Round 3 31st July 2002

The British Chess Championships uses an accelerated pairing system. This ensures the favourites meet tougher opposition early on. After two rounds only five players had 2/2.

This led to a game between defending champion Joe Gallagher and top seed Krisnan Sasikiran as early as the third round. Gallagher didn't really get anything with white and the game was drawn.

Jon Speelman played a standard theoretical line with the white pieces (he often plays side-lines) and was rewarded with the kind of messy position in which he excels. The result was a really well played game that Speelman's opponent GM Neil McDonald also contributed to but Speelman's attack crashed through first.

Chris Ward, a previous winner of the championship, defeated Luke McShane in the second round in a hard fought rook and pawn endgame with level material but was held to a draw by IM RB Ramesh of India in round three.

Humpy Koneru of India, aged fifteen, joined the leaders. Ms Koneru won the British Women's title last year and was the world's youngest player to achieve the Woman GM title at age fourteen. England junior international Stewart Haslinger of Southport was a surprise winner over IM Danny Gormally and also reached the top score.

Speelman,J (2583) - McDonald,N (2396) [A86]
British Championships Torquay (3), 2002

1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Nh3 d6 7.d5 Nbd7 8.Be3 Ne5 9.Qb3 c5 10.Ng5 Rb8 11.f4 Neg4 12.Bd2 b5 [ 12...Nh5 13.h3 Ngf6 followed by was a better plan to organise the knights.] 13.h3 b4 14.Nb5 The threat is simply Nxa7. Black gets sucked into complications and it takes valuable time to capture on b5. 14...Qb6 15.hxg4 fxg4 16.Qe3 a6 17.Nc3 bxc3 18.Bxc3 Rb7 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.dxe6 Rbb8 21.f5 Nh5 22.fxg6 Bxc3+ 23.bxc3 Rf5 Speelman pointed out that the best defence for Black was 23. ...Qb2 because 24.Rd1 hxg6 25.Rxh5 only leads to perpetual check. 24.Be4 Qb2 25.Rd1 Re5 26.0-0 Rxe4 27.Qh6 hxg6 28.Rf7

1-0

Thipsay,B (2264) - Willmoth,R [B15]
British Championships Torquay (1), 2002

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.h3 h5 Black takes a few liberties and is already under pressure. Here he blunders. The move 5...h5 would make perfect sense if White made the advance e4-e5 but she has not and exploits the weakened kingside. 6.Be2 Nh6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nf5 10.c3 Qc7 11.Bc4 Nd7 12.Bb3 Nf6 13.Ne5 Nxe4 14.Rxe4 Nd6 15.Re1 Kh7 16.Bf4 Bd7 17.Nxf7 Rae8 18.Rxe7

[ 18.Rxe7 Rxe7 19.Bxd6 wins.] 1-0

Round 3 Results

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

Round 4 Pairings

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