MARK RUBERY CHESS

During the 1998 Chess Olympiad in Elista a most unusual, or rather, bizarre game was contested between two strong grandmasters that in the space of 20 moves managed to violate all the basic rules that are instilled in us as we emerge from the beginner phase. 1 Do not bring your queen out too soon.

2. Do not move your pieces more than once during the opening.

3. Do not grab pawns in the opening. 4 Do not bring your rooks out too early.

Miles,Anthony J (2590) – Vaisser,Anatoli (2575) [A80]

Elista ol (Men) Elista (10) 1998 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.d5 exd5 4.Qxd5 d6 5.Ng5 Qe7 6.Nxh7 c6 7.Qb3 Rxh7 8.Qxg8 Rh4 9.Qb3 Na6 10.Qe3 Re4 11.Qd2 Nb4 12.Qd1 (The computer prefers White after the less novel 12 a3) (Almost a problem-like position. White’s pieces are set out exactly as they were before the game commenced except the g1 N and d2 pawn are missing …) … Rd4! 13.Nd2 f4 14.a3 Nd5 15.c3 Ne3 (Shades of the shortest recorded master loss: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nd2 e5 3 dxe5 Ng4 4 h3 Ne3! 0-1) 16.fxe3 Qh4+ 17.g3 fxg3 18.Bg2 gxh2+ 19.Kf1 Qf6+ 20.Ke1 Qh4+ (After some tremendously original play from both players the game ends in a perpetual check)

21.Kf1 0,5-0,5

Freestyle chess (better known as Fischer Random or Chess960) has been given a tremendous boost by the German entrepreneur, Jan Henric Buettner and world number one Magnus Carlsen. A circuit with the top players in the world (all above 2725) is to be launched later this year with Cape Town hosting a tournament in 2025 … ‘Last month our Editor, Mr H. Golombek, reported that as he was serving in the Royal Artillery, he had handed over his editorship to me [R.C. Griffith, Acting Editor], and that all communications should be addressed to me at 8 Victoria Avenue, Bishopsgate, London, E.C.2. In the early hours of 9 September a Nazi pigeon dropped his mess in our courtyard, and Victoria Avenue is now a dust heap. Consequently, much material handed over to me by Mr Golombek, such as articles by I. König, games from all sources, etc., which we had selected for inclusion in the British Chess Magazine, are buried, perhaps to be discovered in the year A.D. 2000.’ (British Chess Magazine, Oct 1940)