Chess

THE BRITISH Chess Federation announced on Wednesday that its annual Grand Prix has a new sponsor, the Terence Chapman Group, specialist providers to the financial sector, listed on the London Stock Exchange since July.

First instituted in 1974, the Grand Prix nowadays includes nearly 200 congresses all over Great Britain, with a total entry of more than 20,000 different players. The Terence Chapman Group will begin next year, offering a total prize fund of pounds 13,000 - a 50 per cent increase on the 1999 figure - including pounds 10,000 for the Open competition, of which half will go to the winner.

New sponsorship is always welcome, the more so when the impetus comes from the very top. The executive chairman, Terry Chapman, who is now 43, so very slightly older than us, was one of the very strongest players of the generation of chess players led by Jonathan Mestel and myself.

British under-14 champion in 1970 - the year after me - and later London under-18 champion and captain of the England under-18 Glorney Cup team, Chapman, who still plays "about 10 serious games a year with great pleasure", recently explored the parallels between chess and business in an article in Financial News: "Give me an enduring positional advantage, a cup of coffee to stir and plenty of time on the clock for my remaining moves and another tournament point is on its way. Bliss. I suppose the analogous position would be my business ideal too: strategic control." The new sponsorship is both a tactical and a strategic shot in the arm for British Chess; and it's a (sadly unusual) pleasure to have such good news to write about.

Meanwhile the Onyx Grand Prix in its last year remains breathtakingly close with Keith Arkell still leading on 194.75/200 but only a whisker ahead of Julian Hodgson on 194.57 and Bogdan Lalic on 190.78. The battle looks almost certain now to go the distance to the traditional final event - the Islington Open, on the last weekend before Christmas.

This was played way back on 23 January. (I'm afraid in my very likely incomplete records I didn't find a win for him). I got strategic control and 18 Qa6! was very strong. Terry fought back well and gave up a pawn to liquidate but 37 h5? - allowing 37 ...Rxe3 - was still ridiculous.

White: Jon Speelman

Black: Terry Chapman

Middlesex vs Surrey 1972

Queen's Gambit Tarrasch

1 c4 e6

2 Nc3 d5

3 d4 c5

4 Nf3 Nf6

5 cxd5 exd5

6 g3 Nc6

7 Bg2 Be6

8 0-0 Be7

9 b3 0-0

10 Bb2 a6

11 dxc5 Bxc5

12 Rc1 Ba7

13 Na4 Qe7

14 Nd4 Rac8

15 Nxc6 bxc6

16 Qd3 Bg4

17 e3 a5

18 Qc3? Qb4

19 h3?! Be2

20 Rfe1 Bb5

21 Nc5 Bxc5

22 Qxc5 Qxc5

23 Rxc5 Nd7

24 Rc2 a4!

25 Rec1 axb3

26 axb3 Rb8

27 Bd4 f6

28 Rc3 Rfe8

29 Bf1 Bxf1

30 Kxf1 c5

31 Bxc5 Nxc5

32 Rxc5 Rxb3

33 Rxd5 Re7

34 Rc8+ Kf7

35 h4 Rb1+

36 Kg2 Rb2

37 h5?

Draw