John Henderson Reports on the British Championships in Scarborough

Round 6 Saturday 4th August 2001

HERE COMES THE REIGN

WHAT happened to that big yellow thing in the sky? I’m afraid we’ve returned to the more traditional British seaside weather in not-so-sunny-now-Scarborough: Rain – and plenty of it!

Just when we were getting used to soaking up the rays with Havana-like weather on the Scarborough beach, the skies literally opened, with many of the players being caught unawares en route to the tournament hall to end up soaking up something else other than rays.

Reigning(!) Champion Julian Hodgson was one of the punters caught out when the weather took a turn for the worse, but unfortunately for his opponent, Matthew Turner, it made no difference as Hodgson took a step nearer to reclaiming his title for the third consecutive year with a nice win.

He's very patriotic, is Julian - right down to his Union Jack boxer shorts. And any time he plays in the "British", you can be sure he plays to win the national title. Hodgson also holds the record for the best ever score (an unbeaten 10/11 at Eastbourne 1991) in the tournament. He's what you would describe as a good tip to win.

Which neatly brings me to top online betting firm Flutter.com (http://www.flutter.com), who are offering odds (and generous at that) on the overall winner of the Smith & Williamson British Championships. Prices on offer after round six, are: Hodgson 3/1, Miles 7/1, Chandler 8/1, Emms 8/1, Lalic 10/1, Ward 10/1, Wells 10/1, Gallagher 12/1, Rowson 12/1, Hebden 20/1, Shaw 20/1, 25/1 Bar.

One of the major benefits of online gambling is that it gives you the opportunity to lose money from anywhere in the world. But, placed at 3/1 going into the final week when he’s still in the lead, I’d say that’s worth a little flutter or two. That’s a good price: so much so, I’d seriously consider putting my shirt on the Master of Disaster to win.

(WARNING: Beware! I’m the sort of guy who in the past has lost more shirts than a Students Union laundrette.)

Hodgson,J (2581) - Turner,M (2511) [A45]

1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 The Hodgson calling card: The Trompowsky! 2 ..Ne4 3 Bf4 c5 4 f3 Qa5+ 5 c3 Nf6 6 d5 Qb6 7 Bc1 An unbelievable line. White makes 3 moves out of 7 to return the piece to its original square, and doesn't have a single developed piece. Despite this, the position is unclear, as the misplaced queen on b6 will also cost Black time. 7 ..e6 8 c4 exd5 9 cxd5 c4?! A curious move - first played by Kochyev against Guerevich back in 1984 - that try's to unbalance the position. The big idea is to activate the black-squared bishop on the c5-g1 diagonal. The alternative 9 ..d6!? leads to Benoni-style set-up. 10 e3 Bc5 11 Kf2! 0–0 12 Bxc4 d6 13 Ne2 Nbd7 14 Nbc3 Ne5 15 Na4 Qb4 16 b3 Nxc4 17 bxc4 Qxc4 18 Nxc5 Qxc5 19 Nf4

19 ..g5?!N Risky. Very risky. Either Turner has prepared this (doubtful), or he's confused the move order of another Hodgson game in a similar vain (more likely). 19 ..Re8 20 Re1 g5 21 Nd3 Qb6 22 Qb3 Qxb3 23 axb3 Nxd5 24 Ra5 Be6 25 e4 Ne7 26 Rxg5+ Ng6 27 f4 f6 28 Rb5 Rac8 29 f5 Rc2+ 30 Kf1 Bd7 31 Rxb7 Bc6 32 Rc7 Nh4 33 Rxc6 Rxc6 34 Nb4 Rxc1 35 Rxc1 Rxe4 36 Nd5 Re5 37 Nxf6+ Kg7 38 Ng4 Rxf5+ 39 Kg1 Rb5 ½–½ Hodgson,J-Wells,P/Copenhagen 1996/CBM. 20 Nd3 Qxd5 21 e4 Qa5 22 Bd2 Qb5 23 Qe2 Despite being down a pawn, white could also afford to take the time to exchange queens: 23 Qb1!? Qxb1 24 Raxb1 g4 (24 ..h6 25 h4 Nh7 26 hxg5 hxg5 27 Rh6 and white's winning.) 25 Bc3 Ne8 (25 ..Nd7 26 Rb5 white controls the board.) 26 fxg4 b6 27 Kf3 Be6 28 Nb4 Rc8 29 Rhc1 a5 30 Nd3 Bxa2 31 Rxb6 a4 32 Bd2 and white's pieces are far too active. 23 ..Re8 24 a4 I wonder why Hodgson ruled out the active 24 Rhb1? It seems to lead to the sort of position he usually revels in: 24 Rhb1!? Qc4 (24 ..Qc6 25 Bxg5 Rxe4 26 fxe4 Nxe4+ 27 Kg1 Nxg5 28 Rb4 Bf5 29 Qe3! Ne6 30 Rc1 and black's in trouble.) 25 Rb4 Qe6 26 Bxg5 d5 27 Qb2 dxe4 28 Re1 and white's ready to come in for the kill. 24 ..Qb6+ 25 Be3 Qa5 26 h4!

26 ..Bg4? Purely speculative. But what can black do? Advancing the g-pawn would have been better, but doesn't give black any respite: 26 ..g4 27 Bd4 Nd5 (27 ..Nd7? 28 Qe3 f6 29 Nf4 Ne5 30 Nd5!) 28 Qe1! (28 Qb2 Nc7 29 Bh8 Ne6 30 Nf4 Qb6+! 31 Qxb6 axb6 32 Nxe6 Bxe6 33 Bf6=) 28 ..Qxe1+ (28 ..Qd8 29 Qc1 Nc7 30 Qf4!) 29 Rhxe1 Ne7 30 Nf4 and white has good prospects of winning despite still being a pawn down. How does black complete his development and defend against Nh5? 27 Qb2 Nxe4+ 28 fxe4 Rxe4 29 Qb5 Qxb5 30 axb5 gxh4 31 Rxh4 h5 32 Rhh1 Rae8 33 Rhe1 Bd7 34 Nf4 Bxb5 35 Nxh5 R4e6 36 Bxa7 Rxe1 37 Rxe1 Rxe1 38 Kxe1 This isn't easy, but Hodgson shows great technique. 38 ..Kf8 39 Nf4 Ke7 40 Bd4 Bc6 41 Kd2 Kd7 42 Kc3 Be4 43 Kc4 Kc6 44 Be3 Bb1 45 Ne2 Ba2+ 46 Kb4 Bb1 47 g3 Bd3 48 Nd4+ Kd5 49 Kc3 Bg6 50 Bf4 Kc5 51 Nb3+ Kd5 52 Na5 b6 53 Nb7 f6 54 Kb4 Bf5 55 Nxd6 Bd3 56 Nc8 b5 57 Na7 Bc4 58 Nxb5 Bd3 59 Nc7+ Kd4 60 Ne8 f5 61 Nd6 Kd5 62 Kc3 Bb1 63 Nc4 Black can't defend f5 in the long run: 63 Nc4 Ba2 64 Ne3+ Ke6 (64 ..Ke4 65 Kb4 and white heads unchallenged to f6 via c5-d6-e7-f6) 65 Kd4 Bb3 66 Be5 Ba2 67 Ng2 Bb3 68 Nf4+ Ke7 69 Bh8 Kd6 70 Bf6 Ba2 71 Be5+ Ke7 72 Nd3 and white gets to f4 via e3. 1–0

We Scots are notoriously frugal with our money, but for those that like big outsiders, how about placing the mortgage on Scotland’s John Shaw for a big payout? I don’t see why not: Flutter in their infinite wisdom have generously priced him at 20/1. I’m beginning to think that the same guy that calculates the Fide rating list is the same guy who’s advising Flutter on their prices. If he does win though, Shaw will become the first Scot to win the British title since Elgin lawyer RF Combe shocked everyone – including the organisers who wanted to reject his entry because they felt he was “too weak”! – in 1946 when he won the Championship. Hmmm. Maybe Flutter do know what they’re doing after all.

Hebden,M (2550) - Shaw,J (2478) [D11]

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 John Shaw likes to play simple chess - especially with black - and Slav Defence is a good choice for this. 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 Bg4 5 h3 Bxf3 6 Qxf3 e6 7 Nc3 Nbd7 8 Bd2 Bd6 9 g4!? Not so much a TN, more a TM: Tony Miles! Tony first came up with this aggressive move four years ago in Germany. Alternatively: 9 Bd3 Qe7 10 0–0 dxc4 11 Bxc4 e5 12 Bb3 e4 13 Qe2 0–0 14 f3 Rae8 15 g4 h6 16 Qg2 exf3 17 Rxf3 Ne4 18 Nxe4 Qxe4 19 Raf1 Nf6 20 Rxf6 Qxg2+ 21 Kxg2 gxf6 22 Rxf6 Be7 23 Rxh6 Kg7 Nogueiras,J-Labra,M/San Copiapo 1992/EXT 2000/1–0 9 ..h6 John Shaw, being cautious by nature, leaves his options open for castling - unlike Miles' opponent: 9 ..0–0 10 0–0–0 Bb4 11 Kb1 Bxc3 12 Bxc3 Ne4 13 Bb4 Re8 14 Bd3 c5 15 Bxc5 Nexc5 16 dxc5 dxc4 17 Bxc4 Qc7 18 Bb5 Ne5 19 Qe2 Red8 20 f4 a6 21 Ba4 Qa5 22 Qc2 Nf3 23 a3 h6 24 b4 Qc7 25 Rxd8+ Rxd8 26 Rd1 e5 27 Rxd8+ Qxd8 28 Qd1 Qxd1+ 29 Bxd1 Nd2+ 30 Kc2 Nc4 31 Bf3 Nxa3+ 32 Kb3 Nb5 33 Bxb7 Nc7 34 Ka4 Kf8 35 Ka5 Ke7 36 Kb6 Kd7 37 fxe5 Kd8 38 e4 Ne6 39 Bxa6 1–0 Miles,A-Roeder,F/Bad Woerishofen 1997/EXT 2000. 10 h4 Qe7 11 g5 Ne4! This nullifies white's aggressive thrusts on the kingside. 12 Nxe4 12 gxh6?! Nxd2 13 Kxd2 Rxh6 14 cxd5 exd5 15 h5 Nf6 and black is much better: control of e4, and the weakness on h5. 12 ..dxe4 13 Qxe4 hxg5 14 hxg5 Rxh1 15 Qxh1 Qxg5 16 0–0–0 0–0–0 17 f4 White has got a small plus from the opening, but nothing really to work on with correct play. Looking to be in the leading pack going into the decisive, second week, Hebden pushes too hard for a win. 17 ..Qf6 18 Bg2 18 Ba5 Rg8 followed by g5, and black's OK. 18 ..Bc7 19 Bc3 Qe7! There's a reason for this nice, little retreat that will soon become evident. 20 Qh3 Nb6 21 Bf1 The reason for the subtle queen retreat: 21 b3? Qa3+ 22 Kb1 Nxc4! and suddenly black's on top. 21 ..Kb8 22 Qg2 g5!

Easy equality: White should really be thinking by now of conceding that the game should be drawn, but instead continues to over-press. 23 Qxg5 Keeping the queens on simply activated all of black's pieces: 23 fxg5 Rg8 24 Bd3 Rxg5 25 Qe2 e5! 26 e4 exd4 27 Bxd4 Be5 and black's better. 23 ..Qxg5 24 fxg5 Rg8 25 Bd3 Rxg5 26 Rh1 Kc8 27 e4 27 Rh7 looked much better, but black's OK: 27 ..f5 28 Re7 Rg6 and following up with ideas like Bd8, Rg3 and Bg5 pressurising e3. 27 ..Rg3 28 Rd1 White continues regardless looking to press for the win as he has the bishop-pair: 28 Kc2 Rg2+ 29 Kb3 Rg3 30 Bc2 (30 Kc2 Rg2+=) 30 ..Kd7 31 Rh7 Ke7 and white's never going to organise a breakthrough - black's too solid. 28 ..Rg2 29 b3 29 c5 Bf4+! 30 Bd2 (30 Kb1 Na4=) 30 ..Rxd2! 31 Rxd2 Nd7 32 b4 (32 Kd1? Bxd2 33 Kxd2 e5!) 32 ..e5 33 d5 Nf6 34 dxc6 (34 d6 b6! 35 cxb6 (35 Kc2 Bxd2 36 Kxd2 bxc5 37 bxc5 Nd7 38 Ba6+ Kb8! wins c5 - and d6!) 35 ..axb6 36 a4 Ne8 and black's much better.) 34 ..bxc6 35 Kc2 Bxd2 36 Kxd2 a5 37 a3 axb4 38 axb4 Kc7= 29 ..Rf2 30 Bc2 Nd7 31 Rh1 Bf4+ 32 Kb1 Bd2 33 Bb2 Kc7 34 e5 Re2 35 Bd1?

To keep any sort of advantage at all, Hebden had to play 35 Rf1! Re1+ (35 ..Be3 36 Bc3 Rf2 37 Rxf2 Bxf2 is much the same.) 36 Rxe1 Bxe1 37 Bh7 Kd8 38 Be4 Kc7 and I can't see any conclusive breakthrough for white: 39 Bf3 (39 c5 b6=; 39 a3 c5! 40 dxc5 Bg3=) 39 ..Bg3 40 b4 b6 41 Bh5 f6 42 exf6 Nxf6 43 Bf7 Kd6= 35 ..Rf2 36 a3 Be3 37 Bc2 Rf4 38 Rd1 Kc8 39 d5 c5 40 Rh1 Bd4! 41 Bc1?

It was time to admit that he had nothing eg 41 Bxd4 Rxd4 42 Rh8+ Kc7 43 Rh7 Rf4 44 dxe6 fxe6 45 Kb2= 41 ..Rf2 42 Rh8+ Kc7 43 d6+ Kb6 44 b4 Nxe5 45 Rc8 Rf1 46 Ba4 Be3 47 d7 Rxc1+ 48 Ka2 Nxd7 49 Bxd7 Rxc4 50 Kb3 Rf4 51 b5 Bd4 52 Be8 Rf3+ 53 Ka2 e5 54 Rd8 c4 0–1

Odds still not good enough for you? Then how about Martin Walker at 25/1? The “unknown” has defied the odds everyday in the Commentary Room with the pre-round predictions. Each round the audience has to predict what’s going to happen on the top four boards...and sure enough just about every round they’ve opted for Walker to be beaten. However, apart from an epic Emms marathon when he was eventually ground down in something like 99-moves in round five, he’s defied the punters with some amassing results. And he was at it again in round six with an impressive win over Colin Crouch.

Walker,M (2109) - Crouch,C (2407) [B03]

1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Nb6 5 f4 The Four Pawns Attack: a rare bird at top level chess. And the reason? Simple, really: Why risk complications when the Exchange Variation and Nf3 have racked up good numbers? 5 ..g6?! Great for surprise value on the ICC or Blitz, but it doesn't cut it in a serious competition. It was first played in 1925 by Reti, and went on to become a pet-line of Klaus Darga and Lothar Schmid in the 1960. The idea is to put as much pressure on the centre as quickly as possible with Bg7 and c5. Of course, the line is extremely dubious - especially if white reacts as he does here! 6 Nf3 It's wise to delay the c1–bishop until white is sure what plan he wants to adopt. 6 Nc3 Bg7 7 Be3 Be6 8 Nf3 (8 c5 Nd5) 8 ..Nxc4!? 9 Bxc4 (9 Qa4+? Qd7) 9 ..Bxc4 10 Qa4+ b5 11 Nxb5 Bxb5 12 Qxb5+ Nd7=; 6 Be3 dxe5 7 fxe5 Bg7 8 Nd2 c5 9 dxc5 N6d7 10 e6 fxe6 11 Qc2 Nc6 12 Ngf3 Qa5 13 Be2 Nxc5 14 0–0 e5 15 Nh4 Nd4 16 Bxd4 exd4 17 Rad1 Qb6 18 b4 d3 19 Bxd3 Nxd3+ 20 c5 Qxb4 21 Nb3 Nb2 22 Nxg6 Nxd1 23 Nxh8 Bxh8 24 Qxd1 Bg4 25 Qd5 Rd8 26 Qf7+ Kd7 27 c6+ bxc6 28 h3 Be6 29 Qxh7 Bd5 30 Qf5+ Kc7 31 Rc1 Qb6+ 32 Kh1 Qe3 0–1 Opocensky,K-Reti,R/Marienbad 1925/HCL. 6 ..Bg7 7 Nc3 Be6N 7 ..0–0 8 Be3 Bg4 9 h3 Bxf3 10 Qxf3 dxe5 11 fxe5 Nc6 12 0–0–0 e6 13 Be2 Qe7 14 Qe4 Rad8 15 h4 h6 16 h5 Qb4 17 hxg6 Nxc4 18 gxf7+ Rxf7 19 Bxc4 Qxc4 20 Rh4 Nb4 21 Kb1 Rf1 22 Rh1 Rdf8 23 a3 Rxh1 24 Rxh1 Rf1+ 25 Rxf1 Qxf1+ 26 Bc1 Nd3 27 Ne2 c5 28 Qxd3 1–0 A-Morozevich-Dlugy/Internet Chess Club 1999; 7 ..Bg4 8 Be2 dxe5 9 fxe5 Nc6 10 c5 Nd5 11 0–0 0–0 12 h3 Bf5 13 a3 h6 14 Bc4 Be6 15 Ne2 Nc3 16 bxc3 Bxc4 17 Rf2 b6 18 cxb6 axb6 19 g4 Na5 20 Rb1 Qd5 21 Nf4 Qe4 22 Rb4 Ba6 23 d5 Nc4 24 Nd2 Ne3 25 Rxe4 Nxd1 26 Rf3 f5 27 gxf5 Rxf5 28 c4 Raf8 29 Kg2 Rg5+ 30 Kf1 Bxe5 31 Ne6 Rgf5 32 Rxf5 Rxf5+ 33 Kg2 Rf2+ 34 Kh1 Rh2+ 35 Kg1 Bd6 36 Nf3 Rxh3 37 Kg2 Rh5 38 Be3 Nc3 39 Rg4 g5 40 Kf2 Na4 41 Re4 Bc5 42 Nxc5 Nxc5 43 Rxe7 1–0 Lengyel,L-Bakos,S/Salgotarjan 1975/EXT 99. 8 b3 0–0 8 ..a5 is better. 9 Be2 c5 10 dxc5! The ending for white is good due to the weakness on c5 10 ..dxc5 11 Qxd8 Rxd8 12 Be3 Na6 13 Ne4 Rac8 14 Kf2!

White simply wants to exchange everything down the d-file to leave black struggling to defend c5. White could have also castled, but this way he keeps his king one square closer to the centre for the ending. 14 ..h6 15 Rad1 Rxd1 16 Rxd1 Nd7 17 Nh4! Nf8 17 ..b6 18 g4 g5 19 fxg5 hxg5 20 Nxg5 Nxe5 21 Nxe6 fxe6 22 a3! and it's going to take too long for black to try and regroup his pieces to active squares. 18 Bf3 Bd7 19 Nc3 Bc6 20 Bxc6 bxc6 21 Ne4 f6 22 Nf3 fxe5 23 Nxe5 g5 24 g3 Bxe5 25 fxe5 Kf7 26 h4 gxh4 27 gxh4 Ng6 28 Rd7 28 Bxh6! Nxe5 29 Bf4 Ng6 30 Bg3 Rh8 31 Rd7 would have been quicker. 28 ..Ra8 28 ..Nxe5 29 Rxa7 Nc7 (29 ..Nb4 30 Nd6+!) 30 Ke2! stopping Nd3+, threatening Bxc5 and preparing the way for a4: Black's lost. 29 Bxc5 Nxc5 30 Nxc5 Nxe5 31 Rc7 a5 32 a4 Kf6

The problem for black is that all of his pawns are weak (four pawn islands to two) and the white rook and knight are strong. 33 Ke3 Rg8 34 Ra7 Rg3+ 35 Kf2 Rh3 36 Rxa5 Rxh4 37 Ra8 Rh2+ 38 Kg3 The king looks after black's passed h-pawn, while white's rook and knight win the day by supporting the a-pawn.. 38 ..Ra2 39 a5 h5 40 a6 Kg5 41 Rg8+ Ng6 42 Na4! h4+ 43 Kh3 Kh5 44 Rxg6 Kxg6 45 a7 Walker continues to confound the critics with his excellent play. 1–0

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@cableinet.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.