[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.04.18"]
[Round ""]
[White "M Abbott"]
[Black "R Brenton"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2024.04.18"]
1.c4 a6 2.Nc3 b5 {A Wing Gambit from Richard!} 3.cxb5 axb5 4.Nxb5 c6 5.Nc3
g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d4 Qb6 8.Nf3 d6 9.Bg2 Bg4 10.d5 c5 11.O-O Nf6 12.a4 O-O 13.
Ra3 Bd7 14.Re1 Na6 15.h3 Qd8 16.e4 e5?! {Richard weakens his pawn
structure.} 17.dxe6 Bxe6 18.Ng5 Ne8 19.e5 Rb8 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.exd6 Bd4 22.
Re2 {White is much better here. The computer suggests } ( 22.Bf4 Rxb2 23.
Re2 Rb6 24.Rxe6 Rxd6 25.Rxd6 Nxd6 26.Nb5 {with a pawn extra and dominant
pieces. The move Mark plays isn't bad either.} ) 22...Nxd6 23.Ne4? {But
this is a mistake - Mark misses Richard's threat.} ( 23.Bf4 {is still the
best move. eg} 23...g5 24.Be5 Bxe5 25.Rxe5 Nc4 26.Qxd8 Rfxd8 27.Rxg5+ Kh8
28.Ra1 Rxb2 29.Re1 {and white has a clear advantage.} ) 23...Nxe4 24.Bxe4
?? Bxf2+ {White loses queen for bishop. A good scalp for Richard.} 0-1
[Event "Challengers' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.04.18"]
[Round ""]
[White "R Ballantyne"]
[Black "R Randhawa"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2024.04.18"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bd3 Bxd3 5.Qxd3 e6 {This drops a pawn.} 6.
Qb5+ Nbd7 7.Qxb7 Bd6 8.Qb5 Rb8 9.Qe2 Ne4 10.c3 Nb6 11.Nbd2 Nxd2 12.Qxd2
Na4 13.O-O O-O 14.Qc2 Nb6 15.Nd2 f5 16.c4 dxc4 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Qxc4 Rf6 {
Now Ronit tries a kingside attack.} 19.b3 Rh6 20.g3 Qg5 21.e4 f4 22.e5 Qh5
23.h4 Qg4 24.Bxf4 Rxh4 25.f3 {Not the best move.} ( 25.exd6 cxd6 26.Bxd6 {
leaves white a piece and a pawn up.} ) 25...Qg6 26.exd6 Rxf4 27.Kf2 Rf7
28.Rae1 cxd6 29.Rxe6 Qf5 30.Kg2 d5 31.Qe2 Rc8 32.Re8+ Rxe8 33.Qxe8+ Rf8
34.Qe2 Rc8 35.Rf2 Rc3 36.Qe8+ Qf8 37.Qe6+ ( 37.Qd7 {keeps white's hopes
alive.} 37...Qf7 38.Qd8+ Qf8 39.Qxd5+ {wins a second pawn.} ) 37...Qf7 38.
Qxf7+ Kxf7 39.Rd2 ( 39.g4 {activating white's king is now the only chance.
} 39...Rd3 40.Rc2 a5 41.Rc7+ Kf6 42.Ra7 Rxd4 43.Rxa5 {and white's 2
connected passed pawns on the queenside give him some hope.} ) 39...Kf6
40.Kf2 Kf5 41.Ke2 g5 42.Rd3 Rc2+ 43.Rd2 Rc3 44.Rd3 Rc2+ 45.Rd2 {There's
nothing better than repeating moves. An interesting game.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.04.18"]
[Round ""]
[White "P Brooks"]
[Black "T Thynne"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2024.04.18"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 O-O 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.Bg5 c6 8.O-O Qc7
9.Rc1 a5 10.a3 ( 10.Nd2 {here is better, and if } 10...e5 11.d5 Nc5 12.b3
{white can crawl forward on the queenside with a3 and b4 to dislodge the
knight. Now Trefor gets an annoying bind.} ) 10...e5 11.d5 Nc5 12.Nd2 a4
13.Be3 Nfd7 14.Na2 {A move which shows that things have gone wrong for
Paul. The knight tour doesn't improve his position.} 14...h6 15.Nb4 Kh7
16.Nd3 Qa5 17.f3 Nxd3 18.Bxd3 Nc5 19.Bc2 Bd7 20.Qe2 Rac8 21.Nb1 {This
attempt to put the knight on c3 gives Trefor his chance.} ( 21.Kh1 {
waiting was better.} ) 21...cxd5 22.exd5? ( 22.cxd5 {was necessary.} 22...
Bb5 23.Qe1 Qa6 24.Rf2 Nd3 25.Bxd3 Rxc1 26.Qxc1 Bxd3 27.Nc3 {leaves black a
bit better.} ) 22...b5 23.Bxc5? {Another poor decision.} ( 23.Qd2 Qa6 24.
cxb5 Bxb5 25.Rfd1 {is the lesser of two evils.} ) 23...Rxc5 24.Bd3 Rfc8
25.Rc2 f5 ( 25...bxc4 {is horrible for white.} 26.Bxc4 Bb5 27.Rfc1 Rxc4
28.Rxc4 e4 29.Nd2 Bd4+ 30.Kh1 e3 31.Nf1 Rxc4 32.Rxc4 Bxc4 33.Qxc4 Qe1 {and
it's checkmate soon.} ) 26.Rfc1 b4 {The wrong path. } ( 26...bxc4 {is
still strong.} 27.Bxc4 Rxc4 28.Rxc4 Bb5 29.Nd2 Bxc4 30.Rxc4 Rxc4 31.Nxc4
Qxd5 {leaves black a clear pawn ahead.} ) 27.axb4 Qxb4 28.Qd2 Qb6 29.Qf2
Bf6 30.Na3 Qb3 31.Rc3 Qb4 32.R3c2 Bg5 33.Re1 Qb3 34.Rc3 Qb7 35.Rc2 h5 36.
h4 Bh6 37.Ree2 Qb3 38.Rc3 {Optically black is better, but Trefor couldn't
find a breakthrough, and with time running out the players agreed a draw.}
1/2-1/2
[Event "Challengers' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.04.18"]
[Round ""]
[White "L Barron"]
[Black "S Howard"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2024.04.18"]
1.d4 d5 2.e3 b6 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bb5+ c6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Ne5 e6 7.a3 Be7 8.Qf3 Ba6
9.O-O Qc7 10.Bd2 Bxd3 11.Nxd3 Nbd7 12.Bb4 c5 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.Nxc5 bxc5 15.
Bc3 O-O 16.Bd2 {White should develop by } ( 16.Nd2 {followed by 17.b3 and
the bishop will be comfortable on the long diagonal.} ) 16...Rab8 17.b3 c4
18.Bc3 cxb3 19.cxb3 Rxb3 {Black has won a pawn....} 20.Rc1 Qb7 {....and he
could have won more with} ( 20...Ne4 21.Bd2 Qe5 22.Ra2 Rfb8 23.Qd1 Nxf2!
24.Kxf2 Rxb1 25.Rxb1 Qf5+ {picking up the rook on b1.} ) 21.Qd1 Rc8 22.a4
a6 23.Bd4 Rxc1 24.Qxc1 Rb4 25.Nd2 Bd6 26.Rb1 Rxb1 27.Nxb1 Ng4 28.g3 Ne5
29.Qd1 Nc4 30.Nd2 Nxd2 31.Qxd2 Bb4 32.Qb2 f6 33.Bc5 ( 33.a5 {takes
advantage of the self-pin.} 33...Qe7 34.Bc3 Bxc3 35.Qxc3 Qb7 {and white
should be able to draw this ending.} ) 33...a5 34.Bd6 Kf7 35.Bc5 Ke8 36.f4
Kf7 37.Bd4 Qc6 38.Qe2 Qc4 ( 38...Qxa4 {was easier.} ) 39.Qd1 Bc5 40.h4
Bxd4 41.exd4 g6 42.Kh2 Kg7 43.Kh3 {Black is winning here, but it's tricky
as he needs to stop white's queen from becoming active.} 43...h6 {This
should allow white to draw.} 44.Qe1 Qxd4 45.Qxe6 Qe4 46.Qd7+ Kf8 47.Qh7 {
The losing move! White had to keep checking.} ( 47.Qd8+ Kf7 48.Qc7+ Ke6
49.Qc6+ Kf7 ( 49...Kf5 {loses to} 50.Qd7+ Qe6 51.g4+ ) 50.Qc7+ Qe7 51.Qxa5
{and it's level again.} ) 47...Qh1+ 48.Kg4 {It's mate in 1.} 0-1
[Event "Challengers' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.04.18"]
[Round ""]
[White "L Jarman"]
[Black "E Manning"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2024.04.18"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 Be7 6.e4 {I'm not sure why Len
gives up a pawn here.} 6...Nxe4 7.Nxe4 Bxe4 8.Qe2 Bb7 9.g3 O-O 10.Bg2 d6
11.O-O Nd7 12.b4 c5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Rd1 Bf6 15.Rb1 Qe7 16.Bf4 {Len has
fought back well and now threatens to win the exchange by 17.Be6} 16...e5
17.Nxe5 Bxg2 18.Rxd7 Qe6 19.Rbd1 Bxe5 20.Kxg2 Bxf4 21.Qxe6 fxe6 22.gxf4
Rxf4 {The smoke has cleared and we are now in a double rook and pawn
ending where black has a small advantage.} 23.Rc1 Raf8 24.Rd2 {Len has
defended passively - can Ellis take advantage?} 24...h5 25.bxc5 bxc5 26.
Re1 R8f6 27.Re5 R4f5 28.Rxf5 exf5 29.Rd5 {Len has won his pawn back and it
should be drawn.} 29...g6 30.Rxc5 Ra6 31.Rc8+ Kf7 32.Rc7+ Ke6 33.Kg3 Rxa3+
( 33...g5 {was a final chance, winning the a-pawn without activating
white's king.} ) 34.Kf4 Ra6 35.Kg5 Kd6 36.Rg7 Kc5 37.Rc7+ {All the pawns
are stuck.} 1/2-1/2