4NCL - The Four Nations League - www.4ncl.co.uk/pre2010

Daily Telegraph

Malcolm Pein's daily chess column is available at the Telegraph's web site. You need to register, which is free. The daily chess column can be found by clicking the "Chess Club" link in the Arts section.

This article is used on the 4NCL web site with permission.

The 2005 US Championship is underway at the Hilton Torrey Pines Hotel in La Jolla, San Diego. The year may seem to be wrong, but the tournament is so named because the United States Chess Federation felt obliged to hold a 2004 Women's Championship earlier this year when their Olympiad selection process got into a muddle.

The sponsor is America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C) who rescued the event in 2000 when the hapless USCF got into serious financial difficulties and decided to cancel their own championship. The prize fund is a staggering $250,000, and there is also the aptly named "Bent Larsen Prize" of $5000 for the most combative player. The first prize is $25,000 and there is also a $3,000 prize pool for brilliant games.

The driving force behind the AF4C is multi-millionaire entrepreneur Erik Anderson from Seattle, a devotee of the game who since saving the one hundred and fifty nine -year-old event four years ago has invested millions of dollars of his own money to ensure that the games continue.

Former World Championship Candidate Gata Kamsky is returning to action having warmed up in some New York Masters Rapid events and GM Walter Browne from Berkeley known as 'Mr Six Time' because he has captured the title six times is making a reappearance having recovered from cancer. Like many British GMs, Browne now plays more poker than chess but here is an event with a prize fund comparable to those on offer in the card game.

Play runs each day from 9pm UK time and games can be followed live on the Internet Chess Club.

A game from the top match in the 4NCL 2nd Division played at West Bromwich at the weekend. Hilsmark Kingfisher drew 4-4 with Slough Sharks. On board three the Finnish GM played a nice game against GM Aaron Summerscale's Budapest Gambit. White gradually opens up the game for his bishop pair. Black has some compensation for the exchange but his pieces end up too far from his king and 35.e5! opens up lines.

T.Nyback - A.Summerscale
4NCL Div2 West Bromwich (3.3)
Budapest Gambit

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 Ng4 4 Bf4 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bb4+ 6 Nbd2 Qe7 7 a3 Ngxe5 8 Nxe5 Nxe5 9 e3 Bxd2+ 10 Qxd2 d6 11 Be2 0-0 12 b4 Re8 13 0-0 Bf5 14 Rfd1 Rad8 15 Qc3 f6 16 c5! d5 17 b5 c6 18 a4 Rc8 19 Rac1 Red8 20 Qd4 b6 21 bxc6 Nxc6 22 Qb2 bxc5!? 23 Ba6 Nb4 24 Bxc8 Rxc8 25 Qa3 a5 26 Kh1 h5 27 f3 Qb7 28 Qb2 Qc6 29 Qe2 Qxa4 30 e4!? dxe4 31 fxe4 Bg4 32 Qc4+ Kh7 33 Rd6 Qe8 34 h3 Bd7 35 e5! fxe5 36 Qe4+ Kh8 37 Bxe5 Nc6 38 Rh6+ Kg8 39 Qh7+ 1-0

Final position after 39.Qh7+

board