Snodland vs Swale - En Passant Cup - Board Two
Thursday 8 March 2018
White: R. Thompson (146) - Black: K. Nevols (157)
1. d4 f5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Bf4
This is our second encounter with the Dutch and White plays the Bf4 and e3 system again.
3. ....e6
4. e3 Be7
5. Nbd2 b6
Last time I played d6 and Bd7. This time I decide to fianchetto the queen's bishop. Usually I would wait to see what White does with his king's bishop but thought I would just get on with it.
6. Be2 O-O
7. O-O Bb7
With a firm grip on e4.
8. h3 Ne4
9. c3
I gave a lot of thought here to 9. ... g5 and rejected it on the basis that it did not feel right. I am behind in development and ought to continue. 9. .. Nc6 perhaps.
Surprisingly the computer likes 9. .. g5 with 10. Bh2 d5 but not 10..... g4 11. hxg4 fxg4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 (12. ... gxf3 13. Bxf3) 13. Nd2 winning a pawn.
Instead I play 9. .. d6 to defend the pawn on c7 and free the queen for action.
9. ....d6
10. Qb3
Developing with a threat. The computer knows no fear by recommending 10. g4 - an energetic move perhaps with an attack down the h-file in mind.
10. ..... Rf6
I considered 10. .. Qd7 but did not like the passive position of the queen - I want it to attack the king.
10. .. d5 is another idea which makes for a solid centre but I was unhappy about leaving the e5 square as it is. My choice was aimed at combining attack - with an eye on Rg6 or Rh6 - and defence.
11. Rad1 Nc6
At last bringing the last piece into the game. White now has a forced sequence to grab the initiative.
12. Nxe4 fxe4
13. Ng5 d5
14. Bg4 Bc8
14. .. Qc8 with Ba6 might have been more accurate but placing the queen on the bishop diagonal looked tactically suspect.
15. h4
Forced to get an escape square for the knight.
15. ...... h6
16. Nh3 Bd6
17. Qc2 Ne7
I was finding spaces for my pieces and feeling a bit happier, but 17. .. Ba6 would have been better.
White now has 18. Be5! If Black takes 18. .. Bxe5 19. dxe5 Rf7 20. Nf4 Nf5 21. c4 and Black is feeling the pressure. And if Black does not take the bishop with 18. .. Rf7/f8 then again 19. Nf4 Nf5 20. c4.
Another point to note is that I was down to my last 25 minutes for the next 18 moves.
18. Bxd6 Qxd6
19. c4 Nf5
19. ... Ba6 20. b3 Nc6 is worth a thought.
20. Bxf5 Rxf5
21. cxd5 exd5
22. Rc1
The computer says that Black is better - well, it did not feel like that at the time. I could see that White was planning an initiative down the c-file.
22. ... Rf7
I now expected 23. Qc6 forcing the exchange of queens and, with time running low, bringing us closer to a draw.
23. Nf4?!
This allows me to develop an initiative against the White king.
23. ... g5!
24. hxg5 hxg5
25. Ne2
I had intended 25. Nh3 Bxh3 - which may be double edged as my own king is now quite exposed - but now my heart leapt as I got the chance to threaten checkmate.
25. .....Rh7
Will White see it? Well, of course he does. 26. Ng3 can now be met by 26. .. Qh6 or 26. ... Ba6 and the net around the White king is tighter.
26. f3 Qh2+
26. ... Ba6 coming to d3 is also good but I planned to move the bishop down the other diagonal.
27. Kf2 Bh3
28. Ke1
28. Qc6 looks good for White if Black decides to go wrong with 28. ... Qxg2+? 29. Ke1 Qxf1+ 30. Kd2 Qxc1+ 31. Kxc1 Rd8 with an even position - but 28. .. Rd8 holds.
28. ....... Bxg2
29. Rg1 exf3
30. Qg6+ Rg7
31. Qe6+ Kh8?
Missing 31. .. Rf7 32. Qg6+ Kf8 and the checks run out forcing 33. Rxg2 fxg2 34. Kd2 Rf1 and the other Black rook will soon enter the game.
32. Qe5
With time running out, I tried hard to see if there was a forced win here.
32. ...... Qh4+
33. Ng3
33. Kd2 was better although Black can still open up the position with 33. .. c5. After more thought, I decide that there is no way to win at once - or if there was, I could not see it - and so I just decide to go into an ending three pawns up.
33. ..... Qh2
34. Ne2 Qxe5
35. dxe5 Re8
36. Nd4 Rxe5
37. Kf2 g4
38. Rxg2 fxg2
39. Kxg2 c5
40. Ne2 Rxe3
With the exchange and three pawns up, with some time spare now, I continue to advance and try to consolidate.
41. Nf4 d4
42. b4 Rc3
43. Rh1+ Rh7
44. Re1 Re3
45. Rc1 g3
46. Nh3 Re2+
47. Kf3 Re3+
48. Kg2 Rc7
49. b5 c4
And White now resigned.
Snodland v Swale
George Hollands (155) 1/2-1/2 Keith Hyde (166)
Robert Thompson (146) 0-1 Keith Nevols (157)
David Lettington (143) 0-1 Vytautas Gedminas (136)
Paul Shevlane (143) 0-1 Tyrone Jefferies (116)
Peter Hickey (122) 1/2-1/2 Andrew Gillard (107)
Hugh Broadbent (96) 1-0 Barry Sawyer (83)
Snodland 2-4 Swale
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