Raymond Keene

White to play. This position is a variation from Vallejo Pons-Aronian, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012. White needs an accurate move to continue the attack. What is it? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 23 October or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery.

The London Grand Prix at Simpson’s in the Strand finished in a triple tie between the three grandmasters Topalov, Gelfand and Mamedyarov, who ended in that order after a tie break. Britain’s Mickey Adams performed creditably after being granted just one day’s notice that he was playing, while the top-ranked US Grandmaster, Hikaru Nakamura, experienced probably the worst result of his life, losing five games. Meanwhile, the British chess fraternity must express its gratitude to Andrew Paulson of Agon for bringing to London one of the strongest tournaments ever held here, suitably staged in the traditional home of English chess. Sadly the event planned for 14 October at the Royal Geographical Society, also featuring Dominic Lawson and Malcolm Pein, has been cancelled.

Boris Gelfand, the challenger for this year’s World Championship in Moscow, continues, as I write, to lead the Agon/Fidé Grand Prix at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. He is being pursued by a pack of great players which includes Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from Azerbaijan and Vesselin Topalov from Bulgaria. The surprise of the event has been the complete collapse of Hikaru Nakamura who, rated at 2783, was the highest ranked player and pre-tournament favourite to win. Gelfand-Wang Hao: Fidé Grand Prix, London 2012 49 ... f5+ Allowing the white king in is very risky. Black should simply pass with 49 ... Ke8. 50 Ke5 Rxe3+ 51 Kf6 Now the constant mate threats make life very difficult for Black. 51 ... Kg8 52 Rg7+ This is the wrong idea.

When this article appears, the AGON Grand Prix at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, brought to London by Andrew Paulson, will be reaching its midway stage. The players who have shone in the early stages of this stellar event are Boris Gelfand of Israel, the World Championship challenger earlier this year, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, and Peter Leko from Hungary, a World Championship challenger in 2004. Here are some extracts from play. Nakamura-Gelfand: Fidé Grand Prix, London 2012 Opposite bishops often indicate a draw but here Black exploits his control of the dark squares to infiltrate White’s position. 41 ...

Every year I give many so-called simultaneous displays, usually for charity, where I take on 20 opponents at one and the same time. The only game I have lost this year in such events was a complicated battle during the Phoenix Legacy weekend in Dorset, organised by Rosie Barfoot, to raise awareness of the need for mental activity as one ages. Apart from the lecturers, Tony Buzan of Mind Mapping fame and Dominic O’Brien, the eight-times world memory champion, there was also an address by Leontxo Garcia of Spain’s leading newspaper El Pais, Madrid, who is an expert on the role of chess in combating Alzheimer’s. Notes based on the winner’s.

The indefatigable Michael Basman continues to identify future chess superstars with his annual Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge for schoolchildren. Eight-year-old Alex Golding won an astounding £1,000 prize in the most recent edition of the challenge, which attracts a world record entry of 60,000 every year. Brandon Clarke emerged as the overall winner of the event. In this game young Alex found himself on the losing side for once. Clarke-Golding: Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge; Bird’s Opening 1 e3 d5 2 f4 Nf6 3 Nf3 c5 4 Be2 Nc6 5 0-0 e6 White is playing the Bird’s opening, but it is more a reverse Dutch.

Memory is vital in chess, not least because modern opening theory has expanded in such a daunting way. I was, therefore, interested to observe the results of the UK Memory Championship which took place last month at the London Science Museum and resulted in victory for Katie Kermode. In the course of the championship Katie bested second-placed Dominic O’Brien, the eight-times World Memory Champion. It was a sensational performance. Events included the memorisation of names and faces, recall of 620 numbers and, in the final showdown which clinched her victory, the accurate memorisation of a shuffled deck of cards in two minutes and 0.93 seconds. Katie is 34 years old, from Cheshire, married, and expecting her second child in December.

White to play. This position is from Leko-Ivanchuk, Nice 2009. All three white pieces are on the kingside while the black forces are all on the queenside. The black king is somewhat vulnerable. How did Leko proceed? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 28 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery.

White to play. This position is from Duchamp-Smith, London 1928. Can you spot White’s artful conclusion? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 21 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution  1 ...

Black to play. This position is from Ledger-Jones, British Championship 2012. How did Gawain Jones smash open the white position? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 14 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery.

White to play. This position is from Keene-Anon, Simultaneous Display, Brighton College, 1995. What is White’s best chance to play for a win in this endgame? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 7 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week I shall be offering a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 Bc8+ Last week’s winner R.F.