[Event "Competitors League"] [Site ""] [Date "2023.04.06"] [Round ""] [White "J Blackmore"] [Black "T Thynne"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [EventDate "2023.04.06"] [FlipB "1"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.Re1 O-O 7.h3 a6 {Why not play 8.Bxc6 here?} 8.Bf1 e5 9.d3 h6 10.Ne2 d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Ng3 f5 {Josh has played the opening quite passively, and Trefor has built a good space advantage, which he continues to build.} 13.c3 Kh7 14.Qc2 Qd6 15.Bd2 Be6 16.Rad1 Rac8 17.a3 b5 18.Bc1 Rfe8 19.Qb1 Bf7 20.c4 {Josh tries to break out, but this leaves a big hole at d4.} 20...Nc7 21.b3 Ne6 22.Bb2 Ncd4 23. Nxd4 cxd4 {Taking more space.} 24.b4 Nf4 25.c5 Qd7 26.Ne2 Nd5 27.Rd2 h5 28.Rc2 h4 {Taking more space.} 29.Bc1 f4 30.Bd2 Rc6 {Here was the point at which Josh had to remain passive. Trefor's 29...f4 made his pawn structure less flexible and Josh could mount a defence on the white squares with 31.Kh1 followed by Ng1 and Be2. Instead he lashes out.} 31.g4 hxg3 32.fxg3 f3 33.Nc1 Qf5 34.Re4 g5 35.Kf2 Nf6 36.Re1 Bd5 37.Rb2 e4 38.dxe4 Nxe4+ { Josh is forced to sacrifice the exchange and still the threats keep coming.} 39.Rxe4 Bxe4 40.Nd3 Rce6 41.g4 Qd5 42.Qd1 Bg6 43.Bc1 Re3 44.h4 Qe4 ( 44...gxh4 {was simpler.} ) 45.h5 Bxh5 {Not necessary. 45...Bf7 was simple and good, but Trefor is still way ahead.} 46.gxh5 Qh4+ 47.Kg1 Qg3+ 48.Kh1 R8e4 ( 48...Re2 {was the easy way to win.} 49.Rxe2 Rxe2 50.Qxe2 fxe2 51.Bxe2 Be5 52.Nxe5 Qe1+ {leaves white with just a piece for a queen. } ) 49.Rh2 f2 {This looks attractive but now Josh is back in the game.} ( 49...Re2 {again is very strong.} 50.Bxe2 fxe2 51.Qe1 Qf3+ 52.Rg2 Qf1+ 53. Kh2 Be5+ {forces mate or the win of the queen.} ) 50.Nxf2 Re1 51.Nxe4 { hitting the queen!} 51...Qxh2+ {forced but now we are in an ending.} 52. Kxh2 Rxd1 53.Nxg5+ Kg8 54.Be2 Rxc1 {Trefor is still ahead, but Josh keeps fighting.} 55.Bf3 Be5+ {Black's plan should be to advance the pawn to d3 with the idea of queening or activating the rook and bishop to win the white queenside pawns. Trefor never gets round to this.} 56.Kg2 Rc2+ 57. Kf1 Kg7 58.h6+ {Josh lays lots of traps with knight forks.} 58...Kf6 59. Ne4+ Kg6 60.Nf2 Rc1+ 61.Kg2 Bf6 62.Ng4 ( 62.Bb7 {would have been a simpler way to draw.} ) 62...Bh8 63.Be2 Kg5 64.Nf2 Kxh6 65.Nd3 Rc3 66.Kf3 {Now it's really difficult to win and Josh steers the game to a draw.} 66...Rc2 67.Ne1 Rc3+ 68.Nd3 Bf6 69.Ke4 Rxa3 70.Bg4 a5 71.bxa5 Rxa5 72.Bd7 b4 73.c6 Bd8 74.Nxb4 Bb6 75.Nd3 Kg7 76.Nb2 Rh5 77.Nc4 Rh4+ 78.Kd3 Bc7 79.Nd2 Kf7 80.Nf3 Rf4 81.Nxd4 {A great defensive performance from Josh, but Trefor will think he should have won the game. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Bishops v Totnes B1"] [Site ""] [Date "2023.04.03"] [Round ""] [White "A Brusey"] [Black "C Collins"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023.04.03"] 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 {This exchange is a bit early. It's better to wait until white plays Be3 before swapping the pawns.} 6.cxd4 e6 7.Nc3 Qd8 8.Bb5 a6 {Developing with 8...Nf6 is more sensible.} 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.O-O {White is better.} 11...Nf6 12. Be3 Be7 13.Rc1 O-O 14.Na4 c5 {Chris tries to gain activity by sacrificing a pawn but it doesn't really work.} 15.dxc5 Bd5 16.Nb6 Ra7 17.c6 Rc7 18. Nbd7 {Alan wins the exchange.} 18...Nxd7 19.Nxd7 Rxd7 ( 19...Re8 {is met by} 20.Bb6 ) 20.cxd7 Qxd7 21.b3 Qb7 22.f3 Re8 23.Qd4 Qb8 24.Qa7 Qe5 25.Bf2 Qg5 26.Bg3 h5 27.Qxa6 h4 28.Rc8 Rxc8 29.Qxc8+ Kh7 {Chris is fighting hard -} ( 29...Bf8 {gives good chances of holding the position.} 30.Be1 h3 31. Bg3 ( 31.Rf2 Bxf3 $1 {and it's unclear.} ) ( 31.Qc2 Bc5+ $1 32.Kh1 hxg2+ 33.Qxg2 Qf5 {and white is tied up.} ) 31...Qe3+ 32.Bf2 ( 32.Kh1 Qe2 $1 { and white is checkmated} 33.Rg1 hxg2+ 34.Rxg2 Qf1+ 35.Rg1 Bxf3# ) 32...Qg5 {is a repetition. Now Alan is able to bring his queen back with tempo to help the defence.} ) 30.Be1 h3 31.Qc2+ g6 32.Bg3 hxg2 33.Qxg2 Qf5 34.Qe2 Bc5+ 35.Kg2 g5 36.h3 {Alan has defended well and Chris is running out of ammo.} 36...f6 37.Rd1 Bc6 38.Qd3 {Swapping off the queens. Chris tries one last trick.} 38...Bxf3+ 39.Qxf3 Qc2+ {Even the trick doesn't work.} 40.Kh1 {Chris might have been hoping to pick up the rook if white played 40.Bf2 after 40..Bxf2 41.Qxf2, but this is thwarted by mate 41.Qh5+ Kg8 42.Rd8+ Kg7 43.Rd7+ Kg8 44.Qe8#. Now Alan is just a rook up, so Chris resigns. } 1-0

[Event "Bishops v Totnes B3"] [Site ""] [Date "2023.04.03"] [Round ""] [White "M Abbott"] [Black "M Furnevall"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2023.04.03"] 1.c4 b6 2.e4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.d4 Bb4 5.Qc2 Qh4 6.Bd3 f5 7.g3 Qh5 8.Bd2 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nf6 10.d5 fxe4 11.Bxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 O-O 13.Qd4 Qf7 {Black has emerged from the opening well. Here the computer recommends} ( 13...Rf7 { when white will struggle to hold on to his d-pawn} 14.g4 Qg6 15.O-O-O c5 { when a pawn will fall.} ) 14.O-O-O exd5 15.cxd5 d6 16.Nf3 c5 17.Qg4 Bc8 18.Qf4 Na6 19.Ng5 Qxf4+ ( 19...Qg6 {is better.} 20.Qd2 Nb4 21.b3 ( 21.Bxb4 cxb4 {leaves white too open.} 22.f3 {otherwise 22...Bf5 will be killing.} 22...b3 $1 23.axb3 Bg4 $1 24.Ne4 Bxf3 25.Nc3 Bxh1 {leaves black with a winning advantage} ) 21...a5 {and black has a strong attack on the a-file. } ) 20.gxf4 Bf5 {It looks like the f-pawns are weak, but black has to be careful.} ( 20...Rxf4 21.Rhe1 Rxf2 ( 21...Nb4 22.Re8+ Rf8 23.Rxf8+ ( 23. Re7 {this time loses to } 23...Nxa2+ {picking up the bishop.} ) 23...Kxf8 24.Nxh7+ Kg8 25.Bxb4 cxb4 26.Ng5 {is about equal.} ) 22.Re8+ {and white is winning easily} 22...Rf8 23.Re7 {and the only way to stop immediate checkmate is } 23...Rf6 {but } 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Nxh7 {leaves black defenceless.} ) 21.a3 Rae8 22.Rhg1 g6 23.h4 {Black is still ahead but white is fighting hard.} 23...Re2 {This looks good but should go nowhere. Bringing the knight into the game at c7 is better.} 24.Rd2 ( 24.Rde1 {not fearing 24...Rxf2 or 24...Rc2+ was better.} ) 24...Rfe8 ( 24...Rxd2 25. Bxd2 Nc7 {wins a clear pawn.} ) 25.Ne6 Rxd2 26.Kxd2 Bxe6 27.dxe6 Rxe6 { This obvious move allows white to turn the tables.} ( 27...Kf8 28.f5 gxf5 29.Rg5 Rxe6 30.Rxf5+ Ke8 {keeps black ahead though there's still plenty to fight for.} ) 28.f5 Re4 {Playing more cautiously with 28...Re7 was better. } 29.fxg6 hxg6 30.Rxg6+ Kf8 31.h5 {Now white is winning!} 31...Rh4 32.h6 d5 33.Bg7+ Kf7 34.Rd6 d4 35.Rd7+ Kg6 {The final error. } ( 35...Ke6 {to give the knight an escape route was compulsory.} ) 36.Rxa7 Nb8 37.Rb7 {The knight is lost.} 1-0

[Event "Competitors League"] [Site ""] [Date "2023.04.06"] [Round ""] [White "D Morton"] [Black "C Howard"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2023.04.06"] [FlipB "1"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Na5 8.Be2 c6 9.c4 cxd5 10.cxd5 Bd6 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Qa4 b6 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.Qxe4 {Doug has regained his gambit pawn, but black's position is still better. 14...f5 looks a strong threat.} 14...Rc8 15.b3 Qe7 16.Nf3 O-O 17.Ng5 {Doug makes a threat on the king-side, but Charlie has a strong counter. } ( 17. g4 {stopping 17...f5 and hoping for a later attack seems better.} ) 17... f5 18.Qh4 h6 19.Nf3 {The knight is forced back and Charlie takes over the initiative.} 19...Bb4+ 20.Kf1 Qxh4 21.Nxh4 f4 22.Bc1 Bc3 ( 22...Rc2 {is better. White can't really save his bishop.} ) 23.Rb1 Nb7 24.Ke2 Nd6 25.g3 {Doug had a chance to save himself.} ( 25.Ba3 {attacking the knight forces } 25...Rfd8 26.Bxd6 Rxd6 27.Nf5 Rd7 28.Rbc1 {and white is back in the game.} ) 25...g5 26.Nf3 ( 26.Ba3 {again might be better.} ) 26...e4 27.Ne1 f3+ 28.Kd1 {With all the pieces on the back rank, Charlie starts a decisive attack.} 28...Rf5 29.Nxf3 exf3 30.Be3 Rxd5+ 31.Kc2 Ba1+ {It's mate in 1!} 0-1