BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS - THE GAMES

[Jonathan Rogers]

presumably Howell must play 19...Qe6, to meet the twin threats of 20 Qg4 1-0 and 20 Nd6 followed by Qxd5. But surely Black is OK after 19...Qe6, even if it is forced?

[Matthew Turner]

Qe6 has been played but c4 looks very interesting

[Kirk Gornall]

presumably Howell must play 19...Qe6, to meet the twin threats of 20 Qg4 1-0 and 20 Nd6 followed by Qxd5. But surely Black is OK after 19...Qe6, even if it is forced?

Yes the queen on f3 is hindering any rook lift plan that white might have. Meanwhile, Howell will start generating pressure against d4.

[Matthew Turner]

Well, c4 played too and the more I look at it it seems very strong

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Qe6 has been played but c4 looks very interesting

After 20.c4 (which Jones has just played) it looks much better for White.

[Kirk Gornall]

Well, c4 played too and the more I look at it it seems very strong

Ah so if dxc4 then d5 would be strong, as Qxe5 would allow Re1 and Ne7+

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Qe6 has been played but c4 looks very interesting

and if dxc4 then d5? Oh, g6 has been played.

[Matthew Turner]

That has to be awful Nh6 and cxd5 and Black can almost resign

[Kirk Gornall]

Qe6 has been played but c4 looks very interesting

and if dxc4 then d5? Oh, g6 has been played.

Presumably Nd6 now after which Howell might have to sac an exchange, as he could not allow cxd5.

[Jonathan Rogers]

mmmm, well as you can see I completely missed 20 c4. It looks all over now. Let's ask Matt where Black went wrong?

[John Cox]

Why isn't Howell simply getting fisted? I can't understand what his next move is going to be (after 22 cxd5, that is).

Heb is disappointing me - I'd been looking for a smooth instructive display, but he seems to be going backwards.

What was the opening in Jones-Howell all about? This 5 c3 kinda threw me - no doubt it's all been well-known theory since Greco's time, has it?

[Jonathan Rogers]

looks like a complete collapse from Howell. He could at least have played on for a long time with 20...dxc4 - you don't have to resign when you lose an exchange - and presumably 22...Qe7 was a better grovelling move than ...Qd7. I think he's "gone" as they used to say in snooker.

I was away for last week, but am I right in thinking that "in matches between the big four" Short has had three Whites and Howell three Blacks?

[Matthew Turner]

Jonathan
I am rather shocked that you should think that I would know the answer. It seems to me that David was 'forced' to c5 because his Bishop on b6 couldn't really exert any influence on the game. Therefore, in principle I would prefer 8....Bb4+ to Bb6. 13....Rc8 also looks rather strange, Qd7 seems much more natural to me.

[Matthew Turner]

looks like a complete collapse from Howell. He could at least have played on for a long time with 20...dxc4 - you don't have to resign when you lose an exchange - and presumably 22...Qe7 was a better grovelling move than ...Qd7. I think he's "gone" as they used to say in snooker.

I was away for last week, but am I right in thinking that "in matches between the big four" Short has had three Whites and Howell three Blacks?

Qe7 did look better but I don't think it was because of Qf4 cxd4 d6 Qe6 Ng4 or some such combination of these moves.

[Matthew Turner]

Adams has just played b4. I think he might have gone too