ETCETERA / Chess

William Hartston makes an unusual selection of British Championship games. On the principle that you learn more from defeats than victories, and that it is less painful to learn from other people's defeats, here are three of the worst games from Dundee.

White: C Forbes

Black: A Muir

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 6. Qb3 c4 7. Qc2 Bf5 8. Qxf5?

Tired of being pushed around, White takes the bait in the vague hope of trapping the black queen on a1.

8 . . . Qxb2 9. Bxc4?

And this only makes matters worse.

9 . . . dxc4 10. Nfd2

Now 10 . . . Qxa1 11. Qc2 gives some

hope, but . . .

10 . . . e6 11. Nxc4 Qc1+ 12. Ke2 Qxh1

13. Qb5 Qxg2 14. Na5

14. Qxb7 loses to Nxd4+.

14 . . . Qd5 White resigns.

White: A Summerscale

Black: J Henderson

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 Nxd5 4. Bc4 Nb6 5. Bb3 Bf5 6. Qf3 Qc8 7. Nd5 e6 8. Ne3 Bg6 9. d4 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Ne2 Nc6 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Bd2 Qc7 14. Bc3

Rejecting the chance of a quick loss with 14. Nf4? Nd4 15. Qg3 Qxf4] 16. Qxf4 Ne2+.

14 . . . Rad8 15. Nf4 Nd4 16. Bxd4 Rxd4 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. Rad1 Rfd8 19. Rxd4 Rxd4 20. Rd1 Qd7 21. Rxd4 Qxd4?

After 21 . . . Bxd4 the position is level, but Black has had an idea.

22. Qxb7 Nd5? 23. Bxd5 Qd2

23 . . . exd5 24. Qxd5 would have been hopeless, but now Black theatens mate with 24 . . . Qe1+ 25. Nf1 Qxf2+, and 24. Bc4 Bxe3 is unclear. But he has missed something.

24. Qc8+ resigns

24 . . . Bf8 25. Bf3 or 24 . . . Kh7 25. Qxc5 just leave White a piece up.

Finally, a neat miniature.

White: J Rowson

Black: A Gillen

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d5 7. 0-0 Bd6

Be7 and Nf6 is more reliable.

8. Nd2 Ne7 9. Qh5 Ng6 10. Nf3 Bd7 11. Re1 Kf8

11 . . . 0-0 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nxf7 is embarrassing, but he should have thought about this when playing 10 . . . Bd7?

12. exd5 cxd5 13. c4] dxc4 14. Bxg6 fxg6 15. Qg4 Rc8?

There is no time for this when K-side repairs are needed.

16. Bg5 Qb6? 17. Rad1 Re8? (see diagram)

Allowing an instant killer.

18. Bf4] resigns.

18 . . . Bxf4 19. Qxf4+ Ke7 20. Qg5+ (or 20. Ne5]), or 18 . . . Bc5 19. Rxd7 Bxf2+ 20. Kh1 Bxe1 21. Bd6+ Kg8 22. Qf4 leaves Black helpless.

(Graphic omitted)