Independent Pursuits: Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.THE ONYX Grand Prix is fast approaching its climax at the Islington Open on the last weekend before Christmas, with three still in contention for the pounds 3,000 first prize.
Despite great efforts over the past few weeks, none of Mark Hebden (on 190.6 out of a possible 200), Keith Arkell (190.2) and Jim Plaskett (189.3) has succeeded in improving their scores. The man most rapidly improving is Bogdan Lalic, who has moved up to fifth on 173.5, behind Aaron Summerscale on 177.5. Both of these are too far behind to catch the leaders, even if they scored 5/5 at Islington - an elite event which counts eightfold so that this would be multiplied up to a maximum 40/40. But a perfect score for any of the top three would almost certainly secure victory.
Apart from the main Grand Prix there is also a so-called Prixette led by Susan Lalic, a Junior Prix led by Simon Williams, who has a narrow lead over Richard Bates, a Disabled section in which D Hartley is in front, and an Amateur Prix.
In a most informative press release, Grand Prix supremo Leonard Barden explains that Andrew Horton-Kitchlew, the Amateur Prix leader, was taught chess by his father, who in turn was taught in Pakistan by the almost legendary Mir Sultan Khan (1905-66).
A truly great natural player, Sultan Khan was taken by Sir Umar Hayat Khan into his household as a chess player in 1926 and only played in Europe from 1929-33 while his master was based in England. Three times British Champion, in 1929, 1932 and 1933, he was possibly unique in being described by Capablanca as a genius; and he included Flohr, Rubinstein and Capablanca himself among his victims.
Although generally much weaker in the opening than other phases, here Sultan Khan with 5.a3 introduced an idea taken up many years later by Tigran Petrosian and now deeply theoretical. After 13.Nxd6, Black got a bad structure. White's material advantage after 23.Qxc2 was decisive: but Khan's exploitation against an ex-world champion was extraordinarily calm.
White: Mir Sultan Khan
Black: Jose Raoul Capablanca
Hastings 1930-31
Queen's Indian Defence
1.Nf3 Nf6
2.d4 b6
3.c4 Bb7
4.Nc3 e6
5.a3 d5
6.cxd5 exd5
7.Bg5 Be7
8.e3 0-0
9.Bd3 Ne4
10.Bf4 Nd7
11.Qc2 f5
12.Nb5 Bd6
13.Nxd6 cxd6
14.h4 Rc8
15.Qb3 Qe7
16.Nd2 Ndf6
17.Nxe4 fxe4
18.Be2 Rc6
19.g4 Rfc8
20.g5 Ne8
21.Bg4 Rc1+
22.Kd2 R8c2+
23.Qxc2 Rxc2+
24.Kxc2 Qc7+
25.Kd2 Qc4
26.Be2 Qb3
27.Rab1 Kf7
28.Rhc1 Ke7
29.Rc3 Qa4
30.b4 Qd7
31.Rbc1 a6
32.Rg1 Qh3
33.Rgc1 Qd7
34.h5 Kd8
35.R1c2 Qh3
36.Kc1 Qh4
37.Kb2 Qh3
38.Rc1 Qh4
39.R3c2 Qh3
40.a4 Qh4
41.Ka3 Qh3
42.Bg3 Qf5
43.Bh4 g6
44.h6 Qd7
45.b5 a5
46.Bg3 Qf5
47.Bf4 Qh3
48.Kb2 Qg2
49.Kb1 Qh3
50.Ka1 Qg2
51.Kb2 Qh3
52.Rg1 Bc8
53.Rc6 Qh4
54.Rgc1 Bg4
55.Bf1 Qh5
56.Re1 Qh1
57.Rec1 Qh5
58.Kc3 Qh4
59.Bg3 Qxg5
60.Kd2 Qh5
61.Rxb6 Ke7
62.Rb7+ Ke6
63.b6 Nf6
64.Bb5 Qh3
65.Rb8
black resigns
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