Over the years, numerous English chess players have ventured to Hungary to plunder trophies. In general, brides have proved to be rather less durable than silverware, in addition to being decidedly more expensive.

In this respect being 12 years old has its advantages; the delightful temptations of the fair sex holding less appeal at this time in one’s life. While I was proceeding steadily on my recent victory march in Budapest, one of the spectators, a young boy named David Howell, had, the day before, chalked up a deeply impressive win in one of the regular “First Saturday” tournaments in the same city.

These are held monthly and are designed to give aspiring talents an opportunity to excel. David was characteristically modest about his achievement saying that he hadn’t really defeated anyone special. In fact, he was way over the requirement for an International Master norm and would have been barely shy of a grandmaster result, had the competition allowed the necessary conditions.

This was a portent and no accident. Being considered something of a prodigy myself once upon a time, I am more alert than most to the dangers of inflating impressionable egos or crushing them with unreasonable expectations.

Nevertheless, it is true to say that with a lot of hard work and wise counsel, David could become very strong indeed. He is the most exciting English prospect since Luke McShane, if not Michael Adams. Of course, it should be remembered that it is very easy for gifted youngsters to partially (or in some cases totally) lose their way. Luke McShane, for example, showed exceptional ability before stagnating in his early teens.

Happily he has recovered some of the lost ground – notably by winning a silver medal in the World Junior Championship – however the chances are he will be good (as he already is) but not necessarily great. In the following game David, who already has a draw against Kramnik to his credit (I ribbed him about this over a pizza in January by asking him why he hadn’t continued when he stood slightly better!), overpowers his more experienced opponent with a succession of tactical blows.

White: Farago, S Black: Howell, D Budapest, April 7 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0–0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0–0 It is refreshing to some classical openings once in a while – especially from young players – as they are all too often guilty of aping the fashions of the World Champions. Here Black “threatens” the Marshall Attack with d5. I have always assumed that the gambit is correct for the simple reason that Kasparov never allowed me to play it against him.

8. a4 Bb7 9. c3?! The Hungarian IM exhibits a veritable farrago of ideas. Having prevented d5 on the previous move he now allows it in a position where it gains in strength. The circumspect 9. d3 is superior. 9. ...d5! 10. d3 Accepting the pawn is risky eg 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Rxe5 nf4 after which 13. f3 is forcefully met by 13. ...Nd3! However 10. d4 was possibly worth a thought. 10. ...Na5 10. ...dxe4 was perfectly adequate, if less ambitious. 11. Bc2 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Bxd5 gave Black two active bishops as compensation. Nevertheless, that would have been the critical variation. After the text White has no pretensions to any advantage.

11. ...dxe4 12. dxe4 Qxd1 13. Bxd1 Bxe4 14. Nxe5 The upshot of the simplification is that Black holds a slender lead in development and thus a slight advantage. 14. ...Bd6 15. Nd2 Bd5 16. b4 Rae8! Showing eagerness to give up his decentralised knight on a5 for White’s active one on e5. 17. Nef3 Rxe1+ 18. Nxe1 Re8! These moves are not difficult to find but they show an alertness on Black’s part. One zwischenzug after another follows before he decides where to move his threatened steed. 19. Kf1 Nc4 And here it comes – right into a forward outpost. 20. Be2 20. Nxc4?? Bxc4+ allows mate or catastrophic material loss.

20. ...Nxd2+ 21. Bxd2 Ne4 22. Nf3 Be5 Maintaining the pressure. The superficially attractive 22. ...Nxd2+ 23. Nxd2 Bxg2+ 24. Kxg2 Rxe2 allows some respite after 25. axb5! axb5 (not 25. ...Rxd2 26. bxa6 winning) 26. Ra8+ Bf8 27. Nf3 with activity. 23. Ra3 23. Nxe5 Nxd2+ 23. ...c6 24. Be1 Bf6 25. axb5 axb5 White has been struggling uphill to equalise without success virtually the whole game.

Still, his position cannot be described as especially bad and a draw should be within reach with a little precision. 26. Nd4 Nd6 27. Ra6 Attacking c6 and therefore forcing a further reduction in material. 27. ...Bxd4 28. cxd4 Nf5 29. Bc3 g6 Creating a little space. 30. Bf3?

White finally cracks under the accumulated pressure. 30. g3! keeping out the knight from h4 and also preventing a possible Bxg2+ would have kept the problems to a minimum. 30. ...Bc4+ 31. Kg1 Nxd4! 32. Bxc6? It was very bad but after this it is gone. 32. ...Ne2+ 33. Kh1 Rd8! The combined threats of Rd1+ and Nxc3 can only be temporarily thwarted by 34. Be1, after which rd1 wins a piece anyway. White therefore resigned. A very professional performance.