A White Pawn in Europe (part 1) by Murray Chandler

A personal account of his games at the World Junior Chess Championship in Yugoslavia and some English tournaments. August to November 1975

Acknowledgements

Front cover (see original PDF): N. Cook, W. Kerr.
Forewords: B. R. Foster
Diagrams (see original PDF): W. Ramsay.
Annotations for some English games: N. Cook.

Foreword to part one – Yugoslavia

The 14th World. Junior Chess Championship was played at Tjentiste, Yugoslavia from 16 August to 1 September 1975. A total of 48 players under the age of 20 competed. New Zealand's representative, Murray Chandler, at 15 was the second youngest player and only the third New Zealander to attend this major FIDE tournament.

Murray scored 6 points in the 13 round event (3 wins, 6 draws and 4 losses). Valery Chekhov of Russia with 10 points won from Christiansen (USA) on 9.5 with Mestel (England) and Inkoev (Bulgaria) 3-4 with 9 points.

Phillip Clark from Wellington accompanied Murray to Yugoslavia and afterwards the two players travelled on to England for further tournaments.

In this class of chess Murray might have been outclassed. Certainly his youth and inexperience showed through in many games. Also most of his opponents had the advantage of 2 or 3 years in age and experience in similar international competition. Despite his victories in junior tournaments in New Zealand and Australia, Murray had limited opportunity of preparing for Yugoslavia, having received only four weeks notice that he would be playing. However, it is to his considerable credit that the Wainuiomata schoolboy held his own for most of the tournament.

That he gained and applied a lot of new found knowledge is obvious on playing through the following games. Despite his modest score he made a considerable impression on many of the overseas players and officials both in Yougoslavia and England. There are many who see in him a player who will have to be reckoned with in the future. (Brian Foster).

Round 1 versus Carsten Hoi (Denmark)

This first game was probably my best from the entire tournament. Time trouble played a big factor (as in most of my games) and my 25th move (...Be8!) was intended to be 24...Rd2+. Only at the last instant did I see 26. Qd2 followed by Ng6+ recovering the Queen with considerable advantage. The mate in two I missed at the end was due to severe clock pressure by both players. This game gave me a great deal of confidence as my next few games showed.

Hoi, Carsten - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

Round 2 versus J. S. Neto (Brazil)

My round one win had put me in the top half of the draw and for the next game I qualified for one of the 10 demonstration boards. It's a great feeling knowing the audience is watching your every move, even if a little nerve wracking at times. Neto was even stronger than Carsten (he finished on 7.5). This time time trouble robbed me of the full point. I played the disastrous 39. Qf8 (see diagram) which looked strong at the time, but leads to a draw by perpetual check.

Chandler, Murray G - Sunye Neto, Jaime

Wch U20 1975

In the post mortem I began to realise I was inexperienced in comparison to the top players - for example, they had been coached on how to avoid time-troube, when to seal moves (should you seal a forced move or not?). This is the value of such international competition.

Round 3 versus P Thipsay (India)

Against Thipsay of India my inexperience cost me the full point again. I was unable to decide whether to hold onto or return material gained (see diagram) and I got into time trouble as my winning position slowly deteriorated. Eventually a clever Rook sacrifice brought the Indian his reward and my second game in succession was drawn by perpetual check. During the game the operator of my demonstration board made the move Bf6+ on White's 41st and immediately after the game I was pounced on by Phillip Clark and several others to enquire why I had not moved my king to f8! Thipsay finished the tournament strongly with 7.5 points, but I was not very pleased with my play in this game.

Thipsay, Praveen Mahadeo - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

Round 4 versus V Inkoev (Bulgaria)

Inkoev finished 3rd= with 9 points and was my toughest opponent. Playing a Pirc Defence the Bulgarian built up a commanding position, but even an imaginative sacrifice did not give him the breakthrough he sought. I had showed my previous game to David Strauss, the American Second and I now understood a lot more about giving back material (30. Qd4). I came out of the scramble with a favourable end game but again a fault of most New Zealanders, weak end game play, held me back and I had to be satisfied with the half point once more. Bob Wade, the English player's second, gave a lot of helpful advice on this endgame: incorporating moves and ideas such as pushing my 'a' pawn and using my Rook at b3 to cut off the Bulgarian's King, and force him into a passive position with his Rook in front of my 'a' pawn. Unfortunately the game was adjourned after I had let the game drift into a draw.

Chandler, Murray G - Inkiov, Ventzislav

Wch U20 1975

Round 5 versus Henao Calle (Colombia)

At this stage of the tournament I had scored 2.5/4 and was well placed in the top half of the field. Little did I realise when starting this game with Henao Calle that I would not improve my score for another three games.

The Colombian was my fifth top class player in a row (he also finished on 7.5) and he gave me first hand experience on how to capitalise on the opponent's weak moves and how to transform a minute positional advantage into a Zugzwang (move 45 and others). Henao Calle handled the endgame perfectly – the way he refused the pawn offer (move 51 and 52) made the win look so easy. A good game that I was not too upset to lose.

Henao, Raul Fernando - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

During the adjournment various friendly helpers from the US and UK contingents, among them Messrs Wade, Mestel and Christiansen offered consoling advice by way of alternative lost Rook, Bishop, or Rook and Bishop, or King and Pawn endings!

Round 6 versus S. Lim (Singapore)

Off the demonstration board for this game, I faced Singapore's Lim, whom I had met the year before at the Asian Teams tourney in Penang. Lim was unlucky to be ill at the start of the tournament but I must have helped. him recover, for after an unpromising 2.5/5 he beat me in this round and went on to get a further 3 wins and 2 draws to finish well on 8 points. The strength of this player lay in the fact that he knew how the position should. be played - I was vainly trying to work up a kingside attack which he countered in the centre and on the other flank successfully. He also combined. positional play with tactics - move 13. Qe2.

Lim Seng Hoo, Lorens - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

In the 'Post Mortem' which as usual was extremely instructive, Lim told me he thought my only chance of holding the passive ending was by sacrificing a pawn on move 34 or 35 with e4! One thing is for certain, I've learnt a lot about good knight versus bad bishop endings!

Round 7 versus M Ruefenacht (Switzerland)

I was very disappointed to lose against the Swiss, especially as he had offered me a draw on move 18. I refused the offer thinking his king was more exposed than mine. Ruefenacht finished the game with some nice combinations eg 21...d3, 28 ...Rd8 etc. I learnt very little from this game except that it doesn't help one's confidence to have three losses in a row!

Chandler, Murray G - Ruefenacht, Matthias

Wch U20 1975

Round 8 versus O Barkan (Turkey)

Against Barkan of Turkey, I really felt the need for a good win to restore my morale! The Ruy Lopez lasted. 25 moves and I finished the game with some nice tactics, which helped my chase for the elusive 50% score.

Chandler, Murray G - Barkan, Ozdal I

Wch U20 1975

Round 9 versus O. Knudsen (Norway)

Prior to Round 9 we had two rest days on one of which an excursion was arranged for players and officials to visit a nearby historic battle site. On resuming the tournament on August 27th I met the Norwegian Knudsen, this proved to be a game we were both relieved to draw, the final position being somewhat worse for me. However, not having a.loss for two rounds helped in my next game, so I was quite satisfied with the result. Time trouble, as usua1, accounts for several errors, but that is no excuse for losing or drawing a game. A player must plan his time, and this I still had to learn to do.

Knudsen, Ole Scott - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

Round 10 versus A. Avgoustinos (Cyprus)

Another commanding position wasted against the Cypriot, and at the adjournment I was struggling to draw. I made the mistake of trying too hard to get a draw at the adjourment time and with the language barrier a critical situation arose. I went to my opponent's room, and with no one else around, offered a draw. Avgoustinos said, in not too fluent English 'but your sealed move may be wrong'. After 10 minutes or so, we reached what I thought was an agreement that if my sealed move was 41 ...exd4 we would agree to draw. Then rather foolishly I told him my sealed move. I am still not sure whether he understood me or not, but I took considerable risk by revealing my move and this is one mistake I will not make again. All turned out well, however, and the next morning it was my opponent who offered the draw.

Avgoustianos, Avgousti - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975

Round 11 versus N. Ristic (Yugoslavia)

This round, because I was playing one of the two Yugoslavs, I was back on the demonstration board again. Chess is taken very seriously in Yugoslavia and almost everybody I met that day would come up and say 'Novi Zealand' and somehow get across the message that I was playing their player. I experimented with a slightly eccentric Sicilian and obtained a promising position, but after adjournment the game was drawn in 56 moves. The Yugoslavs who are very frank people could not help but show their disappointment at the result!

Chandler, Murray G - Ristic, Nenad

Wch U20 1975

Round 12 versus W. J. Jordan (Australia)

If my first game was the best, then this one was certainly the most satisfying! After a strong opening I sacrificed a pawn, but the Australian played well and my 17th move Ke2 was a necessity. This began an unusual King march from e2 to f1 to e2 to d3 to c2, during which I was forced to sacrifice another pawn (21 Re4). Eventually Jordan (a member of the Australian team to Penag) faltered on move 26, allowing my pieces to penetrate the Kingside in a violent mating attack.

Chandler, Murray G - Jordan, William

Wch U20 1975

Round 13 versus B Kouatly (Lebanon)

The last round and playing for a win against the only IM in the tournament: I certainly could not complain about not getting top class competition as my Sonneberger score showed (this was higher than any of the players who finished a point better and above one who finished with 8).

As Black I played a rarely seen reply to his Queen pawn opening, and obtained an approximately equal position. My opponent had thought that my 16...Ne3 was unplayable but it turned out that by sacrificing material he could gain a promising position anyway. Learning from my earlier games, I presented him back the material with an exchange sacrifice (22. Rg8) to obtain a strong bind, which, by transferring my Rook to d8 at several stages, could have placed unbearable pressure on his position. However, as usual, time pressure took its tool and I drifted into a lost ending. So after nearly three weeks of play the tournament was over and I had just failed to make 50%. I was not too despondent, however, and with a resolve to conquer my time trouble problems set off with Phillip Clark to sample as many of the English tournaments as time allowed.

Kouatly, Bachar - Chandler, Murray G

Wch U20 1975