Thursday 6 April 2017
White: K. Nevols (134) - Black: D. Marsh (99)
The final round of the championship. My place in the final group was secure but I needed a win to keep pace with the top two. My opponent had to win to achieve his own place in the final group.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 d6
This is the Ruy Lopez Old Steinitz Defence. Black intends to develop one bishop by blocking in the other. A very solid but unambitious defence based on 3. .. d6 which was popularised by Steinitz (hence the name).
Now 4. d4 is the most common move. Black could reply with 4. .. exd4 5. Nxd4 Bd7 and White can choose between 6. Nc3 or 6. O-O but the most popular Black response is 4. .. Bd7 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. O-O. There is a small trap here with 6. .. Be7 7. Re1 O-O when 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Qxd8 and then 11. Nxe5 wins a pawn.
White's second most common move is the one I play.
4. O-O Nf6
5. Re1
Another option is 5. d4 but in unfamiliar waters I did not want to open things up before everything is protected. I also did not like 5. Nc3 blocking the prospect of a c3-d4 centre attack.
5. .... a6
6. Ba4 b5
7. Bb3 Be7
8. h3
To defend against Bg4.
8. ... O-O
Now my next few moves are just to develop slowly.
9. c3 Bb7
10. d3 h6
11. Nbd2 Na5
12. Bc2 Nc6
It might have been more in the system of the Ruy Lopez to play 12. .. c5 as I have gained two tempi. I continue the knight on its journey.
13. Nf1 Nh7!?
14. Ne3 Ng5
Black's plan seemed to be to exchange pieces.
15. Nf5 Nxf3
16. Qxf3 Bg5
Now the knight is quite well-placed
17. Qg3 Qf6
Now I gave some thought to the move 18. f4 - the aim being to open the f-file while his queen was standing there and to exploit my slight advantage in space. After 18. .. exf4 19. Bxf4 Bxf4 20. Qxf4 I could not see how I could take further advantage.
I also looked at 18. Bd1 to answer 18. .. Bc8 with 19. Bg4 but after 19. .. Bxc1 20. Raxc1 Be6 Black is doing fine.
The best move might have been 18. Bb3 and then if 18. . Na5 to strike with 19. f4. Then 19. .. exf4 20. Bxf4 Bxf4 21. Qxf4 Bxb3 22. axb3 Bc8 23. Rf1 Bxf5 24. Qxf5 Qxf5 25. Rxf5 with an even position.
I had in mind my previous championship game where I could not get out of an even position and drew, and so I needed to mix this up somehow. So I decided to prepare f4.
18. Rf1 Bxc1
19. Raxc1 Ne7
20. Nxe7 Qxe7
21. f4
More pieces had gone and already I was thinking this could be a draw.
21. .......exf4
22. Rxf4 Qg5
23. Qf2
Avoiding the exchange of queens. I figured that my only chance of a win was to build up on the only open file.
23. .... Bc8
24. Kh1
The white bishop needs to come into the game. With this in mind, then 24. h4 Qe7 25. d4 is an improvement.
24. ... Be6
25. Rf1 Qh5
Of course, after 25. .. Bxa2 the bishop is trapped by 26. b3. Black can get two, or even three pawns for the piece, but that gives White time to attack on the f7 point.
Now I get the time to settle and advance slowly and hope something comes up.
26. Bd1 Qg6
27. a3 f6
28. Be2 Kh8
29. d4 Rfe8
30. Re1 Bc4
31. Rg4
31. Bg4 might have been more accurate. I want to try and make use of those white squares around the Black king and continue to move pieces about.
31. ... Qf7
32. Bf3 Be6
33. Rh4 Qf8
34. Bh5 Re7
35. Bg6 Bf7
I am preparing to call it a night. Black is set up well and I could not see a way to break through. Indeed a well-timed pawn to c5 could isolate or weaken my pawn on e4 and pass the initiative over to Black.
36. Bxf7 Qxf7
37. Rf4 Qe8
38. Re3 d5
39. Qe2
Black could play 39. .. Rd8 and offer the draw - which I might have accepted.
Instead, aware of the fact that he needs a win, he lashes out and gambles.
39. .... g5?
A surprise. Now comes seven captures in a row which end with me a pawn up and the better position.
40. Rxf6 Rxe4
41. Rxe4 Qxe4?
42. Qxe4?
An oversight. 42. Qh5! wins very easily. Black should have retaken on e4 with the pawn.
42. .... dxe4
43. Rxh6+ Kg7
44. Re6 Rf8
45. Kg1 Rf4
46. g3?!
The curse of the rook ending. 46. Rxa6 is simply better.
46. ... Rf3
47. Kg2 Rd3
Black would have had better chances of saving the game with 47. .. Re3 hanging on the e-pawn.
48. Rxe4 Rd2+
49. Kf3 Rxb2
50. Re7+ Kf6
51. Rxc7 Rb3
52. Rc6+ Ke7
As I now had less than five minutes on my clock, I stopped writing down the moves - as the rules allow. With my two pawn lead I managed to advance in the centre and win the game.
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