British 2015 Round by Round

[JustinHorton]

They may have to rescind the ban on mobiles in the playing hall so somebody can tell us what's going on...

[Kay Joslin P]

If you reload Chess24 it will show the correct position though, as usual it cannot cope with the time added on after move 40,
Howell is winning according to its engine. He is having a big think about move 42.

That’s what it’s showing for me. I’m not convinced Howell has really been thinking for 20 minutes here actually.

Also, FWIW, I’m not sure I’d necessarily trust an engine assessment of a rook and pawn ending as much as other types of positions, but this one does look nasty for Black.

The move time is now 27+ minutes, so it must be a technical fault. I have refreshed the page on PC/tablet/mobile app constantly, to no avail!

Edit at 19:09: It is now working.

[Mick Norris]

If you reload Chess24 it will show the correct position though, as usual it cannot cope with the time added on after move 40,
Howell is winning according to its engine. He is having a big think about move 42.

Thanks Tim, got it now

[Jonathan Bryant]

The move time is now 27+ minutes, so it must be a technical fault. I have refreshed the page on PC/tablet/mobile app constantly, to no avail!

Edit at 19:09: It is now working.

Thanks. Do we know if the clock times showing are accurate? i.e. Howell isl down to increments?

[NickFaulks]

The fun goes on.

[Tim Harding]

It's working again. Now Q+2 v Q+1. Maybe Howell did have a monster think at move 42 after all.
Clocks on both Chess24 and BCF site agree he is down to about two and a half minutes to Hebden's half-hour,

I will check the ending on the tablebase next.

Akshaya's game now about move 45 but her advantage has diminished says Stockfish.

[NickFaulks]

Tim, didn't you say that you have a tablebase for these?

Seems like the commentators' assessment of "White's winning, see you next year" may have been a bit simplistic.

[NickFaulks]

Sorry, you just did!

[Jonathan Bryant]

Tim, didn't you say that you have a tablebase for these?

Seems like the commentators' assessment of "White's winning, see you next year" may have been a bit simplistic.

Evidently so. I’m not at all convinced that Rd5 was the best move though. Surely Ke2 was clearer than this Queen ending?


Also, we’re now going to be here all night and I’ve got piano practice to do.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Also, we’re now going to be here all night ....

Maybe not. Queens are off and I fancy I could hold this pawn ending.

[Tim Harding]

The position after 52 Qc4+ Kf8 is objectively drawn says the tablebase, which is hardly surprising as White has no passed pawn and no obvious way to create one.

White could of course give lots of quick checks to gain some time and then push g4-g5 to get another 50 moves of torture.
He went into a drawn K+P ending instead, and Hebden found the only move 55...Ke7!

So soon Hawkins will probably be crowned sole champ.

On Jonathan's suggestion, yes! 42 Ke2! Rc2+ 43 Kd3 Rxb2 44 Rxa5 Rb3+ 45 Kxd4 Rxf3 (Can Black improve anywhere in that sequence) the tablebase says White mates in 44 starting with 46 Ke5.
So the long think resulted in the wrong answer.

[Simon Brown]

Hope Mark plays 55...Ke7 and draws as Kf6 loses

[Mick Norris]

Isn't the K+P ending just drawn?

[Tim Harding]

See my previous post. I don't like to post moves before they happen/can no longer happen. 56...Kd6 was also an "only" move.

[Simon Brown]

Yes but plenty of losing moves