Sarapu ploy a winner

Press, 17 April 1978, Page 26

Sarapu ploy a winner

PA Wellington Psychological warfare won the game yesterday for the Auckland international chess master, Ortvin Sarapu. Sarapu, 15 times New Zealand champion, used his knowledge of chess psychology to disarm the dangerous Iranian player, Kamran Shirazi, in the eleventh round of the Burroughs Computers grandmaster tournament in Wellington.

Shirazi is a player who loves attacking and playing sacrifices. Complicated double-edged positions are what he likes and in them he plays quickly and well. Sarapu knew this so in his game yesterday he deliberately accepted a position that was slightly restricted and passive but very solid. In this quiet, simple position, Shirazi could find no objects of attack and, out of his element, he played slowly and uncertainly. Sarapu gradually took control of the position and gained a winning material advantage.

After a slow start to the tournament Sarapu now has six points out of a possible 10 and a good chance of taking a main placing. The Argentinian grandmaster, Miguel Quinteros, took over leadership of the tournament after playing two international masters in the week-end rounds.

He beat Wellington’s Murray Chandler on Saturday and yesterday adjourned his game a pawn up against Iran’s Merhshad Sharif, the only player not to have been beaten in the tournament.

Quinteros has 64 points from eight completed games and, with only two rounds remaining, seems set to win the $lOOO first prize. The other grandmaster in the tournament, Eugene Torre, (Philippines), drew with Sharif on Saturday and yesterday beat the Indonesian international master, Herman Suradiradja. Torre, who lost an adjourned game to Indonesia’s Jacobus Sampouw on Friday, now lies second with six points from a possible nine. Chandler started the tournament well but after two losses at the week-end he now has only 54 out of li He spoilt a chance to force a draw against Quinteros because he was determined to win but overreached himself and lost. Yesterday, he went down to the Filipino international master, Rodolfo Tan Cardoso.

Round 10 results.—Quinteros beat Chandler; Torre drew with Sharif; Sarapu beat Sampouw; Cardoso drew with Ewen Green (Auckland); Shirazi beat Suradiradja. The game between Vernon Small (Christchurch) and Rico Mascarinas (Philippines) was adjourned and Richard Sutton (Auckland) had the bye.

Round 11 results.—Torre beat Suradiradja; Cardoso beat Chandler; Green drew with Mascarinas; Sutton drew with Sampouw; Sarapu beat Shirazi. The game between Quinteros and Sharif was adjourned and Small had the bye.

Scores after 11 rounds, with the number of completed games in parentheses: Quinteros 61 (8), Torre 6 (9), Sarapu 6 (10), Chandler, Green 51 (11), Sharif 5 (8), Small, Mascarinas 41 (8), Shirazi 4 (9), Cardoso 4 (10), Sampouw 31 (10), Suradiradja, Sutton 3 (10).