chess

The early rounds of the British Championship in Nottingham have produced a crop of entertaining games as the stronger players try to amass points before meeting each other in the second week.

Today's game, however, was between two first-round losers and shows that fine imagination lurks even in the lower reaches of the championship.

Black's 13...Ndxe5! is a standard sacrifice in this type of position, but his deciding combination (see diagram) starting with 24...Rxc1+! is neat and original. At the end, the black e-pawn is unstoppable.

White: Jack Rudd

Black: Simon Williams

1 d4 e6 17 Kd2 Qf4+

2 e4 d5 18 Kc2 Qxe5

3 Nd2 Nf6 19 Bd3 d4

4 e5 Nfd7 20 Ne2 Rf2

5 f4 c5 21 Kb1 Rc8

6 c3 Nc6 22 Re1 Bb5

7 Ndf3 Qb6 23 Bxb5 Qxb5

8 Ne2 cxd4 24 Nxd4 Rxc1

9 cxd4 f6 25 Qc1 Qd3+

10 Nc3 Be7 26 Nc2 Bg5

11 Bd3 0-0 27 Qd1 Rd2

12 a3 fxe5 28 Qxd2 Bxd2

13 dxe5 Nde5 29 Rg1 b5

14 fxe5 Nxe5 30 Ra2 e5

15 Be2 Bd7 White resigns

16 Nxe5 Qf2+