ODT120221

=**Australian veteran wins sixth title**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 2.

Australian Grandmaster Darryl Johansen produced a steady performance to win his sixth Australian Championship in Geelong, Victoria last month. While 52 is far from over the hill in chess, as one of only seven players aged over 30 among the 30-player field, this was case of fending off the younger generation. Johansen finished unbeaten on 8½/11, a point ahead of a four-way tie for second between GM Zong-Yuan Zhao, IM Vladmiri Smirnov, IM George Xie and IM Stephen Solomon.

Todays' game was probably the key result in Johansen's victory, when he beat top seed Zhao in the sixth round playing with the black pieces. media type="custom" key="25574826" A relative sideline in the French Winawer, this odd-looking queen move prepares to defend g7 and solve the problem of the light-squared “french” bishop by exchanging it on a6. More common is a faster attack on the black king by 11 a4!? Nb8 12 a5 before Black can blockade the a-pawn. Deviating from a NZ game Smith-Dowden 1997, which went 12 a4 Nc6 13 Qd3 Na5 14 Qa6+ Kb8 and was eventually drawn. White goes for a more positional approach, exchanging his doubled pawn and bad bishop. Not 13...dxc4?! 14 Qxc4 Nxd4 15 Nxd4 Qxd4 16 Qxe6+ with a monster passed pawn on e5. A typical rook-pawn sacrifice to open the file, though putting the onus on White to attack. Forking d4 and e5. After 22 c3 White would have had adequate compensation for his pawn. Missing the significance of Black's 24th move. Instead 23 Ra4! Nxe5 24 Qb3 Nf7 25 Nxe6 Rd7 26 Nc5 Rde7 27 f3 Qa8 28 Nd3 leaves White is only one pawn down and still active. Now Black 'only' needs to absorb White's pressure to have a winning endgame. Johansen makes it looks easy against a strong grandmaster. Black is ready to give back both pawns to simplify his task: 25 Nxe6!? Rxe6 26 Qxf5 Qd5 27 dxe5 Qxe5 28 Qxe5?! Rxe5 29 Rxa7 Rd3 30 Ra3 Re2! winning the c-pawn (if 31 Rc1? Rc2!) and the two connected passed pawns will win the ending. With the white pieces hugging the edges, it's time to start the counter-attack. The text involves a pawn sacrifice to activate his rooks and highlight White's weak back rank. Centralising with gain of time, as the passed a-pawn will win if White exchanges queens. Black now dominates positionally as well as materially. The march of the passed pawn soon decides. Allowing a pretty finish, though 53 Qf2 Rb1! 54 Qf3 Qxf3 55 Nxf3 Ne4! 56 f5 Rb2 and Black wins.
 * 1.e4 e6**
 * 2.d4 d5**
 * 3.Nc3 Bb4**
 * 4.e5 Qd7**
 * 5.a3 Bxc3+**
 * 6.bxc3 b6**
 * 7.Qg4 f5**
 * 8.Qg3 Ba6**
 * 9.Bxa6 Nxa6**
 * 10.Ne2 O-O-O**
 * 11.O-O ---**
 * 11.--- Nb8**
 * 12.Qd3 ---**
 * 12.--- Nc6**
 * 13.c4 Nge7**
 * 14.Bg5 h6**
 * 15.Bxe7 Nxe7**
 * 16.a4 dxc4**
 * 17.Qxc4 Qd5**
 * 18.Qa6+ Qb7**
 * 19.Qd3 Nc6**
 * 20.a5!? ---**
 * 20.--- Nxa5**
 * 21.Nf4 Rhe8**
 * 22.Rfb1? Nc6!**
 * 23.c3 ---**
 * 23.--- Nxe5**
 * 24.Qc2 g5!**
 * 25.Nh5 Nd7**
 * 26.Ra4 Re7**
 * 27.Qa2 Kb8**
 * 28.Ra1 a5**
 * 29.Rb1 e5!**
 * 30.Ng3 exd4!**
 * 31.Nxf5 Re5**
 * 32.Nxd4 Rde8**
 * 33.h3 Nc5**
 * 34.Ra3 Re1+**
 * 35.Kh2 Rxb1**
 * 36.Qxb1 Qe4!**
 * 37.Qf1 Qe5+**
 * 38.g3 Qe1**
 * 39.Qg2 Qe4**
 * 40.Qf1 Rf8**
 * 41.Ra2 Nd3**
 * 42.f3 Ne5**
 * 43.Rf2 Qd5**
 * 44.f4 gxf4**
 * 45.gxf4 Nc4**
 * 46.Qe2 Nd6**
 * 47.Qe7 Re8**
 * 48.Qd7 Kb7**
 * 49.Rg2 Re1**
 * 50.Qh7 a4!**
 * 51.Qxh6 a3**
 * 52.Qh4 Qe4**
 * 53.Qf6 ---**
 * 53.--- a2!**
 * 54.Rxa2 Qh1+**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Nf5+! gxf5 (1...Kh7 2 Qxg7#) 2 Qh5#.