Chess

MICHAEL Adams took the pounds 3,000 Leigh Grand Prix title at the weekend, winning the final event of the British weekend congress circuit, the Islington Open, with 6 out of 6.

Here are three of his brevities from the event, starting with a mini-miniature demolition of his own favourite opening. After 6. Nxe4 Qb4 Black regains his piece with a good game. In trying to avoid this, White fell apart and lost a knight for less than nothing.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: M Wickert Black: M Adams ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 d4 Nf6 5 Nd2 Qxb2 2 Bg5 Ne4 6 Ngf3? Nc3 3 Bf4 c5 7 Nc4? Nxd1 4 d5 Qb6 White resigns -----------------------------------------------------------------

In the next game, Basman's edge-hogging strategy was run down and flattened in the middle of the board. At the end, after 25 . . . Rxb8 26. Qxc6+ Black is mated.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: M Adams Black: M Basman ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 e4 h6 14 e5 Nd5 2 d4 a6 15 Nd2 Bb7 3 Bd3 c5 16 0-0 Nf4 4 dxc5 e6 17 Be4 g5 5 Be3 Qc7 18 Qf3 Bc6 6 b4 a5 19 g3 Ng6 7 Nc3 axb4 20 a3 Rc8 8 Nb5 Qd8 21 axb4 Nxb4 9 Nf3 Nf6 22 Rab1 Qd4 10 Bf4 Na6 23 Rxb4 Qxd2 11 Nd6+ Bxd6 24 Bxc6 dxc6 12 Bxd6 b6 25 Rb8 1-0 13 cxb6 Qxb6 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, a King's Gambit, in which White won back his pawn, ran into trouble defending weak squares on the e-file, then blundered away a piece.

----------------------------------------------------------------- White: M Anderton Black: M Adams ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 e4 e5 9 Nc3 Nc6 2 f4 exf4 10 Nd5 Ne7 3 Nf3 Be7 11 Nxf4 Nf5 4 Be2 Nf6 12 Qd3 Re8 5 e5 Ng4 13 Nd5? c6 6 0-0 d6 14 Ne5? Nxe5 7 exd6 Bxd6 15 dxe5 Bc5+ 8 d4 0-0 White resigns -----------------------------------------------------------------

This is the second consecutive win of the Grand Prix for Adams, rounding off a brilliantly successful year, both internationally and at home.