McShane's winning run continues with Short win

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3rd London Chess Classic 2011 (7)

McShane's winning run continues with Short win

IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 12th December 2011

Luke McShane regained the lead of the 3rd London Chess Classic with the defeat of Nigel Short in Round 7. Malcolm Pein takes a look at the game.

Nigel Short against Luke McShane. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill.

Nigel Short against Luke McShane. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill. | http://www.rmhphoto.eu

Luke McShane's wonderful run continued at the 3rd London Chess and he regained the lead with two rounds to play. McShane completed a hat trick of wins over his compatriots, defeating Nigel Short with black. McShane reached 12 points from six games and is ahead of Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik by virtue of his greater number of wins with black.

McShane's last two games are with the white pieces, although they are far from easy. In round eight he plays Kramnik and today he faces the reigning world champion Vishy Anand.

It was another bad day for the English players. Michael Adams stood well against Magnus Carlsen but was gradually outplayed and David Howell, who, like Adams, had the black pieces, found Vladimir Kramnik in inspired form.

McShane's 3...h6 was an inadvertently amusing choice, the Becker Defence. Boris Becker was a guest of the tournament. McShae avoided 6...Bg7 7.gxf4 g4 8.Be3! gxf3 9.Qxf3 with a big centre and attacking chances for the piece sacrificed. Perhaps Short should have considered Be3-g1 early on.

N Short - L McShane

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 h6 4.d4 g5 5.Nc3 d6 6.g3 fxg3 7.hxg3 Bg7 8.Be3

White needs to castle queenside as soon as possible

8...Nf6 9.Qd3 Ng4 10.0-0-0 c6

Black has to wait until it is safe to castle kingside

11.Re1 Nd7 12.e5!? dxe5 13.Bh3

(13.dxe5 Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bd4 looks too dangerous but 13.dxe5 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Qb6 is playable)

13...Nxe3 14.Rxe3

(14.Bxd7+ Bxd7 15.Rxe3 0-0 16.Nxe5)

14...0-0! W

ith the dark bishop exchanged, Black has enough cover

15.Ne4 Nf6

(15...exd4 16.Nfxg5 hxg5 17.Bxd7 Bxd7 18.Nf6+ Qxf6 19.Qh7#; 15...exd4! 16.Nfxg5 dxe3 17.Bxd7 f5! wins, Kasparov shook his head in the analysis room; 15...g4 16.Bxg4 exd4 17.Neg5 Nf6 Kasparov also wins)

16.Bxc8

(16.Nfxg5 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxh3 18.Rxh3 exd4 19.Re2 Qd5 20.Rxh6 Bxh6+ is check)

16...exd4!

Luke McShane