Game 88 - club match. Weald of Kent v Swale

Weald of Kent vs Swale - Harvey Cup - Board Two
Monday 29 January 2018
White: K. Nevols (157) - Black: J. Hart-Dyke (140)

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d5?!

This is known as the Elephant Gambit. I had seen it before but knew absolutely nothing about it. White can play 3. Nxe5 where Black can reply with 3. .. Bd6, 3. .. dxe4 or 3. .. Qe7. I opted for the other way to take the pawn.

3. exd5

My logic was that after 3. .. Qxd5 4. Nc3 I was not doing too badly. Black could play 3. .. e4 4. Qe2.

3. ....  Bd6

I later discovered that this is the Elephant Gambit 'proper'. White is expected to play 4. d4 e4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Bc4 with advantage. I did not know any of this and so just wanted to get the pieces out quickly.

4. Bb5+ Bd7
5. Bxd7+ Nxd7
6. Qe2 Qe7
7. d3

So far so good. I did not intend to defend the pawn on d5. My idea was to develop an attack to exploit the gain in time which Black would be using up in regaining the pawn.

7. .....  h6
8. Nc3 Ngf6
9. O-O O-O
10. Re1 Rae8



I had expected the other rook to go on to e8 as Black looks quite boxed in. Now I was well placed to start my attack.

11. Nh4!

Heading for the f5 square.

11. ...Nxd5?

Best for Black would be 11. .. Bb4 both to pin the knight and allow some space for the queen, although White could force it away to the edge with 12. Nf5 Qc5 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Qf3! defending the pawn on d5 and threatening Nxh6.

After the text, White can win material by force.

12. Nf5

If 12 ... Qf6 then 13. Nxh6+ gxh6 14. Nxd5 Qg6 15. Bxh6! Qxh6 16. Qg4+ and White comes out two pawns up.

12. ......Qe6

And now the other way to win material.

13. Qg4 Qg6

If 13. .... g5 then 14. Nxd5 Qxd5 15. Nxh6+ or the immediate 15. Bxg5.
If 13. .... g6 then 14. Nxh6+ Kh7 15. Nxd5 and White is a piece and a pawn up.
Black had a long think on this move, leaving 34 minutes for 22 moves.

14. Qxg6 fxg6
15. Nxd6 Nxc3

15. .. cxd6 16. Nxd5 and White is a piece up.

16. Nxe8 Nd5
17. c4!

This resource helps me retrieve the knight.

17. ....   Nb4
18. Nxc7



18. .....Nc5

I had expected 18. ... Nc2 to get some material back, but after 19. Be3 Nxa1 20. Rxa1 I would still be a piece up.

19. Rxe5 Ncxd3
20. Re8 Nc2
21. Rxf8+ Kxf8
22. Rb1

OK, here is the plan. I am a rook and a pawn up. Black intends to use those knights to cause mischief and maybe find a fork or two. I had to get one of them off the board.

22. ......  Nd4
23. Be3 Nc6
24. Ne6+ Kf7
25. Nc5 Nde5
26. Nxb7 Nd3

After 26. .. Nxc4 I had intended 27. Rc1 N4e5 28. f4.

27. Nc5 Ne5
28. Rc1 a5
29. Bf4 Ng4
30. Rd1 Nf6
31. Rd6 Ne7
32. Ra6

Well, why not go after that pawn? Black decides to advance on the kingside.

32. ..... g5
33. Be5 Ng4
34. Bc3 Nf5
35. h3 Nf6

Hurrah!



36. Bxf6 gxf6
37. Rxa5 Nd4
38. Ra7+ Kg6
39. Nd3 h5
40. c5 Kf5
41. Nb4 Kf4
42. c6 g4
43. hxg4

Nothing wrong with the immediate 43. c7 - just being over-cautious.

43. .....  hxg4
44. c7 g3
45. fxg3+ Kxg3
46. Ra3+

Another overcautious move - 46. c8(=Q) is OK - but this is just to push the king away. Black now resigned.

Weald of Kent v Swale


Paul A Talsma (199) 1-0 Keith Hyde (166)
James Hart Dyke (140) 0-1 Keith Nevols (157)
Oleg Lyakh (104) 0-1 Vytautas Gedminas
David Warrick (107) 1-0 Tyrone Jefferies (116)
Clive Oram (106) 1/2/1-2 Andrew Gillard (107)
Geoffrey Broadhead 0-1 Duncan Marsh (100)

Weald of Kent 2.5-3.5 Swale

Game 87 - County U-160 Championship - Kent v Middlesex

Kent v Middlesex - Board One
Saturday 27 January 2018
White: K. Nevols (157) - Black: P. Kennelly (158)

A re-match - we had played in Brent for the first Middlesex v Kent match where I had held a draw.

1. e4 e6
2. Qe2 c5

My anti-French moves to a closed Sicilian.

3. Nc3 Nc6
4. f4 d6
5. Nf3 Be7
6. g3 Nf6
7. Bg2 a6

Black delays castling and decides to advance on the queenside.

8. O-O Qc7
9. d3 b5
10. e5

I could have played this move on either of the last two moves but wanted to complete my development. Now I intended 10. .. dxe5 11. fxe5 and then perhaps Bf4.



10.  ...  Nd7?!

But this is a mistake. White can now grab the initiative before Black has castled.

11. exd6 Qxd6

After 11. ... Bxd6 I had considered 12. Ne4 Be7, where I would have calculated the merits of 13. f5, and also whether 12. Ng5 would get anywhere.

12. Ne4 Qc7
13. f5!

I gave a lot of thought to this move. Black's best would be to decline the sacrifice with 13. .. e5 keeping lines closed. And then 14. Nc3 Nf6.

13. ....  exf5?
14. Bf4 Qd8
15. Nd6+ Kf8



This was the position I had foreseen when playing 13. f5. I considered 16. Ng5 but could not see how to follow after 16. .. Bxg5 overlooking that White has 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Qe8 mate, so Black would have to play either 17. .. f6 18. Bxc6 or 17. .. Nf6 18. Bxc6.

So after 16. Ng5 Black has to play 16. .. Qb6 then 17. Ndxf7 gets the pawn back and retains a strong attack.

Instead I decide to bring another piece into the attack.

16. Rae1 Nf6

Black needed to play 16. .. Ra7! to reduce White's tactical possibilities. Now White wins with 17. Ng5 - opening up an attack on the c6 knight. The attack is overwhelming. One line is Bxd6 18. Bxd6+ Qxd6 19. Bxc6! (19. .. Qxc6 20. Qe7+ Kg8 21. Qf7++; 19. .. Ra7 20. Qe8+).

But .... I simply do not see all this.

17. Nxf7? Kxf7
18. Ng5+ Kg6
19. Bxc6 Ra7

So material is now level but White is still better. How should he continue? I saw (or thought I saw) a combination to finish it off - and did not see that 20. Bb8 wins the exchange.

20. Nf3? Bd6
21. Bxd6 Qxd6
22. Ne5+ Kh6



And now I was going to play 23. Nf7+ .... until I saw that the a7 rook was protecting that square. D'oh!!

Silently kicking myself, I tried to see how to continue. Could I still attack his exposed king? Yes - is the answer.

23. Qe3+ g5 24. Bd7!! Qd4 25. Qxd4 cxd4 26. Bxf5 and I am a pawn up. I did not see 24. Bd7 at all. And began to get worried that my pieces were getting vulnerable.

23. Qd2+ g5

White should play 24. h4 but I was worried about the Black rooks coming to the g-file and the Black queen pointing at g3.
However White still wins in this line. 24. ... Rg8 25. hxg5+ Rxg5 26. Kg2! or 25. .. Kg7 26. gxf6+. or 24. .. Kg7 25. Qxg5+ Kf8 26. Qh6+ and a strong attack with either 26. .. Kg8 27. c4! or 26. ... Rg7 27. g4!

Unable to see all this - or be brave enough to try it - I consolidate my position.

24. Qg2? Kg7

Perhaps Black feared Qh3+ or was relieved that he looked like getting out of this alive .. but 24. .. Re7! and he takes over the advantage. 25. Nf3 Rxe1 26. Nxe1 Ng4! 27. Qf3 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 Qxb2 - and it is now Black who has the pawn lead.

25. Qd2 h6

With this move Black offered a draw which I accepted with a heavy heart. The position is indeed now equal but I had the sense that I had missed winning chances - and I was right.

Game 86 - club match. Swale v Tunbridge Wells

Swale vs Tunbridge Wells - En Passant Cup - Board Two
Thursday 25 January 2018
White: R. Goodfellow (159) - Black: K. Nevols (157)

I had met my opponent before in my debut for Rochester (Game 46) and had a very good position before losing a rook ending. I anticipated another tough battle.

1. e4 d5

Not many people play 1. e4 these days but I get a chance to wheel out the Scandinavian again.

2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
4. h3!?

An unusual move intended to shut the bishop out of g4 and allow the knight on f3 to avoid being pinned.

4. .....  Nf6
5. Nf3 Bf5
6. Bc4 e6
7. O-O c6
8. d4 Bb4

A familiar set-up for myself. I just need to castle and then develop the queen's knight. If 9. Bd2 then Bxc3 10. Bxc3 Qc7.



9. Ne2!

But this is a good move which I underestimated. White exploits the fact that his queen's bishop is not yet developed and so can relocate the knight to leave Black's bishop just hitting air.

9. ...   O-O
10. Ng3 Bg6
11. Qe2

I was concerned about a White Bf4 which would leave my own bishops short of squares. Also c3 with Re1 and ideas of sacrifices on e6 are always a concern (although nobody has actually tried this against me yet). But 11. .. Nbd7 developing Black's last piece is fine.

11. .....  Nd5

While this knight holds the centre, it does allow White's h-pawn to run.

12. c3 Bd6
13. Ne5 Qc7
14. h4!

Not liking 14. .. Nd7 15. h5 Bf5 16. Nxf5 exf5 17. Nxd7 Qxd7 18. Qf3 I decided the bishop had to go.

14. ...   Bxe5
15. dxe5 h6
16. h5 Bh7
17. f4

White has built up a good position and tying Black down on the kingside. He will now force the exchange of my white squared bishop which will allow him to seize control of the b1-h7 diagonal

17. ....  Nd7



18. Ne4 Bxe4?

I saw no alternative as I could not allow the knight to get to d6. However, 18. .. b5 is better. 19. Bb3 Bxe4 20. Qxe4 Nc5 would allow Black to eliminate White's white squared bishop - and 19. Bxd5 exd5 20. Nd6 f6 just about holds on. It is a mistake for Black to let go of his white squared bishop and allow White to keep his in this position.

19. Qxe4 Nc5
20. Qc2

20. Qd4 hitting the loose knight is interesting and if 20. .. b6 White could consider 21. Rf3. I would probably have played 20. .. Nd7 intending to exchange the queens with Qb6.

20. ...   Rfd8

A natural development to double the rooks while White thinks of something to do. 20. .. Qb6 21. Kh1 Qd8 22. Qf2 Qe7 is equal - with 23. f5 being answered by 23. .. Ne4.

21. Bd2 Rd7
22. a4?!

White may well have considered 22. b4 as the d7 retreat square is now blocked to push the knight back to a6. But he now has a plan to relocate the bishop. However I manage to counter with a strong attack.

22. ..   Rad8
23. Rad1? Nb6

I did not see 23. .. Nxa4 winning a pawn (24. Qxa4 Nb6 25. Qa5 Nxc4 26. Qxc7 Rxc7 27. Bc1). Instead I thought I was winning a pawn another way.

24. Ba2!

I only considered 24. Bb3 and gobbled up the pawn.

24. .....  Ncxa4
25. Rf2 Nc5
26. Bb1 Nd3

This is what I had been banking on. Now I am a pawn up with a well-placed knight.

27. Rf3

Now things were getting complicated. I am targeting the b-pawn.

27. .....  Nc4
28. Bc1



28. ....   Qb6+?

28. .. Ndxe5! wins another pawn for nothing. 29. Qh7+ Kf8 leads nowhere. White has to play 30. Rff1 when 30. ... Qb6+ 31. Kh1 Nd3 keeps the advantage,

29. Kh2 Ncxb2?

Not only missing another chance to play 29. .. Ndxe5 but losing all the advantage.

30. Bxb2 Qxb2??

Three blunders in a row. Black had to play 30. .. Nxb2 when after 31. Qh7+ Kf8 32. Qh8+ Ke7 33. Rxd7+ Rxd7 34. Qxg7 when, according to the computer, the position is equal, although White's h-pawn would worry me.

That would be better than just losing a piece!

31. Rfxd3

The game is now lost. Exchanges are forced which leave me with two pawns for the bishop.

31. ....    Qxc2
32. Bxc2 Rxd3
33. Rxd3 Rxd3
34. Bxd3 b5



White finds the correct plan to bring the king over and consolidates. There is nothing Black can do.

35. Kg3 Kf8
36. Kf3 a5
37. Ke4 Ke7
38. Kd4 a4
39. Kc5 Kd7
40. Kb4 Kc7
41. c4 a3
42. Kxa3 bxc4
43. Bxc4 Kb6
44. Kb4 c5+
45. Ka4 Kc6
46. Ka5 Kd7
47. Kb6 f6
48. Kxc5

I could have resigned several moves earlier but now did so. One of my worst games of the season.


Swale v Tunbridge Wells

Keith Hyde (166) 1/2-1/2 C Lucjan Karpinski (164)
Keith Nevols (157) 0-1 Russell Goodfellow (159)
Vytautas Gedminas (130) 0-1 Hugh Tassell (135)
David Page (122) 0-1 David Tidmarsh (132)
Tyrone Jefferies (116) 1/2-1/2 Thomas Stevens (128)
Dennis Simpson (109) 0-1 Stephen Bond (116)

Swale 1-5 Tunbridge Wells

Game 85 - club match. Swale v Weald of Kent

Swale vs Weald of Kent - Harvey Cup - Board Two
Thursday 4 January 2018
White: K. Nevols (157) - Black: M. Horner (108)

1. e4 e6
2. Qe2

My standard anti-French.

2. ....  b6
3. Nc3 Bb7
4. d3 Be7
5. f4 h6?!

Black delays the development of the knights. Not sure why.

6. Nf3 d6
7. g3 Nbd7
8. Bg2

I gave some thought to 8. Bh3 with f5 in mind to try to take advantage of the lead in development. But the opposing bishop on b7 might give some tactical opportunities for Black and that concerned me.

8. .....   h5!?

The second move of the h-pawn and Black shows his hand - he intends to attack the open position on the White kingside. I had seen this interesting plan after my own move, and had decided that I would try to get the king over the other side quick.



9. h3

In order to meet 9. .. h4 with 10. g4.

After playing this, I did wonder if 9. Be3 might have been better, preparing to drop back to f2 if necessary. Black could follow with 9. .. Bf6 and 10. .. Ne7 - so the bishops would be well placed even if the knights are not.

The computer knows no fear and recommends 9. O-O and meeting 9. .. h4 with 10. Nxh4 Bxh4 11. e5. But in principle I do not like castling when the opponents' h-pawn is halfway down the board.

9. ....   Nf8

This reminded me of the earlier game against Rainham where Black placed his knights on the back rank prior to a kingside pawn storm. Time to continue development.

10. Bd2

My preference to Be3 - this defends the knight against any Bf6 plans - and I could get the option to play Bc3 myself.

10. ....   c5

We are now in a sort of closed Sicilian position that I like.

11. O-O-O

By now I had used up 27 minutes and had 48 for the next 24 moves - the next two White moves invest thirteen more minutes as I try to find a plan.

11. ....    Bc6
12. d4 Nf6

My problem is how to attack. I could base plans around d5, e5 or f5 but could not decide.



- 13. e5 dxe5 14. dxe5 Nd5 did not look much.
- 13. d5 exd5 14. exd5 Nxd5 is a pawn sacrifice but with nothing to show for it - although White could throw in 15. Ne5!? dxe5 16. Nxd5 (16. .. Bxd5? 17. Bc3) with some pressure for the pawn. (I did not see this at the time).
13. f5 exf5 14. exf5 opens up some diagonals and after 14. .. Qd7 there is 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Bf4! and White has a strong initiative.

Being unable to choose between three plans, I decide to choose none of them.

13. Rhe1

The computer now recommends 13. .. Ng6 to get some play and try to castle, or 13. .. a6 to prevent a future Nb5.

13. ....   N6d7

I am well-positioned to open up the centre and so get on with it.

14. d5 Bb7
15. e5! dxe5
16. dxe6

Opening up the d-file although 16. Nxe5 might be stronger, with threats around Nxf7 and/or Nb5. Then 16. .. Nxe5 17. fxe5 Qc8 (to defend the bishop and get off the d-file) 18. d6 Bd8.

16. .....  Nxe6
17. Nxe5 Bxg2

After 17. .. Nd4 there is 18. Qf2 with Be3 to come.

18. Qxg2 Nxe5
19. Rxe5

The rook is well-placed here to come to d5 or threaten an f5 push. Black decides to sacrifice a pawn to get some king safety - although 19. .. Kf8 might have been better towards this objective. If Black plays 19. .. Bf6 then White keeps a big advantage 20. Rd5 Qc8 (20. .. Qc7? 21. Rxc5) 21. Qe2 Kf8 22. Rxh5 Rxh5 23. Qxh5 g6 24. Qd5.



19. ...  O-O?!

20. Be3 is a good alternative but I like to grab a pawn when I see it.

20. Rxh5 Bf6
21. Qe4

Never any harm to threaten mate in one.

21. ....   g6
22. Rd5 Qe7
23. Qf3?!

23. f5 is much better. If 23. .. Ng5 then 24. Qxe7 Bxe7 25. f6 picks up the knight on g5, and 23. .. gxf5 24. Rxf5 Ng7 25. Qxe7 Bxe7 and White consolidates his pawn lead. I did not want to change queens at this point.

23. ....  Rad8

Black wants to exchange off the active rook. 23 .. Nd4 or 23. .. Nc7 might have been an improvement.

24. Rxd8 Rxd8??

24. .. Qxd8 is required with Nd4 coming up. But this move loses material.

25. Nd5 Rxd5
26. Qxd5 Nd4



At last, Black reaches this square but with less pieces it lacks the firepower and the knight now becomes a target for attack. Having said that, Black is now down a pawn and the exchange so advice is difficult.

27. Re1 Qc7
28. c3 Ne6
29. f5 Ng5

The final mistake. 29. .. gxf5 30. Qxf5 would have stayed on the board. My first thought was 30. fxg6 Nxh3 or Qxg3 and then I saw Bf4. I also noticed that the queen is now short of squares. After 30. Bf4 it can only go to c8. (30. .. Qd8 31. Qxd8+ Bxd8 32. Re8+) but then I could see how I could take the c8 square away from the queen.

30. Re8+ Kg7
31. Bf4

With his queen now trapped, Black resigned.

Swale v Weald of Kent

Keith Hyde (166) 1/2-1/2 James Hart Dyke (140)
Keith Nevols (157) 1-0 Mark Horner (108)
David Page (122) 1-0 David Warrick (107)
Tyrone Jefferies (116) 0-1 Oleg Lyakh (104)
Kevin French (98) 1/2-1/2 Julian Squiers (90)
Barry Sawyer (83) 1-0 Geoffrey Broadhead (75)

Swale 4-2 Weald of Kent