REBEL WITH A CAUSE
By John Henderson

Riverside Studios

GUESS WHAT? Well, as you can observe from today’s picture, I’m still banned from the press centre at the Riverside Studios – this is as close as I get to the action! Despite all your valiant efforts (for which I humbly thank my loyal readership – all two of them!), the BrainGames organisers still can’t see the error of their ways as they search in vain to find the word “satire” in the Webster’s Dictionary. While you’re at it, Ray and Suzanne, see if you can also find the words: “democratic society”, “freedom of the press” and “journalistic rights”.

For the life of me I still can’t believe what the organisers did. It’s enough to give you the heebie-jeebies. Ok, you don’t like what a journalist is writing, so do you a) Just ignore him and work on the principle that all news is good news, or do you b) In a room full of journalists who had cameras, tape recorders and video cameras easily at hand, arrive with a couple of Soprano-like heavies and forcibly remove him? Hmm, tough call there!

Well, after deciding not to phone–a-friend (if they could find one) and opting for “b”, BrainGames seemed to have turned me into the James Dean of the chess world – Rebel With A Cause. I’m now, as they saying goes, something of a minor celebrity. So much so, that I’m getting emails from all around the world - even the Chinese government are appalled at what’s happened and are considering making an appeal on my behalf to the United Nations! One email from a brave comrade showed his solidarity by asking me – and I’m not making this up here – “which Railway Bridges I wanted the slogan painted across in London to highlight the cause?” Believe it or not, the “Free The Henderson One” campaign seems to have touched a raw nerve in the free chess world – we’re even thinking of making up T-shirts!

Ray Keene

I actually considered organising my own protest by going up to the Riverside Studios with every “crap” Ray Keene title I could lay my hands on to stage a book burning session. Unfortunately, this had to be ruled out when the Fire Chief for London told me he didn’t have the manpower to deal with such a blaze should it get out of control!

However, while holed-up in a safe London house (Chess & Bridge, 369 Euston Road – but don’t tell anyone!) watching game seven (Why don’t you do what I do as a boycott? Don’t go to the official site to watch the games – Oh, I’m such a rebel!), for one glorious moment I thought that the campaign had just signed-up Garry Kasparov! Since the “great sandwich stealing incident” at Wijk aan Zee – where Gazza caught me sneaking into the player’s room to steal the food – I know for a fact that he always fondly looks out for me at tournaments. Well, I wasn’t there for game seven – and look what happened! According to the messages that my fellow journalists managed to smuggling out of the gulag to me, something was definitely bothering numero uno after his short, eleven-move draw. “I'm not very happy with what happened today but the reasons are entirely mine," said Kasparov after the game. Hey, maybe the boys are going to half out the rest of the match with short draws until my pass has been restored! Ok, boys, when the T-shirts come in, you’ll be the first to get one!

So, what’s next? Well, since its impossible to continue doing my job from my safe house in London, I could go to a couple of big chess tournaments in countries which have a better record in maintaining a free press: Istanbul in Turkey for the Olympiad, and then afterwards Tehran for the final of the Fide World Championship! Alternatively, I could just head back home to Edinburgh to watch the Subway World Series between the Mets and the Yankees (my monies on the Mets).

So, if you don’t hear from me again during this match, feel free to just start the revolution without me! Alternatively, you can continue to show your displeasure at the harsh treatment of a journalist, by emailing us your support to the London Chess Center at chesscentre@easynet.co.uk (remember to add “Free The Henderson One” to your header). And, if you’re interested in purchasing a “Free The Henderson One” T-shirt, I’m sure Malcolm Pein will only be to pleased to help the cause by taking your credit card number!

Kasparov,G - Kramnik,V [A32] Game 7

1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 Nc3 e6 6 g3?!

A decisive moment: Kasparov could have opted instead to transpose into a Sicilian Maroczy Bind with 6 e4. Despite starting with 1 e4, look how the position transposes after six moves in the following game: 1 e4 e6 2 d4 c5 3 Nf3 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 c4 Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 Be2 Be7 8 0–0 0–0 9 Be3 b6 10 Qd2 Bb7 11 f3 Nbd7 12 Rfd1 Qc7 13 Rac1 Rac8 14 Kh1 Qb8 15 Bf1 Rfe8 16 a3 Ne5 17 Na4 Bd8 18 b4 Bc7 19 Bg1 Rcd8 20 Qc2 Rc8 21 Qf2 Ba8 22 Be2 Rcd8 23 Nb3 Ned7 24 Nc3 Kh8 25 Qh4 Bb7 26 Rc2 Ne5 27 Rcd2 Rc8 28 Qf2 Ba8 29 Qd4 Qb7 30 h3 h6 31 Qe3 Qc6 32 b5 axb5 33 Nxb5 Nxc4 34 Bxc4 Qxc4 35 Nxc7 Rxc7 36 Rc1 Qxc1 37 Nxc1 Rxc1 38 Rxd6 Ra1 39 Qc3 Rb1 40 Rxb6 Rxb6 41 Bxb6 Rb8 42 Qc7 Rb7 43 Qd8+ Kh7 44 a4 h5 45 a5 h4 46 e5 Rd7 47 Qxa8 Nh5 48 Qe4+ 1–0 Almasi,I-Fang,J/Budapest HUN 1996 6 ..Qc7 7 Qd3 Another double-edged option was: 7 Bg5!? Bb4 (7 ..Qxc4 8 Rc1 Qb4 9 a3 Qa5 10 Bxf6 gxf6 11 Bg2) 8 Bxf6 gxf6 9 Rc1 b6 10 Bg2 Bb7 11 Bxb7 Qxb7 12 0–0 Nc6 13 Nxc6 Qxc6 14 Qd4 Bxc3 15 Rxc3 Ke7 16 Rd1 Rhd8 17 Qh4± Rashkovsky,N-Vaganian,R/URS(ch)1976/1:0 (39) 7 ..Nc6 8 Nxc6 dxc6 8 ..Qxc6!? 9 e4 Bb4 10 f3 is unclear. 9 Bg2 e5! Black has easily equalised. 10 0–0 Be6 11 Na4N

TN - and a draw offer on the same move! Other options include: 11 b3 A) 11 ..Rd8 12 Qc2 Be7 13 Bb2 0–0 14 Rad1 ½–½ Ribli,Z-Ljubojevic,L/Linares 1981; B) 11 ..Be7 12 Bb2 h5 13 Ne4 Rd8 14 Qc2 Nd7 15 Rad1 f5 16 Nd2 h4 17 Nf3 hxg3 18 hxg3 c5 19 Rxd7 Qxd7 20 Nxe5 Qd2 21 Qb1 Qh6 22 f4 Qh2+ 23 Kf2 Rh3 24 Nf3 Qxg3+ 25 Kg1 Bd6 26 Ng5 Qh2+ 27 Kf2 Qxf4+ 28 Nf3 Qg3+ 29 Kg1 Ke7 30 Qe1 Rdh8 31 Qxg3 Rxg3 32 Be5 f4 33 Bxd6+ Kxd6 34 Rd1+ Kc7 35 Kf2 Bg4 36 Rd5 Bxf3 37 Bxf3 b6 38 Rf5 g5 39 Bd5 Rh7 40 Rf6 Rh2+ 41 Kf1 Rc3 42 Ke1 Re3 43 Bf3 Rxf3 44 exf3 Rxa2 45 Rg6 Rb2 46 Rg7+ Kd6 47 Rg6+ Ke5 48 Rxb6 Kd4 0–1 Weneny,J-Mattick,L/Berlin 1994/EXT 97 (48); 11 Ne4 Nxe4 12 Bxe4 g6 13 Be3 f5 14 Bg2 Bg7 15 Bc5 e4 16 Qe3 Kf7 17 Rad1 Bxc4 18 g4 Rhe8 19 gxf5 gxf5 20 Qg5 Be6 21 f3 exf3 22 Bxf3 Kg8 23 e4 fxe4 24 Bxe4 Qe5 25 Qxe5 Bxe5 26 b3 Kh8 27 Rde1 Bg7 28 Bf3 Bh3 29 Bg2 Bxg2 30 Kxg2 Kg8 31 Kf3 Rxe1 32 Rxe1 Rd8 33 Re2 Rd5 34 Bb4 c5 35 Be1 Kf7 36 Bg3 b5 37 Ke4 Rd4+ 38 Kf5 c4 39 bxc4 bxc4 40 Rc2 h5 41 Bf2 Rd6 42 Be3 c3 43 Bf4 Rb6 44 Ke4 Rb2 45 Kd3 Ke6 46 Bg3 Kf5 47 Be1 Kg4 48 Bg3 h4 49 Bc7 Kf3 50 Bd8 Rb4 51 Bc7 Rb2 52 Bd8 h3 53 Bc7 Rxc2 54 Kxc2 Bd4 55 Kd3 Bg1 56 Kxc3 Kg2 0–1 Sapis,W-Ivanchuk,V/Lvov 1988/CBM 07 (56) Vladimir Kramnik accepted the draw. ½–½

For the record, this isn't the shortest game in a world title match. A brief search found two ten move draws in the Botvinnik-Petrosian match 1963 (games 21 and 22 - there it was the final game of a match that could no longer be saved) but it is the shortest game of Kasparov's career.

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.