17th September, 2003

FOR the second year running, an innovative new double round-robin

rapidplay tournament is underway in China, featuring eight of the

world's top players of both sexes.

The Kings and Queens Beijing Chess Challenge staged at the Resources

Hotel can be best described as the chess equivalent of mixed-doubles in

tennis, with top male and female players joining forces to play

alternate moves during a game.

The 4 "Kings" in question are GM Evgeny Bareev (Russia), GM Nigel Short

(England), GM Ye Jiangchuan (China) and GM Yasser Seirawan (USA); the 4

"Queens" being the Chinese quartet of GM Xie Jun, GM Zhu Chen, WGM Xu

Yuha and WGM Zhao Xue.

Before the tournament got underway, the players had to draw lots to

determine their partners for this unique event, the line-up being: Team

1: Zhao Xue/Nigel Short; Team 2: Xu Yuhua/Ye Jiangchuan; Team 3: Xie

Jun/Evgeny Bareev; Team 4: Zhu Chen/ Yasser Seirawan.

Despite on paper the Xie Jun/Bareev combination looking the strongest

with the two highest-rated players teaming up, this isn't the case as

one of the perils of this tournament is finding yourself being

"handicapped" with a partner of opposing chess styles, not to mention

incompatible opening repertoire.������

Zhao Xue/N Short - Zhu Chen/Y Seirawan

Kings and Queens, (1)

Modern Benoni

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 c5 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 Nc3 g6 7 Bg2 Bg7 8 Nf3

0-0 9 0-0 Na6 10 Re1 Nc7 11 a4 Re8 12 Nd2 b6 13 h3 Ba6 14 Qc2 Bb7 15 Qd3

Na6 16 Nc4 Nb4 17 Qd1 Ba6 18 Na3 Qd7 19 Bf4 Nh5 20 Bg5 Qf5 21 Bd2 Bd4 22

e3 Nd3 23 Rf1 Nxb2 24 Qb3 Bxf1 25 Rxf1 Qd3 26 Qxb2 Nxg3 27 exd4 Nxf1 28

Bxf1 Qf5 29 Nab5 Rad8 30 dxc5 dxc5 31 Qc1 Rd7 32 Bf4 Red8 33 Bg2 a6 34

Nc7 a5 35 Qe3 f6 36 Qe6+ Qxe6 37 dxe6 Rg7 38 N3d5 Kf8 39 Bh6 1-0

JOHN B HENDERSON