Chess

A trio of disasters from the recent British Championship in Norwich.

William Watson won the title in this year's British Championship, while lower down the field some instructive miniatures were being played. Here is a brief selection.

White: K Mah

Black: M Turner

White's knight gallops off to the wrong end of the pasture and the black pieces gorge themselves in his absence.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 Nf6 6. Ng3?

Surprised by Black's unusual fifth move, White goes wrong immediately. 6. Qe2 or 6. Nxf6+ would be better.

6 . . . e4 7. Ng5 d5 8. c4 Bc5 9. 0-0 0-0 10. cxd5 Nd4] 11. Bc4 b5 12. N3xe4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 bxc4 14. Nxc5 Qxd5 15. Na4 (see diagram)

Now White's knight, which was previously out on a limb on g5, is shunted into a siding on the other wing.

15 . . . Bh3] 16. f3

16. gxh3 Nf3+ 17. Kh1 Qe5 is disastrous.

16 . . . Qg5 17. Rf2 Rxf3] 18. d3 Qg6 19. g3 Rxf2 20. Kxf2 Rf8+ 21. Ke3 Rf3+ 22. Qxf3

22. Kxd4 Rxd3+ is no better.

22 . . . Qxd3+ White resigns.

White: J Howell

Black: A Ledger

Behind in development, Black plays an ingenious combination . . . with a big hole in it.

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bd2 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5

It is safer, though rather uninspiring, to exchange on f3.

8. g4 Bg6 9. Bc4 Qb6 10. Qe2]

Calling his bluff. 10 . . . Qxb2 11. Rb1 Qxc2 12. Rxb7 is precarious for Black.

10 . . . e6 11. 0-0-0 Nbd7 12. h4 h5

13. g5 Ng8 14. d5] cxd5 15. Nxd5 Qd8 16. Ne5] Bxc2]?

16 . . . Nxe5 17. Qxe5 would have left White threatening both Bb5+ and Nc7+. Black's combination does not work, but it is hard to suggest anything better.

17. Kxc2 Nxe5 18. Qxe5 Rc8

19. Bc3]

Very nice, breaking the pin on the c-file and sweeping open the line from d1 to d8.

19 . . . Rxc4 20. Nf6+] gxf6 21. Rxd8+ Kxd8 22. Qb8+ Kd7 23. Rd1+ Kc6 24. Qc8+ resigns.

Finally a reminder that in chess, unlike draughts, you do not have to capture.

White: A Ledger

Black: K Greer

1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. cxd5 cxd5

4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3 Qa5 6. d4 e6

7. Nf3 Nf6 8. Bc4 Be7 9. 0-0 0-0

10. Bd2 Qd8 11. Re1 a6 12. Bf4 b5 13. Bb3 Bb7 14. Rc1 Bb4 15. Bg5 Nbd7 16. Re3 Be7 17. d5] Nxd5? 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 19. Bxe7 Bxf3 20. Qd6] resigns.