British Championship 2015 Day 3

 Typically, the first long and dramatic finish of the Championship was on the day I was out in the evening. With some of the top players enjoying more than a little luck, it's all still to play for. Onto round 3 then, after the solution to yesterday's puzzle.

 Mark Hebden sits on 3/3, but he has had lost positions for the last two days! This game should always have been a draw, but in the position below the GM had to be very careful despite his extra pawn:

 Notably, those two weekender veterans, Hebden and Arkell, could and perhaps should have scored half a point between them in the last two rounds - instead they got 3.5/4. Tarrasch used to whinge about this happening in Lasker's games, but people just can't find the right moves! It is making the opponent feel uncomfortable, by the mere fact of surviving, by running the opponent into time-pressure, or by the very presence at the board that any GM automatically has.

  For some time, I've been telling anyone who will listen that the Caro-Kann is, despite its reputation, a very interesting opening. The latest convert to the cause is Simon Williams, and here we see this shape-shifting line masquerading as a reversed, mirrored Dragon Sicilian!

 Today's puzzle was a tricky choice. Everyone knows about the chaotic time scramble in Howell-Gormally, and white was probably winning in Golding-Arkell when he allowed a perpetual. Instead I've gone for a game lower down the order.

R. Willmoth - A. Hill - White to move

 White is an exchange up, but black's a-pawn is very dangerous and in a few moves black had a winning position. But white has a knockout in this position - what is it?