[Event "Spring Competitors' League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.18"] [Round "?"] [White "C Howard"] [Black "T Thynne"] [Result "1-0"] [EventDate "2022.02.18"] 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 Bc5 4.Nc3 a6 5.Nf3 d6 6.d3 Nge7 7.a3 O-O 8.O-O h6 9.Bd2 Be6 10.Rc1 Qd7 11.e3 Ba7 12.b4 f5 13.Qb3 {The opening has turned out well for Trefor. His kingside prospects look more threatening than Charlie's on the queenside.} 13...g5 14.Nd5 Ng6 15.a4 f4 16.b5 axb5 17.axb5 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Nce7 19.exf4 gxf4 20.Qc4 Bb6 21.Bc3 Kh7 22.Nd2 Nf5 23.Ne4 Qf7 {Trefor misses a little combination.} ( 23...Nfh4 24.gxh4 f3 {breaks through to white's king, and the best he can do is} 25.h5 Nh4 26.Nf6+ Rxf6 27.Qe4+ Kh8 28.Qxh4 Qg7 ( 28...Qf7 {is more difficult to spot but even better.} ) 29.Qg3 fxg2 30.Qxg7+ Kxg7 31.Kxg2 Ra2 {with a clear advantage to black.} ) 24.Ra1 Rxa1 25.Bxa1 Nd4 26.Bxd4 Bxd4 27.Qa2 Qf5 28.Rc1 Bb6 29.Qc2 h5?? {One move too soon! Black needed to tuck his king away on h8 first. Now Charlie finds a hidden shot.} 30.Bh3! {Trefor's queen has nowhere to go. Either the bishop or the knight will take it.} 30...fxg3 31.Bxf5 gxf2+ 32.Kf1 Rxf5 33.d4 Kg7 34.Nxd6 Rg5 35.Qxf2?! {This makes it harder.} ( 35.Nf5+ Kf7 36.Qxf2 Nf4 37.Ng3 h4 38.Ne4 Rg4 39.Qf3 Rg7 40.Nc5 { kills black's counterplay.} ) 35...cxd6 36.Rc8 Bxd4 37.Qf3?! {Attacking with 37.Rc7+ followed by Qf6 is the clean way to win.} 37...Rg4 38.Ke2 Nf4+ 39.Kd2 Rg2+ 40.Kd1 b6 41.Rc7+ Kf6 42.Qa3 Bc5 43.Qa8 Kf5 44.Qf8+? {Charlie misguidedly pushes Trefor's king towards his own.} 44...Ke4 45.Rxc5 bxc5 46.b6 Rb2? ( 46...Kd3! {threatening mate, completely turns the tables. eg} 47. Qf5+ e4 48.Ke1 ( 48.Kc1 Ne2+ 49.Kb2 Nc3+ 50.Kb3 c4+ 51.Kb4 Rb2+ 52.Ka5 Ra2+ 53. Kb4 Ra4# {is a pretty mate.} ) 48...Ke3 49.Kd1 ( 49.Kf1? Rf2+ {wins the queen and mates.} ) 49...Rd2+ 50.Kc1 Nd3+ 51.Kb1 Rb2+ 52.Ka1 Rxb6 {wins the key b-pawn and keeps the king under lock and key.} ) 47.Qxd6 Nxd5? {The losing move. Now white's queen gets active again.} ( 47...Nd3 48.b7 Nf2+ {gives a perpetual check.} 49.Kc1 Nd3+ 50.Kd1 Nf2+ 51.Ke1 Nd3+ 52.Kd1 ( 52.Kf1 Rxb7 53.Qc6 Rb1+ 54.Kg2 Nf4+ 55.Kg3 Rg1+ 56.Kf2 {also leads to perpetual, or if white isn't careful he can be mated!} ) ) 48.Qxc5 Nxb6 49.Qc3 ( 49.Kc1 {is clearer.} ) 49...Rxh2 ( 49...Rb5! {keeps hold of the pieces.} 50.Qc6+ Nd5 {and a knight fork protects the rook.} ) 50.Qb4+ Kd3 51.Qb3+ Ke4 52.Qxb6 Rh1+ 53.Ke2 Rh2+ 54.Kf1 Rd2 55.Qg6+ Kd5 {This ending is a win for white. Charlie keeps calm and gradually makes progress.} 56.Qxh5 Rd4 57.Qf7+ Kc5 58.Ke2 Rf4 59.Qd7 Rd4 60.Qe6 Re4+ 61.Kd3 Rd4+ 62. Ke3 Rd5 63.Ke4 Rd4+ 64.Kxe5 Rd3 65.Qc8+ Kb4 66.Qe6 Rc3 67.Qd6+ Kb3 68.Kd4 Rc4+ 69.Kd3 Rc3+ 70.Kd2 Rc2+ 71.Kd1 Rc3 72.Qd4 Rc4 73.Qd3+ Kb4 74.Qd5 Rc5 75.Qd6 Kb5 76.Kd2 Rc6 77.Qd7 Kb6 78.Kd3 Rc7 79.Qd6+ Rc6 80.Qb4+ Kc7 81.Kd4 Rd6+ 82.Ke5 Rc6 83.Qa5+ Kd7 84.Qa7+ Rc7 85.Qb6 Rc6 86.Qb7+ Rc7 87.Qd5+ Kc8 88.Ke6 Kb8 89.Kd6 Rb7 90.Qa5 Ra7 91.Qd8+ Kb7 92.Qc7+ Ka6 93.Qc6+ Ka5 94. Kc5 {An epic victory.} 1-0

[Event "Spring Competitors' League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.17"] [Round "?"] [White "D Wasques"] [Black "G Darling"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.02.17"] 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Bb5+ Nbd7 5.c4 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.cxb5 Nxd5 8. Nc3 e6 9.bxa6 Bd6 10.O-O O-O 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.Bc6? {It was time to think about development with 12.d4.} 12...Rxa6 13.Bxd5 Bxh2+ 14.Kxh2 Rh6+?! ( 14...Nc5 {hitting the bishop is better. eg} 15.Bc4 Rf6 16.Be2 Bxf3 { and white has to find } 17.d4 ( 17.Bxf3 Rh6+ {is killing.} ) 17...Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Ne6 {and black has the initiative, but there's still all to play for.} ) 15.Kg1 Ne5 16.Qb3? {White could win with} ( 16.d4! {and too many of black's pieces are under attack.eg} 16...Rd6 17.Qb3 Rxd5 18.Nxe5 {and the attack is gone.} ) 16...Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Qh4 {There is no real defence. The only way to stop instant mate is 18.Bh5 then 18...Rxh5 19.f3 c5! 20.Qe3 c4 and the threat of 21...Nd3 is decisive.} 0-1

[Event "Spring Challengers' League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.02.17"] [Round "?"] [White "J Allen"] [Black "B Stephens"] [Result "0-1"] [EventDate "2022.02.17"] 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 d4 9.Qe2 e5 10.O-O Qd7 11.Bg2 Be7 12.Nf3 O-O 13.Nh4 g6 14.Bh6 Rfe8 15.g4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 Bxh4 17.g5 f6 18.gxf6 Bxf6 19.Qf3 Bg7 20.Bd2 Rf8 21.Qg3 a5 22.f4 Bh6 23.Qh2 Bxf4 24.Bxf4 exf4 25.Rxf4 Rxf4 26.Qxf4 Rf8 27.Qg3 Nb4 28.Bh3 Qe7 29.Qg2 g5 30.a3 Nc6 31.Rf1 Rxf1+ 32.Qxf1 Qf7 33.Qg2 h6 34.Qg4 Kg7 35. Qc8 Ne5 36.Be6 Qe7 37.Bd5 g4 38.Qg8+ Kf6 39.Qh8+ Kg5 40.Qc8 Kh5 41.Qf5+ Qg5 42.Qxg5+ Kxg5 43.Bxb7 h5 44.b3 g3 45.Bc8 Kf4 46.Kg2 h4 47.Bh3 Ke3 48. Kf1 Kd2 49.b4 cxb4 50.axb4 axb4 51.Be6 Kxc2 52.Kg2 Kxd3 53.Kh3 Kxe4 54.Bc4 d3 0-1