Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.Britain's most original player explains his global philosophy.
White: M J Basman
Black: Stefan Djuric
Islington Open 1993
1. h3
I call this the 'Global Opening'. You can play it, as I have done for the past few years, with either colour against anything.
1 . . . b6 2. c4
Let me explain the Tao of Chess. 1. h3 poses a question: Will you occupy the centre or not? After 1 . . . e5 or d5, I continue 2. a3, giving my opponent freedom to contrinue his self-expression. But if he evades the issue with a move such as b6, I revert to a more conventional style.
2 . . . c5 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. d3 Nc6 6. e4
It's all part of the feminine side of the Tao: 1. h3 waits for a response, then c4, d3 and e4 negates his b6. Negation is a feminine characteristic.
6 . . . d6 7. g4
This makes h3 look useful, though I could also have played quietly with Be2 and 0-0.
7 . . . e6 8. Bg2 Ne5
He is trying to dominate the Black squares, so I must fight. My reply shows another use for 1. h3.
9. Nh2 g5 10. Nf1 Bb7 11. Ng3 Ng6 12. Nh5 Be5 13. Qa4+]
On playing this move, I had a sensation that everything was in place for the Global Immortal Game. Since Qd7 loses the g- pawn, he must move his king.
13 . . . Kf8 14. Ne2 Nh4 15. 0-0 Nxg2 16. Kxg2 d5 17. cxd5 exd5 18. Bxg5]
More flashy and more effective than 18. f4.
18 . . . Qxg5 19. f4 Qe7 20. fxe5 Rd8 (see diagram)
I must admit my next move was based on a miscalculation, but it didn't matter.
21. Rxf7+] Kxf7
After 21 . . . Qxf7 22. Rf1 Black's unco-ordinated rooks are no match for the white queen.
22. Rf1+ Ke6]
I had been counting on 22 . . . Kg6 23. Nef4+ Kh6 24. exd5 when Qxe5 is met by 25. h4] with the deadly threat of g5+. Now he threatens Kxe5 and an escape to the Q-side.
23. Rf5] Qc7 24. Nhf4+ Ke7 25. Nc3]
He can hardly move anything. 25 . . . dxe4 loses to 26. Qc4] threatening mate on e6 or f7.
25 . . . Nh6 26. Rf6 Nf7
He could have fought harder with 26 . . . dxe4 since Qc4 would no longer threaten mate on f7.
27. Nfxd5+ Rxd5 28. Nxd5+ Bxd5 29. exd5
Now Qxe5 loses to Re6+. He finds another way to lose quickly, but the white centre pawns are too much to cope with in any case.
29 . . . Nxe5? 30. d6+ Qxd6 31. Rxd6 Kxd6 32. Qxa7 Nd7 and Black resigned at move 40.
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