John Henderson Reports on the British Championships in Scarborough

Round 8 Tuesday 7th August 2001

CASTLING INTO IT

SINCE we’re now coming to the end of my little seaside jaunt as I start to pack up my bucket and spade, I suppose now is as good a time as any to fill you in on some more background history to Scarborough and its distinctive landmark, Scarborough Castle.

Scarborough was founded on its wild coastal headland just over a thousand years ago in 966. The town owes its name to Thorgils Skarthi, the Viking raider who after a hectic schedule of raping, pillaging and plundering, decided it was time to settle down with his good lady to make his home on this rocky stretch of the North Yorkshire Coast.

Skarthi's settlement marks the first permanent habitation. However, this was burned to the ground by a rival band of Vikings under Tosti (hence the expression ‘Burnt Toast’), Lord of Falsgrave, and Harald of Norway some years later. The destruction and massacre meant that very little remained to be recorded in the Domesday survey of 1085 commissioned by William the Conqueror.

Despite this disaster, Scarborough soon recovered. It was granted charters by King Henry II in 1155 and 1163, permitting a market on the sands (where we got the Scarborough Fair), and establishing rule by Burgesses elected annually on St Jerome's Day. It was King Henry who erected the distinctive current stone castle on the headland somewhere between 1170 and 1189.

Several Kings visited Scarborough Castle including King John, Edward I, Richard II and the infamous Richard III; who is reputed to have written a very bad chess book there – and got so angry over a critical review from someone in Switzerland, that he uttered the immortal ‘Now is the [Edward] Winter of our discontent’.

An imposing landmark, this powerful stronghold was besieged several times but it was never taken. I don’t know why because those who built fortifications, moats and defences around castles seem to have had a blind spot about every castle’s really vulnerable point – the gift shop! Seems to me that all a determined enemy had to do was to overpower the two old ladies who work there and the whole castle was soon taken.

In 1312 Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, who took refuge here, was besieged by the barons and only surrendered on the threat of starvation, and to this day his headless ghost is said to haunt the ruins.

In 1557 Thomas Stafford was so enraged by the marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain that he and a group disguised as peasants attacked the castle. However, after only a week Stafford was captured and sent to the Tower of London.

In 1645 during the Civil War the Parliamentarians attacked the castle but they lost their hold and had to begin a second siege in 1648. George Fox the founder of the Quakers was imprisoned here in 1665.

The most outlandish attack came in 1914 during the First World War, when Scarborough and its castle was bombarded by two German cruisers who had sneaked through the British naval defences one Sunday morning to kill 19 civilians in the town, also obliterating and the barracks built in 1756 after the Jacobite uprising.

However, despite being laid siege to for almost 800 years, it could be said that this impressive landmark had somehow ‘castled into it’ as by far the biggest enemy it has had over the years is the environment. The damage done during its many battles and sieges have been compounded by massive storms off the North Sea. So much so, Scarborough Castle has been gradually falling down the cliff into the sea.

So there you have it: today’s history lesson. And, while we’re on the subject of castles, let’s look at someone who plays for “keeps” and has stormed a few fortresses in his time: defending Champion Julian Hodgson.

Hodgson,J (2581) - Summerscale,A (2510) [D41]

1 c4 c5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 Nc6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Nf3 d5 6 cxd5 Nxd5 7 d4 Be7 8 0–0 0–0 9 Rb1!? This little move belongs to Mikhail Suba, who outlined the ideas behind it in his excellent little book Dynamic Chess Strategy. White simply wants to play on the queenside with a set-up of Be3, Qa4, Rfc1 and b4. 9 ..Bf6 White gets too much play if black goes for the pawn with Qa5: 9 ..Qa5 10 Bd2 Nxc3 11 Bxc3 Qxa2 12 e3 Rd8 13 Qe2 cxd4 14 Nxd4 Nxd4 15 Bxd4 Qb3 16 Rbc1 Bd6 17 Qh5! 1–0 Speelman,J-Alburt,L/Taxco 1985/IZT. 10 Nxd5 Qxd5 11 dxc5 Qxc5 12 Be3N 12 Qa4 Bd7 13 Be3 Qe7 14 Qe4 Rac8 15 b4 b6 16 Bd2 Rfd8 17 b5 Na5 18 Bb4 Qe8 19 a4 a6 20 Bxa5 bxa5 21 bxa6 Bxa4 22 Rfc1 Bc6 23 Qe3 g6 24 a7 a4 25 Ne5 Bxg2 26 Rxc8 Rxc8 27 Kxg2 a3 28 Nd7 Bb2 29 Qxa3 Bxa3 1-0 (43) Suba,M-Petursson,M/Thessaloniki 1984/EXT 97 12 ..Qe7 13 Qc1!

Nice. Hodgson has gained more time with his novelty of Be3 due to the threat of Bc5. Already white has an advantage. 13 ..Rd8 14 Bc5 Qe8 Quite a concession already. But black gets pinned if he goes to the c-file: 14 ..Qc7?! 15 b4 b6 16 Be3! a6 (16 ..Qd7 17 b5 Ne7 18 Ne5!) 17 Bf4 Qd7 18 Ne5 Bxe5 19 Qxc6! Qxc6 20 Bxc6 Bxf4 21 Bxa8 winning. 15 b4 b6 16 b5 Na5 17 Bb4 Bb7 18 Bxa5 bxa5 19 Qe3 Qe7 20 Rfc1 The endgame is going to be hell for black to defend due to the precarious state of the a-pawns. 20 ..h6 21 h4 Bd5 22 Ne5! Hodgson moves swiftly to the endgame. 22 ..Bxg2 23 Kxg2 Bxe5 24 Qxe5 Qb7+ 25 Rc6 a6 Activating the rook with 25 ..Rd2!? may be the only option for black to try and salvage the game. 26 e4 axb5 27 Rc7 Qb6 28 Rxb5 Qd4 29 Qf4

The pressure from Hodgson is relentless - he's squeezing as much as he can out of the position. Eventually, Summerscale cracks. Can you blame him? 29 ..Rd7 30 Rxd7 Qxd7 31 a4 Black's a-pawn is now well and truly doomed. 31 ..Qd4 32 e5! Qxf4 33 gxf4 h5 Black needed to activate the king as quickly as possible to try to save the game: 33 ..Kh7! 34 Kf3 (34 h5 g6 35 hxg6+ Kxg6 and the passed h-pawn could come in useful.) 34 ..Kg6 35 Ke4 Kh5 and this ending is far from over. The bottom line is that - with a passed h-pawn - black can look seriously at lines that sacrifice the rook should his a-pawn fall. 34 Kf3 Rc8 It's too late now: 34 ..Kh7 35 Ke4 Kg6 36 Rb6! and the threat of f5+ allows white to win the rook ending. 35 Rxa5 Rc3+ 36 Ke4 Rc4+ 37 Ke3 Kh7 38 Ra7 Kg6 39 a5 Ra4 40 a6 It's an easy win - but the technique is instructive. 40 ..Ra3+ 41 Kd4 Ra4+ 42 Kc5 Rxf4 43 Rc7 Rxf2 There's no salvation even in taking the h-pawn: 43 ..Rxh4 44 a7 Ra4 45 Kb6 h4 46 Rc8 Kg5 47 a8Q Rxa8 48 Rxa8 Kg4 49 Ra3! g5 (49 ..h3 50 Rg3+ Kh4 51 Rxg7) 50 Ra7! h3 51 Rxf7 Kh5 52 Rh7+ Kg4 53 Kc5 and white closes in for the kill; the h-pawn is doomed. 44 a7 Ra2 45 Kb6 Kf5 46 Rxf7+ Kxe5 47 Kb7 Kd4 48 Rd7+ Kc4 49 a8Q Rxa8 50 Kxa8 e5 51 Rxg7 e4 52 Rh7 1–0

Like me, poor old Murray Chandler has been having problems during the tournament with a bad back. Long gone are our days of being Modern Romantics. Nowadays we’re more morbid rheumatics. In Murray’s case, I wonder if this could have anything to do with the fact that he was once the ‘Sandie Shaw’ of the British chess scene in his youth?

After leaving Wainuiomata in his native New Zealand in 1975 to head for the World Junior Championships in Yugoslavia, Murray decided that the opportunity was too great for a 15-year-old not to stay in Europe for a year or two. He settled in Britain and caused quite a stir with his dress sense – or lack of it as the case may be.

I well remember the Glasgow International of 1976 when Murray, with long flowing blonde hair decided to appear with just a T-shirt, shorts and bare feet! Not the sort of attire you should be wearing in Glasgow in September - especially when it's cold, windy and raining extremely heavy!

Writing in the May 1990 issue of Scottish Chess, Colin Crouch retold the story of how they decided to visit some of the Glasgow hostelries with Murray that year. In one, the barman said, "Sorry, we don't serve women", but would have done better to challenge on grounds of age!

Chandler,M (2540) - Gallagher,J (2516) [B51]

1 e4 c5 Joe's a Sicilian die-hard. So much so, when he was a junior he would often play 1 c3 hoping for the reply 1 ..e5 so that he could play 2 c4 with a reversed Sicilian! However, he said he gave it up as somehow it didn't "feel" right when he played his favourite Polugaevsky Variation and seeing it with the white pieces! It was as if his variation had lost some of its mystique. 2 Nf3 d6 3 Bb5+ Again the Moscow - this tournament seems to be turning into a Sicilian theme tournament with Bb5. 3 ..Nd7 As stated in an earlier report, Gallagher recommends this in his book Beating the Anti Sicilians. 4 d4 Ngf6 5 Nc3 cxd4 6 Qxd4 e5 7 Qd3 h6 8 Be3 Be7 9 Bc4 a6 10 a4 Qc7 You can see why Joe endorses this risky system with 3 ..Nd7: his position already resembles a Sicilian Najdorf. 11 0–0 Nc5 12 Bxc5 Qxc5 13 Rab1N 13 a5 Be6 14 Nd2 Rc8 15 Ra4 0–0 16 Bxe6 fxe6 17 Qh3 Kf7 18 Nc4 Bd8 19 Qe3 Ke7 20 Qxc5 Rxc5 21 Rd1 Bc7 22 Re1 Nd7 23 Nb1 b5 24 axb6 Nxb6 25 Nxb6 Bxb6 26 Rxa6 Rb5 27 Rxb6 Rxb6 28 b3 Rc8 29 Na3 Rc3 30 Nc4 Rb4 31 Ne3 Rxe4 32 Ra1 d5 33 Ra7+ Kf8 34 g3 d4 35 Ra4 Ke7 36 Kf1 Kf6 37 Rc4 Ke7 38 Nd1 Rxc4 39 bxc4 Rg4 40 f3 Rg5 41 Nf2 Rf5 42 Ke2 Rf8 43 Ne4 Ra8 44 Kd3 Ra3+ 45 c3 dxc3 46 Nxc3 Kd6 47 Kc2 Kc5 48 Kb2 Kxc4 0–1 Perdomo,C-Arencibia,W/Santa Clara CUB 2000/The Week in Chess 293. 13 ..Be6!

14 Nd2 Rc8 15 Bxe6 fxe6 and black covers the important d5 and f5 squares, and can prepare a d5 thrust later in the game. But how is he going to defend e6? 16 Qh3 Kf7! Simple, really. The king is safe on f7. 17 Nb3 Qc7 18 Kh1 g5 Stopping ideas of f4 opening lines to the king. 19 Rbd1 h5 20 Qd3 Qb6 21 Qe2 The problem for white is that he can't find a way to make progress due to black controlling the center with his unusual set-up. 21 ..Qb4 22 Rd3 b5 23 axb5 axb5 24 h4 g4 25 f4 Qc4! 26 Nd2 Opening lines with 26 fxe5 may have been more promising. 26 ..Qc5 27 f5 b4 28 fxe6+ Kxe6 29 Nd5 Nxd5 30 exd5+ Kd7 31 c3 Rhf8 Black now has the upper hand. The ending isn't going to be easy for white. 32 Ne4 Qc4 33 Ra1 bxc3 34 bxc3? Any chances of saving the point lay in 34 Ra7+! Kd8 (34 ..Rc7 35 Rxc7+ Qxc7 36 Rxc3=) 35 bxc3 Rb8 36 g3 Rf3 37 Rd2 Qxe2 38 Rxe2 Rf1+ (38 ..Rd3 39 Ra5=) 39 Kg2 Rd1 40 Ra5 Rbb1 41 Rea2 with a draw. 34 ..Ra8!

35 Rb1 Ra2 36 Qe3 Rf4 The earlier slip-up allows the black forces to close in. 37 Ng3 Qa6? Time trouble: 37 ..Bxh4! 38 Rb7+ Ke8 39 Rb8+ (39 Qb6 Rff2! 40 Rb8+ Kf7 41 Rb7+ Be7 42 Qd8 Ra1+ 43 Kh2 Rxg2+!! 44 Kxg2 Qa2+ mates.) 39 ..Kf7 40 Rb7+ Kg6 41 Rd1 Bxg3 42 Qxg3 h4! 43 Qxh4 Rf1+ 44 Kh2 (44 Rxf1 Qxf1+ 45 Kh2 Rxg2#) 44 ..Qf4+ 45 Qg3 Qh6+ 46 Qh4 Qxh4# 38 Nxh5 Ra1 39 Rxa1?? Again time intervenes: 39 Rdd1! Rxb1 40 Rxb1 Rf1+ 41 Rxf1 Qxf1+ 42 Kh2 Bxh4 43 Qa7+ and it's impossible for white to lose this: black can't avoid the perpetual. 39 ..Qxa1+ 40 Kh2 g3+! 41 Kxg3 41 Nxg3 Rxh4#; 41 Qxg3 Rxh4+ 42 Qxh4 Bxh4 wins. 41 ..Bxh4+ 42 Kh2 Bf2 43 Qxf4 exf4 44 Nxf4 Qg1+ 45 Kh3 Be3 46 Ne2 Qh1+ 47 Kg3 Qe1+ 48 Kf3 Qf2+ 49 Ke4 Bh6 0–1

And from New Zealand, let’s head for Australia...or is it Canada? Gary Lane recently got married to a charming Aussie, and subsequently moved to the former penal colony. Now, he’s changed his allegiances to the Aussie. Unfortunately, Fide seem to have him on the latest list as Canada! Maybe they were getting a little bit confused with Canberra?

Miles,T (2565) - Lane,G (2456) [A48]

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c3 Bg7 4 Bg5 The Torre Attack has been a favourite in the Miles arsenal for more than a decade now. 4 ..0–0 5 Nbd2 d6 6 e4 c5 7 d5 h6 8 Bh4 e6! Easy equality. 9 dxe6 Bxe6 10 Bc4 d5 11 exd5 Bxd5 12 0–0 Nc6 13 Qc2 Bxc4 13 ..Na5 14 Bxd5 Qxd5 15 Rad1 Qc6 16 Ne5 Qc7 17 Ndf3 Rad8 18 Qa4 Nc6 19 Nxc6 bxc6 20 Qc4 Rxd1 21 Rxd1 Rd8 22 Re1 Rd5 23 Bxf6 Bxf6 24 g3 Kg7 25 Kg2 Qb7 26 Qe2 Rd7 27 Qc2 Qa6 28 a3 Qb5 29 h4 h5 30 a4 Qc4 31 Re2 Rd3 32 Ne1 Qd5+ 33 Kh2 Rd1 34 Ng2 Ra1 35 Re4 Qf5 36 Nf4 Be5 37 Qe2 Bxf4 38 Rxf4 Qd5 39 Qe4 Qxe4 40 Rxe4 Ra2 41 Kg2 Rxb2 42 Kf3 Kf6 43 Ke3 Rc2 44 Rc4 ½–½ Miles,A-Gallagher,J/England 2000/CBM 74 ext. 14 Nxc4 b5 15 Rad1 Qc8 16 Ne3 Re8

Lane has done his homework: he's following a Miles game against Fedorov. Miles decides to differ. 17 a4 17 Bxf6 Bxf6 18 Rd6 Re6 19 Rd2 Bg7 20 Rfd1 ½–½ Miles,A-Fedorov,A/Saint Vincent 2000/CBM 78. 17 ..b4 18 Nd2 18 cxb4? Nxb4! 19 Qc1 Ne4 20 Nc4 Qa6 with active play. 18 ..bxc3 19 bxc3 Qe6 20 Rfe1 Nd5 21 Nxd5 Qxd5 22 Ne4 Qc4= Lane handles the quiet approach confidently and accurately, going on to outplay Miles. 23 f3 23 Bf6! was the only hope. 23 ..f5 24 Nd6 Rxe1+ 25 Bxe1 Qe6 26 Bf2 Rd8 27 Nb5 27 Bxc5? Bf8 28 Qd2 Ne5 29 Qd5 Qxd5 30 Rxd5 Nf7 and black wins. 27 ..a6 28 Nc7 Qc4!

Those weak, queenside pawns determine white's fate in the game as he compromises his position trying to defend them. 29 Rxd8+ Nxd8 30 h4 Be5! 31 Na8 31 Qd2 Bxc7 32 Qxh6 Qe6 33 h5 gxh5 34 Qg5+ Kf8 35 Bxc5+ Ke8 36 Qxh5+ Nf7 and the pieces cover the check's 31 ..Ne6 32 Be1 Qf4 33 Kf1 Qh2 34 Qb3 Qh1+ 35 Ke2 Qxg2+ 36 Bf2 Kf7 37 Qb7+ Kf6 38 Nb6 Nf4+ 39 Ke3 Bd4+! Ouch! 40 cxd4 cxd4+ 41 Kxd4 Qxf2+ 42 Kc4 Qc2+ 43 Kb4 Nd3+ 44 Ka5 Qd2+ 0–1

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.