Independent Pursuits: Chess

THE ENGLAND team by beating Lithuania 31/2-1/2 in round seven of the Olympiad at Elista, Kalmykia, shot up from 12th position to sharing third place with Russia I, Ukraine and Belarus on 181/2 points each. USA leads with 20 points and Bulgaria has 191/2. There are six more rounds to come.

Today's pairings are as follows:

Bulgaria vs USA

Belarus vs Russia I

England vs Ukraine

Wales on 141/2 vs Brazil

Scotland 131/2 vs Ecuador

Jersey (81/2) vs Guernsey (8).

In the England-Lithuania match, Michael Adams, Matthew Sadler and Tony Miles all won. In Matthew's game, shown below, 14 Nd2 invited examination of the white king's defences. 15 h3 provoked 15... Nxf2! If 17 Kg1 Black continues 17... Rxe3 weakening White's d4; if then 18 Bf3 Rxc3! or 18 Nf3 Bxf3 19 Bxf3 Bxd4 20 Rxd4 Qxd4 21 Kh1 Rae8 maintains the attack. Finally, if White grabs the rook, 29 fxe4, there follows 29... Be3+ 30 Qf2 Qg3+ 31 Kh1 Bxf2 soon mating.

Pairings in the women's Olympiad include:

China (171/2) vs Poland (141/2)

Romania (151/2) vs Holland (14)

Belarus (12) vs England (111/2)

Scotland (91/2) vs Turkey (91/2)

Wales (10) vs Mongolia (10)

Elista Olympiad, round seven

White: Darius Zagorski (Lithuania)

Black: Matthew Sadler

jspeelman@compuserve.com

1 c4 b6 2

2 d4 Bb7

3 Bg5 Nf6

4 Bxf6 exf6

5 e3 f5

6 Nf3 g6

7 Nc3 Bg7

8 Be2 0-0

9 0-0 d6

10 Qc2 Nd7

11 Rfd1 Re8

12 Rac1 a6

13 b4 Nf6

14 Nd2 Ng4

15 h3 Nxf2

16 Kxf2 Qh4+

17 Kf1 Rxe3

18 Nf3 Qf4

19 Nd5 Bxd5

20 cdx5 Rae8

21 Bxa6 Rxf3+

22 gxf3 Re3

23 Be2 Qh2

24 Qd2 Bh6

25 Qe1 Qh1+

26 Kf2 Qh2+

27 Kf1 Qxh3+

28 Kf1 (see

diagram) Re4!!

29 Rc3 Rh4

30 f4 Qh1+

31 Kf2 Rh2+

32 Ke3 Qe4+ 0-1