Chess: Pot-boilers start to simmer in Short order

THE FIRST few of a kitchenful of pot-boilers about Nigel Short have begun to appear in advance of his match with Garry Kasparov. After a lame effort by Batsfords last year, Tournament Chess, an active chess-only publisher, has produced a reliable account of his career to date. Succinctly titled Short, it contains biographical notes, a complete table of results and plenty of games, including all 41 from his 1992 Candidates matches.

The authors, Andrew Martin, Jonathan Tisdall and Richard O'Brien, have made a good job of explaining how a child prodigy has grown into one of the world's top grandmasters.

The book is available from Tournament Chess, 51 Cissbury Crescent, Saltdean, Brighton, Sussex BN2 8RH (tel: 0273 304796) for pounds 11.95.

The following game was played in the 1975 Jersey Open when Nigel was nine years old and gave an early glimpse of his fighting spirit. His opponent was a strong county player and British championship contender. When Short played the opening too passively, then lost rook for knight, Black must have felt he was on the way to victory, but Nigel did well to stay in the game, and even created some counter-threats. In time-trouble, it was the experienced player who cracked.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Short ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Ripley 1 e4 c5 19 Nxd5 exd5 2 Nf3 d6 20 Rf4 Qc7 3 d4 cxd4 21 Qxd5 Bc6 4 Nxd4 Nf6 22 Qd4 Rad8 5 Nc3 Nc6 23 Qb2 Bg5 6 Bc4 Qb6 24 Raf1 Bxf4 7 Nde2 e6 25 Nxf4 Qd7 8 Be3 Qc7 26 Bc5 Rfe8 9 0-0 Be7 27 Bd6 Qg4 10 Bb3 0-0 28 c3 g5 11 Qd2 a6 29 h3 Qh4 12 a4 Na5 30 Nd3 Re6 13 Ba2 Bd7 31 Qa2 Qc4 14 f4 b5 32 Qf2 Rg6 15 b4 Nc4 33 Nc5 g4? 16 Bxc4 Qxc4 34 e6] fxe6?

17 e5 dxe5 35 Qf7+ Kh8 18 fxe5 Nd5 36 Be5+ 1-0 -----------------------------------------------------------------