BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS - THE GAMES

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

2. Bb2 obviously caught Wells by surprise and he's gone into one of his long thinks...

3. ... h6 by Adams is really weird. I'll be watching that one closely.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Wells has played an early ....a6 to avoid playing a reversed Nimzo a temo down, and after 5.d4 finds himself playing Black in a standard Colle a tempo down, because Black wpould never normally play ...a6. Presumably Short will play a3 and Bd3 and pretend to be Hodgson from the early 1990s.

[Jonathan Rogers]

It's only the Barry if you go d4/Nf3/Nc3 and Bf4 afaik.
What Nick's playing is a Veresov Attack.

Hmm... 3. ...h6 is quite provocative.

Barry is played against ... Nf6/... g6/... d5 set-ups isn't it?

I thought 1 d4 nf6, 2 Nc3 was the Versov? I also thought that ... h6 was inaccurate at move 3 on the grounds that White wants to play Bxf6 anyway.


#whatdoIknow?


EDIT:
SHort-Wells is now a reversed English Defence. Nosh played at least one famous game with that as Black. Houska has played an old favourite (early d5) of Ray Keene's against the Leningrad - although RDK came to prefer Qd3 over b2-b3 on move 10.


EDIT2:
1. b3 a long time favourite of RDK's too, of course. As was the English Defence - although we seem to be heading for a reversed Queen's Indian now.

Did you ever find what on earth CJ was thinking of by inviting RDK to open the event?

[Maxim Devereaux]

Hawkins is playing rather slowly... if he planned to go Bg5 in the Grunfeld, he could probably have anticipated that this position would arise?

Okay, now he has committed, and the fireworks are starting

[Jonathan Bryant]

Did you ever find what on earth CJ was thinking of by inviting RDK to open the event?

Not yet, but I suspect that particular story is far from over. Back at the chess, Wells going all out early doors to try to ensure he ends up in Zeitnot.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Is Hawkins threatening Re6? Howell has definitely got my least favourite position from the six games on display.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Is Hawkins threatening Re6? Howell has definitely got my least favourite position from the six games on display.

What move were you thinking of Re6? Currently at 20.Qb1 - anyone know who is better?

[Matthew Turner]

I rather like David's position. The White Bishop isn't much use with that pawn fixed on a White square.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Is Hawkins threatening Re6? Howell has definitely got my least favourite position from the six games on display.

What move were you thinking of Re6? Currently at 20.Qb1 - anyone know who is better?

The position now. e.g. 20. ... Nb6 21. Re6. It looks very promising for White.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Is Hawkins threatening Re6? Howell has definitely got my least favourite position from the six games on display.

What move were you thinking of Re6? Currently at 20.Qb1 - anyone know who is better?

The position now. e.g. 20. ... Nb6 21. Re6. It looks very promising for White.

I completely missed the Qxg6+ follow-up. Nice tactic.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I completely missed the Qxg6+ follow-up. Nice tactic.

And of course if White manages to move his d pawn then the bishop on c4 is pinning the f7 pawn, so Qxg6 is a threat again. 20. Qb1 was a great move!

[Matthew Turner]

Looks like Gormally - Gordon headed for a quick draw. A draw on board 1 seems on the cards too.

[Matthew Turner]

David can just play Kg7 and Qb1 is just smoke and mirrors. I think Black is definitely better.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

David can just play Kg7 and Qb1 is just smoke and mirrors. I think Black is definitely better.

I'm going to agree with Matt here!

[Kirk Gornall]

Peter Wells is already around 40 mins behind Nigel Short on the clock.