Round 7 5th August 2002

18 year old Luke McShane and 16 year old Pentyla Harekrishna took the joint lead with 5.5/7 both winning in convincing style.

McShane exploited a small edge in his game against Nick Pert, gradually increasing the pressure every time there was a piece exchange. In the end Pert's pawn weaknesses told in a knight and pawn endgame where McShane's queenside pawn majority proved decisive.

Harekrishna was really gifted his win as Peter Wells fell into his habitual time trouble and then made an unsound sacrifice in an inferior position. Sometimes Wells thrives in time pressure but this time his opponent remained calm. A bonus for Harekrishna was that he had the black pieces.

Matthew Turner as black handled the hedgehog position well and mananged to make his breaks at the right time against Jon Speelman. Turner stood well when the draw was agreed. Jonathan Rowson could not break down the Petroff Defence and had to agree a draw against Humpy Koneru. After a long line of opening theory Rowson won a pawn but transposition to a drawn endgame with bishops of opposite colour could not be avoided.

McShane,L (2544) - Pert,N (2460) [C08]
British Chess Championships Torquay (7), 05.08.2002

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.0-0 Be7 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Nb3 Nce4 11.Nfd4 Qd7 12.f3 Nd6 13.Nc5 Qc8 14.Nd3 0-0 15.Be3 Re8 16.Bf2 Bd8 [ 16...Nf5 17.Qd2 Bd6 18.Rae1 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Qf5 20.Rxe8+ Nxe8 21.Re1 Nc7 22.Be5 Bxe5 23.Rxe5 Qd7 24.Qb4 Ne6 25.f4 f6 26.Re2 b6 27.f5 Ng5 28.Qe7 Rd8 29.Nf2 Qxe7 30.Rxe7 Rc8 31.c3 d4 32.Nd1 Kf8 33.Rd7 Rc5 34.h4 Nf7 35.Rxd4 1/2-1/2 McShane,L-Summerscale,A/Southend ENG 2002/The Week in Chess 387. ] 17.a4 Nf5 18.Qd2 Bb6 19.Nxf5 Bxf2+ 20.Qxf2 Qxf5 21.Rfe1 Qc8 22.Rxe8+ Qxe8 23.b3 Qc6 24.Re1 Re8 25.Rxe8+ Nxe8 26.Qe3! An excellent move after which black is always in trouble. 26...Kf8 [ 26...d4 27.Qe7 maintains the pressure.] 27.Qxa7 Qxc2 28.Qc5+ Qxc5+ 29.Nxc5 b6 Black sacrificed a pawn which is probably his best chance.

If [ 29...Nd6 30.a5 Ke7 31.Nxb7 wins.] 30.Nd7+ Ke7 31.Nxb6 Kd6 32.Kf2 [ 32.b4 also strong] 32...Kc5 33.a5 Nc7 34.Ke3 Na6 35.Na4+ Kb4 36.Kd4 Nc7 [ 36...Kxb3 37.Nc5+; 36...Kxa5 37.Kxd5 ( 37.Nc3 Kb4) 37...Kb4 38.Kd6 Kxb3 39.Nc5+ Nxc5 40.Kxc5 Kc3 41.Kd6 and white's king arrives first.] 37.Nb6 Ne6+ 38.Ke5

38...d4 [ 38...Kxa5 39.Nxd5 with a simple win.] 39.a6 d3 40.a7 d2 41.a8Q d1Q 42.Nd5+ Kxb3 43.Qb7+

[ 43.Qb7+ Kc2 ( or 43...Kc4 44.Ne3+; or 43...Ka2 44.Nc3+)44.Ne3+ all win for white. 1-0 A very smooth performance from Luke.

Round 7 Results

Bd  WHITE                      Result  BLACK                     
  1 SPEELMAN,Jon          (4½)  ½ - ½  TURNER,Matthew J      (4½)
  2 WELLS,Peter           (4½)  0 - 1  HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (4½)
  3 ROWSON,Jonathan       (4½)  ½ - ½  KONERU,Humpy          (4½)
  4 MCSHANE,Luke J        (4½)  1 - 0  PERT,Nicholas         (4½)
  5 GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (4½)  1 - 0  BARUA,Dibyendu        (4½)
  6 HASLINGER,Stewart G   (4)   ½ - ½  EMMS,John M           (4) 
  7 LALIC,Bogdan          (4)   1 - 0  COLLINS,Sam           (4) 
  8 LEE,Graham            (4)   0 - 1  GORMALLY,Daniel       (4) 
  9 RAMESH,R.B            (4)   ½ - ½  GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (4) 
 10 EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (4)   0 - 1  KUNTE,Abhijit         (4) 
 11 BERRY,Neil M          (4)   ½ - ½  LANE,Gary             (4) 
 12 SANDIPAN,Chanda       (3½)  1 - 0  LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (4) 
 13 SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (3½)  1 - 0  PERT,Richard          (3½)
 14 HEBDEN,Mark           (3½)  1 - 0  HANLEY,Craig          (3½)
 15 WALL,Gavin            (3½)  0 - 1  SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (3½)
 16 LEDGER,Dave J         (3½)  0 - 1  WARD,Chris G          (3½)
 17 D'COSTA,Lorin         (3½)  1 - 0  MCDONALD,Neil         (3½)
 18 THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (3)   0 - 1  FLEAR,Glenn C.        (3) 
 19 WILLIAMS,Simon K.     (3)   1 - 0  WEBB,Laurence         (3) 
 20 WOHL,Aleksander H     (3)   1 - 0  HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (3) 
 21 VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (3)   ½ - ½  MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (3) 
 22 THOMAS,Nicholas       (3)   0 - 1  KNOTT,Simon JB        (3) 
 23 SHERWIN,James         (3)   0 - 1  ADDISON,Bret C        (3) 
 24 SOWRAY,Peter          (3)   ½ - ½  SIMPSON,James         (3) 
 25 RUDD,Jack             (3)   1 - 0  DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (3) 
 26 TRENT,Lawrence        (3)   0 - 1  COX,John              (3) 
 27 MUIR,Andrew J.        (3)   ½ - ½  SHAW,David A          (3) 
 28 TAN,Desmond           (3)   1 - 0  DORRINGTON,Christophe (3) 
 29 GRANT,Jonathan        (3)   1 - 0  RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (3) 
 30 RICHARDS,Heather      (3)   1 - 0  WILLMOTH,Robert       (3) 
 31 SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (2½)  1 - 0  HOWELL,David W        (2½)
 32 EAMES,Robert          (2½)  0 - 1  SNAPE,Ian L           (2½)
 33 TAYLOR,Peter P.       (2½)  ½ - ½  MASON,Don             (2½)
 34 BIGG,Andrew J         (2½)  1 - 0  GOLDBERG,Jeff         (2½)
 35 BUCKLEY,Simon         (2½)  ½ - ½  NIXON,Thomas CM       (2½)
 36 WOODWARD,Timothy      (2½)  1 - 0  JONES,Gawain C        (2½)
 37 GHATE,Swati           (2½)  1 - 0  HUTCHINSON,Norman     (2½)
 38 MARTYN,Rafe           (2)   0 - 1  JONES,Richard S.      (2½)
 39 LYELL,Mark            (2)   0 - 1  WU,Li                 (2) 
 40 WHEELER,John F.       (2)   1 - 0  DOUGLAS,Timothy       (2) 
 41 COOTE,Trevor D.       (2)   ½ - ½  DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (2) 
 42 HARBORNE,Matthew J    (2)   ½ - ½  BURNETT,Jim           (2) 
 43 ASHTON,,Adam          (2)   ½ - ½  TAYLOR,Robert Mark    (2) 
 44 TATLOW,Stephen        (1½)  0 - 1  MUTTON,Jonathan B     (1½)
 45 WHITE,Ian R.          (1½)  0 - 1  BUCKLEY,Melanie       (1½)
 46 EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (1½)  1 - 0  TRUMAN,Richard G.     (½) 
 47 GREGORY,Stephen J     (1)   ½ - ½  MCMASTER,Richard      (1) 

Round 8 Pairings

Bd  WHITE                      Result  BLACK                     
  1 HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (5½)    -    GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (5½)
  2 GORMALLY,Daniel       (5)     -    MCSHANE,Luke J        (5½)
  3 KUNTE,Abhijit         (5)     -    SPEELMAN,Jon          (5) 
  4 TURNER,Matthew J      (5)     -    ROWSON,Jonathan       (5) 
  5 KONERU,Humpy          (5)     -    LALIC,Bogdan          (5) 
  6 WARD,Chris G          (4½)    -    SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (4½)
  7 EMMS,John M           (4½)    -    BERRY,Neil M          (4½)
  8 BARUA,Dibyendu        (4½)    -    RAMESH,R.B            (4½)
  9 PERT,Nicholas         (4½)    -    HEBDEN,Mark           (4½)
 10 GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (4½)    -    D'COSTA,Lorin         (4½)
 11 SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (4½)    -    HASLINGER,Stewart G   (4½)
 12 LANE,Gary             (4½)    -    SANDIPAN,Chandra      (4½)
 13 COLLINS,Sam           (4)     -    WELLS,Peter           (4½)
 14 FLEAR,Glenn C.        (4)     -    RUDD,Jack             (4) 
 15 COX,John              (4)     -    WILLIAMS,Simon K      (4) 
 16 ADDISON,Bret C        (4)     -    WOHL,Aleksander H     (4) 
 17 LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (4)     -    EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (4) 
 18 KNOTT,Simon JB        (4)     -    GRANT,Jonathan        (4) 
 19 TAN,Desmond           (4)     -    LEE,Graham            (4) 
 20 HANLEY,Craig          (3½)    -    RICHARDS,Heather      (4) 
 21 JONES,Richard S.      (3½)    -    VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (3½)
 22 MCDONALD,Neil         (3½)    -    BIGG,Andrew J         (3½)
 23 SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (3½)    -    WOODWARD,Timothy      (3½)
 24 SIMPSON,James         (3½)    -    WALL,Gavin            (3½)
 25 PERT,Richard          (3½)    -    GHATE,Swati           (3½)
 26 MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (3½)    -    SOWRAY,Peter          (3½)
 27 SNAPE,Ian L           (3½)    -    MUIR,Andrew J.        (3½)
 28 SHAW,David A          (3½)    -    LEDGER,Dave J         (3½)
 29 TAYLOR,Peter P.       (3)     -    SHERWIN,James         (3) 
 30 DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (3)     -    TRENT,Lawrence        (3) 
 31 RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (3)     -    BUCKLEY,Simon         (3) 
 32 MASON,Don             (3)     -    NIXON,Thomas CM       (3) 
 33 DORRINGTON,Christophe (3)     -    THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (3) 
 34 WU,Li                 (3)     -    WEBB,Laurence         (3) 
 35 HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (3)     -    WHEELER,John F.       (3) 
 36 WILLMOTH,Robert       (3)     -    THOMAS,Nicholas       (3) 
 37 BUCKLEY,Melanie       (2½)    -    EAMES,Robert          (2½)
 38 JONES,Gawain C        (2½)    -    HUTCHINSON,Norman     (2½)
 39 DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (2½)    -    EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (2½)
 40 HOWELL,David W        (2½)    -    ASHTON,Adam           (2½)
 41 MUTTON,Jonathan B     (2½)    -    HARBORNE,Matthew J    (2½)
 42 BURNETT,Jim           (2½)    -    GOLDBERG,Jeff         (2½)
 43 TAYLOR,Robert M.      (2½)    -    COOTE,Trevor D.       (2½)
 44 DOUGLAS,Timothy       (2)     -    LYELL,Mark            (2) 
 45 GREGORY,Stephen J     (1½)    -    MARTYN,Rafe           (2) 
 46 MCMASTER,Richard      (1½)    -    WHITE,Ian R.          (1½)
 47 TRUMAN,Richard G.     (½)     -    TATLOW,Stephen        (1½)