ODT090630

=**Logan Park win Otago School Teams Championship**=




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

Six teams from four schools turned out at Otago Boys High School for the 2009 edition of the Otago Secondary School team championship. It was hoped that changing the format from a series of weekly matches to a single day competition would attract more entries, including some from outside Dunedin, but this proved not to be the case. Defending champions OBHS A and last year's losing finalist Logan Park HS A started as pre-tournament favourites, as both had retained key members of their teams from last year. In the first round LPHS A faltered with a 2-2 draw to a surprisingly strong OBHS B team. However, in the second round showdown between the favourites, a 3-1 win over the OBHS A team put LPHS A in the lead, which they gradually extended for the remaining three rounds. The final scores were 1 LPHS A 14½ /20; 2 OBHS A 11; 3-4 Kings HS & OBHS B 9½; 5 John McGlashan College 8; 6 LPHS B 7½. Outstanding individual performers were David Moratti board 2/3 OBHS B 5/5, Charlie Ruffman board 4 LPHS A 5, Jonathan Favel board 1 Kings HS 4, Cam Vercoe-Groenen bord 2 LPHS A 4 and Elliot Munro board 3 OBHS A 4 points.

Today's game is between two of Australia's top juniors, Moulthun Ly (18) and James Morris (15), played in the third round of the Oceania Zonal tournament held at Tweed Heads on Australia's Gold Coast. At the time of writing Morris (Black) was a surprise tournament co-leader after winning this game. media type="custom" key="26409552" Delaying the pawn capture on d4 against the c3 Sicilian is not recommended as it allows White to dislodge the centrally placed knight on d5. The immediate 7... Bxc5? runs into 8 a3 Na6 9 b4 winning a piece. So White has time to sew-up control of the d6 square. A necessary bid for freedom or Black will choke. Having played well to here, White missed the useful zwischenzug 15 a3! Na6 16 Qd2 pushing Black's knight to the edge. So Black exploits White's uncastled king to make a vital exchange and reorganise his pieces. If 16 Nxd4 Qxd4 17 Qxd4 Nc2+ regains the material and minimises White's advantage. Playing for kingside counter-chances, but after 21 Qxb6! neither 21 ... Rxf3 22 Qxb7 nor 21 ... Nd8 22 Ne1 seem to offer Black enough for the sacrificed pawn. Instead White plays a safety-first move which allows Black to bring all guns to bear on the kingside. Achieving the aim of placing a knight on this square – but Black simply plays around it! However, grabbing pawns with either 24 Rxd7 or 24 Qxb6 would be met by 24 ... Ne5 with a strong attack.. Having forced his last piece into the attack, Black explodes the White position. The rook is immune as 29 gxf3 Nxf3+ 30 Kf2 (or f1) Nxd2 31 Qxd2 Qf6+ picking up the loose rook on a1. There is no defence – 31 Ne4 Bxe4 32 Qxe4 Ng4! forces heavy material losses to prevent mate. Winning the white queen.
 * 1. e4 c5**
 * 2. c3 Nf6**
 * 3. e5 Nd5**
 * 4. d4 e6?!**
 * 5. Nf3 Nc6**
 * 6. c4 Ndb4**
 * 7. dxc5 a5**
 * 8. Nc3 Bxc5**
 * 9. Ne4 Be7**
 * 10. Be2 O-O**
 * 11. Bf4 f5**
 * 12. exf6 Bxf6**
 * 13. Bd6 Rf7**
 * 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6**
 * 15. Qd2?! Nd4!**
 * 16. O-O Nxe2+**
 * 17. Qxe2 Nc6**
 * 18. Rfd1 b6**
 * 19. b3 Bb7**
 * 20. Qe3 Qg6!?**
 * 21. Bg3?! Raf8!**
 * 22. Ng5 Rf5**
 * 23. Ne4 Ba8**
 * 24. Nd6 ---**
 * 24. --- Rc5**
 * 25. f3 h5**
 * 26. Rd2 h4!**
 * 27. Bxh4 Ne5**
 * 28. Bg3 Rxf3!!**
 * 29. Qe2 Rxg3!**
 * 30. hxg3 Qxg3**
 * 31. Kf1 ---**
 * 31. --- Ng4**
 * 32. Qe1 Nh2+**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Qxe3+!! 2 Kxe3 Bh6+ 3 Kf3 (3 Kd3 Rd2#) Bg2#.