ODT080115

=**GM Chandler returns to NZ**=


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

New Zealand's first and only international grandmaster, Murray Chandler, has returned to live in the country of his birth. Seeking to make a living as a chess professional in the late 1970s Chandler was forced to base himself in Europe and changed federation to England to maximise his opportunities. After many years of success as a player, journalist, author and chess publisher, he now resides in Auckland's North Shore with his partner, Helen Milligan.

The move is likely to provide a great boost for chess in New Zealand, as the two have already set up the New Zealand Chess Academy, aiming to foster the standard of local chess, along with a new national chess website __[|www.newzealandchess.co.nz]__. Not least, Chandler successfully promoted the Queenstown Chess Classic, New Zealand's largest ever tournament in 2006 and has committed to repeat the event in 2009. Having switched federation back to New Zealand, Chandler is eligible to win a place on the national team for the chess Olympiad in Dresden later in the year. He has lined up with the top players in the country at the NZ Championship starting today in Auckland.

Today's game is from the sixth round of the Nelson International Open in October. Chandler, playing White, and his opponent, English GM Stuart Conquest, were jointly leading the tournament at that stage. media type="custom" key="26716282" The English Attack against the Scheveningen Sicilian, so-called because it was used with great effect in the 1980s by top English GMs John Nunn, Nigel Short and Murray Chandler(!). White's plan is queenside castling and a kingside pawn storm starting with g2-g4. A standard position has been reached. Most common here is 13 g5 to control f6, but since this no longer gains a tempo, White opts to stop the black knight from coming to e5. The move sacrifices a pawn as both g4 and e4 are weakened. Forking the two pawns. Prefering to give back the pawn to open up the centre and activate his bishops. The alternative 18 ... Nxe3 19 Qxe3 Qc5 20 Qb3 Bb7 21 Bc4 a5 22 Bd5 leaves White in control of d5 and the better minor pieces. Exchanging this bishop seems a key part of Black's idea. But White is now able to sacrifice the exchange for a strong attack with a brilliant sequence. If 23 ... Qxc4 24 Qxe3 Bxd5? then 25 Rxd5! Qxd5 26 Nf6+! gxf6 26 Rg1+ Kh8 27 Qh6 mating. Giving back the exchange as White has plenty for it after 26 ... Kg7 27 Rf1 f5 28 Qxf5 Qg6 29 Qxe5+ f6 30 Qd4 Kh8 31 Nxf6 etc. Losing the queen, but after 31 ... Qg4 32 Nxg7 Qxg7 33 Qb6! f6 (33 ... Bxd5? 34 Rg1 Bg2 35 Bf1 etc.) 34 d6 the d-pawn and Black's exposed king will tell.
 * 1. e4 c5**
 * 2. Nf3 e6**
 * 3. d4 cxd4**
 * 4. Nxd4 Nc6**
 * 5. Nc3 d6**
 * 6. Be3 Nf6**
 * 7. Qd2 Be7**
 * 8. f3 ---**
 * 8. --- O-O**
 * 9. g4 Nd7**
 * 10. O-O-O a6**
 * 11. h4 Nxd4**
 * 12. Bxd4 b5**
 * 13. f4!? b4!**
 * 14. Ne2 Qa5**
 * 15. Kb1 e5**
 * 16. Be3 Nf6**
 * 17. Ng3 Nxg4**
 * 18. f5! d5!?**
 * 19. exd5 Bb7**
 * 20. Bc4 Bc5**
 * 21. Bxc5 Qxc5**
 * 22. Qe2! Ne3**
 * 23. Ne4! Qb6**
 * 24. f6! Nxd1**
 * 25. Rxd1 gxf6**
 * 26. Qh5 Kh8**
 * 27. Qh6 Rg8**
 * 28. Nxf6 Rg7**
 * 29. Bd3 Qg1!?**
 * 30. Kc1 Qd4**
 * 31. Nh5 Rag8?**
 * 32. Bxh7! Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Bxf6! gxf6 2 Ng6+ Kg8 3 Qh8+ Kf7 4 Qh7#.