7 March 2019 - En Passant - Swale v Rainham

En Passant - Swale v Rainham - Board One

Thursday 7 March 2019

White: Keith Nevols (163) - Black: Andrew Waters (161)

Alekhine Defence

1. e4 Nf6

The Alekhine Defence. Don't know much about this, except that the main line is 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6, with the plan to allow White the centre and Black intends to undermine it.

Lacking the knowledge to go into this, I play the second most common reply.

2. Nc3 e5
3. d3

Too cautious. 3. Bc4 and 3. Nc3 were developing better.

3. .....  Bb4
4. Bd2 d5

Already Black has equalised. Maybe he's even better.

5. exd5 Nxd5
6. Nxd5 Bxd2+
7. Qxd2 Qxd5



Somebody more adventurous than I might consider 8. Be2 in this position with 8. ... Qxg2 9. Bf3 Qg6 10. O-O-O and intending to use the g-file for an attack.

Having ruled out 8. Be2 I also did not like 8. Ne2 or 8. Nf3, and I was concerned about some rapid Black expansion with O-O, f5-f4. The engine likes 8. Be2 but also 8. Nf3.

However, I found an idea I could not resist.

8. Qg5!?

The idea was to threaten something, and then develop the king's bishop while defending g2. Sometimes I like to congratulate myself for some creativity, even if it is not the best.

8. ......  O-O
9. Be2 Nc6

9. .. h6 would force the queen to move again, and after 10. Qg3 Nc6 11. Bf3 Qa5+ Black could get a strong initiative.

10. Bf3 Qa5+

10. ... Qb5 was concerning. I had not yet worked out how I was going to defend the b-pawn. One option is a double pawn sacrifice  with 11. Ne2 Qxb2 12. O-O Qxc2 13. Rac1 Qxd3 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Qxe5.

11. Qd2 Qxd2+?!

I was relieved to see this. Black had not used his large advantage. Now we enter the ending.

12. Kxd2 Nd4
13. Bd1

Deciding to preserve the bishop and entering a same coloured bishop ending. 13. g3 is another idea, forcing Black to take 13. .. Nxf3 if he wanted a bishop v knight ending.

13. ......  c5
14. Ne2 b6
15. Nxd4 exd4

And now we are equal - or at least I might be better.



16. Bf3 Rb8
17. Rhe1

Grabbing an open file is perfectly normal, but 17. a4 might have been something to think about. to try to get a weakness on the queenside.

17. .....  Bb7
18. Bxb7 Rxb7

At this point, Black offered a draw. I declined hoping to make something of my small advantage. (IN which case I ought to now be thinking of a4 or h4).

19. Re4 f6

A good defensive move intending to power up on e7, exchange rooks and enter a drawn king ending.

20. Rae1 Kf7
21. f4

My eye is on the e6 square. I want to get the pawn to f5 and the rook to e6.

21. ....  g6
22. g4 Rd8
23. b3

Unable to make any progress, I decide to give the queenside a go.

23. .....   R8d7
24. a4 Re7

25. Ra1 is now possible but Black could counter with 25. .. f5 26. Rxe7+ Rxe7 27. gxf5 gxf5 28. a5 Re3. The game would then be more open. But, having had bad experiences with open rook endings,  I decided to keep it safe.

25. R1e2 Rbd7
26. Kc1 Rxe4
27. Rxe4 Re7
28. Kd2 



28. ….   a6
29. Ke2

Black could now think about 29. .. b5 and seeing if there would be any advantage in a king ending.

29. ....  f5
30. Rxe7+ Kxe7
31. gxf5 gxf5
32. Kf3 b5
33. axb5 axb5

And now it is dead even.

34. Kg3 Kf7
35. Kh4 Kg6
36. Kg3 Kh6

Here we shook hands to end not one of the most exciting games ever.

Swale v Rainham

Keith Nevols (163) 1/2-1/2 Andrew Waters (161)

Keith Hyde (162) 0-1 David Barnes (161)

Rob Woolacott (132) 0-1 Chris Marshall (146)

Tyrone Jefferies (119) 1/2-1/2 Robert Springett (134) 

Vytautas Gedminas (116) 0-1 Stephen Pike (128)

Andrew Gillard (113) 1-0 Gary Clifford (109) 

Swale 2-4 Rainham