Pursuits: Chess

LUKE MCSHANE, 14, scored a fine victory in the Lippstadt Grandmaster tournament this month, taking first place in the 12-player tournament with six wins, three losses and two draws. Under the gimmicky scoring system of the event which gave three points for a win and one for a draw, he topped the table with 20 points. Under the usual one-for-a-win, half- for-a-draw system, he scored the seven points necessary to register his first norm towards the grandmaster title.

McShane's victory came as a result of a magnificent sprinting finish. After eight rounds he was in the middle of the table with four points, but he then moved into an higher and won his last three games to overtake the field. In the following game, he was aided by a disastrous attempt at a combination by his opponent. In the diagram, the game is roughly level after 28.Nxd4 Qxe5 29.Nf3. Instead, White found 28.Rxe4?? fxe4 29.Nc6, planning to win the bishop on d4 after the queen moved away. He must have felt silly after 29...Rxc6 when 30.Qxe7 Rxc1+ leads to mate.

White: Peter Claesen

Black: Luke McShane

1 d4 Nf6 16 Qb3 Qe7

2 Nc3 d5 17 Rfe1 b4

3 Bg5 g6 18 Nb1 Ne4

4 Bxf6 exf6 19 Nbd2 c5

5 e3 c6 20 Nc4 Bd5

6 Bd3 f5 21 Qd1 Bc7

7 Nce2 Nd7 22 Nce5 Red8

8 c4 dxc4 23 Bc4 cxd4

9 Bxc4 b5 24 exd4 Bb6

10 Bd3 Bb7 25 Bxd5 Rxd5

11 Nf3 a6 26 Qb3 Rd6

12 a4 Bd6 27 Qxb4 Bxd4

13 Nc3 0-0 28 Rxe4 fxe4

14 0-0 Re8 29 Nc6 Rxc6

15 Rc1 Nf6 White resigned