CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO

Know anyone who’s keen to learn chess? The Claremont Chess Club offers two hours of free coaching every Tuesday from 2pm, run by former Zimbabwe veteran of three Olympiads, Wali Rahman. The club (phone 021 546-2221) meets under Belmont Bridge, opposite Rosebank Library. All ages are welcome.

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The 2022 Olympiad triumph of youth (Uzbekistan won the gold medal, India’s 2nd team took silver), predictably earned the four most dazzling performers invitations to the annual Tata Steel super-tournament in Wijk aan Zee to face outgoing World Champ Carlsen and 9 other established giants over 13 gruelling rounds.

In this veritable baptism of fire for teenagers it seems ludicrous to see Anish Giri (28) as an oldtimer. In Round 2 he made his extra dozen years count – brilliantly!

Giri (Netherlands, 2764) – Gukesh (India, 2725) [QGD, Ragozin Defence]: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 d5 4 Nc3 Bb4 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bxf6 Qxf6 7 e3 O-O

8 Rc1 dxc4 9 Bxc4 c5 10 O-O cxd4 11 Ne4 (11 Nxd4 Rd8 12 Qb3 is solid but instead Giri steers for a sharper fight, already planning an original an original Rook manoeuvre) 11 … Qe7 12 a3 Ba5 13 exd4 Rd8 14 Rc2 Bd7 15 Re2! Bc6 16 Qc2 Bb6? (Underestimating White’s attack. Essential was 16 … Bxe4 17 Qxe4 Nc6) 17 Rfe1! Kh8? (Taking the offered d-Pawn is equally fatal. 17 … Bd5 was the only way to defuse the coming bomb) 18 Neg5! hxg5 19 Rxe6! fxe6 20 Rxe6 Qxe6 (The Queen can’t be saved: 20 Qd7? 21 Nxg5 mates) 21 Bxe6 Bxf3 22 Qf5 (This eyes h3, so bags a Bishop) 22 Be4 23

Qxe4 Rxd4?? (Looks natural but loses outright. 23 … Re8! fights on though after 24 h4! g4 25 Qxg4 Rxe6 26 Qxe6, Black can’t coordinate his forces in time to stop the d-Pawn) 24 Qf3 g4 25 Qf8+ Kh7 26 Bf5+ Kh6 27 Bc2! (Only 27 … Rd8 could release the Knight, but first 28 Qf4 mates!) Black resigned.

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Useful sites: https://chesswp.co.za/calendar-events/ , www. chesshub.org.za & facebook.com/SAChessplayers .

At Hastings last month, ex-SA stalwart Tim Kett came close to winning a brilliancy. Here, Black played 1 … cxd5. Can White safely gobble on a7?