FM Steve Giddins reports from the Staunton Memorial tournament 2006

There is an episode of the classic 1970s sitcom, “Yes, Minister”, in which one continually hears snatches of the TV news, always with Sue Lawley announcing “The pound had another bad day on the foreign exchanges...”.  I am beginning to feel the same way here, as I start each day’s report with the line “The English had another bad day at the Staunton Memorial”. After yesterday’s 4 ½ - ½ drubbing at the hands of their Dutch guests, they were limited to just another half point against them today, albeit only from three games. The only English win so far in the tournament has come at the expense of a compatriot.

That was in the game Adams-Howell. The latter’s Open Lopez seemed to yield a satisfactory position, and the game soon simplified into a queen ending, where White had only a microscopic advantage – fewer pawn islands, and fractionally more active queen. Against a Kramnik or an Anand, a draw might have been agreed in fairly short order, but with a 300-point rating advantage, Adams was not going to give away half a point so easily, and he ground away remorselessly. Such positions are desperately difficult to defend, and Howell eventually shed a pawn. He continued to defend with great determination, but in the end, he could not prevent White from creating a passed pawn on the b-file, which he escorted home.

Timman-Wells saw a Queen’s Indian, on which Peter has recently published an excellent book. White retained a tiny bit of pressure, but it should not have amounted to anything substantial. Unfortunately, Peter’s great enemy, the clock, proved his undoing again, and his flag dropped with one move to make, although by then he had shed a pawn. I remain to be convinced that he would really have been in danger of losing after 37...Rxc7, for example.

Lanchava continued her good start by holding Speelman to a draw with Black. Speelman’s favourite 4 Bc4 system against the Modern Defence yielded only a minimal plus, and Lanchava struck back boldly to create counterplay against the White King. Speelman won a pawn, but with his king exposed, he had no advantage, and was happy to agree a draw.

Levitt played in solid style against Sokolov, but despite a dead equal position, saw his draw offer turned down on move 14. He still had no problems, until he unaccountably allowed the tactical trick 23...Ne3, after which his mangled pawn structure gave Black something to play for. White soon shed a pawn, and then back-rank problems cost more material, after which the result was never in doubt.

L’Ami-Visser was a long battle, in which both sides showed considerable determination, but the balance was never seriously disturbed. Meanwhile, Lawrence Day worked up a large advantage against Werle, but failed to find a way to capitalise. 24 bxc6, followed by 25 c5, looks like one good try, as does 28 a5. As it was, Day eventually allowed simplification into an ending where his two knights opposed Black’s whole bishop pair, and the Black King marched decisively into White’s position.