Games from the British Open 2000

10-15, 22-17, 15-19, 24x15, 11x18, 23x14, 9x18, 26-23, 6-9, 23x14, 9x18, 30-26, 5-9, 17-14, 9-13, 26-23, 1-5, 28-24, 8-11, 24-20, 11-15, 25-22(a), 18x25, 29x22, 15-19, 23x16, 12x19, 22-18, 4-8, 18-15, 2-6, 20-16, 6-9(b), 14-10(c), 7x14, 16-12, 14-17, 21x14, 9x18, 32-28, 19-23, 27-24, 18-22 Black wins.

(a)      This move surprised me! I took the published 21-17, 13x22, 27-24, 18x27, 25x11, 7x16, 32x23, 3-7, 20x11, 7x16, 29-25, 16-20 (I think 2-6 is forced to draw - this loses), 23-19, 20x27, 31x24, 2-6, 24-20, 6-9, 14-10, 9-14, 10-6, 14-18, 6-2, 18-23, 2-6, 23-26, 25-21, 26-30, 19-15, 30-26, 15-10, 4-8, 10-7, 26-22, 7-2, 8-11, 6-10, 5-9, 2-6, 9-13, 10-14, 22-26, White wins.

(b)      8-11, 15x8, 3x12 would only have drawn by 16-11!, 7x16, 32-28, 6-9, 14-10, 9-14, 10-7, 5-9, 27-24, 19-23, 24-20, 16-19 and 7-2 will catch the man and draw - WD.

(c)      I had seen 15-10 (Tommy Watson pointed out 16-11 but it also goes down), 9x18, 10-6, 18-22, 6-2, 7-10, 2-7 (at (b) I had seen that 2-6 went down by 8-12!), 10-14, 16-12, 3x10, 12x3, 10-15, 3-7 should win - WD.

10-14, 22-18, 7-10, 24-20, 10-15, 28-24, 15x22, 26-10, 6x15(a), 23-19, 2-7, 19x10, 7x14, 25-22, 3-7, 24-19, 7-10, 27-24(b), 11-16, 20x11, 8x15, 22-17, 4-8, 17-13, 1-6, 30-26, 8-11, 26-23, 15-18, 29-25, 18x27, 32x23, 11-15, 31-27, 15-18, 24-20(c), White wins.

(a)      11-16 instead of 10-15 is the pp, but Oldbury once lost this way too.

(b)      I had also seen during the game the other main variation that puts up a little more resistance, as follows 11-16, 20x11, 8x15, 22-17, 4-8, 17-13, 1-6, 30-26, 14-18, 31-27! (the star move that stops the 9-14 advance), 8-11, 26-22, 18x25, 29x22, 9-14, 27-23, 11-16, 24-20, 15x24, 20x11, 24-27 (other moves lose too), 23-19, 27-31, 22-17, 14-18, 11-7, 31-26, 7-3 is the long combination that I had seen back at note (a).

(c)      The other win I had calculated back at note (a).

10-15, 21-17, 15-18, 22x15, 11x18, 23x14, 9x18, 24-20, 8-11, 17-13(a), 7-10, 26-23, 10-14, 28-24, 6-10, 30-26, 3-7, 25-21, 1-6, 24-19, 11-15(b), 32-28, 15x24, 28x19, 4-8, 29-25, 7-11, 19-15, 10x19, 23x7, 2x11, 26-22, 11-15, 22-17, 6-10, 13-9, 8-11, 27-24, 12-16, 9-6, 16-19, 6-2, 19x28, 2-7, 5-9, 7x16, 9-13, 25-22, 18x25, 16-11, drawn.

(a)      28-24, 3-8, 17-14, 6-9, 26-23, 1-6, 32-28, 18-22, 25x18, 11-16, 20x11, 8x22, 30-26, 9x18, 23x14, 6-9, 26x17, 9x18, 29-25, 5-9, 17-14, 9-13, 14-9, 13-17, 25-21(c), 17-22, 21-17, 22-25, 17-13, 25-30, 9-6, 2x9, 13x6, 30-25, 24-19, 18-22, 6-1(d), 7-11, 27-24, 22-26(e), 31x22, 25x18, 19-15, 11-16, 15-10, 16-20, 24-19, 20-24, 10-6(f) etc Black wins, Watson v Docherty.

(b)      To this point I knew vaguely, but from here on I had to find the draw and although this is actually pp I find the theme splendid, I wonder who the brave man was to have first played this line!?

(c)      Well, it's happened to everyone, those moves that we make without knowing why we made them! Of course I had seen the draw by 31-26 and 17-21, 9-6. Tommy proceeds to finish off that "sqirming hound" line in a nice forcing fashion.

(d)      The real loser, 28-24 seems to draw - George Miller.

(e)      11-16 is a clear Black win - George Miller.

(f)      Continue 24-27, 6-2, 27-31, 2-7, 31-27, 1-6, 27-23, 6-2, 23-16, 7-11, 16x7, 2x11, 18-23, 28-24, 23-27, 24-19, 27-24, 19-15, 24-20, 15-10, 12-16, 10x17, 16-19, 7-3, 19-23, 3-7, 23-27, 7-3, 27-31, 3-7, 31-27, 7-3, 27-23, 3-7, 20-24, 7-3, 24-27, 3-7, 23-18, 7-10, 27-23, 10-7, 23-26, 7-10, 26-22, 10-7, 22-17, 7-10, 17-13, 10-7, 18-14, 11-16, 13-9, 16-11, 9-6, 7-3, 14-10, 11-7, 10-14, 7-11, 6-10, 11-16, 10-15, 16-12, 14-10, 12-16, 10-6, 16-12, 4-8, Black wins - WD.