Grandmaster Jon Speelman came, played, and won

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): One of England's top chess players Grandmaster Jonathan Speelman took out the honors in a drawn out battle at his first annual Bunratty Chess Festival in Bunratty, Ireland, this year.

Jon was playing in the prestigious Bunratty Master class.

He was competing against local Grandmaster Alexander Baburin and defending champion England's Grandmaster Daniel King in a battle for the most points.

In the six rounds of the competition Jon and King both won four and a half points each, as did local non-master Mel O'Cinneide.

Baburin scored four points under the six round Swiss system used at the competition. IM Jonathan Rowson from Scotland and Irish FIDE Master Phil Short equaled with four points.

To determine the real champion (and winner of the 500 and Tippery Crystal Trophy), King, Speelman and O'Cinneide began a blitz match playoff.

But while O'Cinneide was ousted this also failed to produce a winner between the two grandmasters.

Once more there was a playoff, and a winner at last in GM Jonathan Speelman.

Jon is an expert in endgame chess theory. He is the author many chess books, the most famous one being Batsford Chess Ending.

Below is the play in which he beat the Bunratty 1995 champion Kieran Moynihan in the first round with an instructive Knight and pawn ending.

White: Kieran Moynihan

Black: GM Jonathan Speelman

Queen Indian Defense

1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.a3 f5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d5 Be7 7.dxe6

The text does not create any problems for Black. In this position usually White plays 7.g3, and after 7...Ne4 8.Bd2 Bf6 9.Qc2 Nxc3 10.Bxc3 exd5 11.cxd5 Bxd5 12.Qxf5 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Qf6 14.Qxf6 gxf6 15.Bg2 Na6 Black obtained a good ending in the game Ionescu- Speelman, Yerevan Olympiad 1996.

7...dxe6 8.Qa4+ Qd7 9.Qxd7+ Nbxd7 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Bxd6 cxd6 12.Rd1 Ke7

Black has a very comfortable endgame, but it is not easy to make further progress here. Up to certain point White now plays well.

13.e3 a6 14.Be2 Rhc8 15.0-0 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Ra7 17.Be2 Ne5 18.Rd4 Nc6 19.Rd2 Na5 20.Rfd1 Nxc4

As an expert in endgame theories, of course Speelman likes very much to take the game into the ending play.

21.Bxc4 Rxc4 22.Rxd6 Rd7 23.Rxd7+ Nxd7

Here is a position where White is close to complete equality, however his next move is faulty.

24.Rd4?

White's desire to exchange more pieces is understandable, but he did not foresee the outcome of the last move. The trivial 24.Kf1 should have been preferred, and after 24...e5 25.Ke2 Ke6 26.f3 Nf6 (also 26...h5 27.e4 g6 28.Ke3 f4+ 29.Ke2 Nf6 30.Rd8 Rd4 31.Ra8 balance) 27.Rd8 g5 28.Kd3 Rc7 29.e4 g4 with the balance position.

24...Rxd4 25.exd4 Kd6 26.Kf1 e5!

Perhaps White underestimated this idea, Black activates his Knight by exchanging the isolated d4-pawn, which he could not attack anyway.

27.dxe5+ Nxe5 28.Ke2 Nc4 29.Nd1 Kd5 30.Kd3 b5 31.Kc3

White would not have survived in the pawn endgame arising after 31.Ne3+ Nxe3 32.fxe3 because Black has the more active King, the better pawn structure, tempi in reserve and the opportunity to gain a tempo, if required, by playing ...Ke5.

31...a5 32.Kd3 g5 33.Nc3+ Kc5 34.Nd1 h5 35.Kc3 Kd5 36.Kd3 Ne5+ 37.Kc3 f4 38.b3 g4 39.Kc2

Or 39.Nb2 Ke4! 40.Nd1 h4 41.b4 a4 42.Kc2 g3!! this is the point, Black will get a pass-pawn! 43.Nc3+ Kf5 44.hxg3 f3! 45.gxh4 fxg2 46.Ne2 Nc4 47.h5 Nxa3+ 48.Kd3 Kg5 49.f4+ Kxh5 50.f5 Kg5 51.Ke3 Nc2+ 52.Kf2 a3 53.Nc1 Nxb4 and Black wins.

39...b4 40.axb4 axb4 41.Kd2 Kd4

See diagram. The material is even, but Black's pieces dominate the board and White's next move just makes Black's win easier.

42.h3? f3!

White resigned here, because after 43.Ne3 fxg2 44.Nxg2 gxh3 45.Nf4 h2 46.Ne2+ Ke4 47.Ng3+ Kf3 48.Nh1 Kg2 49.f4 Kxh1 (also winning here 49...Ng4 but a little longer after 50.Ke2 Kxh1 51.Kf1 h4 52.f5 h3 53.f6 Nxf6 54.Kf2 Ne4+ 55.Kf1 Nd2+ 56.Kf2 Nxb3) 50.fxe5 Kg1 and Black has a new Queen. 0-1