FM Steve Giddins reports on round 3 of the Blackpool Open

This year's Blackpool Open is rapidly becoming the tournament of the unpronounceable. After three rounds, the lead is shared by Belgian GM, Alexandre Dgebuadze, and the young English player, Peter Poobalasingham.  All we need now is for a couple of late entries from, say, Roman Djindjihashvili and Phuong Ngo Ngoc Tuyet of Vietnam, and we will have completed the commentator's nightmare.

The two leaders both have 3/3. Poobalasingham took advantage of a huge blunder by James Hanley, to win in just 20 moves, whilst Dgebuadze used his King's Indian Attack to good effect, tying his opponent in knots and picking up a couple of pawns:

Blackpool Open (3.2), 08.03.2008

1.e4 e6 2.d3 c5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg5 Qc7 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.c3 Nge7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Na3 a6 10.Nc2 d5 11.Re1 dxe4 12.dxe4 h6 13.Bd2 b5 14.Qc1 Kh7 15.Ne3 f5 16.exf5 exf5 17.Nf1 Bb7 18.Bf4 Qc8 19.Bd6 Re8 20.Qc2 c4

21.h4 Bf6 22.Rad1 Kg7 23.h5 g5 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.Bxe5 Bxg2 26.Bxf6+ Kxf6 27.Rd6+ Kg7 28.Kxg2 Qb7+ 29.Kg1 Rad8 30.Rde6 Qd7 31.Qe2 Kf8 32.Qe5 Ng8 33.Qxf5+ Qf7 34.Rxe8+ Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Kxe8 36.Qc8+ Ke7 37.Qxa6 Qd5 38.Ne3 Qe5 39.Qb7+ Ke6 40.Qc6+ 1–0

Igors Rausis dropped half a point to Don Mason, who defended stoutly in a long endgame. Meanwhile, the English GMs continue to suffer. Hebden dropped another draw, and with just 1.5/3, and no realistic chance of a decent prize, he decided to economise on a night's accommodation and withdrew. Meanwhile, Nigel Davies had a narrow escape against Clive Waters:

Waters played 37.Kc1? and went on to lose, but he could have picked up a piece in broad daylight with 37.Qe5!. Surprisingly, the bishop on e7 has no square - 37...Bf8 loses to 38. Qxg5+, followed by 39.Qd8, whilst 37...Kf8 allows 38.Qh8 mate. This all-too-missable trick was pointed out to me not by my silicon friend, as you might assume, but by a carbon-based organism, in the shape of GM Matthew Turner, who is here in a junior coaching capacity.

Roger Williamson's fine 2/2 start ended at the hands of Jovica Radovanovic, whilst Nicolai Pedersen finally got on the winning trail, with a short and brutal crush of Robert Taylor:

Blackpool Open (3.11), 08.03.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 a6 5.c4 Nc6 6.Qc3 Nf6 7.Bd3 g6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.Nbd2 0–0 10.Qb3 Nd7 11.a3 Nc5 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.Be2 e5 14.0–0 g5 15.Rad1 g4 16.Nb1 Qf6 17.Ne1 Nd4 18.Qd3 Qg6 19.Nc3 f5 20.Nd5

 20...fxe4 21.Ne7+ Kf7 22.Qxd4 exd4 23.Nxg6 Kxg6 24.Rd2 d3 0–1