BY the time you read this column the Grandmaster Tournament being held at the Harmony Club will have been completed, but at the time of writing there was still one round to go. Top seed Boris Gelfand held a half-point lead over world junior champion Harikishna Pentala, but he certainly remembers finding himself in an identical position last year and being overtaken at the final moment, so I am sure he was taking nothing for granted.

This week’s game comes from round seven, and features two of the co-leaders at that point. Last year’s winner Giovanni Vescovi decided to try the most fashionable line against Gelfand’s favourite defence, and a brief but important battle ensued.

White: G. Vescovi

Black: B. Gelfand

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6<$>

Gelfand has played the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence all his life. Last year he experimented with the Petroff Defence in reply to 1. e4, but I am pleased to see that he has returned to his first choice.

6. f3

All but unknown before 1998, this little move has recently come into the spotlight. Gelfand himself expressed the opinion that it is White’s most dangerous choice.

e6 7. Be3

See diagram 1. White always used to get there, a starting position of the English Attack, by playing 6. Be3, e6 7. f3 until players of the black pieces, led by Garry Kasparov, showed the merits of the disruptive 6. . . . Ng4.

b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. a4

This move was tried a few years ago by Vishy Anand, when facing the redoubtable Garry Kasparov. Even though this was a blitz game, no contest between these two is insignificant.

Nc4 11. Bxc4 bxc4 12. a5<$>

See diagram 2. Vescovi is trying a somewhat positional approach to the opening, taking time out from the attack to tie down his opponent. Anand had tried 12. 0-0 followed by a kingside pawn storm, but Kasparov beat off this direct attack and won the game.

Bb7 13. Na4

With ideas of settling on b6.

d5!?<$>

Very interesting. Such a central break is, of course, the normal antidote to a wing attack, but the d5 pawn seriously reduces the scope of the bishop on b7.

14. e5!

This turns out to be an excellent pawn sacrifice.

Nd7 15. f4 Qh4+

This may look like a free pawn, but it isn’t really.

16. Bf2 Qxg4 17. Rg1 and here, in diagram 3, Vescovi made the offer of a draw, which was accepted.

This early truce was seen as disappointing by some spectators (and there were hundreds watching our live coverage on the Internet) but the players had their reasons. Vescovi was aware that he had fair compensation for the lost pawn, but could not see a convincing way forward and feared that his initiative might dissipate.

Gelfand, however, has as much experience of such positions as anyone paying today, as suspected that this one was on the verge of going very wrong. The players’ detailed analysis following the game did indeed suggest that if White can find the most accurate series of moves his opponent will face serious difficulties.

The real significance of this game begins now, since this opening line is currently of critical importance, and we can be sure that the best chess brains will be analysing the game. Perhaps they will discover that Black’s position at the end really is acceptable, but I doubt that.

Otherwise, an antidote will have to be found to Vescovi’s system beginning with 12. a5. With online chess databases freely available on the Internet, it is now easy for amateurs to keep up with the latest developments, and I shall be watching this line.

There are two very important announcements for local players. First, this is the final call for the International Open being held this weekend at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel. The first round is at 8 p.m. today, but anyone who has not signed up MUST enter by 7 p.m. so that the draw for the first round can be made. The entry fee for local players is $70 so please call me on 238-2313 for further details.

The calendar of events at the local club resumes next Tuesday with the first game in a five-round event that will serve as a qualifier for the 2005 Bermuda Closed Championship. Full details have appeared in previous columns, so please be there no later than 7.45 p.m. to register or, once again, call me for more information.