The indefatigable Michael Basman continues to identify future chess superstars with his annual Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge for schoolchildren. Eight-year-old Alex Golding won an astounding £1,000 prize in the most recent edition of the challenge, which attracts a world record entry of 60,000 every year. Brandon Clarke emerged as the overall winner of the event.
In this game young Alex found himself on the losing side for once.
Clarke-Golding: Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge; Bird’s Opening
1 e3 d5 2 f4 Nf6 3 Nf3 c5 4 Be2 Nc6 5 0-0 e6 White is playing the Bird’s opening, but it is more a reverse Dutch. One of the most attractive lines in this opening is to fianchetto the white bishop at b2 where it controls the central diagonal, reinforced by the pawns at e3 and f4. Yet sometimes this line becomes too rigid, and white has difficulty in finding a clear plan of attack. Brandon chooses a more flexible line, and soon the opening turns into a form of the Sicilian, because white is able to play pawn to e4. 6 d3 Bd6 7 Nc3 Qc7 8 Qe1 Ne7 9 Nb5 Qb6 10 Nxd6+ Qxd6 11 e4 The delayed advance is all the stronger, and now white threatens a fork with pawn to e5. 11 … Qb6 12 a4 dxe4 13 dxe4 c4+ 14 Kh1 Nxe4 Again, positionally unwise; the bishops will prefer the open position, unobstructed by their own pawns. 15 Bxc4 Nd6 16 Bd3 Ndf5 (see diagram 1) 17 Ra3 An original way to develop the rook, most players being hung up on putting the rook on an open file. This rook will prove to be the wrecking ball to the black position. 17 … Bd7 18 Ne5 Nd6 19 Be3 Qc7 20 Rc3 Nc6 21 b4 Qd8 22 Bc5 Nc8 23 Qg3 This game makes a peculiar impression. Black does not seem to have done anything terrible, but white’s pieces simply flow forward move by move. 23 … Qf6 24 b5 N6e7 25 Bd4 Nd5 26 Rc4 The rook keeps moving up the golden staircase, and now on c4 it guards the white bishop and threatens a deadly discovery. 26 … Qe7 27 Qxg7 Rf8 (see diagram 2) 28 f5 The decisive opening of the
f file. White’s two rooks, two bishops, queen and knight are all knocking on the door of the king’s palace. 28 … exf5 29 Nxd7 Qxd7 30 Bxf5 Qd8 31 Bc5 Nde7 32 Bxc8 Rxc8 33 Bxe7 Black resigns The only sensible move is 33 … Kxe7 after which white can mate in two moves by Qe5+ and Rd1.
Meanwhile, at the Istanbul Chess Olympiad, Armenia have won a third gold medal in their last four appearances, snatching the laurels on tie-break from Russia. This success can no doubt be traced to the shining example of the Armenian world champion Tigran Petrosian, who has inspired this generation of titans. England’s Olympiad performance was, sadly, lacklustre.
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