FOR nine weeks now we have been trying to get our names in the FIDE record books with this Bermuda FIDE Rated Tournament. There are lots of chess players in Bermuda. In fact, there are moves on the way to start up a chess club at the Royal Artillery Association in St. George’s which is well known to a lot of people as St. George’s RA.

So, if you are a chess player and would like to get involved in playing, call Alan Burrows’ office at 297-5742 or the RA Club at 297-1810. They are hoping to get started on Thursday night to give the chess players some East End fun.

Well, it looks like Gary Cooper (pictured) is the man at the top. He has won every game he has played. There are six FIDE-rated players who are in this tournament and he has taken away some of their FIDE rating points. The ratings of all the players goes from 1935 to 1681 — with one player being a Candidate Master.

But at this moment, Gary himself does not have a rating! And that is just what this tournament is all about. As soon as FIDE can tabulate the results, get them on their web site, then notify us, then there will be a total of 12 players in Bermuda with a FIDE rating.

I asked Gary what game in this tournament was his favourite — he said it was in round 4 against Phil Shadick.

I did not ask why, but I told him that I will look at the game and see why he chose this one. Just before I had the chance to do that, he came to give me the news that he had just lost a game to Kumi Bradshaw.

Kumi was playing one of his catch-up games from round 6.

This news makes the title holder position up for grabs because Sami Lill has won 6|0xbd| and has one game to play. He had lost to Cooper who has won seven and also is due to play one last game with me in round 9.

The game that I play is the decider as to who is the overall winner. Well, here is Cooper’s favourite game against Shadick, who was playing White with Cooper playing Black.

In Diagram 1, Phil had just captured a pawn on f5 with the thought of trading a queen (which is protected by the knight.)

Well, in Diagram 2 Gary just removed the protection by playing move 22. Nxh4. Phil cannot capture this knight because he will lose his queen. But in Diagram 3, after Phil captured Qxd7 Gary’s queen, Gary gained a rook which is a material advantage.

If the rook had captured d7 then Phil would have got his knight back. In Diagram 3, Gary’s knight, that was on h4 square, not only made Phil’s king move with Nf3 check, but gave a knight-fork (double attack) on the king and rook.

In Diagram 4, it is Black to move and Gary can capture with his king or rook. But with three pieces against two Phil resigned.

Phil Shadick: White

Gary Cooper: Black

Bermuda FIDE Rated Tournamen>

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 b6 7. f4 Bb7 8. Nf3 Qd7 9. 0-0 f5 10. Qd2 Nf6 11. Rae1 0-0-0 12. exf5 gxf5 13. Nd1 Kb8 14. Bf2 Rhe8 15. Ne3 e5 16. Nh4 Ne7 17. Bxb7 Kxb7 18 fxe5 dxe5 19. Nc4 Ng4 20. Qe2 Ng6 21. Qf3+ Kb8 22. Qxf5 Nxh4 23. Qxd7 Nf3+ 24. Kg2 Nxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Rxd7 26. Bg1 h5 27. Re4 Bf6 28. a4 Kb7 29. h3 Nh6 30. Ne3 Kc6 31. Nc4 Nf5 32. Bf2 Nd6 33. Nxd6 Rxd6<$>

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