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
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