Sharp attack, tight defense win US Open

Grandmaster Dmitry Gurevich parlayed a mixture of aggression in attack and tenacity in defense to win the 1988 US Open Championship held in Boston last month with an undefeated 10-2 score (8 wins, 4 draws). Tied for runner-up honors in the 614-player field, with 9 points each, were grandmasters Larry Christiansen and Roman Dzindzichashvili and international masters Michael Rohde and Bryan Nickoloff. Next with 9 points each came defending champion Lev Alburt, fellow grandmasters Joel Benjamin, Maxim Dlugy, Anatoly Lein, and Andy Soltis, international masters Jim Rizzitano and Danny Kopec; US junior champion, Stuart Rachels; and senior masters David Griego, Alex Sherzer, Alexander Ivanov, and Morris Giles.

Noticeably absent from the prize list was six-time US champion Walter Browne. Today's featured game, in which he was defeated by Giles, a fast-improving player from Chicago, undoubtedly had much to do with this.

(We are switching to algebraic notation, the official notation of the US and International chess federations. We welcome comments, and will send an explanation of the system to anyone requesting it. Write to Arthur Bisguier, c/o Arts & Leisure Page, The Christian Science Monitor, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.) Sicilian Defense Giles Browne 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Nbd7 (a) 9. Bc4 h6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. O-O-O Qb6 12. Nxe6 (b) fxe6 (c) 13. Bxe6 Nf8 14. Bb3 Be6 (d) 15. e5 dxe5 16. fxe5 Bg5+ 17. Kb1 Rd8 18. h4 Be7 19. Ba4+ Nd7 (e) 20. Nd5 Qa5 21. Rhf1 Rf8 22. Qh5+ Rf7 (f) 23. Bb3 g6 24. Qxg6 Nf8 25. Nc7+ Qxc7 26. Qxf7+ (g) Resigns

A.This move has long been considered suspect, since the legendary Estonian grandmaster, Paul Keres, defeated Pal Benko in the Candidates Tourney in Yugoslavia in 1959. Safer is 8....Qc7, to prevent White from effectively deploying his KB on c4. Or if Black is in a gambling mood, he tries 8....h6; 9.Bh4, g5; 10.fxg5, Nfd7, which is often the prelude to great complications.

B.A typical sacrifice in such positions. White keeps the Black king in the center and nets two pawns for the proffered piece, which assures him more than adequate compensation.

C.It is doubtful that 12....Bxc3; 13.Qxc3, fxe6; 14.Qxg7 would constitute an improvement for Black.

D.Probably the best attempt to blunt the sharpness of White's unstoppable next move.

E.Interposing with the bishop is no better: i.e., 19....Bd7; 20.Nd5, Qa5; 21.Rhf1, and Black is in sore travail. Probably the propitiatory counteroffer of 19....Rd7 offered the only hope of prolonging the struggle.

F.If 22....Bf7; 23.Rxf7, Rxf7; 24.e6 decides.

G.Now on 26....Bxf7 the bishop administers the final rites with 27.Bxf7, which concludes a most elegantly conducted attack.

International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier is a former US champion and has won or shared the US Open title five times.