[Event "Mamhead Cup B team"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.12"]
[Round ""]
[White "E Manning"]
[Black "P Worthington"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2025.04.12"]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 {This gambit shows Ellis' aggressive
intent.} 4...dxc3 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.O-O e6 7.Nxc3 a6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Be3 Qc7 10.Rc1
Nf6 11.Bh6 Ng4 12.Bg7 Rg8 13.Bd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qc5 15.Qd3 {Ellis refuses
the queen swap.} 15...Ne5 16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.Bb3 h5 ( 17...b5 {seems more
sensible.} ) 18.a4 b6 19.Bd5 {?!?! An amazing move. Ellis sacrifices his
bishop to get at the black king. Of course, it shouldn't work but you have
to admire his chutzpah!} 19...exd5 20.Nxd5 Bd8 ( 20...Bb7 {is best, giving
back some of the material in order to develop pieces.} 21.Nc7+ Kf8 22.Nxa8
Bxa8 23.Rfe1 Kg7 24.Qxd7 Bd6 {and black's king is safe and he is the one
who is attacking.} ) 21.f4 Qb8 22.f5 ( 22.e5 {is better.} ) 22...Qe5 23.
fxg6 fxg6 {A big misjudgement.} ( 23...Rxg6 {creates counterattacking
threats. eg} 24.Rf5 Qxb2 25.Rc2 Qa1+ 26.Rf1 Qg7 {and white hasn't made any
progress while he always has to keep an eye on g2.} ) 24.Qf3 Qg7 25.Qg3 {
Now Ellis misses the best move.} ( 25.e5! {rips black apart. White
threatens Nf6+ discovering an attack on the rook on a8.} 25...Bb7 ( 25...
Rb8 26.Nf6+ Bxf6 ( 26...Ke7 27.Qa3+ Ke6 28.Qd6+ Kf7 29.Rxc8 {is mate in a
few moves.} ) 27.exf6 Qf7 28.Rfe1+ Kd8 29.Qg3 {also mates quickly.} ) 26.
Nc7+ Bxc7 27.Qxb7 Bxe5 28.Qxa8+ Ke7 29.Qe4 {is winning.} ) 25...Bb7 26.Qd6
Bc6 {A fatal error.} ( 26...Bxd5 27.exd5 ( 27.Qxd5 Ra7 28.Qd6 Qe7 29.e5 (
29.Qb8 {loses to} 29...d6 {eg} 30.b3 Rc7 31.Rcd1 Rf8 32.Qxb6 Rxf1+ 33.Rxf1
Rc2 34.Qd4 Qg5 35.g3 Qd2 {and black has turned the tables.} ) 29...Qxd6
30.exd6 Bg5 31.Rc8+ Bd8 32.Rcc1 Bg5 {is a strange draw by perpetual
attack.} ) 27...Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Be7 29.Rce1 O-O-O! 30.Rxe7 Qc5 31.Qxc5+ bxc5 {
leads to a drawn ending.} ) 27.Rxc6 dxc6 28.Qe6+ Be7 29.Qxc6+ Kd8 30.Qxa8+
Kd7 31.Qb7+ ( 31.Nxb6+ Kd6 32.Rd1+ Kc5 33.Nd7+ Kb4 34.Qb7+ Kc4 35.Qxa6+
Kb3 36.Qb5+ Ka2 37.Qc4+ Kxb2 38.Rd2+ Ka1 39.Qc1# {is a lovely king chase.}
) 31...Ke8 32.Nc7+ Kd7 33.Rd1+ ( 33.Ne6+ {is a bit quicker.} ) 33...Bd6
34.Rxd6+ Kxd6 35.Ne8+ {The queen is lost - enterprising attacking play
from Ellis.} 1-0
[Event "Mamhead Rd2"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.12"]
[Round ""]
[White "A Brusey"]
[Black "H Cooper"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2025.04.12"]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.fxe4 e5 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 Nd7 7.O-O Ngf6 8.c3
Bd6 9.Qb3 O-O 10.Qxb7 {Alan seems to be putting his queen in danger but
Harvey can't find a move to take advantage.} 10...Nb6 ( 10...Rb8 11.Qa6
Bxf3 12.Rxf3 Bc7 13.Kh1 exd4 14.cxd4 Bb6 15.Nc3 Bxd4 {and black has
regained the pawn with the better position.} ) 11.Bb3 Bc8 ( 11...Bxf3 12.
Rxf3 exd4 13.cxd4 Nxe4 14.Nc3 Qh4 15.g3 Nxg3 16.hxg3 Bxg3 17.Qxc6 Qh2+ {is
a draw according to the computer.} ) 12.Qxc6 {Now Alan escapes.} 12...Ba6
13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.Nxe5 Rc8 15.Rd1 {The tactics work for Alan.} 15...Qe7 16.
Qd6 Qb7 17.Nd2 Rcd8 {This obvious attack has a flaw which Alan exploits.}
18.Nxf7! {18...Rxd6 19.Nxd6+ Kh8 20.Nxb7 wins back the queen leaving white
a rook (and some pawns) ahead.} 1-0
[Event "Champions' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.17"]
[Round ""]
[White "P Brooks"]
[Black "J Wills"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2025.04.17"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bg5 O-O 8.Rc1
c5 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.d5 Nd7 11.Be2 h6 12.Be3 Qa5 13.Qd2 Kh7 14.c4 Qxd2+ 15.Nxd2
Bxe2 16.Kxe2 b6 17.f4 {Paul's opening has turned out well. But Jack fights
back.} 17...e5 18.g3 {The turning point of the game. Paul had to play} (
18.f5 {when} 18...gxf5 19.exf5 Nf6 20.Rhg1 e4 21.g4 Rae8 22.h4 Nd7 23.g5 {
and white's space advantage threatens to suffocate black.} ) 18...f5 19.
Kd3 Rae8 20.Rce1 Nf6 21.fxe5 fxe4+ 22.Nxe4 Nxe4 23.Kxe4 Rxe5+ 24.Kd3 Rf3 {
Paul is now in a vice.} 25.Re2 ( 25.Rhf1 {loses to} 25...Rexe3+ ) 25...Re7
26.Rhe1 ( 26.Kd2 {was best. Instead Paul tries to bolster his bishop with
fatal consequences.} ) 26...Kg8 27.Kd2 Kf7 28.Bf4 {When playing his rook
to e1, Paul missed that there would be a skewer when he moved his bishop.
However, even in this position, the amazing} ( 28.Bd4 {is good for white.
(Neither player saw this!) The tactics work eg} 28...Rxe2+ 29.Kxe2 Rf5 30.
Be3 {and with his passed pawn white has the better ending.} ) 28...Bc3+
29.Kd1 Bxe1 30.Kxe1 Rxe2+ 31.Kxe2 Rc3 {Now it's dead lost and Paul could
resign.} 32.Bb8 Rxc4 33.Bxa7 b5 34.h4 Ke7 35.Bb8 Rc2+ 36.Kd3 Rxa2 37.Bf4
h5 38.d6+ Ke6 39.Kc3 Ra3+ 40.Kc2 Rf3 {Jack will take the Bishop next move
with a completely won king and pawn ending.} 0-1
[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.17"]
[Round ""]
[White "S Howard"]
[Black "M Hussey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2025.04.17"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bh4 g5 4.Bg3 Nxg3 5.hxg3 d6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Nc3 d5 8.Nh3
e6 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nc6 11.O-O-O Be7 12.Ng1 f5 13.Nf3 Bf6 14.Rh6 Qe7 15.
Rdh1 O-O-O 16.g4 Bg7 {Simon now wins a pawn.} 17.Rxh7 Qf6 18.gxf5 exf5 19.
Rxh8 Bxh8 20.g3 Ne7 21.Ne5 Rf8 22.f4 g4 23.Qb5 c6 24.Qb4 Qe6 25.Na4 b6 26.
Qe1 {White has a big advantage here, and } ( 26.Nxc6 {is a good tactical
strike.} 26...Qxc6 ( 26...Nxc6 27.Qxf8+ {is worse.} ) ( 26...Kd7 27.Nxa7
Bg7 28.Nxb6+ {is winning.} ) 27.Qxe7 Re8 28.Qxa7 {followed by 29.Nxb6 and
white is 4 pawns to the good.} ) 26...Bxe5 27.fxe5 Qg6 28.c3 Qg5 29.Kb1
Kb8 30.Qe2 Kb7 31.b4 Qg6 32.Ka1 Qg5 33.Nb2 Qg7 34.Nd3 Ng6 35.Nf4 Nxf4 36.
exf4 Rf7 37.Rh5 Qg6 38.Qh2 Re7 {The position is still very good for white,
he can penetrate with 39.Rh6 followed by 40.Qh5, but, probably due to
fatigue, the players agreed a draw.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Champions' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.17"]
[Round ""]
[White "A Brusey"]
[Black "T Thynne"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2025.04.17"]
1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.e5 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Qb6 7.O-O cxd4 8.cxd4
Nge7 {The opening has transposed into a French defence - advance
variation.} 9.Nc3 Nf5 10.Na4 Qa5 11.Bd2 Nb4 12.Nc3 Qb6 13.Be3 Be7 14.a3
Nc6 15.b4 Rc8 16.Na4 Qd8 17.Nc5 b6 {Now Alan gets some queenside pressure.
} 18.Nxd7 Qxd7 19.Bb5 O-O 20.Rc1 Rc7 21.Qa4 Rfc8 22.g4 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Bd8
24.Rc3 ( 24.Kg2 {keeps the pressure on and now } 24...a6 {is not so good.}
25.Qxa6 Ra7 26.Bxc6 Rxc6 27.Qxa7 Qxa7 28.Rxc6 {and the two rooks (plus a
pawn) are better than the queen in this position.} ) 24...a6 25.Bxc6 {Now
} ( 25.Qxa6 {doesn't work so well.} 25...Ra7 {and } 26.Bxc6 {loses to}
26...Rxa6 27.Bxd7 Rxc3 {when white has an extra exchange.} ) 25...Rxc6 26.
Rxc6 Qxc6 27.Qxa6 {Alan has won a pawn, but it doesn't matter much as
Trefor's control of the c-file gives him very good compensation.} 27...h6
28.Qd3 Qc3 29.Rd1 Be7 30.Kf2 Rc7 31.h4 Rc8 32.h5 Rc7 {Alan could try } 33.
Rd2 ( 33.Qxc3 Rxc3 34.Ra1 Rc2+ 35.Ke1 {when the computer says he has a
small advantage in the ending.} ) 33...Qc1 34.Qa6 Qc3 {And here Trefor
could play} ( 34...Rc3 {when} 35.Qa8+ Bf8 36.a4 Qa3 {might give him a
small advantage. Instead, with not much time left, the players agreed to a
draw.} ) 35.Qd3 Qc1 36.Rd1 Qc3 1/2-1/2
[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.17"]
[Round ""]
[White "S Pasupulety"]
[Black "R Randhawa"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2025.04.17"]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.O-O e6 5.d4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nbd2 c4 {This
advance which releases the pawn tension is not usually a good idea.} 8.Re1
Bd6 9.e4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Rxe4 Bf5 12.Re3 ( 12.Re1 {is best, with the
idea,} 12...O-O 13.Bf1 b5 14.d5 Ne7 15.dxe6 Bxe6 16.a4 a6 ( 16...b4 17.Ng5
Bf5 18.Bxc4 bxc3 19.bxc3 {is another way to win a pawn.} ) 17.axb5 axb5
18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Qxd6 Qxf3 20.Bg2 Qf6 21.Qc5 {and the threat of 22.Bg5 wins
the b pawn. Obviously this is not forced but white has a good initiative
whatever black plays.} ) 12...O-O 13.Nh4 Bd3 14.Qg4 Rb8 15.Bd2 ( 15.Rxd3 {
is a neat tactic.} 15...cxd3 16.Bh6 g6 17.Bxf8 Qxf8 18.Rd1 {and the d-pawn
is lost.} ) 15...Ne7 16.Bf1 Bxf1 17.Rxf1 Qa5 18.a3 Qb5 19.Bc1 Rfe8 20.f4 {
Now black is slightly better. The pawn moves have made Shreyas' bishop
worse.} 20...Nd5 ( 20...Nf5 {looks good when if} 21.Nxf5 exf5 22.Qe2 Rxe3
23.Bxe3 Re8 {and black has some prospects due to his better bishop.} ) 21.
Re2 Nf6 22.Qf3 Qd5 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.Rfe1 Rxe2 25.Rxe2 g6 26.Nf3 Re8 ( 26...
Ne4 {was a final chance when Shreyas would need to find } 27.f5 {to keep
things even, otherwise Ronit would play 27..f5 and white's bishop would be
shut in.} ) 27.Rxe8+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "Mamhead Rd2"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.04.12"]
[Round ""]
[White "T Bonds"]
[Black "T Thynne"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2025.04.12"]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg5 O-O 6.e3 Nbd7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3
b6 9.O-O Bb7 10.Rc1 Re8 11.Re1 ( 11.Qc2 c5 12.Rfd1 {puts Tom's pieces on
good squares.} ) 11...a6 12.Ne2 c5 13.Ng3 g6 14.Bf4 Ne4 15.Ne2 {Tom's yoyo
with his knight shows that he hasn't really got a plan.} 15...Bf6 16.b4 {
This is weakening.} ( 16.Bxe4 Rxe4 ( 16...dxe4 17.Nd2 cxd4 18.exd4 {is
quite even.} ) 17.Nc3 Re8 18.dxc5 Nxc5 {keeps things fairly level.} )
16...c4 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Nd2 b5 19.a4 Nb6 20.a5 ( 20.Nc3 {keeping an eye on
d5 is better.} ) 20...Nd5 21.Rb1 Qe7 22.Qc1 Nxb4 23.Qc3 Nd3 24.Rf1 Rac8
25.Nc1 Nxf4 26.exf4 Qd6 27.Ne2 Red8 {Losing another pawn, Tom throws in
the towel.} 0-1