[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.02.01"]
[Round ""]
[White "T Thynne"]
[Black "R Brenton"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2024.02.01"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7 3.Bc4 d6 4.O-O Be6 5.Qe2 c6 6.c3 Nf6 7.Re1 Bxc4 8.Qxc4
Qc7 9.d3 Nbd7 10.a4 h6 11.Nbd2 Be7 12.Nf1 a6 {A small error. Richard wants
to push ...b5, but Trefor's next move leaves him with a weakened
queenside. 12...0-0 was better with a fairly equal position.} 13.a5 b5 14.
axb6 Nxb6 15.Qb3 Nbd7 16.Ng3 O-O 17.Nf5 {Now Trefor has a stable advantage
- his pieces are on better squares and have more freedom to manouevre, and
he has fewer weaknesses.} 17...Nc5 18.Qc2 Ne6 19.Bd2 Nh5 20.g3 Qd8 21.Qd1
Nf6 22.Qe2 Kh7 ( 22...Re8 {was best, anticipating white's next move. If }
23.d4 exd4 24.N3xd4 Bf8 {with a threat of a discovered attack on the
e-pawn. Here } 25.Nxc6 Qc8 26.Qc4 {is not so good because black plays }
26...Nc5 27.Nfd4 Ncxe4 {and there isn't much in it.} ) 23.d4 {This move
attacks both the a-pawn and the e-pawn, and wins one of them.} 23...Nd7
24.Rxa6 Rxa6 25.Qxa6 c5 26.Qd3 Rg8 27.dxe5 dxe5 28.Rd1 Nef8 29.Qd5 f6 30.
Qf7 {This is decisive, but Richard's position was already very difficult.}
30...Ng6 31.Bxh6 Qf8 32.Qxf8 Ndxf8 33.Nxe7 Nxe7 34.Be3 Ne6 35.Rd6 Nd8 36.
Rd7 Nec6 37.Bxc5 Nb8 38.Rd3 Ne6 39.Bb6 Rc8 40.Nh4 Rc6 41.Ba7 Na6 42.f3 g6
43.Rd7+ Kh6 44.Be3+ g5 45.Nf5+ {and Trefor will win a rook with a knight
fork.} 1-0
[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.02.01"]
[Round ""]
[White "J Blackmore"]
[Black "J Wills"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2024.02.01"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.O-O g6 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 O-O ( 7...
a6 {forcing white to make a decision about his bishop is better.} ) 8.d5
Ne5 9.Nxe5 Bxe5 10.f4 Bg7 {Now Joshua has a big space advantage - can he
make the most of it?} 11.Bd3 ( 11.f5! {is the move which gives black
problems. He has to stop the pawn fork, and it's not easy.} 11...c6 (
11...Bf6 12.Nc3 a6 13.Bd3 d6 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Qd2 {gives a good attack.} ) (
11...f6 12.d6 cxd6 13.Nc3 Kh8 14.Qxd6 {and again white is on top.} ) 12.f6
cxb5 13.fxg7 Kxg7 14.d6 Ng8 15.Be3 {is much better for white.} ) 11...d6
12.Nc3 f5 {Two moves later and it's more or less equal.} 13.Be3 Kh8 14.Rc1
fxe4 15.Bxe4 Nf5 16.Bxf5 Bxf5 17.Bd4 a6 18.Ne2 ( 18.g4 {trying to prove
that the knight is better than the bishop is more forceful. White might
get a good outpost on f6.} ) 18...Bg4 19.Bxg7+ Kxg7 20.h3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qd7
22.Qc4 Rf7 23.Rc2 Re8 24.Rfc1 Qc8 ( 24...Qd8 {is safer.} ) 25.Qxc7 Re1+
26.Kf2 ( 26.Rxe1! {leads to a small advantage for white.} 26...Rxc7 27.
Re7+ Rxe7 28.Rxc8 {and white's rook is better than black's.} ) 26...Qxc7
27.Rxc7 Rxc1 28.Rxc1 Rxf4+ 29.Ke3 Rf7 30.b4 Re7+ 31.Kd3 Kf6 32.Rc4 g5 33.
Re4 Rxe4 34.Kxe4 h5 35.g3 b6 36.a4 b5 37.a5 Kg6 38.h4 {Amazingly, this
loses! PAWN ENDINGS ARE TRICKY!!!} ( 38.g4 {is totally safe.} ) 38...g4 (
38...Kf6! {leaves white without a good move.} 39.hxg5+ ( 39.Kd4 gxh4 40.
gxh4 Kf5 {and black wins the h-pawn.} ) ( 39.Kf3 gxh4 40.g4 hxg4+ 41.Kxg4
Ke5 {and the e-pawn goes.} ) 39...Kxg5 40.Kf3 Kf5 41.Ke3 Ke5 {and black
wins the e-pawn.} ) 39.Kf4 Kf6 40.Ke4 {A tough fight.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Challengers' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.02.01"]
[Round ""]
[White "E Manning"]
[Black "M Hussey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2024.02.01"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nc6 5.d5 Ne5 {Mike is daring Ellis to
advance his pawns. Ellis obliges.} 6.f4 Ned7 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 Nc5 9.e5 Nfe4
10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Qc2 Bf5 ( 11...Nc5 {is much safer.} ) 12.Bd3 {Ellis misses
} ( 12.g4 {which immediately wins the knight.} ) 12...O-O ( 12...Nc5 {
might be a bit better, but Ellis is still on top.} ) 13.Bxe4 Bc8 14.h4 Bg4
15.h5 Bxf3 16.hxg6 Bxe4 17.gxf7+ {Mike resigns without waiting for
17...Rxf7 18.Qxe4 with a 2-pawn advantage and a continuing attack.} 1-0