At the British Championships, which finished in Sheffield last weekend, Michael Adams retained his title of British Champion.

Jovanka Houska was the top woman finisher and so won the women’s title for the fourth time in a row.

The early running was made by 21-year-old David Howell but he was beaten by Adams in round 6. Cornishman Adams held the lead jointly and then outright after round 9 — but appeared to tire towards the end of the gruelling 11 rounds, allowing Nigel Short to catch up.

The two finished equal on 8.5/11 ahead of Gawain Jones and Jonathan Hawkins.

The play-off — over two rapid games — was held after prize-giving on Saturday morning. Short could make no headway with white in the first game and a draw resulted.

Here’s the second game which decided things.

White: Michael Adams Black: Nigel Short 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6!? David Bronstein’s dynamic recapture is considered slightly dubious these days — but Short has a good record with it.

6.Nf3 The usual move is 6.c3 waiting for 6...Bf5 before playing 7.Nf3.

6...Bg4 7.Be2 e6 8.0–0 Nd7 9.c4 Qc7 10.Nh4 h5!? Inducing the 'weakening' h3 - but it's not clear that h3 is weakening and later, Short might have preferred his pawn back on h7.

11.h3 Adams is certainly not interested in 11.Bxg4 hxg4 12.Qxg4 f5 when Black is better.

11...Bxe2 12.Qxe2 0–0–0 Short was probably reasonably happy with the position he's obtained out of the opening. He has good development and kingside attacking chances in return for his weak pawns.

13.Rd1 Bd6 14.d5!? Rde8?! Perhaps here Short could have played more dynamically with a pawn sacrifice: 14...Kb8!? 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Qxe6. Then, 16...Rhe8 17.Qf5 Nb6 is unclear.

15.Be3 Bc5 Nothing looks safe for Short now - but the text invites Adams' queenside expansion. Perhaps 15...c5 was a better bet.

16.Bxc5 Nxc5 17.b4 Nd7 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.c5 As so often with Adams: simple and strong. He secures the d6 square and menaces further expansion to smash the black king's cover with b5 and c6.

19...f5 To be able to meet 20.b5 with 20...Qe4 and hoping to be able to reroute his knight to d5 or e4 via f6.

20.Rd4 Qc7 21.Rc1 Kb8 22.Nf3 Rd8 23.c6! Nf6 If 23...bxc6 then 24.Rdc4 regains the pawn with a continuing attack.

24.b5 Rxd4 25.Nxd4 b6? Oh dear — allowing Adams a protected passed pawn on c6 is positional suicide. Short was getting short on time and must have panicked when he noticed that 25...Rd8? 26.b6! is terminal. Nevertheless; 25...Ne4 would have kept him in it.

26.Qb2! Rh6 27.Nf3! Rg6 28.Ne5 Rg8 29.Rd1 Nd5 Unfortunately for Short 29...Rd8 drops his f7 pawn and after 30.Rxd8+ Qxd8 31.Nxf7 Qe7 32.Qe5+ his position would be resignable.

30.Nd7+ Ka8 31.Nf6! Nxf6 No better is 31...Rd8 32.Nxd5 exd5 33.Qf6 When White can begin harvesting pawns.

32.Qxf6 a6 33.Rd7 Qf4 No doubt hoping for a miraculous escape with perpetual check.

34.Rd8+ 1–0.