Kings Place, the home of the Guardian, staged its Chess Festival last weekend – England’s strongest one-day tournament. Its fourth annual open, sponsored this year by the financial services provider DeMontford Bell, attracted its usual high-class field of grandmasters and masters. Overall there was a full house of 287 players, including “My first chess tournament” – a section for novices.
The England Olympiad pair Luke McShane and David Howell were the top seeds. McShane, a City financial trader, is the world’s best amateur who showed his class at Moscow 2012, where he narrowly missed outpacing the world No1, Magnus Carlsen. He won his crucial fifth-round game with Howell, who blundered in time pressure, and shared first place with IM Justin Tan of Australia, as well as half of the £1,500 in prize money earmarked for first and second places.
The event attracted many more women and junior entrants than in 2015, stimulated by special prizes from the new sponsors. Two notable performances were by James Golding, 15, who far outperformed his rating with 4/6 in the Open, and by England’s youngest chess hope, Shreyas Royal. The Newham primary school pupil was joint second with 5/6 in the Amateur.
McShane’s victory below illustrates a crafty GM technique for seeing off lesser lights. Provoke complications by a slightly unsound pawn offer, then wait for your less experienced opponent to fold under clock and psychological pressure. White handled much of the game well, though missing two chances for a bigger advantage (17 b4! then 19 Rhf1) and remained on top until he went for 24 Nxf5? (24 Bd4!), missing McShane’s counter Nb3+!. White could still have drawn by 27 Rhf1 Ra1+ 28 Kd2 but he was down to seconds on the clock and crashed out with 27 Rd5?? hanging a bishop and 30 Re1?? hanging the queen – a sad end.
John Merriman v Luke McShane
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 Nge2 a6 7 Bg5 Nc6 8 Qd2 Re8 9 h4 h5 10 0-0-0 b5 11 Ng3 Nh7 12 Bh6 Bh8 13 Be3 Bd7 14 cxb5 axb5 15 Bxb5 Na5 16 Be2 Qc8 17 f4?! Bg4 18 f5 Nf6 19 e5?! Bxe2 20 Qxe2 dxe5 21 dxe5 Ng4 22 e6 gxf5 23 gxf7+ Kxf7 24 Nxf5? Nb3+! 25 axb3 Qxf5 26 Qc4+ Kg6 27 Rd5?? Nxe3 28 Qc6+ Qf6 29 Rg5+ Kf7 30 Re1?? Qxc6 0-1
Besides Angela Eagle (see this week’s puzzle) an even stronger chess player is aiming to become a UK political party leader. Jonathan Arnott of Ukip is a candidate master, a former Yorkshire captain and a competitor in highly rated events like Tradewise Gibraltar and the European Club Cup.
Carlsen, the world champion, lost with the white pieces in the opening round of the elite tournament at Bilbao, Spain. It was a unique moment for Hikaru Nakamura of the US, who had previously been Carlsen’s best customer at classical chess. This was their 31st game, after Carlsen previously scored +12=18. Bilbao continues this weekend and can be viewed live and free online.
3451 The game went 1,,,Qxd3 2 Qxa7 Qg3+ 3 Kh1 Qxh3+ with a draw by perpetual check – but 1...cxd3! 2 Qxa7 d2 3 Rd1 bxc3 wins as the two united passed pawns beat the rook.
