19th February 1977, Sunday, bloody Sunday
ISLINGTON 1976 was one of the largest English weekenders held last year. Everybody attended, including half the New Zealand Olympiad team.
George Botterill sneaked through the field after an early dtaw and stole off with first - out of 160 players - by beating Bellin in round six. We Kiwis had slightly mixed fortunes. In round two our Olympiad team of Chandler, Small and Smith faced formidable opposition with Jamieson, Nunn and Rumens respectively. Small drew with International Master Nunn, staying among the leaders.
But weekenders are bloodthirsty events and two further shared points, a last round defeat to Rumens plus a dose of glandular fever left him well clear of the prize list. A pity, because Vernon was a bit short on the old financial side for doing a chess tour of England!
I came second equal with an amazing total of nine people on 5/6, a loss being to Franklin. My toughest struggle was with Robert Jamieson, who narrowly missed out on a Grandmaster norm while playing board one for Australia at Haifa.
Chandler, M. - Jamieson, R.
Islington 1976
1.e4 c5 2.c3 This is an off-beat alterntive I often use to avoid highly theoretical lines of the Sicilian defence. Personally I feel the move is by no means inferior and this seems to be borne out by the top qrand- · masters - when Tal, for example faced it he thought Black's best to be a transpostion to a Tarrasch French. Here Jamieson chooses the same defence. 2...e6 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.O-O Ne7 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 O-O 10.Nb3 Bd6 A basic theoretical position I have reached many times. Karpov v Korchnoi, Candidates' Match 1974, had several games in this variation and they found the following to be perhaps White's best. 11.Nbd4 Bg4 12.Qa4 Bh5 13.Be3 Qc7 14.h3 a6 ( In the 12th game Korchnoi played 14...Na5! 15.Bd3 and a hard fought draw was reached by 15...Nc4 16.Nb5 Qd7 17.Bxc4 dxc4 18.Rfd1 Nf5 19.Qxc4 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Nxe3 21.fxe3 Qxh3 22.Nxd6 Qg3+ 23.Kf1 Qxf3+ 24.Ke1 Qg3+ ) 15.Bd3 Rad8? 16.Nxc6! bxc6
Moves are clickable
17.Bxh7+ Real hacking weekender chess! 17...Kxh7 18.Qh4 g6 19.g4 Nf5! The best fighting defence. On alternatives ( ie 19...f6 White could simply continue 20.gxh5 g5 21.Qg4 with advantage ) 20.gxf5 Qd7 21.Qg5 Rh8 ( The knight on f3 was of course untouchable 21...Bxf3 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.f6 and mate follows ) ( and if Jamieson snatches the pawn on f5 his King goes walkabout 21...Qxf5 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Ng5 Rfe8 24.Bd4 Be5 (24...Re5 25.f4! ) 25.Qh7+ Kf8 26.Bc5+ Bd6 27.Bxd6+ Rxd6 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Rfe1+ Re6 30.Rxe6+! fxe6 31.Qg7+ Kd6 ( On 31...Kd8 32.Nf7+ wins the queen with a fork or discovery ) 32.Nf7+ Kc5 33.Qd4+ Kb5 34.Qb4# ) 22.Nh4 Be7 23.f6 Bf8 24.Kh2 Kg8 25.f4? Re8? ( Both of us underestimated 25...Be2! The bishop will find an excellent post on e4 and White's sacrifice 26.Nxg6 is unplayable because of my weak h pawn 26...Qxh3+ ) 26.Rae1 Re4 27.f5 Bd6+ 28.Kg1 Kf8 29.fxg6 It's simplifying time 29...Bxg6 30.Nxg6+ fxg6 31.Qxg6 Rxe3 32.Qg7+ Qxg7+ 33.fxg7+ Kxg7 34.Rxe3 Bc5 35.Rf3 Well, thank goodness that's over. Now, perhaps, the ending is drawn, but this is weekend chess and one has no alternative but to try for a win at all costs 35...a5 36.Kg2 Bxe3 37.Rxe3 Kf6 38.Re2 a4 39.Kg3 Kf5 40.h4 c5 41.Rh2 Ke4 42.h5!? A risky plan, but... 42...Ke3 43.Kg2 d4 44.cxd4 cxd4 45.Kf1 d3 46.Ke1 Rc8 47.Rh3+ Kd4 48.h6 Rc1+ 49.Kd2 Rc2+ 50.Kd1 (50.Kd1 Rc8 is hopeless for Black; his rook is passive and his d pawn is lost after 51.h7 Rh8 52.Kd2 and 52...-- 53.Rh4+ ) 1-0