Independent Pursuits: Chess

THE OPENING Ceremony of the 33rd Olympiad is being held today in Elista, capital of Kalmykia, in Russia. Play was scheduled to start tomorrow (but, as I explained on Wednesday, it may be delayed until Monday) and will run until 12 October. In any case, the England team of Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Matthew Sadler, myself, Tony Miles and Mark Hebden should have very reasonable chances of a medal, with the possibility of gold.

The Olympiad is an extremely concentrated event of increasing tension, which will mean that I shall have to share the burden of most of my daily reports from Elista with the International Master Bob Wade.

Bob was my mentor in my youth and I still discuss my games with him. As the national junior coach of the British Chess Federation he has played against and beaten such luminaries as Victor Korchnoi. He still packs a serious punch, as you can see from this fine game.

White's dreams of a quiet life were rudely interrupted by the excellent 11...Qb6 fastening onto the d4, b2 and f2 pawns - the latter weakened by the routine 9 Re1. Wade's next move, 12...fxg6! was even better. Generally, one should recapture towards the centre, but here the f file is of paramount importance.

The fun for Black started in the diagram with 15...Nfg4! White can't then capture 16 Bxe7 in view of Qxf2+ 17 Kh1 Qg3 18 hxg4 Rf2 19 Rg1 when A) 19...g5! 20 Bxg5 Nxg4 21 Qxg4 Qxg4 is simplest. B) If 19...Nxg4? White can struggle on with 20 Qxg4 Qxg4 21 Bxd6: but not 20 Qxd6 20...Rf4! 21 Qxf4 Qh2+!! 22 Qxh2 Nf2 with a gorgeous smothered mate.

Instead of 17...Rxf2! the somewhat more prosaic 17...Bh4 18 g3 Bxg3! also won. The alternative defence 19 Qd2 would have lost to Rf8+ 20 Ke2 Qa6+.

White: Nicholas Pyper

Black: Bob Wade

London Clubs Knockout 1998

Pribyl Opening

jspeelman@compuserve.com

1 d4 d6

2 e4 Nf6

3 Nc3 c6

4 Nf3 Bg4

5 h3 Bh5

6 Be2 Nbd7

7 0-0 e5

8 Bg5 Be7

9 Re1 Bg6

10 Bf1 0-0

11 Nh4 Qb6

12 Nxg6 fxg6!

13 Bc4+ Kh8

14 dxe5 Nxe5

15 Bb3 (see diagram) Nfg4!

16 Be3 Nxe3

17 Rxe3 Rxf2!

18 Kxf2 Bg5

19 Qxd6 Qxe3+

20 Kf1 Qf4+

21 Ke2 Qe3+

22 Kf1 Bh4

White resigns