Searching for Julian Navaratnam

Below is an article publish by me  almost four years ago (17th April 2006)  in my old blog . I republish it with some amendment. 

Do your still remember Julian Navaratnam? He is once a season and strong chess player in  local chess scene during the 90’s . He has won quite a number of local tournaments and frequently occupied  top ten placing in  local tournaments. Unfortunately he disappear from chess scene a couple years before for unknown reason. Perhaps somebody know what he`s doing right now and i hope to hear about him soon. For anyone who doesn’t know him, he looks like Anand - with extras kilo - a lot of kilo actually :).

During his active year he play in almost all tournaments in the country, a kind of  professional chess player. I don’t know how he earn his living but i do know that he once wrote a mathematic text book for secondary school (Sasbadi Publishing if not mistaken).

I have played him once in National Blitz Championship in the 90’s (1996 if i’m not mistaken ) at the Amcorp Mall Petaling Jaya and won the game. Unfortunately i can’t remember the full game but i do remember that i was  playing black and used the  Philidor Defense. During the middle game i blunder an exchange -1 pieces for two pawns . Julian try to produced mated by attacking  my king side all out but somehow i managed to defend it and the attack falter. Then i slowly convert my pawn majority on the queen side and queen on of them. The game has a slight controversial endings because in time scrable , my flag  drop ( yes, we used analog clock at that time) exactly when i was delivering mate in the final position. We both consult the arbiter and the arbiter awarded the point to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t pretend that i’m superior than Julian because i still think he’s much much better than me. It`s just  only that in that particular game i somehow manage to swindle the position by god’s will. I still remember when we play a training game at The Stove Dayabumi , he whacked me like i`m a beginner.

Julian is really a strong player and i think he can at least achieve International Master if he still play seriously. If anybody knows what`s he`s doing right now  i’m glad to hear about it. Below is his game against another  local and strong chess player Jax ThamTick Hong.

Julian Navaratnam vs 

Jax Tham

Merdeka Team , 31.8.1998

1.e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nc6   

5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Qd8 10. Be3 Be7 11. h3 Bh5  

12. Ne5 

Alternative is  12. Qb3 0 Bxf3? 13. Bxf3 Nxd4 14. Qa4+ Nc6 15. 

Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Qxc6+ Kf8  

12... Bxe2 12... Nxe5 13. dxe5 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 Nd7 15.  

Rfd1 Qa5 16.Qf3 Qa6 17. Rxd7 Kxd7 18. Qxf7 

12... Nxd4? 13. Bxh5  l

ost a piece 

13. Qxe2 13. Nxc6? Bxd1 14. Nxd8 Be2 15. Nxe2 (15. Rfe1?  

Ba6) 15... Rxd8 

13... O-O 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Rfc1 Qd7 15... Rc8 16. Na4 Qd5  

17. Nc5 Bd6

 16. Na4 Nd5 17. Nc5 Bxc5 18. Rxc5

black has a weak and isolated  

pawn on c6 which  is the main target for white pieces. However black has a  

strong outpost on d5 for his knight which can`t be challanged easily by  

white`s pieces and not to forget white`s isolated pawn on d4.

 18...Rfc8 19. Rac1 h6  

20. Qf3 20. Qg4! Kh7 21. Qe4+ Kg8 22. Qg4 Kh7 (22... Nxe3! 23. fxe3 Rab8 

24. b3)

 20... Kf8 21. Qe4 Rab8 22. b3 Rb6 23. Ra5   

My deadly tactician Fritz gave the following line 23. Qh7? Nf6 24. Qh8+ Ng8  

25. d5!! 

The main idea.  

25...exd5 26. R5c3 Threatening Bc5+! d4 27. Bxh6 gxh6  

28. Rg3 winning  

 23... Rd8 24. Qh7 f5 25. Bxh6!?

25. Rxa7 Is probably better   

Qxa7 26. Qh8+ Kf7 (26... Ke7?? 27. Qxg7+ Ke8 28. Qxa7) 27. Qxd8 f4 28. Bd2   

Qxa2 29. Qd7+ Kf6? 30. Re1! Qxd2?? 31. Qxe6+ Kg5 32. Re5+ Kh4 33. Qg4# checkmate

25... Nf6? Actually black can take the   

sacrifiece and force a draw  for e.g  25... gxh6 26. Qh8+ Kf7   

(26... Ke7 27. Qg7+ Ke8 (   

27... Kd6?? 28. Qe5+ Ke7 29. Rxa7 Rb7 30. Rxb7 Qxb7 31. Qg7+) 28. Qg8+ Ke7 29.  

Qg7+ .)   

27. Qh7+ Ke8 28. Qh8+ Kf7   

Maybe Jax has to play for a win because his team need the point.

26. Qg6  

26. Qh8+ Is also strong  

26... Qf7 ? 26... Nd5   

Is better 

27. Qxf7+ Kxf7 28. Rxa7+ Rd7 29. Rxd7+ Nxd7 30. Be3 

White is two pawn up. 

30...Ra6 31. a4 Ke7 32. Rc4 Kd6 33. Kf1 Nb6 34. Rb4 g6 35.  

Bf4+ Kd5 36. Bc7 Nd7 37. Ke2 Ra7 38. Bb6 Rb7 39. a5 e5?  

39... Rb8 Is lesser evil 

40. dxe5 c5 40... Nxe5 41. a6 Re7 (41... Rb8 42.  

a7 Ra8 43. Rd4+ Ke6 44. Rd8) 42. Rd4+ Ke6 43. a7 Re8 44. Rd8) (40... Kxe5??  

41. Bd4+

41. Bxc5 

41...Rc7 The bishop is poison 41... Nxc5 42. Rxb7 Nxb7 43. a6 The a pawn queen 

42.

Rd4+ Kxe5 42... Kxc5 43. Rc4+ Kd5 44. Rxc7 

43. Bd6+ Kxd4 44. Bxc7 Kc5 45. Kf3  

Kc6 46. Bd8 Black resign 1-0