chess

Pastimes

The ladies were on top in a "Veterans vs Women" match played in Prague earlier this month, but only by the narrowest of margins. Trailing at one stage by an undignified margin, the men, led by former world champions Spassky and Smyslov, fought back well over the last three rounds, finally losing by 251/2-241/2.

In the following game, the veteran Hungarian grand- master Lajos Portisch turned the tables beautifully on the women's world champion.

In the diagram position, after 21.Bd3, White appears to be building up a dangerous attack. The threat is 22.Rh5 g6 23.Rxh7! and pushing any K- side pawn creates dangerous weaknesses.

Portisch solved the problem brilliantly with 21...f6! 22.Bf4 Rxd3!! Now 23.Qxd3 loses to 23...Qf2! while 23.cxd3, as played in the game, set Black off on a very effective rook hunt. here are the full moves:

White: Xie Jun

Black: Lajos Portisch

Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 16 Bxe5 Qa7+

2 Nf3 Nc6 17 Kh1 Rad8

3 d4 cxd4 18 Rxd8 Rxd8

4 Nxd4 e6 19 f5 exf5

5 Nc3 a6 20 Rxf5 Ne8

6 Be2 d6 21 Bd3 f6

7 0-0 Bd7 22 Bf4 Rxd3

8 Be3 Nf6 23 cxd3 Qd7

9 f4 Be7 24 Rh5 g6

10 Qe1 b5 25 Rh3 g5!

11 a3 0-0 26 Bb8 Qf5

12 Qg3 Nxd4 27 Ba7 Bd6

13 Bxd4 Bc6 28 Qe1 Qxh3

14 Rad1 Qb8 29 Qxe8+ Kg7!

15 e5 dxe5 White resigns