David Howell leads on 4/4 after beating Stephen Gordon

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98th British Chess Championships 2011 (4)

David Howell leads on 4/4 after beating Stephen Gordon

IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 30th July 2011

David Howell leads the British Chess Championships with 4/4 after beating Stephen Gordon. IM Malcolm Pein reports.

David Howell defeated Stephen Gordon on top board to becomes the sole leader of the Darwin Strategic 98^th British Chess Championships being staged at Sheffield. Howell is the only player on 4/4. His plan of a kingside pawnstorm in a quiet variation of the English Opening did not seem to be achieving much before Gordon gave up rook for bishop and pawn, possibly underestimating the activity of Howell's rooks in the resulting endgame.

Howell's England teammates: Michael Adams, Nigel Short and Gawain Jones are in pursuit on 3.5/4. Short defeated Stuart Conquest, Gawain Jones beat Susan Lalic. Adams won smoothly here, the Nf3 should have stayed at is post, look where he ends up.

C Atako - M Adams

Closed Sicilian

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nge7 8.Nd2 h5

(Exploiting the absent knight)

9.Nc4 Nd4 10.Ne2 Bg4 11.f3 Be6 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.f4 Rc8 14.f5!? gxf5 15.exf5 Nxf5 16.Be4 Ne7

(Better than 16...Nxg3 17.hxg3 d5 18.Bf5 dxc4 19.Bxe6 fxe6)

17.Bxb7 Rc7 18.Bf3 d5 19.Na3 h4 20.g4 h3 21.Bd2 Qd7 22.Be1?! 0-0 23.Bb4? Rb8 24.Bxe7 Qxe7 25.Rb1 Rb6 26.Qc1 Qh4 27.g5 e4 0-1

Michael Adams

C Atako

Final position after 27...e4

Vladimir Kramnik is heading for his tenth victory at the Dortmund Sparkassen Festival. The former world champion has won previously in 1995-1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2009 and has 5/6 against quality opposition, one and a half a points ahead. His endgame technique was in evidence against Hikaru Nakamura. In the position below Black has the better placed king, more active rook, better pawn structure and his knight is superior to the bishop. See if you can find the breakthrough.

Vladimir Kramnik

Hikaru Nakamura

Black to play

At Biel, Magnus Carlsen recovered from his defeat by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and won in rounds six and seven before he was held to a draw by Alexander Morozevich. Morozevich remains in contention with two to play. He has three wins and five draws, giving him 14 points under the three points for a win system being employed. Carlsen leads; his tally of five wins, two draws and one loss gives his 17.

Carlsen's exchange sacrifice confounded Fabiano Caruano although both players missed opportunities near the end.

M Carlsen - F Caruana

Scotch Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 Qh4 7.Qe2 Ne7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Be3 Bb6 10.0-0 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bd2 Bd4 13.Rae1 Nb4 14.Qe4 Qxe4 15.Bxe4 Ba6 16.Ne2 Bc5 17.a3 Nd5 18.b4 Bd6

(18...Bb6 19.a4)

19.Nd4!! Bxf1 20.Kxf1 Nb6 21.Nxc6

(21.Bxc6!?)

21...Rfe8 22.a4 Kf8

(22...Nxa4 23.Ne7+! Rxe7Bxe7 24.Bxa8)

23.a5 Nc4 24.Bc1

(24.Bc3!?)

24...a6

(24...f5! swaps rooks which helps 25.Bxf5 Rxe1+ 26.Kxe1 Ne5 27.Nxe5 Re8!=)

25.f4?

(25.c3!)

25...Re6?