CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO
Among the international visitors to the Cape Town Masters tournament was Andrew Kayonde (34). This 6-time Zambian champion earned the International Master title in 2016. Two years later at the Olympiad in Batumi he held the redoutable Vasyl Ivanchuk to a draw. His FIDE rating of 2374 just outranked 4th-seeded Watu Kobese (2302).
Watu got his IM title in 1995 after a year’s training in Germany with GM Ludek Pachman. I remember Watu as a pint-sized 10-year-old at Joburg tournaments in the 80s, supported by his genial father Arthur, so it seems weird to think he will turn 50 this year. His chess showed no “senior moments” in this game and he finished a creditable second to visiting GM Adham Fawzy in the tournament.
Watu Kobese Andrew Kayonde [Sicilian Dragon]: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 5 Be2 Bg7 6 Nb3 Nf6 7 Nc3 O-O 8 O-O d6 (White has chosen a solid, if perhaps drawish, line) 9 Re1 Be6 10 Bf1 a5 11 a4 Bxb3 12 cxb3 e6 13 Bc4 (A first divergence from the main line 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bh4 Qb6 15 Nb5 Rfd8 …) 13 … Nb4 14 Bg5 h6 15 Bh4 g5 ( … and Black responds with bolder intent than the less commital 15 Qb6 16 Rc1 Rfe8) 16 Bg3 d5 17 Bb5 Qb6 18 e5 Nh7 19 h4 Rac8 20 hxg5 Nxg5 21 Rc1 Rfd8?! 22 Bf4 d4 23 Ne4 Rxc1?! 24 Qxc1 d3 25 Be3 (Black’s counterplay is all in the d3 passer but questionable 21st & 23rd moves have got his Queen trapped. Only an Exchange sac can save her) 25 … Rd4 26 Nxg5 hxg5 27 Qc3?! (Too cute. 27 Bxd4 Qxd4 28 Qxg5 was winning. Now
Black’s active play should easily hold) 27 … Bxe5 28 Bxd4 Bxd4 29 Qd2 Qc5 30 Re4 Qd5 31 Rg4 f6? (He misses 31 Bxf2+! when 32 Kxf2 Qf5+ 33 Kg3 Qe5+ 34 Kh3 Qh8+ draws, while 32 Qxf2? d2 is very dangerous) 32 Bc4 Qd6 33 Re4 Be5 34 g3 Kg7 35 f4 Bd4+ 36 Kf1 e5 37 Bxd3 Bb6 38 Ke2 f5 39 Rxe5 Nc6 40 Re8 Qd7?? (40 … Qg6! 41 Ra8 (or 41 Re3? gxf4 and Black wins) 41 Qh5+ would still draw, but Black’s undefended Queen now allows …) 41 Rg8+! Kf6 (41 Kh7 42 Rxg5 is as bad) 42 fxg5+ and Black resigned.
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Black to move.