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TWK92.815
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1992-08-19
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THE WEEKLY KNIGHT
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(for August 15, 1992)
If chess is to ever approach the popularity of a big-time
sport in America, it needs to concentrate on becoming more
attractive to spectators. Considering that the Royal Game is
a more solitary, contemplative activity forced to compete
against high profile, action-packed team sports such as
basketball, baseball and football--the latter two with
stadiums capable of seating 75,000 fans--chess'lack of appeal
among the American public isn't particularly difficult to
understand.
Nonetheless, the need to establish itself as more of a
spectator sport has not gone unnoticed by today's chess
promoters. Although it may be a bit too early to think about
buying a ticket to the Astrodome and rooting, with a hot dog
and a beer, for your favorite Grandmaster to play a winning
combination, the game is, in fact, changing in certain ways
to be more accomodating to those who would rather watch than
play.
One of those ways is the advent of increasingly faster time
controls. (Even the most avid observers among us have to
admit that waiting for a Grandmaster to move is often
comparable to watching grass grow.)
Despite the obvious benefit of greater mass appeal, quick
chess harbors a "dark side" in the corresponding decrease in
the quality of play. Some cynics might even suggest that fast
time controls are the personification of Dr.Tartakover's
maxim, "The winner of a game is the one who made the next-to-
last blunder."
The U.S. Chess Game in Ten Minute Championship, played last
month as part of the chess festival held in New York City,
featured both the "good" and the "bad" aspects of quick play.
With only ten minutes allotted per person for the entire game
and a GM-studded field of 55 players, including the Polgar
sister trio, there was no shortage of action.
And the action certainly happened quickly--if not always for
the best. Typical of the "bad" that can beset a player when
the clock becomes one's opponent, was Walter Browne's fifth
round disaster against Judit Polgar: with both flags poised
to fall, Walter left his Queen "en prise" in a winning
position.
No less shocking was the "good"--Judit's spectacular Queen
sacrifice leading to a last round mate against John
Fedorowicz.
But maybe the most amazing finish of all was by NY Master
Maurice Ashley. Ranked only 25th at the start, he defeated IM
Ibragimov and three GMs--Gulko, Benjamin and Yermolinsky to
tie for first with Max Dlugy at 6-1 (and earn a spectacular
2800 performance rating for the event).
In this week's game from the 1992 French Championship, Yacov
Murey forced Mikhail Gurevich's resignation with a move that
undoubtedly pleased the crowd.
White: Y.Murey Black: M.Gurevich French Def.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4
Bc5 9.a3 0-0 10.Qd2 a6 11.g3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.Ne2 Qc7 14.Bg2 Nb6 15.b3
a5 16.Qc3 Nd7 17.Bxc5 Nxc5 18.0-0 Ra7 19.Nd4 Qb6 20.Qe3 Rc7 21.Rac1 b4
22.a4 Ba6 23.Rfe1 Rfc8 24.Rcd1 g6 25.g4 Rd7 26.f5 Qd8 27.Qh6 Qf8 28.Qf4
Qd8 29.Rd2 Qh4 30.Nf3 Qd8 31.Qh6 Qf8 32.Qh4 Ne4 33.fxg6 f5 34.exf6 hxg6
35.Rxe4 Rh7 36.Qg5 dxe4 37.Qxg6+ Kh8 38.Ng5 Rcc7 39.Nxh7 Rxh7 40.Bxe4 Rh4
41.Rd8 1-0
Glenn Budzinski
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