27 September 2018 - Swale Club Championship - Round Three

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Three

Thursday 27 September 2018

White: Keith Nevols (163) Black: Tyrone Jefferies (119)

French Defence

I entered this game in a low mood after the disappointment of the previous week.

1. e4 e6

2. Qe2

My standard anti-French. The idea is that if Black plays 2. .. d5 (as French players usually do) then after 3. exd5 he has to re-take with the queen. It is not dangerous for either side at all but often positions move into a closed Sicilian (after Black plays c5) which suits me.

2. ....  a6

In this game, my opponent decides to play the St George's Defence, a system made famous by Tony Miles defeating the then world champion Anatoly Karpov in 1980.

3. Nc3 b5

4. f4 Bb7

5. Nf3 Ne7

6. d3 Ng6?!

I think this is a strange place to put the knight - just asking for f5 at some point. Indeed I could play it now - 7. f5 exf5 8. exf5+ Ne7 9. Ne4 - but wanted to ensure my king was safe first and I had some pieces developed. Having a rook on f1 might be useful too.

7. g3 Bb4

8. Bg2 d6

9. O-O Nd7



Castling on either of the last two moves would have been better for Black. Now I have the chance to create the initiative I mentioned earlier.

10. f5 Nge5

If 10... exf5 11. exf5+ Ne7 White could keep up the pressure with 12. Nd4 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 Ne5 14. Bg5 and Ne4.

11. fxe6

After 11. ... fxe6 I was planning 12. Ng5. (12. Bg5?? loses to 12. .. Nxf3+)

11. ..... Nxf3+?

But this loses a pawn and weakens the Black kingside.

12. Qxf3 Nf6

13. exf7+ Kxf7

I now had a big think to see if there was any way to build up on this. The computer's recommendation is 14. Be3 but I decided to pressure on f6.

14. Bg5 Rf8!

Good defence. Planning to castle artificially. I examined 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Qh5+ Kg8 but there is nothing there. The computer considers 15. d4 calmly improving to be best.

Instead I opt to force the exchange of a Black bishop while limiting the scope of the other one.

15. Nd5 Bxd5

16. exd5 Bc5+

17. Kh1 Kg8

Black has solved the problem of his king but White has the two bishops and a beautiful square on e6 which one bishop now heads for.

18. Bh3 Qe8

19. Rae1 Qg6

20. Be6+ Kh8

And now I draw a blank. Black has defended well and I need to do something with that g5 bishop. Learning from my mistake last week I decide to exchange some pieces off and try to outplay my opponent in the ending.

However 21. Bd2 is best here planning to relocate to c3. There are no useful discovered attacks from Black moving the knight on f6.



21. Bxf6?! Rxf6

For some reason I only considered 21. .. Qxf6 where I planned 22. Qxf6 to isolate a black pawn on f6.

22. Qd1 Raf8

And now I thought I was in danger of losing the game, although there are no immediate threats. My mind was on how I could isolate the black bishop out of the game but here 23. d4 loses at once to 23. .. Rxf1+ 24. Rxf1 Qe4+.

23. Rxf6 Qxf6

24. c3 Bb6

24. .. Bf2 was worth a thought. 25. Rf1 Qe7 26. Qe2 Be3!

25. d4

Mission accomplished. Now if I can keep the bishop tied up over there then effectively I am a piece up.

25. .....  b4

26. Bh3

Planning more exchanges down the f-file.

26. ... g6

27. Rf1 Qe7

28. Rxf8 Qxf8

29. Qe2 bxc3

30. bxc3 a5?!

This surprised me. I had expected 30. .. Ba5. (31. Qxa6? would allow 31. .. Qf3+ and a chance for a draw).

31. Kg2 Kg7

32. Be6 Qf6

33. a4

The bishop is shut in. So the plan .... advance on the kingside, tie Black down, exchange queens, exploit with the king. Easier said than done.

33. ... Kf8

34. h4 h6

35. h5

35. Qe1 and g4-g5 might have been a better idea. As played, the Black pawns end up on Black squares and are not so easy for the bishop to attack.

35. ...  g5

Black could have played 35. .. gxh5 36. Qxh5 c5 to try to free the bishop.

36. Qf3 Kg7
37. Qe4

I did not like 37. Qxf6 Kxf6 - although the White king might be able to exploit through c4-b5.

37. .....  Ba7

38. Bg4 Bb6

39. Qe8 Qf7

40. Qe4

Change of mind. I decide to hold off the queen exchange until my king is further forward.

40. ... Ba7

41. Bf5 Qf6

42. Kh3 Bb6

43. Kg4 Qf7

44. Bg6 Qf6

45. Qe8 Qf8

46. Qd7+ Kf6

Now down to the last five minutes I stopped writing down the moves.



I was not confident that exchanging queens would win - Black had enough to defend and stop the White king getting through. What I needed to do was force a queen exchange with my queen on e6 to change the pawn structure. This I managed to do - with bishop on f5, queen on e6 and the Black king on f6 and queen on e7 - forcing Qxe6; dxe6 and my pawn was on e6.

Black freed his bishop and White was able to infiltrate the king to the kingside and take the pawns on h6 and g7. Advancing the pawn to h7 kept the Black bishop occupied, the pawn on e6 kept the king busy, so that left the queenside.

I advanced my king over to the queenside, captured on a5, and advanced forcing the win of the bishop. With just the centre pawns left, I got the king to c7 where the d-pawn could be nursed home. This is when Black resigned.

Not an easy win but I was glad to get the full point.

20 September 2018 - Swale Club Championship - Round Two

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Two

Thursday 20 September 2018

White: Vytautas Gedminas (116) - Black: Keith Nevols (163)

Scandinavian Defence

1. e4 d5

For the benefit of new readers, this is my favourite defence to e4. It is an unambitious but solid defence and I have a very good record with it.

2. exd5 Qxd5

2. ... Nf6 is the other common response.

3. Nf3 Nf6

4. Nc3 Qa5

And this is my favourite place to put the queen. Qd8 is also playable. Some people like Qd6.

5. Be2 Bf5

During the game I was trying to think of what should I play after 6. Nd4 e6 7. Nb3. Probably Qb6. The queen getting pushed around is balanced by the waste of time with the knights.

6. d3

White has chosen a quiet development. Bc4 and d4 is the main line.

6. ....  c6

7. Bd2 Qc7

8. Nd4 Bg6
9. Bg5 Nbd7



10. Bg4!?

A deployment of the bishop I had not seen before. 10. Bf3 might be stronger but I think simply 10.O-O is best. I now saw a way to grab the initiative.

10. ....  Qe5+
11. Be3 e6

Planning to complete development with Bc5 as White's pieces are currently somewhat not well placed.

12. Qf3?

Marks for aggression but this is a wasted move. Again castling is best. I could now see how to place some pressure on the centre with the hope of winning a pawn.

12. ......  Bc5
13. Nde2

I analysed 13. Nce2 to see if I could get anywhere with 13. .. Bb4+ but 14. c3 seemed secure enough. (14. Bd2 would be a blunder after 14. .. Bxd2 15. Kxd2 Qg5+), so 13. .. Nd5 would keep the pressure on. Now I can force the win of a pawn.

13. ....  Bxe3
14. fxg3 Nxg4
15. Qxg4 Qxe3



So it was time to think of strategy - and I made what I think is the wrong strategic decision.

With all respect to my opponent, I am the better player and so I now think, should I get the queens off, go into an ending a pawn up, and be confident that I can outplay him with simple chess? Against this argument is the fact that a pawn lead is not enough to win, and my bishop on g6 is not that well placed - the pawn on d3 both blocks and limits its expansion.

I could keep the queens on, try to keep his king in the centre, and go for an attack. Against this argument is the fact that a tactical battle can go both ways, and I usually run short of time (as I do here) and thus risk losing the game.

After umm-ing and ah-ing, I opt for keeping the queens on.

16. Qb4 O-O-O

With reference to my last note, I think I should have considered 16. ... Qb6.

17. Qa5

I considered here 17. .. Ne5 but did not like 18. Nd1 (however 18. .. Qg5 is fine) and 17. ... Nc5 (which I rejected because of 18. b4 Nd7 and, at some point, b5 taking an initiative).

The computer also suggests 17. .. h6 to give the bishop a retreat square. I did not consider this. Caution won the day.

17. ....  Kb8
18. Nd1 Qh6

Now I should have played 18. .. Qb6 or 18. ... Qe5 and let White decide if he wants to exchange. The queen has to go to the only possible square to avoid an exchange.

19. O-O

This move surprised me - although it is obvious really. I just did not think he would castle in front of my queen.

19. ....  Nf6

19..... b6 is an option to force the White queen off the fifth rank. White could play 20. Qc3 Kb7 21. Nd4 Rc8 or 20. Qe1 Qg5. I just wanted to activate the knight.

20. Qe5+ Ka8
21. h3?!

An inaccuracy as White did not foresee my next move.

21. ..... Qd2

After a long think. White's next move is obvious but I was looking at the position after.

22. Rc1

White could also try 22. Nd4, where 22. .. Rd5 23. Qe2 Ne4!? is quite pretty (23. Qf4? Qxf4 24. Rxf4 e5). But 22. Rc1 was the move I expected.



I had tried to examine whether either 22. ... Be4 or 22. .. Ne4 were any good. After 22. ... Be4 White could play 23. Rxf6 gxf6 24. Qxe4 and have two knights for a rook and a pawn (I did not see that Black could play 23. .... Bxd3! 24. cxd3 gxf6 and then take the pawn on d3 which would leave White with two knights for a rook and three pawns). And after 22. ... Ne4 White could play 23. Ndc3 and that comes to nothing.

The best move, which I did not consider, is 22. .. Nd5! exploiting White's lack of co-ordination. Then 23. Rf2 f6 with e5 to follow, and the bishop will have some squares to go to f7, hit a2 and perhaps come to d5.

The move I played seemed the most natural to me.

22. ....   Rd5
23. Qe3 Qa5

In my big think referred to, I also looked at 23. .. Qxe3 24. Nxe3 Re5 25. Rf3 and tried to see if I could exploit White's shakiness. I saw 25. ... Bh5 26. g4 Bg6 but did not see the idea of following this up with h5.

Instead I decided, once again, to keep the queens on.

24. Nec3 Re5

If 24. .. Rg5 then 25. b4 and Black must exchange queens with 25. ... Qb6.

25. Qg3 Nh5

I wanted to try to get pieces closer to the king and to focus on the g3 square. Also if 26. Qf2 then I intended to swap off a rook with 26. .. Rf5 and bring in the other one via d8.

26. Qh4 Qc7?

Poor. As I said I was focusing on the g3 square but this weakens my hold on the fifth rank and allows White to take pot shots at the rook. Retreating with 26. .. Nf6 is an improvement.

27. d4 Ra5

27. .. Rf5 28. Rxf5 exf5 and my bishop looks rather silly. 27. .. Qb6 28. Na4 Qb4 29. Ndc3 and White is improving fast.

28. a4 Nf6

28. ... Qd8 offering to exchange queens is better but this move makes a space for the rook.

29. Ne3 Rh5
30. Qf2 Rd8

Bringing my final piece in. Although I could not see a clear way to win, this seemed natural.

31. Ne2 Ne4
32. Qe1 Rg5
33. c3 Ng3

This was the point of the last few moves. I wanted to occupy the g3 square and try to build up something around it.

34. Nxg3 Rxg3?!

Black should have taken back with the queen.



35. Qe2

Missing 35. Ng4! with the threat of Ne5 cutting off the defence of the rook.
Black might have to play 35. .. Re8 (preparing f6) and then 36. Ne5 Rg5 37. g4 h5 38. Qe3 f6 39. h4 and Black will have to give up the exchange.

35. ....   c5

Aiming to open up the centre to find more spaces for my pieces.

36. Rcd1 cxd4
37. cxd4 Rg5

I am running out of ideas of what to do!

38. Nc4?

This is a mistake ....

38. .....  Qg3?

..... and I overlook 38. .. Rgd5. White can save the pawn with 39. Na3 a6 40. Qf2 but then Black can add pressure with 40. .. Qa5 or 40. Qb6.

39. Rf3 Qc7
40. Rc3!

Now it is White who has the better placed pieces and he quickly whips up a dangerous initiative.

40.     Qd7
41. Ne5 Qd5

I ruled out 41... Qxa4 as I did not like 42. Ra3. But then 42. ... Rxe5! wins at once.
Better for White would be 42. b3 where, two pawns down, he still has chances against the king and of trapping the black rook.

42. Rc5 Qe4

I finally decided to exchange queens, both to liberate the bishop and to reduce White's attack.

43. Qxe4 Bxe4



Here the computer recommends 44. Re1! where 44. .. Bxg2 can be met by 45. h4 forcing 45. .. Rxe5 (45. ... Rg3 46. Kh2), or 44. ... Bg6 45. Nxf7 or 44. .. f5 45. g4.

44. g4 h5?

44. .. f6 is best where the game is then equal.

45. Nxf7 Rxc5
46. Nxd8 Rc2
47. Nxe6 hxg4
48. hxg4 Rg2+
49. Kf1 Rxg4

This was the position I had foreseen at move 44. But I underestimated the strength of the White d-pawn which will now put White in a winning position.

50. d5! Kb8
51. d6 Bc6
52. d7 Bxd7
53. Rxd7 a6

And now 54. b3 Rb4 55. Nb5 should win for White.

54. Rxg7 Rxa4
55. Nc5 Rb4
56. b3 Rb5
57. Rg5 Ka7

With less than five minutes left, I stopped writing down my moves. I advanced the king and almost managed to trap the knight. However I did manage to win the last White pawn and, with rooks then exchanged, forced a draw as White had to sacrifice his knight for the two black pawns and we had just the kings left.

A draw with which I was very disappointed. I had not thrown away a better position but equally I lacked a plan throughout, allowed White to improve his pieces, and I was lucky to save the game.

6 September 2018 - Swale Club Championship - Round One

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round One
Thursday 6 September 2018
White: Keith Nevols (163) - Black: Anthony Fletcher (86)
Pirc Defence with 4. Bg5

1. e4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6

The Pirc Defence. Not one of my most familiar openings but I do know one line which prepares for aggression and development.

4. Bg5

A system introduced by the American Grandmaster Robert Byrne in the 1960s.

4. ....  Bg7
5. Nf3 O-O
6. Be2

I did not know where to put this bishop for now so e2 is as good a place as any. It reminded me of a Mike Basman audio tape from the 1970s where he recommended Be2 after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6.

6. ....   c5?!

Perhaps premature. I studied 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. e5 Nfd7 (9. ... Nd5? 10. O-O-O) 10. Bxe7 Re8 and did not like it. Black will get his pawn back and my king is still in the centre. But I did not see the stronger 10. Nd5! with 10. .. Nc6 11. Rd1 with pressure.

After 7. dxc5 better for Black would be 7. ... h6 and 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 dxc5 or 8. Be3 Ng4.

Instead I keep developing.

7. O-O b6

I thought this did not look right as it blocks the squares b6 and a5 for the queen. Black is planning to fianchetto the other bishop.

8. Re1

This is to pre-empt Bb7 in allowing Bf1 to drop back and defend the e4 pawn.

8. ..... Nc6

Now I started thinking about the e5 push. If 9. e5 dxe5 10. dxe5 Ng4 did not promise much. Also 9. e5 Ng4 10. exd6 Qxd6. So I decide to prepare it once more.

9. Bb5

I expected 9. ... Nxd4 10. Nxd4 cxd4 11. Qxd4 where I could not see anything useful for Black.

9. ..... Bb7



A big think here - I looked at 10. d5 Ne5 11. Nxe5 dxe5 with a future f4 in mind.

But 10. e5 just looked right through instinct. I thought he could not exchange and might instead play 10. .. Ng4 where I considered 11. e6? (which is bad because Black has a good piece sacrifice in 11. .. Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxf2! 13. Kxf2 cxd4) and did not see the better 11. Nd5.

10. e5 dxe5
11. dxe5

Black must now play 11. ..Ng4 where I intended 12. h3 Ngxe5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. Qxd8 Rfxd8 15. Bxe7 with an equal position. Fortunately for me, Black goes wrong.

11.     Ne8?

I could see how I could win the exchange and a pawn but it meant giving up one of my bishops - but material is material.

12. Bxc6 Bxc6
13. Qxd8 Rxd8
14. Bxe7 Nc7
15. Bxf8 Kxf8



OK, now what? I wanted to see if I could get rid of one of those bishops - because with those three pieces acting with the rook, Black could put up quite a spirited defence. So relocating the knight seemed a good start.

16. Ne4 Ne6

If I play 17. c3 - to stop any idea of Nd4 or Rd4 - then Black has 17. ... Nf4 with a possible Nd3 causing problems. I wanted to exchange the knight and saw a way I could do that.

17. Neg5 h5
18. Nxe6+ fxe6

Another big think. I did not want the two Black bishops to combine and make life hard for me. I was happy to sacrifice the e5 pawn to exchange off one of them (e.g. after Bxf3) but a second pawn and/or an active Black rook should not be allowed.

19. c4

The purpose of this move was to take a pawn away from the second rank (in case Black gets his rook down there), to cover the d5 square from a Black rook or bishop, and to hinder any counter attack ideas revolving around a Black b5.

19. ......Bh6

Releasing the pressure from e5 allows me to challenge the d-file and swap off a pair of rooks.

20. Rad1 Ke7
21. Rxd8+ Kxd8
22. Rd1+ Ke7



23. Rd3!

I was pleased to find this move. The intention is to sweep over to the left hand side.

23. ......  Bc1
24. Ra3 Bxb2
25. Rxa7+ Kd8
26. h3

Planning to march the king forward. Black feels compelled to exchange off one of his bishops to get a pawn back, which is what I had hoped for.

26. ....  Bxf3
27. gxf3 Bxe5
28. a4

Both to advance a pawn and also to stop any counter ideas based around b5 and c4.

28. .....  Bc7
29. Ra8+ Ke7
30. Kf1 Kf6

Any counterplay thoughts for Black has to come from the advance of the king - does he head for the h3 pawn or to the c4 pawn? Either way, though, I have time.

31. Rc8

The Black b-pawn will fall and the a-pawn can be advanced. Black decided to resign.