30 May 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Four

Swale Club Chess Championship - Final Group - Round Four

Thursday 30 May 2019

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

Sicilian Defence

A must-win game as my opponent was a long way ahead of me in the championship.

1. e4 c5

2. Nc3 d6

3. f4 g6

4. Nf3 Bg7

5. Be2 Na6!?

A curious deployment of the knight. Playing Nc6 and possibly Nd4 is more common. 

6. Bxa6 bxa6 opens the b-file for possible counterplay for Black, and I thought giving up the bishop was not worth this.

6. O-O e6

7. Qe1 

Pressing ahead with 7. e5 - exploiting the lack of a black knight on c6 - keeps an edge but I did not like this option until I was more developed. Nor did I want to allow him the f5 square for the king's knight.

The engine recommends 7. d4 converting to an open Sicilian where the a6 knight does not look so good.

7. …..  Nb4

8. Bd1 Ne7

9. d3 O-O



The position is now equal. White could consider a pawn sacrifice with 10. e5 Nbc6 (10. . dxe5 11. fxe5 Nbc6 12. Bg5 looks quite good) and then 11. Ne4!? dxe5 12. fxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. c3 Qc7 15. Nf6+ Bxf6 16. Rxf6. For the price of a pawn, the black squared bishop has gone and White might have some play on the kingside.

10. a3?! 

After making this move, I did not like it. It forces the knight where it will be going anyway, and as I usually play pawn to c3 in this system (both to block the long diagonal and protect the d4 square), the a3 move weakens the queenside with a few holes.

10. ….  Nbc6

11. Qg3 

I often play this move to place the queen on the same file as the king. The effect is more illusionary than real. Black continues to develop his queenside.

11. …. b6

12. Ne2 Bb7

13. c3 Rc8

13. .. d5 is more energetic. I might have replied with 14. Bc2 but Black has the initiative in this position.

14. Bc2 Qc7

15. Qh3 

I want to create some weaknesses around his King.

15. …..  Rfe8

16. Ng5 h6



My initial plan was to bring the knight back to f3 with a job done, but now I saw two other options involving sacrificing the knight.

I looked at 17. Nxf7!? Kxf7 18. f5 exf5 19. gxf5 Nxf5 and did not see the follow up 20. Bb3+ which gets a strong attack. Here 20. .. Kf8 meets 21. Nf4 threatening mate in one and 20...  Ke7 21. Nf4 Ne5 22. Ne6 (on 22. Nxg6 Nxg6 23. Qxf5 Black can hold with  23. ….  Ne5 24. d4 cxd4 25. cxd4 Kd8! 26. dxe5 Rxe5) where Black will have to try 22. .. Qc6 23. Nxg7 Nxg7 24. Bxh6 Qxg2+ returning the piece.

I also looked at 17. f5!? exf5 18. Nxf7 Kxf7 19. exf5 Nxf5 which transposes.

In the end, being unable to see anything definite, and aware that I was not too strong on tactics, I remained cautious.

17. Nf3 Kh7

Handily placing the king on the same diagonal as my bishop. 17. .. f5 was the move I feared, and I now moved to prevent it.

18. g4 

The immediate 18. f5 exf5 19. Ng3 is another interesting pawn sacrifice.

18. …...  Rh8

A solid move but 18. .. d5 hitting back in the centre is an improvement.

19. f5! 

At last!

19. .....  exf5

20. gxf5 Kg8

21. Nh4? 

Missing both 21. fxg6 (if 21. …. fxg6 22. Qe6+ Kh7 23. Bxh6! which will mate after 23. … Bxh6 24. Ng5+ Bxg5 25. Rf7+) 21. …Nxg6 22. Ng3 and 21. Nf4.  

21. .....gxf5?

Black in turn misses 21. .. Qd7! and slightly weakens the cover of his king.

22. Nxf5? 

Better is 22. exf5 keeping the knight on and keeping a threat of f6.

22. ….  Nxf5

23. Qxf5 Ne5

This knight is well placed. White cannot play 24. d4 cxd4 25. cxd4 due to the loose bishop on c2.

24. Ng3 Qd7

Running out of ideas, I decide to cash in and see if I can make anything of a better endgame.




25. Bf4 Qxf5

26. Nxf5 Rd8

27. Kf2 Bc8

At this point, Black offered a draw. Needing a win, and thinking I was still better, I decided to play on. And that bishop can go for a start.

28. Ne7+ Kf8

29. Nxc8 Rxc8

30. Ke2 

Protecting d3 so that I can liberate the white squared bishop for other duties.

30. ….  Ke7

31. Bb3 Rhf8

32. Bd5 Ng6

33. Bg3 Be5

34. Rf5 Bxg3

35. hxg3



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

The endgame battle began, and I managed to use my slight positional advantage to win a pawn. Exchanges went all the way down to a rook and d-pawn v rook ending but thankfully I managed to cut his king off from the pawn.

We went into what is known as the Lucena position, and at one stage I invested a few seconds to remind myself how to win that position, which I was able to. A good victory over a tough opponent.

23 May 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Three

Swale Club Chess Championship - Final Group - Round Three

Thursday 23 May 2019

White: Keith Nevols (163) - Black: Dennis Simpson

Scandinavian Defence

1. e4 d5

2. exd5 Qxd5

3. Nc3 Qd8

4. d4 Nf6

5. Nf3 Bg4

6. Bc4 

I had expected this opening, with the Qd8 move instead of my own Qa5. But here Black cannot win a pawn with 6. .. Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Qxd4 because of 8. Qxb7, so Black sets up a defence which is very familiar to me.

6. ….e6

7. O-O c6

8. Bb3?! 

Intending to sacrifice a pawn after 8. .. Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Qxd4 and following up with ideas of Bf4 or Rd1. But 8. Be3 is the best move, although I did give a lot of thought to 8. Bg5.

8. ….Be7

9. Bf4 O-O

Again declining the pawn offer. 9. .. Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Qxd4 11. Rad1 and one idea is 11. .. Qb6 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 and thoughts of Be3 or Rd3.

10. Be5? 

Poor. The engine says coming back with 10. Be3 is the best move. I was trying to see if I could mix this up to avoid a dull game. The bishop on g4 is becoming a pain so 10. h3 could be considered.

10. ......  Nbd7

After this sensible defensive move, Black is better and I am stuck for ideas.

11. Qd3 c5

Black could have taken over the initiative with 11. … Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nd7 14. Qe2 Qc7. Perhaps he was concerned over the possibility of my taking over the d-file and planting a knight on d6 although I could not see how I could have done this,

12. Rad1 cxd4?!

Taking some tension out of the position. 12. .. Qc8 with a6 and b5 is one idea of keeping up an initiative.

13. Bxd4 Nc5

14. Qe3 Qc8

Again h3 is begging to be played. I decide to double up on the d-file instead.

15. Rd2 Nxb3

16. axb3 b6

16. .. Qc7!? is an interesting pawn sacrifice. 17. Bxa7 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Qa5 and coming over to the kingside to exploit some holes.

17. Ne5 Bf5

18. Rfd1 

White should try 18. h3 with g4 to follow. 

18. .. Qb7!

Good move, clearing the back rank and zoning in on the e4 square.

19. f3 Rfd8

19. .. h6 would clear a path back for the bishop if White is still thinking of g4 ideas.

20. Kf1 

I was worried about tactics along the a7-g1 diagonal, hence the moving of the king away from this line. But 20. g4 remains fine. One line is 20. .. Bg6 21. h4 Rxd4 22. Rxd4 Bxc2 23. Rc1 Bxb3 24. Nb5! Bc5 25. Qxb3 Bxd4+ 26. Nxd4 and White is a piece for two pawns up.

Looking forward, this lazy move un-defends the h2 square.

20. ….  Nd5

21. Nxd5 Rxd5

22. c4 Rdd8

23. Qc3? 

A waste of a move which Black can just brush off. 23. g4 Bg6 24. Bc3 Rxd2 25. Qxd2 is an improvement. Black cannot play Rd8 due to his weak back rank.

23. ......a5

I did not see this. Not only does it stop b4 but it places the bishop on a very good square.

But Black has a strong attack with 23. .. f6 24. Nd3 Qc7! hitting the h2 square. I saw this and after 25. Kg1 was concerned about 25. .. Bd6, although again 25. .. a5 is also very good.

24. Qe3 

Understandable to avoid the pin and hit b6 but Black could now play 24. .. f6! 25. Nd3 Rab8 and e5 is coming next. (If 26. g4 Bg6 27. Qxe6+ Bf7 28. Qe3 and, for the pawn, Black has a nice choice of Re8 or Qxc7).

24. …. Bb4

25. Bc3 Rxd2

26. Qxd2 Qc7

27. Bxb4 axb4

28. Nd3? 

A blunder. White really had to play 28. Qd6 and, after 28. .. Qxd6 29. Rxd6 there is still a chance to exploit the weaknesses on the Black queenside.

28. …. Rd8!

29. Qe2 Qd7?

I had expected 29. .. Qxh2 and could not see a defence.

30. Nf2 Qxd1+

31. Qxd1 

Obviously if 31. Nxd1 then 31. .. Bd3 and Black comes out the exchange ahead.

31. .... Rxd1+

32. Nxd1 Bc2

33. Ne3 Bxb3

And now Black is much better. He is a pawn up, although doubled pawns, and the White pawn on c4 is in trouble.

34. Ke2 Kf8

35. Kd3 Ke7

36. Kd4 Kd6

37. Ng4

There are no more recorded moves because we were now down to our last five minutes each (there were no increments) and there was a bizarre finish to the game.

My opponent had much less time than I did, but played the ending well, advancing on both sides into a winning ending. With just over a minute left, he made an illegal move. We knew that was a two minute penalty and, as he had less than two minutes, we both thought that was that and he had lost on time.

We later discovered that we had the rules wrong. Instead of deducting two minutes from his clock, we should actually have added two minutes to my clock.

I do not know if he still had time to win the game, and I would have probably taken the draw, but the win kept my distant championship hopes alive, although I was very disappointed with my play. Enough people have attacked me on the kingside when I had Black in a Scandinavian so I cannot explain why this idea of h3-g4 or f3-g4 did not occur to me.

16 May 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round Two

Swale Club Chess Championship - Final Group - Round Two

Thursday 16 May 2019

White: Keith Hyde (156) Black: Keith Nevols (163)

Dutch Defence

I have never beaten my club mate here. In seven games, my record is three draws and four losses. But, for the first time, I came close.

1. d4 f5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Bf4 e6

4. e3 b6

A slightly different move order to our last game with these colours where I played 4. .. Be7.

5. Nbd2 Bb7

6. Bd3 Be7

7. h3 

We have now transposed to our earlier game from March 2018 where here I played 7. .. O-O and White played 8. g4! and got a strong attack which eventually broke through. Aware of this, I decided to delay castling and continue developing.

7. .....  Ne4

8. g4 

White repeats his attack from last time, 8. .. O-O would transpose again and we then played 9. gxf5 exf5 10. Rg1 Kh8 - although 10. .. d5 would have been an improvement.

Black could now play 8. .. Nxd2 which forces White to recapture with the king, 9. Kxd2, although he would be safe there.

8. .. d6

9. gxf5 exf5

10. Rg1 

10. d5! is a good pawn sacrifice to exploit Black's delay in castling. After 10. .. Bxd5 11. Nxe4 fxe4 (11. .. Bxe4 12. Bxe4 fxe4 13. Qd5 and the king in the centre becomes a liability) 12. Bb5+ Bc6 13. Nd4 Bxb5 14. Qh5+! g6 15. Qxb5+ Qd7 16. Qd5 and White will regain the pawn with a better position.

So after 10. d5, maybe Black should decline the pawn with 10. .. Nxd2 11. Qxd2 O-O (the move Black was trying to avoid) but then 12. c4! followed by Nd4 and Black is getting squeezed.

10. …. g6

10. .. Bf6 is better. Now 11. d5 remains good.

11. Qe2 Nd7

12. O-O-O Ndf6

I was pleased to get this extra security for the knight on e4. However, White has another opportunity to play d5. For example, 13. d5! Bxd5 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Bc4 with ideas of Be6 or Ne5, or … 14. .. fxe4 15. Bb5+ c6 16. Rxd5! cxb5 17. Ne5!.

13. Ng5 Nxg5

14. Bxg5 Ne4

15. Bf4 Qd7

16. f3?! 

I was pleased to see this move, as I could now complete my development and White's kingside looks a little loose. My strategy of keeping the king in the centre against g4 was not successful and I made a note to go back to the drawing board. 

16. Bb5 c6 17. Bc4 and Black does not really want to play 17. .. d5 opening the diagonal, and granting the e5 square, for the White bishop.

16. …. Nxd2

17. Rxd2 O-O-O

Hurrah! Now the engine says we are equal, although I was not sure how to attack from here.

18. Ba6 Qa4

19. Bxb7+ 

I was not sorry to see the back of that white bishop but White can bring up an attack against the king's new home.

19.      Kxb7

20. Rd3! 

With the threat of Ra3.

20. ......  Qb5

20. … Qc4 is more accurate because now White could play 21. a4!, or even 20.... a5.

21. Qd2 Bf6

22. Bg5 

Forcing off the other bishop.

22. ...  Bxg5

23. Rxg5 

White is now threatening e4. I did not like 23. .. d5 because I thought at some stage White could play e4 to dissolve the centre and have the advantage with his more active pieces. 

The engine recommends 23. .. Rhg8!? to meet 24. e4 with 24. .. Rde8 25. exf5 gxf5 26. Rxg8 Rxg8. I did not see this but instead decided to try to prevent a White e4 and make the White central pawns a target.

23. … Qc6

24. d5? 

This aggressive move is a mistake as it gifts Black a pawn. Defending the f3 pawn with Qf2 or Qe2 is better.

24. ...   Qc4

White's last move has opened up the fourth rank for the Black queen to move over and attack the kingside. This hits the a2 pawn and will also move over to h4 to collect the h3 pawn.

25. Qc3 Qh4

25. …. Qxa2?? loses at once to 26. Qc6+ Kb8 27. Ra3 and the black queen is trapped.

26. f4 Qxb3

I'm a pawn up!

27. Qc6+ Kb8

28. a4! 

This is not the best move - 28. Qc3 retreating the queen is a good defence - but is a good practical and psychological move. 

By now, I was short of time and trying to calculate if I could win. The prospect of a5-a6, or a5xb6, was quite concerning. I considered 28. .. a5, and there is nothing wrong with that, and assumed White would follow with 29. b4. 

28. .....  Qf1+

29. Rd1 

And now Black should play 29. .. Qf3 meeting 30. a5 with 30. .. Qxe3+ 31. Kb1 Qc5 or 30. Qc3 with 30. .. Rhe8 31. Re1/Rd3 Re4 and Rde8 to come. The white rook on g5 is out of the game and Black's central pressure could become overwhelming.

29. …...…. Qa6?

But Black bottles it, giving White a chance to gather his defences.

30. Rg2 Rde8

31. Rg3 Re4

31. …. Qe2 could have exploited the lack of co-ordination in White's defences. 32. Qc3 Qf2 33. Rdg1 a5 and then the h-pawn can run, or 32. a5 bxa5!? (33. e4 Rxe4 34. Rb3+ Rb4)

32. b3 Rhe8?

Missing the last chance .. 32. .. Qe2 and then either 33. a5 Qa6 34. axb6 Qa3+! 35. Kd2 cxb6 or 33. Qc3 Rhe8, or even 33. Rh1 Rxe3 34. Rxg6 Qf2 and Black is still better.

33. Rh1! 

White gets the right idea, giving up the e-pawn for a counter attack down the h-file.

33. ….  Rxe3

If 33. .. R8e7 34. Rxg6 hxg6 35. Rxh8+ Re8 36. Rxe8+ Rxe8 37. Qxe8+ Qf1+ and Black might have enough to draw. If 33. … R4e7 then simply 34. Rxh7.

34. Rxh7 



34. …........Qb7??

Black blunders!! He should have played 34. .. Re1+. 

Now 35. Rxe3 wins!! (35. …. Rxe3 36. Rh8+)

35. Rxg6?? 

…. and White misses it. An amazing turn of events in mutual time trouble.

35. ……. Qxc6

36. dxc6 Rc3

And here the players agreed a draw.

The draw was a fair result. On the one hand, I was sure that I had come close to a win, but then ended up being relieved with half a point.

9 May 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Final Group - Round One

Swale Club Chess Championship - Final Group - Round One

Thursday 9 May 2019

White: Keith Nevols (163) - Black: Vytautas Gedminas (114)

Ruy Lopez

Now onto the second stage of the Championship - a final group of eight - and to have a realistic chance of catching up, I had to win all seven games.

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bb5 d6

The Ruy Lopez Old Steinitz Defence. Described as 'solid but cramped'. 4. d4 is the most aggressive here but I just decide to develop as normal.

4. O-O Bg4

5. d3 

5. h3 is more accurate. 5. .. Bd7 is just a waste of a tempo whereas after 5. .. Bh5 the black bishop can no longer retreat to d7 so White could play 6. c3 planning d4, and meeting 6. .. a6 with 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. d4.

5. .... h6

6. c3 

A slower version of the above idea.

6. …… Qf6!?

Completely unexpected, Black opts to open an attack on the kingside. 

7. Nbd2 

The engine recommends 7. Bxc6+ but I had plans for that bishop coming back to b3 or c2 and the Black knight was not really doing anything.

7. …..  Bd7

A surprise retreat. I thought he might wait for 8. h3 to cause a slight weakness.

8. Re1 

To make room for the queen's knight to enter the game.

8. ..... a6

9. Ba4 Nge7

10. h3 

To prevent the bishop coming back to g4. A Black move of Ng6 followed by Nf4 or Nh4 was beginning to concern me. White is struggling to get developed.

10. …...  Ng6

10. … O-O-O 11. Nf1 Qg6 preparing f5 is an idea and with 12, Ng3 h5! is another idea.

11. Nf1 Be7

12. Ng3 

12. Ne3 is a better move, heading for d5, but I rejected it because I was concerned about a Black knight arriving on f4. However, 12. Ne3 Nf4 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nb8 15. d4! is good for White.

12. .....  Nh4

I was happy to get rid of this knight and reduce the potential of any Black attack.

13. Nxh4 Qxh4

14. d4 

And now we are back in the game.

14. .....  b5

15. Bc2 

I did not play 15. Bb3 as I did not like 15. .. Na5 16. Bc2 Nc4 but, after 15. .. Na5, I did not see 16. dxe5! Nxb3 (16. … dxe5? 17. Bxf7+) 17. axb3 dxe5 18. Qd5 winning a pawn.

15. ….  O-O

16. d5 

The immediate 16. Nf5 is more accurate and keeping the tension in the centre.

16. ….  Na5

17. Nf5 Bxf5

18. exf5 Bg5??

Black blocks in his own queen and it will cost material to rescue her. 
18. ..Qf6 is better or even 18. .. Rfb8 to gain counterplay on the queenside.

19. Re4 Bf4

20. g3 Qxh3

21. gxf4 

The other way is 21. Bxf4 exf4 22. Rxf4 threatening Rh4. Black could play 22. .. g5 23. fxg6 fxg6 24. Rh4 Qd7 and White will capture both the g- and h-pawns and be two pawns up. Or, if he sees it, Black has 22. … Nc4 23. Rh4 Ne3 although after 24. Qf3 Qg2+ 25. Qxg2 Nxg2 26. Kxg2 he is a clear piece ahead.

21. .....  Qxf5

22. fxe5?

Missing 22. Ra4 winning more material, but my eyes were focussed on a direct attack on the kingside which I thought would win this game in a few more moves.

22. …….  Qd7

23. Rg4 

Good enough, although the engine rates 23. Bxh6 gxh6 24. Qf3 as stronger.

23. …..  f5

24. e6 Qe7



25. Rg6 Rf6

26. Rxf6 Qxf6

27. Qh5 Rf8

28. Be3 

Bringing another piece into the attack.

28. ….  Nc4

29. Bd4 Ne5

30. Re1 

Should have been good enough but 30. a4! opening up another line of attack is a better move.

30.     Qg5+!

Black has a clever idea where he might be able to get the queens off and live a little longer.

31. Qxg5 Nxf3+

32. Kg2?? 

No!!! 32. Kf1 hxg5 33. Rook moves somewhere would leave White with a piece for two pawns.

32. …..  Nxe1+

I had completely overlooked that this was check.

33. Kf1 hxg5

34. Kxe1 



So where are we now? White has two bishops and six pawns against a rook and seven pawns. In terms of numbers it is equal. White's plus is the protected passed pawn on e6 and the fact that those bishops are quite well placed. The minus is now that he is deflated after kicking himself and contemplating that this could end with a draw. Black's plus is those kingside pawns to see if he can get them moving.

34. ….  g6

35. b4!

Tying down the queenside and preparing to make advances there.

35. ….   Rc8

36. Bf6 

A great square for the bishop where he can stop the kingside pawns advancing while the rest of the board sorts itself out.

36. ….. g4

37. a4 c6

38. dxc6 Rxc6

39. axb5 axb5

40. Bb3! 

Threatening e7 winning straight away, and planning Bd5 which keeps an eye on both the a8 and a2 squares if Black should think about using the a-file for his rook.
40. Bd3 Rb6 is another way to keep some advantage.

40. …  Kf8

41. Bd5 Rc8

42. Kd2 

Learning from previous mistakes, one must not forget the king in the ending. I had now regained my confidence and thinking of victory.



42. ….  f4

43. Kd3 Rc7

44. Ke4 g3

45. fxg3 fxg3

46. Kf3 Rh7

47. Kxg3 Rh5

And now it is all over.

48. e7+ Ke8

49. Bc6+ Kf7

50. e8(Q)+ Kxf6

Just the tidying up now required.

51. Qf8+ Ke6

52. Qf4 Rf5

53. Qe4+ Kf6

54. Qd3 Ke7

55. Be4 Rg5+

56. Kf2 Ke6

57. Bxg6 Rd5

58. Bf7+

Black now resigned. A good win - although I could say this was two good wins as I nearly threw it away, but I was fortunate that my position was good enough to withstand such a blunder.