IoM International 1-9 October 2016

[LawrenceCooper]

David's Bishop and pawn is winning against Melkumyan's 3 pawns. Should he convert then it will be a nice +11 ELO points and 4th =

Now converted so 4th= with Salem, Shirov (who salvaged an unlikely draw) and So.

[Roger de Coverly]

Bachmann's approach (going for all-out mating attack from early in the opening) was completely wrong for a game against such an opponent. Mark Hebden will be thinking "there but for fortune..."

Those of us who have never really known how to play against that Nc3, Bf4 stuff, now have a ready made game to recall. Playing in some order c5, d5, Nc6, Nf6, g6, Bg7, O-O is easy enough and seen in lots of openings. That c5-c4 can be really strong against O-O-O is the revelation.

There was a spectacular Hebden - Fernandez game a while back, but in that game Fernandez took on h6 and played Ng4 hitting the Queen, whilst Hebden had played dxc5 allowing .. d4 .

It might not work against Hebden himself, but a straightforward classic setup may well be a weapon against some of his lower rated imitators.

[Tim Harding]

Actually, after some research, I see Hebden has usually played not 0-0-0 but e2-e3, so avoiding the precise fate that befell Bachmann,

[JustinHorton]

That c5-c4 can be really strong against O-O-O is the revelation.

Common theme in the Classical French of course

[LawrenceCooper]

I presume that today's good win finally secures Alan Merry the rating for his IM title?

I think so, yes

https://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=418811

http://englishchess.org.uk/Juniors/alan-merry-im/