Chess

THE FIFTH annual international tournament finished a week ago in Wrexham. It was sponsored as always by Owens Corning, and the County Borough Council provided the excellent venue - the Redwither Tower Conference Centre.

This year's category 7 tournament - average 2,421 - contained last year's winner, Andrew Kinsman, and a previous one, Chris Ward. Kinsman never really looked like repeating last year's feat, but Ward started like a train with three straight wins then two draws, before facing the veteran Czech grandmaster Vlastimil Jansa.

After 26 moves Jansa offered a draw, not, as the laws of chess require, as he made his move, but a minute or so later. This is banned - though Jansa later said that he didn't know this - precisely because it can interrupt the opponent's thoughts. Ward refused but, low on time, became disoriented and collapsed, losing just 7 moves later. He lost two further games in a row and finished on 50 per cent.

Meanwhile Stellan Brynell from Sweden had started with 0.5/2 but then won five straight. He drew in round 8 and had to beat Ward in the final round to obtain a grandmaster norm; but Ward had recovered and held him off. The final scores were: Brynell, Thorhallsson 6.5/9, Webster, Jansa 5.5, Pedersen 5, Ward 4.5, Wall, Kinsman 3.5, Martinovsky 2.5, Dineley 2. The best game prize was awarded to this splendid attacking effort by Andrew Webster - Thorhallsson's only loss.

9... Qe7 may be new; 9... cxd5 10 exd5 e5 is normal. After 16... d5 Black had a good game.

Webster's sparking sacrifice in the diagram was excellent. But instead of 26... Qxe2, 26... Rxa2 27 Bxf8 Bxf8 looks even better. The admirably calm 29... Bd6 threatened 30... Rxa2 31 hxg4 Rxa1 32 Qxe2 Ng3+ 33 Kh2 Nxe2 33 Rxa1 e4 with check. 34 Kh1 also lost to Nf3! 35 gxf3 Qh3+ 36 Kg1 Rxf3 (threatening 37... Qg4+ and 38... Rh3 mate) 37 Rc2 Rg3+ 38 Qxg3 Qxg3+ 39 Rg2 Bb6+ 40 Nc5 Qf4 etc.

White: Throstur Thorhallsson

Black: Andrew Webster

Modern Defence

g,d, ba,

, , , ch

,hx vh,

, vhn C

, ,H, X

,H, ,H,

DN ,F,HN

B VG, Z

1 e4 g6

2 d4 Bg7

3 Nc3 c6

4 Bc4 d6

5 Qf3 e6

6 Nge2 b5

7 Bb3 a5

8 a3 Ba6

9 d5 Qe7

10 dxe6 fxe6

11 Qh3 e5

12 Be3 Nf6

13 f3 Nbd7

14 Nc1 b4

15 axb4 axb4

16 N3e2 d5

17 Bg5 Qd6

18 0-0 0-0

19 Rd1 Nc5

20 Ba2 b3!

21 cxb3 Bc8

22 Qh4 (see

diagram) Ncxe4

23 fxe4 Qc5+

24 Kh1 Nxe4

25 Nd3 Qc2

26 Be7 Qxe2

27 Bxf8 Bxf8

28 Qe1 Bg4

29 h3 Bd6

30 hxg4 Qxg4

31 Kg1 Rf8

32 b4 Bc7

33 Rac1 Ng5

33 Qxd6 Ba8?

34 Kh2 e4+

35 g3 Nf3+ 0-1