17 October 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Round Five

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Five

Thursday 17 October 2019

White: Dennis Simpson (135) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)

Modern Defence

1. d4 Nf6

My confidence had been shaken by the awful game last week and so I sideline the Dutch temporarily and go for a stable position with the plan to win a long game.

2. Bf4 

A lot of people are playing this set-up. I wonder why.

2. ..... d6
3. e3 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Be2 O-O
6. Nbd2 e6?!

A rather pointless move. 6. .. c5 or 6. .. Nh5 are more active.

7. O-O Nc6

Nothing happening yet. Just shadow boxing.

8. h3 h6

Because I thought Bg5 might be an annoying pin.

9. c3 b6 

After this move, I noticed that 9. .. Nh5 10. Bh2 e5 might have been a better idea. But 11. dxe5 begins to tie Black up in knots with either 11. .. Nxe5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. Bxh5 or 11. .. dxe5 12. Nc4 Qe7 13. Qb3.

However, 9. .. b6 is not that great either. Either 9. .. Re8 or 9. .. Qe7 continuing to develop would be an improvement.

10. Bh2 Bb7
11. e4 Nd7

My plan is to find some good squares for the pieces and build up for a break in the centre or along the f-file.

12. Bd3?!

The engine prefers other plans - either 12. Re1 then Nf1-e3, or 12. a4 and b4-5, Qb3, or pushing the White bishop a little further with 12. Bc4 or 12. Bb5.

12. .....e5

13. d5 Ne7

White closes the centre, but this gives Black the time to take over the initiative.

14. c4 Nc5

The position is set for Black to think about either the c6 break or the f5 break. Oddly, he does neither.

15. Nb3 Nxd3

I was unsure about removing this piece which was not doing much but the exchange weakens the White centre.

16. Qxd3 Qd7?!

Connecting the rooks and bringing the queen to a slightly move active square, but 16. ... f5 would just get on with it.

17. Rab1 

Presumably moving off the diagonal, defending the b-pawn in the event of a Black f5 and e4, and preparing b4, but Rad1 would have been slightly more accurate.

17. ....   a5

This looks like a sign that I am short of ideas, and I cannot recall why I did not like f5 or c6 except for the lack of confidence I had referred to earlier and that I did not want to take any risks. I decide on a plan is to roll up the queenside and advance - especially with the white bishop tucked away on h2. 

18. Nc1 Ba6

Still crying out for 18. .. f5 - the engine makes this +1.5 for Black.

19. a4? 

A shock. White sacrifices (or blunders?) a pawn. 

19. ..... Qxa4

After some thought, I could not see what compensation White gets in exchange for the pawn and so grabbed it swiftly. 

20. b3 Qd7
21. Ne2 Rfb8

Preparing for the opening of the b-file, although Black has better moves with 21. .. b5 and 21. .. f5 is still an option.

22. b4?! 

Instead it is the a-file that gets opened and Black is able to take control of it.

22. ..... axb4

23. Rxb4 Bc8

23. ..b5! would exploit the lack of co-ordination in the White set-up. The engine gives one line as 24. cxb5 Rxb5 25. Rxb5 Bxb5 26. Qd2 f5.

The position can get messy if White just brings the other rook over and, let us not forget, I am still just being cautious in how I improve my position.

24. Qb3 Ra5
25. Nc3 Rba8
26. Rfb1 f5

At last! I could not see how I could improve on the queenside so thought I would try my luck in the centre.

27. Nd2 fxe4

27. .. f4 and g5-g4 is another plan of attack.

28. N2xe4 Nf5
29. Ne2 Qe7
30. N4g3 Kh7

Safety again - going off the line of the queen's diagonal and not taking the chance to play e4.

31. Nxf5? 

A positional error compelling White to move the bishop to a good square.

31. ....Bxf5

Black has a choice of ideas with, for example, Ra1 and R8a3, or h5 and Bh6.

32. g4?? 

Another surprise. An exchange sacrifice?

32. ......... Bxb1

Clearly not. 33. Qxb1 is met by 33. ... Ra1 winning the queen and so White resigned.

I was glad to get this win over an opponent, who has been in the past very tough to beat, and also to get back to winning ways after last time's catastrophe.