ODT060523

=**Dive on form for Olympiad**=


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

International Master Russell Dive (39) of Wellington showed he is in good form by winning the Wellington Easter Open with an unbeaten 5½/6, a full point ahead of a strong field.

The timing couldn't be better, with Dive a key member of the New Zealand Men's team at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy which began on 20 May. A three-time former New Zealand Champion, Russell will be aiming to reprise his excellent peformance of 7/11 on board three at the last Olympiad at Calvia, Spain in 2004. The other team members are men: IM Anthony Ker, IM Paul Garbett, FM Roger Nokes, Puchen Wang and Michael Steadman; women: Viv Smith, Sue Maroroa, Eachen Chen and Natasha Fairley.

Today's game is from the 5th round at Wellington, and features Dive with the White pieces simply taking over the board against fellow Olympian, FM Roger Nokes of Canterbury. media type="custom" key="27080150" A less forceful alternative to 7 Nc3 against the Classical Dutch Defence. White temporarily relinquishes control of e4, aiming to restrain Black's thematic e5 break before expanding in the centre himself. Development completed,White maneouvres this knight to d3, from where it threatens Nf4 and eyes the e5 and b4 squares. At the same time the bishop and f-pawn are unmasked to regain control of e4. Black's plan to control e4 has not worked, since 16 ... fxe4? fails due to the pin along the f-file. His position is cramped so he adopts a waiting policy, planning to meet further White expansion with a timely counterthrust that may show White to have overextended. Black's last two moves have merely served to push White's rook to a better square and take the bishop out of play. Now White opens up the centre to punish its absence from the long diagonal. Black sees that White's combination to promote his a6 pawn will cost him a rook, but that grabbing this piece and the threat of his d-pawn promotion will get it back. However, the resulting ending is a relatively straightforward win for an IM of Dive's strength. Instead 23 ... c6 blocking the long diagonal and preserving queens was a better try. Also possible was regaining the queen for knight and rook with the tricky 27 Re2!? d1=Q 28 Rxd1 Bxd1 29 Bxc8 Bxe2 30 Bxe6+ Kh8 31 a8=Q followed by pushing the a-pawn. That this pawn could could not be preserved seals Black's fate. The extra pawns plus two bishops win easily. Last try – threatening 42... Re3 mate! The a-pawn will cost Black a piece.
 * 1.c4 f5**
 * 2.d4 Nf6**
 * 3.g3 e6**
 * 4.Bg2 Be7**
 * 5.Nf3 O-O**
 * 6.O-O d6**
 * 7.b3**
 * 7. --- a5**
 * 8.Bb2 Ne4**
 * 9.Nbd2 Nxd2**
 * 10.Qxd2 Nd7**
 * 11.a3 Nf6**
 * 12.e3 Qe8**
 * 13.Ne1!**
 * 13. --- Bd7**
 * 14.Nd3 Bc6**
 * 15.f3 Qf7**
 * 16.e4! Bd8**
 * 17.Rad1 Ne8**
 * 18.b4 Ba4**
 * 19.Rde1 b5?**
 * 20.exf5! Qxf5**
 * 21.f4 Rb8**
 * 22.bxa5 bxc4**
 * 23.a6! Qxd3?**
 * 24.Qxd3 cxd3**
 * 25.a7 Rc8**
 * 26.Bb7 d2**
 * 27.Rd1**
 * 27. --- Bxd1**
 * 28.Rxd1 c6**
 * 29.Bxc8 Nc7**
 * 30.Bxe6+!**
 * 30. --- Kh8**
 * 31.Bd7 Na8**
 * 32.Bxc6 Bb6**
 * 33.Rxd2 Bxa7**
 * 34.Kg2 Nb6**
 * 35.Rc2 Rc8**
 * 36.Kf3 d5**
 * 37.Ke2 h6**
 * 38.Kd3 Rc7**
 * 39.a4 Re7**
 * 40.Ba3 Re1**
 * 41.Bc5 Nc4**
 * 42.Bxd5 Bxc5**
 * 43.Kxc4 Bd6**
 * 44.a5 Ra1**
 * 45.Kb5 Resigns**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Rxh2+! 2 Kxh2 Qg3+ 3 Kh1 Qh3#.