ODT130122

=**Wastney storms 120th New Zealand Championship**=




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

The 120th New Zealand Chess Championship was held in Wellington earlier this month. The third seed, local FM Scott Wastney, won his second championship title with a round to spare, crushing the 18 player field with a final score of 10/11. Veteran former champion, FM Ewen Green (Auckland), playing in his first championship for 13 years had an excellent result to share second place on 7½ with FM Bob Smith (Mt Maunganui), another past champion. Defending champion FM Mike Steadman (Auckland) finished tied for fourth with local player Brian Nijman on 7 points. Top seeded IM Anthony Ker of Wellington had a tournament he would rather forget, but bounced back to win the Rapid Championship shared with IM Paul Garbett of Auckland.

Today's game is Wastney's stunning fifth round victory over Sri Lankan player and a former national champion in his home country, Athula Russell. media type="custom" key="25174160" A sideline of the Caro-Kann 4... Bf5 variation. White gains time with Nf4 attacking the bishop, and keeps the d1-h5 diagonal free for his queen with possibilities of an attack on the kingside. Neglecting development is rarely a good policy in the opening. Botvinnik preferred 10... Bd6 in his 1960 world championship match with Tal, and went on to win after the typical speculative Tal sacrifice 11 Nxe6!? Wastney responds by offering a pawn to increase his lead in development. On general principles this pawn should be too hot to capture, even though it appears to gain time with an attack on the bishop and even my computer can't see the coming retribution. This position has arisen a couple of times and although Black had not previously taken the h-pawn, it is possible that White had prepared his brilliant response. The knight restricts further development by Black, but now White must lose a piece. What to do? Sacrifice! If 14...cxd5, 15 Qxd5 theatening 16 Bb5+ and 16 Qxb7 wins. But now the white queen is attacked.... If the queen is taken, the black king is caught in a crossfire of rooks and bishops: 15... Bxd1 16 exf7+ Kd7 (16... Kd8 17 Re8+ Kd7 18 Be6 mate) 17 Raxd1+ Bd6 18 Rxd6+ Kc7 (18...Kc8 19 Re8+ is worse) 19 Rxh6+ Qxf4 20 Rxh8 Nd7 (else 21 f8=Q) 21 Rxa8 Qxc4 22 Re7! and the f-pawn promotes. White must have had this amazing combination in mind when playing 14 d5!! and possibly even 13 Nh5!. The other alternative for Black here 15... f5 also leads to a White advantage after 16 e7! Bxe7 (or 16... Bxd1 17 exf8=Q+ Kxf8 18 Bd6+ mating) 17 Qd4! attacking g7 which can't be defended (17... Qf6 18 Be5, 17... Rh7 18 Bg8 or 17... Rf8 18 g3 Qf6 19 Be5 Qg5 20 Bd6 winning). Black's best here is 17 ...Nd7 18 Qxg7 0-0-0 18 Rxe7 Qxf4 19 Be6 regaining the piece with a big advantage for White. Selling the queen dearly – in return for rook, bishop and knight. But Black's exposed king makes his material advantage short-lived. Else 21 Qxg7+ wins a rook. Better was 21... Rhd8 allowing the king to escape, but after 22 Re1+ Kf8 23 Qb4+ c5 24 Qxb7 White's winning task is simple enough. White will force mate, starting with 24 Re7.
 * 1.e4 c6**
 * 2.d4 d5**
 * 3.Nd2 dxe4**
 * 4.Nxe4 Bf5**
 * 5.Ng3 Bg6**
 * 6.h4 h6**
 * 7.Nh3 ---**
 * 7.--- Nf6**
 * 8.Nf4 Bh7**
 * 9.Bc4 e6**
 * 10.0-0 Nd5?!**
 * 11.Re1! Nxf4**
 * 12.Bxf4 Qxh4?**
 * 13.Nh5! Bg6**
 * 14.d5!! Bxh5**
 * 15.dxe6! Be7**
 * 16.exf7+ Bxf7**
 * 17.Bd6! Bxc4**
 * 18.Rxe7+ Qxe7**
 * 19.Bxe7 Kxe7**
 * 20.Qd4 Nd7**
 * 21.Qxc4 Nb6?**
 * 22.Re1+ Kd7**
 * 23.Qf7+ Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Bxh7+! Kxh7 2 Qd3+ Qe4(or f5) 3 QxQ+ and 4 Qg6#.