MARK RUBERY CHESS

BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN

What happens when a strong amateur faces a seasoned Grandmaster, and having the advantage of the White pieces chooses an opening known for its drawing tendencies? The following game that took place during the first round of the New York Open illustrates how the professional player is able to realise the gulf in class by keeping his position more fluid before almost imperceptibly taking the initiative. Loek Van Wely is a well-known globe trotting GM whilst his opponent is a veteran weekend player with a world record of 830 tournament victories to his credit! WHITE: J Curdo BLACK: L Van Wely

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 (Considered to be the most dynamic response to the Moscow Variation.) 4. d4 Ngf6 5. O-O a6 6. Bd7+ Nd7 7. Nc3 e6 8. Bg5 Qc7 9. Re1 b5 (Black lags behind in development, though if he can avoid any immediate calamities his middlegame prospects will be rosy)

10. a3 Bb7 11. Qd2 h6 12. Bh4 cd 13. Nd4 g5! 14. Bg3 Ne5 15. a4 Nc4 16. Qe2 b4

17. Na2 Bg7 18. c3 bxc3 19. bxc3 O-O 20. Rab1 Rac8 21. h4 Qe7 22. hg hg 23. Nb4 Rc7 24. Nbc6? (Having been strategically out-played White initiates a tactical battle where he is again outgunned) Bc6 25. Qc4 Be4 26 Qa6 Bb1 27. Bd6 Bd3 28. Qb6 Rb7 29. Qc5 Qf6 30. Re3 Rb1+ 31. Kh2 g4 32. Kg3 Rh1 33. Rd3 Qh4+ 34. Kf4 g3+ 0-1 A stunning shot was missed by a strong GM who soon had to acquiesce to a draw. Can you do better? ‘The change proposed by Capablanca was not an entirely arbitrary one. He arguedrather forcefully, it seems to me-that in addition to the queen, which combines the move of Rook and Bishop, it would be logical to place a piece on the board which combined the moves of Rook and Knight called the Chancellor, and another which combined the moves of Bishop and Knight called the Archbishop. After experimenting on a 10 x 8 board we noticed that the new pieces were so powerful that violent attacks always occurred at an early stage. Usually it took no more than twenty or thirty moves to finish a game. As expected the average player did not take kindly to the proposed change thus a fine idea was buried. I would like to see Capablanca’s idea resurrected in his honour-if only by an occasional try on the part of those who are open-mined enough to concede that when a World Champion suggests a change, it probably has its merits.’- Edward Lasker, 1950