Chess News

Malcolm Pein on…Flash Gordon

Malcolm Pein

April 19, 2021

In today’s Daily Telegraph column, Malcolm Pein showcases a performance by a junior which is out of this world. Well played, Flash Gordon!

Malcolm Pein on…Flash Gordon

Plenty of juniors have exploited the opportunities to play and study chess online to significantly improve their play during lockdown, not least 10-year-old Freddie Gordon of Edinburgh.

Over the festive period, Gordon triumphed in not just the British Online Under-10 Championship, but also bagged the Under-10 Rapid and Blitz titles. He confirmed his prowess, at the faster forms of the game, by edging out Keith Arkell on tie-break to win the latest ECF Online Grand Prix Rapidplay event.

Both Gordon and Arkell racked up 5.5/6, the prodigy defeating Arkell’s fellow grandmaster Bogdan Lalic ahead of just hanging on against Arkell in the final round. Comparisons will inevitably be made with Michael Adams and Luke McShane, and we may safely say that Gordon is the most talented Scottish junior for many a decade.

K. Hobson – F. Gordon
Sicilian, Morra Gambit 10+5

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 d3 4.Bxd3 g6 5.f4 Bg7 6.Nf3 d6 7.Be3 Nc6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.h3 0-0 10.Qe2 Bd7 11.a4 Qc7 12.Na3 a6 13.Nc4 Be6? (Black is drifting. 13…d5! is the thematic equaliser) 14.Nb6 Rae8 15.b4 (15.a5! maintains full control) 15…Nd7 (15…d5! 16.e5 Nh5 17.Qf2 f6 gives much-needed counterplay) 16.Nxd7 Bxd7 17.Rfc1?! e5! (Finally securing a central foothold and counterplay) 18.b5 axb5 (18…Na5! is more disruptive) 19.axb5 Nd8 20.fxe5 dxe5 21.Qf2 (21.Bc4 or 21.b6 Qc8 22.Ra5 still leaves White in charge) 21…Ne6 22.Bb6 Qc8 23.Nd2 Nf4 24.Bf1 f5!? 25.Bc5 Rf7 26.g3? (26.Nc4 Qc7 27.Nd6 Bf8 28.Rd1 was indicated. Now White is punished brutally)

26…fxe4!! 27.gxf4 exf4 (The threat of …e3’s a winner and Black’s initiative is far too strong after 28.Nb3 Bxh3) 28.Bc4 Be6 29.Bxe6 Rxe6 30.Nb3 Re5 31.Qh4 (Or 31.Bd4 Rg5+ 32.Kh2 Rh5 33.Qf1 f3 with an overwhelming attack) 31…Rxc5 32.Ra8 Qxa8 33.Nxc5 Qa3 34.Qd8+ Bf8 35.Nb3 Qxb3 36.Rd1 e3 37.Rd7 e2 38.Re7 Rxe7 0-1

Test Your Strength

F. Gordon – K. Arkell

White was able to hold on after 53…Rxa4? 54.Kg1 Kxg3 55.f6, but how might Black have won?

Highlight the space below this line to reveal the answer.

53…Rh2! (53…Rf2+! and 53…Rg2! also work) 54.Kg1 Rg2+ 55.Kh1 Rxg3 wins in view of 56.f6 Kf2! 57.Kh2 e2 58.f7 Rf3 and 56.Rf1+ Ke2 57.Rf4 Rf3!

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Malcolm Pein

Malcolm Pein is a British International Master, chess organizer, author and journalist. He was a child prodigy and a former British Junior Champion. He qualified for the International Master title in 1985. Malcolm is a distinguished writer, journalist and editor. He has been a chess correspondent of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph for over 30 years, has written numerous chess books and is the Executive Editor of CHESS Magazine. In 1992, he founded the London Chess Centre, a games store in central London and the UK's only chess shop. He is also the founder and CEO of Chess in Schools and Communities, a UK charity whose aim is to introduce chess to state schools and has taught the game to over 250,000 children since its inception in 2009. Malcolm is also well-known for his chess event management. He was responsible for the pre-planning of the World Chess Championship match between Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik in London 2000. In 2002 he was appointed as Technical Director of the 'Brains in Bahrain' match between Vladimir Kramnik and the computer program Fritz. In 2009, Malcolm devised and organized the 1st London Chess Classic - the UK's first world-class elite all-play-all tournament since the 1980s which ran annually until 2019. Malcolm is also very active with the English Chess Federation. In 2016, he was appointed as the Manager and Captain of the England national team. He was also appointed as English Chess Federation delegate to the European Chess Union and FIDE and is the Director of International Chess. In 2018, he also stood for the post of Deputy President of FIDE. In 2021, Malcolm joined the ranks of Chessable authors by bringing the highlights of his column in the Daily Telegraph in the form of an interactive Chessable course, titled Telegraph Tuesday. Profile photograph © Lennart Ootes