ETCETERA: CHESS
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Your support makes all the difference.Harry Golombek died last mon-th at the age of 83. He won the British championship three times between 1947 and 1955. The following game was one of his last wins in international competition.
White: I. Bilek Black: H Golombek Kecskemet 1968
1.e4 c5
Throughout his long career, Golombek was almost totally faithful to the Caro-Kann Defence, 1...c6. His reason for playing the Sicilian on this occasion was that Bilek had been meeting it with an innocuous line with 2.Nf3 and 3.d3.
2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.d4! Aware that Golombek had strayed into potentially unfamiliar territory, Bilek returned to the main line.
4...cxd4 5.Nxd4 d6 6.Be3 a6 7.f4 Nf6 8.Qf3 Qc7
This lets White develop a strong attacking position effortlessly. 8...e5 is the best way to take the sting out of his aggressive formation.
9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.g4 Nxd4 11.Rxd4
An unnecessary refinement. 11.Bxd4 e5 12.fxe5 is good for White after either 12...Bxg4 13.Qg3 Bxd1 14.exf6 or 12...dxe5 13.Qg3 Bd6 14.Bg1.
11...Bc6 12.g5 Nd7 13.Bg2
And here White should get on with his pawn advance by playing f5.
13...Be7 14.h4 Rc8 15.Rd2 b5 16.h5 Nc5 17.Re1 b4 18.Nd5
White's entire formation has been geared to making this sacrifice. By opening the e-file, he forces Black to castle into the eye of the K-side pawn storm. All the same, his bishop on g2 is pointing the wrong way to join in the attack.
18...exd5 19.exd5 Bb5 20.Kb1 0-0 21.f5 Rfe8 22.Qg4 Bf8 23.Qxb4 (see diagram)
With two pawns and a good deal of extra space for the sacrificed piece, White might not have felt too badly off, but Golombek's greatest strength was always in fighting back from cramped positions.
23...Nd3!! A splendid tactical resource that decides the game.
24.cxd3 Bxd3+ 25.Rxd3
25 Ka1 Qc1+ leads to mate next move.
25...Qc2+ 26.Ka1 Rxe3!?
There was nothing wrong with Qxd3, but this is more fun.
27.Rdd1 Rxe1 28.Qxe1 Qxg2
A piece ahead, Black must now win, particularly as White's once proud pawns are now ripe for harvesting.
29.g6 Rc7 30.a3 Qf3 31.Qg1 Qxf5 32.Qb6 Qc2 33.Rf1 f6 34.Re1 hxg6 35.hxg6 Re7 36.Rg1 Qc5 White resigns.
White is forced to exchange queens, after which he cannot even hope for a swindle.
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