The recent King’s Place Rapidplay was won by British Champion, Gawain Jones ahead of an immensely strong field containing four other grandmasters and countless other titled players — attracted, it would seem, by the large cash prizes.

Oxfordshire was well represented with Witney stars Marcus Harvey and Peter Wells to the fore — both scored 4/6. Mike Healey also made a mark with 3.5/6, including a win against International Master Malcolm Pein.

I liked the following cool effort by University player Kevin Henbest — who finished with 2/6 — which shows that even the trickiest opening systems can be overcome with logical and thematic moves.

White: Kevin Henbest Black: Kevin Williamson 1.e4 d5 Cyrus Lakdawala, surely the most prolific of contemporary chess writers, has recently authored a book on this opening. His The Scandanavian, Move by Move is his latest offering for publishers Everyman Chess and his style, wit and positional understanding are again in evidence.

2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 The modern move — rather than the traditional 3…Qa5 — and Lakdawala’s recommendation at this juncture. 4.d4 g6!? The so-called Kurajica variation is a good alternative to the main line which starts with 4...Nf6 and certainly better than 4...c6?! as played by Karpov against Karjakin recently — though Lakdawala thinks this move is playable too. Karpov was no doubt expecting 5.Nf3 Nf6 transposing to a main line. Instead Karjakin hit him with 5.Ne4! Qe6 6.Qe2 Nf6 7.f3 g6 8.g3 Nd5? 9.c4 Nb4 10.a3 N4a6 11.d5 cxd5 12.cxd5 Qb6 13.Be3 and it was already too late for the former World Champion to save the game.

5.Be3 Nf6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.Nge2 0–0 8.0–0 c6 9.a3 Na6 10.Bf4 Qd8 11.Be5!? Nc7 12.Qd2 Bf5 13.Rad1 White hasn’t tried for too much out of the opening — but by simple developing moves he has gained a pleasant position. 13...Ncd5 14.Ng3 Be6 15.Bd3!? Nxc3 16.bxc3 Qa5 Now White will lose a pawn — but the compensation in the form of an attack on the enemy king will be worth it. 17.f4 Nd5?! Black should have halted the f-pawns charge with 17...Bh6! 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.f5 Bd7 20.fxg6 fxg6 Even after the safer looking recapture 20...hxg6 White continues as in the game with 21.Nh5+! and the attack is similarly very dangerous. 21.Nh5+! gxh5 22.Qg5+ There’s just too much White firepower a too little cover for Black to resist. 22...Kh8 23.Qh6 Bf5 24.Bxf5 Rxf5 25.Rxf5 Qd8 26.Rdf1 Nf6 27.h3 Qg8 28.c4 Rd8 29.Rxf6 1-0