Independent Pursuits: Chess

CHESS PLAYERS, in the public view at least, tend to have something of the mad professor about them. While this is seldom true - a jackal would be a better metaphor in many cases - we do occasionally bumble: as witness the Italian contingent in the recent Andorra Zonal.

I last saw Igor Efimov, Michele Godena and Ennio Arlandi at Barcelona airport after the trip back there from Andorra towards the end of last month. In reality, insofar as I know them, three nice, sensible people - but it had nevertheless afforded the three English players travelling through Barcelona - Mark Hebden, John Emms and myself - if not a minimal degree of schadenfreude, at least some mildly puerile pleasure when we outperformed them on both legs of the journey.

On the way, we happened to meet them in the airport; but they then wandered off and missed the admittedly well hidden and surprisingly punctual bus. When returning, not entirely believing our story that we were to be picked up at the hotel, they had the inconvenience of first having to take a taxi to the bus station.

The three were all in action again less than a week after the zonal in the Italian Championships in Saint Vincent which ran from 21 to 29 November. Although Godena beat Efimov in the first round it was still the ex-Russian who ended up first on 6.5/9. He was followed by Godena and Bruno Belotti on 6; while Arlandi finished disappointingly in the middle of the field.

An extremely sensible player, Efimov also used the Meran against me in Andorra though instead of 6... Bd6 he tried 6... b6. After 7 Be2 Bb7 8 0-0 Bd6 9 e4?! dxe4 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 Qxe4 Nf6 12 Qc2 c5 13 Qa4+ Qd7 14 Qxd7+ Nxd7 Black was already slightly better and I was relieved to draw 10 moves later.

16 Bf4 looks better since after 16.Nf5 Qc7 17.Bf4 would now allow 17... Nf3+! 18 Bxf3 Qxf4. Of course White must recapture in the diagram, probably with 22 bxc3. Arlandi was expecting 22... Nxe2+? 23 Kh1 Ng6 (23... g6 24 Ne7+ forces mate) 24 Nh6+! gxh6 25 Qxc5 winning the queen. Instead 22... Qxf2+! was decisive since if 23 Kxf2 Nxe4+.

White: Ennio Arlandi

Black: Igor Efimov

Queen's Gambit Meran

jspeelman@compuserve.com

1 d4 e6

2 c4 d5

3 Nc3 c6

4 e3 Nd7

5 Qc2 Ngf6

6 Nf3 Bd6

7 Bd3 dxc4

8 Bxc4 b5

9 Be2 Bb7

10 0-0 0-0

11 Rd1 Qe7

12 a3 a5

13 e4 e5

14 dxe5 Nxe5

15 Nd4 Bc5

16 Nf5 Qc7

17 Be3 Bxe3

18 Nxe3 Qb6

19 Rd6 Qc5

20 Qd2 Nd5

21 Nf5 Nxc3

(see diagram)

22 Qg5? Qxf2+!

23 Kh1 Ng6

24 bxc3 Qxe2

25 h4 Bc8

26 h5 f6

27 Nh6+ gxh6

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