Swale vs Tunbridge Wells - Harvey Cup - Board Two
Monday 5 February 2018
White: K. Nevols (157) - Black: T. Stevens (131)
1. e4 e6
2. Qe2 c5
3. Nc3 d6
4. f4 Nc6
5. Nf3 g6
6. g3 Bg7
7. Bg2 a6
So I was happy to see my anti-French turn into a closed Sicilian. Black prepares the plan of b5 and Bb7.
8. O-O Nge7
The computer likes this move although I thought 8. .. Nf6 hitting at the centre to be better, after which I might play 9. Kh1 (if 9. e5 then dxe5 10. Nxe5 Qd4+). The point behind this move is to keep the diagonal open for the bishop and also to avoid committing the knight so as not to become a target to a central pawn trust.
9. d3 b5
Castling might have been better but as it turns out Black has not yet decided what to do with his king. I now had a big think leaving me 46 minutes left for 26 moves (the time control is 35 moves in 75 minutes - and it really flies by - and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game).
10. e5!
Although this move is perhaps quite obvious, I have rewarded it because it strikes at just the right time. Black has not yet castled, he does not yet have his bishop on b7, and I have possible ideas of Ne4 coming.
10. ... d5
If 10. .. dxe5 then 11. fxe5 Bb7 12. Qf2 with ideas of 12. .. Qb6 13. Be3 or 12. .. c4 13. dxc4 bxc4 14. Nd2.
11. Qf2 Qb6
I wanted him to make a decision on where to put his king. If he castled queenside I could think of a3 and b4, whereas on the kingside I could look at g4 or h4-5.
The computer thinks 12. a3 but I wanted to attack and get a commitment.
12. g4 h5
So I get an answer of sorts. Black wants to open the h-file which means he does not want to castle his king.
13. h3 hxg4
14. hxg4 Bd7
I briefly considered 15. Ng5 but after 15. .. f6 16. exf6 Bxf6 concluded that Black was better. Another big think and a conclusion was to keep the initiative going.
15. a4!
I was pleased with this move but the time was getting critical. I had 20 minutes left for 20 moves (!) whereas my opponent had 44 minutes to reach move 35.
15. ... b4
Of course 15. .. bxa4 loses a pawn to 16. Nxa4.
16. Ne2 O-O-O
And now we begin.
17. Be3 d4
18. Bd2
The point of this manoeuvre was to free up the e4 square for me to place a knight on it. The drawback is that he too has some nice squares for a knight.
18. ..... Nd5
19. Ng5 Be8
At the time I thought this was a mistake but it does open the d-file and is quite solid.
20. Ne4
My plan is to aim for some sort of sequence with a pawn to c3, liquidate the pawn mass, and open some spaces for my rooks to attack his king.
20. ....f6
21. Nd6+ Kc7
The computer suggests the forced sequence 22. exf6 Bxf6 23. Nxe8+ Rdxe8 24. Be4 Nce7 (24. ... Bh4!?) 25. g5 Bg7 26. Qg3 but then 26. ... Nf5 and Black is very happy.
My plan behind the d6 check was always to put the knight on a better square.
22. Nc4 Qa7
23. Qg3!
Eleven minutes left for 12 moves while he had 17. I was hoping something must open up.
23. ..... Nb6?
At last a mistake. Although Black is tight for space so it is hard to give good advice. Maybe just 23. .. Kc8 or 23.... fxe5 24. fxe5 Kb8 25. Bg5 Rd7 but it is still not easy.
24. exf6
After 24..... Bxf6 25. f5+ e5 26. fxg6 I had the open f-file.
24. ....Nxc4??
But I did not expect this. I am just a piece up, aren't I?
25. fxg7 Rg8
26. f5+?
With just four minutes left for nine moves, I played and then inwardly kicked myself. Why did I not just played 26. dxc4? I am then just a piece up. However 26. ... N4e5 loses a piece to 27. Bxc6+ while 26. .. Nd6 and 27. Nf4 is strong.
26. .... e5
My opponent has six minutes left for nine moves so he is quite low himself. Now 27. dxc4 and it really is all over.
27. f6??
The comedy of errors continues. In the space of three moves, I have won and then lost a win.
27. ....Nxd2
28. f7
I was unable to make all the calculations in the time left and, fortunately, so was my opponent. The best line here is 28. ... Nxf1 29. fxg8 (Q) (29. Rxf1 Bxf7 30. Rxf7+ Rd7 and a draw is likely) 29. ... Nxg3 31. Nxg3 and, apparently, White still has a won game.
28. ..... Bxf7?
Now I could see that I could still win that piece.
29. Rxf7+ Rd7
30. Rxd7+ Kxd7
31. Rd1
Luckily the knight has no retreat square nor any square to capture something.
31. ..... Rxg7
32. Rxd2
A piece for a pawn up. Next I must co-ordinate my position and swap some pieces off.
32. .... Qc7
33. Qf3 Qd6
Exchange time.
34. Qxc6+ Qxc6
35. Bxc6+ Kxc6
I made the time control with one minute spare - my opponent had 15 seconds.
36. Ng3 Rf7
37. Rf2
Either the rooks are coming off or I get my rook on to f6. Black decided to resign. Although pleased with the win, I was angry at myself for complicating things unnecessarily when I had the chance to just simply take a piece.
Swale v Tunbridge Wells
Keith Hyde (166) 0-1 Hugh Tassell (135)
Keith Nevols (157) 1-0 Thomas Stevens (131)
David Page (122) 1/2-1/2 Richard Woodfield (123)
Tyrone Jefferies (116) 1/2-1/2 Stephen Bond (116)
Duncan Marsh (100) 1/2-1/2 James Robertson (100)
Barry Sawyer (83) 0-1 Mike Emery (75)
Swale 2.5-3.5 Tunbridge Wells
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