3 October 2019 - Stevenson - Swale v Hastings

Stevenson - Swale v Hastings

Thursday 3 October 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: Daniel Love (193)

Ruy Lopez
 

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nf6

The Berlin Defence, made famous by Vladimir Kramnik who used it to good effect in his match with Gary Kasparov in 2000. It has a reputation as a dull opening. 

4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nxf5 8. Qxd8 is a common line. I decide to go for a different option to set up something solid.

4. d3 Bc5
5. h3

This was to prevent Ng4 and any accidents on f2, but 5. c3 is the main line, restricting the knight on c6. White could also castle or play 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. O-O where, although Black has the two bishops, White has a better pawn structure and the Black pawn on e5 will require defending.

5. .....Nd4
6. Nxd4 Bxd4

Black has now equalised.

7. c3 Bb6
8. Bg5 

I quite liked this move, pinning the f6 knight, exploiting the fact that the Black bishop can no longer interpose on e7, and aiming to hold back Black's lead in development.

8. ...... h6
9. Bh4 O-O

10. Nd2 

Heading for the c4 square. I was not sure about castling as Black can take the initiative with 10. O-O c6 11. Ba4 d5, or by playing 10. .. g5 11. Bg3 d6, so I continued to try to catch up on development and delay the decision what to do with my king.

10. ..... c6

11. Ba4 d6?!

This move does not look quite right. 11. .. d5 would show some energy and begin an initiative, followed by Re8 and/or developing the queen's bishop. White's pawn on d3 is looking a bit out of place.

12. Nc4?!

White should castle or play 12. Bb3 but I was still undecided where to put my king. Black's best is now 12. .. Be6. An exchange on b6 (13. Nxb6 axb6) would be good for Black while 13. Bb3 Bxc4 14. Bxc4 d5 aims to break up the centre while White's king is there.

12. ..... g5

13. Bg3 h5?

My opponent said later that he was not happy with this move, weakening the defences in front of his king, before I have castled, and with my rook still on h1. This is indeed an error. Either 13. .. Be6 or 13. .. Re8 continues to develop.

The g-pawn is now undefended and there is the prospect of an attack against some lightly defended squares, so I gave some thought to 14. Qd2 Nh7 15. h4 g4 (White can respond to 15. ... Bc7 or 15. .. Be6 with 16. Ne3 or 16. Bb3) 16. O-O thinking about f3 - although the engine likes 16. Qh6 (which I did not see) as this hits the pawns on d6 and h5. 

The move I played was not as good as 14. Qd2, but it keeps up the pressure and I considered it to be more forcing.

14. h4 

Black is obliged to move the pawn forward.

14. ..... g4

15. Qd2 

A version of the above idea although the knight is not too badly placed at f6.

15. ... Bc7

Preparing b5 and adding strength to the d6-e5 pawn centre. The fork has to be avoided so it was time to pull the bishop back onto a good diagonal which long term defends the pawn on e4 in the event of my playing d4.

16. Bc2 b5
17. Ne3 Be6

18. Nf5? 

Losing the advantage. White has a lot of good moves and fails to make any of them. 

With the bishop on c2 then 18. d4 suggests itself. 18. O-O revives the idea of f3, or even considers f4. And 18. a4 could make some play on the left hand side.

18. .... Bxf5

19. exf5 Kh7

Although White is still better, the loss of the knight, and the awkward pawn on f5, makes progress more difficult.

20. O-O-O

After making this move, I thought it had been inaccurate. The rook on h1 has no future while the rook on a1 has possible play after supporting a4, and so maybe White should have castled kingside to improve the defence of the king.  The rook on h1 though does have a future.

20. .... Qd7

Connecting the rooks are and hitting the pawn on f5. My next move is more or less forced, but it is a good one anyway.

21. d4 Rad8

I expected 21. .. e4 22. Qg5 Qe7 and overlooked that 23. Bf4! would now be strong, or that 23. Bxe4 was possible (23. .. Qxe4? 24. Rhe1! Qxg2 25. Re7).

22. dxe5? 

Nooooo!! 22. Qg5 Qe7 23. Qxh5+! (I did not see this) Nxh5 24. f6+ and then 25. fxe7 wins at once.

22. ....  dxe5

23. Qxd7? 

Missing 22. Qg5 again, although now the pawn fork of the rooks (23. .. Qe7 24. Qxh5+ Nxh5 25. f6+ Kg8 27. fxe7) would be answered by 27. .....Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Re8 but then 29. Rd7 keeps White on top.

23. ...... Nxd7

24. Be4 Nb8

25. f3 

This was the position I had in mind when playing 22. dxe5. I have the two bishops and wanted to try to exploit the areas around the Black king, and Black's knight is on a bad square. If I could take all the rooks off the board, then at least I thought I would not lose.

The first part of the plan was to round up a pawn.

25...... Kg7
26. fxg4 hxg4
27. Rxd8 Rxd8

28. h5 Rh8

29. Rh4 Kf6
30. Rxg4

At this point, Black surprised me by resigning. 

White threatens Bh4 mate so either 30. .. Rxh5 31. Bh4+ Rxh4 32. Rxh4 with the exchange up and a better position, or 30. .. Ke7 31. Rh4 and then improving the position of the king. White should win but can still go wrong, so I thought his resignation was a little premature.

(I was delighted to discover afterwards that my opponent was graded 193 - and thus was my highest ever defeated opponent).

Swale v Hastings

Keith Nevols (157) 1-0 Daniel Lowe (193)

Keith Hyde (149) 0-1 Tobias Stock (177)

David Page (144) 0-1 Henry Cove (164)

Rob Woolacott (141) 1-0 James Wheeler (156)

Tyrone Jefferies (114) 0-1 Mason Woodhams (132) 

Andrew Gillard (109) 0-1 Martin Fletcher (105)

Swale 2-4 Hastings