Playing it Straight with Youth

Eugene Torre – Iván Salgado López
42nd Chess Olympiad; Baku, September 10, 2016
Trompowsky Attack A45

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 g6 3. Bxf6 exf6 4. e3 Bg7 5. Ne2 f5 6. g3 d5 7. Bg2 c6 8. 0-0 h5. This looks a bit too velleitary. For 8. ... 0-0 9. Nd2 Nd7 10. c4 dxc4 11. 11. Nxc4 c5 see Hort – Liptay, 11th World Student Team Chess Championship, Cracow 1964. 9. c4 dxc4 10. Na3 h4 11. Nxc4 hxg3 12. hxg3 Be6 13. Qd3 Bd5 14. Rfe1 Na6 15. Rac1 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Qd5+ 17. f3 0-0. Something’s gone wrong, since after the “consistent” 17. ... 0-0-0 18. Nf4 Qd7 19. Na5 White’s attack would roll on quite easily. 18. Nf4 Qb5 19. a3 c5? This seems a mistake. Black ought to have played 19. ... Nc7! with a quite solid position. 20. d5! Qd7 21. d6 b5 22. Na5 Rab8 23. Rcd1 Rfd8 24. e4! White opens up the game with devastating effect. 24. ... fxe4 25. Qxe4 Rb6. Dooming the d6-Pawn.

White to move and win: 26. Nd5! Rxd6 27. Ne7+ Kf8 28. Rxd6 Qxd6 29. Nb7 Qd2+ 30. Re2. The End. The rest is pure amusement. 30. ... Rd4 31. Nxg6+ Kg8 32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 34. Kh3 fxg6 35. Qxb5 Rxb2 36. Qxa6 c4 37. Nc5 c3 38. Qxa7 Re2 39. Qc7 c2 40. Nd3 1 : 0. Not bad for an old boy who is playing his 23rd Olympiad!

Eugene Torre
Photo: Lilibeth Lee-Barcenilla