Tunbridge Wells Chess Congress - Major - Round Two
Saturday 8 June 2019
White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: Paul Ritchie (138)
Sicilian Defence
After a shocker of a start, I was in a low mood, so resolved to play cautiously and carefully.
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 e5
An unusual way to meet my closed Sicilian. Research reveals that White's best plan would be Bc4, d3, f4, Nf3 and castles with a nice advantage. I usually play the bishop to e2 and do so here.
3. d3 Nc6
4. f4 exf4?!
Surprising. Breaking Black's stonewall and saddling him with a backward pawn on d6.
5. Bxf4 d6
6. Nf3 Nf6
7. Be2 Be7
8. O-O O-O
I was concerned about 8. .... Qb6 and decided to meet it with 9. Rb1 but instead 9. Nd5 would have been better. One line being 9. ... Nxd5 10. exd5 Nd4 11. Nxd4 cxd4 12. b3 with Bf3 to come. The half-open c-file might have become an issue however.
9. Kh1
Investing a tempo so I did not have to worry about such tricks. My confidence was still low after the previous defeat.
9. .... Re8
I did not quite understand this upcoming rearrangement of pieces so decided to get on with the attack.
10. Qe1 Bf8
11. Bg5 Be6
12. Qg3
An excellent square for the queen, opposite the king and also keeping an eye on the d6 pawn.
12. ........ Be7
Now it was time for a big think to come up with a plan.
I considered 13. h3 followed by Nh2. I also thought about 13. Qh4 but then a Black h6 forces exchanges.
I considered 13. h3 followed by Nh2. I also thought about 13. Qh4 but then a Black h6 forces exchanges.
And I looked at 13. Nh4 planning to come to the f5 square. If 13. ... Nh5 then 14. Bxh5 Bxg5 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. Rxf5 Bf6 17. Nd5 with Raf1 to come.
But after 13. Nh4 I could not see a way to meet 13. ... Nd4. If 14. Bd1 Nh5 15. Bxh5 Bxg5 16. Nf3 (16. Nf5? Bxf5 and then Nxc2) Bf6 and Black is OK.
So I looked to the other side of the board to see if I could profit from the d6 weakness and threaten Bxf6. The upcoming sequence I had foreseen.
13. Nb5 Nh5
14. Qh4 Bxg5
15. Nxg5 h6
16. Bxh5 hxg5
17. Qg3
This was the position I had in mind after 13. Nb5. Although material is equal, Black has a double g-pawn and the weakness on d6 is still there. But I had under-estimated the next move.
17. ....... Ne5!
....and now Black is better. He threatens Qb6 winning a pawn. White must play 18. d4 cxd4 19. Nxd4 but I overlooked an obvious trap.
18. Nc3 g4
18. .. g6 might be better with 19. Be2 f5 and Black has quite an initiative going. But for now I have to mount a rescue mission for the trapped bishop.
19. h3 Qg5
Black cannot trap the bishop so 19. .. Qb6! would cause White greater problems with either 20. Rab1 gxh3 or 20. b3 Qb4.
20. Bxg4 Nxg4!?
More accurate would be 20. .. Bxg4 21. hxg4 as the knight stands well and covers the d6 pawn. But Black has a plan.
21. hxg4 Bxg4
White can play 22. Rf4 here, or even a safer 22. Kg1, but, I saw a free pawn and lunged.
22. Qxd6?
... and then....
22. ........ Re6
Cripes!! We know where that's going.
23. Qf4 Rh6+
24. Kg1 Qh5
And now I had an epic think for twenty minutes or so. I saw 24. …. Qh1+ 25. Kf2 Rf6 (and did not see that 26. Rxh1! Rxf4+ 27. Kg3 g5 28. Nd5 wins material). Or 24. … Qh1+ 25. Kf2 Qh4+ but 26. Ke3 seems to be OK - or just returning 26. Kg1 for the draw. But I could see all sorts of lines where Black's rook coming to f6 would end the day.
I also had visions of trying to explain to myself how, when I was the highest seeded player in the section, I had started on 0/2.
It took a while before I saw the best move - which would cover the f6 square as well as keep an option of a check if I needed it.
25. Nd5 Re8
Reinforcements.
26. Ne3
26. Qg3 is the best move. Black cannot play 26. .. Be2 because of 27. Nf6+ and if 26. .. Qh1+ 27. Kf2 Qh5 then 28. Rh1.
After the text, Black can force a draw with 26. ... Qh1+ 27. Kf2 Qh4+ 28. Kg1 (28. g3??? Qh2+ 29. Ng2 Bh3 30. Qf3 Bxg2 31. Qxg2 Rf6+) Qh4+ etc.
26. ........ Be6
But Black knows he has the initiative and wants to play on.
27. Rae1 b5
I did not fear 27. ... Bxa2 where I could choose between 28. b3 or 28. Nf5.
28. b3 c4!?
Interesting. Black decides to sacrifice a pawn to open lines on the queenside while he has White tied down to the kingside. I did not like that prospect so I decided to create a passed pawn instead.
29. d4 cxb3
30. cxb3
If 30. axb3 I did not like the idea of a weak pawn on the c-file and the possibility of a Black passed pawn with a5-a4. (I am also relieved to still be on the board).
30. ..... Rc8
31. Nf5??
31. d5 or 31. Rf3 would have been better. This is a simple blunder. 31. .... Bxf5! will now win at once.
(i) 32. Qxf5 Qh2+ 33. Kf2 Rf6 wins the queen.
(ii) 32. exf5 Rc2! and Qh1 mate can only be stopped by sacrificing the queen.
(iii) 32. Rc1 and White is just a piece down.
(iii) 32. Rc1 and White is just a piece down.
31. ...... Qh1+??
Phew!! He missed it.
32. Kf2 Rc2+
33. Re2?
Missing 33.Ke3 which would have won material as Black's queen and rook are attacked at the same time.
33. ........Rxe2+
34. Kxe2 Qh5+
35. g4
Forcing the exchange of queens.
35. ...... Qh2+
36. Qxh2 Rxh2+
37. Rf2 Rh3
An internal sigh of relief as the realisation that I should not lose this, and unaware (although suspecting it) that we had both missing winning chances.
I was not sure how to defend the extra pawn so decided to give it up in exchange for swapping off the pieces. But I probably did not need to. 38. d5 would keep the edge.
38. Ne3 Rg3
39. d5
39. Rf4 would have kept the pawn although limiting the mobility of the rook.
39. ..... Bxg4
40. Nxg4 Rxg4
41. Kf3
41. Kd3 would have been more accurate.
41. ....... f5!
42. exf5 Rd4
43. Rc2 Rxd5
44. Ke4 Rd7
45. Rc5 Rb7
My last chance of a win was to get the king active, although I needed to keep an eye on my f-pawn.
46. Kd5 b4
47. Kc6 Rb6+
48. Kc7 Ra6
49. Rb5 Rxa2
50. Rxb4 Rf2
51. Rb5 a6
OK, this will be a draw so we just went through the motions.
52. Ra5 Rf3
53. Kd6 Rxb3
54. Rxa6 Rb5
55. Ke6 Rb3
56. Ke5
Draw Agreed.
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