Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.ON THE cover of one of his innumerable - and excellent - Discworld books, Terry Pratchett features a picture of a gentleman in a wheelchair (Arch-Chancellor Ridcully of Unseen University, if I'm not mistaken) leading his "troops" into battle, brandishing a walking-stick.
A fine conceit and (I hope I'm not being too rude here) one that would make a splendid icon for the doughty team of Veterans at the Dutch multi- millionaire Joop van Oosterom's annual contest between them and the Ladies.
Surely elderly wizards are supposed to protect maidens in distress, but that isn't what's happened in the eighth annual showdown - the Flamenco tournament in Marbella - as they've stormed to victory by 28 to 17 with yesterday's round to spare. As last year, the mainstay has been Victor Korchnoi who has made 7/9, while three of the other four Veterans - Hort and Portisch on 6/9 and Spassky on 5 - have a plus score, and only Smyslov is on 4/9. Meanwhile (with a round to go) all the women had less than 50 per cent!
The final result, and one of Korchnoi's many wins, to be reported on Thursday; but for the moment here is how the nowadays notoriously drawish Boris Spassky scored his one and only win - but the quickest of the tournament so far.
Zhu Chen got rather less than nothing from the opening but 19 Bb5? was awful. 24 e4 looked like an escape route but after 26 ...Qg6! Black wins a whole rook.
White: Zhu Chen
Black: Boris Spassky
Queen's Gambit Declined
1 d4 d5
2 c4 e6
3 Nc3 Nf6
4 Nf3 Nbd7
5 cxd5 exd5
6 Bf4 c6
7 h3 Bb4
8 Qb3 Qe7
9 a3 Bxc3+
10 Qxc3 Ne4
11 Qc2 0-0
12 e3 c5
13 Bd3 b6
14 Ne5 Nxe5
15 dxe5 Bf5
16 Qd1 Rad8
17 0-0 Bg6
18 Qg4 Qe6
19 Bb5 Bf5
20 Qh4 h6
21 Qh5 Nd2
22 Rfe1 Nb3
23 Rad1 c4
24 e4 Bxe4
25 Bxc4 dxc4
26 Rxe4 Qg6!
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