14 March 2019 - Stevenson - Swale v Rainham

Stevenson - Swale v Rainham - Board Two

Thursday 14 March 2019

White: Keith Nevols (163) - Black: Trefor Owens (167)

Sicilian Defence

A former club team-mate and familiar foe. And a closed Sicilian.

1. e4 c5

2. Nc3 Nc6

3. f4 d6

4. Nf3 g6

5. Be2 Bg7

6. O-O a6

7. Qe1 

Sticking with the system that I know.

7. …...Bg4

An unusual deployment of the bishop.

8. h3 

As I played this, I saw that Black could play 8. .. h5!? - the sort of move which might appeal to my opponent who liked mixing things up. But I think I can just about survive.

8. .. h5 9. hxg4 hxg4 10. Nh2 Bd4+ and I was debating with 11. Rf2, which actually loses to 11. .. g3, so forcing 11. Kh1 and hanging on grimly. But I would be more likely to decline the sacrifice with 9. Nh2 or 9. d3.

8. .....  Bxf3

9. Bxf3 Nd4

10. Bd1 Nh6

10. … e6 and Ne7 might have been a better way to deploy the knight, perhaps following with Nec6. I now decide to eject the knight.

11. d3 f5

Slightly loosening the squares around the black King. I gave a lot of thought to 12. exf5 Nhxf5 13. g4 or 12. .. gxf5 13. Nd5. Instead I continued with the idea, which happens often in this opening, of playing Ne2 and c3 to kick the knight and then moving the bishop onto a good diagonal.

12. Ne2 Qb6

13. c3 Nc6

14. Kh1 

14. Be3 Qxb2 15. Bb3 would have been an interesting pawn sacrifice, but caution is the watchword.

14. .....   Qc7

Despite all my pieces being on the back row except one - and that is on e2 - the engine states I am much better here.

15. Bb3 Qd7

16. Be3 

If 16. exf5 then Black could consider a pawn sacrifice himself with 16. .. d5 17. fxg6 hxg6.

16. ……  Na5

17. Bc2 Qc7

18. Bg1 

18. Qf2 was a stronger move, but I am thinking I have the advantage now, if I can open up the centre.

18. .....  Rd8

19. Rb1 

A cautious move, coming off the diagonal and defending the b2 pawn.

19. …..  O-O

20. d4 fxe4

21. Bxe4 d5

22. Bc2 c4

I was pleased to see this move, closing down the centre, and now allowing my eyes to focus solely on the kingside.

23. f5

23. Bh2 was my first thought but I was concerned that if Black put a piece on the f5 square I would never be able to break through, and so the best move was to play f5 myself, even if losing a pawn in the process. 23. .. Nxf5 24. Nf4 was the point.

A better move would be 23. g4 and then either 23. .. e6 24. Bh2 or 23. .. Qd7 24. f5 gxf5 25. g5 Nf7 26. Qg3 keeping up the pressure.

23. ….  g5

24. Ng3 

With an eye on the h5 square, and a plan to bring the queen in to the attack, although 24. h4! is stronger.

24. .....  Nc6

25. Qe6+ Kh8

26. Nh5 Bf6

Black continues to defend well. I thought I had a win but could not see it. Meanwhile, in the match, four games had finished and we were 2.5-1.5 up with at least a draw on the other outstanding game, so I knew that a draw here where would win the match for us.

27. Bh2 Qd7

28. Qe3 

Thinking of h4 or Qf3.

28. ...…  Qe8

29. Nxf6? 

Losing some advantage - either 29. g4 or 29. Qf3 would have been better.

29. …..  exf6

30. Qf3 Qf7

31. Rbe1 Rfe8

32. Bg3 Ng8

And Black now offered a draw. My plan had been to play 33. h4 although 33. Re6 is strong with 33. Rxe6 34. fxe6 Qxe6 35. Qh5. However, not only was I mentally exhausted, but the draw would have won us the match (although as it turned out, we would have won the match anyway) so I accepted.

However, I now regret that decision - especially as I have never beaten Trefor before - and wish that I had continued 33. h4 to see what would happen next.

Swale v Rainham

Stefan Mocanu (158) 0-1 Martin Taylor (222)

Keith Nevols (163) 1/2-1/2 Trefor Owens (167)

Keith Hyde (162) 1/2-1/2 David Barnes (161)

David Page (141) 1-0 Robert Springett (134)

Rob Woolacott (132) 1-0 Paul Foster (123)

Tyrone Jefferies (119) 1-0 Gary Clifford (109) 

Swale 4-2 Rainham