Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament

by Les Melvin

Article reprinted from Scottish Chess, Number 107, November 1988.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Muir.

One of the strongest events ever in Scotland was held as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the new town of Glenrothes in Fife. Only Dundee 1867, 1967, the Karpov visit and SCA Centenary Tournament in 1984 could compare with the array of chess talent produced for Glenrothes by Tron Marketing.

A visit by two former world champions was an exciting prospect and both grandmasters did not fail to produce the sparkling chess for which they are famed. Despite being in the 'veteran' class, Boris Spassky and Mikhail Tal are still great players. The recently-defected Romanian GM, Mihai Suba, added media interest and strength to the tournament.

The event also brought together Scotland's five top players. It is rare to see IMs Condie, Pritchett, McKay, McNab and Motwani in action together. Which of them would finish top Scot was very difficult to predict.

For the final, a further 4 players were required to be added to the eight previously mentioned. A qualifying Swiss Tournament was held on the friday night and Saturday morning. This, too, was a strong event with 2 IMs, 2 FMs and 2 national masters.

The results of the qualifier were:
1. A.D. Martin IM 6½/8; 2nd= L.G. Kirk, G.J. Morrison FM 6; 4th= P.M. Giulian (taking the fourth qualifying place on tie-break), W.F. Buchanan, D.M. Bryson 5½; 7. D.F. Bain 5; 8th= M.J.L. Orr IM, M. Mitchell, D. Griffin, A.J. Muir 4½; 12th= J.I.M. Grant, G. Bonner, C.F. Boyle, C.S.M. Thomson FM, A.B. Burnett 4; 17th= B. McCamon, I. Swan 3½; 19th= S.R. Mannion, K. Ruxton, D.J. Dick, D.S. Finnie, G.D. Pyrich 3; 24th= D.H. Dempster, N. Reid 2; 26. G. Aslam 0.

Five players, renowned for their skill at lightning chess, handicapped their chances of qualifying by missing round 1. Walter Buchanan, Andrew Muir, Douglas Bain and Craig Thomson will probably never forgive Douglas Bryson for taking the time to go back for his pyjamas!

Play in the final started at 2 pm on the Saturday after the players were introduced to the audience and welcomed by the Glenrothes Development Corporation's Public relations Officer, Tom Johnston.

Spectators were able to follow most of the games on IBM PCs via david Levy's intelligent chessboards. Each piece sends out a signal registering its position on the special boards. This was particularly useful when games were reaching their climax.

Both Spassky and Tal complained of being much older than the rest. But no-one really believed them, especially since they led at the halfway stage. Tal 9½/11 and Spassky 9.

However, Phil Giulian gave both tremendous problems. He had been Queen for Knight against Tal but failed to spot a sneaky Knight check. He was also Queen and 2 rooks up against Spassky but lost on time. By beating Spassky in the second stage, Phil became the only Scot to beat either of the two ex-champions. The table below shows the final positions.

At the end of round 21, Tal had 18½ and Spassky 18. By agreement, Spassky and Tal (who were to play each other), delayed their game until the rest were finished. The playing arena was then altered to provide spectators with more space to observe the climax of the tournament.

Tal won an exciting game to win the £3,000 prize and special China & Glass Set and Board supplied by the Buckhaven Parish Church Enterprise.

IM Andrew Martin from Hounslow won the Glenrothes 40 Shield for the highest placed British player.

Both events were ably controlled by International Arbiter David Wallace, assisted by SCA Arbiter Alistair Maxwell.

An item on Friday's 'Reporting Scotland' tv programme helped publicise the event.

The total number of spectators was poor - there was only a handful travelling through on the coaches provided from Glasgow. If international events are to be run in Scotland, then chess players must be prepared to support them.

In conclusion, I think that those who turned up thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Immediately after the prizegiving, Paul Motwani, who had memorised the final game, provided the following game score for Scottish Chess.

Tal - Spassky
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.e5 Ng4 8.e6 Bxb5
[8...fxe6! 9.Ng5 Bxb5 10.Nxe6 Bxd4!! 11.Nxd8 Bf2+ 12.Kd2 Be3+ draws, as in Sax-Seirawan, Brussels 1988.]
9.exf7+ Kd7 10.Nxb5 Qa5+ 11.Nc3 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Nc6 14.Qc4 Rhf8 15.Bd2 Qf5 16.h3 Nh6 17.0-0-0 Qxf7 18.Qb5 Rab8 19.g4 Ng8 20.Be3 a6 21.Qa4 Nf6 22.g5 Nh5 23.Nd5 Qf5 24.Rhe1 Rf7 25.Ba7 Rbf8 26.Qb3 b5 27.Qa3 Nxf4 28.Nxe7 b4 29.Qxa6 Rxe7 30.Qb7+ Ke8 31.Qxc6+ Qd7 32.Rxe7+ Kxe7 33.Qe4+ Ne6 34.Bd4 Rf5 35.Bf6+ Kf7 36.Qxb4 Nxg5 37.Bxg5 Rxg5 38.Qxd6 Qxd6 39.Rxd6 Rg1+ 40.Kd2 Rg2+ 41.Kc3 h5 42.a4 g5 43.a5 Rg3+ 44.Rd3 Rg1 45.b4 Ke6 46.b5 Ra1 47.Kb4 Kf5 48.b6 g4 49.hxg4+ hxg4 50.Kb5 Kf4 51.b7 Rb1+ 52.Kc6 g3 53.Rxg3 Kxg3 54.a6 Kf4 55.a7 Ke5 56.b8Q+ 1-0

The following games have been provided by Douglas Bryson, who organised a team of writers to record some of the action. Several of the games may be incomplete, but the results were beyond doubt.

Spassky - Motwani
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.e4 e5 2.f4
[In September 1987, in Glasgow, Motwani, an IM Elect at the time, faced Spassky in a simultaneous exhibition. Spassky used the King's Gambit on that occasion, with the game continuing 2...d5; 3. exd5 c6; 4. Qe2 cxd5; 5. fxe5 Nc6; 6. Nf3 Bc5; 7. c3 d4! and Motwani went on to win a sparkling game in 22 moves. See Scottish Chess of November 1987 for the complete game. AMcG]
Nf6 3.fxe5 Nxe4 4.Nf3 Ng5 5.d4 Nxf3+ 6.Qxf3 Qh4+ 7.Qf2 Qxf2+ 8.Kxf2 d6 9.exd6 Bxd6 10.Nd2 Nc6 11.c3 Be6 12.Ne4 0-0-0 13.Be2 Be7 14.Bf3 Bd5 15.Re1 Rhe8 16.Bf4 h6 17.Ng3 Bxf3 18.Kxf3 Bf8 19.h4 Ne7 20.h5 Nd5 21.Bd2 Nf6 22.Bf4 Nd5 23.Nf5 g6 24.Ng3 Nxf4 25.Kxf4 Bd6+ 26.Kf3 Bxg3 27.Kxg3 gxh5 28.Kf3 Rg8 29.Rh1 Rd5 30.Kf2 Rf5+ 31.Kg1 Rg4 32.Re1 Kd7 33.Rh3 Kd6 34.Re2 c5 35.dxc5+ Rxc5 36.Rd3+ Kc6 37.Re7 Rcg5 38.Rd2 h4 39.Kh2 Rf5 40.Re8 Rff4 41.Rc8+ Kb6 42.Rd6+ Ka5 43.Rd5+ b5 44.Rd2 a6 45.Rc6 Rg6 46.Rdd6 Rxd6 47.Rxd6 b4 48.cxb4+ Rxb4 49.b3 Kb5 50.Rxh6 a5 51.Kh3 a4 52.Rh5+ Kb6 53.Rxh4 1-0

McNab - Spassky
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.g3 Ne7 8.Bg2 Rb8 9.0-0 0-0 10.Qa4 a6 11.Rd1 d6 12.Qc2 c5 13.Bg5 h6 14.Be3 Bd7 15.Qd2 Nf5 16.Bxc5 dxc5 17.Qxd7 Qxd7 18.Rxd7 Rxb2 19.Rc1 Bxc3 20.Rxc3 Nd4 21.Bf3 Rxa2 22.Rxc7 Rxe2 23.Rxc5 Nxf3+ 24.Rxf3 Re7 25.Ra5 Re6 26.Rfa3 Ra8 27.Kg2 Rc6 28.c5 Kf8 29.Kf3 Rac8 30.Rxa6 Rxc5 31.Ra8 Kg7 32.Rxc8 Rxc8 33.Ra6 ½-½

Tal - McKay
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.f4 Nf6 7.Qf3 Qc7 8.g4 Nc6 9.Be3 Be7 10.g5 Nd7 11.0-0-0 b5 12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.Bd4 e5 14.Be3 exf4 15.Qxf4 Ne5 16.Nd5 Be6 17.h4 Rc8 18.c3 b4 19.Nxb4 Qa4 20.Bxa6 Rb8 21.Bd3 Rxb4 22.cxb4 0-0 23.Bd4 Rc8+ 24.Bc3 Qxa2 25.Rh2 Bb3 26.Rc2 Bxc2 27.Kxc2 Qa4+ 28.Kc1 Qxb4 29.Bc2 Qb6 30.Qd2 Nf3 31.Qd3 Ne5 32.Qd4 Qxd4 33.Rxd4 Nf3 34.Ra4 Nxh4 35.Ra7 Bxg5+ (time) 1-0

Condie - Tal
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Bg4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Be2 Nbd7 5.c4 e5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 c6 9.Bb2 Qc7 10.Qc2 Bh5 11.Rad1 Rad8 12.Nh4 Bxe2 13.Qxe2 Rfe8 14.Nf5 Bf8 15.Qc2 g6 16.Ng3 h5 17.Nge4 Bg7 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Rd2 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Nf6 21.Rfd1 Rxd2 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxd2 Rd8 24.g3 Qc8 25.Kg2 h4 26.Rxd8+ Qxd8 27.Qe4 Qd6 28.g4 Qd2 29.Bxe5 Bxe5 30.Qxe5 Qxa2 31.Qb8+ Kg7 32.Qxb7 Qc2 33.Qxc6 Qxb3 34.g5 a5 35.Qf6+ Kg8 36.Qd8+ Kh7 37.Qxa5 Qxc4 38.Qe5 Qg4+ 39.Kf1 h3 40.Ke1 Qg1+ 41.Ke2 Qg4+ 42.Ke1 Qb4+ 43.Ke2 Qg4+ ½-½

Kirk - Tal
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 e5 7.Nbd2 Nge7 8.Ne1 0-0 9.c3 d5 10.f4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nd5 12.fxe5 Nxe5 13.Kh1 Bg4 14.Qb3 Be2 15.Bg5 Bxf1 16.Bxd8 Bxg2+ 17.Nxg2 Raxd8 18.Rf1 Nxd3 19.Qxb7 c4 20.Nf4 N5xf4 21.gxf4 Rb8 22.Qc6 Rfc8 23.Qd7 Rd8 24.Qc7 Rdc8 25.Qd7 Rd8 26.Qc7 Rbc8 27.Qxa7 Nxb2 28.f5 Nd3 29.fxg6 fxg6 30.Rf7 Be5 31.Rxh7 Rf8 32.Rh4 Rf7 33.Qe3 Rb8 34.Kg2 Rb2+ 35.Nd2 Nf4+ 36.Kg1 Rf5 37.Rg4 Rxa2 38.Nxc4 Ra1+ 39.Kf2 Nd5+ 40.Ke2 Nxe3 41.Nxe3 Rf4 42.Rxg6+ Kf7 and 0-1

Giulian - Spassky
Glenrothes 40 International Lightning Tournament 1988
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 c6 9.0-0 Re8 10.Rb1 Nh5 11.Bg3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Bd6 13.b4 a6 14.a4 Nf6 15.b5 a5 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Qc2 Bd7 18.Ne2 Qc7 19.Nf4 c5 20.dxc5 Qxc5 21.Nd4 Qxc2 22.Bxc2 g5 23.Nfe2 Ne4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Nc3 Be5 26.Ncb5 Rac8 27.Rbc1 Bg7 28.Rfd1 Bg4 29.f3 exf3 30.gxf3 Bd7 31.Kf2 h5 32.Rh1 h4 33.gxh4 Rxc1 34.Rxc1 gxh4 35.f4 Bxd4 36.Nxd4 Rb8 37.Rc5 Rb2+ 38.Kf3 Bxa4 39.Rxa5 Bd1+ 40.Ke4 h3 41.Rg5+ Kf8 42.Rg1 h2 43.Rxd1 Rg2 44.Rh1 Rf2 45.Nf3 Ke7 46.Nxh2 Ra2 47.Ng4 Ra5 48.Rb1 Ra4+ 49.Kf3 Ra7 50.e4 Rc7 51.f5 Ra7 52.Kf4 Rc7 53.e5 Ra7 54.Rb6 Ra4+ 55.Kg5 Ra7 56.f6+ Kd7 57.Nh6 Kd8 58.Nxf7+ Rxf7 59.e6 Ra7 60.f7 Kc7 61.Rb1 Ra8 62.e7 Kd7 63.f8Q Ra5+ 64.Kg6 Ra6+ 65.Kg7 Re6 66.Rb7+ Kc6 67.e8Q+ Rxe8 68.Qxe8+ Kxb7 and mate followed. 1-0

Phil commented: "Now that I have beaten Spassky nothing else matters." He then proceeded to lose his next 12 games. Phil went into the players' rest room to find the players laughing and talking about him. He asked Andrew Martin, "Was it anything in particular?" Andrew replied, "Yes, twelve things in particular!"

McKay v Spassky	McNab v Spassky	Pritchett v Tal
Morrison v Motwani	Spassky v Suba	Tal v Giulian

 

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland