Chess News: Your Daily Update - Historic double

IM Malcolm Pein
November 14, 2023

THERE was a historic double for England, as Michael Adams and John Nunn became World Senior champions at 50+ and 65+ respectively in Terrasini, Sicily. Adams and Nunn were both top seeds, but the gold medals seemed an unlikely prospect, until two wins in the last round proved enough for both players to triumph on tie-break by a tiny margin.
Adams scored an unbeaten 8.5/11, finishing ahead of 15 other GMs, as Senior competitions have become increasingly strong in recent years.
This was Adams’s first-ever individual world title and vindicated his decision to miss the FIDE Grand Swiss.
Nunn also scored 8½ from 11, retaining the title he won in 2022. The field included nine GMs, including the giants of Soviet chess Yuri Balashov and Rafael Vaganian.
Nunn started well, until he spoilt a good position and lost to Argentinian Daniel Campora, but fought back to win his last two games with white.
England’s Terry Chapman was in lead of the 65+ after eight rounds, but spoilt an excellent position against the former stalwart of the East German team Rainer Knaak.
England are the arguably the leading nation at senior level having also won a stack of medals in recent years at the Worlds and European Senior Teams.

A Stebbings – J Nunn
King’s Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 0–0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.g4 b5! 9.g5?! Nh5 10.cxb5?! axb5 11.Nxb5 Rb8 12.Nec3
(If 12.a4 Na5 13.Nec3 c6! 14.Na3 Rxb2 or 13.Rb1 Nc4 14.Bc1 c6)
12...e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 (This position is highly reminiscent of a Saemisch King’s Indian, only White has not played f2–f3)

14.Be2 c6!? (Or even better, 14...Ba6 15.a4 c6 16.Nxd6 Bxe2 17.Nxe2 Qe7 will trap the knight and if 16.Qxd6 Qc8 17.Qc7 Qxc7 18.Nxc7 Bxe2 19.Nxe2 Rxb2 Black’s activity quickly becomes overwhelming)
15.Nxd6 Rxb2 16.Nxc8 Qxc8 17.Rc1 (Covering the loose knight, White cannot castle, if 17.0–0 Qxh3)
17...Rd8 18.Qa4 Qe6 19.Kf1 f5 20.exf5 Qxf5 21.Bxh5 (21.Kg1!?)
21...gxh5 22.Qe4 Qf8 (Or 22...Qf7 23.Rb1 Nd3)
23.Nd1?

Black to play and win: