on by 21 Qh3? Bxe4! 22 Rxe4 (22 Nxf5 Bxf5 gets the knight for nothing) leads to the loss of a whole rook after 22... Ng5 23 Qd3 Nxe4 24 Qxe4 Re8 25 Qf4 Bh6. The remaining material balance of rook and four pawns vs three pieces is still almost equal on points, but the rooks are utterly dominated by the black minor pieces. It only takes a few more moves for the White position to break down. Weakening the kingside dark squares. 24 a3 releasing the rook from guard duty was more resilient. Black immediately secures the knight outposts on f4 and f5. Walking into a combination. But after say 27 Rd2 Bh6 28 Kg1 (28 Re1? Nxg2) 28... Bxe4 29 fxe4 Rxe4 White had only misery in prospect. The text leads to a quick execution. Extending his neck in preference to the hopeless 30 Kh2 Bxe4 31 fxe4 Nxd1 32 Rxd1 Ng5.
 * 1.e4 g6**
 * 2.d4 Bg7**
 * 3.Nf3 d6**
 * 4.Be2 a6**
 * 5.0-0 Nf6**
 * 6.Nc3 0-0**
 * 7.Re1 b5**
 * 8.e5 Ne8**
 * 9.Bg5 ---**
 * 9.--- Bb7**
 * 10.exd6 cxd6**
 * 11.Bxb5?!**
 * 11.--- axb5**
 * 12.Bxe7 Qd7**
 * 13.Bxf8 Kxf8**
 * 14.Qe2 ---**
 * 14.--- Nc7**
 * 15.Ne4 Nc6**
 * 16.Qd2 h6**
 * 17.c3 Ne7!**
 * 18.Qf4 Nf5**
 * 19.Nh4? ---**
 * 19.--- Ne6**
 * 20.Qg4 h5!**
 * 21.Nxg6+ fxg6**
 * 22.Qxg6 Qf7**
 * 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7**
 * 24.f3?! ---**
 * 24.--- h4!**
 * 25.Kf2 Nf4**
 * 26.Red1 Re8**
 * 27.g3? ---**
 * 27.--- hxg3+**
 * 28.hxg3 Nh3+!**
 * 29.Kg2 Ne3+**
 * 30.Kxh3 ---**
 * 30.--- Rh8 mate**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Rh8+! Kf7 (1... Kxh8 or Kg7 2 Qh7#) 2 Qh7+ Qg7 3 Bg6+ Ke7 4 Qxg7#.