Photo finish at the Chess Olympiad

This week, I salute the English Olympiad team, which goes into action next week in Budapest. I continue with a key game from my own chess career, which ended up in a near photo finish, which was ultimately adjudicated by the tournament stewards. And I conclude with another kind of photo finish: the cancellation by FIDÉ, the World Chess Federation, of the world’s most fêted chess photographer. 

The story starts almost a century ago. In 1927 a group of London Mind Sports visionaries founded the first ever Chess Olympiad for national teams. England (competing rather grandly as The British Empire team) took the bronze medals , with Hungary placed first and Denmark taking silver. 

In a few days, starting on Tuesday September 10th, this most successful ongoing tradition will continue in Budapest. This is a fitting venue (given the Hungarian initial victory in 1927) to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of FIDÉ, the governing body of world chess. 

The English Open team for the Budapest Olympiad in rating order is: Nikita Vitiugov (with an ELO rating of 2678), David Howell (2675), Michael Adams (2672), British and English champion Gawain Jones (2640) and Luke McShane (2617). The women’s team consists of: Jovanka Houska (2333), Lan Yao (2325), Harriet Hunt (2304), Katarzyna Toma (2241)and the 9-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan (2185). For Bodhana, selection for England marks a record as our youngest ever chess Olympian.

I have fond memories of my own eight Olympian appearances, since my results for England (somewhat reduced in grandeur, since our days as The British Empire team) in 1974 and 1976 qualified me for the Grandmaster title, while in 1968 at Lugano I won individual bronze and in Haifa 1976, both individual and team bronze. 

Here is the drama-filled game which clinched my elevation to Grandmaster status.

Raymond Keene vs. Pedro H Donoso Velasco
Haifa Olympiad, 1976, rd. 12

1.c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 c6 7. Bd3 Nbd7

A normal position from the Exchange Variation. White’s next move introduces a line popularised by Alekhine and Nimzowitsch.

 8. Nge2 Nf8 9. Qc2 Ne6 10. Bh4 g6 11. O-O

More aggressive would have been 11. f3 in conjunction with O-O-O, but in this crucial game I did not want to take too many risks.

11… Ng7 12. Rab1 Nf5 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. b4 a6 15. a4 O-O16. b5 Bd7 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Nc1

Heading for c5.

18… a5 19. Nb3 Be7 20. Ne2?!

More accurate would have been 20 Na2 to cover b4.

20… Bb4!  Now it’s much harder for White to exploit the slight advantage gained by his minority attack.

21. Nc5 Bc8 22. Rfd1 Qg5 23. Qc1

A necessary defensive move. If Black throws too much into a kingside attack, White will react with a timely e3-e4.

23… Nd6 24. Nf4 Re8 25. Be2 Bf5 26. Rb3 Qe7 27. Nfd3

Finally bringing the knight into contact with b4 and thus forcing an advantageous simplification.

27…Bxc5 28. Qxc5 Nc4 29. Qxe7 Rxe7 30. Rdb1 Kf8

Not 30… Nd2? 31 Rb8+!

31.Rb8+ Rxb8 32. Rxb8+ Re8 33. Rb3 Ra8 34. Nc5 Ke8 35. h3

Making ’luft’ seemed like a good idea, since I was moderately short of time.

35… Nd6 36. Ba6 Bc8 37. Bd3 Kd8 38. Kf1 Kc7 39. Ke1 Ne8

Not 39… Rb8 40. Rxb8 Kxb8 41. Nb3!

 40. Kd2 Nf6 41. Rc3

The sealed move at the close of the first session. Unfortunately White cannot avoid the exchange of his knight, but I hoped still to profit from Black’s backward c-pawn.

41… Nd7 42. e4 Nxc5 43. Rxc5 dxe4 44. Bxe4 Bd7 45. f4

To gain space on the kingside; not, however, 45. d5 Kd6 or 45. Bxc6 Bxc6 46. d5 Kd6=.

45… Kb6

Holding both a5 and c6, but White’s rook established on the fifth rank is still formidable.

46.g4 Re8 47. Kd3 h6 48. h4 Rc8 49. f5 g5

If 49…gxf5 50. Bxf5 Bxf5+ 51. Rxf5 with a clear advantage for White.

50.Rc1!

A good move which ultimately seizes control of the h-file.

50… gxh4

If 50… f6 or 50… Rh8 then 51. Rh1! Black seeks salvation now by placing all of his pawns (where possible) on dark squares.

51.Rh1 f6 52. Rxh4 Rh8 53. Rh2 Kc7 54. Bf3 Kd6 55. Rb2 Kc7 56. Rh2 Kd6 57. Rb2

The second sealed move. In principle White stands better since he controls more space and Black’s pawns are exposed, but how precisely can White win? The answer is a strange seesaw manoeuvre of White’s rook with the intention of penetrating Black’s position with my king via e3-f4-g3-h4-h5 etc. Now read on …

57… Kc7

He has to prevent Rb6 or Rb7.

58.Ke3 Rb8 59. Rh2 Rh8?

The passive reaction I was hoping for. Stronger is 59…Rb3+ 60 Kf4 Rb4 with vastly improved drawing chances.

60.Kf4 Kd6 61. Rb2 Kc7 62. Kg3 Rb8 63. Rh2 Rh8 64. Rc2!

Diverging from the set plan, which consisted of 64. Kh4. The opportunistic text happens to win a pawn.

64… Kd6 65. Rb2!

The key position. After 65…Kc7 66. Kh4 Black is in zugzwang, e.g. 66… Be8 67. Rc2 Kd6 68. Rc5 or 67… Kb6 68. Re2! with decisive penetration. Faced with this problem, Black surrenders his a-pawn, but in the long run this must result in a loss.

65… Re8 66. Rb6 Re3 67. Ra6

Threatening d4-d5.

67… Kc7 68. Ra7+ Kd6 69. Kf4!

Securing the pawn. If 69…Rd3 70. Ke4.

69… Rc3 70. Rxa5 Rc4 71. Ke3 Rc3+ 72. Ke2 Ra3 73. Ra6 Kc7 74. Ra7+

I could not figure out 74. d5!?, so I decided to pursue a positional course.

74…Kd6

Nowadays, given access to computer analysis, games can no longer be adjourned. Back in the Cretaceous period, live play was regularly punctuated by adjournments. We had already endured one dispute in this particular match over my team mate, John Nunn’s “win on time”, and my next move was to start up another. Originally the third session was planned to last from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., but now, at about 11.45 a.m., an arbiter came to my board, threw down an envelope and told me to seal a move. I knew the schedule perfectly well and asked him several times whether he meant what he was saying, and I received nothing but repeated orders to seal a move. I had written 75. Ra8 down on my scoresheet but now, faced with the prospect of some adjournment analysis, I decided the most sensible thing was to repeat the position with 75. Ra6 in order to work out the complexities of 75… Kc7 76. d5 (see note to 74. Ra7+) at my leisure. I took ten minutes over this, just to ensure that I was only repeating for the second time, and wrote down

75.Ra6 

My opponent had meanwhile finished making out the envelope so I sealed the move. On my way out of the playing hall, I ran into another (apparently more senior) arbiter who, on learning we had adjourned, demanded that my move be promptly ’unsealed’ and that we resume playing as per the original schedule. You can see that the arbiters were a little confused as to their own intentions. Naturally I objected to this, since I had just wasted ten minutes in sealing one move when normally I would have played a totally different move instantly. A huge argument developed, which I attempted to close by withdrawing my claim to adjourn (as per arbiter number one) and substituting a request for a short break, so that I could calm my nerves before resuming. To my surprise the senior arbiter now caved in completely and ordered a three hour adjournment pause. But that’s not the end of the story. On resumption for the fourth session play continued:

75… Kc7 76. Ra7+

I had quickly established that 76. d5 was no good and tried to get back to my original idea before the arbiter’s intervention.

76… Kd6 77. Ra8

A little late, but basically the same.

77… Ke7?

A weak defence. The most prolonged resistance stems from 77…Ra2+ 78 Ke3 Ra3+ 79 Kf4 Rc3 80 a5 Rc4 81 Ke3 Rc3+ 82 Kf2 Rd3 although 83 a6 Rxd4 84 Rf8 then wins quite clearly.

78.Ra6!! 

An exceptionally strong move which my opponent had doubtless underestimated or believed impossible. The point is that his only move to protect c6 is 78… Rc3, but then White wins easily by pushing the passed a-pawn. Very important is the fact that Black’s king can never come to d6, in view of d4-d5, but my opponent thought otherwise. In fact, he announced his intention of playing 78… Kd6 and claimed a draw by repetition (the same position arose at move 73 and 75). Unfortunately for him, his claim was instantly dismissed by the arbiter, since a different player was to move on the third occasion, which, of course, invalidates the repetition, as I well knew. The second unfortunate aspect of Donoso’s claim was that, according to FIDÉ rules, he was now committed to playing the announced move.

78… Kd6? 79. d5! Ke5 80. dxc6 Bc8 81. Ra8 Kf4 82. Bd5

He then signed both scoresheets as 1-0, which one might have regarded as the end of the game. Not a bit of it! Next morning at 8.00 a.m. (rather a long wait for an appeal) the Chilean captain (on behalf of his player) appealed against the result of the game and demanded a total replay (from move one) on the grounds that the game had been “illegally adjourned” at one point. Of course this claim was absurd and hardly legal in itself, since players should not be penalised for mistakes by the arbiter, but the Appeals Committee of five convened. Fortunately it decided in England’s favour and the result stood: 1-0.

The arrangements for Budapest sound splendid, but somehow FIDÉ, as usual, cannot avoid turning an opportunity into a disaster. Here in his own words is the sorry tale of the catastrophic decline in relations between FIDÉ and the world’s most fêted chess photographer.

David Llada, for it is he, writes….

“For context: I have been the official photographer, or ‘head photographer’, for the Olympiads in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

“In 2022, working for FIDÉ as Chief Marketing and Communications officer, I was ‘head of the media team’. As such, I barely took photos myself, but photographers, broadcast and media teams were under my supervision.

“Now, a few weeks ago I received a proposal by New in Chess , to do a pictorial report for them about the event.

“First thing I did was to contact FIDÉ to ensure I could be allowed to take photos for the duration of the round

“They were generous enough to offer me work without limitations for  one  of the rounds.

“I understand there must be restrictions. When I was working with them I myself helped develop this policy.

“If you speak Russian or you are the relative or protégé of some federation’s officer, you will be invited to hop around with a camera, freely.

“I was often annoyed at FIDÉ events, where I worked, that I couldn’t decide myself on granting these exceptions based on professional criteria. They were granted at the caprice of FIDÉ top officials. It saddened me to see professional photographers being left out, and amateurs with a mickey mouse camera hopping around the playing hall freely.

“In the Soviet Union, there were strict rules for everything. Then, exceptions would be granted systematically to reward submission.

“If you fell into disgrace, you would just be left out of the exceptions. You couldn’t claim to be punished: ‘It is just the rules.’

“Having this request turned down is not only inconsiderate towards a professional with my track record and body or work, but also towards New in Chess .

“All this saddens me. But it is their loss… They could have earned a very nice coverage and good PR, and instead, not only are they missing out on that opportunity, but they aggravate an important publication, and a relevant media person with a relatively high profile. That is sheer incompetence, self-inflicted damage.

“Given how lightly exceptions have been granted in the past, FIDÉ turning down a request that is backed by the most prestigious chess publication, does feel like a reprisal.”

Ray’s 206th book, “  Chess in the Year of the King  ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “  Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius  ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) are available from Amazon and Blackwells. 

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