CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO

The return of the London Chess Classic for the first time since Covid resulted in mixed triumph and disappointment for the home cohort. The two bottom places were taken by Luke McShane and England’s new top-rated player, the ex-Russian Nikita Vitiugov. At the the other end of the table the winner was “veteran” Mickey Adams (52), unbeaten on 6/9 points. Fresh from winning the Over-50s World Seniors Championship in Italy (the over-65 winner was his compatriot John Nunn), Adams is the first Englishman to win the Classic – on his ninth attempt. Since its inception in 2009 Magnus Carlsen has won it 4 times, as have American GMs. Adams drew his last game against England’s most promising youngster Shreyas Royal whose 4/9 score earned him his second GM-norm.

The combative play in London (23 decisive games out of 45!) rekindled the fighting spirit of days when Grandmasters played more like gladiators than computers. Dommaraju Gukesh needed to win his last game to force a playoff with Adams but this loss to Hans Niemann put paid to that – and to his hopes of a 2024 Candidates spot.

Niemann (2649) – Gukesh (2746): 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 d3 Nf6 5 O-O d6 6 c3 a6 7 a4 Ba7 8 Re1 h6 9 a5 (Remember this move: it will prove vital!) 9 ... g5 10 Be3 g4 11 Nfd2 Bxe3 12 fxe3 Nh7 13 Nf1 (After a tame Giuoco Piano opening, both players are disturbing the balance) 13 ... h5 14 Ng3 Qg5 15 Nd2 Ne7?! (A small inaccuracy, allowing White some Qside pressure. 15 ... Nf6 looked better) 16 Qa4+ c6 17 Qb4 h4 18 Nf5 Bxf5 19 exf5 (He shuns the Pawn offer 19 Qxb7 O-O 20 exf5 that would lure his Queen far from the Kside theatre) 19 ... d5 (He cannot allow Ne4) 20 Bb3 O-O? (Gukesh must have missed the rejoinder that makes this a losing move! Long castling was safer) 21 Ra4! (Far stronger than 21 Qxb7 Rfe8)

21 ... g3 22 Qxh4 Qxh4 23 Rxh4 gxh2+

(Weakens the light squares but 23 ... Nxf5 24 Rg4+ Kh8 25 hxg3 Rfd8 26 e4 dxe4 27 Nxe4 Rxd3 28 Nc5 was nasty)

24 Rxh2 f6 25 e4 Rf7 26 Nf3 Rg7 27 d4! exd4 28 Nxd4 Ng5 29 exd5 Nxd5 30 Rh6 Kf7 31 Kf1 Rag8? 32 c4 Nc7 33 c5+ Nd5 34 Bxd5+ cxd5 35 Ne6!

(As 35 … Nxe6 36 Rxe6 Rg6 [forced] 37 Rxg6 Rxg6 38 fxg6+ Kxe6 39 Ke2 wins)

Black resigned.