ADDICTS’ CORNER
Mike Fox, Richard James and the kids who beat the GMs
David 10 Goliath 0
David and Goliath, Jack the giant killer. The small child beating up the big strong grownup has always been a story to attract headlines. In the wake of David Howell's sensational win against John Nunn (of which much more elsewhere in next month's CHESS, we take a look at the youngest kids to have beaten GMs in one-to-one combat. Much of this is taken from Leonard Barden's article published on the web site of a rival magazine.
The first pre-teen to do it was Sammy Reshevsky (aged 10.11, or perhaps 12.11) back in 1922. (Of course there were no GMs in 1922, but Jan. was clearly of GM strength.)
David Janowsky - Samuel Reshevsky
New York, 1922
Queen's Gambit Declined
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 c6 7.Bd3 a6 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nb6 10.Bd3 Nfd5 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Qd2 Nxc3 13.bxc3 c5 14.Rab1 Nd7 15.a4 0-0 16.Qc2 h6 17.Rfe1 b6 18.Rb2 Rb8 19.Reb1 Qd6 20.Qe2 a5 21.Bb5 Rd8 22.h3 Qc7 23.e4 Nf8 24.Qe3 Bd7 25.Ne5 Be8 26.Bxe8 Rxe8 27.f4 f6 28.Nf3 Nd7 29.e5 f5 30.g4 g6 31.gxf5 gxf5 32.d5 Nf8 33.Rg2+ Kh7 34.c4 Qf7 35.Kh2 Ng6 36.Rbg1 Rg8 37.d6 Qb7 38.h4 Qc6 39.h5 Nh8 40.Ng5+ hxg5 41.fxg5 Ng6 42.Rg3 Kg7 43.Rh3 Rh8 44.hxg6 Rxh3+ 45.Kxh3 Rh8+ 46.Kg3 Qxa4 47.Qf3 f4+ 48.Kg4 Qc2 49.Qxf4 Qe2+ 50.Kg3 Qd3+ 51.Kg2 Qe2+ 52.Kg3 Qh2+ 53.Kf3 Rf8 54.Qf6+ Kg8 55.d7 Rxf6+ 56.gxf6 Qd2 57.Rh1 Qd3+ 58.Kg2 Qxg6+ 59.Kf2 Qf5+ 60.Kg2 Qg4+ 61.Kh2 Qe2+ 62.Kh3 Qd3+ 63.Kh4 Qxd7 64.Rg1+ Kf8 65.Kg5 Qd4 0-1
The next pre-teen to beat a GM was Judit Polgar, who, it was reported in 1984, had beaten GM Mato Damjanovic in a blitz game at the age of 7. (Cathy Forbes, in her book The Polgar Sisters claims it was (the stronger) Branko Damljanovic, but the Bard believes Damjan was correct.) This, we assume, was a casual game: we have no further details.
Judit's first tournament win against a GM came in 1987 at the age of 11.4:
Judit Polgar (2355) - Lev Gutman (2475)
OHRA Open Brussels 1987
Sicilian Scheveningen
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.f4 a6 9.Be3 Qc7 10.a4 Nc6 11.Qe1 Nd7 12.Qg3 Bf6 13.Rad1 Rb8 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Ne4 Be7 17.f5 exf5 18.Bh6 g6 19.Rxf5 Rb4 20.Bd3 f6 21.Rdf1 Rxe4 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 23.Bxe4 gxf5 24.Bxf5 Nb6 25.Bxh7 Be6 26.Be4 Nd5 27.Qh4 Nf4 28.Qh8+ Bg8 29.Rd1 Ne6 30.Kh1 Bd8 31.Bf5 Nd4 32.Bh3 Qf7 33.c3 Qb3 34.Qh6+ Ke7 35.Rf1 Ne6 36.Qxf6+ Kd6 37.Bxe6 1-0
In 1995 Surya Ganguly, of India, became the youngest boy to beat a GM in a FIDE rated event, at the age of 11.11.:
Grigory Serper - Surya Ganguly
Calcutta 1995
English
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Nb6 6.d3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Re8 9.Bh6 Bh8 10.h4 c6 11.h5 Nd5 12.hxg6 hxg6 13.Nf3 Nd7 14.Ng5 N7f6 15.Bf3 Bg4 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.0-0-0 Qb6 18.Rh4 Bxf3 19.exf3 Rec8+ 20.Kb1 Rc5 21.Nh3 d4 22.Ng5 Nd5 23.Rdh1 Rac8 24.Bf8 Bf6 25.Ne4 Bxh4 26.Qh6 Rc1+ 27.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 28.Qxc1 Kxf8 29.Qh6+ Kg8 30.Qxh4 Qb5 31.Ng5 Qxd3+ 32.Kc1 Qf1+ 33.Kc2 Qxf2+ 34.Kb3 Nf6 35.Qf4 b5 36.Qb8+ Kg7 37.Qxb5 Qxg3 38.Kc4 Qf2 39.a4 Qe3 40.Qc5 e5 41.Ne6+ fxe6 42.Qe7+ Kh6 43.Qxf6 Qe2+ 44.Kc5 Qc2+ 45.Kd6 Qf5 46.Qh4+ Kg7 47.Qf2 Kf7 48.Qe2 Qf4 49.Kd7 d3 0-1
A few months later his record was equalled by England's (and Richmond's) own Luke McShane:
Luke McShane (2170) - Colin McNab (2440)
Hastings Challengers 1995-6
Pirc Defence
1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Qd2 Nbd7 6.Nf3 Qc7 7.h3 Bg7 8.a4 0-0 9.Bc4 Nxe4 10.Bxf7+ Rxf7 11.Nxe4 Nf6 12.Nfg5 Rf8 13.0-0 h6 14.Nxf6+ exf6 15.Ne4 f5 16.Nc3 Kh7 17.d5 c5 18.Nb5 Qd8 19.Bf4 Rf6 20.h4 a6 21.Na3 Rb8 22.a5 Bd7 23.Rfe1 Bf8 24.Nc4 Be8 25.Ra3 Rf7 26.Rae3 Bb5 27.Nb6 Bd7 28.c4 Qf6 29.b4 cxb4 30.Rh3 Re8 31.Rxe8 Bxe8 32.Qxb4 Re7 33.Qc3 Qxc3 34.Rxc3 Re1+ 35.Kh2 Ra1 36.Re3 Bf7 37.Nd7 Bg7 38.Bxd6 Rxa5 39.Re7 Kg8 40.Be5 b5 41.d6 bxc4 42.Bxg7 Kxg7 43.Ne5 Kf6 44.Nxf7 c3 45.Nxh6 f4 46.Ng4+ Kf5 47.d7 Rd5 48.Re5+ 1-0
In 1999, everybody, it seems, is doing it. Parents will soon be afraid to show their face outside the local Primary School unless their kid has beaten a GM.
The USA's Hikaru Nakamura became the youngest to beat a GM in a weekend congress at the age of 11.2:
Alex Stripunsky - Hikaru Nakamura
Land of the Sky Open 1999
Sicilian Alapin
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 e6 4.d4 d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nf6 8.a3 Be7 9.Bd3 0-0 10.Nc3 Qd6 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Qc2 Rfd8 13.Rad1 Rac8 14.Rfe1 g6 15.Qd2 Nd5 16.Ne4 Qc7 17.Bh6 Be8 18.b4 Nf6 19.Bf4 Qb6 20.Bf1 Nd5 21.Bg5 f6 22.Bh4 g5 23.Bg3 a5 24.Nc5 axb4 25.Nxe6 bxa3 26.Nxd8 Rxd8 27.Rb1 Bb4 28.Qa2 Bf7 29.Bc4 Qa5 30.Rec1 Kg7 31.h4 h6 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Rb3 b5 34.Bd3 Nc3 35.Qc2 Bxb3 36.Qxb3 a2 37.Nxg5 Rd5 38.Ne6+ Kf7 39.Nf4 Nxd4 40.Bg6+ Kg7 0-1
(We loved the Land of the Sky Open - it was in North Carolina apparently. US tournaments have much cooler names than ours.)
And, just the other week he did it again, in the US Open, making him the youngest player to beat a GM in a FIDE rated event. He did it in some style as well: just take a look at this.
Alejandro Hoffman - Hikaru Nakamura
US Open 1999
King's Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.Bf4 d6 6.h3 c5 7.d5 a6 8.a4 Nh5 9.Bd2 f5 10.e3 e5 11.dxe6 Bxe6 12.Be2 Nc6 13.0-0 f4 14.Nd5 Bh6 15.Ra3 Bxd5 16.cxd5 Ne7 17.e4 Nf6 18.Qb1 g5 19.a5 Ng6 20.b4 cxb4 21.Bxb4 Qe7 22.Bd3 g4 23.Nd4 Nh4 24.hxg4 Nxg4 25.Ne6
XABCDEFGHY
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25...Nf3+ 26.gxf3 Qh4 27.fxg4 Qxg4+ 28.Kh2 Qh4+ 29.Kg1 Qg4+ 30.Kh2 Qh4+ 31.Kg1 Kf7 32.Bc3 b5 33.Bg7 Qg4+ 34.Kh2 f3 35.Rg1 Qh4#
Meanwhile, another Richmond Junior Club member, Murugan Thiruchelvam, had beaten GM Jonathan Levitt in a rapidplay game at the age of 10.3. You've probably seen the moves already but we include it here to fill up space ... sorry ... for the sake of completeness.
Jonathan Levitt (2310) - Murugan Thiruchelvam (2020)
Rapidplay Match London 28.03.1999
Queen's Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 0-0 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 Be6 9.Nge2 Nbd7 10.Qc2 c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.0-0 Rc8 13.Rfd1 Bxc3 14.Nxc3 g5 15.Bg3 Nfe4 16.Be5 f6 17.Bd4 Nxd3 18.Qxd3 Bf5 19.Qb5 Nxc3 20.Bxc3 Be6 21.Qxb7 Rc7 22.Qa6 Qe8 23.Rd2 Qf7 24.Rad1 h5 25.Rd4 Rfc8 26.h4 g4 27.Rf4 f5 28.Qd6 Kh7 29.Qe5 Rc4 30.Rxc4 Rxc4 31.Qh8+ Kg6 32.Be5 Rc8 33.Qxc8 Bxc8 34.Rc1 Bb7 35.Rc7 Qe6 36.Bd4 Ba6 37.Rxa7 Qc6 38.Kh2 Qc4 39.Rg7+ Kh6 40.Rf7 Qd3 41.a4 Bc4 42.Rf6+ Kh7 43.Kg3 Qe4 44.f3 Qc2 45.fxg4 hxg4 46.Kf4 Qe4+ 47.Kg5 g3 48.Rf7+ Kg8 49.Rg7+ Kf8 50.Kf6 Qxh4+ 51.Ke6 Qh6+ 52.Kxf5 Bd3+ 53.Kg4 Qh2 54.Ra7 Be2+ 55.Kf5 Qh5+ 56.Kf6 Qh6+ 57.Ke5 Qg5+ 58.Kd6 Bf1 59.Ra8+ Kf7 60.Ra7+ Kg8 61.Rg7+ Qxg7 62.Bxg7 Kxg7 63.Ke5 Bxg2 64.Kf4 Kf6 65.Kxg3 Bf1 66.Kf4 Ke6 67.b4 Kd6 68.a5 Bd3 69.Kf3 Ke5 70.Kf2 Ke4 71.Ke1 Kxe3 72.Kd1 Bb5 0-1
And now, of course, we have David Howell beating a GM at the age of 8.9. Not just any old GM either. Yes, it was only a blitz game (5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move) but the way he did it was most impressive. One of us (guess which) lost to David in a filler game at a Richmond Rapidplay earlier in the year, so at least we can now say we have something in common with Dr Nunn.
John Nunn (2598) - David Howell
MSO Blitz London 29.08.1999
Ruy Lopez
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 d6 9.c3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.Re1 Re8 12.Nf1 Bf8 13.Ng3 g6 14.Bg5 Bg7 15.Qd2 Bb7 16.h4 h5 17.Rad1 Nc6 18.a3 Rc8 19.Bb1 Na5 20.Ba2 c4 21.d4 exd4 22.cxd4 Qb6 23.d5 Ng4 24.Nd4 Ne5 25.Bb1 Nb3 26.Nxb3 cxb3 27.Be3 Qd8 28.Bg5 Qb6 29.Qe3 Qxe3 30.Rxe3 Nc4 31.Rxb3 Nxb2 32.Rc1 Rxc1+ 33.Bxc1 Nc4 34.Bd3 Bxd5 35.exd5 Re1+ 36.Kh2 Rxc1 37.Ne4 Ne5 38.Be2 Nd7 39.g3 Be5 40.Kg2 Nc5 41.Nxc5 Rxc5 42.Rd3 Rc3 43.Kf3 Rxd3+ 44.Bxd3 f5 45.Ke2 Kf7 46.Kf3 Ke7 47.Ke2 Kf7 48.Kf3 Bb2 49.a4 bxa4 50.Bxa6 Kf6 51.Ke2 Ke5 52.Bc4 Kd4 53.Ba2 Kc3 54.Kd1 Ba3 55.Ke2 Bc1 56.Kd1 Kb2 57.Bc4 Bh6 58.Ke2 a3 59.Kd3 a2 60.Bxa2 Kxa2 61.Kc4 Bd2 62.Kb5 Be1 63.Kc6 Bxf2 64.Kxd6 Bxg3+ 65.Ke6 Bxh4 66.d6 f4 0-1
Thus far Barden, who claims that the world's strongest pre-teen is none of these but Teimur Radjabov, who hails, like Kasparov, from Baku. As we write these lines he has just won the European Under 18 title. Radjabov's date of birth is 12.3.87, so perhaps (but see our next game) he broke McShane and Ganguly's record by one day when he played this.
Teimur Radjabov (2395) - Istvan Csom (2455)
Budapest 11.2.1999
English
1.Nf3 c5 2.b3 b6 3.Bb2 Bb7 4.c4 Nf6 5.g3 e6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Qxd4 Nbd7 10.Nc3 a6 11.Rad1 0-0 12.e4 Qc7 13.Rfe1 Rac8 14.Qd2 Rfe8 15.Nd4 g6 16.f4 e5 17.Nc2 b5 18.Ne3 Qc5 19.cxb5 axb5 20.Kh1 Bf8 21.Ned5 Nxd5 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.exd5 Qc2 24.Bf1 Qxd2 25.Rxd2 b4 26.Bb5 Red8 27.Re4 Rb8 28.Rxb4 Bg7 29.a4 Nc5 30.fxe5 dxe5 31.d6 Rb6 32.Rd5 Rdxd6 33.Rxd6 Rxd6 34.Be2 Na6 35.Bxa6 Rd1+ 36.Bf1 1-0
In that part of the world they keep quiet about their prodigies. We only heard about Ruslan Ponomariov when he was already GM strength. Pon. was born on 11.10.83, and the earliest win against a GM we've found was this, from 1995. We don't, unfortunately, have any more precise details. Can anyone in Russia help by telling us exactly when it was played?
Pavel Tregubov (2515) - Ruslan Ponomariov
RUS-chT Briansk 1995
Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.Nc3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Nd5 Qd8 11.c3 a6 12.b4 Ba7 13.Kh2 g5 14.g4 Bg6 15.Kg3 Ne7 16.Nxe7 Qxe7 17.Ne1 h5 18.Ng2 hxg4 19.hxg4 Qf6 20.Qe2 0-0-0 21.Rh1 c6 22.Bb3 d5 23.Bc2 dxe4 24.dxe4 Rxh1 25.Rxh1 Qxf2+ 26.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Rd2+ 28.Kf3 Rxc2 29.Ne3 Rxc3 30.Rh8+ Kd7 31.Rb8 b5 32.Rb7+ Kd6 33.a4 bxa4 34.Ke2 a3 35.Ra7 Bxe4 36.Kd2 Rd3+ 37.Ke2 Rd4 0-1
Returning to the MSO, David Howell was not the only giant-killer in action. 12-year-old Checkmate! Junior Club member Ameet Ghasi beat IMs Malcolm Pein (!) and Larry Kaufman at 30 minute chess and scored a win against IM Graeme Buckley and a draw against GM Jacob Murey at 10 minute chess. For more about Ameet...
The British at Scarborough
The more elderly of your correspondents made the usual hash of his annual attempt to win the Old Farts' Tournament (aka the Seniors Championship), but his protegés - members of Checkmate! Junior Club - did him proud, winning or sharing in no less than four junior titles.
Our Addicts' Corner Award for Best Arbiter Decision of the Championships went to the anonymous controller who resolved the great secret signals drama. Veer Ghasi, father of the awesomely talented Ameet Ghasi (age 12, graded 179), was accused by a fellow parent of making secret signs to his offspring (playing in the Major Open). Veer, (a fidgety but innocent spectator, with a grade of 109) called over a nearby controller. His verdict was worthy of Solomon: 'Having seen the quality of Mr Ghasi's
play in the under 125s, I can only believe that if he was making signs to his son, the only person who would benefit would be Ameet's opponent.'
Showbiz
You all know that Bobby Fischer sat next to Barbra Streisand when they attended Erasmus High School together. But you didn't know which world champ was in the same class as 40's sex god Errol Flynn did you? Here's your clue: the school in question was Old Hutchins School in Hobart. Tasmania. And the chess star, who was to become the world's first correspondence champion, was CJS Purdy. He describes the future hell raiser and superstud thus: 'a sad little boy, the neglected child of two brilliant, handsome and erratic parents'. This from Purdy's The Search for Chess Perfection, recently republished by the Thinkers' Press, and a book we can't recommend too highly, if you're in the market for insightful writing on every aspect of the game.
While we're on the subject of movie stars, more on Duke Wayne's erratic behaviour around a chess board: according to James Caan, big John was wont to create a diversion by elbowing a rook off the board; then he'd rearrange the position while his opponent searched for the piece. Caan (he says) took a swing at Wayne (and his life in his hands) for such shenanigans when they played on the set of 1966 Western El Dorado.
Under the Hammer
Going up for auction in Bucharest in August were the former belongings of the late unlamented Nicolae Ceaucescu. Among the items, many exotic prezzies showered on the vile dictator by admiring fans: a set of mother-of pearl boxes from Yasser Arafat; a pair of porcelain birds from Rolls-Royce; and a chess set, gifted by Anatoly Karpov.
Oops!
Ken Whyld writes to point out (re our item on the poor teaching of chess): a TV programme a few years ago featured some infants being taught the elements of the game. The teacher explained that in earlier times each of the 16 pawns had its own name.
Rubbish, says the Omniscient One; this fantasy arises from the use by Cessolis of different names for allegorical purposes (smith, scrivener, merchant, spicer, taverner et cetera). On receiving Ken's letter, we felt sure we had seen this particular myth perpetuated elsewhere. As we went to press, we remembered: it was featured in a very early edition of an obscure chess column called Addicts' something or other.
Gradings (1)
Congratulations to that much maligned body of persons: the BCF graders. They may have been a little late with the figures this year, but at least they got one thing right. A much loved chess journalist's grade has, for the first time in a decade, undergone an Ashia Hansen type leap of eight points.
Gradings (2)
Thumbs down to those dreadful people the BCF graders. Not only were they late with the figures. By failing to include the Thames Valley League results a much loved chess journalist suffered the ignominy of a six point drop in his grade when he had been expecting a modest increase. (But at least he is still one point ahead of another MLCJ.) All you TVL players out there, stand up for your rights! Sign up for the FARCE Autonomous Ratings Tariff now (what was that acronym again?) and get yourself the grading you deserve.
The Spy Who Joined Lastbur
The new and much hyped Austin Powers film The Spy Who Mated Me (or some such title - consult your local cinema listings) has a chess sequence in which a Russian spy, Ivan Humpalot (the spirit of Carry On is alive and well in and in Hollywood these days) challenges Austin to a game of chess - a parody of the famous Thomas Crown Affair game. Yes, the board is set up the wrong way round.
Thanks a million, Ben Sisko, for keeping us at the cutting edge of chess related media events.
Short and Sweet in Central Park
Our biennial visit to the Big Apple was hugely enlivened by 'Wigstock' - the annual parade of New York's transvestite community. Since there weren't too many chess players among the exotica on display (we asked), we ambled across to the famed Chess and Checkers House, where an Austrian tourist challenged us to a game. It went :1. h3 e5 2. f3, and even we
(after a few minute's thought) spotted the tactical chances available to Black. (RJ also won a game in 3 moves during the summer while giving a lesson to an 8-year-old who had only previously played two games. Their first game started 1. Nc3 d5 2. f3 e5 3. g4. The second game resulted in a draw.)
As we have told you before, Manhattan is paradise in the late summer if you like al fresco chess. Central Park, Bryant Park (42nd st and 6th Ave.), Washington Square, and, if it's chucking it down, the lobby of the Sony Building (w 55th st.) are the places to head for. Not to mention the Manhattan and the Marshall clubs, which seem to be open all waking
hours.
Chess player wins battle of Normandy
In 1944, American tanks squadrons were being seriously slowed in their drive into France by the closely packed Normandy hedgerows. Sergeant Curtis G Culin of the 102nd Cavalry, well known in his unit as a chess player, suggested they fit saw teeth on the front of each tank. This solved the problem like a charm. General Bradley's tanks were thus able to outflank the Germans, who were restricted to the roads; the war was shortened, and Culin became a national hero.
Thanks to Mabel for this.
You thought we were bad
We quote, without comment, from Tony Forrester's Daily Telegraph bridge column.
"The 'aroma' of, in particular, but not exclusively, the typical male bridge player became so bad in America recently, that one could object to the smell and refuse to play the deal. Quaintly, the 'non-offending party' was awarded an average score plus 10 per cent. Maybe the penalty should have been proportional to the pong.
"The fashion guru who invented the T-shirt and shorts style would be proud of his bridge-playing converts. Sandals are obligatory and no worries about smelly socks either, our bridgy male doesn't wear any. Sweat stains on the T-shirt (presumably obtained from the exertion of walking from one table to another) are an optional fashion accessory.
"Particularly pleasing to the eye is the half-eaten sandwich on the table, which is then consumed during your stay with this 'gourmet'. A few empty Coke cans and smashed plastic glasses give authenticity to the scene. Half-empty coffee cups, convention cards and, for the healthy among us, banana and orange peels, litter the room. The average player needs a scouting party, hiking boots and a compass to find the rubbish bin, 12 feet away from his. Perish the thought that he should get up from the table and use it."
The previous week, in the same paper, David Norwood reported on the MSO: "The public perception of the chess community is that we are an odd bunch. We have an image of being rather weird and anti-social. However, I am pleased to announce that having seen some other games players, we are all relatively normal. Honest."
Blazing Queen
We were watching the console on ICC a few weeks ago when a message came through from a player with the handle Blazing Queen, asking "I'm a lady chess player and I gave myself this really stupid handle. Now I get messages all the time from guys who've got the wrong idea about me. How can I change it?" Last time we looked she was still there.
Oh, by the way: four cultural icons, who is the odd man out? Noel Coward, Julian Clary, Mike Fox, Richard James. Answer next month.
Radio Play
A phone call the other day from a charming middle-aged lady: "Can you tell me all about the Richmond Radio Play?" It took us some time to realise that the poor dear had misread our advert on Teletext.
We sent her an entry form but she didn't turn up: a pity because she missed watching this game between the joint winners of the Open. Sheer poetry, said the winner.
Peter Large - Aaron Summerscale
RRP25 Open 12.09.1999
Pirc Defence
(Punctutation by the winner.)
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 Qa5 5.Bd3 e5 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.fxe5 dxe5 8.dxe5 Nfd7 9.Bf4 Bb4 10.0-0 0-0 11.Nd5!? Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Bd4 13.e6! fxe6 14.Bc7! b6 15.b4! Qa3 16.Ne7+ Kh8
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17.Ng5!! h5 18.Rxf8+ Nxf8 19.Nf7+ Kh7 20.e5+ g6 21.Qd2 Kg7 22.Rf1 Bf5 23.Bxf5 exf5 24.e6! Nxe6 25.Nd8! Qxa2 26.Re1! Nxc7 27.Qxd4+ Kh7 28.Qf6 Nd7 29.Qxg6+ Kh8 30.Qh6# 1-0
Fritz, ever the spoilsport, announced mate in 7 on move 22: Qh6+ Kxg7 23.Bxg6+ Nxg6 when any of Qxg6+, Qh7+ or Nxg6 mate in 5 more moves.