98th British Chess Championships 2011 (6)
Adams beats Howell to take the lead
IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 1st August 2011
Michael Adams beat sole leader David Howell whilst Nigel Short beat Jonathan Hawkins and so both share the lead on 5/6. IM Malcolm Pein reports.
Following a round of hard fought draws, Nigel Short and Michael Adams turned up the pressure on their rivals by grinding out wins with black in the sixth round of the Darwin Strategic 98th British Chess Championships.
Adams surprised David Howell and won the exchange with a brilliant tactical shot, try and find it below. Short reached a very drawish rook and opposite coloured bishop endgame against Jonathan Hawkins but marched his king into the heart of the enemy position.
Short and Adams lead on 5/6, level with Gawain Jones who won quickly and finished with a nice mate that his opponent Richard Bates sportingly allowed. White's setup is a favourite of many English GMs. It is not the standard Grand Prix Attack with the bishop on c4 but it's potent enough, a Dutch Defence formation with white
G Jones - R Bates
1.e4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 d6 6.0-0 Bg4
(It's often a good idea to exchange the Nf3 which plays a big part in the kingside attack that White intends)
7.Qe1 c4?! 8.dxc4 Qb6+ 9.Kh1 Bxb2 10.Bxb2 Qxb2
(This is too risky with the king on e8)
11.Nc3 Bxf3
(11...Nf6 12.Rb1 Qxc2 13.e5)
12.Bxf3 Qb4 13.Rb1 Qxc4 14.Rxb7 Nd4 15.Nd5 Rc8 16.Rxa7
(16.Rb4 Qc5 17.Qa1 e5 18.Rb7 was also good 18...Qxc2 19.fxe5 dxe5 20.Rxf7!)
16...Nxc2
(16...Nxf3 17.Rxf3 Qxc2)
17.Qb1!
Richard Bates
 | |  | |  | |  | |
 | | | |  | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | |  | | | | |
| |  | |  | | | |
| | | | |  | | |
| | | | | | | |
|  | | | | | |  |
Gawain Jones
Position after 17.Qb1!
17...Qc5 18.Qb7 Qc6 19.Nc7+ Kd7 20.Qxc6+ Kxc6 21.e5+ Kb6
Richard Bates
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Gawain Jones
Position after 21...Kb6 Now Jones finished attractively, how?
Michael Adams
| | | | |  | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
David Howell
Position after 28.Ng5 What did Adams play now?
Answer: 2
28...f5+!! 29.Ke3
(29.exf6 Nxg5+ 30.Bxg5 Re8+ wins the rook on e1)
29...Bc5+
(White must give up the exchange as a king move allows Nd4+ winning the rook on c2)
30.Rxc5 Nxc5 31.Kf3 Kf8
(31...Rxa2! and if 32.Rc1 Nd3 33.Rc7 Ne1+ 34.Ke3 Rd3#))
32.Rc1 Ke7 33.Rc4 Nd3 34.Rc6 Nxe5+ 35.Bxe5 Rxe5 36.Rxg6 a5 37.Rg7+ Kf6 38.Rc7 Rd3+ 39.Kf4 Rd4+ 40.Kf3 Rd3+ 41.Kf4 Rd4+ 42.Kf3 Red5 43.Rf7+ Ke5 44.Re7+ Kd6 45.Rh7 Rd2 46.Rxh5 Rxa2 47.Rh6+ Kc7 48.h5 a4 49.Rh7+ Rd7 50.Ne6+ Kc6 51.Rxd7 Kxd7 52.Nc5+
(52.h6 axb3 53.h7 Ra8)
52...Ke7 53.bxa4 Rc2 54.Nd3 b3 0-1
Answer: 1
22.Rb1+ Kxa7
(22...Kc5 23.Rc1 Kb6 24.Rb7+)
23.Rb7# 1-0
