Chess

THE RACE for the British Championship has always divided naturally into two distinct halves - the accumulation of points and a bloodbath - separated by the Sunday rest day.

This year's 86th Championship, sponsored by Smith & Williamson, resumed in the Spa Centre in Scarborough on Monday with Julian Hodgson at the helm on 5.5/6 - just the one draw with Harriet Hunt - though only half a point clear of Gormally, Lalic and Wells and with six strong players a further half behind on 4.5.

With so much ordnance in close attendance there should be serious pyrotechnics this week, and there have already been heavy casualties, notably in this miniature by Danny Gormally, which brought him the sole lead on 4/4 only to crash back into the pack after defeat by Hodgson in the following round. Black quickly got a good game with an excellent pawn structure and the two bishops but 15 ...h6?? was woefully casual; instead 15 ...Rd8 would have made room for the knight to defend on f8 - if then 16 Qh5 Bxg5 17 hxg5 Nf8 is fine, since 18 Ne4 Rxd3 19 Nf6+ gxf6 20 gxf6 Qa5+! is winning for Black.

The splendid 16 Qe4! smashed open the h file. If then 16 ...hxg5 17 hxg5 g6 18 Qe3!; or 16 ...f5 17 exf6 Nxf6 18 Bxc7 Nxe4 19 Ngxe4 winning a piece. If 20 ...Qxf4 21 Qh8+ Kf7 22 Qxg7+ Ke8 23 Qe7 is mate and the same sequence would pulverise 21 ...Qxf4 in the final position.

White: Danny Gormally

Black: John Emms

Sicilian Scheveningen

In Las Vegas, both Adams and Short have reached the fourth round, to play Dreev and Shirov respectively.

1 e4 c5

2 Nf3 e6

3 d4 cxd4

4 Nxd4 a6

5 Bd3 Nf6

6 Nc3 Qc7

7 Qe2 d6

8 f4 Be7

9 Nf3 0-0

10 e5 Nfd7

11 h4 dxe5

12 fxe5 Nc5

13 Bf4 Nxd3+

14 cxd3 Nd7

15 Ng5 h6??

16 Qe4! Bxg5

17 hxg5 Nc5

18 Qe3 hxg5

19 Qh3 f5

20 exf6 Nxd3+

21 Qxd3

1-0