UK - China Match Liverpool. Malcolm Pein Reports

Round 1 September 4th 2007

The Chinese team prevailed over the UK in the first round of the Summit Match being contested at St Georges Hall in Liverpool City Centre. The Chinese proved extremely tenacious and turned round some difficult positions. After three hours play the UK team seemed to have the advantage but the score ended 5-3 to the Chinese.

There were two swing games. Jonathan Rowson had a big attack for a sacrificed pawn against Zhang Pengxiang but a highly complex game turned on a deep tactical point and Zhang played quite brilliantly in the endgame to convert his advantage. Gawain Jones played what looked like a prepared novelty against Ni Hua and also held the edge for a long time but was bemused by a clever tactical point near the time control that levelled the game and went astray.

Wang Hao’s win over Nigel Short was an impressive positional effort. Short’s Steinitz Defence Deferred to the Ruy Lopez did not work out well after Wang produced some ideas that improved on Vishy Anand’s analysis to his victory over Short in the same line six years ago.

Round one: China 5-3 UK

Round 1 (September 4, 2007)

Wang Yue                  -  Adams, Michael            1/2   30  E12  Queens Indian Petrosian
Wang Hao                  -  Short, Nigel D            1-0   54  C76  Ruy Lopez Modern Steinitz
Rowson, Jonathan          -  Zhang Pengxiang           0-1   51  D30  Queen's Gambit (without Nc3)
Pert, Nicholas            -  Bu Xiangzhi               1/2   22  D76  Gruenfeld 3.g3
Jones, Gawain C B         -  Ni Hua                    0-1   52  C67  Ruy Lopez Berlin
Hou Yifan                 -  Howell, David W L         1/2   22  C67  Ruy Lopez Berlin

Arakhamia-Grant, Ketevan  -  Shen Yang                 1-0   33  C93  Ruy Lopez Smyslov
Houska, Jovanka           -  Ding Yixin                1/2   63  B90  Sicilian Najdorf Variation

Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant scored the UK’s only win in a game that turned on one move.

Arakhamia,K (2418) - Shen Yang (2439) [C93]
UK-CHN Match Liverpool ENG (1), 04.09.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d3 h6 11.Nbd2 Re8 12.Nf1 Bf8 13.Ng3 d5 14.Qe2 Qd7 15.a4 b4 16.a5 Rad8 17.Rd1 Bc5 18.Nh2 Na7 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Qxe3 Nb5 21.cxb4 Nd4 22.Ba4 Bc6 23.Bxc6 Qxc6 24.Rac1 Qa4 25.Ng4 Nxg4 26.hxg4 Qxb4 27.Rxc7 Qxa5 28.Rdc1 Rb8 29.Nf5 Nxf5 30.gxf5 dxe4 31.dxe4 Rxb2 32.Qa7

32...Qa2?? [32...Qd2 33.Rf1 Rf8 34.Qxa6 would lead to a draw] 33.Rc8 [33.Rc8 Rxc8 (33...Qa4 34.Qa8 works similarly) 34.Rxc8+ Kh7 35.Qa8 mates] 1-0

Michael Adams outplayed Wang Yue initially but could not press home the advantage.

Wang Yue (2696) - Adams,Mi (2724) [E12]
UK-CHN Match Liverpool ENG (1), 04.09.2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.a3 [The Petrosian System. White prevents Bb4 and tries to control 5.e4 ] 5...d5 Steering the game into a Queen's Gambit Tartakower type of position 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Qa4+ Nbd7 9.e3 a6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Bd3 c5 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Bf5 g6 14.Bh3 Qc7 15.Rd1 [15.0-0-0!? Bxc3 16.Bxd7+ Qxd7 17.Qxd7+ Kxd7 18.bxc3 Ke7 is fine for Black] 15...Bxc3+ 16.bxc3 f5! Cutting off the Bh3 17.0-0 0-0 18.g3 [18.Ng5 Rae8 19.Qh4 Nf6] 18...Bc6

19.Qb3?! [19.Qh4 Nf6 20.Bg2 Rae8 and Ne4 is good for Black. The f5 and d5 pawns gives him control of the centre] 19...Nb6 20.Rb1 Rab8 21.Bg2 Bb5! 22.Rfe1 Bd3! 23.Ra1 Nc4 [23...Be4! 24.Qd1 Nc4 was more incisive and if 25.Ng5 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Qe5 27.Nf3 Qe4 28.Kg1 Rb2] 24.Qd1 Nb2 25.Qd2 Be4 26.Ra2 Nc4 27.Qe2 Qc6 [27...Bb1! post mortem 28.Ra1 Rb2 29.Qd1 Be4 or 30.Ng5 Qe5 was very good] 28.Nd2 Ne5 29.Nf3 Nc4 30.Nd2 Ne5 draw 1/2-1/2