ODT120904

=**British Championship to Jones**=




 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in 3.

English GM Gawain Jones, who played in the Queenstown Classic in January, confirmed his recent good form by winning the British Championship in North Shields last month. He finished unbeaten on 9/11 in a tie with GM Stephen Gordon and won the rapid playoff 2-0 to take the title. New Zealand WIM Sue Maroroa, now married to Jones, also played in the Championship, scoring a very creditable 5½ points.

In recognition of his rise, Jones is playing on second board for England in the Olympiad currently in progress in Istanbul. In a blow for the New Zealand Women's team, Mararoa was unable to take her place on board one at Istanbul due to last-minute problems with her travel documents.

Today's game is from the final round in North Shields. Jones, playing Black, needed to win against FM Dave Ledger to force a playoff. media type="custom" key="25283556" The so-called Chinese Dragon, a recent development in a position of the Yugoslav Attack that has been played and analysed thousands of times. The innovation is for Black to counterattack down the b-file, rather than the well-trodden path of the c-file. White continues down the traditional Yugoslav plan of prising open the h-file as fast as possible to mate the black king. This allows Black to force open the b-file and advance his own attack, when an alternative was 13 Bh6 Nc4 14 Qg5!? forestalling the opening of lines on the queenside. The immediate 15 Bh6! was more dangerous. See note to move 19. The point of Black's plan is that now 17 b3 is forced, after which the the white king's shelter is seriously weakened and the c4 pawn ceases to be an obstruction. Shoring up the defence against the threat of 20 Nd5. Note that White could have prevented this by delaying the pawn exchange on g6. Both sides miss a chance for White to force a draw here with 24 Nc6! Bxc6 25 Rxh7!! Rxh7 (25...Kxh7 26 Rh1+ Kg7 27 Qh6+ Kf6 28 Qh4+ Kg7 29 Qh6+ also draws) 26 Qxg6+ Kh8 27 Qf6+ and Black must play 27...Kg8 repeating as 27...Rg7? 28 Rh1+ Kg8 29 Qe6+ wins. Better was 23...Qc5 protecting the rook on c8 with the superior attack. Black can win in many ways – another was 27...Rb6, 28...Ra6 and mate down the a-file. Since 31 Kxb3? Rb8+ mates next move. White resigns, as 35 Red2 Qf1+ 36 Qe1 Rxc1+! wins the queen.
 * 1.e4 c5**
 * 2.Nf3 d6**
 * 3.d4 cxd4**
 * 4.Nxd4 Nf6**
 * 5.Nc3 g6**
 * 6.Be3 Bg7**
 * 7.f3 Nc6**
 * 8.Qd2 0-0**
 * 9.Bc4 Bd7**
 * 10.0-0-0 Rb8!?**
 * 11.Bb3 Na5**
 * 12.h4 b5**
 * 13.h5 ---**
 * 13.--- Nc4**
 * 14.Bxc4 bxc4**
 * 15.hxg6?!**
 * 15.--- fxg6**
 * 16.Bh6 Qb6**
 * 17.b3 cxb3**
 * 18.axb3 Bxh6**
 * 19.Qxh6 Rf7!**
 * 20.Qg5 Rc8**
 * 21.Nd5 Nxd5**
 * 22.exd5 Qa5**
 * 23.Kb2 e5?**
 * 24.Ne2? Bf5**
 * 25.Rd2 Rb7**
 * 26.Ra1 Qc5**
 * 27.Rc1 Kg7**
 * 28.g4 h6**
 * 29.Qh4 Bxc2!**
 * 30.Rcxc2 Rxb3+!**
 * 31.Kc1 ---**
 * 31.--- Qa3+**
 * 32.Kd1 Rb1+**
 * 33.Nc1 Qxf3+**
 * 34.Re2 Qd3+**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Rf1+! 2 Nxf1 Nf3+ 3 Kh1 Qxf1#.