28 September 2019 - County U-160s - Kent v Surrey

County Under-160s match - Kent v Surrey

Saturday 28 September 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: M Baker (158)

Sicilian Defence

The first U-160 match of the season saw me back at The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford to play top board, and we soon entered the familiar Closed Sicilian.

1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
3. f4 e6
4. Nf3 d5
5. Be2 

5. Bb5 is considered to be more active, but I did not want to allow counterplay with a6 at some point. After the text, the engine recommends 5. .. dxe4 6. Nxe4 Be7.

5. .......d4
6. Nb1 Nf6

6. .. Bd6 7. d3 Nge7 gives Black an edge.

7. d3 Be7
8. O-O O-O

And so we begin. Firstly, I decide to hold up any Black play on the queenside and then move to develop an attack on the kingside.

9. a4! b6
10. Na3 

Maybe looking 'dim' but well placed to defend c2 and think about coming to c4.

10. ....Bb7
11. Qe1 Nb4
12. Ne5 

One of those moves that looks good but does not really promise anything.  12. Bd2 Rc8 13. Bxb4 cxb4 14. Nc4 looks impressive but Black could stir things up with 14. ... Ng4 looking at the e3 square. 

White ought to get on with it and play 12. Qg3.

12. .....Nd7

12. ... Ne8 would ask the White knight what it is intending to do there. 

13. Qg3 

I like this square for the queen in this system, directly opposite the king. 

13. ......f5

The engine recommends 13. .. Bh4 14. Qh3 Nxe5 15. fxe5 Bg5 swapping off the bishops.

I decided to force a sequence to secure the e5 square. I thought Black could not take the knight on e5 because fxe5 is good for me, opening the line of the bishop on c1 and the rook on f1..

14. c3 dxc3
15. bxc3 

15. .......Nc6

Black has 15. .. fxe4!! - an astonishing piece sacrifice which can lead to a strong attack. A great line is 16. cxb4 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Rxf1+ 18. Kxf1 Qd4! 19. Nc2 Rf8+ 20. Ke1 Qc3+ 21. Kd1 exd3 22. Bxd3 (22. Qxd3 Rd8) ... Bf3+!! 23. gxf3 Qxd3+ 24. Bd2 Rxf3 25. Qg2 Rf1+ 26. Nf1 Bh4.

White would have to resist and play 16. Nxd7! exd3 17. Bf3 Qxd7 18. Bxb7 Qxb7 19. cxb4  but even then 19. ... cxb4 20. Nc4 Qd5! and there's all to play for.

16. Nac4 Ncxe5?

A positional mistake, opening the diagonal for the bishop on c1. and improving the prospects of my knight. Black should sit tight with something like 16. .. Qc7.

17. fxe5 fxe4?

And a second mistake opening the f-file. 17. ... Qe8 would help the defence.

18. Bh6 Rxf1+
19. Rxf1 Bf8
20. Nd6 

If Black now plays 20. .. Nxe5 then 21. Nxb7 Qc7 22. Bf4 and White will come out a piece up.

20. ......Bc6

I had a big think. There must be a forced win here and I tried strenuously to find it.

The correct move is 21. Rf7! g6 and then White has a pleasant choice of 22. Qh3 intending to take on e6, or 22. Qf4 with pressure down the f-file. Either way should win.

But I could see a way to win the Black queen and went into that line instead.

21. Bxg7? Bxg7

22. Rf7 Qf8
23. Rxf8+ Rxf8

For the queen, Black has a rook and a knight, and I had to win the game again. White should now play 24. d4 to secure the centre but the e6 pawn proved a tempting target.

24. Qg4 Nxe5

If 24. .. Bd5 I had considered 25. c4?? but Black could then equalise the game with 25. .. Nxe5 26. Qg3 exd3 27. Bxd3 Nxd3 28. Qxd3 Bd4+ 29. Kh1 Bc6 and it would be very difficult for White to win the game from there.

A better reply to 24. .. Bd5 is 25. d4.

25. Qxe6+ Kh8
26. d4 cxd4
27. cxd4 Nd3

27. .. Bd7 would fight on for a little but then 28. Qd5 or 28. Qe7 is fine.

28. Nf7+ Kg8?

Black needed to play 28. .. Rxf7 29. Qxf7 Bxa4 and White still has work to do. (He has to find 30. Qc4! which would win a piece with 30. ... Bd7 31. Qd5!).

But this is mate in three.

29. Nh6+ Kh8

30. Qg8+

Black resigned. 30. ... Rxg8 31. Nf7 is checkmate.

19 September 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Round Three

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Three

Thursday 19 September 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: Keith Hyde (149)

Kings Indian Defence

In our last two games, in which I had the white pieces, the games had been closed Sicilians in which I had not got anything. So, as with my game with Rob Woolacott, I decided to try out the left hand side. The plan was to play solidly and gently and see if I can take advantage of any weaknesses.

1. d4 Nf6

2. Nf3 g6

I had planned to play 3. e3 and enter the Colle system but this move has put an end to that plan, so the Indians it is.

3. c4 Bg7

In our very first game, four years ago, Black had played the Grunfeld defence. I wondered if he would do so here with 3. ... d5. I tried to remember my theory because I have played 4. Nf3 here instead of 4. Nc3, so is 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 any good? But the best move to respond to 3. .. d5 might be 4. Nc3.

4. Nc3 O-O

So the King's Indian it is.

5. e3?!

5. e4 is a much better and more ambitious move. I gave it a lot of thought but decided to stick to the plan of being solid.

5. .....   d6

6. Bd3

I think 6. Be2 might have been more accurate but I was concerned about Black playing 6. ...Bf5.

6. ......  Nbd7

I did not think this was the best move, as the c8 bishop is now restricted and the knight not well placed. If it goes to the b6 square, I could play a4 maybe creating some weaknesses.
6. ... c5 might be better.

7. O-O e5

8. b3

8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Be2 Bf5 looks good for Black. I wanted to consider how to develop the queen's bishop.

8. .....  Re8

9. Qc2 Qe7

10. Nd2?! 

Defending against e4, but 10. Be2 would have been an improvement. After 10. .. e4 11. Nd2 White could continue development with Bb2, Rfd1, Rac1 etc.

10. ....Nf8

After 10. .. exd4 11. exd4 c5, the engine thinks Black has a slight advantage.

11. Bb2 c6

12. a4 

Planning to put pressure on the now weakened d-pawn.

12. ..... Qc7

13. Ba3?!

13. d5 is better. If 13. .. cxd5 14. Nxd5 and the opening of the c-file could be to White's advantage. If Black does not take, then the White pawn on d5 is a restraint on the Black position.

Black takes the chance to relieve some tension and take some control of the centre.

13. ......exd4!

14. exd4 Ne6

15. Nf3 Nf4

16. Rfe1 

16. ....     Nxd3?!

Exchanging the well-placed knight for a not-so-good bishop. 16. .. Bg4 poses awkward questions, which White cannot meet by either 17. g3 or 17. h3. After 17. Nd2 Black can continue to build up with 17. .. d5 or 17. .. Rad8.

There is an interesting piece sacrifice with 16. .. Bg4 17. Nd2 Qd7 18. f3 N6h5 19. fxg4 Bxd4+ 20. Kh1 Qxg4.

17. Qxd3 Bf5

18. Qd2 Ne4

19. Nxe4 Bxe4

By now, I had the sense of being outplayed.

20. Qf4 Bxf3

21. Bxd6 Qa5

22. b4 Qxa4!

I had overlooked that this was possible. Obviously 23. Rxa4 loses to 23. .. Re1 mate. I did not like 23. Qxf3 Bxd4 so had to weaken the pawn structure.

23. gxf3 Qc2

24. Rxe8+ Rxe8

25. Rxa7 Qxc4

26. Bc5? 

White ought to play 26. Rxb7 Bxd4 27. Kg2 and hang in there.

26. .... Re1+

27. Kg2 

Black's best move here is 27. .. h5 or 27. .. h6. Black's threat is to play Qf1+ and Re2, but he then also has a future option of Be5! which we both overlooked, exploiting the pin against the queen. (He cannot play it yet. If 27. .. Bd5?? now then 28. Ra8+ forces mate - hence the move of the h-pawn giving h7 as a flight square).

After 27. .. h5 28. Rxb7 Be5! White has to give up material to stop mate - 29. Qxf7+ Qxf7 30 Rxf7 Kxf7 31. dxe5 Rxe5. Black has the exchange for a pawn - still work to do, but a clear advantage.

Black saw the bank rank threat but, thankfully for me, did not see Be5, and so decided to force a draw. 

27. ..... Qf1+?

28. Kg3 Qg1+

29. Kh3 Qf1+?

30. Kg3 Qg1+

31. Kh3 Qf1+?

32. Kg3

Draw. Perhaps not the most exciting of games and my strategy had not worked.

12 September 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Round Two

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Two

Thursday 12 September 2019

White: Kevin French (104) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)

English Opening

1. c4 e5

This is an aggressive system I have used against the English. It is a similar set-up to the Dutch defence but with ... e5 already played.

2. Nc3 d6

3. g3 f5

4. Bg2

If 4. d4 I had planned 4. .. Be7. White can choose to exchange queens with 5. dxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Bxd8, or go straight for 6. Nd5 Nf6. I think either is fine for Black.

4. ....  Nf6

5. Qc2

5. Qb3 is a sterner test, a more active square for the queen, and was the move which concerned me. I wanted to get my king castled as soon as possible for that reason.

5. .....  Nc6

6. e3

This stops Nd4.I tried to think of methods of exploiting the weak d3 square by playing e4 and either Ne5 or Nb4 to d3, but there is not time. 6. .. e4 can be met straight away with 7. f3. Instead I decide to continue developing.

6. ....  Be7

7. a3 a5

A time out to deter a White b4, while also thinking Ra6 in future might be useful - both to come off the long diagonal but also to move across the sixth rank - and these did indeed prove to be the case.

8. Nge2 O-O

9. b3

Now I could see that White was thinking of queenside castling.

9. .....  Qe8

The point being to have options both of moving the queen over to the kingside to attack, a possible attack in the centre, or keep open possibilities of moving over the other way towards the a4 square. 9. .. e4 is possible here too.

10. Bb2 Bd8

This move is to pre-empt a Nd5 or a Nb5, and also to open some files opposite the White king.

11. d3

White's sixth pawn move out of eleven. I considered 11... Qh5 or 11. .. Qg6, just to be able to move a piece to a more aggressive square, but I could not see any other reason for that, so instead I just decide to create a further weakness in the White camp.

11. ......  Ng4

12. h3 Nf6

13. O-O-O

So White has made his decision. He feels the king is safer on the queenside and now intends to open up the centre.

13. ...... Ra6!

I quite liked this move. 13. .. Nd7 is another option but, as stated earlier, I wanted to get this rook to a safer and more flexible square. I also had vague ideas of Na7 and b5.

Perhaps worth mentioning that the engine does not like it, preferring 13. .. Ne7 and then c6.

14. d4 e4

Opening the position with 14. ... exd4 15. exd4 leaving White with an open e-file and active bishops, while mine were both on the back rank, did not appeal.

15. Nf4

I had quite a think in this position as to an overall plan. Although not much has happened, my pieces are not that well placed, and my best bet would be to wait for White to make a move and try to win on the counter. 

I did not like 15. .. g5 (the engine's recommendation) 16. Nd5 (I did not look at 16. Nfe2) Nxd5 17. cxd5 Ne7 18. h4 with the aim to open the h-file, although 18. .. b5! might be OK (19. hxg5 b4 and then Nxd5).

15. ... Qf7 was another move I considered, although this is not very inspiring, and it allowed 16. f3.

Instead I play a waiting move to slightly improve the position of the bishop as well as point towards a4.

15. .....  Bd7

16. Rde1?!

Making f3 possible. I wondered if 16. h4 would have been an improvement, securing the position of the knight on f4, but weakening the g4 square. The consolidation move 16. Kb1 is another idea.

16. ....   g5

Changing my mind. I can't let the knight sit there, and a few exchanges might help.

17. Nfe2

I thought this was a mistake, and that he had to play 17. Nd5. He has retreated the knight to a square where it has only one square to go to, and it blocks off some White lines of defence.

17. .....    Ne7

Opening up the diagonal to think about b5 and/or a4. 

I thought that 18. g4! would now be a good move, taking advantage of Black being disorientated. 18. .. fxg4 19. hxg4 Bxg4 20. Nxe4 and White is opening up the position towards the Black king both down the h-file and along the b1-h7 diagonal and possibly the b2-h8.

If Black tried to meet 18. g4 with 18. . Ng6 19. gxf5 Bxf5 then 20. Ng3 Nh4 21. Nxf5 (21. Bxe4 Nxe4 22. Nxe4 Bxe4 23. Nxe4 Nf3! 24. Rd1 Qg6 with Rd8 wins a piece) Nxg2 22. Reg1 or 21. .. Nxf5 22. Nxe4.

18. .. d5 might have been the best bet with 19. cxd5 Nexd5 20. gxf5 Nxc3 21. Nxc3 Bxf5 but White then has a pleasant choice between 19. Bf1 and Bc4+ or 19. f3.

18. Rd1 

White's advantage has now been reduced by those two rook moves and I can see a way to take some initiative.

18. ....... d5
19. c5

19. cxd5 Nxed5 and Black has the advantage with even Rc6 to consider.

19. .....   b5!

Seeking to make a breakthrough with a b4 threat, and meeting 20. cxb6 e.p. with 20. .. Rxb6.

I considered 20. .. b6 but then I am not going to take on c5 opening up the b2 bishop diagonal, and the rook just looks silly.

20. Na2

With the white knight and bishop now way out of the game, it is time to work on the kingside.

20. ......  Ng6

Prevents a White h4, supports a future f4, frees up some space and improves the position of the knight. Not bad for one move.

21. Bf1

A backward move that I did not expect. A White a4 could be awkward so I decided to move the rook. 21. .. Ra7 I considered but then I saw a better square, which would help support the centre initiative.

21. .... Re6!

The engines recommend 21. ... c6 with Bc7, or 21.... a4. But I like this move as the rook is now in the game (and it was a point of Ra6 long ago). I had planned to meet 22. Qd2 with 22. c6 23. Bc3 a4.

22. Bg2

For the second time, White moves a piece back to where it came from. By now I am short of time - just down to my last twenty minutes - and I knew I had to get a move on. I thought about 22. .. c6 just tidying up and I looked at 22. .. Nh5 but then, what the hell? Let's just get on with it!

22. .....f4!?
23. gxf4 gxf4

24. Nxf4?

24. Nec3 might be more accurate, keeping a White pawn on e3.

24. ......  Nxf4

25. exf4 Nh5

Now I was happy! With Rg6 and the bishops moving in, I can get a strong initiative.

26. Bf1 Nxf4

27. Nc3 c6

A tidying move but Black's best would have been to push on with 27. .. e3.

28. Ne2??

A blunder overlooking my next move.

28. ......  Nd3+

29. Rxd3

Perhaps the best practical chance. 29. Kb1 Nxf2 30. Rg1+ Rg6 and I am a pawn up but with potential strong squares for the pieces. White will get a pawn for the exchange here as well as getting rid of a strong knight.

29. .....  exd3

30. Qxd3 Bg5+

I had overlooked that 31. f4 was now possible. If 31. .. Bxf4+ 32. Nxf4 Rxf4?? 33. Qg3+, although, had I thought about it, I could have answered 31. f4 with 31. .. Re3.

A better Black move would have been an immediate 30. .. Rg6! with Bf5 to come and killing the White king on the diagonals.

31. Kd1 Rg6

31. .. Rxf2 immediately would have been tidier, keeping up the pressure down the e-file, but I was concerned about the open g-file.

32. h4 Bh6

32. .. Bf5 33. Qg3 Qe4 is another strong move, threatening mate in two and the rook on h1.

33. Bh3 Rxf2

Why not? My aim is to simplify the game to a winning ending.

34. Bxd7 Qxd7

35. Bc1 Bxc1

36. Kxc1 Rgg2

37. Re1 Qg4

38. Kd1

38. .... Rf3 now wins at once.

If 39. Qc2 Rxe2 40. Qxe2 (40. Rxe2 Rf1+ 41. Kd2 Qxd4+ 42. Qd3 Rd1+) 43. Kc1 (43. Kc2 Rf2) Qa1+ 44. Kd2 Qc3+ 45. Kd1 Rd3+.

Or 39. Qd2 Qe4 40. Kc1 Re3 41. Qxa5 Qe8.

But, with time running low, and aware of the danger of a perpetual check, I am thinking of how I can simplify this to a king and pawn ending - in which case an outside passed pawn would be very useful.

38. .....   Qxh4

39. a4

White aims to break through on the queenside to get counterplay and an active queen.,

39. .....  bxa4

40. bxa4 Qe4

Apparently 40.. Qh6 is best but I wanted those queens off.

41. Qxe4 dxe4

42. Kd2

A quick count and I see how to win.

42. ......  Kf7

43. Ke3 Rxe2+!

44. Rxe2 Rxe2+

45. Kxe2 Ke6

46. Ke3

If 46. Kd2, losing a tempo, then just 46. ... h6 47. Ke3 Kd5.

46. ....... Kd5

47. Kf4 Kxd4

White now resigned.

5 September 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Round One

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round One

Thursday 5 September 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: Alin Popa (76)

French Defence

The start of a new season!!

1. e4 e6

2. Qe2

My regular anti-French. A target for the year ahead - find some better anti-French systems.

2. .....  c6!?

An interesting idea which I assumed was to help get d5 through. I considered 3. c4 d5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Nc3 but just thought my d-pawn looked a bit odd without any neighbours.

3. d4 Nf6

3. .. d5 would have been better. Now I get the chance to gain some time.

4. e5 Ng8

A better alternative would have been 4. ... Nd5 5. c4 Nb4 (5. .. Nc7!?) I looked at 6. a3 Qa5! and whether I should try 7. Kd1?? (which would have been a huge blunder after 7. .. Qa4+ 8. Ke1 Nc2+) or the more simple 7. Nc3 where Black could try 7. .. c5.

5. Nf3 h6

Black's position is not good - the knight on b8 and bishop on c8 will struggle to get out. Having said that, my queen is not very well placed on e2, so I resolve to sort out the kingside.

6. g3 b5

I had guessed the idea was to establish a knight on d5 via e7, but now I am thinking how I can make use of the weakened Black squares.

7. Bg2 Ba6

Ruling out castling so I have to go somewhere with the queen and think that the centre is as good as place as any.

8. Qe4 Bb4+

9. Bd2

Happy to exchange bishops - again with those weak Black squares in mind, especially the one on d6.

9. ......  Qa5

10. O-O

10. Qg4 is interesting, but let's just get the king out of the way before any accidents.

10. ....  Bxd2

11. Nxd2 b4

12. Rfd1

This move was after I performed the 'which rook on which square' debate familiar to all chess players. I figured that the rooks would better placed on c1 and d1, with a plan of Nb3-c5, Rac1, c3 etc. Or even a3. 

Black's best move here is 12. ... Ne7, with those squares on d5 or f5 to consider, and then castling and somehow developing the knight on b8.

12. ......  f5?

But this is a mistake, letting the queen infiltrate the kingside.

13. exf6 Nxf6??

And this is game over. Black had to play 13. .. gxf6 14. Qg6+ Kf8 15. Ne4 Qd8 and then White will try to get the rooks into play to keep up the attack.

As played, the game now finishes very quickly.

14. Qg6+ Kf8

15. Ne5 Kg8

16. Ne4 Qd8

16. .. Nxe4 mates after 17. Qf7+Kh7 18. Bxe4++.

17. Qf7+ Kh7

18. Nxf6+ Qxf6

19. Be4+

Black can now resign but instead allows me the chance to perform a neat checkmate.

19. ....  Qf5

20. Bxf5+ exf5

21. Qxf5+ Kg8

22. Ng6 Kh7

23. Ne7+ g6

24. Qxg6 mate