A Ginormous Tournament!

Top seed Lorin D'Costa won for the third time in this largest of large chess tournaments. He was first from over 56 THOUSAND players from all over the UK. The event started off in the spring when players from over 1500 schools played in internal competitions to find school champions. Eight thousand champions then played in Megafinals at 27 events held in May throughout Britain. Over 1500 winners of the Megafinals then progressed to the Gigafinals at Sheffield Octagon in July. Held in 20 sections for age ranges from 6 to 18 years. There were 40 section winners who each got a trophy and a prize of £100. Each winner could then compete in the Terafinal held in late August at Blenheim High School, Epsom. Thirty four players competed and Lorin D'Costa won first place taking home the £1,000 first prize and Rotary Cup. Alexandra Wilson was top girl winning £500 and Michael Rabbitte from Lancashire was best under 11 player also winning £500. The scoring system was unusual. Each won game scored 3 points (instead of 1) and each draw counted 1 (instead of the usual ½).

British Land - generous sponsors

British Land is one of the largest UK property investment companies and this is the third year they have sponsored this event which had a total prize fund of £10,000.

Alexandra Wilson, top girl, shows nerves of steel

In this complex game from a Ruy Lopez, Alexandra demonstrates the power of the 'Spanish torture' as black is forced to retreat both her knights to the back rank. The final bishop move administers the coup de grace to the black monarch.

Alexandra Wilson (white)- Claire Morris (black)
Epsom, Blenheim High School, Terafinal British Land Challenge, 2002

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Re1 0-0 8.c3 Bb7 (most games using this line of the Ruy Lopez continue 8...d6) 12.e5 (Alexandra applies the thumbscrew) 12...Ne8 13.d5 Ne7 14.Qd3 Ng6 15.Bc2 c5 16.h4 (The threat is to play h5 when the black knight on g6 cannot move without allowing mate on h7. Another good move for white was 16.d6 for example c4 17.Qf5 Rc8 with advantage) 16...f5 (16...c4!? may have been better: 17.Qf5 b4 with a much better game for black than in the game) 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Ne4 Rf8 19.Nxc5! (The knight move discovers an attack along the long white diagonal b1:h7 onto the black knight on g6) 19...Rf6 20.Nxb7 Qc7 21.h5 Nf8 22.Be3 Qxb7 23.Bxb6 Qxb6 24.Re2 Nd6 25.Rae1 Rc8 26.Ne5 Qc7 (26...Rf5 leads to a chaotic position, but white retains the advantage: 27.g4 Rf4 28.Nxd7 Rxg4+ 29.Kf1) 27.Ng4 (27.Qg3 may be even better) 27...Rf7 28.Qg3+- Kh8 29.Ne5 (or 29.Bg6 Nxg6 30.hxg6 Rf5 31.Qh4 Qc4 32.Re4 Qc2 33.Nxh6 Qxf2+ 34.Qxf2 Rxf2 35.Nf7+ Rxf7 when white is an exchange to the good.) 29...Rf6 30.Ng6+ Nxg6 31.Bxg6 Kg8? (Under tremendous pressure, black gives way. Better was: 31...Qd8, but black has few prospects of continued resistance) 32.Re7 Kf8 33.Bh7 (Also possible is the queen sacrifice 33.Qxd6! Kg8 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Rf8 36.Qxf8 mate) 33...Nf5? (An error, but black was in any case lost: 33...Rf7 34.R7e3 Rf6 35.Rc3 Nc4 36.Qxc7 Rxc7 when 37.b3 wins the pinned knight for a pawn.) 34.Qxc7 Rxc7 35.Re8+ Kf7 36.Bg8 mate 1-0

A game from Terachamp Lorin D'Costa

In this game, Lorin is put under tremendous pressure in this Grunfeld Defence, but he toughs it out to clean up when his a-pawn becomes so strong that white has to sacrifice his bishop.

Li Wu (white) - Lorin D'Costa
Epsom, Blenheim High School, Terafinal British Land Challenge, 2002

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0-0 Bg4 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 (14.Bxe7 Re8 is not dangerous for black) 14...Nc6 15.d5 Rfd8 16.Rxb7 g5 17.Bg3 e6 18.d6 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Qa6 20.Rc7 Ne5 21.Bxe5? (21.Bh5 is better) 21...Bxe5 22.Bh5 Qxd6 23.Bxf7+ Kf8 24.Qxd6+ Rxd6 25.Bg6 a5 26.Rc5 Bd4 27.e5 Bxc5 28.exd6 Bxd6 29.Rd1 Ke7 30.Kf1 a4 31.Bb1 Rb8 32.Ba2 Rb2 33.Ra1 Bc5 34.Bxe6 Rxf2+ 35.Ke1 Kxe6 36.Rxa4 Rxg2 and black won 0-1

If you are a teacher and would like to enter pupils from your school, the national web site for information is in the link below right. If your school is in Worcestershire, please contact Ray Collett at 01905 454754.