Swale Club Championship - Round Nine
Thursday 22 March 2018
White: D. Marsh (100) - Black: K. Nevols (157)
1. d4 f5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. c4 e6
4. Nc3 d6
5. h3
An unusual move which will make it difficult for White to fianchetto - and where White does not fianchetto his bishop against the Dutch, then Black can do so.
White could also be thinking of playing g4 at an opportune moment.
5. ... Be7
6. e3 b6
7. Be2
As per the last note, 7. g4! is interesting. 7. .. fxg4 8. hxg4 Nxg4 9. Qd3 puts Black on the back foot (9. .... Nh6 10. Qe4! c6 11. d5 - 9. .. Nf6 10.Ng5). Perhaps, instead of taking the sacrifice, 8. ... Bb7 is better.
7. .... Bb7
8. O-O O-O
I was relieved to see both sides castle so I could get on with an attack.
9. Nh2
White elects to oppose the fianchetto bishop. The computer prefers 9. d5 to meet 9. .. e5 with 10. Ng5.
9. ......Qe8
10. Bf3 Ne4!
A good square. Now I just need to develop the other knight and I think I have equalised.
11. Qc2 Qg6
12. Nb5
I gave some thought to 12. ... Na6 but decided the knight would be out of the way over there.
I also considered a pawn sacrifice with 12. ... Nd7 13. Nxc7 Rac8 14. Nb5 d5 15. b3.
Black could play 15. ... Ng5 and White could try 16. Nxa7 Ra8 17. Nb5 Nxf3+ 18. Nxf3 dxc4 19. Kh1 cxb3 20. Qxb3 Bd5 .. or 16. Kh1 Nxf3 17. Nxf3 dxc4 18. bxc4 Bd5!
And I looked at 12. .. Nd7 13. Nxc7 Rac8 14. Nb5 a6 15. Na3 b5?! but this is not very good. White gets a good advantage with 16. Qb3.
Eventually I decided I did not want to take chances and so will stick to the kingside.
12. .... Bd8
13. Re1 a6
14. Nc3 Bh4
I could not resist this flashy move but 14. .. Nc6 or 14. .. Nd7 developing is better.
15. Rf1 Nd7
16. Bd2!?
This is an interesting idea. White decides to add the bishop to his baseline defence. Unambitious perhaps but difficult to break down. To develop the bishop, 16. b3 is a good alternative.
16. ....... N7f6
Securing the e4 point but risking leaving the bishop cut off from the centre and limited in squares.
17. Be1 Bg5
18. Ne2 Nh5?!
Aimless wandering. Now 19. g3 and the position is equal.
Black should have played 18. .. e5 opening up the position.
19. Bd2 Rad8
20. Qd1 e5!
At last. Not well timed but I am fortunate that White has just been drifting as well.
21. d5 Nxd2
Time to remove a defender. 22. Bxh5! would now be a good defence for White. Without either knight it would be hard for Black to sustain an attack.
22. Qxd2 Nf6
23. g3 Ne4
24. Qe1
At the time I thought this was a mistake. 24. Bxe4 fxe4 and I could not see a win. Black would have to find a way to get the bishops in, as well as try to use the f-file. He should not lose but White could succeed in keeping the position closed.
I gave a lot of thought here as to how to continue, as I could not see a breakthrough, and, as usual, was running low on time - so I decided to withdraw the knight to avoid White exchanging it away.
24. .... Nf6
25. Bg2 Bc8
Got to get the bishop in there somehow.
26. Nf3 Bh6
27. Nh4 Qh5
28. Bf3 Qf7
I am glad now that I put the bishop is on c8 as it can protect the f5 pawn.
29. Bg2 g5!
Had to be done. White has helpfully pushed my pieces back so that this pawn can have a march.
30. Nf3 Qh5
There must be a way through somewhere.
31. Nh2 Rde8
My mind is gravitating towards an f4 push - although I could have played it here. But I did not want to allow a g4 reply - so decide to try my own g4 first and then f4.
32. Qd1 g4
This is partly bluff. If White plays 33. hxg4 fxg4 I am again finding it difficult to see a way through.
33. h4? f4
34. gxf4 Qxh4
35. fxe5?
Was I glad to see this? If White just sat tight with 35. Qd2 then, although Black is better, there is still some work to do. But this move allows me to bring my rook into play.
35. ..... Rxe5
36. Ng3 Bxe3
37. fxe3 Qxg3
So I have won a pawn. I expected here 38. Qe1 when I intended 38. ... Qxe3+ to pocket a second pawn and try to win the ending with two extra pawns.
38. Qe2?
Fortunately White overlooks my next move which wins instantly.
38. ..... Rh5
39. Rf4 Qxh2+
40. Kf2 Ne4+
I like this. The two pieces that can capture the knight are both pinned in different directions.
41. Kf1 Ng3+
White now resigned.
This was a tough game where I had to work hard and hope that the breakthrough would happen.
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