CHESS

Early next month, the 42nd World Chess Olympiad takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the teams representing South Africa are as follows… Men: GM Kenneth Solomon, IM Daniel Cawdery, IM Watu Kobese, IM Donovan van den Heever and FM Calvin Klaasen, Ladies: WIM Denise Frick, WIM Tshepang Tlale, WFM Jesse February, WFM Lauren Van Niekerk and WIM Anzel Laubscher. Key players missing from the men’s team are Nicholas Van der Nat and Henry Steel, the latter in particular seems to shine on the world stage. During the last Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, Steel defeated a player who played Karpov for the Fide World Championship title in 1996. In the game, Kamsky’s typically unpretentious opening play gave him a dangerous attack, but he allowed Steel to fight back and a complex ending was reached. It was here that our man held his nerve after a few inaccuracies from the American to score a famous victory. Kamsky, Gata (2706) - Steel, Henry Robert (2399) [B40] 41st Olympiad Open 2014 Tromso NOR (4.2) 2014

(A complex ending has been arrived at and although Black may be for choice here, one imagines Kamsky was trying to push for a win with his bishop pair) (A critical error as after 47 Bxd6 Rxe4 the bishops capably hold the a-pawn)

(48…d5!) (This weak thrust weakens his pawns and Steel’s technique from now on is remorseless)