22 November 2018 - Swale Club Championship - Round Seven

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Seven

Thursday 22 November 2018

White: David Page (143) - Black: Keith Nevols (163)

Scandinavian Defence

1. e4 d5

2. exd5 Qxd5

3. Nc3 Qa5

4. Bc4 Nf6

5. d3

I think 5. d4 is more aggressive with the possibility of d5 in some lines. (However, having said that, White succeeds in gathering some aggression in this game).

5. ....  c6

With the absence of a white pawn at d4, Black could consider 5. .... Nc6, but I did not want to risk the queen being caught offside. 5. ... e5 is another idea that could be considered, but I was keen to stick to what I know and set up the barricade as soon as possible.

6. Bd2 Qc7

7. Qe2 Bg4?!

In retrospect, a mistake. The idea was to force f3 which would block the development of the king's knight. However, this move just helps White keep a development advantage and build up an attack.

The bishop has to develop before e6 can be played so the immediate 7... Bf5 is better. Black cannot afford to waste time.

8. f3! Bf5

9. O-O-O e6

9. ... b5!? is interesting exploiting the shortage of squares enjoyed by the white bishop.

10. g4 Bg6

11. h4

Now it is beginning to look uncomfortable. The Black king is still stuck in the centre and unable to castle either side, and White can think about sacrifices on e6.

11. ....h5

I rejected 11. .. h6 on the grounds that a White h5 and/or g5 kept up the pressure, and, after a White g5, planned to use the f5 square to organise my defences.

12. g5 Ng8

Forced. 12. .... Nfd7? loses a pawn to 13. Bxe6.

13. Re1!

Adding further pressure to the e6 square.

13. ...... Bf5

The engine recommends 13. ... Ne7. If 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15. Qxe6 Bf7 and Black is hanging on. If White plays 14. Nh3 then 14. .. Nd7 15. Nf4 Bf5 and castles.

I saw the upcoming sequence and thought it was enough to hang in there.

14. g6 Bxg6

15. Bxe6 Ne7

If 15. .... Be7 then 16. Nh3 - exploiting the fact that White does not yet have to retreat the bishop.

16. Bh3 Nd7

17. f4 O-O-O

Hurrah, got there. But my relief at getting the king castled passed quickly when  I saw White could play 18. Qf2!, hitting the a7 pawn. Black could not play 18. ... Kb8 because of 19. f5 and then 20. Bf4.

One possible line is giving up the a-pawn with 18. Qf2 Nf5 19. Qxa7 Bc5 20. Qa8+ Qb8 21. Qa5 - White is a pawn up and has some well placed pieces, although the king's knight is yet to join the party.

Another is to allow f5 with 18. Qf2 a6 19. f5 Bh7 20. f6! gxf6 21. Qxf6 Ng6 22. Qxf7 with strong pressure.

18. Nf3?!

Phew!

18. ... Kb8

19. Ng5 Nf6

20. Rhf1 Nf5?

A mistake. I played this automatically with relief that at last my pieces were finding good spaces. But Black should play 20. ... Ng4 21. Bxg4 hxg4 22. Qxg4 Nf5 with the white bishop exchanged and play for the pawn.

This just loses a pawn for nothing.

21. Bxf5 Bxf5

And here that dread moment hit me again when I saw 22. Qe5!

If 22. .. Qxe5 23. fxe5 and White will come out a piece up. If 22. ... Bg6 - Black's best defence - then 23. Qxc7+ Kxc7 24. f5 Bh7 25. Nxf7. And if 22. .. Be6 23. Qxc7+ Kxc7 24. Rxe6! fxe6 25. Nxe6+ and White comes out a pawn ahead.

22. Nxf7

For the second time in the game, I could breathe again.

22. .......  Bxd3!

This is the move I had been relying on when I played 20. .. Nf5. If 22. ... Qxf7 then 23. Qe5+ picks the piece back. Now 23. cxd3 Qxf7 and the position is equal.

23. Qe5 Bd6?

Going wrong in the complications. 23. .. Bxf1 is more accurate.

24. Nxd6 Bxf1

25. Nf7 Bh3

Wrong again ... 25. ... Rxd2 is better.

26. Nxh8 Rxh8

27. Qxc7+ Kxc7

28. Re7+ Kc8

29. Rxg7

The dust has cleared and White is a clear pawn ahead. The contest is now over whether White can get his passed f-pawn moving.

29. ....  Rf8

30. Rg3 Bf5

31. Rg5 Bg4

32. Re5 Nd7

Beginning a long manoeuvre to get the knight to the f5 square.

33. Re1 Nc5

34. Re5 Ne6

35. Re4 Ng7

36. Nd1 Nf5

I thought this was a good place for the knight allowing me to hit the h4 pawn and try to round it up.

37. Be1 Rg8

38. c3 Bxd1

Jumping in before the chance to play Ne3.

39. Kxd1 Rg4

40. Kd2 Nxh4

41. Bxh4

And with this move, and both of us low on time, White offered a draw which I gladly accepted. I was very fortunate to escape this game with half a point.