[Event "Autumn Swiss R4"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.12.05"]
[Round ""]
[White "A Brusey"]
[Black "J Wills"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2024.12.05"]
[FlipB "1"]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 {The aggressive Fantasy variation against the
Caro-Kann. Jack immediately tries to take advantage of the weakness in
Alan's kingside.} 3...e5 4.dxe5 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qh5 6.Qd4 {It's better to
develop with 6.Bf4.} 6...dxe4 7.Qxe4 Bf5 8.Qe2 Nd7 {The computer likes
white's position and suggests 9.h4 threatening a fork on g4.} 9.Be3 Qg6
10.Nc3 Bxc2 11.f4 {The computer suggests } ( 11.Nh3 {going for development
rather than worrying about material. This position is on a knife-edge.} )
11...Bb4 12.Nf3 Ne7 13.Bh3 Nb6 14.Kf2 {Up to now the computer has favoured
white. But in trying to find a safe pkace for his king, Alan is allowing
Jack to catch up in development.} 14...Bd3 15.Qd2 ( 15.Qd1 {is better, as
now Jack's knight enters the game with tempo.} ) 15...Nc4 16.Qc1 Qh5 17.
Ng1 ( 17.Bd7+ {is Alan's last hope, though I'm sure most people wouldn't
have found it.} 17...Kxd7 18.Rd1 {regains the piece.} ) 17...Rd8 18.g4
Qh4+ 19.Kf3 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Nd5 21.Bf2 Be4+! 22.Kxe4 Qxf2 {Mate is
unstoppable.} 23.g5 Nd2+ 24.Kd3 Nb4# {What a beautiful checkmate! Well
played Jack. My club game of the year!!} 0-1
[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round ""]
[White "S Howard"]
[Black "O Pocknell"]
[Result "1-0"]
1.d4 d5 2.e3 c5 3.c3 Nc6 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Nd2 e6 6.Ngf3 Bd6 7.O-O c4 {Closing
the centre allows Simon to concentrate on the e4 break.} 8.Bc2 O-O 9.e4
Bf4 10.e5 Nd7 11.Re1 f5 12.Nf1 Bxc1 13.Qxc1 b5 14.Qg5 {Keeping the queens
on might have helped Simon's attack.} 14...Qxg5 15.Nxg5 Nb6 16.Ng3 h6 17.
Nh3 b4 18.Nf4 a5 19.Ngh5 Kh7 {This allows an attacking pawn advance.} 20.
g4 g6 {This weakens the dark squares. Continuing to atack on the queenside
with 20...a4 was better.} 21.Nf6+ Kg7 22.gxf5 gxf5 23.N4h5+ {Simon's
knights occupy great outposts, although here } ( 23.Kh1 {was more
clinical, threatening a decisive invasion down the g-file.} ) 23...Kh8 (
23...Kf7 {trying to escape to the queenside gave a bit more hope.} ) 24.
Kh1 Nd7 25.Rg1 Nxf6 26.Nxf6 Ne7 27.Rg2 Ng8 28.Nh5 Rf7 29.Rag1 Bd7 30.Nf4
Ne7 31.Bd1 {Simon has built up well and now brings his last piece into the
attack.} 31...Rg8 32.Rxg8+ Nxg8 33.Bh5 Rh7 34.Ng6+ Kg7 35.Ne7+ Kf8 36.Nxg8
Bb5 37.Nf6 Ra7 38.Rg8+ {and the a7 rook will be lost next move. A good
attack from Simon.} 1-0
[Event "Autumn Swiss R4"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.12.10"]
[Round ""]
[White "M Abbott"]
[Black "P Brooks"]
[Result "0-1"]
[EventDate "2024.12.10"]
[FlipB "1"]
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Qc2 c6 7.e3 Nbd7 8.Bd3
h6 9.Bh4 Nh5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nge2 Nb6 {Paul has played a slightly unusual
variation of the exchange variation of the QGD. } 12.Ng3 Nf4 {This is one
of the points. Mark is forced to allow a bishop swap or retreat to a more
passive square.} 13.Bf1 g6 14.O-O-O Ne6 15.Kb1 Bd7 16.f3 O-O-O 17.e4 Kb8 {
Mark's position looks good but it's difficult to formulate a plan. He
moves his bishop back to where it was.} 18.Bd3 Nf4 19.Rhe1 Nxd3 {This time
the bishop comes off.} 20.Qxd3 Rhe8 21.e5 Qh4 {Mark isn't worse here, but
playing natural moves doesn't really help his position.} 22.f4 ( 22.b3 {is
better and if } 22...Qxh2 ( 22...h5 {is better, hoping to cause problems
for the g3 knight.} ) 23.Nce2 Qh4 ( 23...Qxg2 24.Rh1 {leads to a draw by
repetition.} ) 24.Rh1 Qe7 25.Rxh6 {is fairly equal.} ) 22...Bg4 23.Rd2 (
23.Rc1 {isn't much better.} 23...Qxh2 24.Rh1 Qxg2 25.Rcg1 Qf3 26.Qxf3 Bxf3
27.Rxh6 Rh8 28.Rxh8 Rxh8 {and black should win.} ) 23...Qxh2 {Paul thought
for a long time before taking the pawn. It looks like his queen will be in
trouble but there are some tactics.} 24.Nd1 ( 24.Rh1 {allows} 24...Qxh1+!
25.Nxh1 Bf5 {winning back the queen with a big advantage.} ) 24...Nc4 25.
Rf2 Qh4 26.b3 Nd6 {Another pin causes problems for Mark.} 27.Kb2 Nf5 28.
Nxf5 Bxf5 29.Qd2 h5 30.Ne3 Be4 {Now Paul is a clear pawn ahead. Mark tries
to stir up trouble, but it doesn't really work.} 31.g4 hxg4 32.Rh2 Qg3 33.
Nf1 Qd3 34.Qxd3 Bxd3 35.Rg2 Bf5 ( 35...f5 {was more precise as the passed
d-pawn can't make too much trouble.} ) 36.Ne3 Rh8 37.Nxg4 Bxg4 38.Rxg4
Rh2+ 39.Ka3 Rd2 40.e6 fxe6 41.Rxe6 Rxd4 42.Rexg6 Rf8 43.Rg7 Rdxf4 44.R4g6
R4f7 {In this lost position, Mark sportingly resigned.} 0-1
[Event "Div 2 NA v Teignmouth"]
[Site ""]
[Date "2024.12.05"]
[Round ""]
[White "S Pasupulety"]
[Black "I Henry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[EventDate "2024.12.05"]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd7 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Ne5 Qd8 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Bc4
h6 9.Bh4 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Nxe7 11.O-O O-O 12.Qd2 c6 13.Rad1 Nd5 14.Ne4 Nf6 15.
Ng3 Nbd7 16.f4 Nb6 17.c3 Nxc4 18.Nxc4 Qc7 19.Ne5 Rd8 20.b4 b6 21.Qf2 a5
22.a3 axb4 23.axb4 b5 24.Ra1 Bb7 25.Qb2 Rxa1 26.Rxa1 Nd7 27.Qf2 Nxe5 28.
fxe5 Ra8 29.Rxa8+ Bxa8 30.Qa2 Qb8 31.Ne4 Kf8 32.Nc5 Ke8 33.Qa5 Ke7 34.g3
f5 35.Qa2 Qc8 36.Qa7+ Kf8 {Shreyas has played well so far and it looks
like he has a big advantage, based on the powerful knight and Ian's very
bad bishop. He sees an opportunity to win a pawn.} 37.Nxe6+ {This allows
Ian to swap Shreyas' excellent knight for his appalling bishop and
activate his queen - all for the cost of a pawn - it seems like a very
good deal for Ian. The winning plan isn't that easy to find. The position
is basically zugzwang. You need to wait with something like} ( 37.Kg2 {
then} 37...Qe8 ( 37...Kg8 38.Qe7 {wins the e-pawn without allowing the
bishop to escape.} ) ( 37...h5 38.h4 {doesn't make a big difference.} )
38.Nd7+ Kg8 39.Nb6 {wins the bishop.} ) ( 37.Nd7+ Kf7 38.Nb6+ {doesn't
really work as after } 38...Qb7 {white can't win the bishop without losing
the knight.} ) 37...Qxe6 38.Qxa8+ Kf7 39.Qa7+ Kg6 40.Qc5 h5 41.h4 Kf7 42.
Qa7+ Kg6 43.Qa1 Qb3 44.Qc1 Kf7 45.Qe1 g6 46.Kf2 Qc2+ 47.Kf3 Qd3+ 48.Kf4
Qc4 49.Kg5 Qe6 {The computer still thinks Shreyas is winning, but it will
be a very hard task if Ian keeps his queen active. A draw was agreed.}
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