Touch Wood!

Touching wood is generally all part of the game as far as chessplayers are concerned, but with competitive chess having moved online I had better make a special effort to touch some when reporting that Aberystwyth is still doing very well in the Under 1800 section of the Welsh Chess Online League In Round 4 on Tuesday 10th November we played the other leading team, North Cardiff Panthers, who were ahead of us on game points but like us had won every match. I thought I saw a quick win against Callum Smith's Pirc, but had to withdraw in confusion when it didn't work out. After that I had a long defence, tied to a weak pawn, but Black weakened his position trying to break through the solid centre and I regrouped for another unlikely win. Julie van Kemenade didn't manage to get her kingside counterplay going against Ellison Smith's queenside pressure in a Giuoco Piano, having to castle kingside not only slowed her down but left her vulnerable there too, and White overran her position. James Cook uncharacteristically sacrificed a piece early on in his Ruy Lopez against Bence Szakmany; it turned out to have been a mouse slip, but he did the right thing by keeping his pieces active, pushing his passed pawns and seeking to confuse matters, till his opponent lost his way in the complications. Sam Holman, heavily outgraded against Alun Smith, played vigorously in on the Black side of an Alapin Sicilian, and had good chances most of the way through a complex game, before the loss of a pawn allowed White to reach a won ending. A 2-2 draw means that we are still undefeated at the top of the League - touch wood!

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Move	N	Result	Elo

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1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 3.Bd3 c5 4.dxc5 dxc5 5.Nc3 g6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.h3 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 Cooke-Smith,WCU Online U1800 rd1, 2020,0-1 3...g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 b6 a bit slow 5...0-0 second most frequent 6.Bh6 6.f3 Nbd7 7.Bh6 c5 8.0-0-0 Francis-Spencer, Dyfed League 2011,1-0 6...c5 7.Nf3 Francis-Weston, Dyfed Open 2015,1/2-1/2 5...c6 main line 6.f3 69% for Wh in databases c5 7.dxc5 7.Nge2 7.0-0-0 both 70% for Wh 7...bxc5 8.Bc4 8.e5± 3-0 dxe5 8...Ng8 9.Qd5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.0-0-0+ 8...0-0 9.Bd5 hoping for gain 9.Nge2 Nc6= 9.h4 Nc6 9...Nxd5 10.Qxd5 10.exd5 Re8 Stockfish12 10...Qb6-+ and Wh can't take the R 11.Qb3 Nc6 Bl has a lead in development & open lines 11...Be6 12.Qxb6 12.Nge2 Qa6 13.Qa4 Rb8 14.Rb1 Nd4 15.Qxa6 Bxa6 16.Kd2 Nxe2 17.Nxe2 Bxb2-+ Stockfish12 12...axb6 13.Nge2 Nb4 13...b5! 14.Nxb5 14.Bc1 f5 15.a3 b4 16.Nd5 Ra7 17.0-0 e6 18.Ne3 bxa3 19.Rxa3 Rxa3 20.bxa3 Ba6 21.Re1 Nd4-+ Stockfish12 14...Bxb2 15.Rb1 Rxa2-+ Stockfish12 13...f5-+ 13...Be6 14.a3 b5-+ Stockfish12 14.Kd2 Be6 14...f5-+ Stockfish12-Bl needs open lines 14...d5 15.exd5 Rd8 16.Bg5 Nxd5 17.Kc1 Nb4 18.a3 Bf5 19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.fxe4 Nc6 21.c3 Ra4 22.Ng3 Be5 23.Re1 f6 24.Bd2 b5 25.Kc2 Rda8-+ Stockfish12- Wh is under terrible pressure on the Q side 15.a3 Nc6 16.Nf4 Ne5 16...Na5-+ Stockfish12 17.Rab1 17.b3 Bxb3 18.cxb3 Nxb3+ 19.Kc2 Nxa1+ 20.Rxa1 b5 21.Ra2 Bxc3 22.Kxc3 b4+ 23.Kb3 Rxa3+ 24.Rxa3 bxa3 25.Kxa3 Rb8-+ the mass of Bl pawns, (2 extra) keep the two pieces from getting much actovity 17.b3= Rfd8 18.Nfd5 Bxd5 19.Nxd5 19.exd5= 19...Nc6 20.Rad1 20.Ra2 20...b5-+ 20...Rxa3 21.Nxb6 Rb8 22.Nd5 e6 23.Nc3 Na5-+ 24.Rb1 c4 25.Rhc1 f5-+ Stockfish12 21.Nc7 Rxa3 21...Ra5 22.Ke2 Rd7 23.Nd5 Rxa3-+ Stockfish12 21...Rab8 22.Rb1 Rd7 23.Nd5 Ra7 24.a4 bxa4 25.bxa4 Bb2 26.Kd3 Rxa4-+ Stockfish12 22.Nxb5 Ra2 22...Ra5 23.Nc3 Nb4 24.Nd5 Ra2 25.Rc1 e6 26.Nxb4 cxb4 27.Kd3 Rc8 28.Bd2 Bb2 29.Rcd1 Bc3 30.Rc1 h5-+ Stockfish12- but this looks less convincing than earlier lines, even though Bl must be far better 23.Nc3 Bxc3+ 24.Kxc3 Nb4 24...Rda8 25.Rd2 Rc8 26.Rb1 Kf8 26...f6 27.Rb2 27.e5 d5 28.Bxc5 Na6 29.b4 Nxc5 30.bxc5 Rxc5+ 31.Kd3 e6 Stockfish12 27...Rca8 27...Ra5 28.Rxa2 28.e5± Stockfish12 28...Rxa2 29.Bh6+ 29.e5± Rudy & Stockfish12 Ke8 30.Bf2 f6 30...Kd7 31.Bxc5 Rxc2+ 32.Rxc2 Nxc2 33.exd6 exd6 34.Bf2 Na3 35.Kb4 Nc2+ 36.Kb5± 31.exd6 exd6 32.Bg3 d5 33.Bf2 d4+ 34.Bxd4 Nd5+ 35.Kc4 cxd4 36.Kxd5 d3 37.Rxd3 Rxc2 38.g4 Kd7 38...Rxh2 39.Ke6 f5 40.g5+- 39.h4± Stockfish12 29...Ke8= 30.Be3 30.e5 Stockfish12 Kd7 30...dxe5 31.Be3 Na6 32.Kc4 Ra5 33.c3± 31.exd6 exd6 32.Bf8 Ra6= 30...f6 31.Bf2 Kf7 32.Be3 e5?! this weakens d6; bl needs to try and open a second front on the K side without ceding the centre 32...h5 33.Bf2 33.f4= 33.g3= 33...Ke6 34.Be3 f5 35.Bf2 g5 36.h3 h5 at one point Stockfish12 thinks this is winning for Bl 37.g4 hxg4 38.hxg4 fxg4 lets Wh off the hook as now g5 becomes exposed 38...f4!-+ Stockfish12- It restricts the B to inactivity and leaves f3 as a target 39.Bg1 Ra1 40.Bf2 Rc1 41.Kb2 Rh1 42.c3 Nc6 43.Rd3 Na5 44.b4 44.Kc2 c4 45.bxc4 Rh2 46.Rd2 Nxc4 47.Re2 Rh3-+ 44...c4 45.Rd5 Nb3 46.Bb6 Rh2+ 47.Ka3 Nd2-+ 47...Rd2-+ Stockfish12 39.fxg4= Ra7 39...Ra1 40.Kc4 40.Be3 Re1 41.Bxg5 Rxe4 42.Rg2 Kf7 40...Rh1 41.c3 Rc1 42.Be3 Re1 43.Bxg5 Rxe4+ 44.Kb5 Rxg4 45.cxb4 Rxg5 46.bxc5 dxc5 47.Kxc5= 40.Be3 Kf6? 40...Rh7 41.Bxg5 Rg7 42.Bh6 Rxg4 43.Bf8 Rxe4= Stockfish12 40...Ra1 41.Bxg5 Re1 42.Rg2 Rxe4= Stockfish12 41.Rf2+ 41.Rxd6+!+- Stockfish12 simplest win, both sides getting short of time 41.Kc4 Rd7 42.c3 Nc6 43.b4+- Stockfish12 41...Kg6? 41...Ke6 still draws, but its a tricky line of play to find even with plenty of time 42.Bxg5 Rg7 43.Rf5 Nc6 44.Kc4 44.Rf6+ Kd7 45.Bh6 Rxg4 46.Bf8 Rf4 47.Rxf4 exf4 48.Bg7 Ne5 49.Kd2= Komodo14 Endg 44...Ne7 45.Bxe7 Rxg4 46.Bxd6 Rxe4+ 47.Kxc5 Kxf5 48.b4= Stockfish12 & Komodo14 Endg 42.Rf5 this looked as if it should win at the time Ra2 this though can be defended against 42...Ra1= 43.Rxg5+ Kf7 44.Rf5+ Ke6 45.g5 other moves also draw 45.Rf3 Rh1 46.Kd2 Nc6 47.g5 Rh4 48.Ke2 Nd4+ 49.Bxd4 exd4 50.Rg3 Kf7 51.Kd3 Rh2 45...Nd5+ 46.Kd3 c4+ 47.Kd2 47.bxc4 Ra3+ 47...cxb3 48.cxb3 Ra2+ 49.Kd3 Rb2 50.Bd2 Rxb3+ 51.Ke2 Nc3+ 52.Bxc3 Rxc3 53.Rf6+ Ke7= Stockfish12 43.Rxg5+ Kf7 44.Rf5+ Kg6 44...Ke8 gives better chances of survival- the K guards d6, while the R gets itself behind the g pawn 45.Rf2 Ra1 46.g5 Rh1± 47.Kd2 47.Rg2 Rh3= 47...Nc6 48.Rg2 Kf7 49.c3 Ne7 50.Rg3 Rh4 51.Rf3+ Ke8 52.Kd3 Nd5 Stockfish12- Bl is still fighting 45.Rf2+- Ra7 46.g5 46.Rd2 46.Kc4 46...Ra2 47.Rh2 Kg7 48.Rg2 Kg6 49.Rh2 Kg7 50.Bc1 50.Rd2 Kf7 51.g6+ Kg7 52.Bg5 Kxg6 53.Be7+- Stockfish12 50...Kg6 Bl had been surviving on increments for some time now 50...Nc6 51.Rf2 Nd4 52.Be3+- Stockfish12 50...Ra8 51.Kb2+- c4 52.bxc4 Rb8 53.Ka3 Nc6 54.Bd2 Nd4 55.Bc3 Ne6 56.Rd2 Nxg5 57.Rxd6 Re8 58.Rd5 Kf6 59.c5 Nxe4 60.Ba5+- Stockfish12 51.Rh6+ 51.Rf2+- 51...Kg7 52.Bb2 Ra6 52...d5!= Stockfish12 53.exd5 Nxd5+ 54.Kc4 Ne3+ 55.Kd3 Ng4 56.Bc3 Nf2+ 56...Nxh6 57.Bxe5+ Kg6 58.gxh6 c4+ 59.bxc4 Kxh6= 57.Kd2 Ne4+ 58.Kd3 Nf2+= Stockfish12 53.Kd2 Ra2 54.Kc1 Ra6 55.Kb1 55.Rxd6 simplest- Stockfish12- seen by Rudy 55...Rb6 55...Kf7 56.Bc3 Rc6 57.Kb2 & Wh still has to find a way past Bl's resistence Ra6 58.Bd2 Kg7 59.Rf6 Ra2+ 60.Kb1 Ra6 61.Bc3 Kg8 62.g6 Kg7 63.Re6 Rc6 64.Be1 Ra6 65.Bh4 Rc6 66.Be7 d5 67.exd5 Rxe6 68.dxe6 Kxg6 69.Bxc5+- Stockfish12 nudged- in these kind of positions Engines often don't go for the simple kill, but spend ages maximising their advantage by minute amounts. 56.Bxe5+ 56.Rxd6 again works as well 56...Kf7 57.Rxd6 Rb7 58.g6+ Kg8 58...Ke8 59.g7 Rxg7 is the Engine's last gasp 59.Rd8# 1–0

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Francis,M	1648	Smith,C	1687	1–0
Smith,E	1714	Van Kemenade,J	1641	1–0
Cook,J	1476	Szakmany,B	1631	1–0
Smith,A	1651	Holman,S	1386	1–0

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