8/1/2013 – A substantial number of readers will know Torquay – from the classical comedy series Fawlty Towers. It was here that Basil Fawlty tortured his guests, and it is here that the 100th British Championships are being held. After three rounds five players – three GMs and two IMs – lead with a perfect score. We bring you a selection of round two games and a historical review of the 1908 Championship.
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A record-breaking number of over 1000 players are taking part in the 2013
British Championships, attracted by a combination of the beautiful venue
and the fact that it’s the 100th in a series stretching right back
to 1904. This year it is taking place in the Riviera International Centre
in Torquay.
Torquay, population 65,000, is a seaside town in Devon, England, 38 miles
(61 km) north-east of Plymouth. The town's economy was initially based upon
fishing and agriculture, but in the early 19th century Torquay began to
develop into a fashionable seaside resort, frequented by the crème
de la crème of Victorian society and earned the nickname of the English
Riviera. The famous writer Agatha Christie lived most of her life in Torquay.
And it was while staying at the Gleneagles Hotel with the Monty Python team
in 1971 that John Cleese found inspiration for the popular sitcom Fawlty
Towers (1975, 1979).
A room with a view: John Cleese quotes the
famous Torquay scene
There are 23 different sections at the 2013 British Championships, catering
for all ages and abilities, but the main focus of interest is on the Championship
itself. There are 106 players taking part, of whom 33 are titled players,
including thirteen grandmasters. The Championship runs from 29th July to
10th August 2013.
In the lead, together with four other players
and a perfect 3.0/3 score: David Howell
Top seed and 2012 British Champion Gawain Jones
conceded two draws and has 2.0/3
Stephen Gordon vs Dominic Mackle in round two
Photos provided by Brendan O'Gorman and Keverel
Chess
To really appreciate how far the event has come in its 100 years, one needs
to take the opportunity to look back at some of the milestones on the way
– the great characters, the champions and their games. To do this,
IM Andrew Martin is
using his computer skills to pick out some key games from the past and run
his expert eye over them. Similarly, Bob Jones, local chess history writer,
is compiling a set of ten pages, each on a past champion and one of his/her
games. These will appear, one at a time, in the daily championship bulletins.
British Champions & Their Games - No. 2
1908 - Tunbridge Wells
Henry Ernest Atkins will be remembered as having entered the British Championship
eleven times, winning it nine times. He had just missed out becoming the
first BCF Champion in 1904 by a whisker to Napier, but quickly made up for
that by winning the following year and the six after that, adding two more
titles in 1924 & ’25. He even played in 1937 at the age of 65,
coming 3rd= behind Fairhurst and Sir George Thomas.
Henry Ernest Atkins (centre in black jacket)
facing Mackenzie
Like Napier he opted for a respectable career rather than the precarious
life of a professional chess master, but unlike Napier, Atkins played in
his summer holidays and at weekends. Although his work as a teacher denied
him an international stage (he was maths teacher in Leicester and from 1909
was Principal of Huddersfield College), his appearance at Hannover 1902
established his credentials by coming 3rd ahead of Mieses, Napier, Chigorin,
Marshall and a host of others. On his death in 1955, he was universally
considered the strongest British player of the first half of the 20th century.
Arthur John Mackenzie (1871–1949) was one of the great pioneers of
organised British chess. He was a founding father of the Warwickshire C.
A., the Birmingham League and the Midland Chess Union, and wrote a chess
column for the Birmingham Post for 40 years.
BCM said this game "had been justly admired as an example of the gospel
according to Lasker, as interpreted by Atkins". In his biography of
Atkins, R. N. Coles said it was "a fine example of a close game in
which the actual front is narrow, but where there are potential activities
on all sides".
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BCM said this game "had been justly admired
as an example of the gospel according to Lasker, as interpreted by Atkins".
In his biography of Atkins, R. N. Coles said it was "a fine example of
a close game in which the actual front is narrow, but where there are
potential activities on all sides".1.d4Nf62.c4d63.Nc3Nbd74.f4c55.d5e56.e4g67.Nf3a68.fxe5dxe59.Bd3Bg710.0-00-011.Bg5h612.Bh4Better was12.Bd2as the text allows Black to
continue pressing on the K-side, as White's pawns block the centre.12...g513.Be1Ne814.h4Nd6!15.hxg5hxg516.Nh2?too passive,
allowing Black to assert control.b517.b3b418.Ne2f519.Ng3If19.exf5e4hitting rook and bishop.20.Bc219...f420.Nh1Nf621.Nf2Rb822.Qe2Nf723.Nfg4Nxg424.Nxg4Qd725.Nh2g426.g3Ng527.Kh1Rb628.Qf2Qe7Defending his knight against possible attack.29.Bd2Rh6Utilising his flexibilty, every Black piece is involved in the
attack.30.gxf4Nf331.f5Rxh2+32.Qxh2Nxh233.Kxh233.Kxh2Qh4+34.Kg2Qh3+35.Kf2Qxd3and mate cannot be avoided.33...Qh4+0–1
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the
chess server Playchess.com.
If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there
and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase
12 or any of our Fritz
compatible chess programs.
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