European Union Championship Round 7

It is now a five way tie for the lead as Stephen Gordon and Luke McShane advanced in the seventh round of the EU Individual Championships being held at the Liverpool World Museum. The competition is the first of what will be many events in Liverpool leading up to a world class tournament in 2008 when Liverpool will be the European Capital of Culture.

Top seed Nigel Short was comfortably held to a draw by Gawain Jones while Sarunas Sulskis of Lithuania forced perpetual check against Simon Williams whose fine run continued.

McShane overcame Maxim Devereaux who stood clearly better for much of the game and resisted hard. Ultimately his three connected passed pawns could not outrun McShane’s extra bishop and knight. Devereaux, who recently organised and played in the 1st Hereford International, defeated Danny Gormally in the previous round and an International Master result must be within his grasp.

Gordon defeated a second Grandmaster in successive games after outplaying Normunds Miezis. He has scored 2.5/4 in his games against GMs and might be in line for a Grandmaster result here if he can avoid defeat in the three remaining games.

1-5 Short, Sulskis (Lithuania), Gordon, Williams, McShane 5.5/7

6-10 Jones, Ciuksyte (Lithuania), Hanley, Sarakauskas (Lithuania), Brandenburg (Netherlands) 5;

L Galego (2528) - S Gordon
EU Ch Liverpool (6) Closed Sicilian

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 a6 4.g3 b5 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.d3 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 (A standard Closed Sicilian position. White will try and attack the kingside while Black seeks his chances on the queenside and centre) 8.Ng5 (A bit ‘route one’ 8.Nh4 is also possible) 8...Nc6 9.f4 Nf6 10.a3 0-0 11.Be3 Nd4 12.h3 Nd7 (Eyeing the b2 pawn) 13.Kh2 e6 14.h4?! Qc7 (Black calmly develops) 15.Rf2 Rae8 16.h5 f6 17.Nf3 f5! (Taking the initiative, the Kh2 is particularly badly placed 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Nh4 Nf6 20.Bf3 (20.Nxg6?? Ng4+) 20...Kf7! (Black gets the attack on the h file, White's plan is refuted) 21.Bxd4 cxd4 22.Ne2 Rh8! (22...fxe4 23.dxe4 Nxe4 is also strong) 23.Nxd4? Ng4+ 24.Bxg4 Bxd4 (Winning material.) 25.exf5 Bxf2 26.fxe6+ Kg7 27.Bh3 Rxh4! (Simplest, Black stays a piece ahead and gets the attack) 28.gxh4 Be3 29.Bg4 d5 30.Kh3 Qxf4 31.Qh1 Bf2 32.Qg2 Rh8 33.h5 Rxh5+ 0-1

Final position after 33...Rxh5+ and if 34.Bxh5 Qh4 mate.

S Sulskis - B Lund
EU Ch Liverpool (2) Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.g3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.h3 Qe4+ 7.Kf1 Bd7 8.Nc3 Qb4 9.d3 Qa5 10.Nd2 Qd8 11.Nc4 e5 12.f4 Nh6 13.fxe5 Nf5 14.Bf4 Be7 15.g4 Nh4 16.Bd5 0-0 17.Rh2!? Be6! 18.Bxe6? fxe6 19.Rf2 Ng6 20.Be3 Bh4 (20... Ngxe5 and 20... Qc7 were both good) 21.Rxf8+ Qxf8+ 22.Kg2 Nd4? (Again just takes on e5) 23.Ne4 b5 24.Ncd2 Nf4+ (24... Nxe5 25.c3 and c5 falls) 25.Bxf4 Qxf4 26.Nf3 Be7 27.c3 Nc6 28.Qb3 c4 29.Qxb5 Rf8 30.Rf1 Nd8 31.Qxc4 Bh4 32.Nf6+ 1-0