chess

The winner of today's game is one of the brightest hopes for the future of British chess. While Nigel Short and Michael Adams were establishing themselves as world title contenders, Matthew Sadler, a couple of years younger than Adams, has kept on course to match their achievements.

He showed excellent fighting spirit in his most recent event, when he sharing second place at Malmo in Sweden after making a dismal start of one point from four games. In a nine-round, all-play-all grandmaster tournament, many players would give up and wait for the next event, but Sadler scored five wins in a row in splendid style. Here is one of them.

White: J Hector Black: M.Sadler

Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0- 0 Ne5 9.h3 Bc5 10.Kh1

10.f4 Nc6! leaves White in difficulties.

10...d6 11.f4 Ned7 12.a3 b5 13.Bxb5

Kasparov played this against Lautier a month ago. He lost, but claimed that he had forgotten his analysis which proved a win.

13...axb5 14.Ndxb5 Qb8 15.Bxc5 dxc5 16.e5

With Black's queen on b6 instead of b8, Kasparov played 16.Nd6+, but recommended 16.e5 as winning.

16...Ba6!! 17.Nd6+ Ke7 18.Rf2

18.exf6+Nxf6 would have left both Qxd6 and Bxf1 threatened.

18...Rd8! 19.Rd2

Here 19 exf6+ Nxf6 would have lost the pinned knight.

19...Qxb2!

And now 20.exf6+ Nxf6 21.Na4 Qb8 again leaves White in a mess.

20.Na4 Qb8 21.Qf3 Ne8

Finally the knight retreats, and White has little to show for his sacrifice. The rest needs little comment.

22.Rad1 Nxd6 23.Rxd6 Bb7 24.Qg3 Rxa4 25.Qxg7 Rd4 26.R1xd4 cxd4 27.f5 exf5 28.Qg5+ Ke8 29.Qxf5 Nf8 30.e6 Bxg2+ 31.Kg1

31.Kxg2 loses to Qb7+ and Rxd6.

31...Qb1+ 32.Kh2 Qh1+ 33.Kg3 Qxh3+ 34.Qxh3 bxh3 35.exf7+ Ke7 36.Rxd8 Kxd8 37.Kxh3 Ke7 38.Kg4 Kxf7 39.Kf5 Ke7 40.Ke5 Ne6 41.a4 h5 White resigned.