[Event "KO Cup Final B1"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "J Morgan"] [Black "M Abbott"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] [FlipB "1"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Be3 e5 7.Qd2 Be6 8.Nh3 h6 9. f4 Qd7 10.Nf2 Nge7 11.Nd5 O-O {Mark plays the English Botvinnik system as white, so this structure is very familiar to him. Here he gives white a chance.} 12.Nxe7+ ( 12.fxe5 Bxe5 {- any other recapture also leaves white with an advantage - } 13.Bxh6 Bxb2 14.c3 {threatens Nf6+ so } 14...Bxd5 15.Qxb2 Be6 16.Bxf8 {and white is much better.} ) 12...Nxe7 13.f5 gxf5 14. Bxh6 Ng6 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.h4 {Jack must have missed the force of Mark's next move.} ( 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.h4 {leaves white much better, as he has good prospects of an attack on Mark's king.} ) 16...Nf4 {The bishop on h6 is hanging so Jack has to make a concession.} 17.Bxg7 Nxg2+ 18.Kf1 Kxg7 19. Qg5+ Kh8 20.Qh6+ Kg8 21.Kxg2 Qe6 22.Qxe6 ( 22.Qg5+ Qg6 23.Qxg6+ fxg6 { keeps things equal, but after the capture on e6, Mark's pieces will have more scope.} ) 22...Bxe6 23.c4 f5 24.Rae1 Rae8 25.Nh3 Bd7 26.Rhf1 Bc6+ 27. Kg1 Kg7 {Mark starts a very interesting, and ultimately very rewarding, king-walk. Remember, in the ending, the king is a strong piece.} 28.Ng5 Kg6 29.a3 Kh5 30.b4 b6 31.Kh2 Kg4 32.Nh3 f4 33.gxf4 exf4 34.Rxe8 {The losing move! The surprising} ( 34.Rxf4+ Rxf4 35.Rg1+ Kxh4 36.Nxf4 { eliminates the dangerous f-pawn and leaves things level.} ) 34...Bxe8 35. Nf2+ Kf3 36.Ne4+ Ke2 37.Rf2+ Kxd3 38.Nxd6 Ke3 39.Rf1 Ke2 {It's all over. White has no way of stopping the f-pawn without a sacrifice. eg 40.Rb1 Bg6 41.Rb2+ Ke1 42.bxc5 bxc5 43.Nb7 f3 44.h5 Bh7 45.Kg3 f2 46.Rxf2 Rxf2 with an easily won endgame.} 0-1

[Event "KO Cup Final B6"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "AD Pratt"] [Black "A Tatam"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 O-O 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Bd3 h6 9.Bh4 a6 10.Bc2 Nh7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Qd3 f5 13.Ne5 Qf6 14.Ne2 Nd7 15.f4 Nxe5 16.fxe5 Qf7 17.O-O Bd7 18.a4 Ng5 19.Ng3 b5 20.Rf4 {AD has played the opening very solidly, but now his rook goes down a blind alley.} ( 20.a5 { leaves him with a small advantage.} ) 20...Ne4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Qe2 Qe8 23. Bb3 bxa4 24.Bc4 Bb5 25.Rc1 Bxc4 26.Qxc4 Qc8 ( 26...Rc8 {leaves AD with some problems. It forces } 27.Qf1 {when after} 27...Rb8 28.Rf2 Rb3 {white is under pressure. As it is, AD spots a clever tactic.} ) 27.Rxf5 Qxc4 28. Rxf8+ Kxf8 29.Rxc4 Rb8 30.Rxa4 Rxb2 31.Rxa6 Kf7 32.h4 Re2 33.Ra3 Kg6 34.g4 ( 34.Kf1 {makes black's rook move, eg} 34...Rc2 35.Ra7 h5 36.Re7 Kf5 37. Rf7+ Kg6 38.Rf4 {and white wins the e4 pawn with good prospects of victory.} ) 34...Rd2 35.Ra6 ( 35.Ra7 {is better here, bottling up black's king.} ) 35...Kf7 36.h5 Re2 37.Ra7+ Kf8 38.Ra6 Kf7 39.Ra7+ Kf8 {White is still a bit better, but it's not surprising that AD agreed a draw here against his much more experienced opponent. Well Done, AD!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Champions' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "P Brooks"] [Black "A Kinder"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] 1.d4 d6 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nd7 4.Nf3 e6 5.e4 Ne7 6.Be2 Ng6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 Qa5 9.a3 O-O {Andrew has played a provocative opening and now castles into a potential attack. Paul pushes his h-pawn to annoy Andrew's knight.} 10.h4 Re8 11.O-O-O a6 12.h5 Ngf8 13.Kb1 Qd8 {Apart from putting the king on a safer square, a benefit of 13.Kb1 is that it slows down black's attack eg if he plays} ( 13...b5 {white has } 14.Nd5 Qxd2 15.Nxe7+ Rxe7 16.Nxd2 { retaining much the better position, and the threat of a dangerous attack has gone} ) 14.g4 e5 15.d5 c5 {Now the centre is closed, the only question is: whose attack will come first?} 16.g5 b5 17.g6 {it's more important to open up the files leading to the king, than to worry about losing a small amount of material. Paul boldly sacrifices a pawn. The computer prefers} ( 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Bxb5 {but Paul wanted as few distractions as possible.} ) 17...fxg6 18.hxg6 Nxg6 19.Ng5 Ndf8 20.Rdg1 {The h and g files are open, but Andrew is covering up well. He decides to push his own pawns.} 20...b4 21.axb4 cxb4 22.Na2 a5 {There isn't enough time for this move.} ( 22...b3 23.Nc3 Bxg5 24.Bxg5 Qc7 25.f4 {and white is better but black can still fight.} ) 23.Nxh7 {Now Paul uses the knight to remove one of the pawns covering Andrew's king.} 23...Nxh7 24.Rxg6 Nf6 25.Rhg1 Bf8 26.f3 b3 27.Nc1 a4 {Black's pawns are advancing but now Paul moves in for the kill.} 28. Bg5 Kf7 29.Bxf6 gxf6 {The king is forced into the open, and it doesn't have many squares to go to.} 30.Rh6! {The decisive move. A major piece comes quickly to the h-file and black can't defend.} 30...Bg7 ( 30...Bxh6 31.Qxh6 {is mate in 3.} ) 31.Rh7 Rg8 32.Qh6 Qf8 33.Qg6+ {This wins easily but, with a moment's thought, Paul might have seen} ( 33.Rg6 {when Andrew would probably throw in the towel.} ) 33...Ke7 34.Rxg7+ Rxg7 35.Qxg7+ Qf7 {Paul expected} ( 35...Qxg7 36.Rxg7+ Kf8 37.Rh7 Kg8 38.Rc7 {when the rook will pick off at least one of the pawns. Andrew doesn't want to swap queens, however...} ) 36.Qh6 {... and the rook will come to g7 causing carnage, so Andrew resigned.} 1-0

[Event "KO Cup Final B3"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "P Wood"] [Black "T Thynne"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] [FlipB "1"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Nc3 O-O 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bg2 c6 8.Qc2 Re8 9.O-O Nbd7 {Paul has played a rather tame version of the Catalan. Black is at least equal.} 10.a3 a5 11.Re1 Nf8 12.e4 {This allows Trefor to give white an isolated d-pawn, which he then blockades successfully.} 12...dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Be6 15.Qc2 Qb6 16.Be3 Bd5 17.Re2 Ne6 18. Rae1 g6 19.Qd2 Bc4 {Trefor attacks the 'trapped' rook with his bishop - potentially winning an exchange - but things are not so simple.} ( 19... Qd8 {keeps a safe advantage.} ) 20.d5 Nc5 21.Bd4 {Paul misses the chance to turn the tables.} ( 21.Bxc5 Qxc5 22.Re5 Bxd5 23.Qe2 {puts black under a lot of pressure.} ) 21...Bxe2 22.Qh6 {Paul has illusions of a mate on g7, but this doesn't work.} ( 22.Rxe2 Qc7 23.dxc6 bxc6 24.Qe1 {and white's active pieces compensate for the material deficit. According to the computer, the best move is } 24...Nd3 25.Qd2 Nc5 {with a repetition.} ) 22...Bf8 23.Qh4 Qd8 24.Bf6 Be7 25.Rxe2 Bxf6 26.Rxe8+ Qxe8 27.Qxf6 Rd8 28. Ne5 Nd7 29.Nxd7 Rxd7 30.dxc6 Rd1+ 31.Bf1 Qxc6 32.Qe5 h6 ( 32...Qc4 {is winning, but understandably Trefor doesn't want to give his opponent the slightest opportunity of a perpetual check.} ) 33.h4 h5 34.Qxa5 b6 35.Qe5 Kh7 36.Qe2 Rc1 37.Kh2 Rc2 38.Qe3 Rxb2 39.Bg2 Qc5 40.Qf3 Qxf2 41.Qb7 Qxg2+ {Swapping off into a completely won king and pawn ending.} 42.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 43.Kxg2 Kg7 44.Kf3 Kf6 45.Ke4 Ke6 46.a4 f6 47.Kd4 g5 48.hxg5 fxg5 49.Ke4 h4 0-1

[Event "Competitors' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "M Hussey"] [Black "L Jarman"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 g6 4.e3 Bg7 5.Bc4 d5 6.Bb3 O-O 7.Nbd2 Na6 8.a3 c5 9.c4 b6 10.h3 Nd7 {This gives up the d-pawn.} 11.cxd5 Nf6 12.d6+ Kh8 13. Ne5 e6 14.Nc6 ( 14.Qf3 Rb8 15.Nc6 {wins the exchange.} ) 14...Qd7 15.Ne7 Nh5 16.Bh2 cxd4 17.exd4 Bxd4 18.Nc4 Bf6 19.Ne5 Qb5 20.N5xg6+ hxg6 21.Nxg6+ Kg7 22.Nxf8 Kxf8 {The position is very complicated - with his next move Mike allows Len to pick up his d-pawn.} 23.d7 Bxd7 24.Qxh5 Qxb3 25.Bd6+ Kg8 ( 25...Kg7 {leaves a very complicated position where Len should not be worse. But now there's a quick mate.} ) 26.Qg6+ Kh8 27.Qxf6+ 1-0

[Event "Competitors' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.01"] [Round ""] [White "I Henry"] [Black "R Rondhawa"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2025.05.01"] [FlipB "1"] 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bg4 6.f3 Bf5 7.Nge2 e6 8.Ng3 Bg6 9.a3 c5 10.dxc5 Qxd1+ 11.Kxd1 Bxc5 12.Nge4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.fxe4 O-O ( 14...Ke7 {is better. In the ending, keep your king close to the centre.} ) 15.Bd3 Nc6 16.c3 Rfd8 17.Kc2 Ne5 18.Be2 a6 19.Bf4 Nc6 20.Rad1 h6 21.Bc7 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Rc8 23.Rd7 Nb8 24.Rd8+ Rxd8 25.Bxd8 Nd7 26.b4 Bd6 27.h3 Kf8 28.Bh4 g5 29.Bf2 Nf6 30.Kd3 b5 31.g4 Bf4 32.Be3 Bxe3 33.Kxe3 Ne8 34.e5 Ke7 35.c4 Nc7 36.Kd4 f6 37.Ke4 bxc4 38.Bxc4 Nb5 39.exf6+ Kxf6 {Ian has had the advantage in this ending for several moves. Now he can force a win.} 40.Ke3 ( 40.Bxb5 {is the move.} 40...axb5 41.Kd4 e5+ ( 41...Ke7 42. Kc5 e5 43.Kxb5 {and the two passed pawns will decide the game.} ) 42.Kd5 { and black is in zugzwang - he has no moves which don't lose material.} ) 40...Ke5 41.a4 Nc3 42.Bxa6 ( 42.Bb3 {is still winning. eg} 42...Ne4 43. Bxe6 {wins a pawn.} ) 42...Nxa4 43.Bd3 {Now the position is equal, but the momentum has changed in Ronit's favour.} 43...Nb6 44.b5 Nd5+ 45.Kf3 Kd4 46.Bf1 e5 47.Kg3 Ke3 48.h4 e4 49.Bc4 Nb6 50.Bb3 {The fatal error.} ( 50. hxg5 hxg5 51.Bf1 Na4 52.Bg2 Kd4 53.Kf2 Kd3 54.Bh1 e3+ 55.Ke1 Nb6 56.Bf3 { and black can't make progress.} 56...Nc4 57.Be2+ Kd4 58.Bxc4 Kxc4 59.b6 { is winning for white!!} ) 50...Kd2 {The e-pawn can't be stopped. A game in which Ronit was winning for just 1 move.} 0-1