Rochester Championship - Round Three
Thursday 9 August 2018
White: T. Jefferies (119) - Black: K.Nevols (163)
1. e4 d5
Another outing for the reliable Scandinavian. The strategy being to set up a solid defence and try to win a long game. We soon enter a familiar set up.
2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
4. d4 Nf6
5. Bd2 c6
6. Bd3 Bg4
7. f3!?
Unusual. Blocking the knight's path to the e5 square.
7. .... Bh5
8. Nge2 e6
Now 9. Nf4 Bg6 10. Ncd5 is interesting, with 10. .. Qd8 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. c3 Bd6 14. Qb3 and White has the advantage with Black under-developed.
9. Ne4 Qd8
The queen usually sits on c7 in these lines but that would just give White a tempo with Bf4 when I cannot play Bd6 in reply.
The queen usually sits on c7 in these lines but that would just give White a tempo with Bf4 when I cannot play Bd6 in reply.
10. O-O Nbd7
11. a3
White starts his plan of advancing on the queenside.
11. .... Be7
12. b4 O-O
13. c4
A good alternative is 13. Qe1 planning, if allowed, to come to g3.
The move I expected was 13. Nc5. I did not like 13. ... Nxc5 14. bxc5 giving White the b-file, nor 13. .. b6 weakening the c6 point, so might have opted for 13. ... Qc8 but after 14. Nf4 Black is feeling the pinch.
The move I expected was 13. Nc5. I did not like 13. ... Nxc5 14. bxc5 giving White the b-file, nor 13. .. b6 weakening the c6 point, so might have opted for 13. ... Qc8 but after 14. Nf4 Black is feeling the pinch.
13. .... Bg6
14. Qc2 Re8
14. .. e5 taking the initiative is more energetic. I am just waiting for White to do something.
15. Be3
White too seems out of ideas. I was concerned about 15. Bf4 zoning in on the d6 square, which would also have prevented the Qc7-Bd6 battery which sometimes happens in this opening.
15. .... Qc7
And now I can answer 16. Bf4 with 16. .. e5 equalising.
14. .. e5 taking the initiative is more energetic. I am just waiting for White to do something.
15. Be3
White too seems out of ideas. I was concerned about 15. Bf4 zoning in on the d6 square, which would also have prevented the Qc7-Bd6 battery which sometimes happens in this opening.
15. .... Qc7
And now I can answer 16. Bf4 with 16. .. e5 equalising.
16. Nxf6+ Nxf6
17. Bxg6 hxg6
18. Bf4 Bd6
19. Bxd6 Qxd6
I think these exchanges have helped Black. He now has a plan to focus in on the d4 pawn.
I think these exchanges have helped Black. He now has a plan to focus in on the d4 pawn.
20. Rad1 Red8
20. .. a5 would have been an interesting way to exploit the fact that the a1 rook has moved away, with the aim of opening up the a-file.
20. .. a5 would have been an interesting way to exploit the fact that the a1 rook has moved away, with the aim of opening up the a-file.
21. Qd2 Rd7
22. Qf4?!
It's not easy to advise White, but perhaps 22. c5 or 22. f4 trying to close down the centre is worth a thought. The d4 pawn needs to be protected. Now Black can gather some pressure.
22. ... Qxf4
It's not easy to advise White, but perhaps 22. c5 or 22. f4 trying to close down the centre is worth a thought. The d4 pawn needs to be protected. Now Black can gather some pressure.
22. ... Qxf4
23. Nxf4 Rad8
24. Ne2 e5
White needs to play here 25. Rd3 so that if 25. ... fxe4 then 26. Rfd1 and White will recapture the pawn. By wasting a move, Black has time to defend the conquering pawn.
25. Kf2? exd4
25. Kf2? exd4
26. Rd3 b6
27. Rfd1 c5
27. Rfd1 c5
28. b5?
I think this was a mistake resolving the tension unnecessarily. Black now grabs the open file to build a big advantage. (Worth noting here that Black, as usual, is very short of time).
28. ... Re8
I think this was a mistake resolving the tension unnecessarily. Black now grabs the open file to build a big advantage. (Worth noting here that Black, as usual, is very short of time).
28. ... Re8
29. g3 Rde7
30. R1d2 Nd7!
With White tied up, the knight manoeuvres to find a good square and grab more material.
With White tied up, the knight manoeuvres to find a good square and grab more material.
31. f4 Nf6
32. Rb2 Ng4+
33. Kf3 Nxh2+
34. Kf2 Ng4+
35. Kf3
35. .... f5?
Missing 35. ... Ne3 which seems to win another pawn. Instead my mind was on moving the knight around to e4 and trying to exchange material. Although I am two pawns up, the doubled pawns reduce the advantage a little.
35. .... f5?
Missing 35. ... Ne3 which seems to win another pawn. Instead my mind was on moving the knight around to e4 and trying to exchange material. Although I am two pawns up, the doubled pawns reduce the advantage a little.
36. a4 Re3+
37. Rxe3 Rxe3+
38. Kg2 Nf6?!
38... Ra3 is better collecting another pawn and with then Ne3 holding things together.
38... Ra3 is better collecting another pawn and with then Ne3 holding things together.
39. Ng1 Ne4
40. Nf3 Rc3
This should now be a comfortable Black win. However I was down to my last five minutes and so did not write down the game from here. Fortunately my opponent had more time and was able to reconstruct the rest of the game.
41. a5 Rxc4
This should now be a comfortable Black win. However I was down to my last five minutes and so did not write down the game from here. Fortunately my opponent had more time and was able to reconstruct the rest of the game.
41. a5 Rxc4
42. axb6 axb6
43. Ne5 Ra4?
Better 43. .. Rc3 to hit the pawn on the g3 square. Now White gets a pawn back and some counterplay.
Better 43. .. Rc3 to hit the pawn on the g3 square. Now White gets a pawn back and some counterplay.
44. Nd7 d3
45. Nxb6 Rb4
46. Nc4 Rxb2?
46. .. d2! wins at once.
47. Nxb2 d2
46. .. d2! wins at once.
47. Nxb2 d2
48. b6
And now I was worried.
48. .... Nd6
49. Kf3 Kf7
50. Ke2 Ke6
51. Nc4 Nb7
52. Kxd2 Kd5
I sensed, correctly, that I had missed a number of chances to win the game, so it was plan B. Round up the white pawn on b6, try to defend the kingside pawns with the knight, and push the c-pawn.
I sensed, correctly, that I had missed a number of chances to win the game, so it was plan B. Round up the white pawn on b6, try to defend the kingside pawns with the knight, and push the c-pawn.
53. Kd3 Kc6
54. Ne5+ Kxb6
Part one complete - the b-pawn is rounded up.
Part one complete - the b-pawn is rounded up.
55. Nxg6 Nd6
Now the knight defends the f5 pawn - first from d6 and then from g3.
Now the knight defends the f5 pawn - first from d6 and then from g3.
56. Ne7 Kb5
57. Nd5 Ne4
58. Nc7+ Kc6
59. Ne6 Kd5
60. Nxg7 c4+
61. Kc2 Nxg3
62. Kd2 Ke4
63. Kc3 Kd5
Try again. Of course, if 63. ... Kxf4 64. Nxf5 and it is a draw.
Try again. Of course, if 63. ... Kxf4 64. Nxf5 and it is a draw.
64. Kc2 Kd4
65. Ne6+ Kd5
66. Ng5 Ne4
67. Nf3
67. Nxe4 Kxf4 is a winning king and pawn ending.
67. ..... Nd6
A perfect square defending both pawns.
67. Nxe4 Kxf4 is a winning king and pawn ending.
67. ..... Nd6
A perfect square defending both pawns.
68. Ng5 Kd4
69. Nf3+ Ke3
70. Ng5 Kxf4
Despite the seconds ticking away I was now confident of a win.
Despite the seconds ticking away I was now confident of a win.
71. Ne6+ Ke3
72. Kc3 f4
73. Nd4 f3
74. Nc2+ Ke2
75. Nd4+ Kf2
76. Nc2 Kg1
77. Kd4 f2
78. Ne3 f1=Q
79. Nxf1 Kxf1
With the ending won, White now resigned.
Quite a scary knight ending, which would have had specialists tutting several times, but a lesson that to try to win at once while in time trouble is not always advisable.
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