[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.23"]
[Round ""]
[White "A Brusey"]
[Black "D Morton"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2023.02.23"]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.d4 Bf5 5.c4 Qd8 6.Nc3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Bg5 h6
9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.dxe6 Qxd1+ 11.Rxd1 fxe6 12.Be2 a6 {Developing by } ( 12...
Nc6 {was a better bet.} ) 13.Nh4 Bh7 14.Bh5+ Ke7 15.O-O Nc6 16.Rfe1 Bg7
17.Nd5+ Kf8 18.Nc7 {White's pieces are obviously better than black's so
it's no surprise there is a breakthrough coming.} 18...Rc8 19.Nxe6+ Kg8
20.Rd7 Bf8 21.Bf7# {A picturesque position.} 1-0
[Event "Competitors' League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.23"]
[Round ""]
[White "J Blackmore"]
[Black "P Brooks"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2023.02.23"]
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.d4 e6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bb4 6.e4 b5 7.Be2 Bb7 8.O-O a6 9.
Qc2 h6 {This is too slow. 9...Nf6 keeps things more equal.} 10.b3 Bxc3 11.
Qxc3 cxb3 12.d5 $1 {This is the move Paul missed. Now he comes under lots
of pressure.} 12...Nf6 13.dxc6 {The computer likes } ( 13.dxe6 {because }
13...fxe6 14.Nd4 Qd7 15.Qxb3 $1 {opens black up.} 15...Qxd4 16.Qxe6+ Kf8
17.Rd1 {is a decisive breakthrough.} ) 13...Bxc6 {Paul replies with an
inaccurate move.} ( 13...Nxc6 14.axb5 axb5 15.Rd1 Qc8 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Bxb5
O-O {leads to a more or less equal position.} ) 14.axb5 Bxe4 15.Ba3 axb5
16.Bxb5+ Nbd7 17.Ne5 ( 17.Qxb3 {prevents black's next move.} ) 17...Rxa3
$1 {Josh has had much the better of the game so far. This exchange
sacrifice allows Paul to castle and at least gives him a chance.} 18.Rxa3
O-O 19.Bxd7 Nxd7 20.Rxb3 Bd5 21.Ra3 Qg5 22.Nf3 Qf6 23.Qxf6 Nxf6 24.Ne5 Ne4
25.Rc1 Rb8 26.f3 Nd6 {Josh has played the last few moves well and has a
significant advantage.} 27.Nc6 Re8 28.Ra7 Kf8 29.Nb4 Nc8 30.Rac7 Nb6 31.
Nxd5 $6 {This is a mistake. Josh should aim to double rooks on the seventh
rank with 31.Ra1.} 31...Nxd5 32.Rc8 Rxc8 33.Rxc8+ Ke7 {Now all the pawns
are on one side, it's difficult for either player to make much progress.}
34.Kf2 h5 35.h4 g6 36.Ra8 f5 37.g3 Kf6 38.f4 Kf7 39.Ra7+ Kf6 40.Ke2 Nc3+
41.Ke3 Ne4 42.Kf3 Nd2+ 43.Kg2 Ne4 44.Rd7 Nc3 45.Rd3 Ne4 46.Kf3 Nc5 47.Rd4
Nb3 48.Rb4 Nd2+ 49.Ke3 Nf1+ 50.Kf2 Nd2 51.Ke3 Nf1+ 52.Kf2 Nd2 53.Rb8 Ne4+
54.Kg2 Nd2 55.Rf8+ Kg7 56.Rb8 Ne4 57.Kf3 Kf6 {Josh has tried hard to win,
but here he admitted that he couldn't break through and offered the draw.}
1/2-1/2
[Event "Challengers League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.23"]
[Round ""]
[White "R Brenton"]
[Black "J Barber Lafon"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2023.02.23"]
[FlipB "1"]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.Bb2 Bg7 4.e3 d6 5.h3 e5 6.Be2 Nc6 7.d3 Bd7 8.Nbd2 Qe7
9.e4 a6 10.c4 O-O 11.g4 Nd8 12.Nf1 Ne6 13.Rg1 Nf4 14.Rg3 {The powerful
knight gives black the advantage.} 14...c6 15.Bc1 Ne8 16.Rb1 d5 17.N3d2
dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf6 19.Nfd2 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Rad8 21.Be3 Qb4+ {21...f5 was more
dynamic.} 22.Kf1 Nxe2 {Swapping off the powerful knight for the blocked
bishop seems a bit illogical.} 23.Kxe2 Qa5 24.Qc2 f5 25.Nc5 Bc8 {25...f4!
wins a piece.} 26.gxf5 Rxf5 27.Ne4 Qc7 28.c5 Be6 29.Nd6 Bf8 30.Nxf5 Bxf5
31.Qc4+ Kg7 32.Rd1 Be7 33.Bg5 Bxg5 34.Rxg5 Bxh3 35.Rg3 {35.Qh4, trying to
build a kingside attack looks more promising.} 35...Bf5 36.Qc3 Qf7 37.f4
Kg8 38.fxe5 Rf8 39.Kd2 Be6 40.Rdg1 Qf2+ 41.Kc1 Qxa2 42.R3g2 Qa3+ 43.Qb2
Qxc5+ {Ricard and Jacquie agreed a draw here, but there's still plenty of
play. I prefer black as, in the long run, the passed pawns might be
powerful.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Challengers League"]
[Site ""]
[Event "Challengers League"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.23"]
[Round ""]
[White "L Barron"]
[Black "J Wills"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2023.02.23"]
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Bf5 3.Nc3 e6 4.Qe2 Nd7 5.h3 Ngf6 6.g4 Bg6 7.g5 Ne4 8.h4 Bb4
9.Bd2 Nxd2 10.Qxd2 c5 11.Nf3 a6 12.a3 Qa5 13.O-O-O Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Qxc3 15.
bxc3 c4 16.Kd2 O-O 17.Rb1 b5 18.a4 Rab8 19.Be2 bxa4 20.Ra1 Rb2 21.Rhc1 Nb6
22.Ne5 Bf5 {The game is level and 23.Bg4 swapping off black's powerful
bishop will keep things balanced. Instead Les makes an oversight, allowing
Jack's pawn to advance.} 23.Rab1 a3 24.Rxb2 axb2 25.Rb1 Na4 26.Nd7 Rd8 {
26...Rc8 was better, winning the c pawn if white plays 27.Nc5} 27.Nc5 Nxc5
28.dxc5 Kf8 29.Rxb2 Rc8 30.Rb6 Rxc5 31.Rxa6 g6 32.Ra8+ Kg7 33.Ra7 Rb5 34.
Ra2 h6 35.gxh6+ Kxh6 36.Ra7 Rb2 37.Bd1 Kg7 38.Rc7 Rb8 39.h5 gxh5 40.Bxh5
Bg6 41.Bd1 {Swapping the bishops would have left an endgame which is
difficult for black to win.} 41...Rh8 42.f3 $2 Rh2+ 43.Be2 Bxc2 44.Kxc2
Rxe2+ 45.Kd1 Rxe3 46.Kd2 Rxf3 {Now it's completely winning for black.} 47.
Rb7 Kf6 48.Kc2 Rf2+ 49.Kd1 Ke5 50.Ra7 Ke4 51.Ra3 Kd3 52.Kc1 Rc2+ 53.Kd1
Rxc3 54.Rxc3+ Kxc3 55.Ke2 d4 56.Kd1 e5 57.Ke2 Kc2 58.Kf3 d3 59.Ke4 d2 60.
Kxe5 d1=Q 0-1
[Event "TBGS v NA Div 2"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.21"]
[Round ""]
[White "T Thynne"]
[Black "J Yeap"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2023.02.21"]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7
9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bd2 e6 12.O-O-O b5 13.Rde1 a5 14.Kb1 Qb6 15.Re2
b4 16.Qc4 Nd5 17.Ka1 Be7 18.Ne5 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Kd7 20.Rd1 Rhb8 21.Be3 Qb7
22.Ne4 Ke8 23.Bc5 Bxc5 24.Qxc5 Qb6 25.Qxb6 Rxb6 26.g3 Ke7 27.Nd6 f6 28.Nc4
Rb5 29.exf6+ Kxf6 30.Rde1 Nc7 31.Ne5 c5 32.Nd7+ ( 32.Re3 {intending to
invade on f7 is very strong. Presumably Trefor was short of time, and
repeated moves to agree the draw.} ) 32...Ke7 33.Ne5 Kf6 34.Nd7+ Ke7 35.
Ne5 Kf6 1/2-1/2
[Event "TBGS v NA Div 2"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.21"]
[Round ""]
[White "A Paul"]
[Black "F Sugden"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2023.02.21"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.c4 O-O 5.b3 c6 6.Bb2 d5 7.Nbd2 Bf5 8.h3 Na6
9.a3 Nc7 10.Be2 Re8 11.Nh4 Qc8 12.Nxf5 Qxf5 13.Nf3 Ne4 14.Bd3 f6 15.Bxe4
Qxe4 16.O-O e5 17.Re1 Qf5 {White should open the centre with 18.dxe5 fxe5
19.cxd5. Instead he allows the e-pawn to advance and Freddie slowly builds
his attack behind it.} 18.Rc1 e4 19.Nd2 Qd7 20.cxd5 Nxd5 21.f3 $2 {Opening
the e-file is a bad idea, as we shall soon see.} 21...exf3 22.Qxf3 Bh6 23.
Nf1 Re6 24.Rc5 Rae8 25.Bc1 Qe7 26.Kf2 f5 {The e3 pawn is under great
pressure. Aritra decides to sacrifice the exchange.} 27.Rxd5 cxd5 28.Qxd5
Qh4+ 29.g3 Qe4 30.Qxe4 Rxe4 31.Kf3 $6 {Missing a tactic....} 31...Rxd4 32.
Bb2 Rd3 33.Bd4 $2 {...and again!} 33...Rxd4 34.exd4 Rxe1 35.Nd2 Bxd2 0-1
[Event "TBGS v NA Div 2"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2023.02.21"]
[Round ""]
[White "G B Pope"]
[Black "I Freestone"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "2023.02.21"]
1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bf5 4.Bf4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Nh4 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Qb3 b6
9.e3 Nbd7 10.Bd3 Be7 11.Nf3 Bg6 12.Bxg6 fxg6 {It's usually much better to
capture towards the centre with pawns. 12...hxg6 keeps Iain's pawn
structure intact.} 13.O-O O-O 14.Rfe1 Ne4 $6 {This weakens the pawns
further - especially the e6 pawn which will drop soon.} 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.
Nd2 h5 17.Nxe4 Nf6 18.Nxf6+ $6 {18.Ng5 keeps the pressure on black's weak
pawns.} 18...gxf6 19.c5 bxc5 {19....Qd5 is the last chance to hold things
together.} 20.Qxe6+ Rf7 21.dxc5 Bxc5 22.Rac1 Bb4 23.Red1 Qe8 24.Qxe8+ Rxe8
25.Rxc6 g5 26.Bg3 Kg7 27.Rc7 Ree7 28.Rxe7 Rxe7 29.Bd6 Rd7 {A neat tactic
finishes things off.} 30.Bf8+ $1 1-0