ODT060425

=**Sutton in fine form**=


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

FM Richard Sutton confirmed his place at the top of the Otago Chess Club with an emphatic 5/5 for first place in the Swiss Standard tournament completed earlier this month.

Sutton's form continues from his excellent performance in the Queenstown Chess Classic in January, where finished tied for 13th place in an enormously strong field and easily took the NZ Senior (over 60) prize. A three-time former NZ champion, Richard has been NZ's strongest senior player for a number of years. Though capable of competing at the highest level, he takes a less active role nowadays – for instance as one of the selectors of the NZ Olympiad team to compete in Turin next month.

Today's game is Richard's picturesque win with White over Cameron Bailey of Australia in the 6th round of the Queenstown Chess Classic, featuring a rare mating attack in a queenless middlegame. Sutton kindly provided the annotations. media type="custom" key="27090282" We have reached a position typical of the King's Indian Defence – Classical Fianchetto variation. White's plan is to drive the Black knights back to less active squares, where they will get in the way of Black's other pieces. The threat was 23 f5, winning the d-pawn. But Black is preparing a break-out on the King-side, which White should now have anticipated by 23 Bf3 and 24 Kg2. The scene of battle moves across to the Queenside. But as far as White is concerned, this is mere skirmishing; his objective is to get what pieces he can through the central squares, to attack the Black king. An interesting line is 33...Nxb2 34 Ne3 a4 (The threat is 35 Rb1 winning the Knight) 35 Rd2 a3 36 f6 Ne6 37 Kg3 followed by 38 Rdh2 and mate. Black must avoid anything like 40... Bxb5 41 Nf6+ Kf8 42 Rh8# and 40... Nxf5 is unattractive because it brings White's bishop into play as well. 41... Bxb5 42 hxg6 Rf8 43 f6 Rae8 44 g7 followed by checkmate on h8. At this point we have reached the position in this week's diagram. White now uses his remaining forces to deliver checkmate. The full solution is at the bottom, while the moves actually played were... A wonderful final position.
 * 1. d4 Nf6**
 * 2. c4 g6**
 * 3. g3 Bg7**
 * 4. Bg2 d6**
 * 5. Nf3 O-O**
 * 6. O-O Nbd7**
 * 7. Nc3 e5**
 * 8. e4 Re8**
 * 9. h3 exd4**
 * 10. Nxd4 Nc5**
 * 11. Re1 a5**
 * 12. Rb1 Nfd7**
 * 13. Be3 Ne5**
 * 14. Bf1 c6**
 * 15. f4 Ned7**
 * 16. Bf2 Nf8**
 * 17. Qd2 Nfe6**
 * 18. Nc2 Qc7**
 * 19. Rbd1 Bf8**
 * 20. g4 Qe7**
 * 21. Bg2 Nd7**
 * 22. Bg3 Ng7**
 * 23. Kh2 h5**
 * 24. Bf3 hxg4**
 * 25. hxg4 Nf6**
 * 26. f5 Nd7**
 * 27. Bxd6 Qh4+**
 * 28. Kg2 Bxd6**
 * 29. Qxd6 Ne5**
 * 30. Rh1 Qg5**
 * 31. Qd2 Qxd2+**
 * 32. Rxd2 Nxc4**
 * 33. Rd4 b5**
 * 34. a4 c5**
 * 35. Rd5 b4**
 * 36. Nb5 b3**
 * 37. Rxc5 Nxb2**
 * 38. Ne3 Nxa4**
 * 39. Rc7 Ba6**
 * 40. Nd5! Nh5**
 * 41.gxh5 Rec8**
 * 42. hxg6 Rxc7**
 * 43. Nbxc7 Rd8**
 * 44. gxf7+ Kxf7**
 * 45. Rh7+ Kf8**
 * 46. Ne6+ Kg8**
 * 47. Nf6#**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 **gxf7+ Kxf7 (1... Kf8 2 Ne6+ Kxf7 3 Rh7+ Kg8 4 Nf6#) 2 Rh7+ Kf8 3 Ne6+ Kg8 (3... Ke8 4 Re7#) 4 Nf6#.**