Thursday 23 November 2017
White: A. Wisman (151) - Black: K. Nevols (157)
1. b3
Larsen's Opening. The plan is to simply fianchetto the queen's bishop, point it at where the White king might be, and gradually build up in the centre.
1. ... e5
2. Bb2 d6
Not knowing much about this opening, I decide to set up the system I usually use against the English. However, as I cannot really move my kings bishop to g7 at some stage, it might have been wiser not to play this move which also limits its options.
3. e3 f5
4. d4 exd4
5. Qxd4 Nc6
6. Bb5 Bd7
7. Qd2
7. Qf4 is interesting. Black cannot immediately attack the queen and it might prove to be a pain situated there.
7. .... Nf6
8. Nc3 a6
9. Be2 Qe7
White has a clear edge in development and I was having a problem developing my king's bishop. One issue at a time - so I decide to get my king out of the way by castling queenside.
10. Nh3!
A knight on the rim is usually, so they say, a bit dim - but this deployment is quite effective, planning to come to f4 and peer at the d5 and e6 squares in the Black camp.
10. ... O-O-O
11. Nf4
It was time for a big think over the options. White is set to use those white squares - d5 and perhaps e6 - with a forthcoming Bc4. And I am still having problems developing that bishop on f8.
I considered 11. .. Ne4 12. Nxe4 fxe4 where White could keep up the pressure and advantage with 13. Nd5 or 13. Bc4 or by just castling. (And the computer likes 13. h4!? to keep the f4 knight where it is).
I also took a look at sacrificing a pawn with 11. .. d5?! 12. Ncxd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 Qf7 and freeing my pieces with a later Be6 or Bb4.
In the end I selected a move which would stop Bc4.
11. .... Ne5
12. Ncd5 Nxd5
13. Nxd5 Qf7
14. O-O-O
Adding to the pressure on the centre and the game was getting very uncomfortable.
If 14. .. Be7 White wins with 15. Qa5! b6 and then there are lots of checkmates after 16. Qxa6+ Kb8 17. Nxc7!! (17. .. Kxc7 18. Qa7+ where there is quite a nice mate after 18. .. Kc6 19. Bb5+ Kxb5 20. Qa4+ Kc5 21. Ba3++ or 19. ... Kc5 20. Ba3+ Kxb5 21. Qa4++).
Or 17. Nxb6 cxb6 18. Qxb6+ Ka8 19. Rxd6! Bxd6 20. Qa6+ Kb8 21. Qxd6+ Kb7 22. Qa6+ Kc7 23. Be5++.
The quiet 14. .. Re8 is met by 15. Qa5 Bc6 and White can keep building up.
Perhaps the best move is the steady 14. .. Kb8 or the retreating 14. .. Nc6 where 15. Bc4 can be met with 15. ... Be6. Instead, in such a difficult position, it is no surprise that I make a mistake.
14. ... Be6?
My initial thought was that he can't play 15. Bxe5 because, after I retake with the pawn, I am opening an attack on his queen - until I realise that the rook on d8 is not defended by his friend because that awkward bishop has got in the way. To my horror I then saw 15. bxe5 dxe5?? 16. Nb6+ which wins on the spot.
(Black can minimise his losses by 16. .. Kb8 17. Qxd8+ Ka7 18. Kb1 cxb6 - with the two bishops Black has some swindling chances - but that is a bit desperate).
As I sunk into deep thought, I managed to discover the only way to get out of this - but it would mean shedding a pawn, and entering an ending.
15. Bxe5 Bxd5
16. Qxd5 Qxd5
17. Rxd5 dxe5
18. Rxe5
OK - a fresh evaluation. I am a pawn down and behind in development. However now I can get my bishop out and try some counterplay.
18. ... Ba3+
19. Kb1 Rd2
If 20. Bd3 Rxf2 21. Bxf5+ Kb8 22. Be4 and White is still a pawn up and now has a passed pawn.
He goes the other way allowing me to keep the f5 pawn and prevent a passed pawn. If I could exchange all the queenside pawns then a 4v3 on the kingside must give me chances of holding a draw.
20. Bf3 g6
I expected 21. Rf1 to be played now when I planned 21. .. Rhd8.
21. Ra5?
This did not worry me as I had seen that White could not go after that bishop and now I was going to get my pawn back.
21. ... Bb4
22. Ra4
But he did go after the bishop! Maybe Black would have best played 22. Re5 to give the pawn back and then 22. .. Rxf2 and we are looking like a draw.
22. ...... a5
Trapping the rook - I am about to win the exchange.
23. a3
The computer gives the line 23. Rf1 b5 24. Rxb4 axb4 25. Bc6 Rhd8 26. Kc1 and Bxb5 - so White would have two pawns for the exchange.
White though chooses a sequence where he can get compensation for the exchange by way of an outside passed pawn.
23. .... b5
24. axb4 bxa4
25. bxa5 axb3
26. cxb3 Rxf2
Back in the game - but not over yet. The a-pawn is now three steps from queening and White controls the a8 square. I thought I might have to give the exchange back with Rxf3 to round up the a-pawn and try to be a pawn up in a rook ending - and after a bad defeat earlier in the year, rook endings are now something I try to avoid.
27. Rd1 Re8
Activating the other rook.
28. Rd3 Re5
29. b4 Rb5
30. Rd4 c5!
Better was 30. Rb3 - now I get another pawn.
31. Rd5 Rxb4+
32. Kc1 Rc4+
33. Kd1 Ra2
34. Be2 Rc3
Playing 34. ... Rcc2 may have been more clinical.
35. a6 Kc7
36. Re5 Kd6
With the a7 square covered, the king can move forward to a good post.
37. Re8 Rb3
38. Kc1 Rxe2
38. .. Kd7 is considered more accurate with 39. Rh8 Rxe3 40. Rxh7+ Kd6. But it is often hard to resist a piece, and I have made the decision to enter a pawn ending two pawns up.
39. a7 Ra3
The plan was 40. a8(=Q) Rxa8 41. Rxa8 Rxg2 which I am confident I could win. But White decided to resign.
Rochester v Maidstone
Keith Hyde (166) 1/2-1/2 Cliff Chandler (204)
Keith Nevols (157) 1-0 Arnaud Wisman (151)
Vytautas Gedminas (130) 0-1 Robert Lane (149)
David Page (122) 1/2-1/2 Barrington Beavis (147)
Tyrone Jefferies (116) 0-1 David Heath (144)
Aurimas Liuberskis (110) 1-0 Christopher Wise (88)
Rochester 3-3 Maidstone
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