Hastings vs Swale - En Passant Cup - Board Two
Saturday 25 February 2018
White: H. Cove (170) - Black: K. Nevols (157)
Another trip to the south coast. Although my opponent is rated higher than I, my record of one win and one draw against him is not too bad.
1. d4 f5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. g3 e6
4. Bg2 Be7
As Black is delaying his c-pawn, and hence a White d5 is not yet possible, then maybe I should have taken the opportunity to play Nc6.
5. O-O O-O
6. c4 d6
7. Nc3 a5
So by way of a slightly different move order, we have reached the standard Leningrad Dutch.
8. b3
This is considered to be the new main line - and I could not remember what comes next.
The recommendation by GM Simon Williams is 8. ... Ne4 9. Bb2 Nxc3 10. Bxc3 Qe8 preparing to come to h5. Or 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Qxc3 Bf6 is also a possibility.
Instead I choose to get the attack rolling.
8. .... Qe8
9. Ba3!?
An interesting move - the point of which I did not understand. Presumably White is thinking of a future pawn to c5.
9..... Qg6?!
Not a good square for the queen. 9. .. Qh5 would have been better but I was worried about it being exposed. The best move would have been 9. ... Ne4.
We both overlooked the cunning 10.Ne5! exploiting the pin created by White's last move. As 10. ... Qh5 11. e3 and 10. .. Qh6 11. Bc1 favoured White then Black would have to play 10. ... Qe8 after which 11. Nd3 and White is better.
10. Qc2 Nc6
As now 11. d5 can be answered with 11. .. Nb4.
11. Rad1 Nb4
After a big think I decided to play this anyway. I now had 53 minutes left for 24 moves (the limit is 35 moves in 75 minutes and then 15 for the rest).
12. Qb1
And now another big think. The time really flies when you are concentrating. I was considering 12. .. Ng4 with maybe e5 and/or Bf6. Instead I went for the other option - this time I got the better move - but was now down to 30 minutes for 23 moves.
12. ........Ne4
I thought that 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Nd2 d5 would be in my favour. White agrees and decides to accept that he wasted a move earlier.
13. Bb2 Bf6
14. a3 Nc6
And now I have twenty minutes left for 21 moves.
15. Nxe4
The computer says that this gives away White's advantage and instead recommends 15. Nh4 Bxh4 16. gxf4 Nxc3 17. Bxc3 and then if White plays 17. .. Qg4 to try to round up the h-pawn there is 18. Qb2! threatening d5.
With the minutes ticking by, I was glad to see 15. Nxe4 as it did not look quite right and gave me some play while White tried to now undermine the centre.
15. ... fxe4
16. Ne1
Now on 16. Nh4 Bxh4 17. gxf4 Black would have 17. ... Rf4 followed by .... e5.
16. ...... d5
17. f3 e5?!
Well, I had to go for it. This opens up the centre for the cost of a pawn.
18. dxe5 Nxe5
19. Rxd5
If 19. exd5 then Black's best would be 19. .. exf3 20. Nxf3 (not 20. Qxg6?? Nxg6) Nxf3+ 21. Bxf3 Bf5 and try to get compensation for the pawn.
19.. .....Be6?
Developing a piece with tempo seemed obvious but I am gambling that White will not play 20. Rxe5! Bxe5 21. Bxe5 where he will have two pieces for the rook and be much better.
20. Rb5
... and the gamble works.
20. ...... Nd7
20. .. exf3 21. Nxf3 Qxb1 22. Rxb1 Bf5 is an alternative which White could meet with 23. Nxe5 Bxb1 24. Bxb7 Rad8 25. Bd5+.
21. fxe4
So now I am two pawns down, his pieces were very active, and the clock was rapidly running out of time. On the other hand, White is also very short of time, and I have some very good bishops, which I try to put one to use.
21. .... Bg5
22. Nf3
White could have played 22. Rxf8+ Rxf8 23. Rxb7 - but is still well ahead.
22. .....Be3+
23. Kh1 Nf6
24. Bxf6 Rxf6
25. Qd3 Qh6
White has had several opportunities to take the pawn on b7 and it is my fortune that he has not taken any of them.
26. Nh4
I got lost in thought here about how to cobble together a defence and perhaps some type of counter attack. With horror, I then glanced at my clock and saw that it was approaching two minutes - for ten moves!! - I had better get on with it. The next few moves were played almost instantaneously.
26. .... Rxf1+
27. Bxf1 Rf8
Made sense to bring the last guy in.
28. Nf5 Bxf5
29. Rxf5 Re8
White too was running very low on time so I need to keep pieces on to see if I could complicate matters. I have my eyes on those e-pawns.
30. Qd5+ Qe6
31. Bg2
Defending the e4 pawn but 31. Qxe6+ Rxe6 32. Rxa5 Rxe4 33. Bg2 would be better.
31. ..... Qxd5
32. exd5 Bc5
33. e4 Bxa3
34. e5?
A mistake. White needs to play 34. Rf2 and get behind the pawns.
34. ........Bc5?
And another mistake. Simply 34. .. g6 (35. Rg5 Bc1) would have won the e-pawn.
35. e6 b6
Made it. White had one minute and eleven seconds left, while I only had seventeen seconds.
We both had time to now scrutinise what we were left with. Although I am a pawn down, I thought that if I could get all my pawns on black squares I would have a chance of holding on. That bishop on c5 is very well placed.
36. Be4 h6
This might have been a wrong calculation. Maybe I should have played Rf8 and g6.
37. Kg2 Rf8
38. Kf3 Rxf5
39. Bxf5 Kf8
40. h4
And with this move White offered a draw which, after the previous adventures, I was glad to take. It is hard to see how White could break through if Black just sits tight.
Hastings v Swale
Paul Kelly (170) 1/2-1/2 Keith Hyde (166)
Henry Cove (170) 1/2-1/2 Keith Nevols (157)
James Wheeler (159) 1-0 Vytautas Gedminas (136)
Mason Woodhams (136) 1-0 Tyrone Jefferies (116)
Keith Hossack (113) 0-1 Rob Woolacott (90)
Umberto Joe Jozwiak (90) 0-1 Barry Sawyer (90)
Hastings 3-3 Swale
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