British Championships 2010 (3)
Jack Rudd alongside Adams after three rounds
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 30th July 2010
Only Michael Adams and Jack Rudd are on 3/3 at the British Championships. Malcolm Pein reports.
International Master Jack Rudd emerged as the main challenger to Michael Adams as he and the England number one are the only players on a perfect score after three rounds of the British Championships underway at the University of Kent in Canterbury. Adams gradually outplayed IM Richard Pert with black while Rudd defeated a second grandmaster in three games in what has already been an incredible run, as he outplayed GM Simon Williams.
Rudd plays either unsound, or brilliant chess which is possibly why his rating is so low. He doesn't play quietly and his opponents never know what to predict, except for one thing, he will play extremely quickly and this can be very disconcerting. Rudd started by outplaying GM Keith Arkell and then despatched the Scottish champion IM Andrew Greet in this lovely game. Greet only makes one mistake before the sacrifices overwhelm his position.
J Rudd (2236) - A Greet (2451)
Old Benoni
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Nbd7 6.g3
(Not the most testing but a perfectly good way to play)
6...g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 Ne8 10.Rb1 f5
(10...h6!?)
11.Ng5 Nc7 12.exf5 gxf5 13.f4 e4 14.g4!
(14.Ne6 Nxe6 15.dxe6 Nf6 wins the e6 pawn. This thrust makes sense of the knight's sally to g5)
14...Nb6 15.gxf5 Bxf5 16.Bxe4 Bxc3?
(After 16...Qf6 17.Qd3 Qd4+ or 17.Kh1 Nxc4 and Black is comfortably placed)
17.bxc3 Qf6 18.Rb2!
(Black might have missed this rook lift which is virtually decisive)
18...Rae8 19.Rg2 Kh8
Andrew Greet
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Jack Rudd
Position after 19...Kh8
20.Nxh7!! Bxh7
(20...Kxh7 21.Qh5+ Qh6 22.Bxf5+)
21.Bxh7 Kxh7 22.Qd3+
(22.Qh5+ Qh6 23.Qxh6+ Kxh6 24.Rf3 also leads to mate)
22...Qf5 23.Qg3 Qf6 24.f5 Re4 25.Bf4 1-0
Andrew Greet
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Jack Rudd
Final position after 25.Bf4
Peter Wells also looks in great form with the white pieces.
P Wells - C Dorrington
English Opening
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.g3 Qc7 7.Bg2 Qxc4 8.0-0 d5 9.Bg5 Nbd7 10.Rc1 Qb4 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4 Be7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qc2 Nf6
(15...h6 16.Qxc8+ Rxc8 17.Rxc8+)
16.Nf5!!
(16.Qxc8+ Rxc8 17.Rxc8+ Kd7 18.Rxh8 Nxe4 is fine for Black)
16...Qb4
(16...exf5 17.Qxc8+ Rxc8 18.Rxc8+ Qd8 19.Bxb7 was the lesser evil)
18...Ne8
(18...bxc6 19.Rc4 Qb8 20.Qd8+ Ne8 21.Qe7+ Kg8 22.Qxe8#)
19.Rc4 Qa5 20.Bxe8 exf5 21.Qd6+ Kg8 22.b4 Qxa2 23.Bxf7+ 1-0
23...Kxf7 24.Rc7+ Ke8 25.Qe7#
