Tunbridge Wells Chess Congress - Major - Round One
Saturday 8 June 2019
White: H. Tassell (145) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)
Scandinavian Defence
My first weekend congress for many years (I think my last was in 1993?) was held at the wonderful Tunbridge Wells bridge club, a very nice place to play chess. Arriving at the venue, I was surprised to see that - using my start of season grade - I was the top seed in this under-160 section!
Unfortunately, the first day - three games - proved to be a disaster.
1. e4 d5
2. exd5 Qxd5
3. d4 Nf6
4. c4
Usually White plays a bishop to c4. The advantage from the Black view is that White's d-pawn, if it stays on d4, will have no pawn to defend it.
4. ….. Qa5+
With this move order, 4. .. Qd8 is perhaps more accurate, as I soon have to waste another move with the queen.
Usually White plays a bishop to c4. The advantage from the Black view is that White's d-pawn, if it stays on d4, will have no pawn to defend it.
4. ….. Qa5+
With this move order, 4. .. Qd8 is perhaps more accurate, as I soon have to waste another move with the queen.
5. Bd2 Qb6
6. Bc3
6. c5 pushing the queen again is interesting. 6. … Qe6+ 7. Be2 and Black will find it hard to develop.
6. …. c6
6. c5 pushing the queen again is interesting. 6. … Qe6+ 7. Be2 and Black will find it hard to develop.
6. …. c6
7. Bd3 Bg4
8. Qc2 Nbd7
9. Nd2 e6
10. Ngf3 Qc7
11. Ne5
The engine does not like this move, although it seems fine to me. It prefers the more energetic 11. b4 or just 11. h3 Bh5 12. O-O.
11. …. Bh5?!
11. … Nxe5 is better. 12. dxe5 Nd7 and either the e5 pawn will fall (although White will have good compensation) or White will play 13. f4 which can be met with 13. .. Qb6! preventing White from castling and threatening to come to e3.
I rejected 11. .. Nxe5 as I was worried about opening the d-file and presenting White with control of the d6 square.
The engine does not like this move, although it seems fine to me. It prefers the more energetic 11. b4 or just 11. h3 Bh5 12. O-O.
11. …. Bh5?!
11. … Nxe5 is better. 12. dxe5 Nd7 and either the e5 pawn will fall (although White will have good compensation) or White will play 13. f4 which can be met with 13. .. Qb6! preventing White from castling and threatening to come to e3.
I rejected 11. .. Nxe5 as I was worried about opening the d-file and presenting White with control of the d6 square.
12. Ne4
I think 12. Ndf3 is better. I can now sort out a defence.
12. ..... Nxe4
I think 12. Ndf3 is better. I can now sort out a defence.
12. ..... Nxe4
13. Bxe4 Nf6
14. Bf3 Bg6?
A mistake allowing the White white-squared bishop to be unchallenged. Black should play 14. .. Bxf3 15. Nxf3 Be7 and then castle.
A mistake allowing the White white-squared bishop to be unchallenged. Black should play 14. .. Bxf3 15. Nxf3 Be7 and then castle.
15. Nxg6
15. Qe2! is good, thinking about h4-h5 as an option and also looking at d5 with Black's king still in the middle.
15. …. hxg6
15. Qe2! is good, thinking about h4-h5 as an option and also looking at d5 with Black's king still in the middle.
15. …. hxg6
16. g3 O-O-O?!
16. .. Be7 and castling kingside are systems that I am more used to. I was concerned that White had not yet decided where to put his king and feared if I castled kingside that he could play h4-h5. However, I should have played 16. .. Be7 to keep my options open and see what he intended to do.
17. O-O-O Be7
16. .. Be7 and castling kingside are systems that I am more used to. I was concerned that White had not yet decided where to put his king and feared if I castled kingside that he could play h4-h5. However, I should have played 16. .. Be7 to keep my options open and see what he intended to do.
17. O-O-O Be7
18. h4
Now the king has gone from that side, I was not worried about this and started to think of means of counter attack.
18. …… Qb6?
A mistake. I had completely overlooked that the c-file could open up with all sorts of discovered check possibilities. With this in mind, 18..... Kb8 tucking the king away was better, although we discussed afterwards whether 18. .. Rd7 intending Rhd8 and then Qb6 was an improvement.
While White was thinking, I saw, with a sinking heart, 19. d5, and how to cobble together a defence.
Now the king has gone from that side, I was not worried about this and started to think of means of counter attack.
18. …… Qb6?
A mistake. I had completely overlooked that the c-file could open up with all sorts of discovered check possibilities. With this in mind, 18..... Kb8 tucking the king away was better, although we discussed afterwards whether 18. .. Rd7 intending Rhd8 and then Qb6 was an improvement.
While White was thinking, I saw, with a sinking heart, 19. d5, and how to cobble together a defence.
19. d5!
If 19. .. cxd5 20. cxd5 Kb8 21. dxe6 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qxe6 23. Re1 - but I rejected 19. .. cxd5 because of 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21. cxd5+ failing to notice that 21. .. Kb8 threatens Rc8 so 22. Kb1 exd5 and the position is level.
If 19. … exd5 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. cxd5 although after 21. .. c5 things are not so bad.
But after 19. … exd5, White would be better after 20. cxd5 c5.
However, I did not see a lot of those lines and chose a worse alternative.
19. ...c5?
If 19. .. cxd5 20. cxd5 Kb8 21. dxe6 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qxe6 23. Re1 - but I rejected 19. .. cxd5 because of 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21. cxd5+ failing to notice that 21. .. Kb8 threatens Rc8 so 22. Kb1 exd5 and the position is level.
If 19. … exd5 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. cxd5 although after 21. .. c5 things are not so bad.
But after 19. … exd5, White would be better after 20. cxd5 c5.
However, I did not see a lot of those lines and chose a worse alternative.
19. ...c5?
20. dxe6 Qxe6
20. .. Rxd1+ should have been played to slightly reduce White's attack possibilities.
20. .. Rxd1+ should have been played to slightly reduce White's attack possibilities.
21. Qb3
This is OK although 21. Rde1 is stronger. But by now I was on the point of giving up - angry at myself for overlooking the d5 push - and, to use a poker term, am on tilt, where one mistake is quickly followed by another.
21. …. Rd7?
Black must play 21. .. Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qb6. He will still be worse but not go down in flames so quickly.
This is OK although 21. Rde1 is stronger. But by now I was on the point of giving up - angry at myself for overlooking the d5 push - and, to use a poker term, am on tilt, where one mistake is quickly followed by another.
21. …. Rd7?
Black must play 21. .. Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qb6. He will still be worse but not go down in flames so quickly.
22. Rxd7 Qxd7
23. Rd1
23. Be5! is good taking the c7 square away from the queen and threatening Rd1. If 23. .. Bd8 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. Bd6, or 23. .. b6 24. Bg2! threatening Bh3 and Qf3.
23. …. Qc7
23. Be5! is good taking the c7 square away from the queen and threatening Rd1. If 23. .. Bd8 24. Rd1 Qe7 25. Bd6, or 23. .. b6 24. Bg2! threatening Bh3 and Qf3.
23. …. Qc7
24. Re1 Rd8??
Another gaffe. Black must play 24. .. b6. I overlooked the following combination.
Another gaffe. Black must play 24. .. b6. I overlooked the following combination.
25. Qxb7+! Qxb7
26. Bxb7+ Kxb7
27. Rxe7+
A pawn down and another about to go. The game is lost but I go down with one final crescendo.
27. .....Rd7?
A pawn down and another about to go. The game is lost but I go down with one final crescendo.
27. .....Rd7?
28. Bxf6
A whole piece and pawn down and time to resign.
A disastrous game to start the congress.
A whole piece and pawn down and time to resign.
A disastrous game to start the congress.
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