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.