Otago Junior Championships


chess020914.jpg

Problem: White to play and mate in 3.

The 2014 Otago Junior Championships were contested by a small but strong contingent at the Otago Chess Club over two Saturdays last month. The Under 13 Championship was held first and the title was shared between Joe Mckee and Max Lough of Balmacewen Intermediate, who both scored 8/9. Martin Brook of Maori Hill School won the under 10 grade on 4 points. The Junior (under 20) trophy was successfully defended by last year's champion, Leighton Nicholls (16), who beat all-comers to score the maximum 7/7. Max Lough played extremely well to finish second on 6 points ahead of Joe McKee and William Scharpf (DNI) who shared third place on 4½.
Meanwhile, it was junior players who spearheaded China's first ever triumph in the Chess Olympiad going on at the same time in Tromsø, Norway. World Junior Champion Yu Yangyi (20) and rising star Wei Yi (15) made a huge impact. Yu won the individual gold medal on board three with his massive score of 9½/11. Today's game is from the final round match in Norway between China and Poland that ensured China's gold medals. GM Yu Yangyi is Black against GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda.


1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6
6. Be2 e5
In the Najdorf Sicilian, Black accepts a backward pawn on d6 and a weak square in front of it to obtain active piece play. Once considered foolhardy, this aggressive strategy has been championed by players such as Fischer and Kasparov, not to mention Najdorf.
7. Nb3 Be7
8. Bg5 Be6
9. Bxf6 Bxf6
10. Qd3 O-O
11. O-O-O Be7
This bishop plays an important role defending d6, while the other stands ready to exchange off a knight landing on d5.
12. Kb1 Nd7
13. Nd5 Bxd5
14. Qxd5 b5!
A new move, pressing on with the counterattack on the queen's wing. Previous games had seen 14... Qc7, defending b7 with a balanced game. White tries to interfere with Black's coordination by penetrating behind the pawns with his queen.
15. Qb7 Nf6
16. f3 Re8!
17. c4?
Missing the point of Black's 'mysterious rook move', this move cuts off the queen's retreat path.
17... Bf8!
18. Qc6
The impetuous c-pawn will be lost, as 18. cxb5? Re7 19. Qc6 Rc7 loses the queen.
18... Qb8
19. Na5 Qa7
20. c5

Black's last added a threat of … Qf2 to the mix, prompting White to close the diagonal and exchange queens. Asking for trouble would be 20. cxb5? axb5 21. b4 d5! when White's position collapses.
20... dxc5
21. Qb7 c4
22. Qxa7 Rxa7
23. Rc1
White can't make use of the d-file, as he has no entry squares for his rooks. Instead he makes use of a pin to rescue his knight from its precarious post. The open file falls into Black's hands.
23... Rc7
24. Nb3 Rd7
25. Na1
Not exactly an improvement. Black now takes the 7th rank with his rooks.
25... Rd2
26. Rc2 Red8
27. b3 c3!
Keeping the knight in its self-made prison.
28. a4 bxa4
29. Bxa6 a3!
30. Bb5 h5
31. h4 g6
32. Re1 Bb4
33. Rec1 Kg7
34. Ka2 Ng8!
Correctly calculating the coming opposite-coloured bishop ending as winning for Black.
35. Rxd2 Rxd2+
36. Rc2 Ne7
37. Rxd2 cxd2
38. Be2 Nc6
39. Nc2 Nd4!
40. Nxd4 exd4
41. f4 d3!
Which bishop and king are now limited to a couple of squares. His only chance is create a passed pawn to keep the Black king at bay.
42. Bf3 Kf6
43. g4 hxg4
44. Bxg4 Ke7
45. e5 Kd8
46. f5! gxf5
47. Bd1 Ke7
48. h5 Kf8
Very patient. 48... Ke6? 49. h6! might jeopardise the win.
49. Bf3 Kg7
50. Bd1 Kh6
51. Bf3 Kg5
52. Bd1 f4
53. Kb1 Kf5
54. Bf3 Kxe5
55. Ka2 Bf8
56. h6
Praying for a miracle.
26... Kf6
57. Bh5 Bb4
58. Kb1 f3
White resigns. After 59. Bxf3 Kg6, his last hope is gone.

0-1

Solution: 1. h5+! Kxh5 (1... Kf5 2. Qxh7+ Qg6 3. Qxg6#) 2. Qxh7+ Qh6 3. Qxh6#.