Chandler slips back one place

Press, 4 May 1984, Page 26

Chandler slips back one place

NZPA-AP London Murray Chandler, the New Zealand chess player, is half a point behind the leaders, the Soviets, Anatoly Karpov and Lev Polugaevsky in the International Kings-Chess tournament in London. Chandler lost half a point to the leaders yesterday when he missed several dramatic opportunities in his game with Jan Timman of the Netherlands, which ended in a draw. Karpov, the world chess champion, and his compatriot, Polugaevsky, both won their games yesterday. Chandler is the secondlowest ranked of the 14 players in the 13-round, $27,000 tournament. “When I started the tournament I looked at the last-place money, not the first,” he said. “The trouble is there aren’t any weak players in this tournament — my run could stop at any moment. One year Lajos Portisch won five out of six and didn’t get another point. “With my world rating I expected to score five points — I will be happy just to get that.” Timman sustained a fractured leg on Monday during

a soccer match between tournament contestants and a team representing the Greater London Council. But his injury did not appear to affect his play — he has scored 1% points in his last two games. Yasser Seirawan, the American number one, is in fourth place and within striking distance of the leaders with a solid draw against Zoltan Ribli of Hungary.

Karpov with white, outmanoeuvered Tony Miles, Britain’s leading player. The

swiftness of Miles’ defeat surprised experts as he had previously defeated the world champion twice with the black pieces. Polugaevsky took the initiative at an early stage and later clinched a win with a strong attack against the queen-side. His opponent, Ulf Andersson, of Sweden, currently worldranked number five, appeared out of form. Britain’s Jonathan Mestel built up a commanding position against the French defence of the world championship contender, Victor Korchnoi. But Mestel went astray in a sequence of captures and let Korchnoi force a draw. Surprisingly, Korchnoi, one of the pretournament favourites, has so far failed to win a game. The tournament ends on May 11. Points after Tuesday’s sixth round were:—

Karpov and Polugaevsky, 5; Chandler, 4%; Seirawan, 4; Timman, Rafael Vaganian (Soviet Union), 3%; Ribli, 3; Mestel, Korchnoi, 2%; Jon Speelman (England), John Nunn (England), 2; Andersson, 1%; Miles, Eugenio Torre (Philippines), 1. Each of these two players has one game to finish.