Chess

In the eighth round of the Smith & Williamson British championship in Hove, Tony Miles played a cautious draw with the white pieces against Michael Adams, which let Tony Kosten overtake both of them and move into the sole lead thanks to a vigorously played win against Joe Gallagher. With three rounds left to play, the leading scores are: Kosten 61/2, Miles, Adams, Sadler, Emms, Ledger 6; Ward, Hebden, Sashikiran, Summerscale, Speelman, McShane 51/2.

Here are two games from earlier rounds. In the first, the tournament favourite scores a quick win against the Sicilian. After 13.g6, Black realised that 13...hxg6 14.h5 would give White a strong attack, but what she played was hardly any better.

White: Michael Adams

Black: Ruth Sheldon

1 e4 c5 12 h4 b5

2 Nf3 e6 13 g6 Nf6

3 d4 cxd4 14 gxh7+ Kxh7

4 Nxd4 Nc6 15 Nxc6 Qxc6

5 Nc3 Qc7 16 Bd3 Kh8

6 Be3 a6 17 Rdg1 b4

7 Qd2 Nf6 18 Bh6 Rg8

8 f3 Be7 19 e5 g6

9 g4 d6 20 exf6 bxc3

10 O-O-O O-O 21 Qg5 resigns

11 g5 Nd7

The next is a better-contested battle, which White lost by getting carried away with his own attacking ideas in a superior position. After 28.Rae1?! White may have expected 28...fxg4 when 29.f5+ followed by fxe6 gives a formidable attack. But 28...Rd2+! invited 29.Kh1 Bd4! 30.Qxe6+ Qxe6 31.Rxe6+ Kf7 when Black wins a piece.

Ledger must have hoped for 29...Bd4 when 30.Rxe2! Bxe5 31.Nxe5+ is good for White, but as the game went he did not obtain enough for his piece.

White: Ledger Andrew

Black: Jonathan Speelman

1 Nf3 d5 19 dxe4 Nf6

2 g3 Bg4 20 Ne5 Bh7

3 Bg2 c6 21 Qe2 Bc5+

4 b3 Nd7 22 Kh2 Red8

5 Bb2 e6 23 Ng4 Nxe4

6 O-O Ngf6 24 Bxe4 Bxe4

7 c4 Bd6 25 Bxg7 Kxg7

8 d3 O-O 26 Qxe4 f5

9 Nbd2 Qe7 27 Qe5+ Kg6

10 h3 Bh5 28 Rae1 Rd2+

11 a3 a5 29 Re2 Rxe2+

12 Qc2 Rfe8 30 Qxe2 fxg4

13 e3 h6 31 Qxg4+ Kh7

14 Nh4 Nf8 32 f5 Rg8

15 f4 Ng6 33 Qe4 exf5

16 Nxg6 Bxg6 34 Qxf5+ Kh8

17 Nf3 Nd7 35 Qh5 Qg5

18 e4 dxe4 White resigns