Last week in a perceptive piece for the Times, Will Pavia animadverted upon the fact that the USA appears to be actively recruiting top chess grandmasters. Pavia focused on attempts to persuade world-ranked no. 2 Fabiano Caruana to defect from representing Italy, and switch allegiance to the USA.
Even more indicative has been the effort made to entice the former Philippine grandmaster Wesley So to adopt the stars and stripes. As far as I can see, this enterprise has been successful, and it is not hard to detect the hand of the eminence grise of American chess Rex Sinquefield, behind a prima facie attempt to reconquer the Olympiad gold medal (which they have won five times overall) and the individual world title (last held for American chess by Bobby Fischer).
In the outstanding Bunratty tournament, where I was invited last month, So dominated the field (which included Gawain Jones, Nigel Short and Peter Wells), in particular winning a game against the Irish grandmaster Alexander Baburin. In terms of a dramatic race between Black’s rampant queenside pawns, and White’s direct attack against the black king, that game called to mind the classic win by Pillsbury against Tarrasch which forms the topic of this week’s puzzle.
So-Baburin: Bunratty Masters 2015; Queen’s Gambit Declined
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Nbd7 5 e3 Be7 6 b3 0-0 7 Bb2 b6 8 Bd3 Bb7 9 Qc2 It is important to prevent Black from occupying the centre with … Ne4. 9 … c5 10 cxd5 exd5 11 0-0 Rc8 12 Rac1 Re8 13 Qe2 Bf8 14 Ba6 Qc7 15 Rfd1 Qb8 16 Qb5 c4 (see diagram 1) This advance sets the tone for the rest of the game. Black establishes a queenside pawn majority but at the expense of allowing White a free hand in the centre and on the king’s flank. 17 bxc4 dxc4 18 Ba1 Bc6 This and his next move signal alarming indecision. 18 … Bd6 was more than adequate to hold the balance. 19 Qf5 Bb7 20 Bb5 g6 21 Qh3 Bc6 22 Bxc6 Rxc6 23 e4 Black’s dilatory tactics have ceded White a great preponderance in the centre. 23 … h5 24 e5 Ng4 25 a4 a6 26 Rb1 Rc7 27 Qh4 Rb7 28 h3 Nh6 29 g4 Turning it into a race. 29 Nd5 is overwhelming. 29 … hxg4 30 hxg4 b5 31 Kg2 b4 32 Ne4 c3 33 Rh1 Bg7 34 Nf6+ Nxf6 35 exf6 Bf8 36 g5 Qc8 (see diagram 2) Now White should simply choose 37 gxh6. As played Black could have revived his chances. 37 Rbc1 c2 Playing his trumps too quickly for now White’s bishop is released from prison. Black should have played 37 … Qc6 and if 38 gxh6 Re4 39 Qg3 Rxd4 which is by no means clear. 38 Bb2 b3 39 gxh6 Qf5 40 Rce1 Black resigns Black, with his pawns blockaded, is a piece down for nothing.
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