CHESS

THE LATE grandmaster Alexander Kotov had some interesting advice to offer players for coping with time-trouble. When short of time, he said, you should think in exactly the same way as normal, only faster. Typical Soviet piffle! The only thing you have to remember with time-trouble is not to make life more any difficult for yourself than is necessary - and above all, don't open lines towards your king. Had Matthew Sadler followed that simple rule, he would have won the British Championship.

White: Mark Hebden

Black: Matthew Sadler

British Championship 1998, round 10

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.e4

A tricky piece of nonsense, trying to gamble a pawn for some sort of attack after 7...Nxe4 8.Re1. As Sadler shows, Black can ignore it and get on with his development.

7...b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Re1 cxd4 10.a4 b4 11.e5 Nfd7 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nbd2 Nc6 15.Rc1 0-0 16.h4

Having omitted to regain his pawn, White is committed to some such bravado to pretend that he has some compensation.

16...Rfd8 17.Qe2 Nc5 18.Bxh7+

Retreating the bishop allowed d3, leaving it on d3 allowed Nxd3, so this was really forced upon him.

18...Kxh7 19.Ng5+ Kh6 20.Rxc5 Qxc5 21.Nxf7+ Kg6 22.Nd6!

White is lost, but this makes the best of it.

22...Rxd6 23.exd6 Qf5 24.Ne4 Rh8 25.g4 Qd5 26.h5+ Kf7 27.Ng5+! Kf6

27...Qxg5? would have allowed mate in two while 27...Kg8 28.Qxe6+ Qxe6 29.Rxe6 wins for White. Now White should play Ne4+, but is carried away with ambition.

28.Qd2?! e5 29.Ne4+ Kf7 30.Qg5 Bc8 31.Qg6+ Kf8 32.Ng5 Bxg4 33.Rc1 Rxh5 34.f3 (See diagram.)

Now 34...d3 wins, 34...Qb3 (with the threat of Qe3+) win and the move Sadler played also wins - but it offers White the prospect of an open line to Black's king, and one should not do such a thing when pressed for time.

34...e4?! 35.Nh7+ Rxh7 36.fxe4

His last roll of the die. 36...Qh5 37.Rf1+ Kg8 now scores Black the full point.

36...Qe5?? 37.Rf1+ resigns

37...Kg8 38.Qf7+ Kh8 39.Qf8 is mate.