As the new year begins, I pay a final tribute to the city financier Jim Slater, who did so much to support British chess and who was instrumental, with Henry Kissinger, in rescuing Bobby Fischer’s challenge against Boris Spassky from Reykjavik 1972. Slater offered £50,000 to increase the World Championship prize fund, created awards and prizes for the first British grandmasters (of which I was a grateful recipient) and sponsored tournaments to promote British chess. This new year column celebrates Jim Slater’s first foray into sponsorship of chess. He died towards the end of 2015.
Keene-Whiteley; Slater Tournament, Southend 1968; English Opening
1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g3 g6 5 d4 cxd4 6 Nxd4 Bg7 7 Bg2 0-0 8 0-0 Nxd4 9 Qxd4 d6 10 Qd3 Rb8 More popular these days is 10 … Nd7.
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