Chess

STRONG WINDS greeted the players in the European Team Championships when they started last Monday in Batumi.

Round one results: France vs Hungary 1-3; Israel vs Slovenia 2-2; Yugoslavia vs Ukraine 2-2; Germany vs Slovakia 2.5-1.5; Sweden vs Netherlands 1.5- 2.5; England vs Fyrom (formerly Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) 3-1; Latvia vs Czech Republic 1.5-2.5; Bulgaria vs Lithuania 3.5-0.5; Scotland vs Belarus 0.5-3.5; Rom- ania vs Ireland 4-0; Azerbaijan vs Russia 1-3; Austria vs Croatia 1.5-2.5; Belgium vs Armenia 0-4; Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Georgia II 2.5-1.5; Georgia I vs Turkey 3-1; Italy vs Spain 2-2; Poland vs Portugal 4-0; Switzerland vs Finland 3.5-0.5.

Nigel Short and Stuart Conquest won for England on boards one and three, while Emms and Chandler drew. Stuart Conquest's win showed some nerves - this was his first outing in a national team for three years - and some effects of time pressure from about move 26. His opponent could have had better drawing chances with 27 ...a6, 29 ...Rb2 and 31 ...a6!

White: Stuart Conquest

Black: Zvonko Stanojoski

Benko Gambit

The final position is shown at the top of the next column.

First round in the parallel women's team event: Scotland vs England 0.5- 1.5; Yugoslavia vs Slovakia 2-0; Croatia vs Georgia I 0-2; Georgia II vs Lithuania 2-0; Bulgaria vs Spain 1-1; Czech Republic vs Portugal 1.5- 0.5, Finland vs Russia 1-1; France vs Ukraine 0-2; Georgia III vs Estonia 1-1; Greece vs Austria 1.5-0.5; Israel vs Fyrom 0.5-1.5; Italy vs Bosnia- Herzegovina 0-2; Latvia vs Hungary 0-2; Poland vs Azerbaijan 2-0; Romania vs Netherlands 1.5-0.5; Slovenia vs Germany 0.5-1.5; Sweden vs Armenia 0.5-1.5; Turkey vs Switzerland 0.5-1.5.

For details and games: http://www.world fide.com.

Russia's men were paired against England in round two, while the English women face Greece and the Scots, Austria.

1 d4 Nf6

2 c4 c5

3 d5 b5

4 Nf3 bxc4

5 Nc3 g6

6 e4 d6

7 Bxc4 Bg7

8 e5!? dxe5

9 Nxe5 0-0

10 0-0 Bb7

11 Qb3 Qb6

12 Re1 Na6

13 Bg5 Qxb3

14 Bxb3 h6?!

15 Bxf6 exf6

16 Nc4 Nb4

17 Rad1 Ba6

18 d6 f5

19 d7 Nc2

20 Bxc2 Bxc4

21 Rd6 Rfd8

22 Ba4 Bxc3!

23 bxc3 Be6

24 h4 Rab8

25 Re5 Rb6

26 Rd2 c4

27 Rd4 Kg7

28 Kh2 Kf6

29 f4 Rb7

30 Kg3 g5

31 Bb5 Rc7

32 a4 g4

33 a5 a6

34 Ba4 Ke7

35 h5 Kf6

36 Rd6 Ra7

37 Kf2 Ke7

38 Rb6 Raa8

39 Ke3 Rdb8

40 Kd4 Rxb6

41 axb6 Kd6

42 Rc5 Rb8

43 b7!

1-0

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