 |
British
Championships 2000
|
|
John Henderson's Round 8 Report on Tuesday 8th August
CASUALTY WARD VICTIM
HOW many GM norms have you missed out on by half a point now, Danny? Is it six or seven? A fair enough question from a journalist, I thought. “I don’t know...don’t really care – I don’t think I’m ever going to get one of the stupid things,” replies Mr. Gormally, as he sits gingerly at the dining table.
Danny Gormally
Not for nothing has IM Danny Gormally got a reputation for being accident-prone. To refresh his memory, at the last count it was six GM norms missed by half a point due to one mishap or another. Off the board, Danny has just as many mishaps.
Here he was talking to me over dinner, feverishly fondling his latest acquisition from the local Pharmacist: one tube of “Deep Heat” cream and a packet of Strepsile throat lozenges. A strange combination, I thought at the time. “I’ve done myself a mischief again, haven’t I,” he informed me. Rather than go in to the gory details, suffice it to say that he’s now got a huge bruise on an uncomfortable part of his anatomy that could be construed as an occupational hazard for a chess player sitting all day.
However, that’s nothing on the accident that nearly befell him a few nights previously as he stopped off for a call of nature in the countryside. With his future literally in his hands, he was about to do what a man has to do beside a fence when a passing car disrupted him. It wasn’t till the next day that our webmaster, Alexis Harakis, discovered that the said fence was in fact electrified in order to keep the cattle in the field! Gormally was lucky this time – it could have been all over in a flash!
However he wasn’t so lucky over the board as he became the latest victim of Chris “Casualty” Ward in the eighth round of the Smith & Williamson British Championships at Millfield School in Somerset. With the pungent smell of the “Deep Heat” wafting from the top board, Gormally was forced, more or less, to play the final stages of this game from a standing position. Obviously a sore point for Mr. Gormally!
Chris’s win allowed him to snatch the sole lead with just three rounds of play left in the tournament. He now has 6.5/8, a half point clear of the chasing pack but now faces a tough task if he is to be champion for the second time with three of the top seeds now hot in pursuit as the tournament reaches its climax.
Chris Ward
Ward,C - Gormally,D [A45]
1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Qa5+ 5 c3 Nf6 6 d5 Qb6 7 Bc1 e6 8 c4 exd5 9 cxd5 c4 A strange move, the idea being to activate the black-squared bishop on the c5-g1 diagonal. 10 e3 10 e4!? Bc5 11 Nh3 d6 12 Bxc4 Bxh3 13 gxh3 0–0 14 Nc3 Nbd7 15 Kf1 a6 16 Na4 Qc7 17 Nxc5 Nxc5 18 Be2 Rae8 19 Rg1± Gurevich,M-Kochyev,A/Sverdlovsk/1984 10 ..Bc5 11 Kf2 0–0 12 Bxc4 d6 12 ..Re8 13 Qb3± 13 Ne2 Nbd7 13 ..Re8!? 14 Qb3 Nbd7 15 Rd1 Qd8 16 Nbc3 a6 14 Nbc3 Qc7?!
Black's position now gets difficult due to this retreat. Instead, Black seemed to equalise with 14 ..Ne5 15 Na4 (15 Bb3 Bf5 16 Na4 Qb4) 15 ..Qb4 16 b3 (16 Bb3 Bf5 17 Nxc5 Qxc5) 16 ..Nxc4 17 bxc4 Qxc4 18 Nxc5 Qxc5 19 Nf4 Re8 20 Re1 (20 Qd3!? g5 21 Ba3 Qa5 22 Ne2 Nxd5 23 e4 Qb6+) 20 ..g5 21 Nd3 Qb6 (21 ..Qxd5 22 Bb2) 22 Qb3 Qxb3 23 axb3 Nxd5 24 Ra5 (24 e4 Nc7 25 Bxg5 Be6 26 b4 Kg7) 24 ..Be6 25 e4 Ne7 26 Rxg5+ Ng6 27 f4 f6 28 Rb5 (28 Rg3 f5) 28 ..Rac8! (28 ..Bc8 29 f5 Ne5 30 Nf4±) 29 f5 Rc2+ 30 Kf1 (30 Re2? Rxe2+ 31 Kxe2 Bd7 32 Rxb7 Rxe4+ 33 Kf3 Bxf5) 30 ..Bd7 31 Rxb7 Bc6 32 Rc7 Nh4 33 Rxc6 (33 Re2 Rxe2 34 Kxe2 Bxe4) 33 ..Rxc6 34 Nb4 Rxc1 (34 ..Rcc8 35 Bf4 a5 36 Nd5 Kf7 37 Bg3±) 35 Rxc1 Rxe4 36 Nd5 Re5 37 Nxf6+ Kg7 A) 38 Nh5+ Kh6 39 g4 (39 Ng3 Nxf5=) 39 ..Nxf5!=; B) 38 Ng4 38 ..Rxf5+ 39 Kg1 Rb5 ½–½ Hodgson,J-Wells,P/Copenhagen 1996/CBM 54 (39) 15 Nd4! Immediately blocking the vulnerable a7-g1 diagonal. 15 ..Bb4 16 Be2 White has now successfully re-grouped and holds onto the pawn. 16 ..a6 17 e4 Bxc3 18 bxc3 Nc5 18 ..Qxc3? 19 Bg5! h6 20 Rc1 and White has a huge advantage. 19 Re1 Bd7 20 Bf1 Ba4 21 Qd2 Rfe8 22 Nf5 Ncxe4+ Rather than be pushed off the board, Gormally decides to throw the cat amongst the pigeons by heading for complications. 23 fxe4 Nxe4+ 24 Rxe4 Rxe4 25 Bd3 Qb6+ 26 Kf3!
"The King is an active piece - use it!" - Steinitz. 26 Kf1?! Bb5 27 a4 (27 Bxb5? Qxb5+ 28 Kf2 Qc5+ 29 Kf1 Rae8 wins for Black.) 27 ..Rf4+ 28 Qxf4 Bxd3+ 29 Ke1 Bxf5 30 Qxf5 Qg1+ 31 Kd2 Qxg2+ 32 Kd3 Re8 and Black should have enough to draw. 26 ..Re5 27 Qg5! g6 28 Bf4 Ward originally intended continuing with the promising looking 28 Qf6 Bd1+ 29 Kg3 gxf5 30 Bh6 f4+ 31 Kh3 only at the last second realising it lost to 31 ..Qe3+ 32 g3 Rh5+ 33 Qh4 Qxd3 28 ..Rxf5 29 Bxf5 Re8 30 Bd3 Time-trouble. Quicker would have been 30 Qf6! Qb5 31 Be4 Qc4 32 Qd4 Qxd4 33 cxd4 Rd8 34 Rb1 and White's taking an extra piece into the ending. 30 ..Bb5 31 Be3 Qa5 32 Bxb5 Qxb5 33 Re1?
33 Qf6! Qxd5+ 34 Kf2 Qe6 35 Bd4 Qxf6+ 36 Bxf6 avoids what follows. 33 ..f6! 34 Qf4 34 Qxf6?? Rf8 34 ..Re5 35 g4 Again 35 Qxf6?? Rf5+ 35 ..Qxd5+ 36 Kg3 Qe6 37 Qf2 Re4 Due to the time-scramble, White lets the game slip slightly. 38 h3 Qe5+ 39 Kg2 Qxc3 40 Bd2 Qe5 41 Rxe4 Qxe4+ 42 Qf3 Qe6 43 a3 d5 44 Bc3 Kf7 45 Kf2 Qd6 46 g5 f5 Despite the three pawns, exchanging queens gives White an easy life.. 46 ..Qc5+ 47 Kg2 f5 48 Qd3 b5 49 Qd4 Qxd4 50 Bxd4 Ke6 51 Kf3 Kd6 52 Kf4 Ke6 53 Bc5 a5 54 h4 47 Bd4 Qh2+ 48 Kf1 Qd6 49 Bf2 Qc6 50 Qe3 Qb5+ 51 Kg2 Qa4 52 Qb6 Qc6 53 Qd4 Ke6 54 Qf6+ Kd7 55 Qg7+ Kc8 56 Qh8+ Kc7 57 Qxh7+ Kc8 58 Qg8+ Kd7 59 Qf7+ Kc8 60 Qf8+ Kd7 61 Qg7+ Kc8 62 Qf6 Qe8 63 Kg1 Kd7 64 Qb6 Qe4 65 Qxb7+ Ke8 66 Qxa6 1–0
The top players showed no mercy as they made a concerted assault on the top prize of £10,000. The English international trio of defending champion Julian Hodgson, Jon Speelman and Murray Chandler pulled out all the stops for convincing wins also to stay on Ward’s tail with six points.
Ward took the sole lead after GM Murray Chandler comprehensively outplayed GM Mark Hebden. Hebden, who before the round started held the joint lead, repeated a favourite line in the Ruy Lopez that came under heavy scrutiny last year when he played Nigel Short at the Isle of Man. Although Hebden won the game, Short published a detailed analysis of how to play against it, which seems to have caught the attention of Chandler. More is revealed in IM Andrew Martin’s column below.
Julian Hodgson and Aaron Summerscale
Hodgson,J - Summerscale,A [D35]
1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 d5 3 d4 Be7! Playing at the top is all about move order. With 3 ..Be7, Summerscale avoids one of the most critical variations of the Exchange Queen's Gambit (with Bg5, e3, Bd3 and Nge2) that Hodgson would no doubt have played, given the chance. However, with 3..Be7, Summerscale avoids all of this. 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Bf4 The set-up as recommended all those years ago by the former world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, which is thus named “The Botvinnik System”. 5 ..Nf6 6 e3 Bf5 7 h3 0–0 8 g4 Be6 9 Bg2 c6 10 Nge2 Nbd7 10 ..Na6 was also an option:; 10 ..Na6 11 Bg3 c5 12 0–0 cxd4 13 exd4 Qb6 14 f4 Rad8 15 f5 Bc8 16 Qb3 Qxb3 17 axb3 Rfe8 18 Nf4 Bd6 19 Bh4 Bxf4 20 Rxf4 Rd6 21 Bxf6 gxf6 22 Nxd5 Bd7 23 Nc3 Bc6 24 d5 Bd7 25 Bf1 Rb6 26 Bc4 Nc5 27 Rxa7 Nxb3 28 Bxb3 Rxb3 29 Re4 Rd8 30 Ra2 h5 31 Kf2 hxg4 32 hxg4 Kg7 33 Ke3 Rh8 34 Re7 Rd8 35 Kf4 Kf8 36 Re4 Rc8 37 Ke3 Re8 38 Rxe8+ Kxe8 39 Kd4 Ke7 40 Kc4 Rb6 41 b4 Kd6 42 b5 Be8 43 Re2 Bd7 44 Re1 Kc7 45 Re7 1–0 Kharlov,A-Upton,T/Metz 1999/EXT 2000 (45) 11 0–0 Nb6 12 Bg3 Making room for the knight to move into f4. 12 ..Re8 13 b3 Rc8
13 ..Ba3!? has the advantage of stopping the rook occupying the c-file. 14 Rc1 Bd6 15 Bh4 a6? A move that proves to be a waste of time for Black, and one that allows Hodgson to start mobilising his pieces. 16 Rc2 Rc7 Black also had the chance to "mix it" with the more ambitious 16 ..h5!? 17 gxh5! (17 g5?! Nh7 18 Ng3 Qd7 19 Kh2 Bf5!) 17 ..Bf5 18 Rd2 Qe7 19 Ng3 Bxg3 20 fxg3 Qxe3+ 21 Kh2 Qxc3 22 Bxf6 Be6 23 Be5 Nd7 24 Bf4 Nf6 17 Qc1 Bc8 18 Nf4 Na8?
A sure sign that Black is unhappy with the continued threats to d5 as his pieces retreat as far back as possible. Black would have been better toughening it out with 18 ..Bxf4 19 exf4 Qd6 20 Re1 Rce7 21 Rce2 Rxe2 22 Rxe2 Rxe2 23 Nxe2 with good hopes of holding the ending. 19 Nh5! Be7 20 Bxf6 Bxf6 21 Nxf6+ gxf6 21 ..Qxf6? 22 Nxd5! cxd5 23 Rxc7 Nxc7 24 Qxc7 with a winning advantage. 22 Ne2
Heading for h5 via f4 where it will pressurize f6 and g7. 22 ..f5 Black's only option. 23 f3 Qg5 23 ..fxg4 24 fxg4 Qg5 25 Nf4! 24 Nf4 Rce7 25 e4! dxe4 26 fxe4 fxe4 27 Rc5! Qh4 27 ..Qf6 28 Qc3 and Nh5 is soon coming. 28 Nh5 f5 29 Qh6 Rf8 29 ..Kh8 30 Re5! Rg8 31 Qf6+ Qxf6 32 Nxf6 Rxe5 33 dxe5 Rd8 34 gxf5 is hopeless. 30 g5 Qg3 Time-trouble, but Black's doomed anyway. 30 ..Nb6 31 Re5! 31 Nxg3 1–0
ANDY’S BIT’S ‘N’ PIECES
IM Andrew Martin’s game of the day is one with some “history” that I was fortunate enough to witness. Hebden played his pet variation of the Lopez at last years Monarch Assurance Open in the Isle of Man against Nigel Short. Although Hebden won, Short spent the best part of the afternoon in the analysis room trying to convince Hebden (and others), that he’d just made a bad move and that this was nothing more than a bad line for Black.
Hebden, however, swears by the variation (although after this game it may be a different sort of swearing!), and tried to rebut all of Nosher’s improvements. Short had the last laugh, though. Confirming that old journalistic adage that you shouldn’t argue with someone whose employer buys paper by the ton and ink by the gallon, the following week in his Sunday Telegraph column, Short defused the whole line with his detailed analysis (spotted by Chandler), and at the same time denouncing Hebden as “...nothing more than a coffee-house merchant...”. Miaow!
Nigel Short
Hey may be coffee-house, Nigel, but at least its of the Gold Blend variety!
Mark Hebden
Chandler,M - Hebden,M [C96]
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0–0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 0–0 8 c3 d6 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Re8!? Hebden clearly believes in this original idea of Yasha Murey-he has dabbled with it many times. Black tries to save time by omitting ...Qc7 and ..h6, both traditional Chigorin moves. The price is high- a clear pawn, but positions are reached which resemble the Marshall Attack. 12 dxe5!
The only move which challenges 11...Re8. White has to take this pawn. 12 ..dxe5 13 Nxe5 Bb7 Black got a shock after 13 ..Bd6 14 Nxf7!! (BANG! Most unexpected, and consigns 13...Bd6 to the scrapheap) 14 ..Kxf7 15 e5 Qe7 16 Bf4! Bc7 17 Re3 Qd7 18 e6+ Rxe6 19 Qxd7+ Bxd7 20 Bxc7 Sax-Hebden London 1993 14 Qf3 Chandler clearly put in a lot of time and effort anticipating Hebden's opening choice. Whilst 14 Qf3 appears good, there are other moves too: 14 Nd2 Bd6 15 Nef3 Qc7 16 b3 Rad8 Typical of the activity Black acquires in this variation. It's difficult to believe it though. 17 Bb2 c4 18 Qe2 Bc5 (18 ..Bf4 19 Rad1 g6 20 e5 Rxd2 21 Nxd2 Rxe5 22 Qf1 1–0 Ernst,T-Hebden,M/Malmo 1987/TD (32)) 19 Rac1 Nh5 20 b4 Ng3 21 Qd1± 1–0 Howell,J-Hebden,M/Eastbourne 1991/EXT 97 (41); 14 Qxd8 Bxd8 15 Ng4 Nxe4= ½–½ Lutz,C-Emms,J/Copenhagen 1995/CBM 47 ext (22) 14 ..Bf8 15 Bf4 Re6 16 Ng4 Nc4 17 Nxf6+ Qxf6N
The positional exchange sacrifice with 17 ..Rxf6!? was the subject of some controversy in Short-Hebden, Monarch Assurance 1999. Short just didn't believe not only in the exchange sacrifice, but also the whole idea of the pawn sacrifice. After miss-playing the position with 18 Bg5?!, Black got sufficient compensation for the exchange, and went on to win the game - a result that deeply upset Mr. Short as it cost him first prize. The following week in his Sunday Telegraph column, Short denounced Hebden as "..nothing more than a coffee-house merchant..", and proceeded to show how he should have continued. A) 18 b3!? An important zwischenzug which gives White an improved version of the game. 18 ..Bd6 (18 ..Ne5 19 Qe3 Re6 20 Nd2±) 19 Bg5! gives White a better version of the game. 19 ..Rxf3 20 Bxd8 Rxd8 21 gxf3 Ne5 22 Kg2+-; B) 18 Bg5?! Somewhat rash. Black gets a lot of play for the exchange. 18 ..Rxf3 19 Bxd8 Rxd8 20 gxf3 Nxb2 Black's compensation is to be found in the ruptured white §-formation and his more harmonious position. 21 a4 b4 22 Ra2 Nc4 23 Rd1 Re8 24 cxb4 cxb4 25 Nd2 Ne5 26 Bb3 (26 f4 Ng6 27 f5 Nf4) 26 ..Rd8 27 Kg2 Rd3 28 Bc2?! (28 Rb2) 28 ..Rc3 29 Bb1 Bc6 30 Nf1 (30 f4 Ng6) 30 ..Nxf3 31 Ne3 b3 (Clearly White's condition hasn't improved over the last few moves.) 32 Rb2 Nh4+ 33 Kg3 g5 34 Kg4 (34 Rd3 Rxd3 35 Bxd3 Bxa4 36 Bxa6 Bg7 37 Rb1 b2) 34 ..h6 35 Rd8 Kg7 36 Rbd2 Bc5 37 Bd3 Bxe3 38 fxe3 Bxa4 39 e5 Bc6 40 Rf2 (RR 40 Rf2 a5 41 e6 fxe6 42 e4 Ng6 0–1 Short,N-Hebden,M/Port Erin 1999/CBM 74 (42) 18 Nd2 Ne5 18 ..Nxb2 19 Rab1! A very strong move. Black can thrash around but it all comes to naught. 19 ..g5 20 Bg3 Qxf3 21 Nxf3 Bg7 22 Nxg5 Rg6 23 e5! Rxg5 24 Rxb2 h5 25 h4 Rg4 26 Bd1 Rc4 27 Re3± Black's Kingside is ripe for the taking. 19 Qg3 Qd8 19 ..Rae8 20 Bg5 Qg6 21 f4! That's the key idea. The extra central pawn pushes Black off the board. 21 ..Be7 22 h4 Bxg5 23 hxg5 Rd6 24 f5± 20 Rad1 Ng6 21 Nc4 Qe7 21 ..Qe8 22 Nd6 Bxd6 23 Bxd6 Bxe4 24 Bxe4 Rxe4 25 Rxe4 Qxe4 26 Bxc5 Re8 27 Qd3± 22 Bd6 Qe8 23 Nb6 It was also possible to take on f8 eg 23 Bxf8 removing the dark-squared Bishop exposes d6: 23 ..Qxf8 24 Nd6 Qe7 25 b4 cxb4 26 cxb4 Bc6 27 Bb3± 23 ..Rd8 24 Bxf8 Nxf8 25 Qc7!± A very good move indeed. Hebden is a genius at coordinating his pieces but this position is even too much for him. f2-f4 is imminent and once White arranges this advance, Black will be finished. 25 ..Rb8 26 Nd5 c4 27 Rd2 Bxd5 28 Rxd5 Rc6 29 Qg3 Ne6 30 Red1 g6 31 f4!+-
31 ..Nc5 31 ..Rc5 32 Rd6 32 f5! Incisive. An alternative method of attack lay in 32 Qh4 f6 33 e5!‚ 32 ..Na4 33 Qg5 f6 34 Qg3 Nxb2 35 R1d4! The final touch. In order to restore the material balance, Hebden has to strand his Knight. Chandler's attack is crushing. 35 ..g5 35 ..Nd3 36 Bxd3 cxd3 37 Qxd3 36 e5 fxe5 37 Rxe5 Perhaps 37 Qxg5+! is even better 37 ..Kh8 38 Rd7 Qg8 39 Rd8! 37 ..Qf8 38 Qxg5+ Kh8 39 Re7 Qf6 39 ..Qh6 40 Qg3 Rg8 41 Qe5+ A) 41 ..Qf6 42 Rdd7! Rg6 (42 ..Rgc8 43 Re8+ Rxe8 44 Qxe8+) 43 Qb8+ Rc8 44 Rxh7+ Kg8 45 Qxc8+ Qf8 46 Qxf8+ Kxf8 47 Rd8#; B) 41 ..Rf6 42 Re6 Rgf8 43 Rdd6 40 Rxh7+!!
It's a forced mate now: 40 ..Kxh7 41 Rh4+ Qh6 42 f6+! Nd3 43 Rxh6# 1–0