Thursday, 29 April 2021

Champions

Another double post. Aberystwyth entered the last round of the Dyfed Online League on Tuesday 20 April needing a win against Steynton A to secure the championship. Top board Rudy van Kemenade probably knows the Petroff better than anyone, at least below grandmaster level, but Martin Jones had prepared well, and a complex theoretical struggle ensued. Black's two bishops and better pawns gave him an edge, but the result was far from clear until White blundered, losing an exchange. Adam Watkin-Jones dominated throughout in a Closed Siclian against Mark Paffard, who unwisely opened the position without having castled. The middlegame had only just started when White forced a decisive win of material. On Board 4, Tom Gunn was a pawn up for much of the game against Scott Hammett's Hippopotamus, but went a pawn down as the game transitioned to an ending. It was still difficult for Black, and Tom had a chance of saving the game at the very last moment. Everything then depended on my Board 3 game against Rob Lovegrove, which was the last to finish. After a good opening with my O'Kelly Sicilian, I allowed White to break in the centre and win a pawn, and spent most of the game trying in vain to undermine his dominant queenside pawns. But as time began to run out, both of us made errors - first White allowed a knight fork, then I returned the favour, then, in trying to clinch the win, he let me escape with my extra material. The 3-1 win to Aber gained us the title. Thanks to David Pinch for organizing a very successful and enjoyable league, and, as always, to Rudy for his analysis and captaincy.

Next week we were in action again, this time in the Welsh Chess Union Open Online against Pontyfenni. Rudy's aggressive early h4 against John Waterfield's Grunfeld only led to delayed development, with White's knight stuck on g1 until well into the middlegame, but Black wasn't able to take advantage and the game simplified to a drawn king-and-pawn ending. Adam got a level position against Ian Jones's Glek Four Knights, but went wrong in the complex rook ending which followed. They say all rook endings are drawn, and he missed a chance to draw this one, just before the end. Tom seemed slightly worse in a Dutch against Anthony Hughes, but the position was very blocked and soon became impassable. The game of the round was on Board 4, where Sam Holman's Sicilian came under fierce attack from Justin Morgans. Both players missed chances in the complications but White emerged an exchange and a pawn ahead. He was well behind on the clock, though, and had problems dealing with Sam's active minor pieces. Eventually he dropped a bishop, but Sam found it equally difficult to finish him off, till White made one last blunder and resigned. The result was a 2-2 draw.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 a notorious drawing line; many early agreed draws result from this Qe7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Be6 a line stemming from Frank Marshall, keeping Qs and much less fashionable these days 7...Qxe2+ 7...Nbd7 main lines 8.d4 Wh's prepared variation on the previous game played in 2017. Bl had not relooked at this as there many other opening lines Wh might have followed, and didn't think taking on a Petroff would be one of them. 8.Nc3 main Nbd7 8...c6 9.Nd4 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bg7 11...Nh5 Suba 12.0-0-0 0-0 13.Nf5 Suba-Van Kemenade, Scarborough 1990,1-0 9.0-0-0 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Nh5 11...Bg7 12.Re1 Nh5 13.Nd5 Qd8 J Cast-Van Kemenade, 4NCL 2002,1/2-1/2 12.Nd4 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Bg7 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Nb5 Nb6 16.d4 a6 17.Na3 Rf8 18.c3 0-0-0 Jones-Van Kemenade,Dyfed League 2017,0-1 ( on move 71 after a N vs bad B , becoming K & P ending) 8...Nbd7 9.Nc3 h6 9...0-0-0 3 draws 10.Bh4 10.Bxf6 Nxf6 11.0-0-0 1-3 10...g5 11.Bg3 Nh5 Bl follows the advice of Suba given in pm to cited game above 11...Nd5 a plan given in Forintos & Haag 1991 & supported by Jusupov 1999 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.c4 13.0-0-0 0-0-0 14.Qb5 Nb6 O'Donnell-Basanta, Vancouver inv 1987, 1/2-1/2 14...c6 15.Qa5 f5 McDonald-Briggs, Hastings Masters 1995,1-0 13...Bxf3 14.gxf3 f5 15.f4 0-0-0 Swainston-Van Kemenade,Bradford A-Undercliffe A, 1994,1/2-1/2 11...0-0-0 12.0-0-0 Nb6 13.Qb5 contested in the 1920's with mixed results 12.0-0-0 0-0-0 12...Nxg3 at once can become tricky 13.hxg3 g4 13...Bg7 Stockfish13 14.Nh4 d5 15.Qb5 0-0-0 16.Qa5! 16.Nxd5? Bxd5 17.Qxd5 Qg5+ 18.Qxg5 hxg5 loses a N 16...a6 17.Bxa6± Lasker-Marshall, St Petersburg 2014,1-0 13.Kb1 13.Qd2 Nxg3 14.hxg3 g4 15.Nh4 d5 16.Bd3 Qb4 17.Bf5 Be7 Owesson-Juhl, Nordic Congress 1916,0-1 13...Nxg3 13...Nb6 14.Qd2 Bg7 15.Be2 f5 16.h3 Nxg3 17.fxg3 Rde8 Botalova-Gileva, Urals Ch (women) 2012,0-1 14.hxg3 d5 14...g4 keeps the N away from e5 after the coming ...d5, but Bl wished to retain the option of pushing the h pawn through at some later date 15.Qb5 Wh-s idea behind the early d4 Nb6 lichess dislikes this, suggesting that 15...c6 be played, yet Wh gets attacking chances, which Engines with their precise defences are happy to wade into, but humans are wary of. Bl was reluctant to weaken the K position, remembering something of the Lasker-Marshall debacle 16.Qa5 Kb8 17.Na4 Re8 18.Rd3 Bg7 18...Qb4 looks safer 19.Be2 19.Rb3 g4 wins a pawn 19...g4 20.Nh4 Nf6 21.Rb3 Qc7 22.Qb4 Bf8 23.Nc5 Bxc5 24.dxc5 Ne4 25.Rf1 a5 26.Qd4 Bc8 and Stockfish13 declares this position is winning for Bl-probably because c5 must fall? Otherwise the position still looks obscure to these human eyes. 16.Ne5 Qb4 Bl is content with swapping Qs, now that he has obtained the Two Bs; similar games have occurred after 8. Nc3, Nc6 17.Bd3 17.Qxb4 Bxb4 18.a3 is given by Stockfish13 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Na4 20.Rd3 Rdg8 21.Rf3 g4 22.Rf4 Nxc3+ 23.Kb2 Ne4 24.Nxf7 Bxf7 25.Rxf7 c6 26.Bd3 Rf8 27.Rxh6 Rxf7 28.Rxh8+ Kd7 29.Bxe4 dxe4 30.Rb8= one supposes 17...a6 17...Qxd4 grabbing a pawn would lose to 18.Nxf7! winning exchange, since taking the N loses the Q 17...Qxb5 18.Bxb5 c6 19.Bd3 Nd7= Stockfish13 18.Qxb4 Bxb4 19.Ne2 Nd7 20.f4 Nxe5 21.fxe5 h5 22.Rdf1 Rdf8 23.c3 Be7 24.Kc2 24.Bf5 expected by Bl Kd7 25.Nc1 b6 26.Nd3 c5= but Wh would have to careful- in the event of open files Bl's Rs could suddenly switch into action 24...Kd7 24...f6 Stockfish13, but Bl had an eye on opening the c file 25.b3 b6 25...f6 25...a5 26.a4 a5 27.Bb5+ 27.Bf5= looks better 27...c6 28.Bd3 f6 29.exf6 Rxf6 30.Rxf6 Bxf6 31.Ng1 31.Rf1 Be7 31...c5 31...Kd6 32.Nf3 h4 33.gxh4 gxh4 34.Rf1 Rg8 35.Ne1 Ke7 Stockfish13 32.Nf3 Kd6 33.Re1 c4 disliked by lichess analysis- but Bl hoped to be able to weaken the a4 pawn, & , in an ending, have a b5 possibility, creating a passed a pawn ( which happens to the pawn that won the Petroff encounter for Bl. Bl had assessed that b6 would not be easily attacked by Wh 33...Rc8 lichess 34.Kd2 h4 Stockfish13 33...Bd7 threatening c4, leads nowhere after 34.Ne5 33...Rf8 a Stockfish13 line 34.Rf1 34.Rh1? cxd4 35.Nxd4 35.cxd4 g4 35...Bxd4 36.cxd4 Rf2+ 37.Kc3 Rxg2 38.Rxh5 Rxg3-+ 34...Be7 35.Bg6 h4 36.Nd2 36.gxh4 gxh4-+ 36...Rf6 37.Rxf6 Bxf6 38.gxh4 gxh4 39.Nf3 Bd7 34.bxc4 dxc4 35.Bf1 Bd5 35...Bd7 considered, the Stockfish13 analysis shows it is doubledged 36.Bxc4 Bxa4+ 37.Kd3 Bd7 38.Ne5 b5 39.Ba2 Re8 40.Nxd7 Rxe1 41.Nxf6 a4 41...Rg1 42.Ne4+ Ke7 43.d5 Rxg2 44.d6+ Kd7 45.Bd5 Rg1 46.Kd4 still unclear- the Engine's equality sign here means that both sides have chances 36.Ne5 36.Nd2 looks better, as it gives Wh that extra Ne4 threat. On e5 the N can become a target Rc8 36...Kc7 37.Nxc4 Bc6 38.Kb3 Re8 39.Rxe8 Bxe8= 37.Ne4+ Ke7 38.Nxg5+ Kd7 39.Ne4 Rf8 40.Nd2 36...Rc8 37.Rb1? the R attacks, but it has left a square undefended. Bl had seen the threat to b6, but had planned a strike against the N. Instead, Bl realised what could be played instead 37.Kd2 should hold g4 38.Rb1 Bxe5 39.dxe5+ Kc5 40.Rb5+ Kc6 41.Ke3 Re8 42.Kd4 Rd8 42...Be6 43.Be2 Rf8 44.Rb1 Rf2 45.Bxc4 Bxc4 46.Kxc4 Rxg2 47.Re1 Kd7 48.Rh1 Rxg3 49.Rxh5 43.Ke3 Rf8 44.Be2= 37...Be4+ Normal 37...Bxe5 was planned by Bl 38.dxe5+ 38.Rxb6+ Kc7 39.Rb5 Be4+ 40.Kd2 Bxg3-+ 38...Kc6 39.Re1 Re8 40.Kd2 Kc5 and Wh is running out of moves-Bc6 is a real threat 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBRes
Jones,M1725Van Kemenade,R19990–1
Van Kemenade,R1999Waterfield,J2078½–½
Gunn,T1398Hughes,A1942½–½
Morgans,J1674Holman,S13860–1
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