Nigel Short, one of the most outspoken, colorful, and animated Grandmasters, has defied the odd to become the #1 British player again at the age of 44 while breaking the 2700 mark. But in the first round of the London Chess Classic, young British star Luke McShane was not intimidated by his much more experienced opponent. He grinded Short in a position with minimal advantage and eventually scored a full point in 159 moves.
McShane, L (2615) – Short, N (2707) [C45]
London Chess Classic (1), 08.12.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Qg3 Qg6 9.Bd3 a5 10.Bd2 Nf6 11.f3 Ba6 12.Ne2 Nd7 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.Qxg6 hxg6 15.Nf4 Bd4 16.Nd3 c5 17.c3 Bf6 18.0–0–0 a4 19.Kc2 g5 20.h3 Be7 21.Nf2 Nf8 22.Ng4 Ne6 23.Ne3 f6 24.Nc4 Kf7 25.Be1 Nf4 26.Rd2 g6 27.Bg3 Nh5 28.Bh2 Ng7 29.Bg3 Nh5 30.Bh2 Ng7 31.Re1 Rb8 32.Rdd1 Rba8 33.Rd2 Rb8 34.Ra1 Rba8 35.Rc1 Rb8 36.Bg3 Nh5 37.Bh2 Ng7 38.Rg1 Rh8 39.Rf1 Rh7 40.Rd3 Rh8 41.Rdd1 Ne6 42.Rh1 Ng7 43.Rhe1 Rha8 44.Bg1 Ne6 45.Rd2 Rh8 46.Be3 Bf8 47.Rh1 Bg7 48.Rd5 Ke7 49.Rh2 Raa8 50.Rh1 Ra6 51.Rd2 Raa8 52.Re1 Ra6 53.Bf2 Raa8 54.Bg3 Ra6 55.Ne3 Kf7 56.Rd5 Bf8 57.Rdd1 Bg7 58.Rh1 Raa8 59.Rh2 Ra6 60.Rdh1 Raa8 61.h4 gxh4 62.Rxh4 Rxh4 63.Rxh4 Ra7 64.Rh1 Ra8 65.Bf2 Nf8 66.Be1 Ra7 67.Bd2 Ne6 68.Bc1 Ra8 69.Bd2 Rd8 70.Bc1 Re8 71.Rh4 Ra8 72.Kd3 Ra6 73.g3 Nf8 74.f4 Nd7 75.Rh2 Ra7 76.Bd2 Rb7 77.Be1 Bf8 78.g4 Kg7 79.Bg3 c6 80.f5 g5 81.Rd2 Nb6 82.Ke2 Rd7 83.b3 d5 84.c4 axb3 85.axb3 dxe4 86.Rxd7+ Nxd7 87.Bc7 Kf7 88.Nd1 Ke8 89.Nc3 Be7 90.Nxe4 Bd8 91.Nd6+ Ke7 92.Nc8+ Ke8 93.Nd6+ Ke7 94.Nc8+ Ke8 95.Bg3 Nb6 96.Nd6+ Kf8 97.Nb7 Ke8 98.Nxc5 Be7 99.Ne4 Kd8 100.Be1 Nd7 101.Bc3 c5 102.Bb2 Ke8 103.Kf2 Kd8 104.Kg2 Ke8 105.Kh3 Kf7 106.Kg3 Ke8 107.Bc3 Kd8 108.Kh3 Kc7 109.Bb2 Kc6 110.Nc3 Nb6 111.Kg3 Bd8 112.Kf3 Be7 113.Ke3 Bd8 114.Kd3 Be7 115.Ke4 Bd8 116.Nd5 Nd7 117.Bc3 Kd6 118.Be1 Kc6 119.Bg3 Nf8 120.Kd3 Nd7 121.Kc2 Nf8 122.Be1 Nd7 123.Bg3 Nf8 124.Kb2 Nd7 125.Ka3 Ba5 126.Ne7+ Kb6 127.Bd6 Ka6 128.Nd5 Bd8 129.Bg3 Ba5 130.Ka4 Bd2 131.Bc7 Bc1 132.Bd8 Bb2 133.b4 Bd4 134.b5+ Kb7 135.Kb3 Be5 136.Kc2 Bd4 137.Kb3 Be5 138.Be7 Bd4 139.Bd6 Bf2 140.Kc2 Ka7 141.Kd3 Kb7 142.Ke4 Bd4 143.Be7 Be5 144.Ne3 Bf4 145.Ng2 Bg3 146.Kd5 Bf2 147.Ke6 Ne5 148.Bxf6 Nxc4 149.Bxg5 Na3 150.f6 Bd4 151.f7 Bg7 152.Bf6 Bf8 153.Be7 Bg7 154.Bxc5 Nxb5 155.f8Q Nc7+ 156.Kf7 Bxf8 157.Bxf8 Kc6 158.Nf4 Kd7 159.g5 Nb5 White wins 1–0
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Luv to study the strategy. Thanks for sharing Susan! ^_^
one of the ugliest games I`ve ever seen
This was a tough one 🙂
seems like short was impatient
In fact, they played the next logical moves:
160. g6 Nc4 161. g7 Nf5
162. g8=Q Nh6+ 163.Bxh6 1-0
White mates in 5:
163. … Kc6 164. Qc8+ Kb6
165. Nd5 Kb5 166. Be3 Ka4
167. Qc4+ Ka3/Bc1# Ka5/Bd2#
Far from ugly – will be interesting to see where Short went wrong.