Chess Patience in correspondence

Press, 25 September 1982, Page 24

Chess Patience in correspondence

By

VERNON SMALL

The popular image of a chess game is of two players sitting opposite one another struggling to gain a victory within a time limit of four or five hours. Most international tournaments are run this way, but a tournament game is only one of a variety of chess activities. Analysis of opening theory, chess problem composition, correspondence chess, and many other variants combine to form the game of chess. Certainly the most time consuming is correspondence chess where moves are mailed, sometimes around the . world, to an opponent. Unlike "over-the-board" chess, where external factors such as stamina and nerves play an important part, the correspondence player can calmly analyse the position in the ■ privacy of his own home. The only limitation to correspondence chess is the amount of time a player is prepared to devote to the game. Some grandmasters of correspondence chess have been known to spend 25 to 30 hours a week on top of their professional living. For the top players, it can be a useful testing ground for new ideas which, if they < survive the pressure-cooker analysis of correspondence play, can be treated as sound. Within New Zealand, correspondence chess is organised by the’ New Zealand Correspondence Chess Association, based in Wellington. The association organises a series of tournaments each year which run from March 1 to March 31 the next year. The winner of the top grade becomes the national champion. The association also provides a contact service for players who wish to play some friendly games.

The contact is Mr J. Maxwell, 82 Tireti Road, Titahi Bay, Wellington. The last three national championships have been won by players making their first attempt. In the 1978-79 year, Robert Smith, an Auckland television journalist, was successful; the next championship was won by a Canterbury University student, Michael Freeman, with Smith only third; and the last title went to a Wellington lawyer, Roger Chapman, who made a successful comeback to chess. Freeman and Smith finished equal second. The game detailed was one which Freeman, who became the youngest champion at 19 years, despatched the defending title-holder, Smith, on his way to winning his championship. Notes are based on those of the winner. White: M.Freeman Black: R. Smith 1. e 4 c 5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d 4 cd4 4. Nd 4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e 5 6. Nbds d 6 7. Nds Nds White occupies d 5 with a pawn rather than controlling it with pieces which occurs in the normal continuation of 7 Bgs, a 6 8 Na 3, b 5 9 Nds. 8. eds Ne 7 9 c 4 Nfs 10. Bd3 g 6

11. 0-0 a 6 12. Nc3 Bg7 This fianchette is a relatively new idea. More usual is 12 Be 7 which defends d 6 and. indirectly, c 5. 13. a 4 0-0 14. a 5 Qh4 15. Ne 4 Helping prepare c4-c5 while keeping an eye on the d 6 pawn. The disadvantage of this move is that an eventual . . f 5 will gain time at the knight's expense. The immediate threat is Bgs. . h 6 16. Ra 3 Qe7 17. b 4 RdB 18. Rel Nd 4 19. Be 3 f 5 20. Nc3 Qc7 21. Na 4 Bd7 22. Nb 6 RabB 23. Qcl g 5 24. Bd4 ed 4 25. f 4. ReB (see diagram) If 25 . . g 4 then 26 Qc2 RfB, 27 Re 7 RbdB, 28 Qa4 and white crashes through. 26. fgs Rel ch 27. Qel ReB 28. Qf2 Re 3 29. Nd 7 Qd7 30. Bfs! Ra 3 31. Bd7 Ral + 32. Qfl d 3 33. Qal Bal 34. gh6 Black is three pawns in arrears. The attempt to grab some back with 34 . . . Bc3 loses to 35 c 5 Bb4 36 c 6 bc6 37 dc6 Bas 38 g 4 d2. 35. Ba 4 Kh7

36. Kf2 Bc3 37. b 5 Bas 38. ba6 1-0 In this position the game had to be adjudicated as the 13 months had lapsed. An international master, Ortvin Sarapu, . gave the win to white, but it is unlikely that he had much trouble arrivingat that decision. The diagram shows the position after black’s 25th move ReB. >