British Chess Championships 2010

[Ian Thompson]

With severe traffic difficulties being reported, there may be further difficult decisions to be made today. See for example Spence v Haydon on the live boards: David Haydon is driving daily from Thurrock to Canterbury.

What's difficult? If a player chooses to travel 50-60 miles a day they accept the risk that they might be delayed and lose the game.

[Phil Neatherway]

Haydon has played more moves than were played in the games already agreed drawn!

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Does anyone have any news from the junior events which started their last round in morning? I understand Tarun Malhotra drew with Anna Wang to take the under 12 title, but what about the top boards in the under 14 competition?

[David Sedgwick]

6.6 (b) gives the Arbiter/Tournament Organiser discretion over the allocation of the time elapsed before either player is present.

David using the above rule, does this mean if player x phones up one hour before a game saying he will be 35 mins late, and asks for a deferred start time, the arbiter can change the start time to accommodate the late player without consulting his opponent, or does he also need the agreement from his opponent to do this.

It seems a little unfair on the opponent if he has no say

I've caused some confusion as I've quoted the CAA comment out of context to the Law to which it relates. Sorry.

This covers the situation where both players are late. Normally White will lose all the time, but the arbiter can vary this if (s)he sees fit. This is often done when both players are late for the same reason.

At the last tournament which I controlled, both players in an afternoon game turned up late, and simultaneously, because they'd been drinking together at the pub. I exercised my discretion and split the elapsed time between them. It didn't make much difference - they drew in short order and returned to the pub.

[Paul McKeown]

Don't fancy White's position much on 15. Anyone with Fritz care to agree?

[Paul McKeown]

Anyway, it would seem speculation about an early draw on 1 was wrong. Peter Wells has played the very sharp NID/QID hybrid line 4. Nf3. Think I have about 3 draws from 30 odd games in that line. Home with the shield or on it...

[TomChivers]

Don't fancy White's position much on 15. Anyone with Fritz care to agree?

You mean on the top board? Rybka says =...

ETA: but after 15.c5, =/=+.

[Paul McKeown]

No I meant Constantinou - Josse. Thought Black could have responded to Ne5 with Nd8 before f6.

As for 1, well = is a bit of a nothing assessment. White has the doubled pawns, which are in essence a gambit. If White can't generate play for that gambit he loses. Believe me, I've played the White side of this dozens of times.

[Paul McKeown]

Rybka gives 1 or 15, = ?

[Paul McKeown]

There goes c4-c5! Thematic. The little book by Chris Ward on that line must give 50 examples of that pawn sac if it gives 1!

[Paul McKeown]

Obviously Black having castled long, White plays Qa4, c5, then at some stage Ba6...

[TomChivers]

Rybka gives 1 or 15, = ?

White to play his 15th move on board 1!

[Ljubica Lazarevic]

Wells has to play for broke. A draw doesn't get him anything...

[TomChivers]

No I meant Constantinou - Josse. Thought Black could have responded to Ne5 with Nd8 before f6.

A very quick skim gives the game as mostly bobbling along around =.

After 15...Nd8, it gives 16.e4 as +=, the idea to play Qc2 and follow-up with Qa4+.

[Paul McKeown]

Rybka is better than I am: I bow to his superior insight!