After the vote to leave the EU it is time to reclaim the good old English names for traditional openings such as the Ruy Lopez and the Centre Counter.

Foreign subversion has gradually altered the correct name for the Ruy Lopez (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5) to the less evocative Spanish Opening, while the Centre Counter (see this week’s game), which was good enough for Howard Staunton when he played Paul Morphy, was quietly changed on the continent to the Scandinavian Defence.

I see no reason whatsoever why our Viking cousins should be able to lay any claim to the naming of this defence.

This week, a brilliant game in the Centre Counter and a famous position from the Ruy Lopez, an opening recommended by the Spanish priest himself in his book of 1561 Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del axedrez.

Notes to the following game are based on those by Savielly Tartakower, but significantly updated by modern computer discoveries. Tartakower’s My Best Games of Chess come in two volumes and are available on Amazon, published by Hardinge Simpole.
 
Schlechter-Mieses: St Petersburg 1909; Centre Counter
 
1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Bc4 Nc6 6 Nge2 Be6 Black speeds up his development in an original manner. 7 Bd3 7 Bxe6 is the critical test of Black’s idea. 7 … 0-0-0 8 0-0 Bf5 9 Be3 Bxd3 10 Qxd3 Nb4 11 Qc4 Giving up the c-pawn in the hope of gaining an attack along the c-file. 11 … Nxc2 12 Rac1 Nxe3 13 fxe3 e6 14 e4 Rd7 Defending the weak points on both c7 and f7. 15 a3 Ng4 This initiates an attack by threatening to come in on e3 (diagram 1) 16 Rf3 Passive. White should prefer 16 Rxf7 Rxf7 (16 … Qh5 17 Qxe6 Qxf7 is very similar as 17 … Qxh2+ 18 Kf1 leads nowhere for Black) 17 Qxe6+ Rd7 18 Qxg4 with a dynamically equal position. 16 … Qg5 17 Nd1 Qd8 This retreat is unnecessary. 17 … c6 gives Black a good game. 18 Ndc3 Qg5 19 Nd1 Bd6 20 e5 This plausible move is disastrous. White should have played 20 h3. 20… Bxe5 21 dxe5 Qh4 This is strong but even better was the simple 21 … Nxe5 22 Qe4 Nxf3+ 23 Qxf3 Rhd8 with a crushing position (diagram 2) 22 Rg3 Allowing an attractive finish. White had to try 22 Qc3 Qxh2+ 23 Kf1 Qh1+ 24 Ng1 Nh2+ 25 Kf2 Nxf3 26 Nxf3 when White has some chances (compared to the variation at move 21) as the black position is rather disorganised and White maintains the important e5-pawn. 22 … Qxh2+ 23 Kf1 Rxd1+ 24 Rxd1 Qxg3 White resigns