Rolled Up

The Federation Internationale d'Echecs has divided the world into a number of zones for the purpose of elimination tourneys to decide the challenger for the world championship title. The European Zone (excluding Scandinavia and Russia) held its "candidate" tourney at Hilversum (Holland) last July, and the winner was Belgium's A. O'Kelly de Galway. Here is a game of O'Kelly's from a second Hilversum tourney held in August. Notes by R. G. Wade.

Kramer, G - O'Kelly, A

Post Zonal tournament 1947

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 The Queen's Indian Defence, putting e4 under pressure, and in effect making it the pivot square around which Black's pieces will be mobilised. 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 (5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 Alekhine's idea - is best answered by 7.Qb3 and 8.Bb4 exchanging off Black's good Bishop. ) 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 Ne4 Black retains a hold on this vital square. 8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.Qxc3 f5 10.Ne1 Bxg2 11.Nxg2 Bf6! Preventing White from carrying out the ideal f3 followed by e4. 12.Qd3 Nc6 13.d5 Nb4 14.Qb3 Na6 15.dxe6 Nc5 16.Qc2 Nxe6 Black's pieces are being lined up for the eventual opening of the f-file by f5-f4 17.Be3 Be5 18.Rad1 Rf7 19.Rd5 Qf6 20.b3 Re8 21.Qd2 Ree7 22.Nf4 Bxf4 Giving uup the Bishop is of little moment here as White's Bishop is rendered powerless by the good placing of the Black pawns. 23.Bxf4 d6 24.Be3 h6 25.Rd1 g5 26.Bd4 Qg6 27.Ba1 f4 28.Qb2 Ng7 White's plan was easily nullified when a Rook and a Knight held up a Queen and Bishop. 29.f3 g4! 30.Kg2 h5 31.b4 h4