Round 4 1st August 2002

The leading group was cut from eleven to two in the fourth round of Smith & Williamson British Chess Championships taking place at the Riviera Centre in Torquay as International Master Nicholas Pert from Ipswich and GM Peter Wells from Portsmouth reached 3.5/4.

Nicholas Pert was in control throughout against the Sekhar Ganguly and brought home a fabulous win. In contrast, Peter Wells was in desperate trouble against Gary Lane. He was in big trouble out of the the opening and his optimistic draw offer was turned down on move seventeen. Lane then started to misplay the position playing defensively instead of continuing his attack. Two tactical blows followed giving Wells a winning endgame.

Top seed Krisnan Sasikiran was held to a draw by his WGM Humpy Koneru who is seeking an increase in her rating to 2500 to claim the men's GM title.

The form of England junior international Stewart Haslinger continues to impress and he followed up his victory over IM Danny Gormally in round three with a draw against Indian GM Dibyendu Barua playing black. One casual move from Barua caused him thirty more of suffering but he cannily managed to block the position completely.

Pert,N (2460) - Ganguly,S (2524) [D27]
British Championships Torquay 2002

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Bb3 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Bg5 0-0 11.Qd2 Na5 12.Bc2 b5 13.Qf4 The alternative: [ 13.Rad1 Nc4 14.Qf4 Ra7 15.Ne5 Rc7 16.Nxc4 bxc4 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.d5 e5 19.Qf3 Rb7 20.Qe4 g6 21.Qxc4 Rxb2 22.Bb3 Bg5 23.d6 Be6 24.Qa4 Bxb3 25.axb3 Qb6 26.Qg4 Bf4 27.Nd5 Qd8 28.Nxf4 exf4 29.d7 Rxb3 30.Qxf4 Rb8 31.Rfe1 Qb6 32.h4 h5 33.Rd6 Qc5 34.Qf6 Qf5 35.Qxf5 gxf5 36.Rxa6 Rfd8 37.Rd6 was played Kramnik,V 1-0 Anand,V/Leon ESP 2002.] 13...Bb7 Again Kramnik and Anand have discussed this position: [ 13...Ra7 14.Rad1 Bb7 15.d5 Bxd5 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Qh4 h5 18.Rfe1 Nc6 19.g4 Qd6 20.gxh5 Qb4 21.h6 Qxh4 22.Nxh4 Ne4 23.hxg7 Rc8 24.Bxe7 Nxe7 25.Bxe4 dxe4 26.Rxe4 Kxg7 27.Rd6 Rc5 28.Rg4+ Kh7 29.Nf3 Ng6 30.Ng5+ Kg7 31.Nxf7 Rxf7 32.Rdxg6+ Kh7 33.R6g5 Rxg5 34.Rxg5 Rc7 35.a3 b4 36.axb4 Rc1+ 37.Kg2 Rb1 38.Ra5 Rxb2 39.Ra4 1-0 Kramnik,V-Anand,V/Dortmund GER 2001.] 14.Qh4N [ 14.Rad1 g6 15.Bh6 Nh5 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qh3 Rc8 18.d5 b4 19.dxe6 Bd6 20.Rfe1 Re8 21.Ba4 Re7 22.Bd7 bxc3 23.Rxd6 cxb2 24.Bg5 Rc4 25.Rdd1 Qc7 26.Rb1 Kf8 27.Ne5 Be4 28.Bxe7+ Kxe7 29.Nxc4 Nxc4 30.Rxb2 Qa5 31.Rbe2 Ne5 32.Qe3 Nd3 33.Qg5+ Nf6 34.Rf1 Qe5 35.f3 Nf4 36.Rxe4 Qc5+ 37.Kh1 Nd3 38.Ree1 Qb4 39.Qe3 1-0 Tkachiev,V-Lesiege,A/New Delhi IND 2000.] 14...g6 15.d5 Bxd5 16.Ne4 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Ra7 18.Rad1 Nd5 19.Rfe1 f6 20.Bh6 Re8 Probably a mistake 20. ...Rf7 seems to be better. 21.Qg4 Bf8 22.Bxg6!

22...hxg6 23.Qxg6+ Bg7 24.Rxd5 Of course. 24...Qxd5 25.Qxe8+ Kh7 26.Bxg7 Rxg7 27.Re3 Nc4 28.Ng5+

The killer blow. 28...Rxg5 29.Qf7+ Kh6 30.Qxf6+ Kh7 31.Qf7+

If 31. ..Kh8 or 31. ..Rg7 then 32.Rh3+ wins and if 31. ..Kh6 32.Rxe6+ 1-0

Round 4 1st August 2002

  1 SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (2½)  ½ - ½  KONERU,Humpy          (2½)    1  20
  2 WARD,Chris G          (2½)  ½ - ½  SPEELMAN,Jon          (2½)   17   2
  3 PERT,Nicholas         (2½)  1 - 0  GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (2½)   22  12
  4 KUNTE,Abhijit         (2½)  ½ - ½  GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (2½)   19  14
  5 BARUA,Dibyendu        (2½)  ½ - ½  HASLINGER,Stewart G   (2½)    7  41
  6 LANE,Gary             (2)   0 - 1  WELLS,Peter           (2½)   21  18
  7 HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (2)   1 - 0  WOHL,Aleksander H     (2)     3  25
  8 KNOTT,Simon JB        (2)   ½ - ½  ROWSON,Jonathan       (2)    30   4
  9 EMMS,John M           (2)   1 - 0  LEE,Graham            (2)     5  32
 10 DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (2)   0 - 1  MCSHANE,Luke J        (2)    37   6
 11 TAN,Desmond           (2)   ½ - ½  LALIC,Bogdan          (2)    44   8
 12 FLEAR,Glenn C.        (2)   ½ - ½  MUIR,Andrew J.        (2)     9  43
 13 TURNER,Matthew J      (2)   1 - 0  RICHARDS,Heather      (2)    13  46
 14 SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (2)   1 - 0  THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (2)    15  51
 15 SANDIPAN,Chandra      (2)   1 - 0  MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (2)    16  49
 16 WHEELER,John F.       (2)   0 - 1  RAMESH,R.B            (2)    63  23
 17 NIXON,Thomas CM       (2)   0 - 1  WILLIAMS,Simon K      (2)    80  24
 18 MASON,Don             (1½)  0 - 1  HEBDEN,Mark           (1½)   50  10
 19 GORMALLY,Daniel       (1½)  1 - 0  D'COSTA,Lorin         (1½)   11  54
 20 LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (1½)  ½ - ½  GHATE,Swati           (1½)   26  64
 21 HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (1½)  1 - 0  VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (1½)   55  27
 22 MCDONALD,Neil         (1½)  ½ - ½  BUCKLEY,Simon         (1½)   28  61
 23 BERRY,Neil M          (1½)  ½ - ½  WALL,Gavin            (1½)   53  31
 24 PERT,Richard          (1½)  1 - 0  GRANT,Jonathan        (1½)   33  74
 25 SIMPSON,James         (1½)  1 - 0  SHERWIN,James         (1½)   60  34
 26 HANLEY,Craig          (1½)  ½ - ½  WOODWARD,Timothy      (1½)   35  72
 27 JONES,Gawain C        (1½)  ½ - ½  SOWRAY,Peter          (1½)   62  36
 28 SNAPE,Ian L           (1½)  0 - 1  COLLINS,Sam           (1½)   73  38
 29 HUTCHINSON,Norman     (1½)  1 - 0  EAMES,Robert          (1½)   88  40
 30 RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (1½)  ½ - ½  COOTE,Trevor D.       (1½)   45  91
 31 LEDGER,Dave J         (1½)  ½ - ½  RUDD,Jack             (1½)   47  87
 32 HARBORNE,Matthew J    (1½)  0 - 1  EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (1½)   96  48
 33 MUTTON,Jonathan B     (1)   ½ - ½  SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (1)    71  29
 34 COX,John              (1)   1 - 0  MARTYN,Rafe           (1)    39  75
 35 BUCKLEY,Melanie       (1)   0 - 1  WEBB,Laurence         (1)    81  52
 36 SHAW,David A          (1)   1 - 0  BIGG,Andrew J         (1)    79  57
 37 WU,Li                 (1)   ½ - ½  THOMAS,Nicholas       (1)    86  58
 38 GOLDBERG,Jeff         (1)   1 - 0  TRENT,Lawrence        (1)    90  59
 39 JONES,Richard S.      (1)   1 - 0  BURNETT,Jim           (1)    65  76
 40 ADDISON,Bret C        (1)   1 - 0  DOUGLAS,Timothy       (1)    68  82
 41 TATLOW,Stephen        (1)   0 - 1  DORRINGTON,Christophe (1)    92  69
 42 TAYLOR,Robert M.      (½)   0 - 1  WILLMOTH,Robert       (1)    78  77
 43 EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (½)   1 - 0  LYELL,Mark            (½)    89  56
 44 WHITE,Ian R.          (½)   0 - 1  TAYLOR,Peter P.       (½)    93  66
 45 DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (½)   0 - 1  ASHTON,Adam           (½)    67  85
 46 HOWELL,David W        (½)   1 - 0  MCMASTER,Richard      (½)    70  95
 47 GREGORY,Stephen J     (0)   1 - 0  TRUMAN,Richard G.     (0)    83  94
 
 Round 5 Pairings
 
   1 WELLS,Peter           (3½)    -    PERT,Nicholas         (3½)   18  22
   2 SASIKIRAN,Krishnan    (3)     -    SUMMERSCALE,Aaron     (3)     1  15
   3 SPEELMAN,Jon          (3)     -    SANDIPAN,Chandra      (3)     2  16
   4 KONERU,Humpy          (3)     -    HARIKRISHNA,Pentala   (3)    20   3
   5 RAMESH,R.B            (3)     -    EMMS,John M           (3)    23   5
   6 MCSHANE,Luke J        (3)     -    KUNTE,Abhijit         (3)     6  19
   7 WILLIAMS,Simon K      (3)     -    BARUA,Dibyendu        (3)    24   7
   8 HASLINGER,Stewart G   (3)     -    TURNER,Matthew J      (3)    41  13
   9 GALLAGHER,Joseph G    (3)     -    WARD,Chris G          (3)    14  17
  10 ROWSON,Jonathan       (2½)    -    TAN,Desmond           (2½)    4  44
  11 LALIC,Bogdan          (2½)    -    HUTCHINSON,Paul A.    (2½)    8  55
  12 COLLINS,Sam           (2½)    -    FLEAR,Glenn C.        (2½)   38   9
  13 HEBDEN,Mark           (2½)    -    SIMPSON,James         (2½)   10  60
  14 MUIR,Andrew J.        (2½)    -    GORMALLY,Daniel       (2½)   43  11
  15 GANGULY,Sura Sekhar   (2½)    -    HUTCHINSON,Norman     (2½)   12  88
  16 EVANS-QUEK,Suan Shiau (2½)    -    KNOTT,Simon JB        (2½)   48  30
  17 BUCKLEY,Simon         (2)     -    LANE,Gary             (2)    61  21
  18 WOHL,Aleksander H     (2)     -    JONES,Gawain C        (2)    25  62
  19 WEBB,Laurence         (2)     -    LITTLEWOOD,Paul E.    (2)    52  26
  20 GHATE,Swati           (2)     -    MCDONALD,Neil         (2)    64  28
  21 WALL,Gavin            (2)     -    WHEELER,John F.       (2)    31  63
  22 LEE,Graham            (2)     -    JONES,Richard S.      (2)    32  65
  23 DORRINGTON,Christophe (2)     -    HANLEY,Craig          (2)    69  35
  24 SOWRAY,Peter          (2)     -    ADDISON,Bret C        (2)    36  68
  25 WOODWARD,Timothy      (2)     -    DEVEREAUX,Maxim L     (2)    72  37
  26 RUDD,Jack             (2)     -    COX,John              (2)    87  39
  27 WILLMOTH,Robert       (2)     -    RAMSAWAMY,Aarthie     (2)    77  45
  28 RICHARDS,Heather      (2)     -    SHAW,David A          (2)    46  79
  29 COOTE,Trevor D.       (2)     -    LEDGER,Dave J         (2)    91  47
  30 MEENAKSHI,Subbaraman  (2)     -    NIXON,Thomas CM       (2)    49  80
  31 THIPSAY,Bhagyashree   (2)     -    GOLDBERG,Jeff         (2)    51  90
  32 TAYLOR,Peter P.       (1½)    -    BERRY,Neil M          (2)    66  53
  33 VIJAYALAKSHMI,Subbara (1½)    -    HOWELL,David W        (1½)   27  70
  34 SARAVANAN,Venkatachal (1½)    -    SNAPE,Ian L           (1½)   29  73
  35 SHERWIN,James         (1½)    -    MUTTON,Jonathan B     (1½)   34  71
  36 EAMES,Robert          (1½)    -    WU,Li                 (1½)   40  86
  37 ASHTON,Adam           (1½)    -    MASON,Don             (1½)   85  50
  38 D'COSTA,Lorin         (1½)    -    HARBORNE,Matthew J    (1½)   54  96
  39 THOMAS,Nicholas       (1½)    -    EVANS-QUEK,Debbie     (1½)   58  89
  40 GRANT,Jonathan        (1½)    -    BURNETT,Jim           (1)    74  76
  41 BIGG,Andrew J         (1)     -    GREGORY,Stephen J     (1)    57  83
  42 TRENT,Lawrence        (1)     -    BUCKLEY,Melanie       (1)    59  81
  43 MARTYN,Rafe           (1)     -    TATLOW,Stephen        (1)    75  92
  44 DOUGLAS,Timothy       (1)     -    DHAR-BARUA,Saheli     (½)    82  67
  45 LYELL,Mark            (½)     -    WHITE,Ian R.          (½)    56  93
  46 MCMASTER,Richard      (½)     -    TAYLOR,Robert M.      (½)    95  78
  47 TRUMAN,Richard G.     (0)     -    Bye                          94 BYE
  48 PERT,Richard          (2½)    -    Bye                          33 BYE