The British itself!

[Simon Brown]

Hill-Brusey worth a look, move 10

[John Moore]

Hill v Brusey very strange play by Black. Lewis-Ward is also odd because Andrew is normally a very solid player with White.

[John McKenna]

Howell will obviously want to win, so that one should be very interesting.

Howell must not lose if he wants to remain within striking distance but, as is often the case, lack of time may give trouble as the game goes on.

Simon Brown >Hill-Brusey worth a look, move 10<

Also worth noting - Hill (2330), Brusey (1951).

Andrew Lewis is solid but can also be offbeat.

[John Moore]

Any ideas as to why David Howell has taken an hour to play 6 moves. Hopefully, he won't do this in the Olympiad!

[Richard Bates]

Do my eyes deceive me?

Bd. 2 Pert,R-Pert,N 1.e4 e5 1/2-1/2

Not really a surprise! Is there anything in the rules to forbid quick draws?

Nothing against quick draws, there's always a debate about pre-arranged draws. However in this case the draw was pre-arranged over 20 years ago so the evidence probably doesn't exist any more

[Jonathan Rogers]

Any ideas as to why David Howell has taken an hour to play 6 moves. Hopefully, he won't do this in the Olympiad!

Almost certainly he has been taken surprised by the Ragozin. For a start, one expects Grunfeld or Kings Indian from Hawkins; but also, a surprising number of top players seem to have little prepared v Ragozin (see a ridiculous loss by Nakamura v Mamedyarov a year or so ago). My guess is that Howell did once prepare against it but a long time ago and is now trying to remember his prep, which in any event may or may not have been so good in the first place if he hasn't had a chance to test it. A potentially dangerous game!

[John Moore]

Jon - are you seriously telling me that a 2650 GM doesn't have a fallback line against the Ragozin. Actually, perhaps you are.

[John McKenna]

Do my eyes deceive me?

Bd. 2 Pert,R-Pert,N 1.e4 e5 1/2-1/2

Not really a surprise! Is there anything in the rules to forbid quick draws?

Nothing against quick draws, there's always a debate about pre-arranged draws. However in this case the draw was pre-arranged over 20 years ago so the evidence probably doesn't exist any more

Yes, but what about the pairing - was that also pre-arranged, I wonder?

Consummate professional GM Keith Arkell has accepted a draw with IM Justin Tan after 14 moves - that kind of draw I can understand.

John More>Jon - are you seriously telling me that a 2650 GM doesn't have a fallback line against the Ragozin. Actually, perhaps you are.<

David Howell has made a couple more moves that seem to have done more damage to his opponent's position than his own - apart from the time they took. He now has about 30 mins. + increment for 30 moves!?

[MartinCarpenter]

Well Howell a hopeless time trouble addict at the best of times and will have wanted to double check whatever he could half remember. You can't carry a full repetoire in your head in full detail 24/7!

At first glance Hill - Brusey looked quite normal then I saw that bishop on b8 and couldn't stop laughing Impressively inventive I guess!

[Richard Bates]

Not really a surprise! Is there anything in the rules to forbid quick draws?

Nothing against quick draws, there's always a debate about pre-arranged draws. However in this case the draw was pre-arranged over 20 years ago so the evidence probably doesn't exist any more

Yes, but what about the pairing - was that also pre-arranged, I wonder?

Consummate professional GM Keith Arkell has accepted a draw with IM Justin Tan after 14 moves - that kind of draw I can understand.

I would have thought that a quick draw between two twins (not just siblings) is about the easiest kind of draw to 'understand' but maybe that's just me.

It's debateable whether you can ever seek to avoid specific pairings under FIDE norm rules, but certainly not in the latter rounds on the higher boards of a National Championship!

[John Moore]

Well Howell a hopeless time trouble addict at the best of times and will have wanted to double check whatever he could half remember. You can't carry a full repetoire in your head in full detail 24/7!

At first glance Hill - Brusey looked quite normal then I saw that bishop on b8 and couldn't stop laughing Impressively inventive I guess!

David Howell looks to have reached an unbalanced position with White - certainly not one where he is better - but is an hour down on the clock.

Martin, I think that the difference is that most strong GMs won't spend an hour on the first six moves!

[John McKenna]

I would have thought that a quick draw between two twins (not just siblings) is about the easiest kind of draw to 'understand' but maybe that's just me.

It's debateable whether you can ever seek to avoid specific pairings under FIDE norm rules, but certainly not in the latter rounds on the higher boards of a National Championship!

Strange as it may seem I can argue with the first point -

There's understanding of social situations and understanding of competitive ones.
When the two come together, and possibly lead to a wider conflict, who knows what is right?
After all, King George V refused his cousin Tsar Nicholas II and his family refuge after the Bolshevik Revolution...

With your second point I cannot argue as the subject is too arcane.

Time for the milk run - catch you all later.

[Alex McFarlane]

With regard to Pert v Pert, I don't see how it could have been broken without breaking a score group.
Given that GM Pert v Hawkins would have raised more than a few eyebrows (and possibly FIDE questions) then we have the following situation.
White seekers Hebden & Zhou, Black seekers the others but neither Emms nor Fernandez should get three Whites in a row so IM Pert is the one to move across. Fernandez has played Hebden and Pert so must play Zhou, Emms and Pert have already played - therefore Pert v Pert is the only pairing left!!!

[Lewis Martin]

Rudd-Williams has not failed to live up to its billing!

[John Moore]

I would have thought that a quick draw between two twins (not just siblings) is about the easiest kind of draw to 'understand' but maybe that's just me.

It's debateable whether you can ever seek to avoid specific pairings under FIDE norm rules, but certainly not in the latter rounds on the higher boards of a National Championship!

Strange as it may seem I can argue with the first point -

There's understanding of social situations and understanding of competitive ones.
When the two come together, and possibly lead to a wider conflict, who knows what is right?
After all, King George V refused his cousin Tsar Nicholas II and his family refuge after the Bolshevik Revolution...

With your second point I cannot argue as the subject is too arcane.

Time for the milk run - catch you all later.

Without wishing to be rude - or not unduly so - I have no idea what you are talking about.