MARK RUBERY CHESS

43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018 Round 8 South Africa 4-0 Thailand IM D Cawdery (2416) 1-0 FM T Kulpruethanon (2291) IM W Kobese (2344) 1-0 FM B Saeheng (2163) FM C Classen (2262) 1-0 IM T Prasitoonthorn IM J Mabusela (2245) 1-0 P Pheephacharakan Another clean sweep for the South Africans who now appear one again to be hitting their stride. Cawdery’s played a modest line against the Sicilian Dragon but quickly stirred complications that his opponent failed to handle. Kobese’s opponent collapsed in a promising position while our last two boards had convincing wins. Cawdery,Daniel (2422) Kulpruethanon,Thanadon (2291) [B35] 43rd Olympiad 2018 Batumi GEO (8.1) 2018 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.Re1 Rac8 12.Qd2 Rfe8 13.Rad1 Ne5 14.Qe2 b5 15.Bc1 Nc4 16.Nf3 Nh5 17.e5!? Nxe5 18.g4 Nxf3+ 19.Qxf3 Nf6 20.g5 Bc6 21.Qf4 e5 22.Qe3 Nh5 23.Rxd6 e4? (23…Qc7!) 24.Red1 Be5 25.Rxc6! Rxc6 26.Rd7 Rce6 (26…Rc4 was preferable) 27.Bxe6 Rxe6 28.Qc5! Re8 29.Qd5 Re6 30.Rd8+ Kg7 31.Qa8 h6 32.Rh8 hxg5 33.Bxg5

SEE DIAGRAM 1–0 Combinations have always been the most intriguing aspects of chess. The masters look for them, the public applauds them, and the critics praise them. It is because combinations are possible that chess is more than a lifeless mathematical exercise. They are the poetry of the game; they are to chess what melody is to music. They represent the triumph of mind over matter. – Reuben Fine