Chess: Short faces Gulko

WHEN Nigel Short renews his assault on the PCA World Championship next month, his opponent will be Boris Gulko, 47, the former Soviet champion who braved hunger strikes and imprisonment before being allowed to emigrate to the United States.

Gulko is an astute campaigner who knows how to adapt his game to reach positions uncongenial to a specific opponent. Against Anatoly Karpov in Seville last week, he met Karpov's Caro-Kann with 3. e5 and 4. h4, Gulko made it difficult for Black to find an active plan. Exchanging minor pieces with 8. Bd3 and 15. Bxh6 eased Black's cramp but left him with a rook on h6 that had little to do but run a shuttle service between g6 and g4.

Karpov's 21 . . . f6 was a natural way to fight for more space, but he never found a good moment to play fxe5. When Gulko released the tension with 38. exf6] Black was lost. Recapturing with the pawn would have lost to Rc7, while taking with the queen left Black forced to give up rook for knight.

White's final attack was well calculated with 44. f4] leaving Black unable to maintain defence of h5 with his queen. At the end 54 . . . Rxe6 55. Re8+ wins easily for White.

White: Gulko

Black: Karpov

1 e4 c6 28 Qd3 Nf5 2 d4 d5 29 Rc8+ Kh7 3 e5 Bf5 30 Kh1 Nh6 4 h4 h5 31 R1c2 Nf5 5 c4 e6 32 b5 axb5 6 Nc3 Be7 33 axb5 Qe7 7 cxd5 cxd5 34 R2c5 b6 8 Bd3 Bxd3 35 R5c6 Ra7 9 Qxd3 Nc6 36 Nf3 Ra3 10 Nf3 Nb4 37 Qd1 Rg4 11 Qe2 Rc8 38 exf6 Qxf6 12 0-0 Nc6 39 Ng5+ Rxg5 13 g3 Qd7 40 hxg5 Qxg5 14 Bd2 Nh6 41 Rxe6 h4 15 Bxh6 Rxh6 42 Ree8 hxg3 16 Rac1 Kf8 43 Rh8+ Kg6 17 Na4 Rc7 44 f4 Ne3 18 Rc3 Rg6 45 Rc6+ Kf7 19 Rfc1 Rg4 46 fxg5 Nxd1 20 Qd3 Kg8 47 g6+ Ke7 21 a3 f6 48 Kg2 Ne3+ 22 Nc5 Bxc5 49 Kxg3 Nf5+ 23 Rxc5 Qf7 50 Kf4 Nxd4 24 b4 a6 51 Rxb6 Ne6+ 25 Qc3 Rd7 52 Ke5 Re3+ 26 a4 Ne7 53 Kxd5 Re1 27 Nh2 Rg6 54 Rxe6+ 1-0