ODT060926

=**Triumphant return home for Short**=


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

The European Union Individual Championship held in Liverpool this month was an occasion of some moment for top seed GM Nigel Short. It was the first time Short, former England No 1 and world championship challenger who now resides in Greece, had played in an international tournament in the country of his birth since 1989. The opportunity was not wasted, Short taking outright first place with an unbeaten 7½/10.

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the subsequent flood of strong Soviet grandmasters into the European chess scene, professional chess has suffered in the United Kingdom. With too little prizemoney to sustain the influx of professionals, many top English grandmasters have retired from competition. Sponsorship for top events has dried up – perhaps in no small part due to the schism at the top of chess caused by Short himself when he and Garry Kasparov broke away from FIDE the world chess body to stage their match for the world championship for more money in 1993. It can only be hoped the reunification match underway in Elista, Kalmykia for the world title between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik will restore some order and make chess attractive to sponsors once again.

Today's game is Short's last round win to emerge from the pack to take the European Union Individual title. He is playing with the white pieces against English GM Mark Hebden. media type="custom" key="27043250" An old response to the Two Knights Defence, which in recent years has been revived to shed some doubt on the soundness of Black's sacrifice. White aims to hang on to the pawn and consolidate. Pressure against the e5 pawn is part of White's scheme to stop Black turning his advantage in space and development into an attack. The computer favours 19 Nh5!? here with complicated ideas of attacking g7 or e6 after Nf4. Being human, Short consistently follows his plan to undermine e5 by exchanging a defender. Breaking up the centre with 26 Rxe5!? Bxe5 27 Rxe5 Bxd5 28 Rxd5 leaving White with 2 pawns for the exchange and many weak Black pawns to exploit was a more active option here. The move played allows Black to use his central pawns to drive White back and re-establish material equality. This superb blockading knight keeps a small advantage for White – simultaneously halting the d-pawn and defending the weak b2 pawn. Black's weak a4 pawn will come under rook attack. The a-pawn is doomed anyway. Instead 40 ... Rb8 41 Rxa4 Rb3 would have caused White more difficulty. Two pawns up, Short does not falter. A trivial endgame win results after 59 ... Ra5 60 Nxg5+ Bxg5 61 hxg5 Rxg5 62 Kg3 etc.
 * 1.e4 e5**
 * 2.Nf3 Nc6**
 * 3.Bc4 Nf6**
 * 4.Ng5 d5**
 * 5.exd5 Na5**
 * 6.Bb5+ c6**
 * 7.dxc6 bxc6**
 * 8.Qf3 ---**
 * 8. --- h6**
 * 9.Ne4 Nd5**
 * 10.Ba4 Be7**
 * 11.d3 O-O**
 * 12.O-O f5**
 * 13.Ng3 Be6**
 * 14.Re1 ---**
 * 14. --- Bd6**
 * 15.c4 Ne7**
 * 16.Bd2 c5**
 * 17.Nc3 a6**
 * 18.Nd5 Nac6**
 * 19.Bxc6 ---**
 * 19. --- Nxc6**
 * 20.Bc3 Qe8**
 * 21.h3 Rd8**
 * 22.Re2 Bb8**
 * 23.Rae1 a5**
 * 24.a3 Nd4**
 * 25.Bxd4 cxd4**
 * 26.Nb6**
 * 26. --- e4!**
 * 27.dxe4 f4**
 * 28.Nf1 Qc6**
 * 29.Nd5 Qxc4**
 * 30.Nd2 Qb5**
 * 31.Qb3 Qxb3**
 * 32.Nxb3 Bxd5**
 * 33.exd5 Rxd5**
 * 34.Rd2 Be5**
 * 35.Nc1 a4?**
 * 36.Nd3 ---**
 * 36. --- Bd6**
 * 37.Rc2! f3**
 * 38.g3 h5**
 * 39.Rc4 h4**
 * 40.g4 Ra5?**
 * 41.Rxd4 Rf6**
 * 42.Ree4 Bc7**
 * 43.Kf1 Rc6**
 * 44.Rxa4 Rxa4**
 * 45.Rxa4 ---**
 * 45. --- Rd6**
 * 46.Ne1 Rd1**
 * 47.Re4 Rb1**
 * 48.Re8+ Kh7**
 * 49.Rf8 Bd6**
 * 50.Rxf3 Rxb2**
 * 51.Rc3 Be5**
 * 52.Rd3 Bb8**
 * 53.Nf3 Ba7**
 * 54.Rd2 Rb3**
 * 55.Kg2 Rxa3**
 * 56.Nxh4 Bb8**
 * 57.Nf3 Bf4**
 * 58.Rd4 g5**
 * 59.h4**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:**1 Nh6! Qxh6 (1 ... Kh8 2 Rxf8#) 2 Rxf8+! Kxf8 3 Qd8#.