Round 9 7th August 2002

Second seed Jon Speelman was the leading winner in the 9th round of the Smith & Williamson British Chess Championships in Torquay. Speelman swept aside Humpy Koneru with some typically imaginative sacrifices that led to a quick mate. He has now moved into joint second place.

Leader Luke McShane won a pawn against Pentyla Harekrishna but his opponent escaped into a drawn endgame with rook against rook and knight.

Rowson and Gallagher had the chance to join McShane on 7/9 but they drew after Rowson departed from his customary King's Pawn and took on the defending champion's King's Indian Defence. Gallagher drew fairly comfortably with active play.

There is a 7 way tie half a point from the lead including Stewart Haslinger who has continued a marvellous run by defeating IM Gary Lane. Haslinger's efforts so far have secured him a Grandmaster result, quite a feat considering he does not even hold the IM title and has never scored an IM result. Haslinger has achieved a tournament rating performance in excess of 2600 when rated just 2310.

Leaders: McShane (England) 7; Haslinger, Wells, Speelman (England), Rowson (Scotland), Gallagher (Switzerland), Ramesh, Harekrishna (India) 6.5; N.Pert Lalic (England), Ganguly Sasikiran (India) 6; Kunte, Koneru (India), Gormally, Turner, D'Costa, Flear, Emms (England) Lane (Australia) 5.5;

Speelman,J (2583) - Koneru,H (2473) [A09]
British Chess Championships Torquay (9), 08.08.2002

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 e5 5.d3 Nf6 6.0-0 a5 7.e3 Be7 8.exd4 exd4 9.Na3 0-0 10.Nb5 [ 10.Re1 Bb4 11.Re2 Re8 12.Bg5 1/2-1/2 Blodig,R-Skytte,R/Olomouc CZE 2001/The Week in Chess 354 (12). ] 10...Ne8 11.Re1 Be6 12.b3

12...Bf6 The dark squared bishop should go to c5 to defend the d4 pawn. 13.Bb2 g6 14.Qd2 Bf5 15.h3 h5 16.Ba3 This causes real problems. 16...Nb4 17.Nbxd4 Bxd4 18.Nxd4 Qxd4 19.Bb2 Qd6 [ 19...Qxd3 20.Qh6 f6 21.Rad1 Qc2 22.Rd2 traps the black queen.] 20.Qh6 Nf6 [ 20...f6 21.g4 Bxd3 22.a3 and if the knight moves then Bd5+. This however was the better chance.] 21.c5 Qd8 22.Re5 Qd7

23.Be4 [ 23.Re8 with the threat of Qxf8 and Bxf6 wins on the spot.] 23...Ra6 24.Rxf5 gxf5 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.Bxf5 1-0

Leading Round 9 Standings:
HASLINGER,Stewart G...... ENG    2310   7½ 
MCSHANE,Luke J........... ENG g  2544   7½ 
RAMESH,R.B............... IND m  2456   7½ 
GALLAGHER,Joseph G....... SUI g  2517   7  
SASIKIRAN,Krishnan....... IND g  2650   7  
SPEELMAN,Jon............. ENG g  2583   7  
WELLS,Peter.............. ENG g  2479   7  
BARUA,Dibyendu........... IND g  2542   6½ 
FLEAR,Glenn C............ ENG g  2538   6½ 
GANGULY,Sura Sekhar...... IND m  2524   6½ 
GORMALLY,Daniel.......... ENG m  2525   6½ 
HARIKRISHNA,Pentala...... IND g  2568   6½ 
KUNTE,Abhijit............ IND g  2477   6½ 
LALIC,Bogdan............. ENG g  2540   6½ 
ROWSON,Jonathan.......... SCO g  2545   6½ 
WOHL,Aleksander H........ AUS m  2419   6½ 
EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau.... WLS    2268   6  
KNOTT,Simon JB........... ENG m  2367   6  
KONERU,Humpy............. IND wg 2473   6  
LANE,Gary................ AUS m  2446   6  
LITTLEWOOD,Paul E........ ENG m  2401   6  
MUIR,Andrew J............ SCO m  2294   6  
PERT,Nicholas............ ENG m  2460   6  
PERT,Richard............. ENG f  2357   6  
SANDIPAN,Chanda.......... IND m  2507   6  
SUMMERSCALE,Aaron........ ENG g  2509   6  
TURNER,Matthew J......... ENG m  2519   6  
WARD,Chris G............. ENG g  2498   6  

Round  9 Results
  1 MCSHANE,Luke J        (6½)  ½ - ½  HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (6) 
  2 ROWSON,Jonathan       (6)   ½ - ½  GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (6) 
  3 SPEELMAN,Jon          (5½)  1 - 0  KONERU,Humpy          (5½)
  4 WELLS,Peter           (5½)  1 - 0  EMMS,John M           (5½)
  5 LALIC,Bogdan          (5½)  ½ - ½  PERT,Nicholas         (5½)
  6 RAMESH,R.B            (5½)  1 - 0  KUNTE,Abhijit         (5½)
  7 HASLINGER,Stewart G   (5½)  1 - 0  LANE,Gary             (5½)
  8 SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (5)   1 - 0  LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (5) 
  9 D'COSTA,Lorin         (5)   ½ - ½  FLEAR,Glenn C.        (5) 
 10 TURNER,Matthew J      (5)   ½ - ½  GORMALLY,Daniel       (5) 
 11 WARD,Chris G          (5)   0 - 1  GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (5) 
 12 RICHARDS,Heather      (4½)  0 - 1  BARUA,Dibyendu        (4½)
 13 HEBDEN,Mark           (4½)  ½ - ½  MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (4½)
 14 LEDGER,Dave J         (4½)  0 - 1  SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (4½)
 15 SANDIPAN,Chanda       (4½)  1 - 0  TAN,Desmond           (4½)
 16 WILLIAMS,Simon K      (4½)  ½ - ½  PERT,Richard          (4½)
 17 WOHL,Aleksander H     (4½)  1 - 0  JONES,Richard S.      (4½)
 18 GRANT,Jonathan        (4½)  1 - 0  MCDONALD,Neil         (4½)
 19 BERRY,Neil M          (4½)  ½ - ½  KNOTT,Simon JB        (4½)
 20 WALL,Gavin            (4½)  1 - 0  ADDISON,Bret C        (4½)
 21 LEE,Graham            (4½)  1 - 0  COX,John              (4½)
 22 MUIR,Andrew J.        (4½)  1 - 0  MASON,Don             (4) 
 23 WEBB,Laurence         (4)   1 - 0  SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (4) 
 24 RUDD,Jack             (4)   0 - 1  HANLEY,Craig          (4) 
 25 THOMAS,Nicholas       (4)   ½ - ½  DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (4) 
 26 WOODWARD,Timothy      (4)   0 - 1  COLLINS,Sam           (4) 
 27 EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (4)   1 - 0  HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (4) 
 28 VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (3½)  0 - 1  JONES,Gawain C        (3½)
 29 SHERWIN,James         (3½)  1 - 0  DORRINGTON,Christophe (3½)
 30 SOWRAY,Peter          (3½)  ½ - ½  TAYLOR,Peter P.       (3½)
 31 ASHTON,Adam           (3½)  ½ - ½  RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (3½)
 32 THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (3½)  ½ - ½  SNAPE,Ian L           (3½)
 33 BIGG,Andrew J         (3½)  1 - 0  DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (3½)
 34 GOLDBERG,Jeff         (3½)  0 - 1  SIMPSON,James         (3½)
 35 BUCKLEY,Simon         (3½)  1 - 0  SHAW,David A          (3½)
 36 GHATE,Swati           (3½)  0 - 1  WILLMOTH,Robert       (3) 
 37 EAMES,Robert          (3)   1 - 0  MUTTON,Jonathan B     (3) 
 38 LYELL,Mark            (3)   ½ - ½  BUCKLEY,Melanie       (3) 
 39 TRENT,Lawrence        (3)   ½ - ½  TAYLOR,Robert M.      (3) 
 40 WHEELER,John F.       (3)   1 - 0  COOTE,Trevor D.       (3) 
 41 HARBORNE,Matthew J    (3)   0 - 1  WU,Li                 (3) 
 42 NIXON,Thomas CM       (3)   1 - 0  BURNETT,Jim           (2½)
 43 HUTCHINSON,Norman     (2½)  0 - 1  HOWELL,David W        (2½)
 44 MARTYN,Rafe           (2½)  1 - 0  EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (2½)
 45 MCMASTER,Richard      (2)   1 - 0  DOUGLAS,Timothy       (2) 
 46 TATLOW,Stephen        (1½)  ½ - ½  GREGORY,Stephen J     (2) 
 47 WHITE,Ian R.          (2)   0 - 1  TRUMAN,Richard G.     (1½)

Round 10 Pairings

  1 GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (6½)    -    MCSHANE,Luke J        (7) 
  2 WELLS,Peter           (6½)    -    SPEELMAN,Jon          (6½)
  3 HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (6½)    -    HASLINGER,Stewart G   (6½)
  4 RAMESH,R.B            (6½)    -    ROWSON,Jonathan       (6½)
  5 PERT,Nicholas         (6)     -    SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (6) 
  6 GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (6)     -    LALIC,Bogdan          (6) 
  7 EMMS,John M           (5½)    -    WOHL,Aleksander H     (5½)
  8 BARUA,Dibyendu        (5½)    -    LEE,Graham            (5½)
  9 FLEAR,Glenn C.        (5½)    -    WALL,Gavin            (5½)
 10 GORMALLY,Daniel       (5½)    -    GRANT,Jonathan        (5½)
 11 LANE,Gary             (5½)    -    TURNER,Matthew J      (5½)
 12 SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (5½)    -    MUIR,Andrew J.        (5½)
 13 KONERU,Humpy          (5½)    -    SANDIPAN,Chanda       (5½)
 14 KUNTE,Abhijit         (5½)    -    D'COSTA,Lorin         (5½)
 15 COLLINS,Sam           (5)     -    HEBDEN,Mark           (5) 
 16 HANLEY,Craig          (5)     -    WARD,Chris G          (5) 
 17 LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (5)     -    BERRY,Neil M          (5) 
 18 MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (5)     -    KNOTT,Simon JB        (5) 
 19 PERT,Richard          (5)     -    WEBB,Laurence         (5) 
 20 COX,John              (4½)    -    EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (5) 
 21 MCDONALD,Neil         (4½)    -    THOMAS,Nicholas       (4½)
 22 JONES,Richard S.      (4½)    -    SHERWIN,James         (4½)
 23 DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (4½)    -    BUCKLEY,Simon         (4½)
 24 SIMPSON,James         (4½)    -    TAN,Desmond           (4½)
 25 JONES,Gawain C        (4½)    -    RICHARDS,Heather      (4½)
 26 ADDISON,Bret C        (4½)    -    LEDGER,Dave J         (4½)
 27 RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (4)     -    BIGG,Andrew J         (4½)
 28 NIXON,Thomas CM       (4)     -    SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (4) 
 29 SNAPE,Ian L           (4)     -    SOWRAY,Peter          (4) 
 30 TAYLOR,Peter P.       (4)     -    EAMES,Robert          (4) 
 31 MASON,Don             (4)     -    RUDD,Jack             (4) 
 32 WU,Li                 (4)     -    THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (4) 
 33 HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (4)     -    ASHTON,Adam           (4) 
 34 WILLMOTH,Robert       (4)     -    WHEELER,John F.       (4) 
 35 DORRINGTON,Christophe (3½)    -    WOODWARD,Timothy      (4) 
 36 BUCKLEY,Melanie       (3½)    -    VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (3½)
 37 TAYLOR,Robert M.      (3½)    -    LYELL,Mark            (3½)
 38 HOWELL,David W        (3½)    -    TRENT,Lawrence        (3½)
 39 GOLDBERG,Jeff         (3½)    -    GHATE,Swati           (3½)
 40 DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (3½)    -    MARTYN,Rafe           (3½)
 41 SHAW,David A          (3½)    -    HARBORNE,Matthew J    (3) 
 42 MUTTON,Jonathan B     (3)     -    MCMASTER,Richard      (3) 
 43 COOTE,Trevor D.       (3)     -    HUTCHINSON,Norman     (2½)
 44 BURNETT,Jim           (2½)    -    TRUMAN,Richard G.     (2½)
 45 EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (2½)    -    GREGORY,Stephen J     (2½)
 46 DOUGLAS,Timothy       (2)     -    WHITE,Ian R.          (2) 
 47 TATLOW,Stephen        (2)     -    Bye