Grandmaster Simon Williams has taken on the mantle of tournament organiser and has teamed up with the Big Slick Poker Club in Purley to run a FIDE rated Open and an International all play all tournament, the kind of event that is so badly needed in the UK where aspiring players can compete for IM and GM results.

As one would expect there has been plenty of fighting chess. Latest scores: 1-2 Arkell, Cherniaev (Russia) 2½/3, 3-5 Galego (Portugal), Rudd, Slavin (Russia) 2, 6 Poobalasingam 1½, 7-8 Gormally, Ansell 1, 9 Eames ½, 10 Kjartansson (Iceland) 0.

GM Jonathan Rowson was comfortably the highest rated player in the Open and shared first place with Mark Rich on 4½/5. Rowson won a blitz play-off

J Rudd - G Kjartansson

1st Big Slick Chess International,

English Opening Botvinnik

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4 Bb4 5.Bd3

(A novel way of defending e4 5.d3 is usually played with the bishop going to g2)

5...d6

(5...a5!? 6.a3 Bc5)

6.a3 Bxc3 7.dxc3 h6

(7...Nh5!? 8.0-0 Qf6)

8.h3 Be6 9.Be3 Qe7 10.Qc2 0-0 11.0-0-0!? Na5

(11...Nd7 12.g4 f6 13.Nh4 Qf7 combines attack with defence)

12.Qe2 a6 13.g4! Nh7 14.Rdg1 g5?

(White opens the 'h file with ease now and takes the initiative. Better to play 14...f6 15.h4 Qf7)

15.h4 f6 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.Nd2!

(Excellent prophylaxis. White's buildup cannot be prevented so spends a tempo on defence. Black sacrifices a pawn then a piece but White's attack is still much the stronger)

17...b5 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Bxb5 Rfb8 20.Rh6 Kh8

(20...Nf8 21.Rgh1 Qg7)

21.Rgh1 Bg8 22.b4 c6 23.Bd3 Qf7 24.Qf3 Kg7

(24...Qa2 25.Qxf6#)

25.Qf5 Nf8 26.bxa5 Rxa5 27.Nc4 Rab5 28.Bc2 Qe7 29.a4 Rb3 30.Bxb3 Rxb3 31.Kc2 Rb8 32.Nb6 d5 33.Bc5 Qf7

(33...Qxc5 34.Qxf6#)

34.Bxf8+ Rxf8 35.Rh7+ 1-0

Michael Brooks is the strongest player ever to come from the state of Missouri and he had a shot at a GM result at the recent US championship. However he had the misfortune to play the eventual winner in the eighth round. Hikaru Nakamura is one of the eight players competing at the London Chess Classic this December.

M Brooks - H Nakamura

US Ch Saint Louis (8)

Sicilian Sveshnikov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Ne7 9.c4 Ng6 10.Bd3 Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bxg6!? hxg6 13.Be3 f5 14.f3 b6 15.f4 a6 16.Nc3 exf4 17.Bxf4 Bf6 18.Be3

(18.Qd3 b5!?)

18...Bd7 19.Bd4 Rc8 20.Qd3 Qc7 21.Bxf6 Rxf6 22.b3

(22.Qd4)

22...Qc5+ 23.Kh1 b5! 24.Rae1

(24.Rf4 g5 25.Rd4 b4 26.Ne2 Re8)

24...bxc4 25.Qg3 cxb3 26.Ne4!? fxe4 27.Rxf6 Bf5! 28.Rxd6 b2 29.Rc6 Rxc6 30.dxc6 Qc1 31.Qb3+ Kh7 32.Qd1 Qxd1 33.Rxd1 e3 34.c7 e2! 0-1

In view of 34...e2 35.Re1 b1Q 36.Rxb1 Bxb1 37.c8Q e1Q#

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