Nigel Short (1960- )
Nigel David Short was born 1st June 1965 in Leigh, Lancashire, and learnt to play chess at the age of five. His progress was rapid, and he soon established himself as an exceptional talent. In 1977, he became the youngest ever participant in the British Championship and in the event itself he won convincingly against ten-time British Champion Jonathan Penrose. Just two years later he tied for first place in the British Championship with Robert Bellin and myself, although Bellin took the title on tie-break.
He became the youngest international master in chess history (up to that point) by scoring 8/15 in the Hastings Premier in 1979/80, and later completed a remarkable double in 1984 when, aged 19, he became the youngest grandmaster in the world. His ascent to the world elite was similarly rapid, and in 1988 he was ranked third in the world. His tournament victories are too numerous to mention in any detail; suffice to say that he won the British Championship and Commonwealth Championship three times each. He was also a successful member of the England Olympiad team, taking part in every Olympiad from 1984 to 2016. In match play he has also had many successes, starting in 1985 when there was a match between Nigel, who was at the time British Champion, and Lev Alburt, the reigning US Champion. The Americans rather thought it would be one-sided and so it was, although not in the way they intended, since Nigel won with six wins and two draws.
GM Nigel Short
Przemysław Jahr / Wikimedia Commons
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However, Nigel is perhaps best known for his performance in the 1990-93 World Championship cycle. Narrowly qualifying from the 1990 Manila Interzonal, he went on to win in a play-off against Jon Speelman in the first round. These narrow successes didn’t give much cause for optimism, but he went on to defeat Gelfand, Karpov and Timman to earn the right to challenge Kasparov for the world title. Unfortunately a dispute over the choice of match venue led to increasing acrimony, and ultimately Kasparov and Short formed a breakaway organisation, the PCA (Professional Chess Association), playing a match deemed illegitimate by FIDE. Kasparov won the match decisively by six wins to one (with 13 draws), and the PCA, although organising a few further events, collapsed and FIDE once again took control of the World Championship. After this Short started to play in fewer major events, and currently is not very active as a player.
Away from the board, in 1999 Nigel was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to chess. He has also been active in commentating, coaching and chess journalism, and has held various posts within FIDE, which apparently forgave the earlier dispute. He has proved a controversial figure for his provocative views on several subjects, for example the status of female chess players. Not a natural diplomat, Nigel tends to express his views in outspoken fashion, and at times appears to enjoy the effects of his polemic.
Nigel’s chess style is universal and he can play all types of position well, but he appears more comfortable in attacking positions, and has scored spectacular wins against many leading grandmasters. He has made major contributions to several openings, especially as White in the 3.e5 Caro-Kann and the English Attack in the Sicilian. One of his Caro-Kann wins is given below.
Nigel Short - Ljubomir Ljubojević
Amsterdam Euwe Memorial 1991
Caro-Kann Defence
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5
Over the years Ljubo had suffered quite badly against Nigel in the Sicilian, so he switched to the supposedly solid Caro, but without improving his luck.
3...Bf5 4.Nf3
At one time White players tended to adopt aggressive systems such as 4.g4 or 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4, but Nigel’s contribution was to turn this more positional approach into a dangerous weapon.
4...e6 5.Be2 c5 6.0-0
These days 6.Be3 is the favoured continuation.
6...Ne7!?
Black plans to play this knight to c6 and the other one to d7, thereby allowing the f8-bishop to be developed. Currently 6...Nc6 7.c3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nge7 9.Nc3 Nc8 is more popular, although this probably also fails to equalise.
7.c3
After this Black’s plan works out reasonably well. 7.c4 and 7.dxc5 are more critical tests.
7...Nec6 8.Be3 Nd7 9.a3
Aiming to force Black’s hand on the queenside with b4.
9...c4
This plan is reminiscent of the 3.e5 French. Black blocks the centre and aims for queenside play based on the weak b3-square, but releasing the pressure against d4 gives White a free hand on the kingside. 9...Be7 10.b4 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nb6 looks better as Black’s minor pieces all have active prospects.
10.Nbd2 b5
11.Ne1!
The best move, clearing the way for a kingside pawn advance.
11...h5
11...Nb6 12.g4 Bg6 13.f4 is very unpleasant for Black, so Ljubo correctly aims to obstruct White’s kingside play.
12.g3
Not 12.Bxh5? Qh4, but after 12.g3 the h5-pawn is genuinely attacked.
12...Bh3?
This leads to the exchange of Black’s light-squared bishop, but although it’s theoretically Black’s ‘bad’ bishop it’s his most active minor piece and shouldn’t have been surrendered so easily. 12...g6 13.Ng2 Be7 was better, asking how White intends to make progress on the kingside.
13.Ng2 g6
There’s not much choice, since 13...h4 14.Bg4 is very good for White.
14.Re1 Bxg2
The natural consequence of Black’s 12th move. 14...Nb6 15.Nf4 Bf5 16.h3 loses time, and White has a better position than after 12...g6.
15.Kxg2 Rb8
Black’s problem is that his queenside play is a strike to nowhere, since even after he plays ...a5 and ...b4 he doesn’t have any significant threats, while White’s kingside play, although slow to materialise, is likely to be far more dangerous.
16.h3 a5 17.Nf3 Be7
18.Qd2
An instructive moment. White does not rush into g4, since Black can continue ...Nb6 and ...Kd7, evacuating his king to the relative safety of the queenside. Instead, Nigel aims to play his knight to g5, pinning the king down to the defence of f7, and only then continue with g4.
18...Nb6 19.Ng5 Kf8
Black despairs of moving his king to d7, and hopes that it will survive on g7. The alternative is 19...Rf8 20.g4 hxg4 21.hxg4 Kd7, but after 22.Rh1 and Rh7 Black also stands very badly.
20.g4 hxg4?
Opening the h-file is asking for trouble, but even after the best defence 20...h4 Black remains in difficulties.
21.hxg4 Kg7 22.Rh1 Qd7
Black is already in a desperate situation. White’s advanced pawn on e5 cuts Black’s position in half, and prevents him feeding any pieces across to the kingside defence.
23.Bf4
Planning Qe3 to allow a queen switch to the h-file. However, White could have won more quickly by 23.Nh7!! Rxh7 24.Rxh7+ Kxh7 25.Rh1+ Kg8 26.Bg5 (threat 27.Bxe7 followed by Qh6, or simply 27.Bf6) 26...Bxg5 27.Qxg5 and Black is helpless. Nigel uses the same idea, but with a bit of extra preparation. This missed win is the only flaw in an otherwise excellent game.
23...Rbf8 24.Qe3 Qd8
The extra time has allowed Black to reinforce his defence, and he plans to swap all the rooks on the h-file, so now White is compelled to strike.
25.Nh7!!
This is still decisive, but it requires an accurate follow-up.
25...Rxh7 26.Rxh7+ Kxh7 27.Rh1+ Kg8 28.Qh3 Bh4
So far all forced, but now 29.Qxh4 Qxh4 30.Rxh4 b4 offers White nothing, while 29.g5 Kg7 30. Qxh4 Rh8 is even a bit better for Black.
29.Bh6! g5
Forced, since 29...Re8 30.f4! followed by Bg5 is decisive.
30.f4!
Undermining the h4-bishop is White’s absolute priority. Indeed, everything else favours Black.
30...gxf4
31.Bd1!
A superbly calm move. Not 31.Bxf8? Kxf8 32.Qxh4? Qxh4 33.Rxh4 Na4 and White has no advantage. 31.g5 is less strong than the move played, since Black can erect a temporary defence by 31...Ne7 32.Qxh4 Ng6, although even here White has a large advantage. The move played intends 32.g5 Ne7 33.Bc2 and Black can resign, as White is ready to eliminate the defensive knight on g6.
31...Nd7 32.Bc2!
Another accurate move. The obvious 32.g5? Ndxe5 33.dxe5 d4 34.Qxh4 dxc3 surprisingly gives Black genuine counterplay based on the exposed position of White’s king.
32...Ndxe5
There’s no real defence to the threat of g5, so Ljubo makes a desperate bid for activity.
33.dxe5 Nxe5 34.Bxf8
There’s no mate, but Black has surrendered too much material to save his king.
34...f3+ 35.Kf1 Qg5 36.Qxh4 Qc1+ 37.Qe1 Qxe1+ 38.Kxe1 Kxf8
White’s material advantage is decisive, especially as Black’s pawns are too far back to pose any real danger.
39.g5 Kg7 40.Kf2 f5 41.Re1 Nd3+ 42.Bxd3 cxd3 43.Kxf3
1-0