UK - China Match Liverpool. Malcolm Pein Reports

Round 2 September 5th 2007

There was a second 5-3 defeat for the UK team at the hands of the Chinese in the Summit Match at Liverpool but once again the Chinese players engineered an escape from a difficult situation on a couple of boards.

It was the Chinese women who were under pressure after Jovanka Houska played a strong pawn sacrifice and began to completely outplay Shen Yang while Ketevan Arakhamia Grant won a pawn against Ding Yixin.

Unfortunately the time limit being employed is one of the silly ones invented by Fide and predicates against sensible play in the endgame. The players have two hours to start and receive an increment of 30 seconds per move. This means that once their thinking time is exhausted, usually in the endgame, they are playing moves every thirty seconds.

Under such circumstances it is very hard to keep your composure never mind demonstrate good technique. Even a visit to the toilet can easily entail the loss of the game. Houska was a beneficiary of this lottery in round one when her opponent missed win after win, this time she was the victim. This definitely has to change for next year’s event.

England went two down quite quickly after both Nick Pert and Jonathan lost with black. Pert appeared to recover from his early difficulties but then allowed Zhang to steer the game into a favourable queen and pawn endgame.

Rowson missed a chance to equalise against Ni Hua but then was ruthlessly despatched. The UK’s win came from Gawain Jones who maintained his advantage from the opening into the endgame against the 13 year old prodigy Hou Yifan.

Round two: China 5-3 UK

Round 2 (September 5, 2007)

Bu Xiangzhi               -  Adams, Michael            1/2   41  A30  English Symmetrical
Short, Nigel D            -  Wang Yue                  1/2   29  C47  Four Knights
Ni Hua                    -  Rowson, Jonathan          1-0   28  C45  Scotch Game
Zhang Pengxiang           -  Pert, Nicholas            1-0   45  C03  French Tarrasch
Jones, Gawain C B         -  Hou Yifan                 1-0   57  C03  French Tarrasch
Howell, David W L         -  Wang Hao                  0-1   34  C07  French Tarrasch
Shen Yang                 -  Houska, Jovanka           1/2   54  D43  Anti-Meran Gambit
Ding Yixin                -  Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan  1/2   72  B83  Sicilian Scheveningen
  
 
Overall score: China 10-6 UK
 

Ni Hua (2681) - Rowson,J (2599) [C45]
UK-CHN Match Liverpool ENG (2), 05.09.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 [6...Qxf3 7.gxf3 bxc6 is also possible] 7.Nd2 Qxf3 8.Nxf3 Nf6 9.Bd3 d5 White's untarnished pawn structure gives him the edge but with care and active play Black should be able to equalise. 10.e5 Nd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Re1 Re8 13.Bd2 Bb6 14.Bf1 [14. a4!?] 14...Nc5 15.c4 Threat b4 and c5 15...Bg4 16.Nd4 [16.b4 Ne4 17.c5 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Nxd2] 16...Ne4 [16...Nd3 17.Bxd3 Bxd4 18.Bc3 Bxc3 19.bxc3 dxc4 (19...Be6 20.c5 with the edge, Black does not have b6 for a rook) 20.Bxc4 Rab8 21.f4 Kf8 should hold as Rb1 can be met by Rb6] 17.Be3 Bd7 18.Nb3 a5 [18...Rxe5 19.c5] 19.c5

19...a4? [19...Ba7 20.f3 a4 21.fxe4 axb3 22.axb3 Rxe5 23.exd5 (23.b4!? Rxe4 24.Bd2 Rxe1 25.Rxe1) 23...cxd5 24.b4 is better for White but this loses] 20.cxb6 axb3 21.b7! Rab8 22.f3 Trapping the knight 22...d4 23.Bxd4 Nd2 24.Ba6 bxa2 25.Ba7 Be6 26.Bxb8 Rxb8 27.Red1 Nb1 28.Rc1 1-0