David Howell reaches 2700

[Leonard Barden]

Congratulations!

http://www.2700chess.com/

[MJMcCready]

That's great news. Still remember the day I saw him defeat GM John Nunn at the 1999 Mind Sports Olympiad.

[Alan Walton]

It isn't official yet, it is only live rating

I presume he would personally like to be published over 2700, so lets wait until after the event in Leiden, and hopefully it goes into the August list, otherwise he also has the British to be added as well

[John Saunders]

David Howell's fourth round game in Leiden against Predrag Nikolic was also quite remarkable. David looked dead and buried around move 63 but his opponent was in bad time trouble and managed to lose.

[Event "Leiden op"] [Site "?"] [Date "2015.07.21"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Howell, David"] [Black "Nikolic, Predrag"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C07"] [EventDate "2015.07.18"] [LiveChessVersion "1.4.6"] 1.e4 { [%clk 1:24:00] } 1...e6 { [%clk 1:30:56] } 2.d4 { [%clk 1:23:10] } 2...d5 { [%clk 1:31:21] } 3.Nd2 { [%clk 1:23:16] } 3...c5 { [%clk 1:31:36] } 4.Ngf3 { [%clk 1:22:42] } 4...Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:50] } 5.e5 { [%clk 1:12:44] } 5...Nfd7 { [%clk 1:31:58] } 6.c3 { [%clk 1:13:08] } 6...Be7 { [%clk 1:32:13] } 7.Bd3 { [%clk 1:13:31] } 7...b6 { [%clk 1:32:14] } 8.O-O { [%clk 1:12:07] } 8...Ba6 { [%clk 1:32:30] } 9.Ne1 { [%clk 1:12:18] } 9...Bxd3 { [%clk 1:29:57] } 10.Nxd3 { [%clk 1:11:33] } 10...Nc6 { [%clk 1:30:18] } 11.Qg4 { [%clk 1:09:13] } 11...g6 { [%clk 1:16:24] } 12.Nf3 { [%clk 1:09:11] } 12...c4 { [%clk 1:16:42] } 13.Nde1 { [%clk 0:43:51] } 13...h6 { [%clk 1:12:24] } 14.Nc2 { [%clk 0:42:44] } 14...Qc7 { [%clk 1:12:23] } 15.Bd2 { [%clk 0:41:43] } 15...O-O-O { [%clk 1:09:57] } 16.h4 { [%clk 0:38:02] } 16...Kb8 { [%clk 1:09:06] } 17.b3 { [%clk 0:20:59] } 17...Na5 { [%clk 1:09:07] } 18.Rfb1 { [%clk 0:20:57] } 18...Ka8 { [%clk 1:08:39] } 19.b4 { [%clk 0:10:46] } 19...Nb7 { [%clk 1:08:35] } 20.a4 { [%clk 0:09:31] } 20...a6 { [%clk 1:05:06] } 21.Ne3 { [%clk 0:06:56] } 21...Rdg8 { [%clk 1:04:35] } 22.Qh3 { [%clk 0:06:54] } 22...Nd8 { [%clk 0:59:11] } 23.Ng4 { [%clk 0:06:42] } 23...g5 { [%clk 0:59:35] } 24.h5 { [%clk 0:05:19] } 24...Re8 { [%clk 0:51:22] } 25.Re1 { [%clk 0:05:32] } 25...Nc6 { [%clk 0:50:52] } 26.Re2 { [%clk 0:04:43] } 26...Kb7 { [%clk 0:51:15] } 27.Rae1 { [%clk 0:02:56] } 27...b5 { [%clk 0:51:35] } 28.a5 { [%clk 0:03:25] } 28...Rc8 { [%clk 0:51:07] } 29.Rc1 { [%clk 0:03:10] } 29...Qd8 { [%clk 0:51:28] } 30.Re3 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 30...Qg8 { [%clk 0:51:42] } 31.Nfh2 { [%clk 0:02:13] } 31...Qh7 { [%clk 0:51:35] } 32.Qf3 { [%clk 0:02:26] } 32...Rce8 { [%clk 0:45:31] } 33.Qe2 { [%clk 0:02:41] } 33...Bd8 { [%clk 0:45:39] } 34.Rf3 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 34...Rhf8 { [%clk 0:45:43] } 35.Re1 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 35...Ne7 { [%clk 0:42:29] } 36.Qd1 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 36...Nf5 { [%clk 0:42:32] } 37.Qb1 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 37...Rh8 { [%clk 0:42:43] } 38.Nf1 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 38...Ref8 { [%clk 0:35:30] } 39.Nfe3 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 39...Ng7 { [%clk 0:35:34] } 40.Qxh7 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 40...Rxh7 { [%clk 0:35:59] } 41.Rh3 { [%clk 0:28:52] } 41...f5 { [%clk 1:00:12] } 42.exf6 { [%clk 0:28:31] } 42...Bxf6 { [%clk 1:00:35] } 43.Nf1 { [%clk 0:16:21] } 43...Bd8 { [%clk 0:56:05] } 44.Nfh2 { [%clk 0:15:43] } 44...Bc7 { [%clk 0:55:44] } 45.Rf3 { [%clk 0:07:29] } 45...Bxh2+ { [%clk 0:45:31] } 46.Nxh2 { [%clk 0:07:37] } 46...Rxf3 { [%clk 0:45:41] } 47.Nxf3 { [%clk 0:06:06] } 47...Nf6 { [%clk 0:46:00] } 48.g3 { [%clk 0:01:46] } 48...g4 { [%clk 0:35:57] } 49.Nh2 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 49...Kc8 { [%clk 0:33:19] } 50.Bf4 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 50...Kd7 { [%clk 0:33:42] } 51.Be5 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 51...Ngxh5 { [%clk 0:33:50] } 52.Kf1 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 52...Rg7 { [%clk 0:30:34] } 53.Ke2 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 53...Rg8 { [%clk 0:28:47] } 54.Rh1 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 54...Ne4 { [%clk 0:27:58] } 55.Nxg4 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 55...Rxg4 { [%clk 0:27:40] } 56.Rxh5 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 56...Rg6 { [%clk 0:26:35] } 57.Rh1 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 57...Nxc3+ { [%clk 0:26:54] } 58.Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 58...Na2 { [%clk 0:23:17] } 59.Rb1 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 59...Rg8 { [%clk 0:23:38] } 60.Rh1 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 60...c3 { [%clk 0:19:42] } 61.Kd3 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 61...Rc8 { [%clk 0:20:03] } 62.Rxh6 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 62...Nxb4+ { [%clk 0:19:55] } 63.Ke2 { [%clk 0:01:15] } 63...Na2 { [%clk 0:18:06] } 64.Kd3 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 64...b4 { [%clk 0:17:43] } 65.Kc2 { [%clk 0:01:21] } 65...Rc4 { [%clk 0:15:58] } 66.Bf4 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 66...Rxd4 { [%clk 0:11:47] } 67.Rh7+ { [%clk 0:00:35] } 67...Ke8 { [%clk 0:10:02] } 68.Kb3 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 68...e5 { [%clk 0:08:56] } 69.Bg5 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 69...c2 { [%clk 0:06:14] } 70.Kxa2 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 1-0

David thus increases his live rating to 2705.3 and his score to 4/4. Today he has Black against Bert van der Marel, a 57-year-old Dutchman rated only 2161 who has just beaten an IM and GM to reach 3½/4.

[Mick Norris]

David won in 27 moves

You can see the game here

He is now number 40 on the live ratings at 2706.1

[Mick Norris]

David (5) white against Postny (4.5) in round 6 tomorrow - rest day today

Das (4) v Nikolic (4)

7 players on 3.5, so David has a good chance of winning the event

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Pairings here:

http://www.leidenchess.com/SwissMaster/ ... index.html

[Mick Norris]

59 move draw yesterday for David

Pairings round 7 (Friday, 24 July 2015)

Table White Score Fed. Rating Black Score Fed. Rating Result
1 GM Howell, David W L 5.5 ENG 2698 IM Das, Arghyadip 5.0 IND 2457
2 GM Postny, Evgeny 5.0 ISR 2642 GM Tiviakov, Sergei 4.5 NED 2639
3 FM Erwich, Frank 4.5 NED 2361 GM Chatalbashev, Boris 4.5 BUL 2516

[LawrenceCooper]

A win in a wild round 7 game to take him a point clear.

[Roger de Coverly]

A win in a wild round 7 game to take him a point clear.

I don't know how and when he's travelling but with the last round in Leiden on Sunday morning and the first round in the British Monday afternoon, there's not so much margin for travel delays.

[LawrenceCooper]

A win in a wild round 7 game to take him a point clear.

I don't know how and when he's travelling but with the last round in Leiden on Sunday morning and the first round in the British Monday afternoon, there's not so much margin for travel delays.

Like his clock handling when playing chess he'll probably be down to increment in his travel

[Mick Norris]

A win in a wild round 7 game to take him a point clear.

Interesting game

Pairings round 8 (Saturday, 25 July 2015)

Table White Score Fed. Rating Black Score Fed. Rating Result
1 GM Chatalbashev, Boris 5.5 BUL 2516 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2698
2 GM Postny, Evgeny 5.5 ISR 2642 GM Milov, Leonid 5.0 GER 2462
3 GM Tiviakov, Sergei 5.0 NED 2639 GM Nikolic, Predrag 5.0 BIH 2601
4 IM De Jong, Jan-Willem 5.0 NED 2448 IM Das, Arghyadip 5.0 IND 2457

I think it is a noon start today UK time

[LawrenceCooper]

An extremely messy game in progress in round 8 which the computers think favours David.

[Roger de Coverly]

An extremely messy game in progress in round 8 which the computers think favours David.

It's an old idea from Alekhine of outright aggression by Black from the start in a Nimzo. Move 12 is where he varies from Alekhine who played .. Nc6.

[FEN "rn3rk1/pbpp2pp/1p2p3/5p2/2PP3q/2PBPP2/P1QB2PP/R4RK1 b - - 0 12"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.e3 Ne4 6.Qc2 Bb7 7.Bd3 f5 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 O-O 10.Nd2 Qh4 11.f3 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 d6 13.Rae1 Nd7 14.e4 f4 15.Qa4 Qe7 16.g3 g5 17.h4 gxh4 18.gxf4 Kh8 19.Kf2 h3 20.Ke2 Rg8 21.Rh1 Rg3 22.Be3 Nf6 23.Bf2 Nh5 24.Bxg3 Nxg3+ 25.Ke3 Qh4 26.Qb5

[LawrenceCooper]

A very convincing win in 31 moves. He remains a point clear and is now on 7.5/8 with a rating performance of 2891. He faces Grandmaster Marian Petrov with white in the last round. http://www.leidenchess.com/SwissMaster/ ... index.html