Seattle grandmaster carries US hopes into Candidates' Tournament

Soviet Grandmaster Rafael Vaganian won the final Interzonal of 1985 in Biel, Switzerland, with a 121/2-41/2 score. The good news for Americans is that Yasser Seirawan of Seattle finished a strong second with 111/2 points to qualify for this fall's Candidates' Tournament. He is the first American to advance this far since Robert Byrne in 1973.

Other qualifiers from this Interzonal are Andrei Sokolov of the Soviet Union with 11 points, and Nigel Short of Great Britain, who tied with John van der Wiel of the Netherlands and Eugenio Torre of the Philippines at 101/2. Short also tied with van der Weil in a three-way playoff, but advanced via tie-breaking points.

These four will join the following at the Candidates' Tournament, starting Oct. 12 in Montpellier, France: Vassily Smyslov, Alexander Beliavsky, Mikhail Tal, Artur Yusupov, and Alexander Chernin, all of the USSR; Viktor Korchnoi, Switzerland; Boris Spassky, France; Zoltan Ribli and Lajos Portisch, both Hungary; Kevin Spraggett, Canada; Jan Timman, the Netherlands; and Jesus Nogueiras, Cuba.

If World Champion Anatoly Karpov retains his title in this fall's championship match, his opponent, Gary Kasparov, will join the top three candidates in knockout matches to determine the 1986 challenger. If Kasparov wins, the loser of their February rematch will join the two winners of knockout matches among the top four candidates in a 24-game match-tournament to determine the 1986 challenger.

Today's game from Biel shows the resourceful 25-year-old Seirawan fending off the attack of Argentine GM Miguel Quinteros. When the initiative changed sides, Yasser was quick to force the issue to a successful conclusion. Bogo-Indian Defense Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan Quinteros [WSSeirawan

1. P-Q4 [WSN-KB3

2. P-QB4 [WSP-K3

3. N-KB3 [WSB-N5 ch

4. B-Q2 [WSP-B4 (a)

5. BxB [WSPxB

6. QN-Q2 [WSO-O

7. P-K4 (b) [WSP-Q3

8. B-Q3 [WSQ-B2

9. O-O [WSQN-Q2 10. P-B5 (c) [WSPxP 11. P-K5 [WSN-Q4 12. BxP ch [WSKxB 13. N-N5 ch [WSK-N3 (d) 14. Q-N4 [WSP-B4 15. Q-N3 [WSP-B5 16. Q-R3 [WSN(2)-B3 (e) 17. QN-K4 (f) [WSPxP 18. PxN [WSNxP 19. NxN [WSPxN 20. NxP [WSBxN 21. QxB [WSQ-K4 22. Q-N4 ch [WSQ-N4 23. Q-B3 [WSQR-Q1 24. QR-Q1 (g) [WSQ-KB4 25. R-Q3 [WSR-Q4 26. KR-Q1 [WSR-K1 27. P-KR4 [WSR-K5 28. R(3)-Q2 [WSP-R4 29. R-Q3 [WSQ-K3 30. Q-R3 (h) [WSQxQ 31. PxQ [WSR-K7 32. P-R5 ch [WSKxP 33. R(1)-Q2 [WSP-B6 34. RxQP [WSR-N4 ch 35. Resigns (i) [WS

A. A move of recent origin. 4. . . . BxB ch, 4. . . . Q-K2, and 4. . . . P-QR4 are better known alternatives.

B. 7. P-K3 and 8. B-Q3, though more conservative than the text, would assure White an active KB.

C. Presaging a classic Bishop sacrifice which comes within a half tempo of winning, and which might well have succeeded against a less artful defense.

D. Definitely not a position for the fainthearted. Dubious alternatives for Black are 13. . . . K-R3; 14. Q-N4, intending 15. Q-R4 ch, K-N3; 16. Q-R7 ch, KxN; 17. N-K4 or 17. N-B3 ch with a quick mate; and 13. . . . K-N1; 14. Q-R5, N(2)-B3; 15. Q-R4 when White's threats such as 16. PxN and QN-K4 will recapture the piece and emerge with good attacking chances.

E. Fine defense. White would win after the gluttonous 16. . . . KxN; 17. Q-R7 with the deadly threats of 18. N-K4 ch or 18. N-B3 ch. But now if White tries 17. PxN, KxN; 18. Q-R7, Black slithers back to safety, e.g., 18. . . . KxP; 19. N-K4 ch, K-K2, or 18. N-K4 ch, K-N3; 19. Q-N4 ch, K-R2; 20. N-N5 ch, K-N1 and after 21. P-B7 ch, RxP Black has a winning position with two pieces for a Rook.

F. A nice try. Now Black must not respond 17. . . . NxN; 18. Q-R7 ch, KxN; 19. P-R4 ch, K-N5; 20. P-B3 ch, K-N6; 21. Q-N6 ch, KxP; 22. Q-N4 mate. His actual reply of 17. . . . PxP, demolishing the center, would have pleased Wilhelm Steinitz, master of defense.

G. Perhaps White should have risked capturing the QNP here or on his next move, since he is now smothered without any counterplay.

H. White tires of marking time but the text precipitates defeat.

I. White will be mated after 35. K-R1, R-K8 ch; 36. K-R2, R-N7 or 35. K-R2, R-N7 ch; 36. K-R1, R-K8 or 35. K-B1, R-K8 ch!; 36. KxR, R-N8 and, of course, 35. R-N4 costs the White Rook at Q2.

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