Game 92 - club match. Tunbridge Wells v Rochester

Tunbridge Wells v Rochester - Stephenson Cup - Board Two

Monday 19 February 2018

White: C Lucjan Karpinski (164) - Black: K. Nevols (157)

My second visit to Tunbridge Wells Chess Club which is upstairs above Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club. The Bridge was in full action with a large room packed full of tables, lots of people, supplies of tea, coffee and biscuits, and quite refreshing to see.

1. d4 f5
2. h3

The Korchnoi system - I knew about it but had not done enough work against it. The idea is to follow with a quick g4 and, in return for a sacrificed pawn - or possibly two - get a very strong attack against the Black kingside.

Simon Williams's suggestion is to meet this with a pawn sacrifice. 2. .. d6 3. g4 e5 4. dxe5 Nc6 5. exd6 Bxd6. I might give this a try next time.

After some thought, I manage to come up with a defence which works out fine.

2. ....  Nf6
3. g4

3. .... fxg4 4. hxg4 Nxg4 can get Black into all sorts of trouble with 5. e4 or 5. Qd3.

3. .....d5

I figured this would be safer. Taking a grip on e4 and developing the queen's bishop.

4. g5 Ne4
5. Bf4 e6
6. h4 Bd6

I was satisfied now and thought I had found a good solid defence.



7. Nh3 Bxf4?!

I was too cautious about getting the knight trapped and had overlooked that 7. .. Nc6 8. f3 could simply be answered by 8. .... Ng3. As played, my move just allows White to catch up with development.

8. Nxf4 Qd6
9. Nd3

The computer prefers 9. Qc1 but I think this move allows more flexibility, prepares a possible Ne5. and also clamps down on any Black ideas of c5. I am not brave enough to castle and think about playing f4, although that may be Black's best idea as White is still some way from full development.

9. ....  Nd7
10. e3 Qe7?!

Another backward development move when 10. .. O-O was a better option. I was nervous about castling in front of advanced kingside pawns, and also nervous about a possible h5 or Qh5+ in future. In that case, 10... b6 would have been another idea then if 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Qh6 Ba6.

The black queen is well-placed on d6 and it was foolish to move it. Now White could grab the initiative with 11. f3 Nd6 12. Nc3 or Nf4 - or 11. f3 Ng3 12. Rg1 Nxf1 13. Kxf1.

11. Nd2 Nxd2

Again castling is better although 11. .. e5 is interesting - perhaps leading to an ending after 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Qd4 Qxd4 16. exd4 Rf8.

12. Qxd2

The computer says that Black has now lost any advantage and White has a slight edge. I must learn to play more ambitiously.

12. .....   c5

Aware that I was now behind on development I start off some exchanges to enter an ending.

13. dxc5

Back to the computer who recommends 13. O-O-O - it wants to put the knight back on f4.

13. ......  Nxc5
14. Nxc5 Qxc5
15. Qd4 Qxd4
16. exd4



My only chance of an advantage in this equal ending is to use the open c-file and advance on the queenside.

16......Bd7
17. Kd2 b5?

The first mistake. White has correctly decided to improve the position of his King and Black should have done likewise with 17. ... Kf7 before moving any pawns.

18. b4

Better is 18. Rh3 or 18. Re1.

18. ..... a5
19. bxa5 Rxa5
20. Bd3 Kf7

I considered 20. .. Ra4 - as I did not want my rook to be stuck on the a5 square - but after 21. c3 could not see anything.

My plan is now to bring the other rook over and hit the a-pawn but it is countered by an even better plan. White decides to sacrifice the a-pawn to bring his King into the centre.

21. Ke3! Rha8
22. Kf4 Rxa2
23. Rxa2 Rxa2
24. Ke5

So I am a pawn up but how do I progress further? The position of White's king cannot be bettered - but I fail to recognise that Black's rook is well placed too.



The best line is 24.... Ke7 25. Rb1 Be8! 26. Bxb5 and then not 26. ... Bxb5 but 26...... Rxc2! Then 27. Bxe8 can be answered by 27. .. Re2+ 28. Kf4 Re4+ 29. Kg3 Kxe8 and Black is a pawn up with a weak White pawn on d4.

I did not see any of this and instead made the big mistake of giving up the a-file.

24. .....   Ra6
25. Rb1 Rb6?
26. Ra1 Kg6

26. ... Ke7 holds tight.

27. Ra7

Black should play 27. ... Bc8 and White can force a draw with 28. Rc7 Bb7 29. Re7 Bc8 30. Rc7.

27. .......Be8??

The blunder! I had not seen the second move coming up.

28. Re7 Bf7

Although 28. ... Bc6 only loses a pawn, White is still clearly winning.

29. h5+

This is what I had missed. Now it is all over.

29.  ....Kxg5
30. Rxf7 Kh6
31. Re7 g6
32. hxg6 hxg6
33. Rxe6 Rb7
34. Bxf5 Resigns

A clever game played by White. He let a pawn go and gambled that Black would go wrong in a defensive ending - and he was correct in that.

The match as a whole was not a evening match as we were well beaten.


Tunbridge Wells v Rochester

Stephen Milford (167) 1/2-1/2 Keith Hyde (166)
C Lucjan Karpinski (164) 1-0 Keith Nevols (157)
Robin Wilson (163) 1-0 Vytautas Gedminas (130)
Russell Goodfellow (159) 1/2-1/2 Tyrone Jefferies (116)
David Tidmarsh (132) 1-0 Andrew Gillard (107)
Thomas Stevens (128) 1/2-1/2 Barry Sawyer (105)


Tunbridge Wells 4.5-1.5 Rochester