McShane UK's youngest int'l master

By Kristianus Liem

JAKARTA (JP): British Chess wunderkind, Luke McShane of Clapham, South London, is regarded as the UK's most promising junior since Nigel Short. He has - at 13-years and two months - become the youngest Briton to achieve the title of International Master.

McShane scored his third and final IM performance at the Gelsenkirchen Masters in Germany, over the Easter weekend, with one round to spare. After eight of nine rounds, McShane had 5.5 points that included two points from four rounds against Grandmaster and 3.5 points from four rounds against weaker opponents.

The top scorers at the Gelsenkirchen Masters, which was held at the end of March, were Ukrainian GMs Vereslav Eingorn and Konstantin Lerner, Latvian MI Janis Klovans and Lithuanian Darius Ruzele. All made 7 MP and Luke was among the group on 6.5 MP.

Luke first IM norm was achieved in Scotland at the Caledonian Masters in Edinburg last December. His second IM norm was at the Cardiff Masters in February 1997 in Wales.

The youngest player to achieved the International Master title is Hungary's Judit Polgar, who achieved the accolade in 1989 when she was just 12 years and one month old.

McShane's performance beats the record for youngest Briton to gain the title - held by Matthew Sadler - by more than a year.

His Career to date has been prodigious and he seems destined for the "glittering prize" of being a future contender for Garry Kasparov's crown. His performances have been vastly superior to those of Nigel Short at the same age.

Taught chess at the age of four by his grandfather, Luke won the British Under-Nine and World Under-10 titles before his ninth birthday. He was the youngest Briton to qualify for a world ranking and to beat a grandmaster.

He has already competed twice with great success in the senior British championships. His ambition is to become a grandmaster himself and avenge Short's 1993 horrific World Championship defeat by Kasparov.

Luke McShane is sponsored to the tune of 12,000 pounds sterling a year by the hand-held computer company Psion, which has funded his travel to foreign tournaments and, more importantly, paid for the specialist chess coaching required in his progression toward a future world title bid.

Here is a nice game from Luke.

White: MF Luke McShane

Black: John Richardson

Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Less enterprising than 5.Ng5 which was played in the sixth game of this year's Kasparov-Deep Blue match.

5...Ngf6 6.Bd3 Nxe4 7.Bxe4 e6

Blocking in his Queen's Bishop could have been developed by 7...Nf6 8.Bd3 Bg4 with the balance position.

8.Bf4 Nf6 9.Bd3 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.Ne5 0-0 13.Bg3 c5?

Black would have retained a reasonable position had he not disastrously opened the d-file this way.

14.dxc5! Bxc5 15.Rfd1! Qe7

Walking into a terrible pin, but White's next move follows in any case.

16.Bh4

Threatening 17.Ng4 and 18.Nxf6 gxf6 19.Qh5 winning.

16...Kh8

See diagram. With the idea of meeting 17.Ng4 with 17...Rg8 18.Nxf6 gxf6 uncovering an attack against g2 and planning to defend h7 with ...Rg7.

17.Bxh7!

A beautiful sacrifice to stay ahead.

17...Rad8

If 17...Kxh7 is refuted by 18.Rd7! Qe8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Qg4+ Kh7 22.Rd3 and 23.Rh3 mating.

18.Rxd8 Qxd8 19.Rd1 Bd5

Better here 19...Qc7 but White still leading in attack and material after 20.Bd3 Rc8 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Ng4.

20.Bd3 Bd6 21.c4

Also good 21.Ng4 Be7? 22.Nxf6 Bxf6 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Qh7#. 21...Ba8

If 21...Bxe5 22.Qxe5 the punch (after 22.cxd5? Qxd5! 23.Bc2 Qc5 24.b4! Qc7 25.Bxf6 White still winning) 22...Bc6 23.Qe3 threatening 24.Qh3 and 25.Bxf6 White wins.

22.Bc2

Black resigned here because he would lose a piece after 23.Qd3 and 24.Qxd6 or mate by 23.Bxf6 gxf6 (if 23...Qxf6 24.Rxd6 White winning a Bishop) 24.Qh4+ Kg8 25.Qh7 Checkmate! 1-0