CHESS
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Your support makes all the difference.THE tournament at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands is just like our own dear Hastings Congress, except that the Dutch succumb to the temptation to spend huge sums of money to attract the world's best players. Hastings, secure in its tradition, has no need to indulge in such profligate behaviour.
This week's game proves how right the British way is. The best from the early rounds at Wijk aan Zee, it featured none of the expensive stars. Just two Dutch-men. And they played like true Brits.
White: Loek van Wely
Black: Jeroen Piket
Wijk aan Zee 1996
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bxc3
Without waiting for a3, Black sends the horse to the knackers before it gets the idea of jumping to d5.
6.Qxc3 Qe7 7.a3 a5 8.b3 0-0 9.Bb2 Re8 10.d3 d5
The true justification of 5...Bxc3. After the exchange on d5, Black gains time by attacking the queen on c3.
11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qc2 Bg4 13.Be2 Rad8 14.0-0 Rd6 15.Qc4 Qd7 16.Rac1 Nb6
Not only attacking the queen, but also beginning to irritate the d3-pawn.
17.Qc2 Rg6 18.Kh1 Rh6 19.Ng1 Rd8 20.Rfd1 Rd6 21.Nf3 Qf5 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Bxf3 24.gxf3 Nd5!
Now 25.e4 is met by 25...Qf4 26.exd5 Rh6 with a quick mate.
25.b5 Nd4!! 26.exd4 Rh6 (see diagram)
White must take evasive action against the threat of Qf4 or Qh5.
27.Rg1 Nf4
Now the threat is 28...Rxg2+! 29.Kxh2 Qh5+. Since 28.Rg3 Qh5 29.h3 Nxh3 is hopeless, White has only one move.
28.Rg4 Qh5 29.h4
White puts his faith in the idea of meeting 29...f5 with 30.Qxc7! but, with such drafts around the white king, even the most optimistic player would not want to be in van Wely's boots.
29...Qxh4+!! 30.Rxh4 Rxh4+ 31.Kg1 Rd6! White resigned.
The threat of 32...Rg6+ 33.Kf1 Rh1 mate cannot be met.
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