ODT100727

=**Strong performances at George Trundle Masters**=




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

The 2010 edition of the George Trundle Masters tournament in Auckland was an unqualified success for organiser Michael Steadman. The main event was won with an incredible score of 8½/9 by Melbourne IM Guy West – a rating performance of nearly 2800. The only player to trouble West was Steadman himself, who finished second on 6½, while FM Bob Smith was third with a solid 5 points. Steadman's result earned him his first IM norm, which bodes well for his upcoming quest to Europe to gather the remaining two norms required for the title. The culmination of the trip will be joining Smith and the rest of the New Zealand Olympiad team competing in Khanty Mansiysk, Siberia in October.

Today's game is the decisive 7th round battle between FM Steadman (playing White) and IM West. media type="custom" key="26213832" Not the most promising line of the Nimzo Indian for Black, but perhaps trying to avoid pre-game preparation. Black offered a draw here, but the position is still 'book' and White's inevitable expansion in the centre will give him the advantage. Another choice was 23 Bc1 looking out over the kingside. Missing a chance to cut off the black queen with the thematic advance 24 f6! gxf6 (24... g6 might be safest) 25 Nf5! and Black's kingside is compromised e.g 25 ...Re6 26 Qg3+ Kf8 27 Qh4 fxe5 28 Qxh7 with the advantage. Black can't capture on e5 without unleashing the bishop into the attack – eg. the amazing line 25... fxe5 26 dxe5 Re6 27 Qg3+ Rg6 28 e6!! Rxg3 29 e7 Rg6 (else 30 Nh6#) 30 exd8=Q Rxd8 31 Rxd5! Ned6 32 Ne7+ Kf8 33 Nxg6+ winning the exchange. Black should now have played the immediate 24 ... Qg5 and then White taken his second chance for 25 f6! Accompanied by another draw offer, more tempting this time, as Black has sufficient resources mobilised to beat off the attack. Even now 28 f6! had promise, but no longer as the knight can't reach f5. White's last move came with a draw offer, but rightly refused as Black's queenside pawn majority will come to prominence with the queens exchanged. In the time-scramble to move 40 Black slips and White misses his last chance: 37 f6! g6 (37... fxe6 38 Rxg7+ Kh8 39 Nf4! Re3 40 Re7! Rxe1+ 41 Rxe1 b1=Q 42 Rxb1 Rxb1+ 43 Kf2 and White's f-pawn will cost Black a knight) 38 e7 Nc7 39 Bg3 Rxg3! 40 Nxg3 h6 41 Re5 Nxe5 42 dxe5 and White is even better! Black's next is the only move, but sufficient, finally ruling out the thematic pawn push that White passed over four times.
 * 1.d4 Nf6**
 * 2.c4 e6**
 * 3.Nc3 Bb4**
 * 4.e3 0-0**
 * 5.Bd3 d5**
 * 6.a3 Bxc3+**
 * 7.bxc3 b6**
 * 8.cxd5 exd5**
 * 9.Ne2 Ba6**
 * 10.0-0 c5**
 * 11.Ng3 Bxd3**
 * 12.Qxd3 Nc6**
 * 13.Ra2 Re8**
 * 14.f3 Qd7**
 * 15.Re2 Rad8**
 * 16.Bb2 Re6**
 * 17.Rd1 cxd4**
 * 18.cxd4 Na5**
 * 19.e4 Rc8**
 * 20.e5 Ne8**
 * 21.f4 Rec6**
 * 22.f5 Nc4**
 * 23.Ba1 ---**
 * 23.--- Qd8**
 * 24.Qf3 ---**
 * 24 --- b5?!**
 * 25.Ree1?! Qg5!**
 * 26.Rd3 Nc7**
 * 27.Bc3 a5**
 * 28.Ne2?! ---**
 * 28.--- Rb8**
 * 29.Qh3 Rh6**
 * 30.Rg3 Rxh3**
 * 31.Rxg5 Rd3**
 * 32.Ra1 b4**
 * 33.axb4 axb4**
 * 34.Rb1 Na6**
 * 35.Be1 b3**
 * 36.e6!? b2?**
 * 37.e7? ---**
 * 37.--- f6!**
 * 38.Rg4 Re3**
 * 39.Nc3 Na3**
 * 40.Nxd5 Nxb1**
 * White resigns**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Rh8+! Bxh8 (1... Kc7 2 Rxc8+ Kd7 3 Qf7#) 2 Qf8+ Kd7 3 Qxc8+ Ke7 4 Qe8#.