Chess 30/07/2011

The excessive number of draws in top-level chess has been decried and debated for over a century, and now a former FIDE World Champion has offered a solution. Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan suggests that draws should effectively be abolished. If a game is drawn, then reverse colours, decrease the amount of time allowed, and play again. Repeat the process until one side wins.

In fact a similar plan was tested in the 2006 Danish Championship, where they called it "Gladiator Chess". Most of the competitors in Denmark hated the experience, but I like this idea and I hope more tournaments experiment with this rule. It will emphasise competitive elements such as stamina, quick reflexes and sound nerves, which is fair enough for a modern sport. Where I disagree with Kasimdzhanov are his claims that chess can "make the front pages" and that the possibility of a draw is the main reason chess is a less popular spectator sport than tennis. I would suggest that the athleticism of tennis players and the ease of understanding who is winning, and why, are greater factors in the success of tennis. The popularity of football also dents Kasimdzhanov's theory about draws destroying a sport's appeal.

Moving to domestic matters, I must mention that GM Keti Arakhamia-Grant is the new Scottish Chess champion: a result I predicted a fortnight ago. Keti's husband, Jonathan Grant, is an ex-Scottish Champion and the following spectacular game helped him finish second equal.

White J Way; Black: J Grant. Opening: London System.

1 d4 Nf6 2 Bf4 e6 3 e3 b6 4 Nd2 Bb7 5 Ngf3 Be7 6 Be2 0–0 7 h3 c5 8 c3 d6 9 0–0 cxd4 10 cxd4 Nbd7 11 Rc1 a6 12 Bd3 Nd5 13 Bh2 f5 14 Qe2 N7f6 15 a3 Qd7 16 Rfe1 b5 17 e4 fxe4 18 Nxe4 Nh5 19 Neg5 Ndf4 Starting a stunning flurry of tactics. 20 Bxh7+ Few could resist taking this pawn with check, but the correct path was 20 Qe3 when White has slightly the better of the chaos. 20...Kh8 21 Qd1 Bxf3 22 Qxf3 Bxg5 23 Be4 Rac8 24 Rxc8 Qxc8 25 Bg6 It seems White will regain his sacrificed piece, as h5 is attacked twice and if 25...Nxg6 then 26 Qxh5+ grabs one piece with another to follow. 25...Ng3!! I suspect this is the best move Jonathan Grant has ever played, which is saying something for a former Scottish champion. 26 Bxg3 Losing in prosaic fashion. 26 fxg3 Nxh3+ is also easy, but the flaw in 26 Qxg3 is not so obvious: 26...Ne2+! wins the queen as 27 Rxe2 Qc1+ leads to mate. 26...Nxh3+ 27 Kh2 Rxf3 28 gxf3 Nf4 29 Bf7 Qd7 White resigned.