THIRD-round results from the 2005 Bermuda Championship, which continues, left Nick Faulks in the lead on 3/3 after a win over Ezra Turner.Giving chase, a half-point back, are Bobby Miller and Raymond Trott.

Third-round results:<$>

Ezra Turner 0-1 Nick Faulks

Bobby Miller 1/2 Phil Shadick

Blaine Wilson 0-1 Raymond Trott

Larry Ebbin 1-0 Kennedy Simmons

Sami Lill 1-0 Tim Holliday

Larry Monk 1-0 Arul Adhimoolam

John Kessaram 0-1 Frank Ming

Glen McKay 1-0 bye

A very interesting event has just finished in the Swiss city of Lausanne, in which eight of the world’s very best teenaged players took part in a knock-out. There were many tough closely fought games, but in the end every two-game mini-match was taken by the higher rated player, and so the final was contested between the top seeds, Andrei Volokitin of the Ukraine and the American Hikaru Nakamura.

We have been fortunate enough to watch both of these young stars play in Bermuda, so I took a particular interest in these crucial games.

Volokitin is definitive of the contemporary young super-grandmaster. Even though he was just learning the moves when the Soviet Union broke up he has the full classical training associated with that era.

However, he adds to this the incredibly fast and accurate tactical calculating ability associated with the generation that has grown up with computers. The combination of skills makes him a worthy opponent in any field.

Nakamura, however, is without doubt one of a kind. He has cast doubt on the value of all previously known chess wisdom, and relies entirely on his intuition and razor-sharp calculations. His self-confidence is astonishing — last year, when asked whether he could learn from playing against the world’s best (such opportunities are rare) he replied that they might find themselves learning from him.

However, there have been suggestions that it will be impossible for him to improve much further without some increased acceptance of traditional principles. Let’s take a look at the second game, in which he was trying to reverse an earlier loss with Black.

White: A. Volokitin

Black: H. Nakamura

1. e4 c5 2. Qh5<$>

In case you find this move puzzling, the position is shown in diagram 1. This “kindergarten” move can only be understood as an attempt to throw Black off balance, but was this really likely to succeed against such a level-headed grandmaster as Volokitin?

Nf6 3. Qh4<$>

Evidently, Nakamura didn’t see anything in 3. Qxc5, Nxe4.

Nc6 4. Be2 e5

It seems that already Black is not satisfied with mere equality.

5. d3 Be7 6. Qg3 d5!<$>

See diagram 2. This pawn sacrifice can be accepted, but after 7. exd5, Nd4 8.Bd1, 0-0 Black has superb compensation.

7. Nd2 0-0 8. c3 b5 9. Nh3 d4 <$>

White is busted. This is like some kind of a reversed King’s Indian Defence with his pieces on ridiculous squares.

10. c4 Ne8 11. cxb5 Bh4 12. Qf3 Nb4 13. Bd1 f5 14. a3 Nd6

See diagram 3. Black’s pieces are so active that he can easily afford to part with one of them.

15. axb4 fxe4 16. Qh5 Bxh3 17. g3 Qf6 18. Bb3+ Kh8 19. f3 exf3 20. Kf2

Diagram 4 shows what was effectively the end of the game. My computer thinks that 20. . . .Qg5 leads to the clearest win here, but most humans will enjoy Volokitin’s final flourish.

Bg5! 21. Nxf3

After 21. Qxh3, Be3+ White won’t last long.

g6 22. Bxg5 Qf5 23. Qxh3 Qxf3+ and Nakamura, who is not noted for his willingness to resign, finally did so.