Game 109 - Swale Club Championship 2017-18 - Final Group - Round Three

Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Three

Thursday 31 May 2018

White: K. Nevols (161) - Black: K. Hyde (166)

The big one. My match against the defending champion. I was half a point ahead but having played a game extra. And another closed Sicilian.

1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. d3 d6
6. Be2 e6
7. O-O Nge7
8. Qe1 O-O

This is the answer to my first question - where will Black put his king?



9. Qg3

A nice square to prepare for an attack based around an f5 pawn push.

9. ....  Nd4
10. Bd1

This is my usual reply to ... Nd4 but the computer prefers 10. Nxd4 Bxd4+ 11. Be3 or 10. ... cxd4 11. Nb1. All down to taste, I guess.

10. ....  Nec6

Re-enforcing the d4 point but I now use the usual set up to expel the d4 knight, which has the added effect of moving the bishop to a better square.

However, 11. f5!? is interesting with 11. .. exf5 12. Bf4 but Black's best reply is 12. .. Qb6!

11. Ne2 d5
12. c3 Nxf3+
13. Qxf3

I gave some thought to 13. gxf3 with perhaps getting something down the g-file, but the white squared bishop looks silly, and I wanted to keep open the option of playing a pawn to g4.

13. ....  dxe4

13. .. f5 is slightly better, setting up a stonewall defence which is difficult to break down.

14. dxe4

The position is equal, with no piece having a happy time. But a draw was no good to me. My opponent - half a point behind me in the championship - had two games left, whereas I had one to play but against a difficult opponent.

14. ....  Bd7
15. Bc2

I still want to play pawn to f5.

15. .....  Qe7
16. Qg3 Rfe8

I did not understand this move, unless it is to move out the way of a potential Bh6. Time to advance the pawns. Before playing f5, I wanted to weaken the kingside slightly more.

17. h4 h5

The computer recommends 17. e5 with Be3 and Be4 but still rates that as dead equal. As equal is no good to me, it was time to get on with it.

18. f5?! exf5
19. Bg5

I tried to see if I could sacrifice the knight with 19. exf5? Qxe2 20. fxg6 but 20. .. f5 puts a stop to all that.

19. ....  f6
20. Bf4

20. Be3 would have been a better square, keeping an eye on the c5 pawn and keeping the f-file half open.

20. .... Qf7

A good defensive move, holding g6 and being ready to met Bb3 with Be6. White should now play 21. Be3 but after 21. .. b6 Black is still better.



21. Qf3?

Blunder. I had played this move with the intention of freeing up the g3 square for the knight.

21. ....  fxe4

The point is that, after 22. Bxe4 Black has 22. .. Bg4 23. Qd3 Bxe2 24. Qxe2 f5 winning a piece.

22. Qe3 Ne5

Black returns a pawn to get a dominant knight. 22. .. Bf8 23. Ng3 f5 is also good for Black.

23. Qxc5 Nd3

With this move, and in a far better position, Black surprised me with a draw offer. A pawn down and the position collapsing, I really had no choice but to accept.

In the next two weeks, my opponent won his final two games to seal the championship.

Game 108 - Swale Club Championship 2017-18 - Final Group - Round Two

Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Two

Thursday 24 May 2018

White: K. Nevols (161) - Black: D. Simpson (105)

1. e4 d5

Always strange to play against my own opening, but at least I know how to play the most aggressive line.

2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qd8

I always play 3. ... Qa5 to try to hinder White's development.

4. Nf3 Nf6
5. Bc4 e6

I thought this was a mistake as it blocks in the Black queens' bishop, but Black has other plans for that piece.

6. O-O Be7
7. d4 O-O
8. Bg5 a6

Nothing to say yet - I am still bringing the pieces in.

9. Qe2 b5
10. Bd3 Bb7
11. Rfe1



Now 11 .. Nc6 and the position is even. Black instead plays slightly inaccurately which gives me a small initiative.

Of course 11. .. Bxf3 does not win a pawn because of the loose rook on a8. (11. ... Bxf3? 12. Qxf3 Nbd7 13. a4 or 12. .. c6 13. a4 Qxd4 14. axb5)

11. ....  c5
12. dxc5 Bxc5
13. Ne4 Be7
14. Rad1

This move looks quite natural, centralising a piece and threatening the Black queen.

However 14. a4 looks better, taking the initiative on the queenside. Another idea is 14. Nxf6 Bxf6 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Ne5 (16. ... Nc6?? 17. Qe4). Moving the rook away removes any prospect of action on the left wing.

14. ....   Nbd7?!

14. .. Qc7 is better preparing Nc6. I could see a sequence to open some spaces around the Black king.

15. Nxf6+ Bxf6
16. Bxf6 Qxf6

If 16. ..gxf6 then 17. Bxh7+ Kxh7 18. Qd3+ and White will win a pawn.

17. Bxh7+ Kxh7
18. Rxd7 Bxf3
19. Qxf3 Qxb2
20. Rxf7 Rxf7
21. Qxf7 Qxa2



This was the position I had foreseen back on move 15. Material is even but I can get the e6 pawn. Even better, I can surround the Black king - but first a necessary precaution.

22. h3

I considered 22. h4 but then I thought I might need the h4 square for the rook.

22. ...  Qd5

If 22. .. Qxc2? then 23. Re5 wins on the spot.

23. Rxe6 Rd8
24. Qg6+ Kg8
25. Rxa6 Qd1+
26. Kh2 Qe2

Two pawns up - 27. Qe6+ forces the exchange of queens but a lot of work still needed.

27. Ra7 Qe5+
28. Qg3 Qd4

But Black dodges the exchange.

29. Rb7 b4
30. Qb3+ Kh8
31. Qxb4

And another pawn. They think it's all over. if now 31. .. Qxf2 then 32. Qg4 Qf6 33. Rxg7 (33. ... Qxg7 34. Qh4+).

31. ...  Qe5+
32. g3 Rf8??

The position is lost anyway.

33. Qxf8+

Black resigned. I was very pleased with this position which meant I had caught up half a point and was now only half a point behind the championship leader.

Game 107 - Swale Club Championship 2017-18 - Final Group - Round One

Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round One

Thursday 17 May 2018

White: A. Gillard (107) - Black: K. Nevols (157)

So we were into the final group, and I had finished with nine wins, two draws and one loss - one point behind the leader. Four more games now and a chance to catch up.

1. e4 d5

The old faithful. As we have seen, my opponent is a dangerous attacking player who likes to sacrifice pieces, so I decided to be solid and try to outplay him.

2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
4. d4 Nf6
5. Nf3 Bf5
6. Bd2 c6
7. Ne4!?

White plays the system which doubles Black's pawns and does not allow the strongpoint of d5 to be set up (by pawns on c6 and e6). On the other hand, the pawn which is about to appear on d6 does a good job of keeping the White kings' knight at bay.

7. ...  Qc7
8. Nxf6 exf6
9. Bc4 Bd6
10. c3 O-O
11. O-O Nd7



The plan is to gradually get space in the centre and take the e-file. White's queen's bishop is a little short of black squares.

12. a4 Nb6
13. Ba2 Rfe8

I briefly considered 13. ... Be6 to try to straighten the pawns out but 14. Bxe6 fxe6 and White will get an initiative with a choice of a5 or Qb3.

14. Be3 Nd5
15. Qd2 Nxe3

The computer likes 15. .. Be4 or even 15. ... g5!? but I liked the idea of half blocking the e-file and giving me a target to attack.

16. fxe3 Re7
17. c4 c5

I liked this move. After 18. d5 the pawn is well blockaded and I can continue with 18. ... Rae8 adding some pressure.

18. dxc5 Bxc5
19. Nd4 Bg6
20. b4 Bd6



I felt that I must be better here. The bishops are well placed although in different directions, the queen and bishop form a good battery towards the king, and the White e-pawn is lonely and backward.

21. Nf3?

A mistake. White needed to play 21. g3 which Black could meet with 21. ... Be5

21. ....  Rd8
22. Qc3 Be4

Not seeing the strong 22. ... a5!. If 23. bxa5 then Rxe3! followed by Bc5 with great pressure , or 23. b5 Rxe3 24. Qb2 Ba3! and the white queen is running out of squares. Anything else and simply 23. ... Bxb4. I did not see any of that.

The point of 22. ... Be4 is obviously to take on f3 and then h2 but this move blocks the e-file. For that reason, 22. .. Bh5 would have been an improvement.

23. Rad1 Bxf3
24. Rxd6?!

You see what I mean about my comment at the start. This was quite a shock, especially as by now I only had 11 minutes left for 11 moves. After I calmed down, I saw it was not a problem.

24. ....  Rxd6
25. Rxf3

I had planned to meet 25. gxf3 with 25. ... Red7 coming down the d-file. But now I am going to pick up the h-pawn anyway.

25. .....  Rd1+
26. Rf1 Rxf1+
27. Kxf1 Qxh2
28. Qd3 Qe5

Centralising to keep an eye on the back rank.



29. Bb1 g6
30. Ke2 Re6

To avoid any Qd8+ threat and also to secure it's position while the black Queen can go wandering about.

31. c5 Qb2+

With the white b-pawn about to go, White decided to resign.

Game 106 - Swale Club Championship 2017-18 - Round Twelve

Swale Club Championship - Round Twelve

Thursday 3 May 2018

White: K. Nevols (157) - Black: D. Page (135)

1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Be2 e6
6. O-O Nge7

So far so normal, although sometimes Black places the king's knight on f6.

7. Qe1 Nb4
8. Bd1 b6
9. d3 Bb7

Black has not yet castled so I think about a plan. The first step is to take the knights away from the defence of d5.

10. a3 Nc6



The computer recommends 11. e5 here, followed by Ne4, but I did not want to end the tension so soon and give his knights the squares d5 and f5.

11. Nb5

This is a bluff really. A knight coming to d6 looks impressive but after 11. ... O-O 12. Nd6 Ba6 does White have anything against Nf5 (considering Nxd6 and Qb8)? 13. e5 Nf5 14. Nxf5 gxf5 and a Black d5 is coming.

However, Black does not take any chances.

11. .....  Nc8
12. f5

This was the point I had been working towards - to try to take some initiative.

12. ....  a6
13. Nc3 Nd4
14. Ng5

14. fxe6 would have been better, slightly breaking up the pawn cover in the centre.

14. .. O-O
15. fxg6 fxg6

Obviously not 15. .. hxg6?? when 16. Qh4 wins on the spot. If 16. Qh4 now then .. h6 picks up a piece. Seeing no way to break through, I decide to make some exchanges.

16. Ne2 Nxe2
17. Bxe2 Bd4+
18. Kh1 Rxf1+
19. Qxf1 Qf6
20. Qxf6 Bxf6
21. c3

Already there are signs of a draw, but I needed the win and had to consider how I could press for any advantage.



21. ...  Ne7
22. Be3 Nc6
23. Rf1 Rf8
24. Nf3 e5

This make my ears prick up. Is it a mistake? Can I get my bishop on to the a2-g8 diagonal and control the d5 square? Is the d6 now weak for a knight? The computer prefers consolidating with 24. .. Be7.

The best move now for White would be 25. b4! and then Bd1 and on to Ba4 or Bb3. However I decided to try to improve the knight.

25. Nd2 Bd8
26. Rxf8 Kxf8
27. Nc4 Bc7

Another opportunity to play b4 but instead I opt to improve another piece - this time the bishop.

28. Bg4 d6
29. Be6 b5
30. Nd2 Nd8
31. Bb3 Bc8



Magnus Carlsen might be able to win this position but I was not convinced I could. My senses told me that White was slightly better - a view which the computer agrees with, scoring +0.43 - but I could not see how I could convert that into a winning advantage. As I said, maybe I should have tried b4 earlier.

32. Nf3 Be6
33. Bd1

The computer recommends 33. Bd5 but after 33. .. Bxd5 34. exd5 I did not want to risk the pawn getting cut off.

33. ....  Nf7
34. Kg1 Kg7
35. Kf2 Nh6
36. h3 Nf7
37. d4

At last. a pawn break. But anther opportunity to play b4 gone.

37. ....  c4
38. Ne1?!

38. d5 would have kept the slight advantage. Now Black could play 38. .. d5 to take the initiative and open up the centre.

38. ....  Bd8
39. Nc2 a5
40. Bd2 Ng5!

Good move, forcing the exchange of one of the bishops, as after 41. Ke3, my pieces just get in a tangle.

41. Bf3 Nxf3
42. Kxf3 Bb6

42. .. h5 is worth a thought, limiting White on the kingside.

43. dxe5 dxe5
44. Ne3 Bxe3
45. Bxe3 a4



The position is now dead level and so we agreed a draw.