Chess

The English are doing well. At Hastings, John Nunn leads with 4 out of 5, while at Groningen in the Netherlands, Nigel Short has scored a fine victory ahead of a strong field including Timman, Gelfand, Shirov and Korchnoi.

Short's win against Korchnoi was wondrously imaginative. After 26...Rxd6! a retreat of the bishop on c4 is met by Rxd4 and Bxc5, while 27.Ne5 Rxd4! 28.Nxc6 Rxc4 leaves Black with three pieces for the queen after Bxc5+ and Rxc6.

White: Viktor Korchnoi

Black: Nigel Short

1 Nf3 c5 21 d5 Na5

2 b3 d5 22 d6 Bf8

3 e3 Nf6 23 Bd4 Nxc4

4 Bb2 e6 24 Bxc4 b5

5 c4 dxc4 25 Nc5 Qc6

6 bxc4 Be7 26 Ng4 Rxd6

7 Be2 0-0 27 Ne5 Rxd4

8 Qc2 Nc6 28 Bxe6 Bxc5

9 a3 Re8 29 Bxf7+ Kf8

10 0-0 b6 30 Kh1 Qe4

11 Nc3 Bb7 31 Qxe4 Bxe4

12 Ng5 h6 32 Be6 Rcd8

13 Nh3 Qd7 33 f5 Nf6

14 f4 Red8 34 Rc1 Bb6

15 d3 a6 35 Ng6+ Ke8

16 Rad1 Rab8 36 Rfe1 Ba5

17 Nf2 Ba8 37 Rg1 Rd2

18 Nce4 Ne8 38 Ne5 Bb6

19 d4 cxd4 White resigns

20 exd4 Rbc8

Back in Hastings, the Flear-Adams game provided some rare farce. Adams had two extra pawns in the diagram position. Now look what happened: 1...g4 (1...Bd7! is the completely secure way to play) 2.Nc7 Ra1 (2...g3 looks better, since 3.Rf3 is met by h4!) 3.Ne6+ Kg6 4.Rf8 Rd1+ 5.Ke3 Bf1 6.Nf4+ Kg7 7.Rf5 Bxc4 8.Rxh5 Re1+ 9.Kd4 b5 10.Ne6+! (10.Rg5+ Kf6 11.Rxg5 Kf5 wins for Black) 10...Kf7 11.Rh7+ Ke8 12.Rg7 Rg1 13.Nc7+ Kd8 14.Kc3! Kc8?? (14...g3 15.Ka5 g2 still wins) 15.Kb4 g3 16.Ka5 b4 17.Kb6 Bxd5?? (17...g2!) 18.Nxd5 b3 19.Nf6! Kd8 20.Rd7+ Kc8 21.Rg7?? (21.Re7 mates next move) 21...Kd8 22.Rd7+ (22.Kb7! forces mate) Kc8 23.Rg7?? draw!