Aberystwyth Town Chess Club Has a New Website

Please see our new site here. Games from earlier blog posts are being added. The Club now meets every Thursday, 6.30 pm, at Texco's Community Room, Park Avenue, Aberystwyth. All visitors welcome. Please sign in at Customer Services in the store when you arrive.

Moving

The Aberystwyth Town Chess Blog is moving to a new site. I'll post a link soon. We also have a new venue, and there will be no club meeting in the Scholars this evening, Tuesday 14th March.

Stop All the Clocks!

Aberystwyth Town's "home" match against Carmarthen A on Monday 13th February at the Emlyn Cafe, Tanygroes, was a convivial affair like the old days of the Dyfed League, with the University team's match against Carmarthen B taking place on adjacent tables. On Board 1, Murray Smith reached a rook ending a pawn up against Ewan Ferguson's Grand Prix Attack in the Sicilian Defence. White looked able to hold for a while, but once the rooks came off the win followed quickly. In the only non-Sicilian of the match, a Scotch Four Knights, Luis Sanchez also had an extra pawn and the initiative, but Black's position looked solid until a blunder which should have cost him material. White went wrong in the complications that followed but clinched the win anyway after another error by his opponent.Peter Windows was facing the sharp Smith-Morra Gambit for the first time on Board 3, but White was too generous with his pawns and the attack didn't materialize: by the time White had recovered some material the Black passed pawns were unstoppable. I missed a chance for an advantage with my Closed Variation of the Sicilian against Grenville Brazener and the game was level until I was able to break in the centre. Both players were down to their last few minutes, with the top three boards having already finished when the team captain, Murray, came up and asked if we knew that the clocks weren't giving us the intended 20-seconds per move increment; they're new and we hadn't set them properly. Fortunately for me, I was now in control of the game if not the technology, and mate followed shortly. It was a good night for the Aber teams, less so for Carmarthen, with 4-0 whitewashes in both matches.

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Auld Enemy

Our second match in the new Dyfed League was played against Cardigan at the familiar venue of the Emlyn Cafe, Tanygroes, on Tuesday 31st January. There were some new players involved but the rivalry between the two clubs and the setting in which it's played out remains the same. On top board, Murray Smith had a cagey draw in the Queen's Indian with Howard Williams; the tension dissipated early, leaving a level ending. Peter Windows's Sicilian against Ben Brewer was complex and double-edged; in the end, with both players short of time, White's kingside attack prevailed. Sam Holman dominated the game in a Ruy Lopez against Andre Benn; White's space advantage soon led to both material gains and a crushing attack. Samuel Raybone got back on terms in a Caro-Kann against Awne Osinga after dropping a piece early on, only to succumb in a difficult rook and pawn ending. A close match ended in a 2½-1½ wind for Cardigan.

Meanwhile we have held their first AGM of the new era. We have elected the following officers: Matthew Francis (Chair); Samuel Raybone (Secretary); Peter Windows (Treasurer); Murray Smith / Luis Sanchez (Joint Team Captains). We are currently holding our club nights upstairs at The Scholars pub in Aberystwyth on Tuesdays from 6.30 onwards (all welcome).

[Event "Dyfed League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "Smith, Murray"] [Black "Williams, Howard"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E16"] [WhiteElo "2200"] [BlackElo "2340"] [PlyCount "50"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.02.08"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Bb7 {Queen's Indian Defence.} 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Qc2 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. O-O Na6 11. Rac1 c5 12. Rfd1 Qd7 13. Bf4 c4 {Black's light-squared bishop is looking bad.} 14. Ne5 $16 Qc8 15. e4 (15. Qa4 Nc7 16. b3 Bd6 17. bxc4 dxc4 18. Qxc4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Qe6 $16) 15... Nb4 $14 16. Qe2 Qe6 17. a3 (17. exd5 Nfxd5 18. Qxc4 Nxc3 19. Rxc3 Bd5 20. Qb5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Nd5 (21... Nxa2 22. Rc6 $16) 22. Rf3 $14) 17... Nd3 18. Nxd3 cxd3 19. Qxd3 dxe4 20. Qe2 Nd5 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Re1 f5 $11 23. f3 {Or White's light-squared bishop has no future.} Bf6 24. fxe4 Bxd4+ 25. Be3 Bxe3+ {Draw agreed. After the bishops come off, White can cling on to the isolated d-pawn or use the time Black takes to capture it to create threats elsewhere on the board.} 1/2-1/2 [Event "Dyfed League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "Smith, Murray"] [Black "Williams, Howard"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E16"] [WhiteElo "2200"] [BlackElo "2340"] [PlyCount "50"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.02.08"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Bb7 {Queen's Indian Defence.} 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Qc2 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. O-O Na6 11. Rac1 c5 12. Rfd1 Qd7 13. Bf4 c4 {Black's light-squared bishop is looking bad.} 14. Ne5 $16 Qc8 15. e4 (15. Qa4 Nc7 16. b3 Bd6 17. bxc4 dxc4 18. Qxc4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Qe6 $16) 15... Nb4 $14 16. Qe2 Qe6 17. a3 (17. exd5 Nfxd5 18. Qxc4 Nxc3 19. Rxc3 Bd5 20. Qb5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Nd5 (21... Nxa2 22. Rc6 $16) 22. Rf3 $14) 17... Nd3 18. Nxd3 cxd3 19. Qxd3 dxe4 20. Qe2 Nd5 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Re1 f5 $11 23. f3 {Or White's light-squared bishop has no future.} Bf6 24. fxe4 Bxd4+ 25. Be3 Bxe3+ {Draw agreed. After the bishops come off, White can cling on to the isolated d-pawn or use the time Black takes to capture it to create threats elsewhere on the board.} 1/2-1/2 [Event "Dyfed League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "Brewer, B.."] [Black "Windows, P.."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B21"] [WhiteElo "1679"] [BlackElo "1700"] [PlyCount "85"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.02.08"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {A fairly well-known anti-Sicilian line that doesn't seem to have a name.} g6 ({Avoiding the double-edged line with} 3... Nd4 $5) 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. f4 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O Ne8 9. e5 Nc7 10. Qe1 b6 {Defending the pawn on c5, which is often a target.} 11. Ne4 Ne6 12. Be3 Nd4 13. Qd2 f6 14. Bxd4 cxd4 {Black has got rid of his doubled pawns and has the two bishops.} 15. a4 a5 16. Rae1 c5 17. Ng3 Qe8 18. b3 Qc6 19. Rf2 Be6 20. Qe2 Rae8 {"Put your rook on the line of the queen / No matter how many pieces intervene."} 21. Ne4 Bd5 22. Ned2 Bh6 {Black's bishops can't find much to do in the closed position.} 23. Nh4 Qd7 24. Ne4 $2 Bxe4 (24... fxe5 $1 25. fxe5 $2 Be3) 25. dxe4 Qc7 $2 (25... fxe5 $1) 26. Qg4 Qc8 (26... fxe5 27. f5 Be3 28. Nxg6 Bxf2+ 29. Kxf2 hxg6 30. Qxg6+ Kh8 31. Qh5+ {draws.}) 27. e6 f5 $2 (27... c4 28. f5 g5 {holds the king's position together.}) 28. Qe2 $2 (28. exf5 { and White's attack looks crushing.}) 28... Rf6 (28... Qxe6 29. exf5 Qxe2 { and Black's fine.}) 29. g4 (29. exf5 $1 gxf5 30. Nxf5 Rxf5 31. Qg4+) 29... Bg7 (29... fxg4 {Peter.} 30. Qxg4 Kh8 31. e5 Rxe6 $16) 30. gxf5 gxf5 31. Rg2 Kh8 32. Nf3 (32. exf5 $1 $16) 32... Rg8 (32... Bh6 33. exf5 Bxf4 34. Qe4 Qb8 35. Kh1 Ref8 $11) 33. Ng5 h6 34. Nf7+ Kh7 35. Kh1 Qc6 (35... Qxe6 $1 {forces the knight away and Black holds.}) 36. Qh5 Qa8 37. h3 Bf8 38. Ng5+ Kh8 39. Kh2 { Preparing to double rooks without having to worry about the pin on the long diagonal.} Qe8 40. Nf7+ Kh7 41. Reg1 Rgg6 (41... Rxg2+ 42. Rxg2 Qa8 43. Ng5+ Kh8 44. e5 $18) 42. Rxg6 Bg7 43. Rxh6+ {and Black resigns. White will win the queen next move with Ng5+.} 1-0 [Event "Dyfed LEague"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "Holman, S.."] [Black "Benn, A.."] [Result "*"] [ECO "C60"] [WhiteElo "1386"] [PlyCount "77"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.02.10"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Qf6 $6 {A very unorthodox defence to the Ruy Lopez, presumably to defend the e5 pawn. Booked-up players know that there's no danger since Black can regain it with Qd4 after the exchange and capture.} 4. Nc3 a6 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. O-O (6. Nd5 $1 {forces the queen back, giving White a dominant position.}) 6... Nge7 7. d3 h6 8. Nd5 {Now the knight can be taken.} Nxd5 9. exd5 Ne7 10. Re1 Bd6 {The bishop looks awkward here.} 11. c4 c6 12. dxc6 bxc6 (12... dxc6 {is the more natural recapture, letting the light-squared bishop out. Black's development is slow.}) 13. Rb1 O-O 14. Bc2 Ng6 15. b4 Bb7 16. c5 {The light-squared bishop isn't coming out that way.} Bc7 17. Bb2 Qf4 (17... d5 $1 $14 {The queen isn't in immediate danger.}) 18. Re4 $16 Qf5 19. d4 $1 {White's position is looking formidable, and the Black queen is still a target.} exd4 (19... Qe6 {was necessary, abandoning the pawn and the centre to keep the king and queen relatively safe. Black's position is still horrible, though.}) 20. Qxd4 f6 21. Re2 Qh5 22. Qd3 f5 23. Qxd7 Be5 24. Bxe5 Nxe5 25. Rxe5 {White has won a piece, and the attack continues.} Bc8 26. Qc7 {Ignoring the free pawn to line up a battery against the king.} Kh8 27. Re7 Qg6 28. Ne5 Qf6 29. Rb3 Be6 30. Rg3 Rg8 31. h3 {A precaution. White has plenty of time.} Raf8 32. Ng6+ Kh7 33. Nxf8+ Qxf8 34. Rxe6 Kh8 35. Bxf5 {Not sure I see the point of this but White can afford the material.} Qxf5 36. Qxc6 Rf8 ( 36... Qf4 {Defending the h6 pawn.}) 37. Rxh6+ gxh6 38. Qxh6+ Qh7 39. Qxf8+ { and Black resigns.} * [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "Osinga, A.."] [Black "Raybone, S.."] [Result "*"] [ECO "B13"] [WhiteElo "1343"] [BlackElo "1100"] [PlyCount "105"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.02.10"] 1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 {The exchange variation of the Caro-Kann. } Nc6 5. c3 Bg4 6. Be2 Nf6 7. h3 Bh5 8. O-O e6 9. Bf4 Bd6 10. Bxd6 Qxd6 $11 11. Nbd2 Qc7 12. Ne5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd7 15. f4 Qb6+ 16. Kh2 O-O (16... Qxb2 17. Rab1 Qxc3 18. Rxb7 Qc6 19. Rfb1 O-O $15 {but Samuel understandably prefers to finish his development.}) 17. b3 f6 18. c4 Rae8 19. Nf3 dxc4 20. Qxc4 Rc8 21. Qd3 f5 $4 22. Qxd7 Rfd8 (22... Rcd8 23. Qe7 Rde8 24. Qh4 h6 25. Qe1 Qc7 26. Kg3 Rc8 27. Rf2) 23. Qe7 Re8 24. Qh4 h6 25. Qe1 Rc2 26. Kg3 Rec8 27. Rf2 Qa6 28. Rxc2 Rxc2 29. a4 Qd3 30. b4 g5 31. Kh2 $4 {Giving the material back.} (31. fxg5 hxg5 32. Qd1) 31... Qxf3 32. Qg3 Qxf4 33. Qxf4 gxf4 {Now it's rook ending, where Black seems to have the advantage.} 34. Kg1 Re2 35. Rc1 b6 { Looks a bit slow.} (35... Rxe5 36. Rc8+ Kf7 37. Rc7+ Kf6 38. Rxb7 a5 {and Black is more active than in the game..}) 36. Rc8+ Kf7 37. Rc7+ Kg6 38. Rxa7 Rxe5 39. Rb7 Re1+ 40. Kf2 Ra1 41. Rxb6 Rxa4 42. Rxe6+ Kf7 $2 (42... Kg5 $1 { The king must go forward.}) 43. Rb6 Ra2+ 44. Kf3 Ra3+ $2 {Instead, Black invites the enemy king to advance. The rook on the second rank was threatening the g2 pawn, but now it's doing nothing.} (44... Rb2) 45. Kxf4 Ra2 46. Kxf5 Rxg2 47. Rb7+ Kf8 48. Kf6 Re2 $2 (48... Rf2+ 49. Kg6 Rg2+ 50. Kh5 {and Black is still in the game.} (50. Kxh6 Rh2 $11)) 49. Rb8+ Re8 50. Rxe8+ Kxe8 51. Kg6 h5 52. Kxh5 Kd7 53. Kg6 {and Black resigns.} * /

Dyfed League Reopens

The first match of the reincarnated Dyfed League took place at Aberystwyth University between the Town and University teams on Tuesday 10th January. Unfortunately the University team defaulted on top board, so Murray Smith didn't get a game. On second board Luis Ortiz Sanchez was in fine form, trading off against Toby Carter's Pirc to reach a superior ending, which he played with relentless accuracy to claim the win. Peter Windows played the comparatively rare Owen's Defence against Toby Bates and never quite managed to equalize. Black's pieces were tied up defending the kingside, and his attempt to gain counterplay on the queenside only opened lines for the White pieces to come in for the kill. Tom Gunn weakened Filip Zurek's kingside in a Queen's Gambit Accepted, and Black missed the best defence, allowing a quick mating attack. A winning start for the Town team, 3-1 including the defaulted game.

[Event "Dyfed League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Sanchez, , Luis"] [Black "Carter, Toby"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B08"] [WhiteElo "1895"] [BlackElo "1700"] [PlyCount "93"] [EventDate "2023.01.11"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.01.11"] 1. d4 d6 2. e4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2 {Pirc Defence} O-O 6. O-O e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bg5 Re8 10. Rad1 Be6 {White decides to give up the two bishops, reckoning that his next move will force Black on to the defensive. } 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Nd5 Bxd5 {So Black gives the asset back.} 13. Rxd5 Nc6 14. Bb5 Rad8 (14... Rab8 $14) 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rxd8 Rxd8 17. Re1 {Black's baddish bishop and queenside pawn structure are weaknesses.} Bg7 18. Kf1 Kf8 19. Ke2 Ke7 20. Rd1 Rxd1 21. Kxd1 f6 {White has a clear plan, to go after the pawns on the queenside.} 22. Ke2 Kd7 23. Kd3 Bf8 24. Kc4 {Now the Black bishop can't get to c5 and its only good diagonal, but White will still have trouble getting to the a-pawn.} Ke6 25. Nd2 f5 26. f3 Be7 27. Nb3 Bg5 {Taking another route.} 28. a4 {The advancing pawn can kick or even win the bishop when it reaches b6, and will be closer to queening if the a7 pawn falls.} Be3 29. Nc5+ Kd6 30. Nb7+ Kd7 31. Kb4 h5 32. Ka5 {The king advances.} fxe4 33. fxe4 g5 ( 33... Kc8 34. Ka6 Kb8 35. c4 c5 36. Nd8 {is hopeless.}) 34. c4 g4 35. Ka6 Kc8 36. c5 h4 37. h3 {Now the kingside pawns are safe.} gxh3 38. gxh3 Kb8 39. b3 Ka8 40. Na5 Bxc5 41. Nxc6 Bd4 42. a5 (42. Nxd4 exd4 43. e5 d3 44. e6 d2 { wins for Black - I miscounted watching the game.}) 42... Bc3 43. Nxa7 Bxa5 44. Kxa5 Kxa7 45. Kb5 Kb7 46. Kc5 Ka6 47. Kc6 {and Black resigns. A ruthless endgame by White.} 1-0 [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Bates, Toby"] [Black "Windows, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B00"] [WhiteElo "1700"] [BlackElo "1366"] [PlyCount "99"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.01.11"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 b6 3. Nf3 Bb7 {Owen's Defence.} 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 h6 {To play Nf6 without getting pinned. But Black is conceding a big lead in development.} 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nbd2 Qc7 8. Rc1 Ng4 9. O-O {White doesn't mind losing the two bishops - he continues quick development and has an open f file to attack on.} Nxe3 10. fxe3 d6 11. e5 Nd7 12. exd6 Bxd6 13. Nc4 Be7 14. Nfe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bf6 (15... O-O {looks safer.}) 16. Bb5+ Ke7 17. Qh5 Raf8 (17... g6 18. Rxf6 $1 {leads to wild complications.} gxh5 19. Rxf7+ Kd8 20. Rd1 a6 (20... Qd6 21. Rxb7 {and Black is losing more material.}) 21. dxc5+ Bd5 22. Rxc7 Kxc7 23. Ba4 $14) 18. Nd3 a6 19. Ba4 b5 20. Bc2 $16 g6 21. Qxc5+ Qxc5 22. Nxc5 Bc8 23. a3 Bg5 24. Rce1 h5 25. e4 h4 26. h3 Bh6 27. e5 g5 28. Bd1 Bg7 29. Bg4 Rh6 { Black has done his best to build a fortress, but White has all the play.} 30. Re3 a5 31. Ref3 b4 {Black understandably seeks to create counterplay, but with all his pieces tied down only White can take advantage of the open lines.} ( 31... f5 32. exf6+ Rhxf6 33. Rxf6 Bxf6 {holds on, though White is still much better.}) 32. axb4 axb4 33. Ra1 f5 34. exf6+ Rhxf6 35. Ra7+ Kd8 36. Rxg7 Rxf3 37. Bxf3 bxc3 38. bxc3 e5 39. Rxg5 (39. dxe5 Re8 40. Bg4 Rxe5 (40... Bxg4 41. Nb7+ Kc8 42. Nd6+ Kd8 43. Nxe8) 41. Rg8+ {is quicker.}) 39... exd4 40. cxd4 Rf6 41. Rh5 Rf4 42. d5 Ke7 43. Kf2 Rc4 44. Ne6 Rb4 45. Ke3 Kf6 46. Be4 Kf7 47. Rxh4 Rb3+ 48. Kf4 Bxe6 49. dxe6+ Kxe6 50. Rh6+ {and Black resigns.} 1-0 [Event "Dyfed League"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Gunn, Tom"] [Black "Zurek, Filip"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D26"] [WhiteElo "1398"] [BlackElo "1300"] [PlyCount "45"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.01.11"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. c4 dxc4 5. Bxc4 {Queen's Gambit Accepted.} c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 cxd4 {Accepting an isolated queen's pawn.} 8. exd4 Be7 9. Re1 O-O 10. a3 a6 11. b4 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 $11 13. Bb2 Re8 14. d5 {The IQP disappears. } exd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 Bf6 $6 {This allows White to weaken his opponent's pawn structure.} 17. Rxe8+ Qxe8 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Nh4 Rd8 $2 (19... Qe5 $1 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Rd1 $11) 20. Qg4+ Kf8 $4 (20... Kh8 21. Nf5 Qg8 $16) 21. Nf5 {Now there's no excape for the king.} Qd7 22. Qg7+ Ke8 23. Qg8# 1-0 /