David Howell is on a roll. At the halfway stage of the British Championship he looks set to retain his title, and he has shot to no. 2 in the British rankings, behind Michael Adams. His recent successes include a share of first prize in the Dubai Open and a stunning outright first in the tournament at Leiden, with the colossal score of 8½/9. Howell’s games are not only producing effective results but are beginning to display those signs of luminosity which characterise the creative efforts of the great masters. This week’s game is a case in point.
Howell-Das: Leiden 2015; Queen’s Gambit Accepted
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 Nc3 a6 6 axb5 cxb5 7 Nxb5 axb5 8 Rxa8 Bb7 Black has employed a risky, but playable variation of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted which has hitherto held up in theory.
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