1st Oxford International

December 14-23, 1998


IM Jonathan Rowson of Aberdeen, pictured below, failed in his bid to finish 1998 as Scotland 's 3rd Grandmaster.

GM-A Round 9
Oxford GM-A  1998 Final Table

                              1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
1   Hodgson,Julian    2575    * 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1   6.0
2   Hector,Jonny      2510    0 * 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1   6.0
3   Nunn,John         2600    ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½   5.5
4   McDonald,Neil     2490    ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1   5.0
5   Gausel,Einar      2540    ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 1 ½   5.0
6   Sutovsky,Emil     2575    1 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 0 1   4.5
7   Turner,Matthew    2475    ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½   4.5
8   Rowson,Jonathan   2505    0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½   3.0
9   Pedersen,Steffen  2415    0 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ * ½   3.0
10  Wells,Peter       2515    0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ *   2.5

Average elo: 2520 
Category: 11 
GM norm = 6 
IM norm = 4

He was playing in the 1st Oxford International Chess Festival and needed a score of 6/9 to complete qualification for the GM title.

An anonymous benefactor who supports Rowson's chess career privately donated the prize-fund of £10,000. Rowson, 21, has played a series of four challenge matches, backed by the same sponsor, over the last two years.     

The tournament took place at the Oxford Moat House hotel.

The event was covered in detail at the Oxford Website All the games are available for download from this site.

Game 1

Pedersen,S (2415) - Rowson,J (2505) [D85] Oxford GM-A (1), 14.12.1998

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 c5 7 Be3 Bg7 8 Qd2 Qa5 9 Rc1 0-0 10 Nf3 cxd4 11 cxd4 Qxd2+ 12 Kxd2 Rd8 13 Bb5 Bd7 14 Bxd7 Nxd7 15 Rc7 Ne5 16 Rxb7 (Draw offer) 16 ..Nxf3+ 17 gxf3 Bxd4 18 Bxd4 Rxd4+ 19 Ke3 Ra4 20 Rxe7 Rc8 21 Rd1 Rxa2 22 e5 Rc3+ 23 Rd3 Rxd3+ 24 Kxd3 Rxf2 25 Ke3 Ra2 26 Kf4 Ra4+ 27 Kg3 Ra5 28 Kf4 Ra4+ 29 Kg3 a5 30 Ra7 h6 31 h4 h5 32 Ra8+ Kg7 33 Ra7 Kf8 34 Kh3 Ra1 35 Kg3 a4 36 Kf4 Rh1 37 Kg3 Rg1+ 38 Kf4 Rh1 39 Kg3 Ra1 (Diagram below) 40 Kf4 Ra3 41 Ke4 Ra2 42 Kf4 Rh2 43 Kg3 Re2 44 Rxa4 Rxe5 45 Ra7 Kg7 46 Ra6 Re6 47 Ra5 Kf6 48 Kf4 Rd6 49 Ra4 Ke6 50 Re4+ Kf6 51 Ra4 Ke6 52 Re4+ Kd5 53 Kg5 Re6 ½-½



Game 2

Rowson,J (2505) - McDonald,N (2490) [B33] Oxford GM-A (2), 15.12.1998 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Nge2 Nf6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Nd5 Qa5+ 10 Bd2 Qd8 11 Nxf6+ Qxf6 12 Bd3 Qg6 13 0-0 Be7 14 c3 Bg4 15 f3 Bh3 16 Qe2 0-0 17 Nc2 Bg5 18 Rfd1 Be6 19 a4 bxa4 20 Bxg5 Qxg5 21 Rxa4 a5 22 Bc4 Rab8 23 Ne3 Qe7 24 Bd5 Bxd5 25 exd5 Nd8 26 Rxa5 f5 27 Rda1 e4 28 Nc4 Nf7 29 fxe4 fxe4 30 Ra7 Qf6 (Diagram)31 Rf1 Qg6 32 h4 Ne5 33 Rxf8+ Rxf8 34 Nxe5 dxe5 35 Qe3 h6 36 Ra4 Rf4 37 h5 Qg4 38 Ra1 Qxh5 39 Re1 Rh4 40 Qg3 Rh1+ 41 Kf2 Rh4 42 Kg1 ½-½


Game 3

Hodgson,J (2575) - Rowson,J (2505) [A45] Oxford GM-A (3), 16.12.1998 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 c3 d6 6 Bd3 g6 7 Ne2 Bg7 8 0-0 0-0 9 f4 Nd7 10 Nd2 Qe7 11 Qe1 b6 12 Qg3 Bb7 13 e5 Rad8 14 Ne4 b5 15 Rae1 b4 16 h4 bxc3 17 bxc3 Kh8 18 h5 gxh5 19 Qh3 h4 20 exd6 cxd6 21 f5 d5 22 f6 Nxf6 23 Nxf6 Bxf6 24 Nf4 Rd6 25 Bc2 Rg8 26 Nh5 Bg5 27 Qd3 f6 28 Nxf6 Bxf6 29 Rxf6 (Diagram) Qg7 30 Qf3 Rc6 31 Rf7 Rxc3 32 Rxg7 Rxf3 33 Rh7# 1-0


Game 4

Rowson,J (2505) - Wells,P (2515) [A05] Oxford GM-A (4), 17.12.1998 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 g3 b5 3 Bg2 Bb7 4 0-0 e6 5 d3 d5 6 c4 bxc4 7 dxc4 c6 8 Nc3 Be7 9 Bf4 0-0 10 Rc1 Nbd7 11 Ne5 Nxe5 12 Bxe5 Qa5 13 cxd5 cxd5 14 Qa4 Qxa4 15 Nxa4 Rfc8 16 Rfd1 Bc6 (Draw offer) 17 Nc3 a5 18 Bd4 Rab8 19 Rc2 Ba4 20 b3 Bd7 21 Be5 Rb4 22 Rdc1 Kf8 23 e3 ½-½


Game 5

Hector,J (2510) - Rowson,J (2505) [B43] Oxford GM-A (5), 18.12.1998 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 Nc3 b5 6 Bd3 Qb6 7 Nf3 Nc6 8 e5 f5 9 0-0 Bc5 10 a3 Nge7 11 b4 Bd4 12 Nxd4 Qxd4 13 Bb2 Qh4 14 Re1 0-0 15 g3 Qh6 16 f4 Bb7 17 Bf1 Rad8 18 Qd6 g5 19 Bc1 Ng6 20 Bg2 Qg7 21 Kh1 Ba8 22 a4 bxa4 23 Nxa4 Rb8 24 Nc5 Nxb4 25 Bxa8 Nxc2 26 Nxd7 Rxa8 27 Qxe6+ Kh8 28 Bb2 Nxe1 29 Qb3 Nd3 30 Qxd3 Rfd8 31 Rd1 Ra7 32 Qc2 Rb7 33 Bc3 Rc7 34 Rd3 (Diagram) Rdxd7 35 Rxd7 Qxd7 36 e6+ Rxc3 37 exd7 Rxc2 38 d8Q+ Kg7 39 Qxg5 Rc1+ 40 Kg2 Rc5 41 Qd8 Rb5 42 Qc8 Kh6 43 Qxa6 Rb2+ 44 Kh3 Rb8 45 Qa7 Rf8 46 Kg2Rf6 47 h4 1-0


Game 6

Rowson,J (2505) - Sutovsky,E (2575) [A38] Oxford GM-A (6), 20.12.1998 1 c4 g6 2 Nc3 c5 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 Nc6 5 d3 d6 6 Nf3 Nf6 7 0-0 0-0 8 Rb1 d5 9 cxd5 Nxd5 10 Nxd5 Qxd5 11 a3 Qa2 12 Be3 c4 13 Ng5 Rd8 14 Qa4 Bg4 15 Ra1 Qb3 16 Bxc6 bxc6 17 Qxb3 cxb3 18 f3 Bd7 19 Ne4 Bh3 20 Rfd1 Bf5 21 Nc5 h5 22 Nxb3 Rab8 23 Na5 Rxb2 24 Nxc6 Rxe2 25 Nxd8 Bxa1 26 Bxa7 Bf6 27 Nc6 h4 28 Bf2 Be6 29 Nb4 h3 30 Rb1 g5 31 a4 Bc3 32 Nc6 Bd5 33 Na7 Bxf3 34 Nb5 Be5 35 Re1 f5 36 a5 Rxe1+ 37 Bxe1 Bc6 38 Bc3 Bb8 39 Nd4 Ba7 40 Kf1 Bd7 41 Nf3 f4 42 gxf4 gxf4 (Draw offer) 43 Bd4 Bc6 44 Bxa7 Bxf3 45 Bb8 Kf7 46 Kf2 Bg2 47 Bxf4 e6 48 Ke3 ½-½


Game 7

Gausel,E (2540) - Rowson,J (2505) [D11] Oxford GM-A (7), 21.12.1998 1 Nf3 d5 2 d4 Bf5 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 c6 5 Qb3 Qb6 6 c5 Qc7 7 Bf4 Qc8 8 Nh4 Be4 9 f3 Bg6 10 Nxg6 hxg6 11 e4 Nf6 12 exd5 Nxd5 13 Nxd5 cxd5 14 Bxb8 Qxb8 15 Bb5+ Kd8 16 g3 Be7 17 0-0 Bf6 18 Rfd1 a6 19 Bf1 Ke7 20 f4 Rc8 21 Qe3 Kf8 22 b4 b6 23 Rab1 Qa7 24 g4 a5 25 g5 Bd8 26 Qh3 axb4 27 Qh8+ Ke7 28 Qxg7 bxc5 29 f5 gxf5 30 g6 Bb6 31 Re1 Kd6 32 gxf7 Qe7 33 Bb5 cxd4 34 Qe5+ Kc5 35 a4 Bc7 36 Rbc1+ Kb6 37 Qxe6+ Qxe6 38 Rxe6+ Ka5 39 Be8 1-0


Game 8

Rowson,J (2505) - Nunn,J (2600) [E84] Oxford GM-A (8), 22.12.1998 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 Nge2 Nc6 7 Be3 a6 8 Qd2 Rb8 9 h4 h5 10 0-0-0 b5 11 Bh6 e5 12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 Nd5 bxc4 14 Nxf6 Qxf6 15 d5 Na7 16 Nc3 Nb5 17 Bxc4 Qe7 18 Ne2 Rd8 19 Qe3 c5 20 dxc6 Qc7 21 Bd5 Bd7 22 Kb1 Bxc6 23 Rc1 Na7 24 Rc2 Qb7 25 Bb3 a5 26 Nc3 Rdc8 27 Rhc1 Qd7 28 Bc4 Ba8 ½-½


Game 9

Turner,M (2475) - Rowson,J (2505) [B23] Oxford GM-A (9), 23.12.1998 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nd4 4 Bc4 e6 5 Nge2 Nf6 6 0-0 b5 7 Nxb5 Nxb5 8 Bxb5 Nxe4 9 d4 Qb6 10 Ba4 cxd4 11 Qxd4 Qxd4 12 Nxd4 Nc5 13 Bb5 Be7 14 b3 Bf6 15 Rd1 a6 16 Be2 Bb7 17 c4 0-0 18 Ba3 Rfc8 19 Rac1 Be7 20 Bf3 Bxf3 21 Nxf3 Ra7 22 Rc2 Kf8 23 Kf1 Ke8 24 Ke2 Rb7 25 Bb2 f6 26 Nd4 g6 27 f4 Kf7 28 Bc3 Ne4 29 Be1 Bc5 30 Kf3 f5 31 Ne2 Nf6 32 h3 Be7 33 Nc1 d6 34 Nd3 Nd7 35 Re2 Bf8 36 g4 Re8 37 Bc3 Rc7 38 h4 Rcc8 39 Bb2 Nf6 40 g5 Ne4 41 Nf2 Nc5 42 Nd3 Ne4 43 Nf2 Nc5 ½-½