Kent v Essex - Board One
Saturday 10 March 2018
White: C. Ramage (163) - Black: K. Nevols (157)
1. e4 d5
2. d4
The Blackmar-Diemar Gambit. I have faced this before and remember two crushing defeats.
2. ..... dxe4
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. f3
With those defeats in mind, I decided to decline the sacrifice and hope that the pawn on f3 would restrict his development. But 4. ... exf3 5. Nf3 Bf5 might be better with 6. Ne5 e6 7. g4 Bg6.
I later discovered that my move is one of the weaker options to face this opening - as it gives the pawn back but does not slow down the initiative.
4. .... e3?!
5. Bxe3 Bf5
6. Bd3 Bg6
7. Nh3!
Of course - White can just develop the knight another way and think about coming to f4.
7. .... e6
8. O-O c6
9. Qd2
9. Nf4 is stronger and more active.
9. ..... Bxd3
10. Qxd3 Nbd7
11. Rfe1 Be7
12. Ne4
This sets a crafty trap which I walk into. Black should just castle now.
12. .......Nd5
13. Bg5
And another chance for Black to castle, but I was worried about a knight coming to the g5 square - and overlooked one that could come to a different square.
13. ....h6?
As I played the move, I saw 14. Nd6+ straight away. Ouch!! Inwardly muttering darkly, I tried to see what I could do.
14. Nd6+ Kf8
15. Nxb7
15. .... Qb6 16. Bxe7 Kxe7 17. Qa3+ looked awful.
15. ..... Qc7
16. Bxe7 Nxe7
17. Nc5 Nxc5
18. dxc5 Rd8
So I am a pawn down and the queenside is a mess - on the other hand, White's extra pawn is doubled.. This is now just a case of grimly hanging on for the next few moves and see if I can get back in the game. First, I need to get the other rook involved.
19. Qc4 Nd5
White slowly improves his position and there is not a lot I can do other than straighten things out a bit.
20. Re4 Ke7
21. Rae1 Rhe8
22. Nf2
The knight is heading for e5. 22. Nf4 is also good.
22. ..... Nf6
23. R4e2 Rd7
24. Nd3 Red8
25. Ne5 Rd5
26. b4 Nd7
Hoping to exchange some pieces to ease the defence. I was quite pleased with how I was co-ordinating everything.
27. Nd3
27. Qh4+ Ke8 28. Nc4 Nf6 29. Nd6+ looks nasty (27. .... g5 28. Ng6+! is quite attractive).
27. ..... Nf6
28. Qb3 Kf8
29. a4 Nd7
30. Re4 Nf6
31. Re5!
White allows one exchange.
31. ...... Rxe5
32. Nxe5 Rd5
33. Nd3
Better is 33. Qe3 where White can then think about either c4 or Nc4.
33. ..... Rh5
I felt my only chance to save the game would be to try to open up the area around his king.
34. g3 Rg5
35. f4 Rd5
Mission accomplished - the rook moves back to the centre.
36. b5 cxb5
37. axb5 Nd7
I did not see the possible 37. ... Qa5. Now 38. Qa3! is best with 38. .. Kg8 39. c4 Rf5 and White can win the exchange with 40. g4 or push on with 40. c6.
38. c6 Qb6+
39. Kf1 Nc5
40. Nxc5?!
40. Qb4 Kg8 41. Ne5 keeps the pawn advantage.
40. ..... Qxc5
41. Re5
White decides to give back the pawn in order to get the rooks off the board.
41. .... Rxe5
42. fxe5 Qxe5
The computer now rates the game as equal - and I have not done too badly in holding on. However the pawn on c6 gives White a big advantage.
43. Qd3 Kg8?
43. ... g6 is better ....
44. Qd8+ Kh7
45. c7
... and this is why. If Black plays 45. ... Qxb5+ then 46. Qd3+ forces the exchange and wins. If Black had played 43. ... g6 44. Qd8+ Kg7 then 45. c7 would result in perpetual check.
As White played 45. c7 he said 'well, I can't lose'. That is correct - but can I draw?
45. .... Qf5+
46. Ke1 Qe4+
47. Kd2 Qb4+
48. Ke3 Qc5+
49. Kd2 Qb4+
50. c3
If only I had the f4 square free to use.
50. ..... Qb2+
51. Ke3 Qc1+
If 51. .. Qxc3+ then 52. Qd3+ wins straight away.
52. Qd2 Qg1+
53. Kd3 Qc5
This will win a pawn. And we are still equal.
54. Qf4 Qxb5+
55. Qc4 Qb1+
56. Kd4 Qb6+
57. Ke4 f5+?
The fatal mistake. This just gives White's king a path to get closer to the pawn. 57. .. Qb1+ or 57. Qb7+ was necessary.
58. Ke5 Qe3+
59. Kd6 Qd2+
60. Kc6 Qg2+
61. Kd7 Qb7
62. Qc6
And here I resigned.
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