Chess

Thanks to sponsorship from the Smith & Williamson accountancy group - including a top prize of pounds 10,000 - this year's British Championship is the strongest for many years, with a field that includes 12 grandmasters.

After a decade in the doldrums, during which a lack of sponsorship saw a continuous decline in strength, it is good to see the event assuming the importance that our national championship ought to have. With grandmasters such as Michael Adams, Tony Miles, Matthew Sadler and Jon Speelman in the field, this is again an event of genuinely high class.

After the first week's play at the Town Hall in Hove, the lead is shared by Michael Adams and Aaron Summerscale, both on 5 points out of six, with the defending champion, Chris Ward, among the group of nine players half a point behind. The real strength of the event, however, is best judged by some of the names appearing lower down the table: Jon Speelman has 31/2 points, while grandmasters James Plaskett and Keith Arkell are both on 3.

Here is an attractive miniature from round six. Black finds no defence to a direct attack on his king. At the end he is a queen ahead, but cannot prevent mate.

White: Matthew Sadler

Black: Jonathan Mestel

1 d4 d6 13 Ncxe4 Nf6

2 e4 Nf6 14 0-0-0 Bg4

3 Nc3 g6 15 Be2 Nbd7

4 f4 Bg7 16 Ng3 h6

5 Nf3 0-0 17 N5e4 e6

6 Be3 b6 18 Bxg4 hxg4

7 Qd2 c5 19 f5 Nxe4

8 d5 a6 20 Nxe4 Nf6

9 e5 Nfd7 21 Bh6 Nxe4

10 h4 dxe5 22 Bxg7 Nxd2

11 h5 e4 23 f6 resigns

12 Ng5 gxh5