British Championship Thread

[John Upham]

Hebden - Howell

16..Da6 is reckoned to be worse than 16..Db5 and the position is unclear.

After 18..Se5 19. Sc5: Lc5 20. ab: Lf2+ 21. Kf2: Db6+ 22. Kg2 Td5: 23. De2 is about level according to Deep Rybka Three.

Not sure that Howell is any more than level. He might well win anyway of course.

[JustinHorton]

Hebden-Howell is still well within existing theory.

[Andy Burnett]

You say that, but look at the clocks: it's Andrew who seems to have used up the time.

You're right Justin. I'm very surprised by this - the variation was discussed in New In Chess yearbook 87, pretty much the only place it has appeared, so I would have expected Andrew Greet to have looked at this when he chose to take up the Kb1 variation!? Maybe I give the 'professionals' too much credit

[JustinHorton]

Talking of existing theory, whatever happened to 17.dxe6 in the Hebden-Howell line? Pedersen gave it an exclamation mark nine years ago...

[Andy Burnett]

Talking of existing theory, whatever happened to 17.dxe6 in the Hebden-Howell line? Pedersen gave it an exclamation mark nine years ago...

None of the big boys have gone near it for many years so there must be a problem with it. Sometimes these lines are a victim of fashion and reappear again after a while, but with the super-sharp variations, if Fritz and Rybka say it's good we would have seen it by now I think!?

[Ian Lamb]

howell looks to be winning now to me it seems

[JustinHorton]

Still in theory up to 25.f3

[Alex Holowczak]

Well, Fritz suggests that 25...b3 and white has +0.22, which is equal enough. Black does seem to have all the pressure at the moment, though. If I were black here though, I'd probably play a5.

[John Upham]

Talking of existing theory, whatever happened to 17.dxe6 in the Hebden-Howell line? Pedersen gave it an exclamation mark nine years ago...

I have twelve games with 17. de:
The score is +6 -4 =2 to White so far.
Highest rated player with White was 2358.

[Andy Burnett]

howell looks to be winning now to me it seems

This position has been seen before.

25...a5 26.b3 a4 27.h4 axb3 28.Bg5 Qg6 29.Rc1 b2 30.Rxc4+ Bc5+ 31.Nxc5 b1Q+ 32.Kh2 Nxc5 33.Rxc5+ Kd8 34.Qc4 Qb2+ 35.Kh3 Qc3 36.Rc8+ Kd7 37.Rc7+ ½–½ was the pretty dramatic ending to Rahman,Ziaur (2517) - Gaston,Serge (2269) [D44]
Paris-ch op Paris 2002.

Without an engine running it's very hard to know what's going on here, but white isn't as helpless as he sometimes appears in these variations.

[Ben Purton]

I like Ankush's position V Arkell

[Ian Lamb]

draw in the hawkins v trent game ?

[Ben Purton]

Isnt Nb3 a horrific move by Greet?

[Ian Lamb]

greet looks in trouble ben along with wells against lane !howell gone qe5 intresting

[JustinHorton]

Howell is surely struggling after 26.b3. Greet doesn't look to be in all that much trouble to my eyes.