CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO
When South Africa faced Wales at last month’s Olympiad in Chennai, facing Daniel Barrish on second Board was Tim Kett, once a young lion on our shores, now with 6 Welsh championship titles under his expanding middle-aged belt. Out-rated, out-titled and a comparative old fossil, Tim came to the board armed with 1970s opening theory so outdated it proved effective!
CM Tim Kett (2197) – FM Daniel Barrish (2283) [Najdorf Sicilian]: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Be7 8 Qf3 Qc7 9 O-O-O Nbd7 10 Bd3 b5 11 Rhe1 (There are many other options here but good old-fashioned centralisation can’t be faulted) 11 ... Bb7 12 Qg3 b4 (Avoids a sac on b5 but provokes another) 13 Nd5 exd5 14 e5 (14 exd5 is also good, e.g., ... Kd8 15 Nc6+ Bxc6 16 dxc6 Qxc6 17 Bxf6 Nxf6 18 Qxg7 Re8 and White can still try 19 Rxe7) 14 ... dxe5 15 fxe5 Ne4? (In sharp Najdorf positions, one error can be critical for Black. After 15 ... Nh5 16 Qh4 Bxg5+ 17 Qxg5 g6 18 e6 Nc5 19 exf7+ Kxf7 20 Rf1+ Kg8 21 Nf5 White has no better than a perpetual check) 16 Bxe4 dxe4 17 Bxe7 Qxe5 18 Qxe5 Nxe5 19. Nf5! (Queens are off but Black’s king is still caught in the centre) 19 ... g6 (Best, though it sheds material. 19 ... a5 20 Bd6 Nd7 21 Bg3 Bc6 22 Nxg7+ is no fun) 20 Bf6 gxf5 21 Bxh8 Nd7 22 Rf1 Ke7 (22... f6 doesn’t come off: 23 Rxf5 Ke7 24 Bg7 Rg8 25 Bh6 Rxg2 26 Rh5 Ne5 27 Bd2 Ke6 28 Bxb4, etc) 23 Bd4 Ke6 (The e5 passer is no threat so White picks off the weak Pawns) 24 Rf4 Rg8 25 g3 Rg4 26 Rdf1 Rg5 27 Rh4 Nf8 28 Rh6+ Rg6 29 Rh5 Kd5 30 Be3 Bc8? 31 Rd1+ and faced with 32 Rd8, Black resigned.
A result that echoed the words of Wilhem Steinitz: “I may be an old lion, but if someone puts his finger in my mouth, I will bite it off!”
His Chennai performance earned Tim 29 Elo points and his final FM norm. Daniel already has one IM norm and is a fair bet to soon bag and progress beyond that title.
I welcome comments, games and news at victor. strugo@gmail.com. Find local news at https:// africachessmedia.com, www.chesshub.org.za and facebook.com/SACHESSPLAYERS.
In the 1963 USA Championship, White (GM Robert Byrne) resigned before this position was reached. What had he seen?