Games: Chess

ENGLAND'S CHANCES of retaining its European Team Championship title in Batumi, Georgia, slipped away on Sunday, with a loss to Poland 1.5-2.5.

Your correspondent lost after a tense struggle of 67 moves to Michal Krasenkow, John Emms drew with Bartlomiej Macieja in 45 and Murray Chandler lost to Robert Kempinski in 56.

The bright spot was Stuart Conquest's game on board three. He seized an early initiative with 4 ...Qb6, 5 ...d5 and 13 ...b5 to dominate the early infighting. This led eventually to the material gain of rook for knight.

White: Bartosz Socko

Black: Stuart Conquest

King's Fianchetto Defence

The current position is that Armenia leads the main event with 18.5 from 28 games; England shares sixth place, with 16 points.

Harriet Hunt continued her good form, beating Ildiko Madl in the England women's match against Hungary to bring her tally to 5 points from 7 games. The team shares ninth place.

b , ba,

n , ,hch

d, , ,h,

, n , ,

, Nf, ,

, ,FC ,H

H, , NH,

B V ,GZ

1 e4 g6

2 d4 Bg7

3 Nc3 c6

4 Be3 Qb6

5 b3 d5!

6 exd5 Nf6

7 d6 exd6

8 h3 0-0

9 Nf3 Na6

10 Na4 Qd8

11 Bxa6 Qa5+

12 Nd2 Qxa6

13 c4 b5

14 Nb2 bxc4

15 bxc4 Rb8

16 Nb3 d5

17 Qc1 dxc4

18 Qxc4 Qa3

19 Nd3 Ba6

20 Qc1 Qxc1+

21 Nbxc1 Ne4

22 0-0 c5 (see diagram)

23 f3 Ng3

24 Rd1 Nf5

25 Bf2 Nxd4

26 Nxc5 Ne2+

27 Nxe2 Bxe2

28 Nd7 Bxd1

29 Rxd1 Rfd8

30 Bh4 f6

31 Rd6 Rb1+

32 Kh2 Rb6

33 Rxb6 axb6

34 Nxb6 Rd6

35 Na4 Rd4

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