British Championships 2000 sponsored by Smith & Williamson

John Henderson's Round 3 Report on Wednesday 2nd August

SUMMERSCALE, AND THE LIVING IS EASY...

WHO was it that said that marriage can ruin your chess? This rule obviously doesn’t seem to apply to GM Aaron Summerscale.

Aaron and Claire Summerscale

Recently married in April to long-time girlfriend Claire Lusher (with exotic – I do hope I spelt that correctly, Claire! - honeymoon to Kenya to boot), his game has never been better. Not only is he in first place in the UK Terence Chapman Grand Prix (£3,000 first prize), here he is, after a good win in round three against our antipodean friend Murray Chandler (which you will find annotated below by Andy Martin), on the top board and leading the tournament with 3/3, standing a good chance of the £10,000 first prize.

The reason for his good form of late? With a wry smile on his face, and with his hands full of shopping bags, Aaron answers, “Wife with terrible spending habit to support, Guv!”. The story goes that poor Claire recently had her credit card stolen and Aaron still hasn’t reported it to the bank. “Why should I? Whoever stole it is spending less than Claire did!”

But on a serious note: both are actively involved in also supplementing there living by teaching in schools in the London area. For the last five years – and with great success - Aaron has been passing on his finely honed skills to youngsters, with Claire joining in with the teaching last year. Both of whom are pleasantly surprised by the steady progress being made by their young charges – especially the progress made at encouraging girls to play the game.

Lizette and Julian Hodgson

They’ve recently joined forces with that other well know British “Mr & Mrs.”, Julian and Lizette Hodgson, to form the UK GM Chess Club, which will be looking at an new and innovative fun way to teach the game to children below the age of 13. On 30^th September at Croydon High School in London, the Summerscales and the Hodgsons will be holding their first “training congress”. Anyone interested in their pioneering new venture – or looking for an experienced chess teacher for schools in the London area – can contact Aaron via email at 101537.3207@compuserve.com

And, while were on the subject of chess in schools, it was announced yesterday at Millfield School that talented young chess players between the ages of 7 to 16-year-old are to be offered scholarships in chess.

With 23 tennis courts, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a golf course, Millfield, whose old boys include sporting heroes such as rugby internationalist Gareth Edwards, Olympic swimming medallist Duncan Goodhew and tennis internationalist Mark Cox, has always been highly regarded for its top-level sports coaching. Now, with the aid of the former world championship challenger Nigel Short, they are looking to branch out by improving their academic reputation with the formation of an elite chess presence in the school, under the watchful eye of their resident chess coach, IM Andrew Martin.

Nigel Short

“The Nigel Short Chess Scholarship” - worth half the annual fee of (and more if assistance is merited or in the case of financial hardship) up to £14,000 - will included individual programmes of study, Masterclasses and professional individual tuition from both Short and Martin. “From the chess world’s point of view,” said Andrew Martin, “this seemed like a good way of promoting chess and raising its profile as a valuable part of education. We hope we can offer a very good education and unrivalled opportunities for developing chess talent.”

The closing date for applications is Friday 22^nd September, and anyone interested in applying (or for further information) should contact Admissions at Millfield School by telephone at (0)1458-444296 (fax: 01458-447276) or by email at admissions@millfield.somerset.sch.uk

Only one other school in the UK can claim to match this level of support in chess training, and that’s Oakham School in Rutland (chess coach Graham Lee), who now have a similar venture called the Kasparov Scholarship, supported by world champion Garry Kasparov. To date Oakham’s star pupil on the chessboard has been the former world under-18 champion, Nick Pert, who lost in round three to the 1996 British Champion, Chris “Emergency” Ward.

Nick Pert and Chris Ward

Pert,N - Ward,C [A48]

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 c5 Chris is basically a Nimzo-Indian player - and would have played into it had White went 2 c4 and 3 Nc3 - but also likes to play the Benoni - especially when his opponent has cut out the nasty f4 and Bb5+ variations. 3 e3 g6 4 dxc5 Qa5+ 5 Nbd2 Bg7 6 a3 Qxc5 7 b4 Qc7 8 Bb2 0–0 9 c4 a5 10 Be2 Nc6 11 Qb3 axb4 12 axb4 White's set-up is Reti-esque in appearance, which suits the style of Pert. 12 ..Rxa1+ 13 Bxa1 b6 14 0–0 Bb7 15 Bb2 [15 Bc3!? Ra8 16 Qb2 was also worth looking at.] 15 ..Ra8! Black can't let White take the a-file. 16 Rc1 Ng4 17 Bxg7 Kxg7 18 h3 Nge5! 19 Qc3 f6 Cementing the central knight on e5. 20 c5 Ra2! 21 b5 Nxf3+ 22 Bxf3 Na5 [22 ..Nd8!] 23 Bxb7?!

[Missing the - admittedly hard to spot - continuation 23 c6! dxc6 24 bxc6 Nxc6 25 Nb3! (heading for d4 and e6) 25 ..Ra3 26 Qb2 Qd6 27 Nc5! winning.] 23 ..Nxb7 24 c6 Nc5 25 Nf3? [25 Ne4!! looks as if it saves White: 25 ..Nxe4 26 Qc4 Rxf2 27 Qxe4 Qg3 28 cxd7 Rxg2+ 29 Qxg2 Qxe3+ 30 Kh2 Qf4+ with a draw.] 25 ..Rxf2!

26 Kxf2 Ne4+ 27 Ke2 Nxc3+ 28 Rxc3 Kf8 Heading for c8 to free the Queen. 29 Nd4 Ke8 30 Rc2 [30 cxd7+ Qxd7 31 Rc6 Qd5 32 Kf2 e5 33 Ne6 Qd2+ 34 Kf1 Qxe3 wins simply for Black.] 30 ..e5 31 Nb3 dxc6 32 bxc6 [32 Rxc6 Qf7! 33 Nd2 Qd5 34 Rxb6 (34 Rxf6 Qxb5+) 34 ..Qxg2+ 35 Kd3 Qxh3 is also hopeless.] 32 ..Kd8 33 Nd2 Kc8 34 Kd1 Qd6 35 c7 Qd3! Unfortunately its impossible for White to re-route the knight to good effect to d6 or b6 as his pieces are all tied up. 36 e4 f5 37 exf5 gxf5 38 Rc6 [38 Kc1 Qa3+ 39 Kb1 b5! stopping Nc4, wins.] 38 ..Qd5 39 Rc3 e4 40 Ke2 Qd4 41 Rc6 b5 42 Rc1 Qd3+ 43 Ke1 Qe3+ 0–1

ANDY’S BIT’S ‘N’ PIECES

Aaron Summerscale vs Murray Chandler

Summerscale,A - Chandler,M [D58]

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 0–0 7 e3 b6 8 Bd3

An efficient and simple enough way of meeting the Tartakower Variation. White relies on natural development and superior control of the centre. Nothing fancy at all! 8 ..Bb7 9 0–0 Nbd7 10 Bg3!?

An important and interesting moment. White anticipates Black's upcoming idea of ..Ne4. He avoids an exchange on e7 which would only help Black's major pieces to enter the game. Obviously Chandler can still play ..Ne4 and take on g3 but that's a different sorry. Black is still a little cramped. 10 ..c5 11 Qe2! Kramnik's favourite, connecting the Rooks and setting up the positional threat of cxd5 to be followed by Ba6, when Black's d pawn looks sickly. [RR 11 cxd5 Nxd5 12 Rc1 cxd4 13 Nxd5 Bxd5 14 e4 Bb7 15 Bc7 Qe8 16 Nxd4 Rc8 17 Bb5 a6 18 Ba4 b5 19 Nxb5 Nc5 20 Nd6 Qxa4 21 Rxc5 Qxd1 22 Rxd1 Bxe4 23 Rc3 Bxd6 24 Rxd6 Ra8 25 Ba5 Bd5 26 a3 Rfb8 27 b4 Rc8 28 Rc5 Rxc5 29 bxc5 Rc8 30 Bb6 Rc6 31 f3 ½–½ Atalik,S-Beliavsky,A/Ulcinj 1998/EXT 99 (31); RR 11 Rc1 a6 12 cxd5 Nxd5 13 Nxd5 exd5 14 dxc5 bxc5 15 Bf5 g6 16 Qb3 Nb6 17 Bb1 Rc8 18 Rfd1 Bf6 19 Be5 Re8 20 Bxf6 Qxf6 21 Qc3 d4 22 exd4 Nd5 23 Qb3 Ba8 24 Rxc5 Rb8 25 Qa3 Nf4 Romanishin,O-Olafsson,H/Linares 1999/CBM 68 ext/½–½ (48)(RR 25 ..Nf4 26 Re5 Rxe5 27 dxe5 Qe6 28 h3 Nxh3+ 29 Kh1 Nf4 30 Qd6 Rxb2 31 Qxe6 fxe6 32 Ne1 Bd5 33 Rc1 Bxa2 34 Bxa2 Rxa2 35 g3 Nd5 36 Nd3 g5 37 Nc5 Kf7 38 Rb1 a5 39 Rb7+ Kg6 40 Nxe6 Kf5 41 Nc7 Nxc7 42 Rxc7 a4 43 Rc5 a3 44 Ra5 Ra1+ 45 Kg2 g4 46 Kh2 Ke6 47 Kg2 h5 48 Kh2 ½–½ Romanishin,O-Olafsson,H/Linares 1999/CBM 68 ext (48)) ] 11 ..a6N [11 ..Ne4 12 cxd5 exd5 13 Rad1 Ndf6 (RR 13 ..Bf6 14 Bxe4 dxe4 15 Ne5 cxd4 16 Rxd4 Nxe5 17 Rxd8 Rfxd8 18 Bxe5 Bxe5 19 Rd1 Bxc3 20 bxc3 Ba6 21 Rxd8+ Rxd8 22 Qc2 Bd3 23 Qb2 Re8 24 Qa3 a6 25 Qd6 Re6 26 Qd8+ Kh7 27 f4 f5 28 Qd5 Rf6 29 c4 h5 30 Kf2 h4 31 g3 hxg3+ 32 hxg3 Kg6 33 g4 fxg4 34 Kg3 Kh7 35 a4 a5 36 Kxg4 Kh8 37 Kg5 Kh7 38 f5 Rh6 39 Kf4 Rf6 40 Ke5 Rh6 41 Kd4 Rf6 42 Ke5 Rh6 43 Kf4 Rf6 44 Qd8 Rh6 45 c5 bxc5 46 Qxa5 Kg8 47 Qxc5 Rf6 48 Ke5 Kf7 49 a5 Rh6 50 Qc7+ Kf8 51 Kd5 Rf6 52 Kd4 Kg8 53 Qe7 Ra6 54 Qe8+ Kh7 55 Qd8 Rh6 56 Ke5 Ra6 57 Qd5 Kh8 ½–½ Vyzmanavin,A-Kotronias,V/Moscow 1989/MAS D58 JK (57)) ; 11 ..cxd4 12 exd4 dxc4 13 Bxc4 Bb4 aims for a position akin to the Nimzo-Indian. Black wants to take on c3 and pile down the c and d files with his major pieces. Well played but Ftacnik provides the solution : (RR 13 ..a6 14 a4 Bb4 15 Rac1 Nh5 16 d5 Nxg3 17 hxg3 exd5 18 Nxd5 Bc5 19 b4 Bd6 20 Rfd1 Nf6 21 Ne3 Qe7 22 Nh4 Be4 23 Qd2 Bc7 24 Nhf5 Bxf5 25 Nxf5 Qe5 26 Bd3 Bd8 27 Re1 Qd5 28 Rc4 Re8 29 Rxe8+ Nxe8 30 Ne7+ 1–0 Vyzmanavin,A-Beliavsky,A/Novosibirsk 1995/CBM 50/[Ftacnik] (30)) 14 Nb5! Ne4 15 Bc7! Qe8 (15 ..Qf6 16 a3 Be7 17 Bd3 Ng5 18 Ne5±) 16 a3 Be7 17 Bf4 Qd8 18 Rac1 Ndf6 19 Nc7 Rc8 20 Ba6± Ftacnik] 12 cxd5 exd5 13 Rad1!N

A move which I like very much but the baffled Commentary Room took 25 guesses to get it! It was obvious that nobody wanted to block in the Rook on f1. White's idea is deep. He sees that Black will eventually have to play ..Ne4 after which the Knight will be removed and White can follow-up with f2-f3! Black is still OK here but he really has to be accurate. It's a tough test for Murray Chandler. [RR 13 dxc5 Nxc5 14 Rfd1 Nxd3 15 Qxd3 Re8 16 Rac1 b5 17 Ne2 Rc8 18 Rxc8 Qxc8 19 Rc1 Qa8 20 Ned4 Rc8 21 Rd1 Ne4 22 Nf5 Bf8 23 Bf4 Qa7 24 N3d4 Qb6 25 h4 Nc5 26 Qe2 Ne6 27 Be5 g6 Moiseenko,A-Chehlov,A/St. Petersburg 1998/EXT 99/1–0 (49); RR 13 dxc5 Nxc5 14 Rfd1 Nxd3 15 Qxd3 Re8 16 Rac1 b5 17 Ne2 Rc8 18 Rxc8 Qxc8 19 Rc1 Qa8 20 Ned4 Rc8 21 Rd1 Ne4 22 Nf5 Bf8 23 Bf4 Qa7 24 N3d4 Qb6 25 h4 Nc5 26 Qe2 Ne6 27 Be5 g6 28 Ng3 Nxd4 29 Bxd4 Qe6 30 h5 Bd6 31 f4 g5 32 Qf3 g4 33 Qe2 f5 34 Qd3 Rf8 35 Rc1 Rf7 36 Rc2 Bb8 37 b3 Bc8 38 Kf2 Qe8 39 Bb2 Kh7 40 Qxd5 Ba7 41 Bd4 Be6 42 Qc6 Qxc6 43 Rxc6 Bxd4 44 Rxe6 Bc3 45 Rxa6 Bb4 46 a4 bxa4 47 bxa4 Be7 48 Ra7 Kg7 49 Ke2 1–0 Moiseenko,A-Chehlov,A/St. Petersburg 1998/EXT 99 (49)] 13 ..c4N 14 Bb1 b5 Battle lines are drawn. Black has the Queenside majority, White the possibility of a Kingside attack connected with either Ne5 or e3-e4! Worried by e3-e4, Chandler takes immediate measures to stop it. 15 a3! Necessary. 15 ..Ne4 16 Nxe4 dxe4 17 Nd2 Nf6 18 Bh4 Re8 19 f3! There it is; and White holds the initiative. But Black's position is still fully defensible. 19 ..exf3 20 Nxf3 Ne4?! He's still angling for the exchange on e7 but 20 ..Be4! (B.Lalic) was better. Then White can spice things up with 21 Ne5 but 21 ..Bxb1 22 Rxb1 Qd5! (Harriet Hunt) and Black controls the critical central squares. He may or may not be able to hold White’s central pawns back as the game continues but this is certainly better than what happens.] 21 Bxe7 Qxe7 22 Ne5 f6 23 Ng6 Qf7 24 Nh4 g6? A move that was absolutely slated in the Commentary Room by Grandmaster and amateur alike - not a single person liked this horrible weakening of the Kingside. But, coming into mutual time-trouble, it's understandable. Chandler pushes the game towards the brink hoping that Summerscale will go wrong and what's more, he nearly pulls it off! Objectively best was 24 ..Rad8! allowing 25 Nf5 and Black will have to take his chances. He can always angle to exchange that pesky Knight with ...Nd6 after all.] 25 Qg4 Kh7 26 d5!! A great move, cutting communication. White should be winning now. 26 ..h5 27 Qf3 Bxd5 28 Nxg6! Black will rue his Kingside pawn advances now. 28 ..Bc6 29 Nh4 Re5 30 Nf5??

But this is nothing short of a tragedy. White could have crowned a fine game with 30 Rd6!! - after which there's simply no way back. A crushing fork on c6 and f6. 30 ..Bd5 31 Rxf6] 30 ..Kh8 31 Nd6?! Looks totally winning and short of time, so why not? But the fact is that 31 Rd4! increased the pressure to the maximum: 31 ..Rae8 32 Nd6 Nxd6 33 Qxc6 Nb7 34 Rxf6+-] 31 ..Qe6 32 Nxe4 Bxe4 33 Bxe4 Rxe4 34 Qxh5+ Kg7 35 Qc5 Keeps the game on the boil. Queen endings were available, probably winning but a lot of hard work: [35 Rf4 Re8 (35 ..Rxf4 36 exf4 Rd8 37 Kf2 Qb6+ 38 Kf1 Rxd1+ 39 Qxd1) 36 Rxe4 Qxe4 37 Rd7+ Re7 38 Rxe7+ Qxe7 39 Qg4+ Kf7 40 Qd4±] 35 ..Rc8 36 Qa7+ Kg6 37 Rf3 Rg4 38 Rd7 Another win goes begging: 38 Rh3! Qg8 39 Qxa6 Rc5 40 Rf1 38 ..Rg8 39 Qc7 Qe4 40 Qb7 Qxb7?

The last move before the time-control and Murray misses a tremendous shot with 40 ..Rxg2+!! 41 Kxg2 loses! 41 ..Kh6+ 42 Kf1 Qb1+ 43 Ke2 Qxb2+ 44 Rd2 Rg2+ 45 Rf2 Rxf2+ 46 Kxf2 Qxd2+ what a turnaround! The only move is 41 Kf1 although White would have to call on all his energy to find it eg 41 ..Qxb7 42 Rxb7 Rg5 43 Rb6 Rf5 44 Rxf5 Kxf5 45 Rxa6 Rh8!= This is a much better ending for Black than the game. His King and Rook are very active and he should hold easily. 41 ..Kh6+ 42 Kf1 Qb1+ 43 Ke2 Qxb2+ 44 Rd2 Rg2+ 45 Rf2 Rxf2+ 46 Kxf2 Qxd2+–+ What a turnaround! 41 Rxb7 It's not too early to say that White is winning. The Rook on b7 is the key, very actively posted. On top of that, Black's Rooks are awkward and he is, after all, a pawn down. Murray Chandler puts up the usual obdurate resistance but it's gone. 41 ..Rd8 42 Rb6 Rd1+ 43 Rf1 Rxf1+ 44 Kxf1 c3 The best move. Black gets his Rook into the action. 45 bxc3 Ra4 46 Kf2 Rxa3 47 Kf3 Kf5 48 h4 Rxc3 49 Rxa6 Rc4 50 g3 Kg6 51 Rb6 Rb4 52 g4 Kg7 53 e4 Rb1 54 e5!+- Well played ! Aaron Summerscale finds a home for his King. 54 ..fxe5 55 Ke4 Rb4+ 56 Kf5 Rf4+ 57 Kg5 Walk right in. Sit right down! 57 ..b4 58 h5 Rc4 59 Rb7+ Kg8 60 h6 With the idea of h7+ and Kh6, ending the game. 60 ..e4 61 Kh5 The King has to take a slight detour to avoid flank checks but White still wins by a tempo. 61 ..e3 62 g5 e2 63 h7+ Kh8 64 Kh6 An exciting struggle, value for money, accurately reflecting the character of both participants. 1–0