Independent Pursuits: Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.THERE WERE several tournaments last weekend, with the 25th Grangemouth tournament in Falkirk much the strongest. Sponsored by BP, Falkirk Council and Zeneca, this excellent event is an annual "Station of the Board" for those competing in what is now the Onyx Leigh Grand Prix.
To win this gruelling contest, the leaders have to career round the country amassing points in weekend and other tournaments. Grangemouth, being an elite event, carries a hefty bonus and so it was that Jim Plaskett, currently second behind the perennial "weekender" Mark Hebden, turned up in the hope of improving his score in the race for the pounds 3,000 first prize.
Plaskett was stymied, however, in the game by the Scottish grandmaster Colin McNab, who ran out the winner with a perfect 5/5 to take home pounds 500 and the BP silver salver. The Hastings-based grandmaster shared second place with Jonathan Rowson; but the sum gain for Plaskett's efforts in Grand Prix terms was just a third of a point.
McNab is an extremely quiet person who also starts his chess games quietly but then builds up towards a climax. He got little out of the opening in today's game and indeed Plaskett seemed to be getting the better of it as he gained the two bishops and a good pawn structure. However, he obviously both overestimated his chances on the long white diagonal and underestimated McNab's play when the rook reached a7.
In the diagram, Plaskett ought to have played 32...Rb8, when 33 Qxd6 Rb1+ 34 Kh2 Qf1 35 Rxg7+! Kxg7 36 Qxe5+ Kg8 37 Qe6+ Kg7 38 Qe7+ Kg8 leads only to perpetual check. His last chance to fight was 33....Qc3, though 34 Qxe5 Qxe5 35 fxe5 is very good for White.
White: Colin McNab
Black: Jim Plaskett
Grangemouth (Round 4) 1998
English Opening
1 Nf3 b6
2 g3 Bb7
3 Bg2 Nf6
4 c4 c5
5 d3 g6
6 e4 Bg7
7 Nc3 0-0
8 h3 Nc6
9 Bg5 h6
10 Be3 d6
11 0-0 a6
12 Qd2 Kh7
13 a3 Nd7
14 Rab1 Nd4
15 b4 Rb8
16 bxc5 bxc5
17 Nd5 e6
18 Nf4 Bc6
19 h4 Nxf3+
20 Bxf3 Ne5
21 Be2 Qd7
22 Nh3 Rxb1
23 Rxb1 f5
24 f4 Ng4
25 Bxg4 fxg4
26 Nf2 h5
27 d4 cxd4
28 Bxd4 e5
29 Be3 Qe6
30 Rb6 Rc8
31 Rxa6 Qxc4
32 Ra7 (see
diagram)
32 ...Bxe4?
33 Qxd6 Ba8?
34 Qxe5 Rg8
35 Bd4 Qc1+
36 Kh2 Qc6
37 Rxg7+ Kh6
38 Qg5 mate
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