MARK RUBERY CHESS

Chess variations can have colourful names and also indicate where they originated from. The city of Mar Del Plata is located on the coast of the Atlantic and its name means “Sea of Silver”. It is one of Argentina’s biggest fishing ports and probabley the most popular line of the Kings Indian Defence.

The Mar del Plata Variation of the Kings Indian Defence is defined by the race between Black’s attack on the king and White’s onslaught on the queenside. Viktor Korchnoi gave the following colourful description of this line

‘What does Black’s play in this variation remind me of? In the Second World War, the Germans, and then also the Russians, employed the following method of warfare: after getting drunk before a battle, silently, with their weapons at the ready, standing up straight and making no effort to conceal themselves, they would automatically advance towards the entrenched enemy. Frightening, wouldn’t you agree? This was the so-called “psychological attack”. But look at the board! Black is advancing his pawns away from his King, leaving it completely without protection. If the opponent does not flinch, if the attack will be repulsed, then the checkmating of the bare black King will begin. That is what in fact happened in many games that I have played with this variation.’

The following remarkable game from the European Championship aptly demonstrates this combative variation.

Pelletier,Y (2599) - Hagen,Andr (2400) [E97]

14th Euro Indiv 2013 Legnica POL

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.d4 0–0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 (This is the position that defines the Mar del Plata Variation) 9.Nd2 Ne8 10.b4 f5 11.c5 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 14.a4 Ng6 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nb5 Ne8 17.Bd2 h5 18.Be1 a6 19.Nc3 Nf6 20.a5 g4 21.Nb6 Rb8 22.Nxc8 Qxc8 23.Rc1 Qd7 24.Na4 g3 25.h3 Nh7 26.Nb6 Qe7 27.Rc3 Qh4 28.Bd3 Ng5 29.Qe2 Rf7 30.b5 Nf8?! (Black is already going for broke but he should not succeed against his more experienced opponent) 31.bxa6 bxa6 32.Bxa6 Nfh7 33.Rc8+ Rf8 34.Rxb8 Rxb8 35.Qc2 Nxh3+ (The only way for Black is forward) 36.gxh3

Qxh3 37.Bc8 Qh4 38.Bf5 (38 a6! Qe7 39 Be6+ Kh8 40 Nc8 is a clearer win) … Ng5 39.Bb4

Bf8 40.Qg2 Rb7 41.Rd1 (Beginning to lose the thread 41 Rc1 would have quashed Black’s counter play) … Rc7 42.a6 Rc2! 43.Qxc2? (43 Bd2 Ra2 still retains an edge for White. Now Black finally crashes through) …Nxf3+ 44.Kf1 Qh1+ 45.Ke2 Nd4+ 46.Rxd4 f3+! 47.Kd3 f2 48.Kc4 f1Q+ 49.Rd3 g2 50.Kb5 g1Q (Thus reaching a truly spectacular position)

51.Nc4 Qff2 52.Qb3 Qb1 53.Kc6 Qxb3 54.Rxb3 Qc2 55.Rg3+ Kh8 56.Kb5 Qa1 57.Ra3 Qd4 58.Rc3 0–1

“To play for a draw, at any rate with white, is to some degree a crime against chess.”-Tal