CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO

Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands has acquired the aura of being “the Wimbledon of chess” for its annual tournament, inaugurated in 1938.

In the Challengers section (a mere 2585 average rating!), Javokhir Sindarov (17), Velimir Ivic (20) and eventual winner Alex Donchenko (24) set the early pace so I found myself rooting for the “veteran” Turk, Mustafa Yilmaz (30) who finished 2nd. Lowest rated participant was Dutch Youth Champion IM Eline Roebers (17), daughter of an IM and first-ever Dutch winner of any World Youth Championship (2020 online girls’ under14 division). Her Board 1 silver medal (75% score, 2532 performance) at the 2022 Chennai Olympiad warranted an invitation to Wijk. Although she finished tie-last, Eline downed a compatriot GM, Erwin l’Ami who outrated her by 266 points (and 20 years!) with a Queen-sac. Eline Roebers Erwin l’Ami [Ruy Lopez]: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 O-O 9 h3 Nb8 10 d4 Nbd7 11 Nbd2 c5 12 Nf1 Re8 13 Ng3 Bf8 (Both sides are playing a patient closed game) 14 Bc2 Qc7 15 Be3 Bb7 16 d5 c4 17 Nh2 a5 18 Nf5 a4 19 a3 Kh8 20 g4 Nc5 21 Qf3 Ng8 22 g5 g6 23 Ng3 Be7 24 h4 Rf8 25 h5 Bc8 26 Qh1 Qd7 27 f4 Qh3 (Still no capture after 27 moves! Now 28 Qg2 Nb3 29 Bxb3 29 axb3 30 Nf3 is best for White) 28 Qf3?! (Inferior, but it induces a blunder!) 28 … exf4? (28 … Nd3!) 29 Bd4+ f6 30 Qxf4 Nd7 31 Re3 Ne5 32 Nf5 Qxh5 33 Nxe7 Nxe7 34 gxf6 g5? (Loses but … Ng8 35 Nf3 Qh6 36 Qxh6 Nxh6 37 Nxe5 dxe5 38 Bxe5 Ng4 was no fun) 35 Bxe5! gxf4 36 fxe7+ Kg8 37 exf8=Q+ Kxf8 38 Bxd6+ Ke8 39 Bxf4 Ra7 40 Kh1?? (Understandably wanting to bring her other R into play but throws away what would be a crushing advantage after the simple 40 Rg3! Rf7 41 Rf1) 40 Rg7?? (A double blunder at the time-control. 40 … Rf7 41 Bg3 Qg5 42 Rae1 h5 43 e5 h4 wins the Bishop!) 41 Rg1 Rxg1+ 42 Kxg1 (The White pieces now coordinate, making the central Pawns unstoppable} 42 Bg4 43 e5 Bf5 44 Bxf5 Qxf5 45 Bg3 Qb1+ 46 Nf1 and Black resigned. Not errorfree but exciting!

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With both Queens attacked, Black to move has a winning tactic. Can you find it?