Chess - The Scotsman, 19/04/13

AMATEURS don’t normally beat Grandmasters. But every dog has its day, and it is possible for a club player, in the early rounds of an open, to find all the right moves to suddenly become the talk of the tournament with a shock victory.

Two year’s ago, at the Edinburgh Congress, we reported on comeback kid Calum MacQueen toppling top-seed GM John Shaw in the opening round. And history repeated itself again last weekend at the Edinburgh Congress, as he toppled grandmaster in Keti Arakhamia-Grant.

The win against the former Scottish champion helped MacQueen – now studying at Edinburgh University – to capture the East of Scotland Championship title, now incorporated into the main event, with his score of 4/5 just missing out on the overall top prize. His fellow Edinburgh University students took the top honours in the Edinburgh Premier, with IM Helgi Dam Ziska, of the Faroe Islands, and Gabriel Petesch, of the USA, sharing equal first on 4.5/5. The Edinburgh Evening News Cup for top junior in the premier went to Murad Abdullazada (Bon Accord) and Ali Roy (Carrick).

Other prize-winners: Challengers: 1 David Wallace, 4.5/5; Major: 1. Suchith Suvarna, 4.5/5; Bishops: 1-5. Simon Kerridge, Calum McGillivray, William Platts, Walter Pearson, William Harkins, 4/5; Knights: 1. Francis Lauder, 4.5/5

K Arakhamia-Grant - C MacQueen

Edinburgh Premier, (2)

Closed Sicilian

1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 a6 3 f4 b5 4 Nf3 Bb7 5 d3 e6 6 Qe2 Be7 7 g3 d5 8 e5 Nc6 9 Bh3 g6 10 0–0 h5 11 Nd1 Nh6 12 c3 a5 13 Bd2 a4 14 Nf2 Qb6 15 Rfc1 b4 16 Bg2 Nf5 17 Rab1 Rc8 18 Qd1 Qa7 19 Qe1 Kf8 20 a3 bxa3 21 bxa3 Na5 22 Rc2 c4 23 d4 Bc6 24 Bc1 Rb8 25 Rxb8+ Qxb8 26 Rb2 Nb3 27 Rb1 Kg7! 28 Nd1 Qf8 29 Ne3 Nxe3 30 Bxe3 Bxa3 31 Nd2 Bd7 32 Qf2 Be7 33 h3 Qd8 34 g4 hxg4 35 hxg4 Qa5 36 Nf1 a3 37 Qa2 Qxc3 38 f5 exf5 39 Bxd5 f4 40 Qf2 g5 0-1