BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS - THE GAMES

[Jonathan Bryant]

Jonathan, I was planning to take back with the Rook after 38 a4 ba. Might be rubbish but that's what I meant about the 3-1 pawn majority. And Black's rook remains passive.

Ah, I see. Apologies. I suspect I'd have played something like that if I had this position. Perhaps Nosh was worried about Black getting a passed pawn on the k-side in return?

[Paul McKeown]

Have to say that, to my untrained eye, Short's game looks drawish, which would seem a bungle. Admittedly it could be that Black's King can be cut off by too many files on the kingside, in which case brilliant play. Hard work rook endgames. Might need to calculate a bit more.

Fantastic result by Susan L, wish her well, another few like that and a GM norm would be in the offing.

[John Moore]

Draw now, don't you think.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I keep getting overtaken by events. I was just typing "I assume ... g5 doesn't just draw" and already Black's played it.

Nalimov says this is just a draw now.


{Edit}
Ah you beat me to it. Perhaps Nosh should have tried your a4 after all. He must have had some reason for not doing it though (not that his reason would necessarily have been right)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Shredder (6-man tablebase) says Short-Ledger is a draw after 55...Kxg5. Looks like the top two will both end up dropping half a point today.

[John Moore]

I was getting my pocket book of endgames out - unfortunately it wasn't in my pocket.

[Nicky Chorley]

Are the games shorter or something today? Seems like more results are in now than at the same time yesterday.

[Paul McKeown]

I was getting my pocket book of endgames out - unfortunately it wasn't in my pocket.

Reckon cut off by two files against a rooks pawn in its own half shouldn't be enough.

Surely a bungle?

[John Moore]

Possibly they have all decided to have a party. Or maybe the guys doing the inputting have decided not to have a party.

[John Moore]

Hi Paul I would suggest a big bungle.

[Carl Hibbard]

Not sure why Nigel has converted his 4-2 Q side majority into this. Surely there were easier ways.

I was quite impressed with the c5 and d5 idea making the ending a lot easier in my opinion

Well I am crap then

[John Moore]

Carl - you are still a genius.

[Carl Hibbard]

Carl - you are still a genius.

Ban for creeping

[John Moore]

Ban accepted. Can I come back tomorrow and comment on the games, though.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Hi Paul I would suggest a big bungle.

If bungle it was, perhaps it was this <ill-informed speculation ahoy>

I'm sure it's quite feasible that when Nosh played 41 c5 he had expected the position at move 48 (his Ke1) to happen. Imagine Black doesn't have d5-d4 advance then.

I quite liked White's rook until I saw this move. Without ...d4 could White have just walked his king over to evict the black rook from behind the pawn. Could he have just overlooked that one resource?

Otherwise we;'re back to why White didn't try the a4 idea suggested earlier. Anybody competent got an opinion on that one?