ODT090324

=**Young players to the fore**=




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

Although first place honours went to more experienced heads, the first Otago Chess Club tournament of the year drew attention to some of the younger club members' capabilities. Finishing just behind Hamish Gold and the writer in first place on 4½/6, 15 year old Patrick Dawson showed he is on a par with the club's best in scoring 4 points – the same score as club champion John Sutherland.

Playing in his first club event, new member Remi Ritchie (12) was paired against club President Alistair Newbould in the first round. Although the game eventually went with the older player, he was so impressed with Ritchie's play that he annotated the game for publication. So today's game features Remi Ritchie with the Black pieces against Alistair Newbould, who provided many of the comments. media type="custom" key="26443858" An ancient counter-gambit to the Scotch game - black offers a pawn for open lines and an attack on White's king. Immediate pressure on the e-pawn by way of the pin 6 ... Bg4 was the preferred choice of World Champion Emanual Lasker in 1893, but the text is a useful developing move and keeps White under pressure. Black continues the theme of open lines and rapid development. Preventing 10 ... Nb4, but developing the white squared bishop would have been wiser, as the threat is not serious. Unpinning the knight this way costs a pawn.11 Bd3 was much better. A check for check's sake. Returning along the b1-h6 diagonal preserves Black's bishop, which is currently superior to its White counterpart. Like White's 10th move this is designed to restrict the opponents play by preventing Bg5. However the theme of rapid development is being lost. Bg5 could have been prevented by15 ... Be7 developing the dark squared bishop immediately. Both sides miss the possibilty of 16... a5! breaking White's pawn structure and activating Black's bishop. The knight had a nice outpost on c5 and had eyes on e6, however Black was still in control of the game and this exchange is again in whites favour. The black knight is heading for d3, but 20 ... Nd4+! forces 21 Ke1 keeping the other white rook out of the game. White now brings the rook to c1 – safe from a knight fork due to the threat on c7. Just when Black could have profited from his excellent play to this point he blunders a whole rook. Instead 24 ... Nxb4 wins a pawn outright thanks to the unprotected rook on d1. Pinned pawns no longer support the piece they appear to protect. This is a very easy mistake to make and a sad way for this game to be resolved. With the fall of the h pawn the remainder of the game was routine, White eventually exchanging his rook for the knight leaving the kingside pawns free to march to victory. Since this game however, Remi has managed to bring home the full point against other more seasoned club members.
 * 1. e4 e5**
 * 2. Nf3 Nc6**
 * 3. d4 d5!?**
 * 4. exd5 Qxd5**
 * 5. dxe5 Qxd1+**
 * 6. Kxd1 Bf5!?**
 * 7. Be3 O-O-O+**
 * 8. Nbd2 f6!**
 * 9. exf6 Nxf6**
 * 10. a3?! ---**
 * 10. --- Ne4**
 * 11. Ke2? ---**
 * 11. --- Nxd2**
 * 12. Nxd2 Bxc2**
 * 13. Rc1 Bd3+?!**
 * 14. Ke1 Bxf1**
 * 15. Rxf1 h6?!**
 * 16. b4?! a6?!**
 * 17. Ke2 Be7**
 * 18. Ne4 Rhe8**
 * 19. Nc5 Bxc5**
 * 20. Rxc5 Ne5**
 * 21. Rfc1! c6**
 * 22. R5c3 Rd5**
 * 23. Kf1 Nd3**
 * 24. Rd1? Nb2??**
 * 25. Rxd5 Na4**
 * 26. Rc2 Nb2**
 * 27. Bc1 Na4**
 * 28. Rd1 Rd8**
 * 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8**
 * 30. Re2 Nc3**
 * 31. Rd2+ Kc7**
 * 32. Bb2 Ne4**
 * 33. Re2 Nf6**
 * 34. Re7+ Kd6**
 * 35. Rxg7 Ne8**
 * 36. Rg6+ Kd7**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Qd8+! Rxd8 2 Re8+! Kxe8 3 Nf6#.