TWIC is 32. First issue 17th September 1994.British Land UK Chess Challenge 2009 ()
Terra Final held at Warwick School
IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 26th August 2009
British Land Challenge aids the best UK players to develop.
The British Land UK Chess Challenge climaxed with the Terra Final held at Warwick School over the weekend. Four hundred of the UK's best junior players converged for the main event plus two Challengers sections with £5000 in prize money at stake including £2000 for the overall winner of the year-long competition which attracts roughly 70,000 children from all over the UK.
The competition is the brainchild of International Master Michael Basman, a full time chess teacher and promoter. The competition starts in individual schools and at that stage every entrant gets a prize with the leading players going forward to 38 regional Mega Finals. The winners of the Mega Finals go through to the Giga Finals, one held in the north and one in the south and the winners of the Giga Final compete in the Terra Final.
Players who come second in their Giga Final are invited to compete in the Terra Final Challengers. Here is a quick win from that event featuring a 'Greek Bishop' sacrifice. It may not have been wholly sound but the practical problems facing the defender are immense.
N Burns - J Foster
Terra Final Challengers A Warwick
Semi Slav
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bd6 6.Bd3 0-0 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Qc2 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.Rd1
J Foster
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N Burns
Position after 12.Rd1
12...Bxh2+! 13.Kxh2 Ng4+ 14.Kg1
(14.Kg3 Qg5 15.f4 Qh5 16.Bd2 Qh2+ 17.Kf3 Qh4 18.Be1 Re8! 19.Bxh4?? Rxe3# or 16.Nxd5 Qh2+ 17.Kf3 Qh4 with some attack)
14...Qh4 15.Kf1?
(15.Nxd5 Qh2+ 16.Kf1 Qh1+ 17.Ke2 Qxg2 18.Bxh7+ may be good for White but there is also 15.Nxd5 Be6 16.Bxh7+ Kh8!)
15...Qh1+ 16.Ke2 Qxg2 17.Rf1 Nh2 18.Qd1 Bg4+ 0-1
J Foster
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N Burns
Final position after 18...Bg4+
Who's afraid of the King's Gambit? We saw David Howell troubled by Simon Williams at the British Chanpionships. This game between two amateur players shows what a dangerous weapon it can be.
M Jensen - JH Rasmussen
Politiken Cup Helsingor (1)
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Nxd5 6.0-0 Be7 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.d4 0-0 9.Bxf4 Bg4 10.Nc3 Qd7 11.Qd2 Bxf3 12.Rxf3 c5 13.d5 Bd6 14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.Ne4 Qb6 16.Rb3 Qc7 17.Nf6+! Kh8
(17...gxf6 18.d6 Qd8 19.Rh3 Re8 20.Qd3 or just 18.Rg3+)
18.Rh3 h6 19.Rxh6+ gxh6 20.Qxh6 mate 1-0
