Rock solid | 7 February 2013

The Gibraltar Masters, where I was last week, has been won by a quartet consisting of Vitiugov, Short, Sandipan and Vachier Lagrave. In the final knockout to determine who would receive the £20,000 first prize, Nigel Short lost out narrowly to Vitiugov. In my opinion, the British grandmaster’s display of fighting spirit after an early loss would have justified his winning top honours for a fourth time. Here is a sample of his uncompromising play.
 
Short-Nieto: Gibraltar Masters, Caleta 2013; Ruy Lopez
 
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nd4 Named after the 19th-century English master Henry Bird, this knight sortie is strategically suspect but rich in tactical tricks. In Short-Kupreichik, Hastings 1981 white now preferred 4 Ba4 and won decisive material on move 14 with a neat combination: 4 Ba4 Bc5 5 d3 Qf6 6 Nbd2 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 Nxd4 Bxd4 9 Nf3 Bg4 10 c3 Bb6 11 a4 bxa4 12 Bxa4+ Kf8 13 Be3 Ne7 14 Nxe5. In this game Short attempts a thematic refutation of Black’s bold play. 4 Nxd4 exd4 5 0-0 c6 6 Ba4 Nf6 7 Re1 d6 Black is a known Bird’s Defence aficionado, it seems. He played 7 … h5 8 e5 Ng4 9 g3 d3 in a Spanish Championship game in 2012. 8 d3 Bg4 Unusual. Black has played 8 … Be7 before. 9 f3 Be6 10 c4 g6 11 f4 Bg4 12 Qd2 Bc8 13 b4 (see diagram 1) Short is gaining space on both sides of the board while Black’s pawn structure remains inflexible. 13 … Bg7 14 h3 Nd7 15 Bd1 Qb6 16 Na3 0-0 17 Rb1 f5 This looks suspicious as White is able to open up the a2-g8 diagonal to his advantage when the black kingside looks vulnerable. 18 exf5 gxf5 19 c5 A pawn sacrifice, which Black doesn’t accept, but the open lines gained would have been worth it for White. 19 … dxc5 20 bxc5 Qd8 Probably better than 20 … Qxc5 21 Bb3+ Kh8 22 Nc4 Nb6 23 Ne5 when White dominates the position and gets ready for a final attack. 21 Qb4 21 Nc4 is also very good, as in the previous note. 21 … b6 22 cxb6 axb6 23 Bf3 Bb7 24 Nc4 24 Bxc6 Bxc6 25 Qc4+ Kh8 26 Qxc6 is also possible but Short prefers to keep more pieces on the board. 24 … Kh8 25 Nd6 25 Qe7 is also very strong, setting up the threat of Nd6 and Nf7+. If, for example, 25 … Qxe7 26 Rxe7 Rad8 27 Nxb6 maintaining the attacking momentum. 25 … Ba6 26 Bxc6 Rb8 (see diagram 2) 27 Re8 Qc7 27 … Rxe8 allows 28 Nf7+, winning. 28 Rxb8 Nxb8 29 Bb5 Bxb5 30 Nxb5 Qf7 31 Qb3 Qg6 32 Ba3 Rg8 33 Qd5 Bf6 34 Bd6 Qg3 Black has more or less given up and is trying a last throw. If 34…Qg7 35 Be5 Bxe5 36 fxe5 and White will soon be a safe two pawns up. 35 Bxb8 Qxd3 35 … Rxb8 allows the fork 36 Qd6. 36 Rb3 Black resigns 
 
Notes to the above game based partly on those by John Saunders from the excellent tournament bulletin.