[Event "S Hams v NA"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "T Hurt"] [Black "J Allen"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2022.02.03"] 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bc4 Bb7 4.O-O? Bxe4 5.d3 Bb7 6.Nc3 d5 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Ba4 a5 9.Re1 b5 10.Bxb5 cxb5 11.Nxb5 Qb6 12.a4 {The opening has been a big success for black, but he still has to develop his kingside.} 12...Bc5 13.d4 Bd6 14.Be3?! ( 14.Ng5 {gives white counterplay. eg} 14...Nf6 15.Nxe6 Bxh2+ 16.Kxh2 fxe6 17.Rxe6+ Qxe6 18.Nc7+ {and white is winning.} ) 14...Ba6?! {Developing the knight on g8 should be the priority.} ( 14...Ne7 {followed by castling would leave black well ahead.} ) 15.c4 {Now 16.c5 is a threat.} 15...Bb4 ( 15...dxc4 16.d5 Qd8 17.dxe6 {is a smashing breakthrough.} ) 16.c5 Qd8 17.Nd6+ Kf8 18.Bd2 ( 18.Nxf7 {is very strong. eg} 18...Kxf7 ( 18...Qf6 {is probably best, but white still has a big advantage. } ) 19.Ng5+ Kg6 20.Qc2+ Kf6 21.Nxe6 Kxe6 22.Bg5+ {and white wins the queen.} ) 18...Nc6 19.Ng5 Nh6 20.Rxe6 {White sees that he can win the queen if the rook is captured.} ( 20.Ndxf7 {is a better way of creating the same threat.} ) 20...Qd7 {White sees that he can win the queen if the rook is captured.} 21.Rxh6 gxh6 22.Ngxf7 Rg8 23.Bxh6+ Ke7 24.Qh5 Qg4 25.Bg5+? {Now black is able to exchange pieces and the pressure disappears.} ( 25.Qxd5 {covers the g2 square and keeps the pressure on.} ) 25...Rxg5 26.Qxg5+ Qxg5 27.Nxg5 Nxd4 28.Ndf7 h5 29.h4 Rc8 30.c6 Rxc6 31. Ne5 Rc2 32.Ng6+ Kf6 33.Nf4 Ne2+ 34.Nxe2 Rxe2 35.b3 d4 {The d-pawn is going to cost white material so black is winning here.} 36.Rc1 Re1+ 37.Rxe1 Bxe1 38.g3 d3 39.Nf3 d2 40.Nxd2 Bxd2 41.Kh2 Be2 42.Kg2 Bd1 43.f3 Bxb3 44.g4 hxg4 45.fxg4 Bxa4 {In desperation, white pushes his pawns, but it should never be enough.} 46.g5+ Bxg5? 47.hxg5+ Kxg5?? {The drawing move!! John forgot that bishop and opposite coloured rook pawn is a drawn ending, but he still could have rescued himself with } ( 47...Ke5 {with a possible continuation} 48.Kf2 Kd4 49.Ke2 Kc3 {and the white king can't reach a1.} ) 48.Kf2 Kf4 49.Ke2 Ke4 50.Kd2 Kd4 51.Kc1 Kc3 52.Kb1 Kb4 53.Ka1 Ka3 54.Kb1 Bd1 {There is no way to force the king out, without allowing a stalemate. A bizarre conclusion to a fighting game.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "S Hams v NA"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "M Gilding"] [Black "T Tatam"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2022.02.03"] 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 Nf6 4.e3 Bd6 5.Bg3 O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Bd3 c4 9.Bc2 b5 10.b4 a6 11.a4 Bb7 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.O-O h6 14.e4 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Qc7 17.Re1 Ne7 18.Ne5 Nd5 19.Qf3 f5 20.Bxd5 Bxd5 21.Qe3 Rf6 22. axb5 axb5 23.Rxa8+ Bxa8 24.Ra1 Bc6 25.Ra6 Bd5 26.Ra5 Qb7 27.Qh3 f4 28.f3 Kh7 29.Qh5 g6 30.Qh4 Rf5 31.Qd8 {Mike has got in behind Tony's defences, and has a significant advantage.} 31...Rg5 32.Ra8? {At a crucial moment, Mike blunders the rook.} ( 32.Qe8 {builds the pressure and wins at least the b-pawn.} ) ( 32.Rxb5 {is flashier and forces } 32...Qa7 33.Ra5 Qg7 34.Rc5 Rf5 35. Rc7 {winning the queen.} ) 32...Qxa8 33.Qe7+ {Fortunately white has a perpetual check.} 33...Kg8 34.Qf7+ Kh8 35.Qf6+ Kh7 36.Qf7+ Kh8 37.Qf6+ Kg8 38.Qf7+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "S Hams v NA"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "W Taylor"] [Black "P McConnell"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.02.03"] 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.c4 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 5.Nc3 e6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.d4 Bb4 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Ne4 10.Bb2 Nd7 11.Be2 O-O 12.O-O c6 13.Rb1 Nb6 14.Qc2 Re8 15. Ne5 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 f6 17.Nd3 Nc4 18.Ba1 Ned2 19.Rxb7 Nxf1 20.Kxf1 Rb8 21. Rxb8 Qxb8 22.Qa2 Qb6 23.Bb2 Rb8 24.Bc1 Qb1 25.Nb4 0-1
[Event "S Hams v NA"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "J Fowler"] [Black "J Wills"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2022.02.03"] 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.h3 O-O 7.O-O h6 8.a3 a5 9. Be3 Bxe3 10.fxe3 Be6 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.Bxd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 14.e4 c6 15.c4 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Rab8 17.Qd2 Qa6 18.Nh4 b5 19.b3 cxd5 20.cxd5 a4 21.b4 Rbc8 22. Rac1 Qb6 23.Nf3 f5 24.Qa2 Qe3 ( 24...fxe4 {allows black to penetrate.} 25.dxe4 Qe3 26.Rce1 Qd3 27. Qe2 Qxe2 28.Rxe2 Rc3 29.Ra1 Ng6 {and black's knight will come to f4 with a clear advantage.} ) 25.Qd2 Qxd2 26.Nxd2 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 fxe4 28.Nxe4 Nxd5 29.Nxd6 Nf4 30.Nxb5 Nxd3 31.Rc2 Rf1+ 32.Kh2 e4 33.Re2 Re1 34.Rxe1 Nxe1 35.Nc3 Nc2 36.Nxe4? {White misses his chance.} ( 36.b5 Kf7 37.b6 Nd4 38.Nxa4 Nc6 39.b7 e3 40.Kg3 {and white will win the e-pawn with the two passed pawns giving him a decisive advantage.} ) 36...Nxa3 37.Nc3 Nc2 38.b5 Nd4 39.b6 a3 40.b7 Nc6 41.Kg3 Kf7 42.Kf4 Ke6 43.g4 Kf6 44.Nd5+ Ke6 45.Nb4 Nb8 46.Ke4 g6 47.h4 g5 48.hxg5 hxg5 49.Kd4 Kd6 50.Na2 Kc7 51.Ke4 Nd7 52.b8=Q+ Kxb8 53.Kf5 Kc7 54.Kxg5 Ne5 55.Kf5 Nf7 56.Ke4 Kc6 57.Kd3 Kb5 58.Kc2 Kc4 59.Nc3 Ng5 60.Na2 Ne4 61.Kb1 Kd3 62.Nc1+ Ke3 63.Ka2 Kf4 64.Kxa3 Kxg4 1/2-1/2
[Event "S Hams v NA"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.03"] [Round "?"] [White "T Thynne"] [Black "S Levy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2022.02.03"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 e6 3.c3 b6 4.Nf3 Bb7 5.e3 Be7 6.Bd3 c5 7.O-O Nh5 8.Bg3 Nc6 9.Nbd2 Nxg3 10.hxg3 O-O 11.a3 d5 12.Qe2 c4 13.Bc2 f5 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 a5 16.g4 b5 17.gxf5 exf5 18.f4 Ra6 19.Nf3 Bc5 20.Nd4 Bxd4 21.exd4 Bc8 22. Qf3 1/2-1/2