[Event "NACC Section A"] [Site "?"] [Date "7 Dec 2018"] [Round "?"] [White "Paul Brooks"] [Black "John Stephens"] [Result "0-1"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. g3 Be7 { Black plays the opening quite timidly. Perhaps 5....Nbd7 followed by dxc4 is more promising.}6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. b3 Nbd7 9. Bb2 Ne4 10. Nfd2 f5 11. f3 Nxd2 12. Nxd2 Nf6 13. e4 { White expands in the centre with f3 and e4 (the classic response to a stonewall setup) and gains a very promising space advantage.} dxc4 14. bxc4 b5 15. e5 Nd7 16. f4 Ba6 17. Bxc6 { ?! White had 3 tempting continuations and chooses the worst of them. 17. c5 would have maintained the space advantage, with black very cramped. 17. cxb5 Bxb5 18. Rfc1 followed by a4 creates strong pressure down the c file.} Rc8 18. Bxd7 {? this wins a pawn, but, more importantly, loses the white squares. Black's game is immediately easy to play - just line up the queen and bishop on the long diagonal!} Qxd7 19. c5 Bb7 20. a4 Qd5 21. Nf3 b4 22. Rac1 a5 23. Rf2 { After the game, John suggested 23. Qc4 as a radical try to solve white's problems. 23...Qxc4 24. Rxc4 Ba6 25. Nd2 Bxc4 (maybe 25... g5 is better)26. Nxc4 loses the exchange, but at least it gives white some breathing space.} Bc6 24. Kf1 Qd7 25. Ra1 Rb8 26. Nd2 b3 27. Qc3 Bxa4 28. Qxa5 Bb5+ 29. Kg1 Qd5 30. Qc3 { According to stockfish, 30. h4 is much better and may be white's last chance. The idea is 30.... Bc6 31. Rh2 Ra8 32. Qb6 attacking the b pawn and not allowing 32... Reb8 because of 33. Rxa8} Bc6 31. Nf3 Ra8 32. Kg2 h6 33. h4 Rxa1 34. Bxa1 Ra8 35. Bb2 Bd8 36. Qe3 Ra4 37. Rd2 Ba5 { Black brings his last piece efficiently into the attack. White's position is broken.} 38. Rd3 Rb4 39. Kf2 Bb5 40. Rc3 Rc4 41. Rxb3 Rc2+ 42. Kg1 Qc4 43. Nh2 Bc6 44. Rb8+ Kh7 45. Rb3 Rg2+ {46. Kh1 Rxh2 47. Kxh2 Qc2+ is mate in two. The moral is BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU EXCHANGE BISHOP FOR KNIGHT. YOU MIGHT LOSE CONTROL OF ALL THE WHITE SQUARES (OR BLACK SQUARES!)} 0-1

[Event "Newton Abbot Section A"] [Site ""] [Date "29 Nov 2018"] [Round ""] [White "Jason Cole"] [Black "Alan Brusey"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d3 c5 3. Nbd2 Nc6 4. g3 e5 5. e4 {White's opening is conservative, so Black tries to play a reversed King's Indian} dxe4 6. dxe4 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. c3 b6 10. Re1 Qc7 11. Qe2 a5 12. a4 Ba6 13. c4 Nb4 14. Nf1 {Black defends against Nc2, but allows black to attack e4. 14. Nb1 is better} Bb7 15. Nh4 g6 16. Bg5 Rad8 17. Rad1 Kg7 {17... Rxd1 18. Rxd1 Nc6 19. Ne3 Nd4 gives black a positional advantage} 18. Bxf6+ Bxf6 19. Ne3 Rd4 20. Nd5 Nxd5 {20.... Bxd5 might be better with the idea of 21. cxd5 Bxh4 22. gxh4 c4 when black's knight and pawns are working well together; or 21. exd5 22. Bxh4 gxh4 23. Re8 with a potential king-side pawn push} 21. exd5 Bxh4 22. Rxd4 exd4 23. gxh4 Qd7 {23... Bc8 activating the white-squared bishop may be better} 24. b3 h5 25. Qe5+ Kg8 26. Qe7 Rd8 {After the game, the two players analysed this position. White has the chance to penetrate with his Rook by 27. Qxd7 Rxd7 28. Re8 Kg7 29. Bh3 . This looks good, but things are still tricky. Here are two lines: 29...f5 30. Bf1 Rf7 31. Bg2 Ba6 32. Rb8 (White only moves his rook off the e file when Black's pieces are in passive positions) d3 (.... Rf6 holds) 33. Bf3 Re7 34. d6 wins for white. But if white goes chasing the win he could be stung as follows 29 ... Rd6 (not the best) 30. Rb8 Ba6 31. Ra8 d3! 32. Bf1? (32. Bg2 maintains a very slight advantage) ... d2 33. Be2 Rxd5! 34. Rxa6 d1Q+ 35. Bxd1 Rxd1+ 36. Kg2 Rd6 and black has the advantage because of the pawn structure} 27. Re5 {Draw agreed (probably sensible!)}1/2-1/2

[Event "Newton Abbot Section A"] [Site ""] [Date "22 Nov 2018"] [Round ""] [White "Trefor Thynne"] [Black "Jason Cole"] [Result "1-0"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Be2 O-O 7.O-O dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nbd7 11.Rd1 e5 {both players thought this was a mistake after the game, but it's actually the main line. The mistake comes next move.} 12.d5 cxd5 {The correct move is 12...e4 which involves a (temporary) pawn sacrifice. One line is 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nb6 15.Bb3 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 cxd5 17.Rxd5 Qb6 18.Qd3 Rad8 which is very close to equal} 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5 Nb6 15.Qxb7 Qh4 16.e4 f5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Be3 Rf7 19.Qc6 Rc8 20.Qe6 Qc4 {? this allows neat tactics to a finish} 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.Rxd5 Qc6 {even 22...Rc6 23.Rd8+ Bf8 24.Rxf8 Kxf8 25.Bh6+ Rg7 26.Qxe5+ Qf7 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.Qxe5+ gives white too many pawns.} 23.Rd8+ Bf8 24.Qxc8 1-0

[Event "Newton Abbot Section A"] [Site ""] [Date "8 Nov 2018"] [Round ""] [White "Andrew Kinder"] [Black "Jason Cole"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Ng3 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. Bd2 c5 9. c3 cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O 11. O-O Nb6 12. h3 Bd7 13. Ne5 Be6 14. Bc3 Nfd5 15. Qd2 Nxc3 16. bxc3 Rc8 17. Rfe1 Bd5 18. Rac1 f6 19. Ng4 Qc7 20. Nh6+ Kh8 21. h4 Nc4 22. Bxc4 Bxc4 23. h5 Rfd8 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Re4 g5 26. Nhf5 { 26. Qd1, taking advantage of the fact that after 26...Bxf6 27. Qh5 the knight on h6 is trapped, leads to a white advantage} e6 27. Qd1 exf5 28. Qh5+ Kg8 29. Nxf5 Bf7 30. Nh6+ Bxh6 31. Qxh6 Qd6 32. Re3 { Black needs to be wary of threats on the h-file. According to stockfish, 32....g4 is the best move, but it looks risky!} Qf8 33. Qxf6 Qg7 34. Qe7 Rxd4 35. Qxb7 {Black could fight on with 35...Rdc4, but Jason offered the draw and Andrew accepted} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Newton Abbot Section A"] [Site ""] [Date "1 Nov 2018"] [Round ""] [White "Paul Brooks"] [Black "Jason Cole"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. b4 {maybe a bit too loosening.} Nbd7 9. Qb3 Nb6 10. c5 Nbd7 11. Bb2 {I spotted the tactic at move 14, but failed to evaluate the subsequent complications accurately.} e5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Rxe5 14. Nb5 Ne4 15. Bxe5 Bxe5 16. Rad1 (16. Nd4 Nd2 17. Qc2 Nxf1 18. Rxf1 {left the position just about equal, but I ploughed on trusting in tactics on the d-file which just didn't work.}) 16... cxb5 17. Rxd5 Qe7 18. f4 Bg7 19. Bf3 Nc3 20. Rd3 Be6 21. Qa3 Bc4 (21... Na4 {! this wasn't obvious but it threatens to trap the queen next move and leads to advantageous complications e.g.} 22. Rf2 Bc4 23. Rd1 a5 24. bxa5 Rxa5 25. Rfd2 b6 26. Rd8+ Bf8 27. Rb8 Nxc5 28. Qc3 Rxa2 {Instead I was allowed to limp into the ending}) 22. Rxc3 Bxc3 23. Qxc3 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 Rc8 25. e4 Qe6 {? Jason offered the draw and I quickly accepted. Jason was still much better, but got too worried about time and the possibility of me taking his b-pawn with my bishop. However 26. e5 Qxa2 27. Bxb7 Rd8 28. Bf3 Rd2 and black is having all the fun! A very impressive debut for Jason.} 1/2-1/2