[Event "Champions' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.22"] [Round ""] [White "A Kinder"] [Black "E Manning"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2025.05.22"] 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.d3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be2 Be7 9.O-O Nc6 10.Bf4 O-O 11.Qe1 f6 12.Rd1 Qd7 13.Qg3 Bf5 14.Bh6 Bg6 15.Bf4 fxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Rxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Qf5+ 19.Kg1 {The game has been fairly level up to now.} 19...Rf8 {Here } ( 19...Bh4 {or } ) ( 19...Bf6 { swapping off a bishop maintains the balance. Now white's pieces become active.} ) 20.Bf3 Bh4 21.Bxd5+ Kh8 22.Qf3 Bf2+ 23.Kh1 ( 23.Kxf2 {looks interesting.} 23...Bh5 ( 23...Qc8 24.Bf4 {is no good.} ) 24.Qxf5 Rxf5+ 25. Bf3 Bxf3 26.gxf3 Rxe5 27.Re1 {gives white a winning king and pawn ending.} ) 23...Qxf3 24.Bxf3 b6 25.Rf1 Bh4 26.g3 Bg5 27.Kg2 h6 28.Bg4 Re8 29.Bf4 Bf6 30.Bd2 {Here, or in the preceding few moves, } ( 30.c4 {keeps an edge for white.} ) 30...Kh7 31.Re1 Rd8 32.h4 ( 32.c4 {is still correct.} ) 32...c4 33.h5 Bf7 34.d4 {Now white's damaged pawn structure gives Ellis equality.} 34...Rd5 35.a3 Ra5 36.Bc1 Bxh5 37.Bxh5 Rxh5 38.Re8 Ra5 39.Kf3 Kg6 40.Ke4 Kf7 41.Rb8 Ke6 42.Rb7 h5 {Ellis needs a win to give him a chance of the title so he decides to push his pawns on the kingside but it's a mistake.} ( 42...Bg5 {brings about a drawn position.} ) 43.Bf4 g5 44.Bb8 {Andrew has time to pick up at least a pawn on the queenside.} 44...h4 45.gxh4 gxh4 46.Bxa7 ( 46.Rc7 {wins cleverly. eg} 46...Be7 47.d5+ Kf6 ( 47...Rxd5 48.Rxe7+ {wins a piece.} ) 48.Rd7 Bf8 ( 48...h3 49.Be5+ Kg6 50.Rxe7 {also wins a piece.} ) 49.Rh7 Rxa3 50.Be5+ Kg6 51.Rxh4 Ra1 52. d6 Rd1 53.Rf4 Bh6 54.Rf6+ Kh5 55.Bd4 Re1+ 56.Kd5 Re8 57.d7 Rd8 58.Ke6 Bg5 59.Rf7 Kg4 60.Rg7 Kh5 61.Rxg5+ Kxg5 62.Bf6+ {and white picks up the rook.} ) 46...h3 47.Bxb6 ( 47.Bb8 {is Andrew's last chance.} 47...Rh5 ( 47...Bd8 48.Be5 h2 49.Rh7 {leaves black almost paralysed eg} 49...Bg5 ( 49...Rxa3 50.d5# {is a recurring theme.} ) 50.Rxh2 Ke7 51.d5 Rxa3 52.Kf5 Be3 53.Rh7+ Kd8 54.Ke6 {and threats of mate and queening the pawn make black's position untenable.} ) 48.d5+ {forces } 48...Rxd5 {when} 49.Rxb6+ Kf7 50. Rxf6+ Kxf6 51.Kxd5 {is completely winning.} ) 47...Rh5 48.d5+ Rxd5 ( 48... Kd6 49.Bc7+ Kd7 50.Bh2+ Kc8 51.Rc7+ Kd8 52.Rxc4 {keeps white on top.} ) 49.Rh7 Re5+ 50.Kf3 Rf5+ 51.Ke4 Re5+ 52.Kf3 Rf5+ 53.Ke4 {The repetition ensures the draw - a tough battle!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Champions' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.22"] [Round ""] [White "J Wills "] [Black "M Abbott"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2025.05.22"] 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.c4 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.Nf3 d6 8.e4 Bxf1 9.Kxf1 Nbd7 10.g3 Bg7 11.Kg2 O-O 12.Re1 Ra6 13.h3 Qa8 14.Qc2 Rb8 15.b3 Ne8 16.Bb2 Nc7 17.Nd2 Nb6 18.a4 e6 19.Nb5 Nxb5 20.axb5 Rxa1 {The game has been a typical Benko Gambit and white has some advantage.} 21.Rxa1 Qb7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.dxe6 fxe6 24.Nc4 d5 {Jack now zigs when he should have zagged. c6 is the key outpost for the knight.} 25.Nd6 ( 25.Na5 {is the better knight move. eg} 25...Qc8 ( 25...Qa7 26.Qc3+ d4 27.Nc6 dxc3 28.Rxa7+ Kf8 29.Nxb8 {is easy for white.} ) 26.Nc6 Rb7 27.Qxc5 dxe4 28.Qe5+ Kg8 29.Ra6 {with a threat of 30.Rxb6} 29...Qe8 ( 29...Kf7 30.Na5 {is no better.} ) 30.Na5 Rb8 31.Ra7 {is crushing.} ) 25...Qc7 26.e5 Nd7 27.f4 Nb6 28.Ra6 c4 29.Rxb6 { This exchange sacrifice is tempting but not clear.} ( 29.bxc4 dxc4 30.Qa2 Qc5 31.Ra7+ Kg8 {leaves white with the advantage but it's complicated.} ) 29...Qxb6 30.bxc4 Qc5 {The players agreed a draw here. It's difficult to see how either side can make progress.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Competitors' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.22"] [Round ""] [White "I Henry"] [Black "L Jarman"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2025.05.22"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 e6 ( 3...cxd4 {is the normal move. Ian shows why.} ) 4.d5 exd5 5.exd5 Nb4 6.a3 Na6 7.c4 ( 7.d6 {is very strong. eg} 7...Qb6 8.Bf4 Nf6 9.Qe2+ Kd8 10.Ng5 Bxd6 11.Nxf7+ Kc7 12.Bxd6+ {and black is busted.} ) 7...d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bd3 Be7 10.O-O O-O 11.Re1 Nd7 12.Qc2 Nf6 13. Ne4 g6 14.Bg5 Nxe4 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Rxe4 Qd8 17.Rae1 f5 {This weakens the kingside pawns - not usually a good idea when your king is under attack.} ( 17...Nc7 {limits white's advantage.} ) 18.Re7 Bd7 19.Qc3 ( 19.Qd2 {is better, looking to enter with the queen via h6.} 19...Be8 20.Qh6 Rf7 21. Rxf7 Bxf7 22.Ng5 {and h7 can't be defended.} 22...Qf6 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 24.Nxf7 Qg7 25.Qh4 {wins a piece and the attack continues.} ) 19...Rf7 20.Rxf7 Kxf7 21.h4 h6 22.Qd2 Kg7 23.Qe3 Qe8 24.Qe7+ {A good move - now black has no defence.} 24...Qf7 25.Qxd6 Re8 26.Ne5 Qf6 27.Qxf6+ Kxf6 28.Nxd7+ {The ending will be hopeless so Len resigns.} 1-0

[Event "Champions' League"] [Site ""] [Date "2025.05.22"] [Round ""] [White "B Sturt"] [Black "J Wills"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2025.05.22"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 5.Re1 Bg4 6.c3 Be7 7.d3 O-O 8.Nbd2 Nb8 9.Nf1 Nbd7 10.Ng3 Re8 11.Be3 c6 12.Ba4 Bf8 13.Qe2 d5 14.h3 Be6 15.Rad1 Qc7 16.Bc2 a5 17.a4 Rad8 18.d4 Bd6 19.dxe5 ( 19.Bg5 {gives Ben chances of an advantage. eg} 19...h6 ( 19...dxe4 20.Nxe4 Be7 21.Nxf6+ Nxf6 22.Nxe5 { leaves white a pawn ahead.} ) 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.exd5 Nxd5 22.dxe5 Bf8 {also wins a pawn.} ) 19...Nxe5 20.Bg5 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 dxe4 22.Nxe4 Bh2+ 23.Kh1 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Nxe4 25.Qxe4 f5 26.Qd3 Bf4 27.Bd8 Qe5 28.Bb6 g6 29.Bd4 Qd5 30.b3 c5 31.c4 {Ben attacks Jack's queen but...} 31...Qxd4 {....it costs him a bishop.} 32.Qxd4 cxd4 33.Rxd4 Be5 34.Rd1 Kf7 35.g3 Bf6 36.Kg2 Rd8 37.Re1 Rd2 38.Bd1 Bd4 39.Rf1 Bxf2 {Jack will emerge with a full extra piece.} 0-1