Thursday 28 April 2016

Game 27 - Swale Club Championship 2015-16 - Final Group - Round Two

Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Two
Thursday 28 April 2016
White: K. Nevols (132) - Black: K. Hyde (170)

Any real chances I had to catching up the top two were now gone - but with four games left I needed to consolidate third place. This game was a rematch with the club champion and highest graded player. In a sense, I felt more relaxed as I assumed it would be a defeat (!) and so I had nothing to lose.

1. e4 c5

Time for another Closed Sicilian, but this time I decided to delay the development of the king's bishop.

2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Be2

I decided to try the bishop on this square, behind the d3 pawn, for a change. Unambitious perhaps but adds to the defence and avoids the possibility of Black gaining tempi on the queenside by attacking it.
Playing 5. g3 with Bg2 is another possibility to be tried one day.

5. ... d6
6. O-O e6
7. d3 Nge7

Black decides to deploy his knight so as to not disrupt the bishop's diagonal and keeps firm control of the d4 square.

8. Qe1 O-O
9. Qh4

This is a standard manoeuvre of the system that I play. Pieces are moved generally in the direction of Black's king. Learning from my last game, however, I was intent on avoiding a pointless sacrifice on the f5 square.

9. ....   Nd4
10. Bd1 d5!

The standard counterplay. I read somewhere that if Black can play d5 in a Sicilian defence then he is doing well. I decide to create a small weakness and redeploy the knight out of range of his d4 counterpart.



11. Ng5 h6
12. Nh3 Nec6

The move that had concerned me was 12. .. b5 grabbing the initiative with ideas such as b4 and maybe later Bb7. Now I decide to try to blunt Black's play with exchanges.

13. Qxd8 Rxd8
14. Ne2

Now Black, clearly ahead, has the possibility of 14. .. b6 with one line being 15. c3 Nxe2+ 16. Bxe2 Ba6 with pressure in the centre.

14. ...   dxe4
15. dxe4 e5!

Breaking in the centre and opening up the diagonal of the queen's bishop. I was now getting concerned with the familiar feeling of slowly being outplayed.

16. c3



16. .... Nf3+

I did not see this until just after I played c3. This move exploits the overwork of the rook on f1. While Black thought about the move, I could not see any immediate danger.

17. gxf3 Bxh3
18. Re1

Now Black has a pleasant choice of plans. He could try 18. .. Bf6 with the idea of coming to h4. He could try Rd3. Or, as here, redeploy the bishop.

18. ...  Be6

Although I am slightly worse, it is not yet in the disaster phase, and I felt slightly better than a few moves ago. Time for the bishops to do some work.

19. Be3 b6

One alternative idea is 19. .. Rd3 20. Bxc5 b6 21. Bf2 Rxf3

20. Ba4 Rac8!?



This is an interesting pawn sacrifice which I now spent some time looking at. 21. Bxc6 Rxc6 22. fxe5 Bxe5 23. Bxh6. I decided against it, as it seemed wrong by instinct to bring both his bishops to the centre and open the h-file for a Black rook to beam down towards the h2 square.

Black told me afterwards that he was thinking of ideas revolving around playing g5 - which I had not considered. One line could be 23. ... Bc4 24. Kg2 g5!? 25. Bxg5 Rg6 with f6 coming up. I think 24. Kh1 puts an end to those ideas - had I seen the g5 possibility.

Instead I just decide to play safe and improve the king's position.

21. Kg2 Kh7

Defending the pawn - the computer thinks 21. .. Rd3 is a useful try exploiting the fact that White still lacks some co-ordination.

22. Bb5

To defend the c4 square.

22. ...  Na5
23. fxe5 Bxe5
24. Nf4 Bc4

But Black plays it anyway. I did not like 25. Bxc4 Nxc4 26. Rb1 with Black strong down the d-file so decide to move the bishop back to a better square. I had to find some counterplay against Black's dominance of the d-file and mobile queenside pawns.

25. Ba4 b5
26. Bc2 b4
27. Ne2 Bxe2
28. Rxe2 bxc3
29. bxc3



The recommended move is now 29. .. Nc4! with the threat of Nxe3 and Rd2+. So 30. Bc1 Rb8 and White is really struggling to move.

29. ...  Bxc3

Now a pawn down - my hope is to get some active play by use of the rooks and bishops. First, I grab an open file.

30. Rb1 Bd4

Again 30. ... Nc4 is better.

31. Bf4!

I was pleased with this. By hitting the b8 square, my rook can't be challenged and I have chances now to exploit down the b-file.

31. ...   Nc6?

The best move is, not easy to see, 31. ... Kg7 then if 32. Rb5 Nc4 remains a good square for the knight. There is the upcoming possibility of g5 which forces the white bishop back to the c1 square (if Bg3 then Nh3+). There is also the prospect of bringing the knight back to the d6 square where it defends the f7 pawn and the b7 invasion square.

On c6 the knight goes off astray. Now I can invade the seventh rank and win the pawn back.

32. Rb7 Kg7
33. Bb3 c4

The computer claims 33. .. g5 34. Bg3 Ne5 is a better defence with 35. Bxe5 Bxe5 36. Rxf7+ Kg6 37. Rxa7 c4 38. Ba4 Ra8. Black is a pawn down but the c-pawn is very well advanced.

34. Bxc4 Ne7



At the time I was impressed at this ingenious defence. But now I completely miss 35. Bc7! - an equally ingenious move. The rook has to move off the d-file (34. ... Rd7 35. Be5+) and then White could follow with Rc2 (defending the white squared bishop) and threaten Bd6 - and Black's seventh rank looks woeful.

35. Bb3 Bc5
36. Be3

And again missing a strong attack. 36. Rc2! (threatening Rxc5) Ba3 37. Bc7! Rf8 38. Rxa7 Ra8 39. Rb7 and White has all sorts of possibilities with attacks Rd2-d7 or Be5 and Rcc7.

Discovering this strong attack after the game against such a strong player was quite upsetting. My mood at the time was optimistic as, having regained the pawn, I thought I had good chances for the draw. I never thought I could win.

36. ....  Bxe3
37. Rxe3 Rd2+

Black now finds counterplay which concerned me greatly.

38. Kh3 Kf8
39. Rxa7 Rc1
40. Kg3 Rg1+
41. Kh3

If 41. Kf4?? then Black takes the game with g5+ 42. Ke5 Nc6.

41. ... Rh1
42. f4 Rdxh2+
43. Kg4 Rh4+
44. Kf3 R1h2

And Black offered a draw (?) which was accepted. This was a relief as I think Black could be better in this position. The best line from here is 45. e5 Nf5 46. Re1 Nd4+ 47. Ke4 Nxb3 48. axb3 Rf2 and the question is whether White can drum up enough play to counter Black's play.

Thursday 21 April 2016

Game 26 - Swale Club Championship 2015-16 - Final Group - Round One

Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round One
Thursday 21 April 2016
White: K. Nevols (132) - Black: T. Jeffries (118)

And so into the final group. The top six of the club championship were to play each other again - with colours reversed. I was in third place but 1.5 points behind the top two.

My first game was a return of a tough match I had been involved in earlier.

1. e4 c5

The Sicilian Defence - I decide to enter the closed variation.

2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 e6
4. Bb5 Nd4

An unusual move threatening to play against the bishop. The computer now recommends 5. Bf1.

5. Nf3 Nxb5
6. Nxb5 Qb6

Black has made three of his six moves with a knight that is no longer there! Probably best now is 7. c4 to defend the knight and keep a bind in the centre.

7. Nc3 c4



Opening the diagonal of the queen to prevent White castling and disrupting development all round. I gave some thought here to 8. d4 cxd3 9. Qxd3 Nf6 and then see what I could do about developing the queenside. I also thought about 8. d3 just to get rid of that pawn. 8. Ne5 is also interesting with either d4 or Qe2 to follow.

Instead I decided to develop the queen and see if I could round up that pawn.

8. Qe2 Nf6!?

But Black sacrifices it for some play in the centre. This surprised me. Well, as Bobby Fischer (or someone) once said 'a pawn is a pawn is a pawn'.

9. Qxc4 Be7
10. d4

I was feeling quite confident with the position but, as I let go of the pawn, I suddenly saw 10 .. Nxe4. I pondered the position after 11. Nxe4 d5 12. Qd3 dxe4 13. Qxe4 O-O and thought, OK, I'm still a pawn up so it is not too bad once I can settle the position of the king. That queen on b6 was becoming a right pain.

10 . ...  O-O

Instead Black stays calm and castles. I decide now to prevent any Nxe4 tricks.

11. Qd3 d5
12. e5 Ne8

Although White has gained space, and has pushed Black's pieces back, Black now has chances of pawn breaks. My own mind is now looking at attacking the kingside. I considered 13. f5 here but instead decided to get the king safe and bring the rook to f1 before those sort of thoughts.

13. O-O g6

That's an end to f5. Now I have 45 minutes left for 22 moves.

Now here 14. a4! is a good move gaining some space on the queenside and following up with b3 and Ba3, or think about a5. If Black replies with a5 then the b5 square becomes free for a knight. Instead, my eyes were looking at the kingside and a desire to throw pawns forward.

14. Kh1

Moving off the queen's diagonal, improving the king's safety, and thinking of Rg1 if the g-file opens after g4 and f5.

14. ....  Ng7
15. g4 Bd7

Now the lines are set. Although White is still a pawn up. it is difficult to make progress. Black's kingside defences seem quite solid and making space on the queenside might make sense - again with a4. Black could think about a f6 break.



16. f5?

A mistake. I was thinking about a kingside attack, with opening the g-file and moves like Rg1 and Bh6.

16. ...   exf5

 ... and did not see that this was possible. I had ruled it out because of ...

17. Nxd5 Qd8

Now the computer recommends 18. g5!? . the idea being to restrain Black's kingside and then 18. .. Ne6 19. Nxe7 Qxe7 20. d5 with good play. I did not see this.

18. Nxe7 Qxe7
19. Bg5 Qb4
20. a3 Qb6

Of course 20. ... Qxb2 21. Rfb1 traps the queen.

Now I am very concerned about the c6-h1 diagonal. I could see the bishop, which I had previously kept quiet, now coming to c6. Also the pawn is still loose on g4, and Black has ideas of Ne6 and rooks coming to the c-file. It did not look good. Probably it was time to grovel with gxf5 and bringing the bishop back. Instead I decide to try to improve the position of my bishop.

21. Be7 Rfc8
22. Bc5 Qc6

Instead I've put it in harm's way. The queen is nicely placed opposite the king, and b6 is now threatened winning a pawn.

23. b4 fxg4
24. d5 Qc7
25. Ng5

With 12 minute left for 13 moves - an attempt at counterplay.

25. ...  Bf5


26. Qe2??

Better 26. Qd4. Now Black has a forced win of material with 26. ... Qd8 27. Ne4 Qxd5 28. Rae1 b6 29. Bd6 Rc4 30. Rf4 Ne6.

26. ...  b6?

Phew, my first bit of luck.

27. Bd4?

Ruined again - 27. .. Qd8 was now even stronger. 28. Ne4 Qxd5 and two pieces are under attack. 27. Bd6 would have been better.

27. ...  Qxc2

Missed again. But Black's position is now so good that it does not matter. White's only hope is to get the pawns going. It is strange how both sides have completely forgotten about the knight - stranded on g5 and continue to do so.

28. Qe1?

Should have played 28. Rae1

28. ...  Qc4!

28. .. h6 picks up the knight (it can't move because Be4 is deadly) but this is the final winning move. The d-pawn is about to fall and the rooks enter the game.

29. Qe3 Qxd5+
30. Kg1 Rc2
31. Rf2 Rac8!

White can resign now.

32. Re1 Rxf2
33. Qxf2 Rc2
34. Re2 Rxe2
35. Qxe2 Qxd4+

Well mopped up. White's position is hopeless and I resigned.