Round 1 (April 11, 2000)

Aagaard, Jacob     -  McNab, Colin A     1-0   27  B09  Pirc; Austrian
McDonald, Neil R   -  Norris, Alan J     1-0   42  B01  Scandinavian
Gormally, Daniel   -  Pert, Nicholas     1/2   26  D16  Slav defence
Afek, Yochanan     -  Krush, Irina       0-1   39  B22  Sicilian; Alapin (2.c3)
Hummel, Patrick    -  Ward, Christopher  0-1   49  E32  Nimzo indian


Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (ENG), 11-19 iv 2000cat. VII (2406)
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                                 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
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 1 Aagaard, Jacob     m DEN 2396 * . . . . . . . 1 .  1.0      
 2 Krush, Irina      wm USA 2399 . * . . . . 1 . . .  1.0      
 3 McDonald, Neil R   g ENG 2438 . . * . . . . . . 1  1.0      
 4 Ward, Christopher  g ENG 2509 . . . * . . . 1 . .  1.0      
 5 Gormally, Daniel   m ENG 2504 . . . . * = . . . .  0.5  2396
 6 Pert, Nicholas     f ENG 2396 . . . . = * . . . .  0.5  2504
 7 Afek, Yochanan     m ISR 2349 . 0 . . . . * . . .  0.0      
 8 Hummel, Patrick      USA 2347 . . . 0 . . . * . .  0.0      
 9 McNab, Colin A     g SCO 2424 0 . . . . . . . * .  0.0      
10 Norris, Alan J     f SCO 2301 . . 0 . . . . . . *  0.0      
---------------------------------------------------------------

The Oakham GM tournament takes place 11th-19th April 2000, Oakham School, Rutland, Leicestershire. Games start at 1300 hours each day except the last, when there will be an 1100 start. The event is Category VII with an ELO average of 2406). There is a slightly unusual time rate: using Digital Clock, the initial rate of play is 40 moves in 100 minutes, but throughout the game each player receives 30 seconds for every move made. After 40 moves each player is given a 50-minute bonus After 60 moves each player is given a 10-minute bonus. Players must keep an up-to-date scoresheet at all times. John Henderson reports daily (see his round one report below).

Jacob Aagaard, Yochanan Afek and Danny Gormally.

Patrick Hummel, Irina Krush and Neil McDonald.

Colin McNab, Alan Norris, Nicholas Pert and Chris Ward.

John Henderson reports on Round 1.

THE BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES

SET in the rustic, ancient market town of Oakham in Rutland (near Leicester), lies a school that has got an impressive chess pedigree: Oakham School.

Oakham, with over 1,000 pupils, is a private school founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth - the first that is, in 1584! The school promotes chess for the purposes of intellectual development and self-reliance. Also, it's the only school in Britain to actively promote chess in the curriculum and employ a full-time chess teacher - FM Graham Lee.

According to the Headmaster, Tony Little, "The school recognises the value of chess in education by encouraging concentration, memory, self-reliance, decision-making and sportsmanship."

And, biannually from the early 1980s until 1994, the school held some of the most impressive junior tournaments of all time. Nigel Short, Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik (who in 1992 got his second GM norm there), Alexei Shirov, Mickey Adams, Vassily Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Vladimir Akopian and WGM Alisa Galliamova all took part in the many junior tournaments. And, of all those, only Shirov (in 1992) won there!

Not to be outdone, even Garry Kasparov has an association with Oakham School! In 1998, the world champion launched a scholarship in his name (the Kasparov scholarship) that each year sees a Russian junior nominated by Kasparov receiving a top-class education at the school, more of which in a further article.

Since the last norm tournament held at the school was in 1994 (three GM norms!), the headmaster, Tony Little, decided that the millennium was the perfect time to bring back the tradition of holding a GM norm tournament at the school. So, with Graham Lee having the assistance of top UK tournament organiser Adam Raoof, they set about inviting A field that had a mixture of experience and youth with the sole aim of trying to provide opportunities for IM and GM norms.

From the experienced side, we had IM Jacob Aagaard, GM Colin McNab, GM Neil McDonald, IM Yochanan Afek, GM Chris Ward and FM Alan Norris. The young wannabes on the lookout for norms are IM Irina Krush, IM Nick Pert (a former pupil of the school and a world under-18 champion), Patrick Hummel and IM Danny Gormally.

The draw for pairing numbers for the nine-round tournament was made at Birmingham on Sunday 27th March 2000 during the 4NCL by Graham Lee (Tournament Director) and Richard Furness (Tournament Arbiter). Using the Digital Clock, we have a Fischer mode time control with the initial rate of play being 40 moves in 100 minutes, but throughout the game each player receives 30 seconds for every move made. After 40 moves each player is given a 50-minute bonus and, after 60 moves, each player is given a 10-minute bonus. However, due to this time control, the players must keep an up-to-date scoresheet at all times.

J Aagaard (2396) - C McNab (2424) [B09]
Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (1), 11.04.2000

1 e4 g6 2 d4 d6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 f4 Nc6 5 Be3 Nf6 6 Be2 0–0 7 Nf3 e6 [A McNab speciality.] 8 Qd2 Ne7 9 0–0–0 [9 Bd3 b6 10 h3 Bb7 11 0–0 c5 12 e5 Nfd5 13 exd6 (13 Nxd5 Nxd5 14 c3) 13 ..Qxd6 14 dxc5 bxc5 15 Ne4 Qc7 16 Bxc5 f5 17 Bd6 Qd8 18 Bxe7 Qxe7 19 Nc3 Nxc3 20 bxc3 Bxf3 21 gxf3 Qc5+³ ½–½ Thipsay,P-McNab,C/Thessaloniki 1984/EXT 97-B (33); 9 h3 b6 10 e5 Nfd5 11 Nxd5 Nxd5 12 Bf2 Bb7 13 0–0–0 Bh6 14 g3 dxe5 15 dxe5 Nxf4 16 gxf4 Qxd2+ 17 Kxd2 Bxf4+ 18 Kc3 Bxf3 19 Bxf3 Bxe5+ 20 Bd4 Bxd4+ 21 Rxd4± 1–0 Berelovich,A-McNab,C/Koszalin 1998/CBM 65 ext (41)] 9 ..b6 10 e5 [10 Ng5 h6 11 Nh3 Bb7 12 Bf3 Rb8 13 g4 b5 14 Qg2 b4 15 Ne2 d5 16 e5 Ne4 17 Ng3 c5 18 Bxe4 dxe4 19 f5 Nd5 20 Qf2 Qa5 21 f6 Qxa2 22 fxg7 Rfd8 23 Rhf1 Rd7 24 Nxe4 c4 25 Qh4 c3 26 Nxc3 bxc3 27 bxc3 Qa1+ 28 Kd2 Qxc3+ 29 Kc1 Qa3+ 0–1 Botterill,G-McNab,C/Brighton 1984/MCL (29)] 10 ..Nfd5 11 Nxd5 Nxd5 [11 ..exd5!? 12 h3 c5] 12 h4 [12 Bf2 f6 13 c4 Ne7 14 exf6 Bxf6 15 Rhe1 a6 16 Bh4! Nf5 17 Bg5 Bd7 18 Bd3 b5 19 d5 exd5 (19 ..bxc4 20 Bxc4 e5 21 fxe5 dxe5 22 d6+±) 20 cxd5 Rf7 21 Kb1 h6 22 g4! Ne7 (22 ..hxg5 23 gxf5 gxf4 24 fxg6 Rf8 25 h4‚)23 Bxh6 Bxg4 24 Qg2 Qd7 25 Re6! Bxe6 26 dxe6 Qxe6 27 Bxg6 Rg7 28 Bxg7 Bxg7 29 Bh7+! Kf8 30 Ng5 Qc8 31 f5 Be5 32 f6 Bxf6 33 Rf1 Kg7 34 Ne4+ Kxh7 35 Nxf6+ Kh6 36 Rf3 Ng6 37 Rh3+ Kg7 38 Nh5+ Kf7 39 Rf3+ A very impressive attack by white.. 1–0 Chandler,M-McNab,C/Southend 1999/CBM 71/]

12 ..Nxe3? [Black's knight was well placed on d5. Perhaps his best defence was simply 12 ..h5!? 13 Ng5 f6 14 exf6 Qxf6 neutralising the attack as 15 g4 Nxe3 >(15 ..Nxf4? 16 Rhf1!)16 Qxe3 Qxf4 17 Qxf4 Rxf4] 13 Qxe3 Bb7 [13 ..h5?! 14 g4 hxg4 15 Ng5 Bb7 16 Rh2 Qe7 17 Bxg4 c5 18 Qh3! cxd4 19 h5 soon crashes through.] 14 h5 dxe5 15 dxe5 Qe7 16 hxg6 hxg6 [16 ..fxg6 17 Ng5 is no better for Black.] 17 Ng5 Rfd8 18 Bd3 Rd7 [18 ..Bxg2 19 Rh7 Bd5 20 Qh3 f6 21 Rxg7+ Qxg7 22 Nxe6 Bxe6 (22 ..Qd7 23 Rg1) 23 Qxe6+ Qf7 (23 ..Kf8 24 Rh1 Re8 25 Qc6 fxe5 26 Bxg6) 24 Qc6 Kg7 25 Rg1] 19 Rh4 f6 [19 ..Bxg2 20 Rd2 Bd5 21 Qh3 f6 (21 ..Qc5 22 Rh7) 22 Rh2! fxg5 23 Rh8+ Kf7 24 Bxg6+ Kxg6 25 Qh7+ Kf7 26 Qh5#] 20 exf6 Bxf6 [20 ..Qxf6 21 Qxe6+ Qxe6 22 Nxe6 Bxg2 23 f5] 21 Rh6 Bd5 22 Rxg6+ Bg7 23 c4 Bxg2 24 Rxe6 Qd8 [24 ..Bxb2+ 25 Kc2 Qa3 26 Rg6+ Bg7 27 Rxg7+ Rxg7 28 Bh7+ Rxh7 29 Qxa3] 25 Rg6 Qe7 26 Ne6 Re8 27 Qg3 1–0

Y Afek (2349) - I Krush (2399) [B22]
Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (1), 11.04.2000

1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 Nf3 e6 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 b6 7 Nc3 Bb7 [The critical line runs: 7 ..Nxc3 8 bxc3 Qc7 9 Be2 Qxc3+ 10 Bd2 Qa3 11 Rc1 Ba6 12 0–0 Nc6] 8 Nxd5 [Too tame. Exchanging on d5 gives Black easy equality. Instead, more in the spirit of the c3 Sicilian, is: 8 Bd3 Nxc3 9 bxc3 Qc7 10 Bd2 d6 11 0–0 Nd7 12 Ng5 dxe5 13 Qh5 g6 14 Qh3 Be7 15 Rfe1 Rf8!] 8 ..Bxd5 9 Bd3 Be7 10 Be3 Nc6 11 a3 d6 12 Rc1 Rc8 13 Bc2?! [13 0–0 0–0] 13 ..dxe5 14 Nxe5 0–0 [The immediate 14 ..Bf6 looked stronger as it prevents White from playing f4. And if 15 Ba4 b5!] 15 0–0 Bf6 16 f4 g6 17 Ba4 Nxe5 18 dxe5?! [More natural was 18 fxe5 Bg5 19 Qd2 Bxe3+ 20 Qxe3 Rxc1 21 Rxc1 f6! with Black just slightly better due to the good bishop on d5, the open f-file and the weak pawn on e5.] 18 ..Be7 19 Qe2 [19 Rxc8 Qxc8 20 Qd2 Qc4! 21 Bd7 f6! 22 Rc1 Qe4 23 exf6 Bxf6 leaves Black with all the aces.] 19 ..Bc5 20 Bxc5 bxc5 21 Rf2 [21 Rfd1 f6! (a common theme in such positions with a pawn on e5 - Black breaks the pawn chain as quickly as possible. And, should we arrive at an ending, the pawn on e5 becomes a liability.) 22 Qe3 (22 exf6 Qxf6 23 g3 c4 24 Rc2 c3 25 bxc3 Rxc3 26 Rxc3 Qxc3 and Black stands better due to the open lines around the White King. 22 ..fxe5 23 fxe5 c4 24 Rd4] 21 ..c4 22 Qe3 [22 Bb5? Bxg2!] 22 ..Qa5 23 Bd1 Rfd8 24 Rfc2

24 ..Rb8! 25 Qf2 [25 Be2 Rb3 26 Qf2 c3 27 Rxc3 (27 bxc3 Be4) 27 ..Rxb2 28 Rd3 Rdb8 29 Qe3 Ra2] 25 ..Be4 26 Rc3 Bd3 [Also an option was 26 ..Qd5 ] 27 h4 h5 28 b4 cxb3 29 Bxb3 Be4 30 Qe3 Bf5 31 Bd1 Rd7 32 Bf3 Rbd8! A nice piece of kidology. With White in serious time trouble, instead of the natural 32 ..Rb2, Krush forces her opponent to think again. 33 Kh2 Kg7 34 Qf2 [34 Be2 was called for] 34 ..Rd3 35 Rc7 R8d7 [35 ..R8d4!] 36 Rxd7 Rxd7 37 Qc5 Qd2 38 Rc4 Qe1 39 Rc2 Time 0–1

N McDonald (2438) - A Norris [B01]
Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (1), 11.04.2000

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qa5 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 c6 6 Bc4 Bf5 7 Ne5 e6 8 0–0 Nbd7 9 Nxd7 Nxd7 [Also an option is 9 ..Kxd7 with the idea of castling by hand after 10 Bf4 Rd8] 10 Re1 Bb4 11 Bd2 0–0 12 a3 Bxc3 13 Bxc3 Qc7 14 Bb4?! For reasons that'll soon become clear, White's best option is retreating the white squared bishop to b3 or d3. 14 ..Rfe8 15 a4 Rad8 16 a5 Nf6 17 b3 It looks a bit strange. White intended playing 17 c3, but had overlooked [17 c3 c5 18 Bxc5 b6! 19 axb6 axb6 20 Bb5 bxc5 21 Bxe8 Nxe8] 17 ..Qf4 Winning a pawn 18 g3 [18 c3 Ng4!] 18 ..Qxd4 19 Qxd4 Rxd4 20 Bc5 Rd2 21 Bxa7 Bxc2 [21 ..Rxc2 Looked stronger 22 a6 bxa6 23 Rxa6 Be4!] 22 Ra2 Red8 23 Bb6 Rd1 [Much stronger was 23 ..Bf5! 24 Raa1 (24 Rxd2 Rxd2 25 Be3 Rd7; 24 Bxd8 Rxa2 25 h4 Kf8) ] 24 Rf1 Bb1 25 Ra1 [The bishop ending did'nt particularly look inviting: 25 Bxd8 Rxf1+ 26 Kxf1 Bxa2 27 Bxf6 gxf6 28 Ke2 Bb1 29 Ke3] 25 ..Rxf1+ 26 Kxf1 Bd3+ 27 Ke1 Rd7 28 a6 bxa6 29 Rxa6 h5 30 Be3 Be4 31 Ke2 Rb7

[Black misses the golden opportunity here with 31 ..Ng4! 32 f3 (32 h4 Ne5!) 32 ..Nxe3 33 Kxe3 Bd5 34 Bxd5 cxd5] 32 f3 Bc2? [Again, 32 ..Bd5! ] 33 Rxc6 Bxb3 34 Rc8+ Kh7 35 Bd3+ g6 36 Bd4! (Now, due to the active bishop's, its suddenly becoming very, very difficult for Black due to the pins and the mating threats.) 36 ..Ng8 [36 ..Kg7? 37 Ke3 Rd7 38 Rc3! A) 38 ..Bd5 39 g4 hxg4 40 fxg4 e5 (40 ..g5 41 h4) 41 Bxe5; B) 38 ..Ba4 39 Be4 Bd1 40 Rc1 Ba4 41 g4 hxg4 42 fxg4 Rxd4 43 Kxd4 Nxg4] 37 f4 Bd5 38 Rf8 f5 [Black's last chance was: 38 ..Bg2! 39 Ke3 Bh3 40 Be4 (40 Bb5? f6!) 40 ..Re7 41 Bc5 (41 Bc6 f6! 42 Bxf6 Nxf6 43 Rxf6 Kg7) 41 ..Rd7 42 Bc6 Rc7 43 Bd6 Ra7 44 Bc5 Rc7] 39 Ke3 Rc7?? [39 ..e5 allows Black to survive - but he's not out of the woods: 40 Bxe5 Re7 41 Rd8 Bc6 42 Rd6 Be8 43 Kd4 Nh6 44 Bf6 Rc7 45 h3 Nf7 46 Re6 Bc6 and Black should grovel out with a draw.] 40 Bb5 Rb7 41 Be5! Ra7 [41 ..Rxb5 42 Rf7+ Kh6 43 Bg7+ Kh7 44 Bf6+ Kh6 45 Bg5#] 42 Be8 There's no defence to 43 Bf7 mating. 1–0

P Hummel (2347) - C Ward (2509) [E32]
Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (1), 11.04.2000

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 0–0 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 b5!? [An interesting alternative to the standard 6 ..b6 that was brought into tournament praxis in 1982 by Alvis Vitolinsh.] 7 cxb5 c6 8 Bg5 [The idea behind the gambit is that after 8 bxc6 Nxc6 9 Bg5 Bb7 10 e3 Rc8 , Black gets good counterplay due to his lead in development, the open c-file and the white-square domination.] 8 ..h6 9 Bxf6 Qxf6 10 g3N (A novelty! But surely challenging the h1–a8 diagonal looks natural?) 10 ..cxb5 11 Bg2 Nc6! [11 ..d5 12 Rc1! Bd7 13 Qe3 Rc8 14 Rxc8+ Bxc8 15 Nf3 Nc6 16 0–0 Bb7 17 Rc1 Rc8 18 Rc5 and White can claim some advantage.] 12 Bxc6 dxc6 13 Rc1 Bd7?! [13 ..Bb7 looks right.] 14 Nf3 Rfd8 15 0–0 Be8 16 Qa5?! [16 Ne5! has to be right 16 ..Rd6 17 e3 Rad8 18 f4 Qf5 19 Nd3 Qh3 20 Nc5 Rd5 21 Rfd1 f6 22 e4 Rh5 23 Qc2 Bg6 24 f5! exf5 25 Ne6] 16 ..Qe7 17 e3 f6 18 Rc5 Rd5 19 Rxd5 exd5 20 Nd2 h5 [20 ..Rb8! 21 Nb3 b4! 22 Qc5 Qb7] 21 Qc3?! [21 Nb3! Rb8 22 Nc5 Bg6 23 Rc1 Bf5 24 b3] 21 ..h4 22 Qc2 Qe6 23 Qd1 [23 Rc1!? hxg3 24 hxg3 Qh3 25 Nf3 Bh5 26 Nh4! g5 27 Qxc6] 23 ..hxg3 24 hxg3 Qh3 25 Qf3 Bh5 26 Qf4 Rf8? 27 Qh4 [White has to be careful not to be lured by the Black queenside pawns: 27 Qc7 Be8! 28 Qxa7 Kh7 29 Nf3 (29 Qc7 Rh8 30 f3 Kg6 31 Kf2 Qf5) 29 ..Bg6 30 Qc7 Be4] 27 ..Qf5 28 Rc1 Be8 29 Rc3 g5 30 Qh1 Kg7 31 e4 [31 Qf3 Qh3 32 Qg2 Qh5 33 g4 Qg6] 31 ..dxe4 32 Qxe4 Kg6??

[32 ..Qd7! 33 Nb3 Bf7 34 Nc5 Qd6 35 Re3 Re8 looks drawish] 33 Rc5? [Unbelievably, White misses an outright win with 33 Qe7! Rh8 34 Rf3] 33 ..Qxe4 34 Nxe4 Bd7 35 Rc3 Be6 [35 ..Rd8! 36 f3 (36 Nc5 Bf5) 36 ..Be8 37 Rd3 a5 38 Kf2 a4 39 Ke3 Bf7 leaves White in a desperate struggle.] 36 Nc5 Bd5 37 Re3 Rh8 38 Kf1 [38 f3 g4 39 fxg4 Rh1+ 40 Kf2 Rh2+ 41 Ke1 Rxb2] 38 ..Rh1+ 39 Ke2 Rb1 [Black can also opt for 39 ..a5! 40 b3 (40 b4 axb4 41 axb4 Rb1 soon clears up 40 ..g4 41 Nd3 Ra1 42 Nf4+ Kf5 43 Nxd5 cxd5 44 f3 Rxa3] 40 b4 Rb2+ 41 Ke1 Ra2 [41 ..g4!] 42 g4 Ra1+ 43 Ke2 f5 44 gxf5+ Kxf5 45 Rc3 Bc4+ 46 Ke3 Re1+ 47 Kf3 Bd5+ 48 Kg3 Rg1+ 49 Kh3 g4+ [49 ..g4+ 50 Kh4 Rh1+ 51 Kg3 Rh3#]  0–1

D Gormally (2504) - N Pert (2396) [D16]
Millennium Masters Oakham ENG (1), 11.04.2000

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Na6 (The Smyslov Variation) 6 Ne5 Nb4 7 e3 Be6!? [7 ..Bf5 8 Bxc4 e6 looked right.] 8 Bxc4 Bxc4 9 Nxc4 e6 10 0–0 c5 11 dxc5 Qxd1 [11 ..Bxc5] 12 Rxd1 Bxc5 13 Kf1 Rd8 [13 ..0–0 14 Na5 Rab8 15 Nb3 Rbc8! 16 Nxc5 Rxc5 17 Nb5] 14 Bd2 Nc6

[14 ..Nd3!? 15 Ke2 0–0 16 Be1 Nxe1 17 Kxe1 Bb4 leaves Black with a small advantage.] 15 Na2 Nd5 16 Rac1 Ke7 17 Ke2 [17 e4!? Nb6 18 Nxb6 Bxb6 19 Nb4 Ne5 20 h3 a5 21 f4 Nd7 22 Nd3 Nf6 23 e5 Ne4 24 Be1 Rd5 25 Rc4] 17 ..f6 18 Ne5 Nxe5 19 Rxc5 Rc8 20 Rdc1 Rxc5 21 Rxc5 Kd7 22 e4 Ne7 23 Bc3 b6 24 Rb5 Nc4 25 Rh5 Ng6 26 g3 ½–½