Tony Miles (1955-2001)
Anthony (‘Tony’) John Miles was born in Birmingham on 23rd April 1955, just two days before my own birth in London. He achieved considerable success in junior events, winning the British Under-14 Championship in 1968, despite losing his individual game to myself, and the British Under-21 Championship in 1971. This soon translated into international triumphs, culminating in his victory in the World Junior Championship in 1974. Although Miles started a degree course at Sheffield University, he soon abandoned it to pursue chess professionally.
Tony made steady progress on the international circuit and became the first British-born over the board grandmaster in 1976. Over the next 20 years he travelled the world and was dangerous to anybody, most famously beating Anatoly Karpov as Black with 1 e4 a6 (European Team Championship Final, Skara 1980). Tony was not much interested in domestic events, and only won the British Championship once, in 1982. His best tournament result was at Tilburg 1984, where he outclassed a top-level field by a massive 1½ points. In January 1984 he broke through the 2600 rating barrier and was above that rating as late as 1999. Tony only struggled against the very highest-rated players; in particular he had a dismal overall score against the ‘two Ks’, Karpov and Kasparov. He was also not especially successful in World Championship cycles, and never qualified for the Candidates.
Tony was a controversial figure almost throughout his life. His refusal to play in the 1977 European Team Championship Final without a fee was widely criticised in the British chess press, at that time dominated by an ‘old guard’ of chess journalists. However, Tony stuck to his principles, and fees appeared at the very next major team event, the 1978 Olympiad. He also stirred up controversy with his criticism of the Hastings tournament, although having played there myself during this era his comments on the dismal playing venue and run-down hotels seem largely justified. British chess certainly owes a lot to Tony, not only for his efforts over the board but also for putting it on a more professional footing.
Having said that, Tony could be a difficult person to get on with. His biting wit could be entertaining, but he had a flaw far from unknown amongst grandmasters, namely an inability to appreciate another person’s point of view. He also suffered from periodic mental health issues, which became more serious later in life. He died on 12th November 2001 from heart failure, with diabetes being a contributory factor.
At his best, Tony could beat very strong grandmasters with deceptive ease, as in the following game from his great Tilburg success.
Tony Miles - Jan Timman
Tilburg 1984
English Opening, Reversed Dragon
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2
The Dragon was one of Miles’s favourite openings, so he must have been happy to have the same variation with an extra tempo.
6...Nb6
At that time this was the main line, but more recently the alternative 6...Bc5 7.0-0 0-0 has become fashionable. It looks risky to allow tactical tricks based on Nxe5, but it turns out that it is not so easy to exploit them.
7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 Be6 9.d3 0-0 10.b4
The extra tempo means that the lines of the Classical Dragon involving ...f5 (f4 for White) are not possible, since the e5-pawn is more vulnerable.
10...f6?!
A rather passive line. The more active 10...a5 11.b5 Nd4 offers better chances of equality, since 12.Nxe5 is impossible due to 12...Bf6 13.f4 Nb3, with the double threat of ...Nxa1 and ...Qd4+.
11.Ne4
Miles plays directly to occupy c5, and this move has scored the highest percentage for White. 11.Bb2 is the main alternative, but then Black can again play 11...a5 12.b5 Nd4 with just an edge for White.
11...Qd7
Now 11...a5 12.Nc5 favours White, so Timman adopts the straightforward plan of exchanging the Dragon bishop by ...Bh3.
12.Bb2 a6
Timman doesn’t want to keep worrying about b5 every move, so he rules the move out completely, but it’s another tempo spent on an essentially defensive measure.
13.Qc2 Bh3 14.Nc5
Now Black must surrender a bishop or lose the b7-pawn.
14...Bxc5 15.Bxh3 Qxh3 16.Qb3+?!
This preliminary check doesn’t seem necessary, and I think it would have been better to hold it in reserve; for example, after 16.bxc5 Nd7 17.d4 White is threatening to win a pawn by Qb3+, so Black may be forced to play 17...Kh8 in any case, when White has saved time.
16...Kh8 17.bxc5 Nd7 18.d4
Not 18.Qxb7? Qe6, and the white queen is in trouble.
18...Rab8
The best move, because White was now threatening to take on b7.
19.dxe5
There is now nothing better, since 19.d5 Ne7 20.Rac1 b6 gives Black good counterplay.
19...Ndxe5?
A definite mistake since Black’s position lacks active prospects once this knight is exchanged. Instead, 19...fxe5 20.Rad1 Nf6 is close to equality. White must meet the threat of 21...Ng4 by 21.Ng5 Qh5 22.Ne6, but even then 22...Rf7 followed by ...Re7 maintains the balance.
20.Nxe5 fxe5
20...Nxe5 21.Bxe5 fxe5 22.Rad1 is also unpleasant for Black, as he cannot challenge the d-file while White is attacking b7. Note that the attempt to mate White by 22...Rf6 fails to 23.Qxb7!.
21.Rad1 Rf6
Black has pinned his hopes on the counter-attack with ...Rh6, but it turns out that White can easily defuse it.
22.f4
The simple 22.f3 Rh6 23.Rf2 is also good, intending Rd5 to attack the isolated e5-pawn.
22...Rxf4?
This natural move leaves Black in serious trouble. 22...Rh6 23.Rf2 is also bad, as 23...exf4 24.Qf7 Rg6 25.Rd7 gives White a winning attack, but 22...Qg4 would have been better; for example, 23.fxe5 Rxf1+ 24.Rxf1 Qxe2 gives Black good defensive chances since White’s bishop is obstructed by the e-pawn.
23.Rxf4 exf4 24.Qf7
White takes over the initiative and demonstrates why bishops are stronger than knights in open positions.
24...Rg8 25.Rf1
Miles wants to regain the pawn without releasing the pressure on g7. The computer suggests the remarkable idea 25.Rd7! Qg4 26.Kf2 fxg3+ 27.hxg3 and apparently White is winning since he can play Qf4 and then eat the c- and b-pawns. However, I can’t imagine that many players would want to play like this!
25...Qg4
25...fxg3 26.Qxg7+ mates, so Black must surrender the f-pawn.
26.Rxf4 Qg5 27.Kg2?!
This gives Black an unnecessary defensive chance. 27.Re4! was more accurate, since 27...Qxc5+ 28.Kg2 transposes to the game, while 27...Nd8 28.Qxc7 wins a pawn while retaining strong pressure.
27...Qxc5?
After this White’s attack is irresistible. 27...Nd8! 28.Qd7 Qg6 was better, intending ...Ne6. Bringing the knight back into play restricts White’s advantage.
28.Re4
Threatening 29.Qxg7+ or 29.Bxg7+, so Black has no time to move his knight.
28...Qf8
28...h6 29.Qg6 Qg5 fails to 30.Bxg7+ Rxg7 31.Re8+ and mate next move.
29.Qh5
Now the threat is 30.Rh4.
29...Ne7 30.Qg5!
30.Rh4? is met by 30...Qf5.
30...Ng6
Allows a neat finish, but even the best defence 30...Nf5 loses after 31.Rf4 Ne3+ 32.Kf3 Qe8 33.Qc5! Nd1 34.Bxg7+ Kxg7 (34...Rxg7 35.Rf8+) 35.Qd4+ Kh6 36.Qf6+ and mate next move.
31.Qxg6! 1-0