Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.Thirteen-year-old Luke McShane has had mixed fortunes in recent rounds of the 4NCL, Britain's premier team event. In the sixth round, he jumped carelessly into the mouth of a dragon.
White: Luke McShane
Black: Chris Duncan
1 e4 c5 12 h5 Qa5
2 Nf3 d6 13 Be2 b5
3 d4 cxd4 14 Nb3 Qa6
4 Nxd4 Nf6 15 Kb1 Nc4
5 Nc3 g6 16 Bxc4 bxc4
6 Be3 Bg7 17 Nd4 Rb8
7 f3 0-0 18 Ka1 Rb4
8 Qd2 Nc6 19 Rb1 Bxg4!?
9 0-0-0 Bd7 20 fxg4 Nxe4
10 g4 Rc8 21 Nxe4?? Qxa2+
11 h4 Ne5 White resigned
Once he had played the standard anti-dragon K-side pawn advance of g4, h4 and h5, White seemed to be in rather a dither about whether to continue his attack or consolidate his defences on the other wing. He was not doing badly, however, until he blundered with 21.Nxe4?? Instead 21.Qe1 or 21.Qg2 leaves Black still having to prove that he has enough for the sacrificed piece. After White's trusting acceptance of the second piece, it was mate in two.
In the next game, however, McShane showed considerably more circumspection in defence against a former British champion.
Black's opening play was dubious - a6 and b5 does not mix well with the knight on c6 - but when he began to build up threats on the h-file, White needed to find some good moves. The first was 18.Nc5! (when 18...dxc5 19.d6 threatens both dxe7 and Qd5+); then 27.Kf1 and 28.Ke1! calmly walked away from Black's attack.
White: Luke McShane
Black: Michael Hennigan
1 e4 c5 19 Ne6 Rh6
2 Nf3 d6 20 h3 Bh4
3 d4 cxd4 21 Bd3 Nd7
4 Nxd4 Nf6 22 Bxa6 Bxf2+
5 Nc3 Nc6 23 Qxf2 Nc5
6 Be3 e5 24 Nxc5 Bxh3
7 Nb3 Be7 25 Bd3 Rxa4
8 f3 a6 26 Nxa4 Bg4
9 Qd2 b5 27 Kf1 Bxf3
10 Nd5 Nxd5 28 Ke1 Bxd5
11 exd5 Nb8 29 Nc3 e4
12 a4 bxa4 30 Bf1 e3
13 Rxa4 f5 31 Qe2 Qh4+
14 Be2 0-0 32 Kd1 Be6
15 0-0 f4 33 Qb5 Bg4+
16 Bf2 Qe8 34 Ne2 Rf6
17 Rfa1 Qh5 35 Ra8+ Rf8
18 Nc5 Rf6 36 Qd5+ resigns
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